pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 43
995k
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__cc
| 0.693944
| 0.306056
|
Rock Solid: Talking Heads
"If you only own one album by Talking Heads it's gotta be ____________________."
Welcome to Rock Solid, where we fill in the blank. Our goal is to pseudo-scientifically determine the best, the beloved, the most classic album in an artist's catalog.
Here's how it works: I've consulted two main sources. The All Music Guide provides the professional critical point-of-view and Amazon.com offers the fan perspective (because most people who choose to review albums on Amazon are adoring fans of the artist in question). The album with the highest combined rating from both sources is the one I'll consider the best.
An artist's entire body of work is eligible, with one exception: No compilations (i.e. greatest hits).In each case, I'll also share my personal favorite album by the artist in question, as if you care.
Back in 2005 I reviewed every single Talking Heads album, but that predated the Rock Solid feature. So here it is retroactively.
Maybe it…
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line0
|
__label__cc
| 0.537253
| 0.462747
|
Report the Facts: What A Concept!
Categories: Healthcare, Media Criticism
Well, maybe we’re getting some consensus here. After all, the country’s foremost media critic (he said with little attempt to hide his sarcasm) has stumbled upon a novel concept for today’s journalists: Point out, gently I presume, that a politician, or anyone who has the ear of the almighty reporters, doesn’t have a fucking clue what he’s talking about.
Gently, of course.
Howard Kurtz: Yes, there is a point where the media should say a politician is wrong, and this is the point. There may or may not be a legitimate discussion about the end-of-life counseling in the Obama health plan (which is voluntary, by the way) and whether it is intrusive. It’s a long way from that to "death panels," even by the loose rhetorical standards of modern politics. I was surprised that the ex-governor’s Facebook comments didn’t get much pickup at first, though that is starting to change in the last couple of days. As I noted in this morning’s column, wasn’t it Sarah Palin who demanded that journalists "quick making things up"?
Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer are decried for calling the town hall protests “un-American.” (Let’s forget that those same charges were frequently leveled by Republicans at those protesting the Iraq War.) And Steve Pearlstein has been taken to task for calling Republicans “political terrorists.”
But if we are to look for someone to blame for the level of discourse in this country, I think we know who to blame.
For after all, it’s still true that if a tree falls in the woods and no one can hear it, it doesn’t make a noise. It may make a sound but noise is something you can’t avoid. And today, you can’t avoid the shouting masses at meetings who aren’t just airing their grievances, they are preventing others from hearing anyone but them.
Because the media has decided we need to hear it, whether it makes sense or has any connection to reality.
You and I can raise all the hell we want about the state of journalism today, but it mostly falls on deaf ears. What’s needed is someone with cojones who is the subject of media coverage to call reporters out on it.
Conventional wisdom says you never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel. But conventional wisdom, not so long ago, would also dictate that you don’t report the sky is yellow just because someone made the claim.
Whether it’s President Obama or anyone else in public life, they need to start holding journalists accountable for their coverage, which is to a large degree the result of laziness and lack of editorial leadership.
It’s easy to write about a boisterous town hall. All your evidence is in one place. You can easily get quotes from both sides and generally give both sides equal weight, and boom, you’re out the door and into your favorite journalists’ barroom where everyone complains about the shrinking market for their increasingly marginal skills.
If just once, someone would say when asked a question about the meaning of the loudmouths at town hall meetings, “ Mr. Gregory, that’s the wrong question. It’s the easy to question ask, because it absolves you from doing some work. Instead of reading the health care bill and trying to help the public understand what’s being proposed, what the pros and cons are, you react to a mob. You allow over-the-top behavior save you from doing work. It’s a stupid question and I won’t entertain it. Next question.”
The powers that be need to challenge a lazy, inept press. If they won’t do the job their supposed to do – inform the public about the the pertinent issues of the day – then the hell with them. Stop doing press conferences, stop doing press briefings, stop taking any questions. Communicate directly to the public.
Let newspapers die. They deserve to.
No Wonder the Patient is Dying
What’s wrong with the healthcare reform debate? Best answer I’ve seen yet.
Stifling Free Speech
CNN is refusing to air an ad by supporters of healthcare reform.
Here’s the reason:
“This ad does not comply with our clearance guidelines because it unnecessarily singles out an individual company and person.”
Gee, does that mean they will no longer run ads that single out individual politicians? Or is that “necessary”?
Isn’t it ironic that an organization protected by free speech denies it to others.
This is happening frequently. CNN also refused to air an ad by Media Matters about Lou Dobbs.
Milbank and Cillizza Apologize
Categories: Media Criticism, Washington Post
Washington Post reporters Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza have apologized for their latest Mouthpiece Theater, the one where they called Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a “bitch.”
And The Post has canceled the experiment that Mouthpiece was.
I have nothing against either one of them. When Milbank sticks to skewering the righteous and puffed egos of the political elite he can be fun, though not necessarily required reading. Cillizza is not offensive as an analyst, but I rarely read him.
But they deserved the video response below. (The original, which was not only offensive to women but not even remotely funny, is below it.)
After this, the salon snafu and some editorial decisions – like this morning’s Governor story – you’ve got to ask yourself, “Whose minding the ship over at WaPo?
It’s OK If You’re a Republican
Categories: GOP Sex Scandals, Media Criticism
A comment on a story about the latest in the Ensign affairs sums up the press’s reaction to sexual indiscretions.
It’s important to remember that when a Democrat has a sex scandal (Clinton, Spitzer, Edwards, etc.), a hypocritical, immoral adulterer has been exposed for what he is.
When a Republican is involved (Ensign, Sanford, Vitter, etc.), a decent, God-fearing Christian only showed he is human, and this uncharacteristic lapse in judgment should not overshadow his strong moral character and dedication to his constituents.
Any questions? Remember IOKIYAR (It’s Okay If You’re A Republican).
No Proof, But Post Story Makes Front Page
Categories: Media Criticism, Virginia Governor's Race 09, Washington Post
Here’s all you need to know about Sandhya Somashekhar’s front page story about the Virginia governor’s race.
There is no empirical evidence [emphasis added] at this point in Virginia’s race for governor showing that huge numbers of voters think like Cleland and will respond by sending a message to Washington.
But that didn’t stop the Post reporter from fashioning an entire argument about the dynamics of the governor’s race based on the opinions of two individuals, one of whom was clearly ambivalent. More likely, the reporter decided the slant she wanted and found two people who confirmed it, even though there is “no empirical evidence.”
This is another example of the lazy journalism increasingly practiced by The Washington Post, especially when it comes to the Virginia governor’s race. We had another example Monday, when Roz Helderman wasted newsprint on a story that Democrats are still running against Bush. The story was written for the political insiders but offered no help to general Post readers in deciding who to vote for. Instead of writing stories about the issues, they write about the political dynamics, much of which they make up.
Regarding today’s story, there is mention that 52 percent of Americans support Obama, but it’s described as “the lowest number of his tenure.” Indeed, it is also twice the number of his predecessor. Ah, but that’s not the story she wanted to write.
According to a late July poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, 78% of Americans think it is at least somewhat likely that “Obama will bring real change in the direction of the country.” A month after his election that figure was at 81%. The margin of error is 3.1%. Which is to say, it’s about the same. Meanwhile, you have 61% of Americans saying they have an unfavorable position of Republicans in Congress.
So why would someone vote Republican in the Virginia’s governor’s race. I don’t know, but one can argue it has nothing to do with the Obama administration.
The front page photo on Monday’s Washington Post shows a smiling Redskins coach Jim Zorn throwing a blocking dummy at a back-up quarterback. After describing the picture, the cutline concludes, “Complete coverage of the fourth day of training camp in Sports.”
Do we really need complete coverage of the fourth day of training camp? Really? There’s no better use of newsprint?
No New Taxes!?
Categories: Media Criticism, Taxes
This is astounding.
One of the bigger, but more under-reported, sea changes in American politics is how any kind of tax increase — whether in war or peace, good economic times or bad ones — has become absolutely unacceptable. After all, Ronald Reagan raised taxes. So did every modern American president involved in war, until George W. Bush. But not anymore. Indeed, as one of us pointed out on Nightly News last night, only 29% (or 157) of the 535 and House members and senators serving in Congress were around the last time — 1993! — the federal government raised taxes, and that was on gasoline. Think about that for a moment: Congress hasn’t really had a TOUGH vote in 16 years, if one defines a "TOUGH" vote as the government asking for a financial sacrifice from the American people. This is the political climate that President Obama faces in trying to pay for health reform. Republicans and some Democrats are opposed to a tax on the wealthy, and unions and Obama’s political strategists are against taxing health benefits.
What is astounding about it is not that taxes haven’t been raised in such a long while. It’s not that so few Congressmen have ever had to raise taxes. It’s not even that Republicans have so cowed Democrats on this issue.
What’s astounding is that it is “under-reported.” Did it just occur to NBC reporters that this was happening? If it’s under-reported it’s because journalists haven’t been doing their jobs. A look back and putting the tax issue in historical context is something they should have done long ago.
Characterizing Poll Numbers
Categories: Economic Policy, Healthcare, Media Criticism, Washington Post
I’m thinking that if newspapers are to survive, they need a better way of delivering information. It’s not only a paper vs. web dichotomy. A lot of folks, me included, cannot envision a world without a paper to hold in one’s hands and the ability to have a story catch your eye while reading another. That’s harder to do on the web.
One way to improve delivery is to re-think the need for every story to be a narrative. But I’ll leave the larger question for a future post.
But certainly, a story that doesn’t lend itself to a narrative is reporting a poll. Sure, some analysis is necessary for some readers. But too often the interpretation inherent in a narrative is worthless. Today’s poll story in The Washington Post is one example, It would have been a better use of newsprint to simply present a chart with the key questions (if the entire poll results are too space consuming).
The problem comes with the headline and adjectives and adverbs that inevitably accompany poll stories. The Post’s headline is “Poll Shows Obama Slipping on Key Issues.” That’s the most many readers will see. It’s accurate, but polls need to be taken in their entirety. And the picture is more mixed.
At the same time, there is no slackening in public desire for Obama to keep pressing for action on the major issues of the economy, health care and the deficit. Majorities think he is either doing the right amount or should put greater emphasis on each of these issues.
So whatever his slackening of support about his specific policies, folks want him to continue fighting to change things. And in many ways, politics is an either or proposition.
Obama’s handling of the economy, the deficit and health care reform outpaces the Republicans by about 20 points.
So if his handling of things is 20 points better that GOPers, and folks want him to continue fighting, a stalemate is not what they’re looking for, much less the GOP solutions (if any).
And while, 49 percent approves of his handling of the healthcare issue,
On health care, the poll, conducted by telephone Wednesday through Saturday, found that a majority of Americans (54 percent) approve of the outlines of the legislation now heading toward floor action. The measure would institute new individual and employer insurance mandates and create a government-run plan to compete with private insurers. Its costs would be paid in part through new taxes on high-income earners.
What that “legislation” is, is questionable as there are several plans now working their way through Congress.
But the problem I have with many of the poll stories is that the reporters feel compelled to interpret them for us. The tenor of this report is that Obama is slipping and people are losing confidence in him, despite the findings that most people still consider him a strong leader.
Obama’s leadership attributes remain highly rated, despite some slippage. Seven in 10 call him a strong leader, two in three say he cares about the problems of people like themselves, and just over six in 10 say he fulfilled a central campaign pledge and has brought needed change to Washington.
As an example of perhaps misplaced adverbs,
More than three-quarters of all Americans say they are worried about the direction of the economy over the next few years, down only marginally since Obama’s inauguration. Concerns about personal finances have also abated only moderately since January. [emphasis added]
That “moderate” abatement in concern about their personal finances is seven percent, from 70 percent in January who were worried to 63 percent today.
Yet the key figures that support the thrust of the story – he’s slipping significantly — are reflected in eight to nine point drops:
Approval of Obama’s handing the economy dropped from 60 percent in February, the earliest date available in the poll, to 52 percent, an eight point drop.
Approval of Obama’s handing the economy dropped from 57 percent in April, the earliest date available in the poll, to 49 percent, an eight point drop.
Approval of Obama’s handing the deficit dropped from 52 percent in March, the earliest date available in the poll, to 43 percent, a nine point drop.
So what makes an eight to nine point drop significant enough to support the thrust of the story but a seven percent drop is only “moderate.”
The answer is simply: If the story was “Obama drop in support for policies is only moderate,” well, it might not make the front page.
The Post would have been better of simply printing a chart of the results, and let us interpret them.
Reporting Lies
Categories: Media Criticism, Small Business, Taxes, Washington Post
"People have been allowed to get away with . . . making statements that they knew weren’t factual….Washington games are still being played with the truth."
–Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary
Politicians and political advocates (or adversaries) will speak lies. Often, it’s not just bending the truth to fit an agenda, but flat out making things up. That, alas, we’ve come to expect.
But what responsibility do journalists have when they know someone is misstating the facts? I think they need to – at the very least – challenge liars or even folks who unintentionally state the wrong facts.
We see a prime example of that with The Washington Post’s Mike Shear and Virginia Republican Congressman Eric Canto. Shear is a good reporter, and I don’t think he has a bias, at least not one that regularly comes through in his reporting. But I can’t understand why he – and he is not alone on this; he’s just a recent example –allows Cantor to make a knowingly false statement in a story last Sunday.
"Remember the promises? They promised you that if you paid for their stimulus, jobs would be created immediately," Cantor said. "In fact, they said that unemployment would stay under 8 percent. Yet just months later, they are telling us to brace for unemployment to climb over 10 percent. They promised jobs created. Now they scramble to find a way to play games with government numbers by claiming jobs saved."
When I read this, I knew Cantor was not truthful. The administration hadn’t said it would stay below 8 percent; it was 8.5 percent. Is that a relatively small difference? You be the judge. But it was clearly inaccurate and Shear knew it.
Why do I know he knew it? Here is Shear writing today.
Obama’s team had predicted that the stimulus package would keep unemployment to a peak of about 8.5 percent, but the rate soared to 9.5 percent last month….
If Shear know Cantor was misstating the fact, why did he use the lie in his Sunday story?
I have objections to journalists reporting some positions that are not clearly defensible. One is the myth that “small businesses” create most of the jobs in this country. The other myth is that higher tax rates on incomes of more than $250,000 impact small business people the most because their profits are reported to the IRS on their individual tax returns, when in fact less that two percent of small business owners make over $250,000. Moreover, of the 600,000+ small business making over $250,000 (which includes companies as large as 500 employees) many of them are sole proprietorships that have no employees (lawyers, accountants, consultants, etc.); hence a greater tax on them doesn’t cost jobs.
But when a politician misstates a fact of who said what when, the role of a reporter is to say “that’s not true,” and either point that out in the article or refuse to report the misstatement.
Gibbs is right, but that probably won’t change anything.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line1
|
__label__wiki
| 0.57228
| 0.57228
|
1stOutsource
Rules for Contributions
News|Blogs
Management Practice
Surveys&Tests
Q&A Forums
Most of us have some insight into our personality traits, but how self-aware are we in the moment?
Leave a Comment / Psychology / By Stephanie Morgan
Correlations between momentary self-views and observed behaviour, from Sun and Vazire, 2018.
By guest blogger Jesse Singal
Your ability to accurately understand your own thoughts and behaviour in a given moment can have rather profound consequences. If you don’t realise you’re growing loud and domineering during a heated company meeting, that could affect your standing at work. If you react in an oversensitive manner to a fair and measured criticism levelled at you by your romantic partner, it could spark a fight.
It’s no wonder, then, that psychology researchers are interested in the question of how well people understand how they are acting and feeling in a given moment, a concept known as state self-knowledge (not to be confused with its better-studied cousin trait self-knowledge, or individuals’ ability to accurately gauge their own personality characteristics that are relatively stable over time).
In a new study available as a preprint on PsyArXiv, Jessie Sun and Simine Vazire of the University of California, Davis adopted a novel, data-heavy approach to gauging individuals’ levels of personality state self-knowledge (i.e. their personality as it manifested in the moment), and it revealed some interesting findings about the ways in which people are – and aren’t – able to accurately understand their own fleeting psychological states.
The study, provisionally titled “Do People Know What They’re Like in the Moment?” had two main components. First, 434 Washington University of St. Louis students were texted four times a day for 15 days and asked to rate themselves on four of the Big Five personality characteristics based on how they had felt and behaved during the previous hour: Extraversion, Agreeableness (only “if they reported that they were around others during the target hour”), Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism. Of these 434 participants, 311 also wore a recording device paired with an iPod touch that recorded for 30 seconds every nine and a half minutes from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day, generating a huge amount of audio data. (Before researchers had full access to the recordings, students were allowed to listen to them and erase anything they didn’t want the researchers to hear, but only 99 files were deleted from a cache that became “152,592 usable recordings from 304 participants.”)
Second, a veritable small army of research assistants – more than a hundred – listened to the recordings and rated the speakers on the same four personality states they had previously rated themselves on. For a subset of the study participants, then, researchers had three useful pieces of information: recordings of them going about their lives, participants’ rating of their own personality states during those periods, and outside observers’ rating of those same states. This allowed the researchers to measure the extent to which self-ratings correlated with other-ratings – that is, did Tom’s view that he was quite extroverted during a given hour match up with how others who heard him on audio interpreted his behaviour during snippets of that period?
And measure they did, generating a pretty cool series of graphs (see above). The more acute the positive, upward slope, the more there was agreement between self- and other-ratings. So as you can see, Extraversion was, by a significant margin, the personality characteristic for which people seemed to have the most accurate self-knowledge. This shouldn’t necessarily be a surprise. For one thing, while intuition isn’t always an accurate guide on such matters, common sense would suggest that people are well aware of the extent to which they are actively and enthusiastically engaging in social activity, and that we’re all pretty good at judging others’ level of extraversion as well. Second, the authors note that this finding is “consistent with a large body of literature demonstrating high self-observer agreement on trait extraversion across a wide range of conditions.” The state with second-highest subject-observer agreement, as the graph shows, was Conscientiousness (again, perhaps because in-the-moment conscientious behaviour is pretty easy for both the self and others to discern).
What about the two other personality states, where there was significantly less subject-observer agreement? The tricky part about interpreting these findings, as the authors point out, is that there are two possible explanations: the first is that the subject really does lack insight into their temporary psychological states and that the external observers’ observations accurately captured this; and the second is that the observer was wrong because they only had access to a limited slice of audio that simply might not be enough to accurately gauge the subject’s state at that moment (remember, the raters had no visual information to go on – no body language, facial expressions, or anything else).
So when it comes to Agreeableness and that rather flat line – meaning little agreement between subjects and observers – the authors argue that “it is plausible that people have less self-insight into their momentary agreeableness,” because Agreeableness has so much more to do with external, observable behaviours, and with other people’s perceptions of your warmth, than with internal “thoughts and feelings” (meaning that other people might naturally be better judges of this personality state). Neuroticism, on the other hand, is different – it’s a state much more characterised by internal feelings than by outward behaviour. So in that case, Sun and Vazire argue that their findings alone shouldn’t be seen as supporting the idea that people are bad at self-rating their present level of Neuroticism – rather, it’s more likely the audio just didn’t give the observers enough to go on.
As is probably clear, this is a complicated topic, and it seems likely that people are much better at understanding their present personality states in some ways than others. Sun and Vazire’s study was quite ambitious, and it offers a useful path forward for researchers hoping to learn more about an important issue. In the meantime, their general takeaway? “Our findings show that we can probably trust what people say about their momentary levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, and likely neuroticism. However, our findings also call into question people’s awareness of when they are being considerate versus rude.” Useful information – and probably not a surprise to anyone who has dealt with a bullying coworker who doesn’t seem to understand the impression he’s making on his colleagues.
—Do People Know What They’re Like in the Moment? [This paper is a preprint and the final peer-reviewed version may differ from the version that this report was based on]
Post written by Jesse Singal (@JesseSingal) for the BPS Research Digest. Jesse is a contributing writer at New York Magazine. He is working on a book about why shoddy behavioral-science claims sometimes go viral, for Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Article source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BpsResearchDigest/~3/dFvjWfqr85s/
Latest Q&A posts
How to catagorize faculty members by
Royston Morgan
Need to put together a written contract for your c…
A brief jog sharpens the mind, boosting attentiona…
This is what happened to fathers’ hormone levels w…
There’s a fascinating psychological story behind w…
Copyright © 2020 1stOutsource Research | Powered by Astra
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line2
|
__label__cc
| 0.617712
| 0.382288
|
Laser World Championships
REGATTA INFO
Jury Board
October 17, 2017 lwadmin Venue Essentials Comments Off on About the Host
SAILING CLUB MORNAR
Mornar, the club with the highest traditions of the school courses, started at the end of the 50’s sailing school at the time the first optimists in Croatia, made in club workshop for maintenance and repair of small vessels led by the late Tonći Mitrovic. From then on, the existence of the club is based on the work of sailing and Ship-school, teaching children and young people and the existence of life at sea, and the development of sailing sport in general.
During all these years the club has gone over 3500 people, conveying the spirit of the club from generation to generation, so the team today brings together members under the age of 7 and older than 77 years.
Recently Mornarevu school courses are attended Mate Arapov, Tonci Stipanovic, Marin Misura, Karlo Krpeljević, Tonko Kuzmanic, Luka Mratovic, Luka Radelic including as many as 3 World Champions, while a sailor crew optimists within the team was the team champion and vice champion of the world.
Members of JK Mornar provide great technical support for the Mediterranean Games in Split, 1979th, and showed very good organization of European Championships – European Championship Optimist 1998th, Laser 2003rd as good hosts and organizers of these occasions, a Mornar was entrusted with the organization of the European Laser Radial Championships in 2005.
In addition to sailing, Mornar for the second year, to the great satisfaction of students, teachers and principals of elementary schools, implemented by introducing students to sailing and yachting with the following objectives:
closer to children and youth sailing as part of the culture of our area from time immemorial, and they show a way of life by the sea, which requires hard work, patience and respect for nature
introduce our top athletes who achieve international results, and to hear their story
on the wind and the sea, complement the curriculum of schools and educational institutions,to offer quality content to spend their free time.
The club has over 250 national champions in all classes of boats, from the smallest Optimist through to the biggest Olympic class cruisers.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line3
|
__label__wiki
| 0.586162
| 0.586162
|
Youth choir BALSIS
Artistic Director and Conductor
Ints Teterovskis has been the Artistic Director of the award-winning Latvian youth choir BALSIS since 1998 and has been a Principal Conductor of the Latvian National Song Celebrations since 2008. He is also the Principal Regional Conductor for over 20 choirs in Latvia. As a conductor, he has recorded twelve CDs to date.
In particular Ints is recognized for his interpretation of the musical repertoire of Baltic composers. His imaginative and passionate approach to teaching choral technique and interpretation has him increasingly in demand as a choral workshop clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator in Latvia and abroad. Ints has led choral workshops in America (2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2014), Canada (2010, 2011), Sweden (2013), Australia (2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015), China (2015) and has coached students attending the International Masterclasses for Young Musicians project in Latvia. In addition to an active conducting career, Ints, a gifted baritone, also performs as a soloist.
Former BALSIS conductors:
Kaspars Putniņš (no 1987.g. līdz 1995.g., co-founder)
Māris Kupčs (no 1987.g. līdz 1995.g., co-founder)
Armands Zavadskis (1996.g.)
Agita Ikauniece (no 1996.g. līdz 2006.g.)
Valdis Tomsons (no 2005.g. līdz 2009.g.)
Laura Leontjeva (no 2010.g. līdz 2011.g.)
Zane Tāluma (no 2011.g. līdz 2013.g.)
Rihards Zariņš (no 2012.g. līdz 2014.g.)
Laima Vikmane (no 2014.g. līdz 2017.g.)
Elīna Čipāne (kopš 2017.g.)
Ints Teterovskis (kopš 1998.g.)
The youth choir, BALSIS, stages its 30th season in 2016/2017. Under the guidance of its conductor Ints Teterovskis, BALSIS has become one of the most prominent choirs in Latvia. Each year Latvian choirs take part in a national competitive appraisal and in 2015 BALSIS was ranked in first place.
The choir consists of approximately 40 young adults from Riga and other cities of Latvia who are permanent choristers with the choir. The singers are students from numerous fields of study (physics, IT, biology, architecture, law, journalism) and several of them are prospective music educators.
Every year BALSIS prepares 6 to 8 different concert programs, mastering the works of both local and foreign composers. The repertoire covers music from the renaissance to the modern era, from a cappella songs to large-scale works with a symphony orchestra. Folk songs, both Latvian and from elsewhere, are an essential ingredient in the choir’s repertoire as are classic songs from the Latvian Song and Dance Festival.
So far BALSIS has released 18 CDs. Rolling Stone magazine has declared the album Ziemassvētki sabraukuši (2008), created in collaboration with the New York Latvian Choir and the New Chamber Orchestra of Riga, as one of the twenty five greatest Christmas albums of all time.
BALSIS is an innovative youth choir which regularly collaborates with local composers. As well, seeking new venues and audiences, it participates in a range of musical projects and challenges, such as concerts in the meat pavilion of the Riga Central Market, in train stations, on the river Daugava, within an historical gas tank etc. Each year the choir surprises listeners with its auditory and visual experimentation in its annual Christmas and Valentine’s Day concerts and other projects.
BALSIS regularly undertakes overseas tours and participates in prestigious, international choir festivals and competitions. BALSIS has successfully given concerts in many parts of Europe (from Spain to Norway), USA (2002, 2014), Canada and Australia. In 2015 the choir also made its mark in Asia by participating in the IFCM Asia Pacific World Choral EXPO 2015 in Macau, China, where the choir gave concerts and masterclasses as a guest choir from Europe representing the traditions of European choral music.
The choir performs around 70 concerts every year in Latvian concert halls, churches, open-air venues.
Singing is part of their lifestyle for the choristers in the choir BALSIS and the phrase that unites them in all that they do together is Many voices, one thought!
Assistant conductor
Elīna Čipāne (1992)
Elina Cipane took her first musical steps in early childhood when she participated in various singing competitions. In 2013 she graduated from the Jurmala Music High School specialising in choir conducting, which was taught by Velga Bomika. Currently Elina is continuing her studies under the tutelage of Martin Klisans in the course that prepares general education music teachers at the Jazeps Vitol’s Academy of Music. In 2012, Elina attended the International Masterclasses for Young Musicians in Sigulda supplementing her studies in choral conducting, singing and the preparation of new compositions for debut. During her studies she has been actively involved in a range of concerts singing in the Academy’s mixed choir, which is conducted by Maris Sirmais. Elina has participated in various conferences, such as Es Dziedu! (I Sing!) 2013, Eurovox 2015 as well as masterclasses for instance, Stephen Layton’s early music masterclass. Along with her studies, Elina has led the vocal ensemble at Riga’s Ezerkrastu Primary School and taught singing at the theatre school, Ziļuks. Currently she teaches solfeggio theory at the Jurmala Music High School. Since 2013 she has been an integral member of the youth choir Balsis.
Singing teacher
Nauris Indzeris
Nauris Indzeris has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and a Master’s degree in Opera Singing. He has participated in master classes for voice in Germany, Austria and Italy. Nauris has performed with the Latvian National Opera, at the Sigulda Opera Festival and various other festivals and music projects and is currently a full time soloist with the Latvian Operetta Fund. He has been the vocal coach for the Youth Choir Balsis since 2004.
Former singing teachers:
Mārtiņš Zvīgulis
Kristīne Gailīte
Gunita Sakniņa
Daina Libauere
Viesturs Jansons
Sonora Vaice
BALSIS has won awards in over 30 international choral competitions:
Third Prize in the folklore category at 43rd International Choral Competition in Tolosa, Spain (2011)
Riga Youth Choir BALSIS Vocal Group won Gold in the folk music category and Silver in the chamber choir category at the 2010 World Choir Games in Shaoxing / Shanghai, China
Third Prize in the semi-professional choir category of the 24th Latvian National Song and Dance Festival Choral Competition in Riga, Latvia (2008)
Second Prize – First International Choral Competition and Festival in Latvia (2007)
Second Prize – 29th International Choral Competition in Varna, Bulgaria (2007)
Prize awarded for best performance of a selected composition – 29th International Choral Competition in Varna, Bulgaria (2007)
Prize awarded for best performance of a Bulgarian composition – 29th International Choral Competition in Varna, Bulgaria (2007)
Third Prize – 50th International Choral Competition of Habaneras and Polyphony in Torrevieja, Spain (2004)
Second Prize – European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Gorizia, Italy (2004)
Prize awarded by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia for outstanding achievements in choral music (2003)
Grand Prix at the 35th International Choral Competition in Tolosa, Spain (2003)
First Prize in the semi-professional choir category of the 23rd Latvian National Song and Dance Festival Choral Competition in Riga, Latvia (2003)
First Prize – International Choral Competition in Spittal an der Drau, Austria (2002)
First Prize – International Choral Competition in Tallinn, Estonia (2001)
First Prize – International Choral Competition in Nordic-Baltic Choral Festival in Skien, Norway (2000)
Grand Prix – Em. Melngailis Music Festival, Latvia (1999)
First Prize in the chamber choir category of the 21st Latvian National Song and Dance Festival Choral Competition in Riga, Latvia (1998)
First Prize in the semi-professional choir category of the 20th and 21st Latvian National Song and Dance Festival Choral Competition in Riga, Latvia (1990, 1998)
Grand Prix - International Competition in Ventspils, Latvia (1997)
Grand Prix - International Competition in Cantonigros, Spain (1995)
First Prize - Fourth International Competition in Neuchâtel, Switzerland (1992)
Grand Prix - BBC Choral Recordings Competition "Let the People Sing" (1991)
In addition, BALSIS has developed a tradition of competing in the Emils Darzins Choral Competition in Latvia in the women’s and men’s choir categories, winning First Prize for both choirs in 2005 and Second Prize for both choirs in 2009. BALSIS was awarded a prize by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia in 2003 for active and original choral programming in 2002 and outstanding choral achievements in choral music in 2003.
Phone: +371-29414158
E-mail: choir@balsis.lv
© Balsis 2020
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line5
|
__label__wiki
| 0.504258
| 0.504258
|
Description, Surveys and Excavations
Tell Abil el-Qameh, identified with the biblical town Abel Beth Maacah, is a 100-dunam site, located 4.5 miles west of Tel Dan and 1.2 miles south of Metulla on Israel's northern border with Lebanon. The site controls the roads leading north to the Lebanese Beq‘a, west Lebanese/ Phoenician coast (21 miles to Tyre), and northeast to inner and northern Syria (43 miles to Damascus). The tell is composed of a large lower mound in the south and a smaller lofty upper mound in the north. It is mentioned in the Bible three times, in relation to the time of King David in the 10th century BCE (2 Samuel 20: 14ff), in relation to the Aramean conquest by Ben Hadad in the 9th century BCE (1 Kings 15:20) and in relation to the Neo-Assyrian conquest by Tiglath-Pilesar III in the 8th century BCE (2 Kings 15:29). In addition to these references to the city of Abel Beth Maacah, the bible refers to an entity/kingdom called “Maacah” (Joshua 13:11; 2 Samuel 10:6; 1 Chronicles 19:6) whose identity and relationship to Abel Beth Maacah remain enigmatic.
Despite its geographic and historical prominence, the site has never been excavated until now. Limited surveys were conducted Prof. William G. Dever of the University of Arizona, as well as Yehudah Dayan, Yosef Stefansky and Edan Shaked of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Pottery from the Early Bronze Age II-III (third millennium BCE) until the Ottoman period was found. The small Arab village of Abil el-Qameh occupied about one-third of the mound until 1948, its ruins visible on the surface today.
In May 2012, members of the present excavation team conducted a survey in order to build on the knowledge of the occupation sequence of the site and to select areas for full excavation. The pottery collected confirmed the occupation profile of previous surveys. The survey revealed that early remains may be found directly under topsoil in the lower tell, while they are partly covered by remains of the modern village in part of the upper tell.
The excavations are conducted as a joint project between Azusa Pacific University of Los Angelels (director: Prof. Robert Mullins) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (directors: Dr. Naama Yahalom-Mack and Dr. Nava Panitz-Cohen).
Six seasons of excavation, four weeks each, have been conducted from 2013-2108, with the participation of volunteers, students and staff from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Israel. Five excavation areas have been opened, three in the lower mound (Areas F, O and K), one in the saddle between the lower and upper mound (Area A), and one on the eastern side of the upper mound in the north (Area B). Although pottery from the Early Bronze II-III was found, the earliest architectural remains excavated so far date to the Middle Bronze IIB, including fortifications, graves, a sewage installation, a courtyard house, and numerous baby jar burials. Remains from the Late Bronze Age uncovered in the lower city include three main occupation phases, with a silver hoard in a jar found in the latest phase (LBIIB). Rich remains from the Iron Age I were found throughout the site, including a large and unique complex of buildings in Area A (the saddle between the upper and lower tell) with evidence of metalworking, surplus storage and cult. Three main strata belonging to the Iron I have so far been revealed in Area S. The latest Iron I occupation was violently destroyed, sometime in the 10th century BCE. The Iron Age IIA is represented by substantial architecture, including a massive casemate-like structure in the upper tell (Area B) that might be a citadel, dating to the 9th century BCE. In one of the rooms of this building, the head of a bearded male made of faience, of exceptionally high quality, was found, along with elaborate Phoenician Bichrome pottery. A large building dating to the Persian/early Hellenistic period was built just above this citadel. Remains from the Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as from the Middle Ages, comprise mostly pottery and incoherent walls.
The excavations to date have shed light on various important research questions, such as the interaction of Middle Bronze Age IIB city-states in the upper Hula Valley, the nature of transition from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age I in the shadow of the destruction of Hazor. and the relationship of this region to the Arameans, Israelites and Phoenicians in the Iron Age I and II.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel-beth-maachah
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line8
|
__label__wiki
| 0.895014
| 0.895014
|
Second Season of Downton Abbey Coming to MASTERPIECE on PBS in 2012
Good news for viewers who are suffering from Downton Abbey withdrawal: the wildly popular MASTERPIECE miniseries, which concluded its run on PBS Sunday night, will return with new episodes in winter 2012.
Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes’ Edwardian spellbinder, produced by Carnival Films and MASTERPIECE, depicts the intertwined lives of servants and aristocrats at a country estate and is one of the most successful miniseries in recent MASTERPIECE history. Dubbed “an instant classic” by The New York Times, and “the best abbey since Abbey Road” by Entertainment Weekly, more than six million viewers watched the television broadcast each week and thousands more streamed it on the MASTERPIECE website and discussed it online.
“Lightning doesn’t strike often in television these days, but it certainly did with Downton Abbey,” says MASTERPIECE executive producer Rebecca Eaton. “It was a fantastic start to our 40th anniversary season, and Series II is good news for everyone.”
Gareth Neame, executive producer and managing director, Carnival Films, says, “We’re delighted by the warm reception U.S. audiences have given the first series of Downton Abbey, and we can’t imagine a better home than MASTERPIECE on PBS for the second series.”
Julian Fellowes will continue as the writer for upcoming series, and members of the “superstar” cast have committed to the second season, among them Dame Maggie Smith. Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern will also return as Lord and Lady Grantham.
Downton Abbey launched the 40th anniversary season of MASTERPIECE 2011. New titles airing this winter include an adaptation of William Boyd’s best-seller Any Human Heart and a new version of Upstairs Downstairs.
Downton Abbey is a Carnival/MASTERPIECE co-production, written and created by Julian Fellowes. The executive producers are Gareth Neame, Julian Fellowes, Liz Trubridge, and Rebecca Eaton. The Downton Abbey DVD is available from PBS Home Video: http://shoppbs.org.
MASTERPIECE on PBS is presented by WGBH Boston. Rebecca Eaton is executive producer. Funding for the series is provided by public television viewers with additional support from contributors to The MASTERPIECE Trust, created to help ensure the series’ future.
pbs.org/masterpiece
Online press materials available at pbs.org/pressroom and pressroom.wgbh.org
WGBH Press Contacts:
Ellen Dockser, ellen_dockser@wgbh.org, 617-300-5338
Olivia Wong, olivia_wong@wgbh.org, 617-300-5349
PBS and Grunwald National Research Indicates Lack of Technology Infrastructure ...
Suze Orman's Money Class
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line9
|
__label__wiki
| 0.561359
| 0.561359
|
Home » Canadian history • History and Policy • Theme Week
The Family as Tax Dodge, Again
September 21, 2017 September 15, 2017 No Comments on The Family as Tax Dodge, Again
By Shirley Tillotson
This is the fourth in a five part theme week marking the centenary of income tax in Canada.
Here we are again. If you’ve studied history or lived a decade or two after forty, you’ve noticed that some battles are fought over and over and over again. Those repetitive, “I can’t believe we’re still debating this!” struggles mark itchy, scratchy places in our society, the places where the imperatives of institutions and “common sense,” markets and human needs contradict each other. So “same old, same old” really means “this is hot stuff.” In the history of the income tax, much of the hot stuff shows up around family. And sure enough, family matters appear in the federal government’s current proposals to make income taxation more fair. One aspect of the Morneau proposals targets the use of the breadwinner / homemaker / children family as a tax dodge. Or, to be less provocative, one might say the proposals target the use of one kind of family as a means to minimize tax, perfectly legal. Opposition MP Michelle Rempel moans, how can a government “change the rules” and call the change “fair”? Is the finance minister calling people who follow the rules “crooks”?
Amid all this heat, a bit of tax history might be calming. The distinction between what is avoidance – legal – and what is evasion – illegal – has changed before, and will no doubt change again. Rempel presents herself as defending law-abiding folk who face the shutting down of ordinary good business practices, ways of saving and spending that are both legitimate and socially useful. But those practices are not natural rights. They are more like tactics in a sport. They are merely ways of using current law to the taxpayer’s best advantage: tax avoidance practices, also called tax planning. As the world changes, so may tax law, in the future as it has in the past. The boundary between avoidance and evasion is historical, driven by events and our responses to them.
In the Anglo-Canadian world, a landmark event in the 1930s pretty much invented the distinction between avoidance and evasion. On May 7, 1935, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council found against the Internal Revenue and for the taxpayer in the appeal of the despicable (for other reasons) Hugh (“Bendor”) Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster. Westminster had reduced his income tax assessment by an accounting move that the person on the street can hardly have regarded as fair, and that the tax authority thought was evasion. The majority of the JCPC called it avoidance. Westminster had figured out that, if he paid his approximately 100 household and estate staff one way (by means of income from annuities) rather than another (ordinary wages), he could significantly reduce his taxable income, and avoid a surtax.
Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster
by Walter L. Colls, circa 1902 © National Portrait Gallery
Westminster was enormously wealthy. His family owned much of Mayfair and Belgravia in London. He ostentatiously enjoyed his wealth, revelling in Rolls Royces, yachts, horses, mansions, and gifts of lavish gems to a series of girlfriends and wives including, for a time, Coco Chanel. To his credit was a Distinguished Service Order (DSO) earned in active combat during the Great War. To his shame was keen support for Hitler during the 1930s and 1940s and a hatred of homosexuality that makes Lord Alfred Douglas’s dad look like a member of PFLAG. Westminster was an active member of Britain’s extreme and anti-Semitic right in the interwar years, and a tailor-made villain for tax history. No mere government was going to make Benny Grosvenor pay some ridiculous surtax on high incomes.
Even if we don’t much like the man, Westminster, the decision in Westminster usefully established a tax filer’s right to arrange his or her business affairs so as to pay the least tax legally required, a right to avoid that defends all of us against the risk of overweening tax administration. But Westminster was also the charter case of aggressive tax planning. Before the change in statutory interpretation led by Westminster, the tax authority was allowed to investigate whether a business transaction (paying a salary, renting a property, borrowing or investing money) had a real economic purpose – substance – or whether it was just moving money around to avoid a proper tax liability. After Westminster, tax authorities had to invent new ways to determine whether a tax filer was, like the Duke, doing one thing and calling it another, taking advantage of words in the tax statute to produce a result contrary to the legislators’ intentions.
One new way that governments found to shut down clever tax schemes in the 1930s was the gift tax. Is a so-called “gift” really a gift when the giver is your rich uncle Edwin, who signs over to you the deed on one of his apartment buildings on the understanding that you’ll loan him back the rental revenue at zero interest for an indefinite term? You don’t earn much from your job slinging donuts, so your tax liability on the rents will be smaller than Edwin’s would have been. When Edwin in the end gets that rental income and pays “your” tax bill, he’ll still be keeping more of his money. And he’ll owe you at least a favour. In June 1935, the Canadian federal government started levying a tax on “gifts” like that one. According to a new rule in the Income War Tax Act, the generous “giver” of this sort would have to pay the government a percentage of the value of the gift (ranging from 2 per cent to 10 per cent).[1] Uncle Eddy could still give his niece (or even one of his employees) that income property, but he’d have to fork over some cash up front for the tax advantage that he was busy arranging.
Toronto Daily Star, 23 March 1935
A number of countries enacted gift taxes in the 1930s, precisely to close the kind of gate through which the Duke of Westminster had escaped. As credit markets crashed and worker misery grew to near-revolutionary levels, governments powered up their tax enforcement efforts and raised taxes on the poor, the middling, and the rich alike. Wealthy Canadians began, like Westminster, to “give” previously undeclared income-earning assets to people within their control, to prevent the assets’ being discovered and so to avoid the subsequent tax bill. Facing the newfound earnestness of the state’s effort to enforce the tax law, various Uncle Eddies felt a strong incentive to divide some property among lower earning kin, and thus legally to minimize their income taxes.
Today, the tax authority has more precise methods (attribution rules) to track who really should pay the tax on income-generating property that is transferred within families. However much more precise, those rules still address the same question as did the gift tax of 1935. Is it right for the highest earner in a family to “sprinkle” some of his (or, less often, her) income among offspring (or nieces or grandchildren) and spouse, so as to reduce the overall income tax paid by the family as an economic unit? Our law has tended to say no, because sprinkling and splitting shrinks the overall tax base in ways that benefit only some kinds of families and mostly higher income earners.
Income sprinkling benefits substantially only those families that have just one member who earns a lot (or who has lots of investment income). Childless single people, families that live on a smaller single income, or families with two similar incomes can’t reduce their taxes much or at all in that way. The truly small business person, even if married with kids – the donut franchisee versus the plastic surgeon – sees only a small dollar amount by way of benefit. Tax scholars call splitting and sprinkling an “upside-down subsidy” – a tax expenditure that benefits taxpayers more and more as you go up the income scale. All taxpayers, happily or grudgingly, subsidize the tax reduction that is enjoyed by those who can use family for this purpose.
Despite its dubious and discriminatory impact, the appeal of this tax avoidance strategy seems never to die. It was enthusiastically pursued in the 1950s but successfully opposed by federal tax policy makers, both Liberal and Progressive Conservative. In the 1960s, tax reformers tried to make family income sharing less selective (but lost the fight), and an argument for marital wealth splitting (as distinct from income splitting) is still being made and is worth exploring.[2] In 2014, disagreements on a simplistic form of marital income splitting divided Steven Harper (in favour) and his finance minister, Jim Flaherty (against). Regardless of party, finance ministers aren’t terribly keen on the sprinkling and splitting – these practices erode the revenue and don’t serve a broad economic objective.
Now, a Liberal finance minister proposes reforms that will take away one of the few remaining routes to income-sprinkling. It isn’t an especially partisan move: Morneau proposes merely to extend the reach of a penalty against income sprinkling to children that, though introduced by the Liberals in 1999, was bolstered by the Conservatives in their 2014 budget. In tax planning circles, that penalty is called the “kiddie tax.” The kiddie tax was a bit like the gift tax of 1935. It doesn’t prohibit transferring income to one’s minor children, aged 17 or under. It just makes it prohibitively expensive to do so, by charging a Tax On Split Income (the TOSI, as the kiddie tax is called in scholarly circles). Morneau now proposes to apply the same tax to income sprinkling among children aged 18 to 24.
Perhaps Morneau has noticed that there has been a change in the life course of young middle-class adults, who are now less likely to be independent in their early 20s. A tax law change might reflect this kind of social change in family relationships. Or maybe Morneau is just trying to stem a substantial drain on the federal revenue that resulted when, in 2005, Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario government handed doctors a tax shelter (not then available in every province) by allowing them to make their practices into private corporations and cut their tax rate by something like 30%.[3] Federalism complicates tax policy, to put it mildly.
For reasons such as these, tax laws sometimes must be changed. The overall project of a progressive rate tax on personal income is to collect a revenue in ways that reasonably reflect earners’ and investors’ ability to pay. Governments may miscalculate ability to pay, and taxpayers should let them know if that happens. Efforts to follow in the Duke of Westminster’s footsteps are one way to protest. But to think that a particular method of tax avoidance is a right, rather than just an opportunity arising from possibly short-lived circumstance, is to misunderstand the forces that are constantly at work on tax law. When the McGuinty government gave Ontario’s doctors a new tax break, he was allowing them to take a bite out of the federal income tax revenue. I’d be surprised if McGuinty worked that out with the federal government of the day; by constitutional law, he didn’t have to. And when some doctors, along with lawyers and others with personal corporations, used them to sprinkle income among their young adult children, they cannot be entirely surprised if the childless among them do no see a valid equity argument expressed in their chosen form of protest.
I would not accuse Ontario’s doctors or small businesses of being crooks. Few among us will forego a rich tax advantage that the law offers us. Our governments don’t expect us to. But when something in the world changes and, as a result, inequities arise among taxpayers, we might lose a tax advantage. In fact, it’s kind of the job of a government to see that we do. And when inequities are related to the kind of family we live in, we should especially expect our governments to be alert. Family and tax laws have a long, and sometimes suspect, history together.
Shirley Tillotson is an adjunct member of the Dalhousie University Department of History and an Inglis Professor of the University of King’s College. Her most recent book is Give and Take: The Citizen-Taxpayer and the Rise of Canadian Democracy (UBC Press, October 2017).
[1] Charitable gifts were exempt from the tax, as were gifts totalling less than $4,000 in value. There was no giving assets to the wife and kids to avoid tax: all such property was already taxed in the hands of the father and husband.
[2] Lisa Phillips, “Cracking the Conjugal Myths: What does it mean for the attribution rules?” Canadian Tax Journal, 50, 3 (2002), at 1031
[3] Detailed evidence on the impact of Ontario’s 2001 incorporation measure is provided in Michael Wolfson and Scott Legree, “Policy Forum: Private Corporations, Professionals, and Income Splitting: Recent Canadian Experience,” 63, 3 (2015), at 717
Canadian history, History and Policy, Theme Week Income Tax
← History Slam Episode 104: Taxation and Democracy The Use and Abuse of Boredom →
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line10
|
__label__cc
| 0.528194
| 0.471806
|
U.S. Dominicans Gather to Discuss Order’s Mission of Preaching
November 22, 2019, Adrian, Michigan – U.S. Dominican Friars, Sisters, Nuns, and Associates gathered at Weber Retreat and Conference Center in Adrian in October for a regional Dominican Preaching Colloquium. The gathering gave members of the Dominican family the opportunity to discuss their call to preach and ways to pass on the preaching mission to the next generation of Dominicans.
The Colloquium included a keynote address by Father Anthony Gittins, CSSp, Professor Emeritus at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and a noted speaker and author. He spoke of “Evangelization in the Mission of Jesus and in our Mission as Church.”
Father Anthony noted that evangelization is not only proclamation of the Gospel but “it’s everything that Jesus does.” As disciples, he said, we are to be “co-missioned into the mission of Jesus, brought down to Earth 2,000 years ago, but needing to be embodied by us here in the 21st Century.” He noted that Jesus did not just proclaim the coming Kingdom of God through his words but primarily through his actions in four ways: encountering people one-on-one; table fellowship, eating with all people, even “tax-collectors and sinners;” foot-washing, offering humble service to all people; and boundary-crossing, cutting through barriers of exclusion and privilege which demean people.
Participants reflected on how they live out Jesus’ four ways of preaching the Good News of God’s love. Father Anthony reminded participants that all of the baptized have the “vocation of discipleship,” yet many parishioners do not have that understanding of their own call.
Finally, he noted that God – not the Church – is the subject of mission. “The mission has the Church,” and God managed well before the Church was established, he said. “The mission has the Dominicans – and before the Dominicans God was happy with the mission. The mission has you and the mission has me. I don’t have the mission – so I can die in peace because God is in charge.”
Ann M. Garrido, DMin, former Professor of Homiletics at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri, presented the results of 20 interviews she had conducted with 10 older Dominicans and 10 newer Dominicans. “Dominicans are all across the board in how they see preaching,” she said, noting that some see their ministry as the preaching while others confine preaching to proclamations from the pulpit.
She saw differences among Dominicans in many areas, and focused much of her time on equipping participants to hold “difficult conversations” with one another on issues in which they disagree. She urged them to still their own “inner voice” during conversations so that they could truly listen and find common ground.
During the Colloquium, participants had the opportunity to get to know one another through meals and social time, to pray together, and to attend Mass together.
Adrian Dominican Sister Sara Fairbanks, OP, one of the organizers, said that global colloquiums have been organized by the Dominican preaching institutes at Aquinas Institute in St. Louis, Missouri; in Cologne, Germany; and in Manila, the Philippines. The first global preaching colloquium for Dominicans was in 2016 in St. Louis. The next was in Manila in 2017, and last year’s colloquium took place in Cologne. Dominicans who attended the global gatherings set in motion the regional gatherings this year in all three areas.
“We’re trying to collaborate as a Dominican family on our preaching mission and talk about the challenges,” Sister Sara said. Participants in each region focused on the particular issues that they face, she explained. “In the United States, there’s a lot of polarization in the Catholic Church and within the Dominican community. How do we think about the future of our preaching mission together as an Order without taking a look at the things that divide us, as well as what unites us? If we don’t have relationships with one another, it’s really hard to collaborate.”
Sister Sara said that Ann’s presentation on “difficult conversations” gave participants some effective tools, ways to “understand where the other party’s coming from and why they hold the position that they do, and to just be more able to talk to each other.”
Collaboration and group sharing was also at the heart of evening communal reflections organized by Sister Sara, in which participants gathered at tables, listened to the Word of God, contemplated in silence, and shared their reflections with one another. “For me, as a planner, I wanted us to experience this idea of communal preaching, where we actually come together as a community and sit in small circles and reflect on the Word together,” she said. “That’s very powerful. Not only are we enriched around the Gospel, around the Word, but we are also enriched by each other and what we’re sharing.”
Sister Sara noted the establishment of Preaching Promoters for each Mission Chapter of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, and their communal service to the Congregation as members of a Preaching Commission.
“I think our Congregation in the past 30 years has more and more identified [ourselves] as preachers – and you preach with your life,” she said. “We have certainly claimed that identity. I think we could do more. We could do a little bit more in terms of relating our justice work with the mission of Jesus.”
The next Global Preaching Colloquium will be in Manila, the Philippines, in 2020.
On November 22, 2019 in General by EditorComment 0
Tagged With: CSSp, OP, Ann M. Garrido, Anthony J. Gittins, Aquinas Institute of Theology, Dominican Family, Dominican Preaching Colloquium, mission, preaching, Sister Sara Fairbanks, Weber Center / 567 Views
Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, Represents Dominican Family at United Nations
October 30, 2019, New York, New York – Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, is building on her years of experience in justice and peace advocacy, collaboration with the Dominican family, and global travel as she embarks on a new ministry: United Nations Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Dominican Representative. She succeeds Sister Margaret Mayce, OP, a Dominican Sister of Amityville, who was recently elected International Coordinator of Dominican Sisters International (DSI).
Sphere within a Sphere (Sfera con Sfera), created by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, stands outside the General Assembly building of the United Nations.
Sister Durstyne is accountable to the Dominican Sisters Conference (DSC), an organization of U.S. Dominican Sisters, and is a member of the DSC Executive Committee.
“I’m excited. I hope I represent the Dominicans at the UN well,” Sister Durstyne said from New York, where she began her three-year term in late October. Already, she is keeping up a hectic pace: attending a meeting in Rome earlier in October with the Dominican International Justice Promoters; settling into her new home in New Jersey, not far from the Caldwell Dominican Sisters Motherhouse; attending a UN side event on the environment; and attending an all-morning orientation on ministry at the UN offered by Religious at the United Nations (RUN).
Sister Durstyne’s principle job will involve attending sessions of UN working groups, particularly the working groups on homelessness and women and girls. “Homelessness is not necessarily a UN effort at this point, but what they’re trying to do is shift from homelessness as the fault of homeless people to the idea that having a home is a human right,” she explained. “They’re trying to change the language around homelessness and advocate more,” both at the UN in New York and in Geneva, where human rights issues are discussed.
Much of Sister Durstyne’s ministry involves connecting the Dominican family to the United Nations. “I’d like to communicate with the Dominican Sisters in the United States about what’s happening in the United Nations and how they might be able to assist me at their level,” she said. She would also like to know which issues the Dominican Sisters are working on with their justice promoters and how she can help them.
In addition, Sister Durstyne would like to work directly with special groups of Dominicans. She sees the Women and Girls Working Group as a connector to the Commission on the Status of Women and hopes that continental coordinators at the DSI can identify the names of two women from their continent who can attend the 64th session of the Commission, which will meet at the UN March 9-20, 2020.
Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd created Non-Violence (The Knotted Gun), after the shooting death of his friend John Lennon. The government of Luxembourg presented it to the United Nations in 1988.
In response to the UN’s concern about reaching out to youth, Sister Durstyne also hopes to get Dominican youth more involved, particularly members of the Dominican Young Adults and the International Dominican Youth Movement. She also encourages Dominican colleges and universities in the United States to establish UN Clubs so that students can learn more about the United Nations.
Sister Durstyne was encouraged to respond in the Spring of 2019 to an announcement that Sister Margaret Mayce’s position as Dominican Representative to the United Nations was opening. “People sent me the application,” she recalled. “Some of our Sisters and Sisters from other congregations encouraged me to reply.” After her third interview, she learned that she had been chosen for the position. “I felt very honored and blessed that they chose me,” she said.
Sister Durstyne said that her experiences prepared her for her new ministry. “I’ve had so many opportunities as a religious,” she said. For the past three years, she has served as Justice Coordinator for the School Sisters of St. Francis and the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, both based in Milwaukee. Before that, she was Director of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation, coordinating the justice and peace efforts of Adrian Dominican Sisters and Associates. She also served as North American Justice Promoter with DSI and has been part of delegations to Iraq to visit the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, based in Iraq.
“The various opportunities that I’ve had as a Dominican have really prepared me for this ministry, and that’s the feedback I get from so many people,” Sister Durstyne said. “My working with Dominican Sisters International has given me a more global perspective. My hope is to become more familiar with the UN and its structure and to connect the Dominican family even more to the UN.”
On October 30, 2019 in General by EditorComment 1
Tagged With: Dominican Family, Dominican Sisters Conference, Dominican Sisters International, Religious, RUN, Sister Durstyne Farnan, Sustainable Development Goals, UN, UN-NGO Dominican Representative, working groups / 892 Views
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line12
|
__label__cc
| 0.638149
| 0.361851
|
Mandated Sterilisation, Mandated Divorce
From the EU Commission for Human Rights:
Ireland is not the only country where transgender persons have faced obstacles in obtaining legal recognition of their preferred gender. Some Council of Europe member states still have no provision at all for official recognition, leaving transgender people in a legal limbo. Most member states still use medical classifications which impose the diagnosis of mental disorder on transgender persons.
Even more common are provisions which demand impossible choices, such as the “forced divorce” and the “forced sterilisation” requirements. This means that only unmarried or divorced transgender persons who have undergone surgery and become irreversibly infertile have the right to change their entry in the birth register. In reality, this means that the state prescribes medical treatment for legal purposes, a requirement which clearly runs against the principles of human rights and human dignity.
The USA has no requirement for Forced Divorce - but in those states that allow changes at all, Forced Sterilisation is universal - at least for women.
The various states of Australia require both Forced Sterilisation and Forced Divorce. But by a quirk of the law, Federally there's no such demand, if the person concerned was born overseas.
The UK does not have Forced Sterilisation, but does have Forced Divorce, and also requires a formal legal diagnosis of a mental disorder.
I was born in the UK. Because I'm Intersexed, I can't have the required diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria - which apparently equates to "Transsexuality" under the World Health Organisation's diagnostic manual, the ICD-10. But even if I managed that, I'm still married, so would be excluded on those grounds too.
I can think of no other minority group subject to such provisions - not since May 1945, anyway.
I can't think of cases of forced divorce with forced sterilization, but as for forced sterilization:
Eugenic Protection Law (1948, Japan) (a version in English)
The Emergency (India, 1975-1977)
The mentally ill, homosexuals, criminal and epileptics (among other) via "The Oregon Board of Eugenics (1923-1981) (while this may be one of the latest surviving programs in the U.S.A., about half of all states had such laws on the book over a decade after WWII, if many of them no longer enforced them). Also note that California had one of the largest forced sterilization programs outside of (and older than) the third reich.
Roma sterilized in the 1990s in Czech Republic.
And, yes, there are more. These are just the ones I chased down references for.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010 5:18:00 am
Getting back to the point of your post, Enforced Sterilization is a crime against humanity under ROME STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT Article 7 1g:
Article 7: Crimes against humanity
1. For the purpose of this Statute, "crime against humanity" means any of the following acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack:
(g) Rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity;
While I don't think that transgendered or intersex fit under article 6 (genocide - which is limited to "national, ethnical, racial or religious group"), article 7 is much more broad, as it can be performed against "any civilian population"
Obviously, I'm not an international human rights lawyer. However, I'm not seeing any obvious reason why this treaty couldn't be applied in some of these cases - Ireland has ratified this treaty, as have the U.K., and Australia.
Actually - peeling aside all the emotionalism, I'm having serious difficulty trying to find anything remotely resembling enforced sterilization.
Maybe somebody could explain where any kind of force is being used to involuntarily sterilize any person or group of persons?
You, Zoe, along with many others have been responsible for encouraging the ongoing conflation between sex and gender.
Notwithstanding that most legislation is aimed at allowing a change of sex in cases where individuals undertake a process which alters their anatomy so that it predominately reflects the characteristics of the target sex, rather than the one they were born.
Transsexual people do not undergo forced sterilization. Rather they are desperate to rid themselves of those biological characteristics that conflict with their neurobiological sex.
No enforced sterilization there. Rather a group of people willingly and freely, without coercion undertaking a process entirely of their own volition.
Only persons who do not experience transsexualism but believe they should be treated as if they did for some purposes and not for others could conceivably arrive at the conclusion that some kind of force is being applied.
It is not. If you don't want to change sex nobody is forcing you to and you are free to choose not to.
At no point is any pressure, coercion, or force being applied.
Having determined not to change anatomical sex, you are not free to demand the same status as somebody who has!
Sunday, September 05, 2010 6:38:00 pm
Jo - unless you were born in Western Australia, and unless you have satisfied the Commission that you have met their requirements, so have been granted a Certificate....
Then you will be treated like these men while within Western Australia. As a man, in your case.
Sterilisation is required - but it's not sufficient.
The WA law on discrimination based on gender history only applies to those with certificates. Not to those born outside WA.
Hello Zoe :-)
Re the WA Decision.
Please read the majority judgement of MARTIN CJ and PULLIN JA .
para.104 -
The critical question is whether, by the reassignment procedure, an applicant has acquired sufficient of the characteristics of the gender to which they wish to be assigned to be identified as a member of that gender.
and, at para 114:
Rather, save for their clitoral growth, and the impact which
testosterone treatment has had upon ovulation and the functioning of their uterus, each otherwise has the external genital appearance and internal reproductive organs which would, according to accepted community standards, be associated with membership of the female sex...the express requirement for at least some genital modification as part of the 'reassignment procedure' which is a prerequisite to an application for a recognition certificate reinforces that conclusion.
and, at 115
Each of AB and AH, possess none of the genital and reproductive
characteristics of a male, and retain virtually all of the external genital characteristics and internal reproductive organs of a female.
The requirement for less
female characteristics and more male characteristics falls short of a requirement for full phalloplasty. What it does demand is a re-balancing of characteristics such that they are weighted predominately toward male, rather than toward female.
Having read this decision several times, very carefully, I am not convinced that it is wrong, If the appellants were to have their external female organs surgically fused and a scrotum constructed from the labia, thus giving the appearance of male sex organs, I'm almost certain their application would succeed.
More to the point is the claim of enforced sterilization.
Again nobody is being forced
to do anything! The WA legislation is really very poorly drafted - but at its core the intention is a create mechanism to allow for a legal change of sex
Quite simply the Appellants had not (sic) changed sex If the appellants are TS ( and I am assured by a fellow OII director that they are) then they will not be experiencing this requirement as 'forced sterilization.'
It would only be thought 'enforced sterilization" by somebody who wanted to obtain the certificate but did not experience transsexualism.
Hopefully, once the dust has settled the appellants will take the decision for what it is: the guidance that should have been contained in the legislation, as to what standards need to met to qualify for a change of status, in this case from female to male.
I cannot comment on the anti-discrimination provisions of WA. If they are as you say then they surely do need to be changed!
Monday, September 06, 2010 5:35:00 am
Hi Zoe :-)
This last response does not address the enforced sterilization claims.
Enforced sterilization can only occur when it is conducted against the will of the person it is performed on - perhaps a little like the non-consensual cosmetic genital surgeries performed on intersex babies - as opposed to the wholly consensual cosmetic genital surgeries performed on T/S Folk.
I can see no instances of enforced surgeries - other than some years ago in apartheid Sth. Africa where I understand a number of Gay soldiers were literally forced into SRS so they wouldn't be gay anymore!
For your private consideration I have emailed you my analysis (for OII Australia) of the WA decision.
I hope it will clarify that issue for you.
If WA anti discrimination legislation is as you say, then that needs to be changed. I am far from convinced that the majority verdict is unsound.
re the forced Sth African sex changes - these should get you started:
http://www.thegully.com/essays/africa/000825sexchange.html
http://www.q.co.za/news/2000/07/000728-sexchange1.htm
http://www.pfc.org.uk/node/725
Kathrin said...
This post is off the main page, so I don't know if anyone will see this.
In the US, for people born abroad, there is no (longer) a requirement to be sterilized.
The federal birth certificates have the same policies as the updated passport rules, which makes a lot of things simpler.
Monday, September 13, 2010 11:00:00 pm
Battybattybats said...
Coercion is force.
To require in order to obtain a panoply of basic fundamental human rights (including ones directly related to safety and security and access to essential services) which others fully enjoy that a person be steralised is forced steralisation via coercion. I'd be horrified if coercive force is not covered in international law!
Also i suggest the definition of race needs to require that all inheritable characteristics count as racial. Skin pigment, hair colour, just as arbitrary as Transgender which has at least some genetic component let alont any other inheritable characteristic. A coercive sterilisation law which results in the reduction of an hereditary characteristic in the gene pool via state policy needs to be considered genocide because that is the practical function. One with bearing on many other inheritable characteristics.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 1:00:00 am
To require in order to obtain a panoply of basic fundamental human rights (including ones directly related to safety and security and access to essential services) which others fully enjoy that a person be steralised is forced steralisation via coercion.
Just exactly what basic fundamental rights are you denied, Bbb?
You have exactly the same rights as any other citizen of Australia, icluding the right to have a change of sex recognised should you ever make the mistake of doing that.
In fact I love this latest TG argument. Absolutely nothing anyone could say or do could illustrate the difference between TG and T/S people more succinctly than this latest piece of TG hysteria!
Transgender which has at least some genetic component...
Huh? It does? you mean they found a gene that makes you want present in public as the opposite sex?
Insofar as the WA decision has got you and Zoe worked up, I suggest you're misinterpreting it. I ran a case analysis and commentry on TFF.
You can access it at this URL.
http://trans-friedfluff.blogspot.com/
Perhaps it might help clear your collective heads - at least enough to understand the court's decision.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 5:10:00 pm
Black is not white, up is not down, the sun does not come up in the west and sex is not a performance!
Despite the self serving rhetorical spin being given by those who want to play sex and still be legally accorded the rights of those who are that sex, these laws are compassionate! They allow those who are willing to do the work required to become (as close as medical science will allow) the sex they are. Its a reset and as such it puts the same requirements upon that person as it does any other member of that sex
That includes as is in your case Zoe. That if where you live, women cannot be married to other women, and you want legal recognition as a woman that you must comply as any other woman would.
But you don't want to deal with life as a woman you want special dispensation accorded you because you were once a man.
You and every other person howling about this are not asking for equality, your asking for extra privileges!
Namely you want to have your cake and eat it too. Doesn't and shouldn't work that way. Time to wake up, grow up and (pardon the pun) grow the balls needed to finish what you started and stop trying to screw the pooch for those who do!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 9:55:00 pm
Hi Anne (O'Namus)
Exactly what "special privilege" am I getting here?
I have a letter from the erstwhile Federal Attorney General, Phillip Ruddock, not exactly a lefty, saying that my marriage is valid.
Same-sex marriages are legal under these circumstances, under Australian Family Law. If you wish that not to be the case, by all means campaign for that.
Should we try to divorce, as you appear to insist that we should do, there are certain difficulties there.
First, you'd force us to separate for a year, and be able to provide evidence that over that period, we didn't do each other's laundry, didn't share meals, that our financial arrangements were separate (so no paying for take-away fish and chips on a Friday unless on separate bills).
Then we'd have to perjure ourselves, and swear under oath - and persuade others to affirm, also under oath - that the relationship had broken down irretrievably.
So to please you, we'd have to commit a serious crime, and get others to join us in that crime.
But there's one thing even more crucial.
Our son wants us to stay together.
I look forward to your advice on how we should behave in order to cater to your beliefs under these circumstances.
Oh and Anne? Genesis 1:28
Friday, September 24, 2010 2:41:00 am
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line13
|
__label__wiki
| 0.821495
| 0.821495
|
Home >> Editor's Beat >> Festive favourites with Jimmy
Festive favourites with Jimmy
Posted in Editor's Beat, Gig Beat, News Beat, Review Beat
After the success of last years’ tour, The Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza is returning to the UK this month.
The show has been a staple at The Moon River Theatre in Missouri for many years, but with the passing of Andy Williams, The Osmonds wanted to carry on the tradition and continue Andy’s legacy.
The season ends early in Missouri, and last year Jimmy Osmond thought it would be a good idea to bring the show over to the UK, where both Andy and The Osmonds have many fans.
So they did, and included The Moon River Singers and Dancers, screens showing Andy Williams performing his songs, and special guests, the show sold out and garnered great reviews.
The special guests make the show more of a variety show with something for all ages.
And Jimmy himself has had an eventful year, as he was a contestant in ‘Celebrity Masterchef’, getting to the semi-finals.
“It was cool,” Jimmy told me. “I’m willing to try anything and I like to cook anyway. It was an amazing experience.
“To be honest, I like simple food. I’m a meat and potatoes kind of a guy, but under John and Greg. I was ‘on turbo’.”
And he does actually cook at home.
“That’s right, I do cook at home, though my wife is a much better cook, and my daughter Bella loves cooking shows.”
So – to the show, and the show is coming back after the huge success of last years’ inaugural UK tour.
“It was huge,” Jimmy said. “It had a really warm and fuzzy vibe. The audiences were really great and they’re all songs that they knew, plus we have some fast paced variety.”
“We have changed some of the elements around a bit and we have a great selection of songs.”
And Jimmy doesn’t find it strange singing along to a film Andy Williams?
“Y’know, it isn’t. The songs we sing are ones we grew up singing, more my brothers than me, as I wasn’t involved with the Andy Williams show that much because I was much younger.
“But it’s our legacy as much as his, and before he died, Andy asked me to keep the tradition going. It was daunting, but I’m grateful to be able to bring it back.”
Joining Jimmy on stage will be his brothers Merrill and Jay, and they’ll be performing all their hits such as The Proud One, Love Me For A Reason and Crazy Horses.
Also, they’ll be singing seasonal songs and hits.
“Yes, we’ll be doing The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, Merry Christmas Everybody, Sleighride, as well as more traditional songs.
“Honestly, when you’re on stage doing The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year it’s amazing, and I sing Hallelujah.
The songs are for everyone, we don’t alienate anybody – we’re Christians after all.”
This is a sentiment shared by Jimmy’s brother Jay, who chips in.
“The show is simple in that it goes back to the real purpose of Christmas and sometimes people forget that. We remember the Saviour and sing traditional Christmas songs. It’s all about bringing families together.”
Part of the usual Osmonds’ show is a drum solo from Jay, and the good news is that he’ll be performing one in the show.
“Yes, I’ve changed it around a bit, but I always go back where I started. One of my heroes was Buddy Rich and I tried really hard to learn from a guy called Jimmy Gordon and he always told me to ‘have your own style’.”
He laughed. “Drumming has been a part of me since I was eight years old – I was always being told to ‘beat it’.”
Special guests for this year include singer Charlie Green and ventriloquist Steve Hewlett, both from ‘Britain’s Got Talent’.
“Charlie has an amazing voice at just 19 years old,” said Jimmy. “And Steve is brilliant.”
Steve sometimes makes puppets of famous people – he had one of Simon Cowell when he appeared on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. We might see an Osmond puppet during the show.
“Yes,” said Steve. “I have been known to have dummies made up at certain shows and I think it would be a great idea. I’m pleased to say, though, that there will be a moment that Jimmy and I will do a piece together.”
There is a gap in the tour schedule from December 23 to 28 while the stars go home for Christmas. Jimmy shared with me his ideal Christmas.
“I can be happy anywhere as long as I’m with my family. We always give each other new
pyjamas on Christmas Eve – it’s bizarre but fun. It’s all about remembering.”
The Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza, starring The Osmonds, with special guests Steve Hewlett and Charlie Green, plus The Moon River Singers and Dancers will be touring the UK from December 14 to 30.
Martin Hutchinson
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line15
|
__label__cc
| 0.719566
| 0.280434
|
The Balloon:
Their Second Appearance (11/26/98)
This is the Rugrats' second appearance in the Macy's parade, taking place on a wet and rainy Thanksgiving morning in New York City. After surviving last year's windstorm, they are, more or less, lucky to participate in the 1998 edition. After last year, many tall balloons were retired (including The Cat In The Hat, which hit a lamppost, injuring 4, and The Pink Panther, due to new size restrictions) and replaced with new, shorter balloons, including Babe, Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory, and the "wild thing" from Maurice Sendak's chidren's classic, Where The Wild Things Are.
In NBC's live (in ET) parade coverage, the Rugrats balloon appeared at about 11:25AM ET.
Left: The Rugrats balloon in front of the Marquis Theater in Times Square as it goes down Broadway past 2 million parade attendees, despite the rain and high winds. (Picture ©1998 Reuters; seen in St. Petersburg Times, 11/27/98.)
Right: Picture of the Rugrats balloon before the start of the parade, wrapped in netting so it won't float away before the holders (the people in the purple Rugrats aprons) get ahold of it.
(From the St. Petersburg Times Travel section, 11/21/99; photo by Sam Bleeker, from his story on the parade; ©1998-99 Sam Bleeker.)
The Pictures:
(These pictures were taken from NBC's live telecast of the 1998 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; ©1998 National Broadcasting Company.)
The Rugrats balloon, in front of Macy's. The underside of the balloon.
Left: The balloon leaned considerably to the left as it
made a right turn.
The Description:
The hosts of the 1998 parade are Today Show's hosts, Katie Couric, Matt Lauer and Al Roker. (Transcript is ©1998 by National Broadcasting Company.)
Matt: On the lookout for danger and adventure, it is the Rugrats, Macy's first 3-character balloon. Their fearless leader, Tommy Pickles, his worry-wart pal, Chuckie, and providing transportation down Broadway, Tommy's dog, Spike. Spike's snout, by the way, is longer than 2 New York City taxicabs.
Katie: Let me tell you, guys, I know this show very well.
(Matt giggles in background)
Al: Oh, yeah.
Katie: The world of Rugrats is all about life from a baby's point of view. One year old Tommy's slogan is: "We're babies. We're supposed to get in trouble. That's our job."
Matt: I like scaredy-cat Chuckie's favorite saying: "When all else fails, just cry."
Katie: That's my philosophy. And Spike, well, he doesn't say anything -- he's a dog, but he does take the Rugrats on some wonderful adventures, like today's. This is their second trip to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Al: A baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do. Thanksgiving brings yet another adventure, The Rugrats Movie, announcing the biggest event in Rugrats history, the birth Tommy's new baby brother, Dil Pickles.
Katie: Love that name.
Back to First Balloon Page Back To Main Rugrats Page
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line17
|
__label__wiki
| 0.65639
| 0.65639
|
Learn about MARC CHAGALL (1887-1985), Impressionist & Modern Art artist,their past and upcoming works offered at auction at Christie's
Few periods of history have seen such political upheaval and revolutionary artistic innovation as the first half of the 20th century in Europe. ‘Should I paint the earth, the sky, my heart?’ the Russian-born Jewish painter, Marc Chagall, once wrote. ‘The cities burning, my brothers fleeing? My eyes in tears. Where should I run and fly, to whom?’
An émigré artist whose career was forged in Paris in the early 1910s; a Belarusian who witnessed the Russian Revolution of 1917 and worked for the Bolshevik government; a refugee Jew who fled a Europe fallen to the Nazis — from his unique standpoint Chagall fashioned an art of achingly beautiful, dreamlike strangeness that is among the greatest of the 20th century.
Born into a Hasidic family, near Vitebsk in modern-day Belarus, Chagall trained with the celebrated Lithuanian-Jewish artist, Yehuda Pen, before moving to St Petersburg in 1907 to study at the Zvantseva School under Léon Bakst. In 1910, speaking little French, he moved to Paris. By 1914, works such as Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers (1912-13) had begun to earn him an international reputation. Chagall’s work would always remain heavily informed by the myths and stories of his shtetl origins, and, despite the early influence of Cubism and Fauvism, he would develop his own unique poetic and figurative style: a pastoral world filled with near-surrealistic motifs of fiddlers and floating couples which the poet Guillaume Apollinaire dubbed ‘surnaturel’ (supernatural).
Chagall spent the First World War in Russia and, following the Russian Revolution, worked for a time with the Bolshevik regime before returning to Paris in 1923. Over the 1920s and ’30s he continued to explore his unique figurative vision, painting lyrical masterpieces such as Green Violinist (1923-24) and Les Mariés de la Tour Eiffel (1938). Chagall and his family fled France in 1941 for New York and, in 1946, a major retrospective of his work was held at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. In 1947, still grieving the death of his first wife and the news of his home town’s destruction by the Nazis during the war, he returned to France, where he remained until his death, at the age of 97, in 1985.
Marc Chagall (1887-1985)
GBP 130,000 - GBP 180,000
($169,910 - $235,260)
19 March 2019 |
Prints by the greatest names in art for under £10,000
4 February 2019 |
10 things to know about Marc Chagall
Sydell Miller, Cleveland Clinic and the restorative power of art
13 December 2016 |
12 prints to suit every taste — and budget
Masters of the Modern
Prints by the biggest names in art — at surprising prices
29 October 2015 |
Duchamp, Chagall, Miró: Works from the Collection of a Member of the Matisse Family
Antenna: A brief opportunity to experience that ‘1948 moment’
Chagall's Daphnis and Chloé
LOT 6 A , SALE 14183
Les trois cierges
USD 14,583,500
Les trois acrobates
Jeune fille au cheval
GBP 5,906,500
LOT 10 C , SALE 3783
L'air bleu
USD 6,885,000
Bouquet près de la fenêtre
LOT 19 A , SALE 15004
Vase de fleurs et personnages
Le Rappel
LOT 3 B , SALE 15483
La chaise à Toulon or Les fleurs du Mourillon
Scène biblique
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line20
|
__label__wiki
| 0.957113
| 0.957113
|
Parker Griffith Re-Rats
Switching Parties
Former Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith who defected from the Democratic Party to the GOP in 2009 is now returning to his political roots to run for Governor.
Ben Jacobs
Updated Apr. 14, 2017 4:49PM ET / Published Feb. 03, 2014 10:38PM ET
Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call, via Getty
In the 1920s, after switching from the Conservative Party to the Liberals and back to the Conservatives again, Winston Churchill famously remarked "anyone can rat, but it takes a certain amount of ingenuity to re-rat." Now former one-term Congressman Parker Griffith is reportedly trying to follow in Churchill's footsteps by returning to the Democratic Party after defecting to the GOP halfway through his lone term in Congress.
Griffith was elected to a North Alabama district in 2008 that had long been a Democratic redoubt in the midst of a deep red sea. Based in Huntsville, a city with significant number of federal employees, it included areas made prosperous by the New Deal and the Tenneesse Valley Authority in the 1930s that had stayed loyally Democratic ever since. But, in 2009, Griffith, a former state senator just elected to succeed longtime incumbent Democrat Bud Cramer, switched parties. While this nominally gave him the advantage of incumbency, Republicans didn't quite flock to the former Howard Dean donor in a primary dominated by the Tea Party wave of 2010. Griffith lost badly by 51%-33% to Mo Brooks, a county commissioner, in an attempt to to get the Republican nomination for Congress. Brooks went on to be the first Republican elected to Congress from the seat since Reconstruction. Griffith tried again in 2012 against Brooks and lost by an even greater margin, 71%-29%. Soon afterwards, he left the Republican Party to become an Independent. But, on Monday, it was reported that the erstwhile Democrat was returning to his political roots.
WHNT in Huntsville, Alabama reported that Griffith is rejoining the Democratic Party in order to run for Governor in 2014. According to WHNT, the Alabama Democratic Party has welcomed back its prodigal son and is ready to embrace his candidacy for Governor. His candidacy would mark a sad step in the decline of the Alabama Democratic Party. Alabama had only two Republican governors in the entire 20th century. It has had two Republican governors so far in the 21st century as the state has become firmly Republican. Perhaps the best hope of the Alabama Democratic Party in the past decade, former Rep. Artur Davis lost a gubernatorial primary and then moved to Virginia where he became a Republican. The result is a bench so deciminated that the Alabama Democrats are now forced to get behind a candidate who has averaged nearly a political affiliation a year since 2009.
But, then again, Winston Churchill went through a similar period in the early 1920s. The only question is whether Parker Griffith is a politician of the same caliber as the Nobel Prize winner credited with saving Europe from Nazi domination. But that's up to the voters of Alabama to decide.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line25
|
__label__wiki
| 0.574845
| 0.574845
|
Blogs The Family Archive Project
Case Studies, Research
The Future of Women’s Pasts
auobiographies
By Laura King, University of Leeds
Understanding how families keep things and document their histories is, for me, a feminist project. The Family Archive project has an important dual purpose, in this sense. Firstly, by thinking about the records, documents and objects in people’s homes, we can find out about women’s histories, which are often lost in official records. Secondly, by better understanding the collecting of family items, keepsakes, and knowledge, we recognise the important role women have historically played in the creation of those archives and histories.
The author’s grandmother, who created many scrapbooks of her and her family’s life, to pass on to her grandchildren
One interesting question that the project is starting to tackle is whether women have historically played a more important role than men in keeping family archives. In the first half of the twentieth century in Britain, it seems that women were really important in the preservation of family objects, and perhaps that women invested more significance in this practice than men. In autobiographies about this period, for example, women were somewhat more likely to discuss family heirlooms, other objects, and the preservation of family stories and memories. And even those written by men highlighted the central role women played in preserving those histories in one way or another. Paul Johnson, for example, wrote about how his mother would repeatedly tell him her life story, and that of relatives:
‘It was a kind of verbal autobiography, reaching far back into the past (she was born in 1886) and embracing an enormous cast of characters, distant cousins (‘once removed and he couldn’t be removed far enough for me’), great-aunts, of whom there were many, known by their husbands’ names, Aunt Seed, Aunt Ogilvy, Aunt Spagrass and so on’.
Paul Johnson, The Vanished Landscape: A 1930s Childhood in the Potteries (London, 2004), p.4
Keeping particular objects could be very important to women’s sense of identity. It was a meaningful practice. Evelyn Haythorne, for example, discussed her mother’s most treasured possessions:
‘the family’s three china cups and saucers. They were really pretty, with deep pink roses and gold leaves painted on them but they had never been used to my knowledge for they were Mother’s pride and joy.’
Evelyn Haythorne, On Earth to Make the Numbers Up (Castleford, 1991), pp.19-20
These cups were not for everyday use, but had a more intangible function. As well as creating a sense of pride for her mother, Evelyn recalled how they were used to denote, in one case, who was special enough to become part of the family. A new girlfriend of her brother’s admired them, but, not being approved of by her mother, was swiftly rebuked: ‘”I only use them for anyone special,” Mother sweetly replied before smugly walking into the kitchen.’The way in which items conceived as part of a family archive were used could create a sense of who belonged or was ‘special’ enough to belong to that family.
When talking about her mother’s treasured cups, Evelyn positioned these as belonging to her family – ‘the family’s three china cups and saucers’, but also identified them as ‘Mother’s pride and joy’. Were these a personal or family item, and did they sit as part of the individual archive of her mother, or a wider family archive? Who were they passed on to when her mother died? Did her mother choose this? Who owns them now? These are questions we unfortunately cannot know.
The division between individual and family items is an important question when thinking about women’s financial power and (in)dependence. Women in this period lacked the financial power of men. Many of the women whose lives are documented in these autobiographies worked. But most women also relied financially on men, their husbands and fathers. Did the few possessions they had, in which they invested emotional meaning and identity, matter more because they were in a financially less stable position than male wage earners? To the female writers I’ve studied as well as the women who are mentioned in these autobiographies, objects and stories mattered a lot. In contrast men were more likely to mention or perceive as important other ways of preserving family heritage, such as genealogical research, or passing on a family name. That’s a huge simplification, but gender is clearly an important dynamic in this story, and something to be investigated further.
This question of women’s archives and histories was the subject of a recent conference at the University of Leeds. We heard about the wonderful work being done to preserve these histories, by the Sisterhood and After project at the British Library, The Feminist Library, Atria in the Netherlands, the Glasgow Women’s Library and Feminist Archive North. I also talked about this project, on family archives, which caused some debate. Does the focus on the family mean this is stereotyping women into particular roles? Does our focus on objects mean other stories get lost?
To me, one key issue for us is making sure we embrace a really broad understanding of what ‘the family’ is. It’s never, of course, just about parents and children. It’s about wider family connections – aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins-twice-removed. It’s about step-parents, half siblings and every other connection you can think of. And finally, it’s also about friends too – essentially, we consider ‘family’ to be anyone to whom we have an emotional relationship.
At the Future of Women’s Pasts conference, Ann Schofield, Professor of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, described how historians must think more carefully about how we get at those who have been ‘hidden’ from history, whose lives aren’t so carefully recorded in official records. To do this, she suggested we must think about history as not only dates, facts and figures, but of emotions and feelings – and how we must engage with the fascinating idea of an ‘archive of feelings’. And Kate Dossett, a historian at the University of Leeds, challenged the myth that women’s history is hidden because women don’t keep records, telling us about how women prominent in politics in interwar America, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, were very aware of the need to and importance of documenting not only their achievements, but also their struggles.
This is, I hope, one key aim of the Family Archives project – to create a more expansive definition of what an archive is, to include the lives of women hidden from history, and to recognise how women have archived their own and their families’ histories for many years.
Notice: It seems you have Javascript disabled in your Browser. In order to submit a comment to this post, please write this code along with your comment: 9ac41b7c7502e3a594d94ea5dcc9b414
We are what we keep: Being Human Festival events
Egypt: A Guest Blog by Linda Loganathan
Are we what we keep? Reflections on our October workshop
Are we what we keep? Workshop coming up!
lizgloyn on About the Project
annawoodham on Too much stuff?
Gaenor Deacon on About the Project
Tess on Too much stuff?
The Family Archive Project: Exploring Family Identities, Memories and Stories Through Curated Personal Possessions | The Pararchive Project on About the Project
The Family Archive Project
Exploring Family Identities, Memories and Stories Through Curated Personal Possessions
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line27
|
__label__cc
| 0.626698
| 0.373302
|
Bill C. Weiss
Never Again, Buy It Now!
Bill Weiss… Author, Retired Law Enforcement
Gallery of Bill’s Career
Contact Bill
Tag Archives: Los Angeles Police Department
The 1992 Los Angeles Riots- 25 Years Later
April 28, 2017 wcweiss Leave a comment
The Los Angeles riots erupted on April 29, 1992, at the flashpoint of Florence and Normandie Avenues. A day, a week, and a life changing event that the people on this in-service sheet from Lennox Sheriff’s Station will never forget.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's DepartmentLos Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles RiotsPolice-Community RelationsReginald DennyRodney King
25 Years Later- A TV Documentary and Never-Before-Told Insight into the 1992 Los Angeles Riots
As the 25th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots approaches I am sharing my recent updates and press release with you.
Santa Clarita, CA. – April, 2017 – In a soon to be released TV documentary and in his book, “Never Again”, author Bill C. Weiss shares his experience as the watch commander at Lennox Sheriff’s Station in South Los Angeles as the Los Angeles riots erupted at Florence and Normandie Avenues in 1992.
In a recent in-studio documentary interview with KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) America, Weiss offers this true account and never-before-told insight into the hours leading up to, during, and after the Los Angeles riots.
The documentary (tentatively titled “Six Days”) is scheduled for airing on April 29, 2017, the 25th anniversary in the United States (Nationwide Direct TV CH. 2082, Los Angeles Spectrum CH. 1475, Cox CH. 473, KXLA-44 CH. 44.1 and 44.8) and around the world. Check local listings for specific channel and airtime.
“Never Again” is written from Weiss’s perspective as the nearby Los Angeles Police Department found itself totally unprepared to deal with this deadly and dynamic crisis.
This riveting and extraordinary story reveals emergent preparations and tough decisions Weiss faced while preparing to intervene in what escalated into an unforgettable civil disturbance. He unravels behind-the-scenes events as he deals with his internal instinct to take action, waged against his self-discipline to follow orders. Weiss is put to the test up to the final moment before the opportunity to put his daring plan into action for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
As several recent incidents in Ferguson, Missouri (2014), Baltimore, Maryland (2015), and numerous incidents in 2016 have shown, law enforcement’s initial response to and handling of violent encounters and civil disturbances continues to resonate with the entire country.
“Never Again”, published by Morgan James in New York, was released on November 1, 2016, and was chosen as a double awards winner in the 2016 Beverly Hills Book Awards for the Best Book in the True Crime category and the Best Book Cover Design in the Non-Fiction category.
Bill C. Weiss will be attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books event on the University of Southern California campus on April 22-23, 2017, at booth #167, under the Writers Mastermind Alliance banner.
“Never Again” is available at various retailers, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon, BAM, Powell’s, Indie Bound, and Chapters Indigo. The book is available on Amazon.com, https://www.amazon.com/Bill-C.-Weiss/e/B01FY5BFUY. For additional information on the book (ISBN 978-1-63047-904-6) visit http://www.billcweiss.com. To secure an interview or speaking engagement, please contact Bill at bill@billcweiss.com.
1992 Los Angeles RiotsKBS AmericaLos Angeles County Sheriff's DepartmentLos Angeles Police DepartmentPolice-Community RelationsReginald DennyRodney King
Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
February 24, 2017 wcweiss Leave a comment
I will be attending the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, as an exhibitor with several other fellow authors in booth #167, which will be held on the University of Southern California campus on April 22 & 23, 2017. The hours for Saturday (4/22) are 10AM – 6PM and Sunday (4/23) 10AM – 5PM.
Please come by and say hello and check out my book “Never Again”, a never before told insight into the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and the books of several outstanding authors. The month of April is also the 25th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
Booth #167 will be in the center of the USC campus on Trousdale Pkwy, not too far from and east of Tommy Trojan. The banner title for the booth will read Writers Mastermind Alliance.
1992 Los Angeles RiotsLos Angeles County Sheriff's DepartmentLos Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Times Festival of BooksReginald DennyRodney King
Author Bill Weiss Reveals Shocking Details 25 Years After the Los Angeles Riots
July 20, 2016 wcweiss Leave a comment
I recently had the honor of interviewing author Bill Weiss, a 32-year veteran of the LASD. Bill had incredible experiences over those years and shares some of them in his soon to be released book, Never Again. The book chronicles his experience behind the scenes of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots – also referred to as The Rodney King Riots.
As the 25th anniversary of the events of the Los Angeles Riots that impacted our country’s history approaches (April 29th, 2017), Rodney King, the central figure, won’t be around for interviews or special reports. He passed away four years ago, on June 17th, 2012. Rodney King’s death by accidental drowning was later reported to involve alcohol and drugs. Whether or not his death was accidental, he will forever be associated with the incident that set off a week of death and destruction from which many innocent people never recovered.
Here are the details of my interview with Bill Weiss:
Judith: Thank you for your time today, Bill. Having been privileged to read the draft of your new book, Never Again, I’m excited to share your story with my blog followers.
What was your role behind the scenes during the historical Los Angeles Riots in 1992?
Bill: I was the watch commander for Lennox Sheriff’s Station in South LA. I was in charge of the station. Our northern boundary was one mile and thirteen city blocks from the intersection of Florence and Normandie (the flash point of the riots). I developed a response team of 15 deputies with 10 radio cars ready to go into LAPD’s area when Reginald Denny was being beaten in the intersection.
Judith: That’s a scene not too many of us will ever forget. We learn by reading the hour-by-hour story in your book that as the circumstances surrounding the riot unfolded, you created a plan by which the LA Sheriff’s Department, Lennox Station would intervene. We also know that plan was squashed by unavoidable last minute decisions outside of your control.
How did it feel to watch the events unfold with your hands tied behind your back?
Bill: I felt as if I had been stabbed in the chest. I wanted to argue and challenge authority (the captain). It made me mentally withdraw for a few moments as I was shocked, numb, and felt helpless, but so close. I felt like a failure and knew that we lost a golden opportunity to stop the madness. That thought obsessed me for quite awhile. We were in a war zone for days and I carried a sense of guilt with me that still hurts to this day.
Judith: It’s been almost 25 years since the momentous events on April 29th, 1992. How do you think the country was impacted by the Los Angeles riots, both positively and negatively?
Bill: In 1992 many elected and community leaders, including those in law enforcement, recognized a need to do things differently and treat problems and people differently. ie: more community-based policing was developed, having officers of the same race patrol certain neighborhoods started to increase, more youth programs were developed, additional resources (economic, jobs, businesses etc.) were brought in to certain deprived areas of LA.
There was also a negative impact on the country. I believe many took notice and it may have hindered the progress of race relations in the south for example, which may have been improving prior to the LA riots. A step back definitely occurred in LA and from what I can remember in many parts of the country. As I mentioned in my book several other cities throughout the country experienced rioting due to LA. Some people came together, but I believe those who didn’t took a major step backward; regressing for quite awhile due to a lack of trust, revisiting old wounds, etc.
Judith: Bill, Do you think that something of the magnitude of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots could happen again? If so, are we at risk presently?
Bill: Unfortunately, yes it could happen again and the risk is there now. What we have experienced with Ferguson, Missouri (2014) and Baltimore, Maryland (2015) and more recently the disturbances we have witnessed during the current presidential campaigns, I see some disturbing similarities and elements.
Judith: In light of what you experienced during the LA riots along with your perspective on the recent contemporary unrest our country has seen (mentioned above) what advice would you give new law enforcement agents?
Bill: Public pressure, concern with image over safety, and the issue of political correctness should never again interfere with law enforcement performing its functions. Passive response to these initial disturbances allowed disorder to develop into major riots. Treating people with respect and allowing them to vent their frustrations is one thing, but standing by and allowing people to kill, assault, rob, steal, and destroy property should never be acceptable.
Judith: Thank you, Bill. When will your book, Never Again, be available?
Bill: Pre-order on my website, http://www.billcweiss.com. Orders will ship in August of 2016.
*Note- This interview was conducted prior to the tragic police killings in Dallas and Baton Rouge.
Judith Cassis is a New York Times Bestselling ghostwriter, blogger and book coach. She is the founder of The Golden Pen Writers Guild and Writers Mastermind Alliance and publisher of the Writer to Writer series. Follow her blog: www.judithcassis.com and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judith.cassis. Private and group sessions are available for scheduling. Judith offers free group lectures and teleseminars based upon availability.
She has been leading writers workshops, retreats and events since 1999. Her company, Success Made Simple, provides guidance and resources for writers planning to publish books, blogs and articles.
As a retired Lieutenant and 32-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Bill Weiss worked various patrol, custody, administrative, investigative, and special assignments. He has been an Incident Commander for several major tactical incidents. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California, with a Master’s degree in Public Administration.
To follow Bill and or purchase his book, “Never Again”, please go to his website- http://www.billcweiss.com.
1992 Los Angeles RiotsLos Angeles County Sheriff's DepartmentLos Angeles Police DepartmentRodney King
Author, Retired Law Enforcement
Massacre in Las Vegas: Is It Time For All Cops to Carry?
Local Authors Event
“Never Again”- A Double Book Awards Winner!
Should Attacks on Police be Considered a Hate Crime?
El Cajon: A No Win Situation
PRIVACY STATEMENT AND DISCLAIMER
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line31
|
__label__wiki
| 0.717349
| 0.717349
|
New Initiative to Eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission of Four Diseases
By jbest · August 23, 2017 · No comments
Clinical, Clinical Focus, International News, News ·
Every year, an estimated 2,100 children in Latin America and the Caribbean are born with HIV or contract it from their mothers; 22,400 are infected with syphilis; some 9,000 are born with Chagas disease; and 6,000 contract the hepatitis B virus. If not detected and treated in time, these infections can cause miscarriages, congenital malformations, neurological and heart problems, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and in some cases, even death.
To end mother-to-child transmission of these four diseases by 2020, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched the Framework for Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and Chagas (EMTCT-PLUS), a roadmap with strategies and interventions that target women before and during pregnancy, as well as new mothers and their babies.
“The new framework is an opportunity to integrate and redouble efforts to diagnose and treat pregnant women during prenatal check-ups to prevent miscarriages, fetal malformations, and deaths from syphilis and to keep children from being infected with diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, or Chagas disease, with serious long-term health consequences,” said Suzanne Serruya, director of PAHO’s Latin American Center for Perinatology (CLAP).
Since 2010, Latin American and Caribbean countries have been working to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis as public health problems through the Strategy and Plan of Action for Elimination of Mother-to-child Transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and Congenital Syphilis, coordinated by PAHO. Since then, the countries have managed to reduce new infections in children by 55 per cent, from 4,700 to 2,100 between 2010 and 2015, preventing some 28,000 children from being infected with HIV.
Building on the success of this initiative, PAHO created the EMTCT-PLUS framework, which integrates efforts to end mother‑to‑child transmission of Chagas disease and hepatitis B into the well-established platform.
To reduce mother-to-child transmission of these four diseases to a minimum, the PAHO initiative proposes universal screening of all pregnant women, a policy that every country in the Region and the world has adopted for the diagnosis of HIV and syphilis though not yet for Chagas disease and hepatitis B.
As of 2016, the 51 countries and territories in the Americas had included hepatitis B in their official vaccination schedules, with a dose of the vaccine administered at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. Furthermore, 21 countries (whose populations account for 90 per cent of the region’s live birth cohort) have included a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns in their vaccination schedules. Regional vaccination coverage of the three-dose series is estimated at 89 per cent, and coverage of the dose for newborns, at 75 per cent. The success of vaccination programs in the Americas suggests that the elimination of perinatal and early childhood transmission of hepatitis B is feasible. However, access must be expanded to ensure that the vaccine reaches at least 95 per cent of children, beginning with a dose for newborns in first 24 hours of life.
Up to now, the fight against Chagas disease has focused on vector control, environmental clean-up, and the screening of blood for transfusions. However, the next step toward eliminating this disease as a public health problem is to focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission, which currently accounts for roughly one‑third of new infections. An estimated 1.12 million women of reproductive age in the Region are infected with T. cruzi, the parasite that causes the disease. The EMTCT-PLUS framework urges that all pregnant women be screened, and that the babies of those who test positive be tested and treated, as well as mothers after delivery.
“We want the next generation to be free not only of HIV and syphilis but of Chagas disease and hepatitis B as well,” said Marcos Espinal, director of PAHO’s Department of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis. “We have cost‑effective tools for preventing children from being infected by their mothers, but we need these measures to reach everyone who needs them.”
Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/new-initiative-eliminate-mother-child-transmission-four-diseases#ixzz4qORC8jk3
Security Question * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA. × four = 32
← Discovery of Green Deep-Sea Sponge Shows Promise for Cancer Research
Doctor who was raped while on holiday in St Lucia believes her attacker will never be caught →
Chairman of the T&T Cancer Society George Laquis said Government
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) — Last weekend, 17 student doctors donned
CAYMAN ISLANDS — A 33-year-old Caymanian man is breathing again
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line39
|
__label__cc
| 0.517447
| 0.482553
|
bankofluxemburg.com
Tim Treml Appointed President/CEO of Bank of Luxemburg
Bank of Luxemburg Executive Vice President/Chief Lending Officer Tim Treml was promoted to president at the start of 2017. John Slatky, who served as the bank’s executive vice president/CEO for five years and president/CEO for 23 years, will remain on staff to ease the transition until his planned retirement this June.
Treml has been working closely with Slatky over the course of two years to focus on the most important aspects of his new position. “Responsibilities have been transferred to me gradually, so I am confident in myself and the leadership team will effectively continue to manage the institution moving forward,” Treml stated.
Treml assures employees, customers and stakeholders there will not be drastic or immediate changes due to the transition. “Bank of Luxemburg’s purpose is ‘To have a positive impact on people’s lives,’” Treml shared. “This purpose is what our staff believes makes our relationships with customers special. I look forward to working with our staff to continue fulfilling this vision in the communities we serve.”
Treml’s promotion comes as a result of his leadership and long-term commitment to the bank. Treml has been employed at Bank of Luxemburg for 22 years this June, including seven as chief lending officer, before being promoted to executive vice president in 2015. In addition, Treml completed the Graduate School of Banking in 2001 and the Leadership Development Program for Community Bankers in 2015, a one-year program offered through the Center for Professional and Executive Development from the Wisconsin School of Business at University of Wisconsin—Madison.
Treml also brings years of dedicated volunteer service and community involvement to his leadership role. He served as president on the Luxemburg Chamber of Commerce and was named the chamber’s “Man of the Year” in 2013. He served as treasurer to Kewaunee County Economic Development Corporation for three years, has co-chaired the EastShore Industries Annual Golf Outing for 13 years, has served as treasurer to Ducks Unlimited for over 16 years and is a former rescue squad member.
Former Bank of Luxemburg President John Slatky is confident in the bank’s future under Treml’s leadership. “The customers in our communities will be well served for many years to come,” Slatky assured. “Our customers expect nothing less than exemplary service and sound leadership from their banker and Tim continues that tradition.” Though Slatky plans to retire this summer, he will remain on the bank’s board of directors.
As Treml transitions to president, Darren Voigt has assumed the responsibilities of chief lending officer. Voigt has been with Bank of Luxemburg since 2014 and has over 25 years of experience including consumer and mortgage lending, as well as business and commercial banking and treasury management.
Luxemburg Bancshares, Inc. and Bank of Luxemburg have banking offices in Luxemburg, Green Bay, Dyckesville, Casco, Algoma, Kewaunee and Sturgeon Bay. For more information about Luxemburg Bancshares, Inc., visit www.bankofluxemburg.com.
Posted by Bank of Luxemburg at 11:13 AM 4 comments
http://www.bankofluxemburg.com/logos_pics/membrFDIC.gif | http://www.bankofluxemburg.com/logos_pics/logo_EHL.jpg
Tim Treml Appointed President/CEO of Bank of Luxem...
Bank of Luxemburg
Bank of Luxemburg is:
Local – Local management and local decision making.
Loyal – We are loyal to our customers and the communities we serve.
Lasting – Bank of Luxemburg has lasted through all the economic cycles since 1903 and is committed to moving forward as a safe and sound independent community bank.
Locations in Luxemburg, Algoma, Casco, Dyckesville, Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line41
|
__label__cc
| 0.578912
| 0.421088
|
The Light from the TV Shows: A Chat with Laura Fraser (‘Breaking Bad’)
Posted by Will Harris (09/13/2013 @ 11:12 am)
As “Breaking Bad” began winding down toward its inevitable conclusion with its fifth and final season, the series introduced a new character who has gone on to make a surprising impact for someone who started off all but shivering in fear at the prospect of what the future might hold for her. Laura Fraser may not be a familiar face to those who prefer their TV to be wholly American, but she’s done quite a bit of small-screen work in the UK, and you may recognize her from some of her big-screen performances as well…like, say, playing against Heath Ledger in “A Knight’s Tale.” Bullz-Eye chatted with Fraser about her current gig as well as some of her earlier roles, including a gig she was hired for but was subsequently replaced…and if she hadn’t ended up on “Breaking Bad,” she’d probably still be miserable about it.
BE: So how did you first find your way onto “Breaking Bad”?
LF: Just a regular audition. I got sent a scene that wasn’t from the show, but it was, like, similar to the scene in the diner with Mike in the episode “Magical.” I had to make a tape, which I did, and I sent it to the casting director, who sent it to Vince Gilligan, who said it was great. And then Vince gave us a note and a real scene from episode 2 of Season 5. So I did that, and I got it from that. And I never met anyone! It was all on tape. So it was as if by magic. [Laughs.]
Posted in: Entertainment, Interviews, News, Television
Tags: A Knight's Tale, Breaking Bad, Cameron Crowe, Friday Night Lights, Giancarlo Esposito, Heath Ledger, Homeland, Jesse Plemons, Jonathan Banks, Karl Geary, Ken Loach, Laura Fraser, Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere, The Light from the TV Shows, Vanilla Sky, Vince Gilligan, Will Harris
Adrianne Palicki stars in “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”
Adrianne Palicki has been breaking hearts ever since she first appeared on NBC’s football drama “Friday Night Lights,” but these days, the Ohio-born actress has been making a name for herself on the big screen with roles in action films like “Red Dawn” and the upcoming “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” as fan favorite Lady Jaye.
Though she’s a far cry from the more butch version of the character we grew up watching on the 1980s animated series, it’s not the first time that Palicki has played an iconic female warrior. Her stint as the title character on David E. Kelley’s “Wonder Woman” reboot may not have made it past the pilot stage, but if early stills from the show are any indication, it’s certainly not because the actress didn’t look the part.
It remains to be seen how her version of Lady Jaye will be received by longtime “G.I. Joe” fans, but we’re digging the updated image, which combines Palicki’s natural beauty with her tough, don’t-mess-with-me personality. In other words, she can kick ass and look good doing it.
Posted in: Celebrities, Entertainment, Movies
Tags: actresses, Adrianne Palicki, Adrianne Palicki slideshow, beautiful actress, beautiful celebrities, beautiful movie stars, celeb babes, celeb gallery, celeb slideshows, celebrities, celebrity babes, celebrity babewatch, celebrity galleries, celebrity hottie watch, celebrity slideshows, celebrity watch, celebs, famous actresses, female celebrities, female celebs, Friday Night Lights, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Hollywood starlets, hot actresses, hot celebs, hottest movie stars, Lady Jaye, movie stars, sexiest movie stars, sexy actresses, sexy celebrities, sexy slideshows, slideshows
The latest “Friday Night Lights” movie update from Peter Berg
Posted by Will Harris (05/12/2012 @ 9:22 pm)
Peter Berg came to JEB Little Creek today to introduce the Virginia premiere of “Battleship,” but before doing so, he took a few minutes to chat with the press – including yours truly – about the film. I held my tongue for the duration of the questioning by the other journalists, but when the inevitable “we’ve got time for one more question” announcement was made, I figured it was fair game to ask the one off-topic question I’d come armed with: what’s the status of the “Friday Night Lights” movie.
“We’re getting a script in next week, so if the script comes in well…” Berg hesitated for a moment, then admitted, “The problem with ‘Friday Night Lights’ is when I started it, all the actors were all young up-and-comers. Now they’re all big stars, and I can’t get them to return my phone calls. So if I can find the actors and the script comes in good, then we’re ready to go.”
Admittedly, this isn’t exactly the sort of news that means a whole heck of a lot, given that there are a lot of actors in the mix for this thing, meaning that the scheduling is going to be a bitch no matter how you look at it, but it’s just another nugget of information to give us hope that the “Friday Night Lights” story ain’t over yet…
Posted in: Entertainment, Movies, News, Television
Tags: Battleship, Friday Night Lights, Friday Night Lights movie, Friday Night Lights movie update, Peter Berg
The Light from the TV Shows: 11 Series (give or take) That Should’ve Survived 2011
As 2011 rapidly winds to a close, it’s easy to fall back on lists as a way to fill columns – indeed, as a TV critic, it’s my God-given right – but HBO’s announcement this week that it was cleaning house and cancelling “Hung,” “Bored to Death,” and “How to Make It in America” served to convince me that I needed to discuss a number of now-defunct series that lost their bid for continued existence during the course of this year. I’m not talking about shows like “Friday Night Lights,” which had an end-game in sight and wrapped on their own terms. I’m talking about series that effectively had the rug ripped out from under their feet. Believe me, there were a bunch…and I’m still kind of pissed about quite a few of them.
11. Medium (CBS)
After seven seasons on the air and surviving a switch between networks (from NBC to CBS), it’s hard to say that “Medium” didn’t live a good, long life. With that said, however, the show had continued to find new ways to keep things interesting, and with the trio of DuBois daughters growing up and getting their own storylines almost as often as their mom. As such, Allison, Joe, and the gang could’ve easily kept going for another few seasons without any complaints from me.
10. Outsourced (NBC)
Am I going to try to defend my enjoyment of this show? No, I am not, because there’s no point in wasting your time or mine. You may not have thought it was very funny, and if you didn’t, that would be your right. I, however, did. And I still miss it.
9. Law & Order: Los Angeles (NBC)
There’s nothing I dislike more than a series that doesn’t know when to leave good enough alone, and for my part, I don’t know why they felt the need to change the formula and kick Skeet Ulrich‘s character to the curb. Sorry, did I say “curb”? I meant “grave,” of course. Not that there’s anything wrong with giving an actor of Alfred Molina’s caliber a more substantial role, but to do so in midseason can’t have pleased the existing viewership very much. Truth be told, I’d rather they’d just kept the original “Law & Order” around, but in its absence, this was a nice substitute, and it sucks that it never had a chance to really spread its wings.
8. The Event (NBC) / V (ABC)
When it comes to casualties in the alien-invasion field, I can accept the cancellation of “V” a bit more than that of “The Event,” if only because it was a minor surprise that it made it to a second season in the first place. And if I’m to be honest, I’m not really surprised that NBC couldn’t be bothered to give “The Event” a shot at a sophomore year, since they probably figured it’d only let them down the way “Heroes” did. But whereas “Heroes” really dropped the ball in its second year, I felt like “The Event” had a better chance of upping the ante. Guess I’ll never know for sure.
Posted in: Entertainment, News, Television
Tags: 2 Broke Girls, ABC, ABC Family, Alfred Molina, Andre Braugher, Beth Behrs, Bill Irwin, Blue Bloods, Bored to Death, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CBS, Detroit 1-8-7, Fox, Friday Night Lights, FX, HBO, Heroes, Holt McCallany, How to Make It in America, Hung, James McDaniel, Jason Biggs, Judy Greer, Kat Dennings, Law & Order: Los Angeles, Lennie James, Lights Out, Mad Love, Medium, Men of a Certain Age, Michael Imperioli, NBC, Norm MacDonald, Outsourced, Ray Romano, Sarah Chalke, Scott Bakula, Skeet Ulrich, Sports Night with Norm MacDonald, Stacey Keach, The Chicago Code, The Event, The Nine Lives of Chloe King, TNT, Traffic Light, Tyler Labine, V
HS TV 101: 12 Great Shows Set In or Around High School
Posted by Bullz-Eye Staff (02/16/2011 @ 10:00 pm)
High school: it’s a rite of passage we all must endure. Some of us weep when it’s over, others can’t wait to say goodbye forever, but for better or worse, it’s an experience that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. The same goes for some of the many TV series that have been set in high school. Here at Bullz-Eye, we’ve polled our writers for their favorite shows within the genre, and the end result is, not unlike high school itself, a mixture of both comedy and drama.
12. Life As We Know It (ABC, 2004 – 2005): Lasting only 11 episodes before ABC unceremoniously yanked it from the air, “Life As We Know It” premiered during perhaps the most cancel-happy era in television. Developed by two of the producers of “Freaks and Geeks” (maybe the writing was already on the wall), the series may have ultimately been undone by poor ratings, but the Parents Television Council’s campaign against the show’s sexual themes certainly didn’t help. Then again, when you green light a series based on a controversial young-adult novel called “Doing It” that follows the exploits of a trio of best friends (Sean Faris, Jon Foster and Chris Lowell) navigating the highs and lows of adolescence, you can hardly pretend to be surprised when its characters discuss sex on a fairly regular basis.
Featuring a great cast of young up-and-comers that also included Missy Peregrym and Kelly Osbourne (yes, that Kelly Osbourne, who’s never been cuter than she was here), “Life As We Know It” certainly wasn’t perfect by any means, but it easily outshined similar shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “The O.C.,” particularly in its handling of its adult characters. The series wasn’t without the usual high school clichés, but the writers never shied away from edgier material, either – like a student having a secret affair with his teacher or a star jock dealing with performance issues – resulting in a smart, sweet and incredibly honest look at how sex changes everything. – Jason Zingale
11. Welcome Back, Kotter (ABC, 1975 – 1979): Despite suffering through remedial classes and acting far more rebellious than was deemed socially acceptable, Gabe Kotter (played by the suspiciously similarly-named Gabe Kaplan) still somehow managed to graduate from James Buchanan High School, but who would have thought that the dreams that were his ticket out would lead him back there? (John Sebastian did, of course, but that’s not really relevant to this discussion.) With his teacher certification tucked into his back pocket, Kotter returns to his alma mater and takes on the challenge of trying to educate the new generation of remedial students. Oh, sure, their names have all changed since he hung around – now they’re called Vinnie Barbarino (John Travolta), Arnold Horshack (Ron Palillo), Freddie “Boom-Boom” Washington (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs), and Juan Epstein (Robert Hegyes) – but they’re still “sweathogs” all the way.
Most would likely agree that “Welcome Back, Kotter” was at its best when it was still the original four Sweathogs, i.e. before Travolta slipped away from television, put on a white suit, and found big-screen success on the dance floor, but even at its funniest, few would probably describe it as the most realistic look into high school life.
“I don’t think anyone was trying to replicate the high school experience so much as they were trying to service those particular characters and write stories about them,” said Mark Evanier, who served as a story editor for the show. “If you could get a good joke out of it, great…though there were times I think we settled for a decent catch-phrase.”
While the words “up your nose with a rubber hose” lend credence to Evanier’s theory, the Marx-Brothers-inspired chemistry between the Sweathogs helps their slapstick shenanigans hold up nonetheless. And, besides, who needs realism when you’ve got Gabe Kaplan doing Groucho? – Will Harris
10. Glee (Fox, 2009 – present): Is it telling that one of the most popular current shows on TV came it at only the #10 spot? If nothing else, maybe it proves we here at Bullz-Eye aren’t prone to fads. Except that maybe we are, as “Glee” has made it onto our TV Power Rankings lists time and again since its debut. But this list isn’t about what entertains us in the broader sense; it’s about great high school shows. As entertaining as “Glee” can be, it has almost nothing real to say about the high school experience, and in fact most of the high school kids I know find it to be pretty nonsensical.
The one area that it seems to excel in as far as capturing the high school experience is in its ability to play romantic musical chairs with its cast of teenage characters. These kids are fickle, and the only guarantee that seems to come with a relationship on “Glee” is that sooner or later it’s going to end. Some props should probably also be given for their attempt to zero in on the bullying issue that so seems to afflict kids today, but “Glee” chose to unfortunately treat the topic with kid gloves rather than say something truly meaningful. None of this is to say that “Glee” isn’t one hell of an entertaining series, because it is, but anyone looking for something a little deeper would do best to dust off their old DVD of “The Breakfast Club.” – Ross Ruediger
Posted in: Entertainment, Television
Tags: 21 Jump Street, 30 Rock, Airplane!, Amy Linker, Arrested Development, Beverly Hills 90210, Billy Jayne, Bruce Paltrow, Bryan Elsley, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Chris Lowell, Claire Danes, Clone High, Clyde Phillips, Connie Britton, Corin Nemec, David Boreanaz, Dawson's Creek, Degrassi, Degrassi High, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Doing It, Enrico Colantoni, Everwood, Fame, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Freaks and Geeks, Friday Night Lights, Gabe Kaplan, glee, Gossip Girl, Head of the Class, James at 15, Jami Gertz, Jamie Brittain, Jason Dohring, John Femia, John Sebastian, John Travolta, Jon Foster, Joss Whedon, Kelly Osbourne, Ken Howard, Kristen Bell, Kyle Chandler, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Life As We Know It, Maia Brewton, Malcolm in the Middle, Mark Evanier, Melanie Chartoff, Merritt Butrick, Missy Peregrym, My Name is Earl, My So-Called Life, Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Phil Joanou, Robert Hegyes, Rock and Roll High School, Ron Palillo, Room 222, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Saved by the Bell, Sean Faris, Sex and the City, Skins, Square Pegs, The Breakfast Club, The O.C., The White Shadow, The Wonder Years, Three O'Clock High, Tracy Nelson, Troy Slaten, Veronica Mars, Welcome Back Kotter
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line42
|
__label__cc
| 0.710658
| 0.289342
|
Seattle U
Marc Nager
Startuper, skier, mountaineer, and CEO of UP Global - [ Startup Weekend, Startup Week, Startup Digest, Education Entrepreneurs, Startup Next ]
Marc Nager is the President and CCO of Techstars Startup Programs. In early 2009, he found the opportunity to acquire Startup Weekend, LLC and to transform it into a non-profit to help others pursue their passions, solve real problems, and impact the world around them. Years later, UP Global has built a network of more than 150,000 alumni, thousands of volunteer organizers and hundreds of trained facilitators spread across more than 500 cities in 130 countries, which later merged with Techstars. Marc balances his mission to make entrepreneurship a universally accessible career path with an active lifestyle. Marc holds a degree in International Business from Chapman University in Southern California. An ambitious go-getter, he is dedicated to expanding his experience and understanding of startup ecosystems around the world. His efforts focus on increasing the levels and quality of support available for passionate entrepreneurs and communities. Entrepreneurship is something that can be taught and learned, and he’s on a mission to make it possible for anyone.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line47
|
__label__wiki
| 0.587202
| 0.587202
|
Film Review - Dragonwyck
Film #11 of 2010 - Dragonwyck
Starring Gene Tierney and Vincent Price, Dragonwyck is a gothic melodrama about a young woman named Miranda Wells (Tierney) who lives with her family on a farm in Connecticut who is summoned to Dragonwyck, the estate on the Hudson River in New York where her distant cousin Nicholas Van Ryn (Price) lives in order for her to be a governess to his young daughter. Van Ryn, who is wealthy, embraces his power as a landowner and is generally a lunatic. Of course, he falls in love with Miranda, and therefore needs to do something about his current wife.
Honestly, there was nothing spectacular about this film, in fact, it was pretty average. I did like the mid-19th century gothic aspect of the film, and Price and Tierney always make a good team, but overall, the story was fairly weak and uninteresting, with characters that seemed to just disappear from the plot if they needed to. Dragonwyck was sufficiently creepy, especially when Price would go into his madman trances, but I think the most significant thing about the film was that it was the first film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, who, 4 years later, would go on to write and direct one of my favorite films of all time, All About Eve.
In the words of my stepmom, a fellow classic film lover, who remarked when I asked her about Dragonwyck, "It's just okay, but it's a film you need to see once." I couldn't agree more.
2 1/2 out of 5 stars
Labels: Film Reviews
Film Review - Sherlock Holmes
Film #10 of 2010 - Sherlock Holmes
Directed by Guy Ritchie, (Snatch, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) Sherlock Holmes is technically a reboot of the Sherlock Holmes film series, though in this era, the best known of them, the old Sherlock Holmes films of the 1940's starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, could be classified better as a slightly longer than one hour drama. Seriously, I got caught up in a marathon of them a few weekends ago on Turner Classic Movies and before I knew it, I had watched about 6 movies in 7 hours. Starring Robert Downey Jr. as the title character and co-starring Jude Law as Dr. Watson, the film focuses on a young, active and fairly depressed Holmes who, despite his general ennui, finds himself drawn to the mystery of a black magic artist named Lord Blackwood who appears to have risen from the dead after being executed for his crimes. Rachel McAdams is Irene Adler, a petty thief who happens to be Holmes' ex, who is working as a double agent for a mysterious patron.
I actually enjoyed Sherlock Holmes a little more than I expected to. I have to admit I had some trepidation after some of his missteps this decade (RocknRolla, marriage to Madonna, Swept Away...) but based on my deep appreciation for his "good" movies (the aforementioned Snatch and Lock, Stock) I was more than willing to give it a shot. Plus, one can't seem to go wrong anymore when Robert Downey Jr. stars in a picture. He definitely delivers in this film, giving us a vital, physical and incredibly flawed Holmes, and though Jude Law seems to be kind of a douche in real life, I have a lot of respect for him as an actor. I loved his dour, though not blundering take on Watson. One character that I considered to be superfluous and only there to drive the plot to the inevitable conclusion and transition to the sequel was McAdams' Irene. It wasn't egregious to the point of complete annoyance, but she did absolutely nothing for me.
As far as the film itself goes, Ritchie did a great job. The cinematography was great and the scenes that were obviously CGI didn't look fake; in fact, it was neat to see Victorian England in the state it was in. I really enjoyed seeing some of Ritchie's signature style pop in once in a while, namely when Holmes was engaged in a fight; the stylish super slow-mo is always an attention getter, when done right, and regardless of how bad the rest of one of his movies can be, Ritchie is able to deliver those kinds of scenes masterfully, in an age when that kind of style is so overdone. I have to give a special mention to the final credits of the film, which were like a work of art, almost like crude watercolor paintings. Title sequences, whether opening or closing credits, are so often overlooked, and sometimes they are as good, if not better than the rest of the film, or significantly add to the general production. (Off the top of my head, the opening and closing credits to Se7en come to mind.)
On a negative note, I think that, while the pacing was decent enough, the film was altogether too long and I think would have benefited from about 15 minutes being chopped from it. Overall, however, Sherlock Holmes turned out to be a good film that set up a franchise that I would definitely be interested to see in the future.
Film Review - Up in the Air
Film #9 of 2010 - Up in the Air
Jason Reitman, director of Up in the Air has made three films in a row that deal with different subject matters (relationships, politics) but all three have at least one thing in common: they are all really, really good.
I loved the premise of Up in the Air: corporate hatchet man Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) is a man who travels among thousands daily, yet lives a life of complete solitude. The 1/3 of the year he isn't traveling is spent in a sparsely furnished apartment in Omaha, NE, where he feels an oppressive weight every day he's not jetting off somewhere else. His life in the air is a science; it's his life on the ground that he can't cope with. Throwing a wrench into his well-tuned life is the entry of Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), a fresh faced young dynamo with bright ideas to make the company she and Clooney work for more efficient and cost-effective - she wants to automate the firing process, which would involve the fired person sitting in front of a terminal getting fired remotely from Omaha. With his own job as it stands being threatened, Bingham is instructed to mentor Keener and show her the ropes of what he does, and the complexities of human interaction during the process. Along the way, Bingham meets and beds Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a fellow constant traveler whose no-strings-attached approach to a relationship appeals to Bingham's philosophy and lifestyle.
Up in the Air is an excellent film that does the nearly impossible: it is extremely entertaining, compelling and full of emotion, but at the same time, has a complexity that is refreshing. More than one person I know who have seen this film have mulled it over for days after they saw it, and even though they were favorable to the film initially, found that the more they thought about it, the more they liked it. The performances in the film weren't so much "performances" as "players", because they were incredibly natural. George Clooney, god love him, has somehow become one of my favorite contemporary actors, something I've fought tooth and nail for years, until I came to the realization that while I don't go to see a film because George Clooney is in it, I go to see all George Clooney films because they look really good. I couldn't help but think during the film how much he has become the modern Cary Grant. Anna Kendrick, who I know from nothing (I understand she's in the Twilight series which, thus far, I haven't touched with a ten foot pole) was awesome in her role as the young over-achiever, and Vera Farmiga, another one of those "oh her" type of actresses, was perfect and completely believable in her role.
This is a film about relationships; friendships, love, even the three main characters made up a makeshift family, and Up in the Air is a very "grown up" movie. Reitman and Sheldon Turner turned out an excellent script that wasn't full of hip jargon like his previous film, Juno, but more of a believable tale that I'm sure many people can and will relate to on some level. Jason Reitman has become a director that, until a few missteps occur, I will follow and look forward to his work. Somehow, based on his track record, I don't think those missteps will happen any time soon, however. This guy is the real deal, and I loved this movie.
Posted by The Cinemaphile at 11:23 AM 0 comments
Film Review - Leave Her to Heaven
Film #8 Leave Her to Heaven
This was not the first time I've seen the film Leave Her to Heaven, but it is a film that stands up to multiple viewings. Starring Gene Tierney as Ellen Berent Harland, a woman with (putting it mildly) a few screws loose and an Electra complex with her late father, who meets and quickly marries Richard (Cornel Wilde), a writer who resembles her father. In order to have Richard all to herself, she blocks out (some, permanently) members of her family and his; scheming to keep Richard's love, at all costs. Leave Her to Heaven also co-stars Jeanne Crain as Tierney's adopted sister Ruth, whom Ellen views as a threat.
I've always considered Leave Her to Heaven to be a somewhat hidden gem, because so much Gene Tierney love goes to the film Laura (another great film). Tierney is really convincing as a seriously mentally ill person (I understand she struggled with mental illness in her "real" life later on) and the lengths she goes to are astounding and really creepy. Tierney is a beautiful actress, and though I think that she coasts on her presence in a few of her other films, she really shows some chops in this film. I've never understood the appeal of Cornel Wilde; he has a face that looks like he's perpetually whining, and it's really hard to get past that. Crain is really good; she has the ability to express strength and vulnerability at the same time, and was able to showcase her talents despite the tour de force performance by Tierney.
Filmed in vivid technicolor that always reminds me of a Douglas Sirk film, Leave Her to Heaven could have just as easily been filmed in black and white and labeled film noir, but I think it would have gotten further lost in film history had it not broken out of noir label and forged its own identity as a suspense-melodrama. Truthfully, when I watched this film, I was sick in bed and only put it on because I'd seen it before and thought I could probably just fall asleep to it. Instead, I found that I not only stayed up and watched the entire movie, but was completely riveted: in my opinion, the sign of a great film.
Film Weekend
With being sick for a while and then work completely monopolizing any part of my brain that has thinking ability, I have been terribly lax with my blog, and hope to catch up on my reviews, possibly as soon as tomorrow.
However, I will NOT be blogging this weekend, or at the very least, not on Saturday because Chris and I will be making our semi-annual drive to Madison to go to the Sundance theater to see a few movies that we can't see around here without jumping through significant hoops. On the menu for Saturday: Crazy Heart, Broken Embraces and A Single Man. I have to admit that I'm the least excited about Crazy Heart, but I've heard from several people that it's a good movie, so I plan to enjoy the experience.
Reviews to come are:
Leave Her to Heaven
Dragonwyck
More 2010 Films
One of the rules of my personal 100 Movies challenge is that it can include films watched in 2010 that you've seen before. So far this week I watched 2 films with Chris that I've seen before, and while I normally would write a review (even if it's just a capsule review) they were both on my Top 10 list of 2009 so I'm not going to write another blurb about them:
Film #6 of 2010 - Up
Film #7 of 2010 - Night at the Museum 2
Labels: Movie Challenge
Film Review - And Then There Were None
Film #5 of 2010
Based on Agatha Christie's play "Ten Little Indians", And Then There Were None (1945) stars Barry Fitzgerald and Walter Huston as two of ten guests invited to an island by U.N. Owen (get it?) because they were involved in various crimes in the past, mostly murder. Owen doesn't show up, but the guests get murdered one by one according to the traditional "Ten Little Indians" rhyme. It's up to the quickly diminishing guest list to find out which among them is the murderer.
I've actually seen this film a couple of times in the past two decades because my Mom used to read Agatha Christie novels then pass them on to me. When I was 9 or 10, "Ten Little Indians" was one of my favorites, and when I had the opportunity to see the film I did. I've always thought that this was a really underrated movie: that perhaps under the Hitchcock moniker it would have been more popular. And Then There Were None is extremely suspenseful, well acted and clever. There have been at least eight years since I've last seen the film, and though I remembered who the culprit ultimately was, I forgot the circumstances leading up to it, so it was fun to follow the clues again.
I would highly recommend this film for it's cross-genre appeal; it's definitely a hidden gem.
At the risk of sounding like I'm either 87 or a technical moron, I'd like to officially marvel at the fact that I'm blogging in bed. From my phone. Crazy.
Posted by The Cinemaphile at 11:00 PM 0 comments
Film Review - The Notorious Bettie Page
Bettie Page, one of America's most famous pin-up girls who became notorious for the content of a lot of her pictures probably has a really interesting story to tell: about her childhood, what led her to choose modeling as a profession and then what made her go off the deep end to go full throttle with pictures depicting sado-masochism and role playing, among other things. Unfortunately, The Notorious Bettie Page completely glosses over almost all of her development and spends the better part of an hour showing her various photography sessions, and that's really about it.
Gretchen Mol looks the part as Bettie Page, and if she was truly a wide eyed innocent throughout her entire career who always looked at everything with surprise and wonder, then she nailed the part. The film was stylish and entertaining on a shallow level, I suppose, but when it ended I was like, "Okay, and then what?" which is pretty much what I was saying to myself the entire film. I had heard really good things about this movie, but I just didn't see it, frankly, which is too bad. I suppose there are definitely times when it's best to pick up a book to learn about someone's life rather than hope for a decent biopic, and The Notorious Bettie Page fits that to a "T". Truly disappointing.
Film Review - Away We Go
I actually decided to hold off on reviewing this movie, because I wasn't sure how I actually felt about it. When all was said and done, I felt a definite sense of detachment, but the question is, "Is that what I was supposed to feel?"
Away We Go is the latest film by director Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as an unmarried couple in their 30's who embark on a cross-country trip in order to "find their place in the world" before the birth of their baby. Faced with the choice of being with family or friends, or moving somewhere for a job, or just settling down where they think they will be happy, the two encounter a few different types of families in their quest to "be adult" and strive for their own version of perfection.
I loved the flow of Away We Go, and it certainly had a breezy spirit. Unlike some of Mendes' other films, such as the aforementioned American Beauty and Revolutionary Road, Away We Go examines relationships, including conflict and the "dark underbelly" of outwardly normal people without becoming overly dark and dramatic. Certainly on the lighter end of the melodramatic spectrum, Away We Go is able to examine extremely flawed relationships without being heavy-handed. However, the lighter tone lends itself to appearing detached, with a lack of focus, which I admit I struggled with. I found that I didn't really care about the characters that much, and, since I actually enjoyed many parts of the film, wondered if this was intentional. Unfortunately, for a film that is so character driven, I don't think that was Mendes' intent.
Krasinski and Rudolph were decent as Verona and Burt, but I fear that my knowledge of one actor and not the other got in the way of viewing their performances. Krasinski was simply his character "Jim" from The Office, only with nerd glasses and a beard that covered most of his face. This isn't necessarily bad, because I think that Burt and Jim are similar characters, but it didn't really showcase any range on Krasinski's part. Since I'm not a Saturday Night Live viewer, I don't know anything about Maya Rudolph, and if her performance was a stretch, but I was torn between wondering if her detached demeanor was intentional or her acting style. Maggie Gyllenhaal does a great job in a cameo that borders between supremely annoying and hilarious, especially during a superb dinner scene.
None of these criticisms killed the film for me, but I am still struggling with how I really felt about Away We Go, and I can't decide whether this is a good or bad thing. The conceit of the film was examining relationships, and finally "becoming an adult", which can occur at many different stages of one's life - and Away We Go succeeded in its task. I definitely had more positive than indifferent feelings for the film, but while this is a positive film overall, there was nothing enlightening or even very exciting that the film offered.
Catch Up Time
One of the disadvantages of watching movies is that because I intend to review most, if not all, of the films I see, I am perpetually behind on reviews. It's only the 12th day of the year, but I actually have managed to stick to keeping track of the films I've watched with the help of the task pad on my Blackberry.
With Oscar season kicking into high gear, I'm going to be concentrating less on classic films and more on current (hopefully) gems, but I'm looking forward to seeing some good movies, regardless of the era.
I do still have two films on the DVR I'd like to watch when I get caught up with reviews - Death of a Cyclist and the original The Wicker Man, so hopefully I will get a chance to watch them soon!
1 Year/100 Movies Challenge!
The challenge is on! Can YOU see 100 movies in 1 year and write a short capsule review about them? If you'd like to join the challenge, let me know!
Film Club Lists
A few friends and I have been working our way through the IMDB Top 250 list for the past couple of years, and there are also a couple of splinter groups working on other lists as well, such as the AFI Top 100. Though I started out ahead of everyone, there has been a lot of progress made, and I also got to see a lot of really good movies a second time with other people. Now I'm down to the mid-30's range that I need to see, and figured I would share the progress and lists with anyone who may want to either compare what they've seen, or have a guideline for what they may want to see.
You can view our updated lists HERE on my website, www.thecinemaphile.com
Film Review - Nine
In the film Chicago, Richard Gere sings a song about "giving them the old 'Razzle Dazzle'" in order to put one over the audience, or in his case, the jury in a murder trial. Rob Marshall, the director of Chicago, employs this technique with his latest film, Nine, and, like the situation in the aforementioned film, it works - sort of.
Nine is the musical adaptation of Federico Fellini's 1963 film 8 1/2, a semi-autobiographical film about a famed Italian director who is expected to begin his next film and has lost all of his inspiration and retreats into his fantasies and memories, all the while juggling the many women with whom he has surrounded himself. Some things were changed for Nine, most notably, the addition of several musical numbers. In Nine, the director is Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) who is not only creatively stuck, but the pressure of his life and image have made him become an emotional cripple. Wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard)is his former leading lady and has had to suffer through Guido's obsession with his work and his many affairs, including his most recent mistress, Carla (Penelope Cruz), a vixen whose vulnerability threatens to mess up everything that Guido is attempting to juggle. While struggling to keep afloat and answer to these women and others, he also has to come up with an idea for the film that everyone is anticipating.
Nine is a technically precise film, and is stylish and beautiful. The lighting is dramatic, the cinematography was appropriately flashy and the costumes were great - I loved the look of Day-Lewis and Cotillard in particular. The performances were excellent, and once again it was fun to see actors sing and dance that we're not used to seeing. Kate Hudson, playing Stephanie, a Vogue journalist, seemed to have the most fun during her musical number, "Cinema Italiano" and, though I'm not a fan, I have to admit she did a great job. As Saraghina, a prostitute from Guido's childhood memory, Fergie provided the film's showstopping scene with "Be Italian". Completely wasted was Nicole Kidman as Claudia, Guido's long-time leading lady, who was in the film for about five minutes and whose importance was kind of lost on me. I initially thought that Day-Lewis was woefully miscast in the film, but I think he really made it work; he embodied the role, both emotionally and physically, and had a rumpled sexiness that didn't make it surprising that he was desired by so many women.
Unfortunately, the gorgeous package wasn't quite able to cover up the most serious defect of the film: There just wasn't any substance, and out of all of the characters that are introduced in Nine, (and there are a lot of them) I really only felt for Luisa, though the more I absorbed the character of Carla, the more sympathetic I became, and I think that is due in large part to Cruz's great performance. Though there were a couple of exceptions, namely both of Cotillard's musical numbers, Penelope Cruz's bump-and-grind and the aforementioned Fergie piece, the centerpieces of Nine are the musical numbers, and so many of them didn't make sense. Judi Dench, who stole every scene she was in, had a completely nonsensical and unnecessary song to sing (though, like everyone else in the film, she did it well) and though Sophia Loren was essential as Guido's mother, they just kind of trotted her out for a couple of minutes here and there, and her big scene wasn't really needed to move the story forward. Musicals are always tricky, particularly in this day and age; back in their heyday of the 1940's and 1950's, people would break into song and it was done partly with a wink and a nudge, or the audience would just accept the cheese factor. The scarce modern musical has a much tougher task, with both the fact that musicals generally don't sell anymore (that's why they died out as a genre in the first place) and we as an audience are a lot more cynical. When it's done well, like Moulin Rouge! or even Chicago, it's a revelation.
Nine, however gorgeous and entertaining it was, was not a revelation, however. Though it kept my attention throughout, and it did succeed in ending well (when I was really beginning to wonder how Marshall was going to reel everything in) I was left with feelings of apathy and detachment. Though I can appreciate the "razzle dazzle" I also want some substance. The glimpses of substance came between musical numbers, when there was a "real" story going on, and I found myself getting irritated when it would be interrupted by another musical number, particularly one that didn't really have a place there. I think I'm going move on and experience the story the way I want to see it: by watching Fellini's 8 1/2.
Film Review - Julie & Julia
There are some films that are, admittedly, fluffy pieces that gloss over harsh realities. Julie & Julia is one of those films; however, its easy formula works really well, considering the subject matter.
Starring Meryl Streep as the iconic Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell, a Child disciple who decides to put her writing skills to use and attempt to make a mark on the literary world by cooking her way through Child's book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and blogging about her experiences, Julie & Julia weaves the lives of these two women and shows how, though they are in different generations and countries, their lives are more similar than first imagined.
Or are they? The focus on Child's life is the period between the late 1940's and the 1950's when Child, living in Paris with her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) discovers her love of French cuisine and her desire to learn to cook it. After attending Le Cordon Bleu cooking school as the only female in the class, she teams up with two other female french foodies who have written an enormous cookbook for American women, but need Child to help them with the editing and testing process. Though she encounters some resistance, first when she enrolls in the cooking school and later, when she is attempting to get their book published, her hard work and the undying support of her husband allow her to persevere. On the other hand, Powell is already an accomplished amateur cook and self-professed "foodie" who indeed comes up with an excellent idea for a blog and certainly a daunting task in tackling the cookbook, but it seems that her success either comes really easily or the realities of it are simply not addressed. As a blogger myself, I am surely one of millions of bloggers who will probably never see their own blog go viral enough where it is a featured blog on Salon or a New York Times article will be written about us. Normally this would not be a point of contention with me, particularly in such a non-challenging film, but there was such a focus on the blog itself that it seems the rise in popularity should have been addressed at some point.
Adams, who is quickly becoming the new, much less annoying Meg Ryan for this generation does a good job as Powell, considering the shallowness of the character. Streep, who is awesome in everything she does, completely embodies what I would assume Julia Child was really like and is completely delightful. There were so many times during the film that she delivers a line that is so perfectly executed and natural that I would wonder if it was actually ad-libbed. ("I'm growing as we speak!") Stanley Tucci is another actor who is always good in everything he does, and he and Streep had great chemistry and showed how truly in love the Childs were. One never thinks of Julia Child as a sexual person, but she and Paul were madly in love with one another and were not afraid to show it. I really loved that relationship in the film.
As stated earlier, Julie & Julia doesn't take a lot of chances, and indeed, does fall into standard "chick flick" territory at times, which I suppose can be attributed to Nora Ephron's direction. (Can she possibly make a film where the main female characters doesn't have a wise-cracking, slightly weird looking best friend?) But then again, it doesn't really pretend to be anything more than what it is, and with a couple of exceptions, mainly the glaring omissions in Powell's development, I was really okay with that, and I found that the film was actually pretty good and really charming, overall. I realized that throughout most of the film I had a smile on my face, and I laughed out loud more than a dozen times, mostly during Meryl Streep's time onscreen. I know a couple of people who are fond of the phrase, "It is what it is." and that accurately sums up Julie & Julia. If you don't come into this film expecting to be anything but charmed and entertained, you won't be disappointed.
Snow Day/Classic Film Day?
Apparently we could get up to 8 inches of snow tomorrow, and after reading about Robert Osborne's wonderful life and real estate here I have visions of curling up in my chair in the living room with the cats and watching movies while the snow falls. Currently on my DVR is Anatomy of a Murder and The Wicker Man (the original, of course) but I have a whole bevy of films I could choose from and be very happy to enjoy!
However, I'm not going to hold my breath, and the reality is that I will be going to see Nine tonight with Jay and Matt, probably will be underwhelmed if most of the reviews I've read and feedback from friends are true, and we'll have just enough snow to make it really annoying to drive and park in...but not to call off work for.
Julie & Julia review forthcoming - unfortunately that's the only film I've watched so far this year.
At the risk of sounding like I'm either 87 or a te...
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line48
|
__label__cc
| 0.666966
| 0.333034
|
Gift of understanding helps us to see as God does
Trouble understanding? Spirit helps us listen
Readings of the Holy Mass: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Making someone smile can witness to Gospel’s joy
Preaching to the choir can create harmony
God’s word can never be ‘enchained,’ pope says at audience
How to reach the moon and stay grounded
Gina Christian
By Gina Christian • Posted August 1, 2019
Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface.
My parents watched the live television broadcast of the landing, hosted by veteran news anchor Walter Cronkite, in mute wonder. As a three-year-old, however, I was more concerned with acquiring the cookies that were sitting just out of my reach on the coffee table. The astronauts landed close to 11 o’clock at night, so I was also getting cranky due to a delayed bedtime.
For those reasons, I can’t say that I actually remember this milestone in human history. However, I vividly recall an expression inspired by the lunar missions, one that was widely used in our household and in the culture of the time: “They can land a man on the moon, but they can’t …” — a phrase concluded by naming an activity that was either simpler, or more urgent, than space travel.
A state official was one of the first to go on record with the complaint. Some seven years before the moon landing, with President Kennedy’s 1962 declaration “we choose to go to the moon” ringing in the nation’s ears, Montana agriculture commissioner Lowell Purdy complained that federal farm policy would produce wasted wheat. “Nothing is impossible in this age of miracles,” he said. “If we can put a man on the moon, we surely are capable of seeing that our temporary surplus agricultural products are placed in many hungry stomachs of the world.”
Purdy called out what to him, and indeed to many, seemed to be not a lack of knowledge or skill, but a failure in priorities. In essence, he wanted to know why we were looking up to the heavens at the expense of looking into the eyes of our fellow human beings and meeting their needs.
A glance at the headlines on any given day confirms that the priorities of this world are (and have long been) muddled at best and warped at worst. An estimated 45% of global wealth is held by just 1% of the planet’s population. We build billion-dollar sports complexes in which millionaire athletes play, while our city’s children attend school in blighted buildings filled with mold and vermin — a condition their underpaid teachers (who purchase educational materials from their own salaries) are powerless to remedy.
We decry gun violence, yet we flock to play Fortnite and other games in which simulated assault rifles provide what passes for entertainment.
We keep up with the Kardashians, but not with the surging numbers of those endangered and marginalized by systemic poverty, conflict and oppression.
Amid such confusion, every evening the Church recalls the true priorities of the kingdom of God by reciting the Magnificat — the canticle proclaimed by Mary in Luke 1:46-55, and named for the Latin translation of its first word.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant,” cries the Nazarene peasant girl, pregnant with a hidden Savior who, through his death and resurrection, would reorder creation itself.
As the body of Christ recites these words during Vespers, a beautiful balance is restored. The proud are scattered in their conceit; the mighty are cast down from their thrones. The lowly are raised up, and the hungry are filled with good things. Mercy is shown to those who fear the Lord.
Perhaps it’s no mistake that this prayer is intoned as the sun fades and the moon rises. In that lesser light’s pale beams, the fruit and failure of our daily strivings become clearer, and we reflect on what is most important to us.
Nazareth and NASA were light years apart, but it was in a first-century village, not an aeronautics complex, that the true path to the stars was revealed. Only by ordering our days and our hearts aright, according to God’s priorities, can we hope to take flight while remaining properly grounded.
Gina Christian is a senior content producer at CatholicPhilly.com and host of the Inside CatholicPhilly.com podcast. Follow her on Twitter at @GinaJesseReina.
PREVIOUS: Readings of the Holy Mass – Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
NEXT: Should parents attend their daughter’s nonchurch wedding?
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line53
|
__label__wiki
| 0.783632
| 0.783632
|
Tag Archives: colonial high school
Mayor Dyer appoints two new Deputy Chiefs
September 5, 2014 – ORLANDO, FL – Today, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer announced the appointment of two new Deputy Chiefs.
Mayor Dyer has appointed Orlando Rolon, a 21 -year Orlando Police Department veteran, to succeed Deputy Chief Charles Robinson as he retires after more than 27 years of service at the City of Orlando. Additionally, Mayor Dyer has appointed Eric Smith, a 20-year Orlando Police Department veteran to succeed Deputy Chief Carl Metzger as he retires after more than 25 years of service at the City of Orlando.
“As Mayor, my top priority is the safety of our community and investing in the Orlando Police Department by providing the latest training, technology and working closely with our residents,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “I am confident Deputy Chiefs Rolon and Smith will continue to work diligently with us in protecting our City against crime.”
Newly promoted Deputy Chief Rolon will now be responsible for the Administrative Services Bureau which includes the Communications Division, the False Alarm Reduction Program, Property and Evidence and the Records Unit.
During his 21-year tenure with the Orlando Police Department, Deputy Chief Rolon has worked in many capacities including Southwest Patrol Sergeant, Parramore Heritage Bikes Sergeant, Public Information Officer, North Patrol Watch Commander, Mayor’s Assistant and Liaison for Hispanic Affairs, Downtown Bikes Commander and Traffic Enforcement Section Commander. Most recently he served as the Professional Standards Commander and in addition to his regular job assignments has served on the Emergency Response Team and as the Crisis Negotiations Team Commander.
Rolon is a graduate of Colonial High School and served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. He also served as the president of the Central Florida Chapter of the National Latino Peace Officers Association. Rolon is currently working on a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Columbia College.
Newly promoted Deputy Chief Smith will now be responsible for the Special Services Bureau which includes the Airport Division, K-9 Unit, Mounted Patrol Unit and Traffic Enforcement Division.
During Smith’s 20-year tenure with the Orlando Police Department, he has worked in multiple units including, East Patrol Sergeant, K-9 Sergeant, West Patrol Watch Commander, Tactical Operations Commander and Metropolitan Bureau of Investigations Narcotics Commander. Most recently, he served as the Orlando International Airport Division Commander. Additionally, Deputy Chief Smith has served on the Special Weapons and Tactics Team for 19 years and served as the SWAT Commander.
Deputy Chief Smith received his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida. He is a graduate of the DEA Command School, constantly works with the Surrey Criminal Lawyer, which helps him gain experience, the U.S. Army Counter Drug School, and the Florida Law Enforcement Leadership Academy.
“I have worked closely with both Orlando Rolon and Eric Smith for over twenty years and look forward to having them on my senior staff. Each of them have extensive experience in police operations and are up to the task of keeping Orlando a safe city.”
The appointment of Deputy Chief Rolon will go into effect on September 1, 2014 and the appointment of Deputy Chief Smith will go into effect on October 1, 2014.
Posted in Around CFL | Tagged carl metzger, city beautiful, City of Orlando, colonial high school, deputy chief, eric smith, mayor buddy dyer, Orlando Police, orlando rolon, University of Central Florida
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line57
|
__label__wiki
| 0.574475
| 0.574475
|
Is the Richard Kirkland Story True?
Published: December 22, 2009 104 comments
The following guest post by Michael Schaffner examines the wartime evidence for the Kirkland story. It is a thoroughly researched essay and is well worth your time. I should point out that Mr. Schaffner did not set out to write a piece debunking this particular story. Like many of us he was curious about the origin and veracity of Civil War stories.
In 1965, a group comprising among others the states of South Carolina and Virginia, Collateral Descendents of Richard Kirkland, and the Richard Rowland Kirkland Memorial Foundation, erected a statue at Fredericksburg to the memory of Sergeant Kirkland of the Second South Carolina Volunteers. The inscription reads, “At the risk of his life, this American soldier of sublime compassion, brought water to his wounded foes at Fredericksburg. The fighting men on both sides of the line called him ‘The Angel of Marye’s Heights.’”
The exact deed for which Kirkland received this accolade was first and most extensively described by J. B. Kershaw, commander of the brigade in which Kirkland served, in a letter to the Charleston News and Courier dated January 2, 1880.
In brief (see Appendix A for the entire letter), after providing some background on Kirkland’s family, Kershaw describes the scene on December 14 at his head quarters in the Stevens’ house by the sunken road and stone wall at the foot of Marye’s Heights. The previous day, a series of failed Union assaults had left thousands of casualties. As Kershaw surveys the carnage he is interrupted by a sergeant in his brigade, who asks permission to carry water to the wounded Union soldiers, whose cries have moved him since the previous evening. Due to the danger from a day-long “murderous skirmish” with Syke’s regulars, Kershaw only reluctantly approves the young man’s request. Even then he refuses Kirkland permission to show a white flag or handkerchief to lessen the danger. Despite this, Kirkland goes over the wall and gives water to the nearest wounded Yankee, pillows his head on his knapsack, spreads his overcoat over him, replaces his empty canteen with a full one, and goes on to the next. The firing ceases as his purpose becomes clear. Other wounded soldiers cry out to him and for “an hour and a half” Kirkland continues “until he relieved all the wounded on that part of the field.”
It is a moving account and well portrayed in the statue. Yet contemporary references to the act prove difficult to come by. A review of on-line periodical and book collections, including the Official Records, as well as an examination of Kershaw’s original account, all raise questions about the story behind the monument. For example, an examination of the Cornell University “Making of America” website, which provides a wide range of books and periodicals published in the United States between 1815 and 1926, uncovers no versions of the story.
A search through Google Books produces a few accounts, including the original Kershaw letter, as well as an appearance of the same letter, unchanged, in the works The Camp-fires of General Lee, by Edward S. Ellis, published in 1886, and Christ in the Camp: Or, Religion in Lee’s Army by John William Jones, published in 1887. The story also appears in The Army of Northern Virginia in 1862 by William Allen (p. 514), published in 1892, in almost identical language, but with the additional details that Kershaw refused the white handkerchief lest it be interpreted as a flag of truce, that Kirkland collected canteens from his comrades before going over the wall, and that a similar act was performed by artillerymen of Jordan’s battery that evening. But the author gives no sources for these added facts.
An interesting variation on the story appears in Augustus Dickert’s 1899 History of Kershaw’s Brigade. This work, written by a veteran company officer of the Third South Carolina, makes no mention of Kirkland’s act, giving instead a first hand description of a somewhat different scenario (p. 193):
The next day [December 14], as if by mutual consent, was a day of rest. The wounded were gathered in as far as we were able to reach them. The enemy’s wounded lay within one hundred yards of the stone wall for two days and nights, and their piteous calls for help and water were simply heart-rending. Whenever one of our soldiers attempted to relieve the enemy lying close under our wall, he would be fired upon by the pickets and guards in the house tops.
Despite this, Dickert reports one soldier as taking relief work into his own hands (pp. 196-197):
In one of the first charges made during the day a Federal had fallen, and to protect himself as much as possible from the bullets of his enemies, he had by sheer force of will pulled his body along until he had neared the wall. Then he failed through pure exhaustion. From loss of blood and the exposure of the sun’s rays, he called loudly for water…. To go to his rescue was to court certain death… But one brave soldier from Georgia dared all, and during the lull in the firing leaped the walls, rushed to the wounded soldier, and raising his head in his arms, gave him a drink of water, then made his way back and over the wall amid a hail of bullets knocking the dirt up all around him.
There is something compelling about this account, as an act of individual initiative as well as mercy, but it involves no ministering to the mass of casualties, no cease-fire, and, apparently, no Kirkland.
But another easily accessible source exists that should enable us to verify the story of Sergeant Kirkland. His actions occurred at a known time at a known place, within view of trained observers required to file reports on the incidents of the day. We can find these reports in The War of the Rebellion, the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies, published by the War Department between 1880 and 1891. Specifically Series I, Volume 21 (published in 1881) presents accounts of the battle of Fredericksburg prepared by commanders in the field within days of the action. While we might expect the charitable actions of one noncommissioned officer to escape notice, a key portion of Kershaw’s account – the 90 minutes during which no one fires at Kirkland – must have attracted the attention of one of the officers commanding on the field.
Brigadier General George Sykes commanded the Second Division of the Fifth Corps opposite Kershaw’s Brigade on December 14th, the day after the charge, on the afternoon of which Kershaw has Kirkland tending the wounded. According to General Sykes (p. 415):
At 11 p.m. [night of the 13th] these troops [First and Second Regular brigades] relieved the troops in advance (General Howard’s), and held their ground until the same hour the following night. The position assigned these troops was one of extreme peril – in an open field, within 100 yards of the enemy, who was securely sheltered behind stone walls and rifle-pits. They remained under constant fire for twelve hours, and could offer in resistance only the moral effect of that hardihood and bravery which would not yield one foot of the line they were required to protect.
Possibly Sykes did not see actual conditions on the line. One level down the chain of command, Lt. Col. Robert C. Buchanan commanding the First Brigade reports (p. 418):
At daylight firing commenced between the pickets, and it was soon found that my position was completely commanded, so that if an individual showed his head above the crest of the hill he was picked off by the enemy’s sharpshooters immediately…
Buchanan ordered his men not to return the shots, but notes no general cessation of Confederate fire. In fact (p. 419):
The enemy shot my men after they were wounded, and also the hospital attendants as they were conveying the wounded off the ground, in violation of every law of civilized warfare.
Captain John Wilkins, commanding the Fifth Infantry notes (p. 420), “At daybreak I found the pickets entirely unprotected, and exposed to a murderous fire from the enemy’s rifle-pits…” Captain Hiram Dryer, commanding the Fourth Infantry, stated that daylight found his men within 100 yards of the Confederate position, and under continuous fire until they occupied a brick tannery, from which they “succeeded in keeping the enemy’s fire under until midnight, when we were relieved…” (p. 422).
Captain Matthew Blunt, commanding the Twelfth Infantry reports his men taking position within 200 feet of the enemy and receiving “a continued fire” (p. 423) until relieved Sunday night. Captain John O’Connell, Fourteenth U. S. Infantry, reports holding a position that Sunday about 150 yards from the enemy “under almost continuous fire of musketry from the enemy’s rifle-pits, with occasional shots from heavy guns during the daylight…” (p. 424).
The Second Brigade had it no easier. Its commander, Major George Andrews, reported of that Sunday (p. 426):
Our line was now about 80 yards in front of a stone wall, behind which the enemy was posted in great numbers… To move even was sure to draw the fire of the enemy’s sharpshooters, who were posted in the adjacent houses and in tree-tops, and whose fire we were unable to return. Thus the troops remained for twelve long hours, unable to eat, drink, or attend to the calls of nature, for so relentless were the enemy that not even a wounded man or our stretcher-carriers were exempted from their fire.
Captain Salem Marsh, commanding a battalion of the First and Second U. S., reports the fire on the 14th as “terrific” and “passing not more than a foot over the ground.” He also notes that “The firing of the enemy ceased at dark.” (p. 427) Captain Henry Maynadier, commanding a battalion of the Tenth Infantry, reports “a continuous fire” (p. 428); Captain Charles Russell of the Eleventh Infantry similarly states that the enemy “continued the fire all day” (p. 429).
In summary, the relevant Union after action reports not only fail to confirm Kershaw’s story, but describe conditions that make it unlikely.
Confederate reports provide another perspective.
Colonel Kennedy of the Second South Carolina (Kirkland’s regiment) mentions fifteen officers and two orderlies by name for meritorious conduct, but Kirkland is not among them (p. 593). Colonel James Nance of the Third South Carolina similarly ends his account on the 13th, when he was wounded. Captain John Nance takes up the story, having taken command after two more senior officers were struck down, but tells only of the relief of the regiment on the evening of the 13th and notes nothing further until the regiment returned to camp on the 15th (p. 596).
Lieutenant Colonel Elbert Bland of the Seventh South Carolina describes the battle, and then tells of his regiment relieving Philips’ Legion on the stone wall: “We held this position with the wings doubled, occasionally exchanging shots with the enemy, until Tuesday morning (16th)…” (p. 597). Captain Stackhouse of the Eighth South Carolina states, “On the 14th, we confined our fire to select parties of the enemy” (p. 598), but makes no note of a general cease fire, or of Kirkland.
Colonel De Saussure of the Fifteenth South Carolina reports that his regiment moved on the evening of the 13th to support the Second South Carolina at the wall, “and there remained until the evacuation of the city…” (p. 599). He makes no mention of Kirkland, but does commend his surgeon, assistant surgeon, and chaplain for their attention to the wounded. Colonel Robert McMillan of the Twenty-fourth Georgia took over the command of Cobb’s brigade when General Cobb received a mortal wound during the Union assaults of the 13th. Of the 14th he reports, “We rested on our arms that night, and throughout the next day {Sunday, the 14th} a close, heavy, and continuous skirmish fire was kept up.”
As for Kershaw himself, his own after action report (presented entire in Appendix B) spends but one short paragraph on Sunday the 14th:
At daylight in the morning the enemy was in position, lying behind the first declivity in front, but the operations on both sides were confined to skirmishing of sharpshooters. We lost but 1 man during the day, but it is reported that we inflicted a loss upon the enemy (Sykes’ division) of 150.
He mentions eight officers as having distinguished themselves, as well as Captain Cuthbert’s company and Captain Read’s battery, but makes no mention of Kirkland.
In short, Kershaw’s 1880 letter to the editor receives no support from contemporary after action reports, including Kershaw’s own.
Kershaw had another opportunity to insert Kirkland into the official record, or something like it, when he wrote the editors of the Century Magazine for their “Battles and Leaders of the Civil War” series, on December 6th, 1887. But here he confined himself to technical corrections of General Ransom’s letter concerning Fredericksburg, and fails to note anything of interest occurring on December 14th.
A story in the Richmond Daily Dispatch of January 12, 1863, provides another contemporary view, titled “The Carnage at Fredericksburg – Graphic Account From a Yankee Soldier.” In this an unnamed Union soldier writes to a friend in Baltimore, describing the battle and aftermath. He notes that the main attack “was fought on a remarkable small space of ground,” that each wave was virtually annihilated, that a slight rise within 150 yards of the stone wall gave some shelter, that a “criminally negligent” ambulance corps did not carry off the wounded till after midnight, and that the troops laid out all the next day expecting the attack to be renewed. But he did not see Kirkland.
At this point it seems worth noting that the Kirkland story also does not appear in some of the better known histories of the war. Douglas Southall Freeman makes no mention of the Sergeant, and of the scene on December 14th writes (Robert E. Lee, Vol. II, Chapter 31, p. 469):
Union troops were burying the dead within their lines and were carrying off such of the wounded as they could reach. Now and again the skirmishers engaged in angry exchanges, and the Federal batteries fired a few half-hearted rounds. That was all.
His picture of the following day provides a marked contrast with the acts of mercy ascribed to Kirkland (p. 470):
On the morning of the 15th, with his own line still further strengthened, Lee observed that the enemy had dug rifle pits and had thrown up fortifications on the outskirts of the town, as if to repel attacks. He saw a ghastly sight besides: The Federal dead that still remained between the lines had changed color. They no longer were blue, but naked and discolored. During the night, they had been stripped by shivering Confederates, many of whom now boasted overcoats, boots, and jackets for which the people of the North had paid. It was ghoulish business, reprobated by the enemy but excused by the beneficiaries, who asked whether it was better for them to freeze or to take clothing the former owners would not miss.
Shelby Foote, who might fairly be said to have never met an anecdote he didn’t like, similarly omits Kirkland, repeating Freeman’s account of southern soldiers treating the Federal casualties as a source of winter clothing. One popular historian who does mention Kirkland legend is Francis O’Reilly, but even he in the end hedges a bit (The Fredericksburg Campaign, 2006, p. 439):
Whether Kirkland acted alone, or pioneered a host of encounters and somehow became a composite for all of the works of mercy, is hard to determine….
Not all recollections of Fredericksburg leave out the Sergeant. T. Rembert of Company E, a comrade of Kirkland’s, left a tribute to him in the form of a letter to The Confederate Veteran, in 1903. However, his story repeats the highlights of Kershaw’s 1880 letter, with no details that would distinguish his as an original account. Given the paucity of corroboration, it seems appropriate to reexamine the story as Kershaw told it, and see how key elements accord with other accounts of the battle, and the logic of the situation. We start with the setting itself:
The ground between the lines was bridged with the wounded, dead, and dying Federals, victims of the many desperate and gallant assaults…
A field carpeted with wounded provides the essential setting for the tale of Kirkland’s charity, but where were the wounded, and how many were still there?
General McLaws, commanding the Confederate division along the wall, stated that “The body of one man, believed to be an officer, was found within about 30 yards of the stone wall, and other single bodies were scattered at increased distances until the main mass of the dead lay thickly strewn over the ground at something over 100 yards off…” (OR, Series I, Volume 21, p. 581).
That is, the mass of Federal casualties lay within what would soon become, according to the after action reports, the picket lines of Sykes’ Regulars. Though their officers withdrew these men to less exposed positions during the day, such wounded as remained would still lie much closer to the Federal than Confederate lines.
But in any case the Federals did not simply abandon those wounded in the assaults of the 13th. Private William McCarter (My Life in the Irish Brigade, pp. 190-194) describes small parties of soldiers, backed up by ambulances, searching for wounded between the lines on that night, as well as his own efforts to drag himself back. Brigadier-General Humphreys, commanding the third division of the Fifth Corps, which made the final charge against the wall, reported on his own efforts (OR, Series I, Volume 21, p. 433), stating “The wounded were nearly all brought in before daylight, and some of the dead, but many of the latter were left upon the field.” The unnamed Union private quoted in the Daily Dispatch expresses bitterness at the ambulance corps for not coming till after midnight, but they came.
Altogether, between the efforts of the walking wounded and ambulance parties, and considering the effect of lying through a winter’s night and day in the field, there seems considerable reason to doubt that many wounded remained to “bridge” the space between Sykes’ and Kershaw’s lines on the 14th.
…the General sat in the north room, up stairs … when Kirkland came up …
Kirkland, a sergeant in a company in one of several regiments under the command of General Kershaw, passes by or through his company commander, his regimental commander, and the general’s staff, to make a personal appeal to relieve the Federal wounded, while his unit is engaged with the enemy or awaiting an attack. It seems equally difficult to see him leaving the ranks without their knowledge or to imagine him going through each link in his chain of command, as each refers him to the next until finally the general himself tells the young sergeant to go ahead and risk his life.
“General, can I show a white handkerchief?” … “No, Kirkland…”
This exchange has the effect of accentuating the danger Kirkland encounters – apparently Kershaw sees himself as having no authority to call for a truce, however limited. Yet he has already allowed an enlisted man to undertake an action forbidden to the rest of the army.
Unharmed, he reached the nearest sufferer…
Fortunately for Kirkland, Sykes’ division has been ordered not to fire, though Dryer’s men in the tannery may have come into action by this time.
This done, he laid him tenderly down, placed his knapsack under his head…
Most accounts of the Federal assault on the wall mention the dropping of knapsacks before going into action. McCarter left his on the other side of the Rappahannock, others removed them in town. Humphrey’s division even dispensed with their haversacks and blankets before making the attack.
…spread his overcoat over him…
The wounded Federal had either cast his overcoat aside, or Kirkland must have wrestled it off him. In any event, based on Freeman’s account, it will soon find its way to the Confederate lines.
…replaced his empty canteen with a full one, and turned to another sufferer…
Kershaw doesn’t tell us that Kirkland takes several canteens, but he must have either done that or traveled repeatedly back to his own lines for more water, or both. It is only at this point, however, that the danger from the enemy has passed:
By this time his purpose was well understood on both sides, and all danger was over. From all parts of the field arose fresh cries of “Water, water…”
For an hour and a half did this ministering angel pursue his labor of mercy…
At this point the story goes beyond merely raising a few questions to presenting several seeming improbabilities.
A general cease-fire has broken out, involving troops for a hundred yards or more in each direction – otherwise “all danger” would not yet have passed. As remarkable as this seems, it would be even more remarkable had troops continued to shoot each other while leaving Kirkland to go about his labors unmolested – so remarkable that, by this point, we could expect Kershaw to mention it.
Even more remarkably, although the wounded cry from all over the field, only Kirkland attends them, and only with water. For the next ninety minutes no medical personnel on either side – not the Confederate surgeons and chaplain praised by De Sausseur, nor the Union hospital attendants that Buchanan reports as having been fired upon – take advantage of the lull to perform their duties. Nor does the Georgia soldier reported by Dickert; nor does any other soldier. Everyone in view seems paralyzed by Kirkland’s act. They neither remove nor treat any of the casualties “bridging” the positions; the best the wounded can hope for is a drink of water.
Not only do the observers fail equally to fire on or assist Kirkland, but within days, when writing up their after action reports or letters to friends in Baltimore, or years later, composing their memoirs, they make no mention of the incident. This despite the fact that the deed occurs on an afternoon when the sun will set, according to McCarter, at 4:30, so that the halt in the firing and the public act of mercy occupies a significant portion of the day, on an open field in view of thousands on both sides.
Interestingly, all of this makes Dickert’s story of the nameless Georgian that much more compelling. Here a single soldier, seeing a suffering foe who has been fortunate enough to drag himself near the wall, on his own initiative leaps over, gives the man a drink, and leaps back under fire. It has a ring of truth, and it does not in any way contradict the after action reports or other accounts of the battle.
It also raises the possibility that this might be the real Kirkland story. When it went into action at the wall, Dickert’s regiment took position on the left of the Twenty-fourth Georgia, Cobb’s Legion. Colonel Kennedy of the Second South Carolina notes that when his regiment took its position, “three companies and a half” fell in “in rear of the Twenty-fourth Georgia Regiment.” (OR, Series I, Vol. XXI, p. 592) With the Confederate troops formed in four ranks behind the wall, a soldier of the Second South Carolina crossing over the wall to aid a wounded Federal might very easily be assumed to be a “Georgian” by the troops to their left in the Third South Carolina. This does not substantiate the legend, but it at least provides some hint of a likely origin.
With all this, several questions remain – what did Sergeant Kirkland actually do at Fredericksburg? If he didn’t do precisely what Kershaw said he did, why would Kershaw say that? And what can it matter now?
We cannot answer the first question. Unless Kirkland was Dickert’s “Georgian” the record that fails to corroborate Kershaw’s story also fails to replace it. Kirkland himself was killed in action at Chickamauga less than a year later, reportedly as a Lieutenant. But we do not even know that Kirkland held that rank, or even that of Sergeant – Dickert’s history, which includes a muster roll, lists him only as “Kirkland, R. R.” among the privates of companies E and G, and notes that gaps in the records make it impossible to reflect every change in the ranks.
It seems reasonable to assume that Kirkland was a gallant young man – he gave his life in the war, and attracted the admiration of his General. Perhaps Kershaw never really meant us to take his story literally, but rather intended to convey a deeper meaning.
It seems notable that Kershaw not only left Kirkland out of the after action report, but also left him out of the “Battles and Leaders” account of Fredericksburg written eight years after his letter to the editor. Kershaw may have seen a difference between a human interest story told to a local paper at a time when papers published lyric poetry and lurid scandals and everything between, and the actual historical record.
There is a certain logic in reserving for the latter the literal truth while offering to the former the sort of tale that perhaps ought to have been true – the kind of civic parable that Plato in The Republic recommends that the elite tell to commoners, the kind of story incorporated in inspirational messages in sermons. In that context, the literal truth would matter less than the spiritual truth of the noble youth who confronts the brutality of the battlefield with an act of Christian charity and later dies heroically for his country.
Several elements in the telling of Kershaw’s story make this a more plausible than speculative interpretation. The idea that he wrote a parable rather than a history shows up in the literary flourishes in the letter, including the passage in which Kirkland, having received permission to proceed, “ran down [the stairs] with a bright smile on his handsome countenance.” Literally, of course, Kershaw would have no way of seeing Kirkland’s bright smile as the sergeant ran down the stairs away from him, but it adds to the tone of the tale. Similarly the conclusion of the letter hints at a purpose other than a strict historical account: he has bequeathed to the American youth — yea, to the world — an example which dignifies our common humanity. It was not an example noted at the time, but the letter published 17 years later, and the statue erected in 1965, have made up for it.
The final question remains. Does it matter whether Kershaw’s account of Sergeant Kirkland’s deed is literally true?
From one perspective, we can say that it does not. We do not need a real action to praise the virtue of aiding a wounded foe. Yet another view might hold that when we memorialize an act of such singularity and uncertain provenance to the exclusion of a greater reality, we lose the concrete to the fanciful. Hundreds of American soldiers died defending the wall at Fredericksburg, holding their ground though it seemed that the whole enemy army was coming their way. More than a thousand other American soldiers died before that wall in an attack that quickly became equally famous for futility and heroism. The men in the first Federal assault wave saw a situation that seemed, but had not yet proven to be, hopeless. The ensuing attacks were certainly so, and yet men went forward anyway, into the fire.
Kirkland himself fell to the fire less than a year later. In celebrating an action that may not actually have occurred (and that Kershaw himself apparently never tried to place in the historical record), the statue fictionalizes one man’s courage even as it overshadows that of thousands of others. In effect, the real soldiers – including Kirkland himself – have no statue. In its place stands a monument to a myth.
104 comments… add one
Tim Abbott Dec 22, 2009 @ 14:54
Compellingly and perceptively written.
Kevin Levin Dec 22, 2009 @ 15:11
I couldn't agree more. It should be written up for one of the Civil War magazines. It would make for an excellent article.
jfe Dec 22, 2009 @ 15:20
It would make a fine article, I agree, but there would be many who would not like seeing another myth punctured.
Mac Wyckoff Dec 22, 2009 @ 23:17
While the author of this article did a very good job consulting sources aviable on-line, he missed much information about Kirkland and the incident that is not on line. I have studied this incident for twenty-five years. It appears that the author of this article did not consult my book on the 2nd South Carolina which details the Kirkland innocent and there will be even more detail in my upcoming greatly reviased and expanded second edition. Nor did the author of this article consult the huge file on Kirkland at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center. It would seem to me that anyone serious about this incident would have started at the battlefield where the incent occured instead of relying on-line sources. The file at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center contains my research into why Kershaw wrote the newspaper article. He was asked in a newspaper article about the incident a week before to provide more details and the name of the soldier who performed the humanitarian act. That was his motive. It is important to note that as the story grew in popularity, no one disputed Kershaw's story or that Kirkland was the one who did it. In fact, after Kershaw's wrote his account, several members of the 2nd South Carolina came forward confirming Kershaw's account and naming Kirkland as the humanitarian. If the author had checked the Compiled Service Record of Richard Kirkland or consulted the roster of my book he would find that Kirkland was a sergeant at the time of the incident and the time of his death.
Incidents like this were usually not mentioned in the Official Records so the author's arguments that since they don't mention the incident means it did not happen don't hold up. It also could be that humanitarian incdients like this were not that common and so not worth mentioning at the time. With the passage of time, an incident like this may have grown in importance and eventually took on a life of its own. While there is no contemporary evidence that Kirkland perfromed this act, there is not evidence that he did not. There are eye witnesses who wrote later of the incident and no eye witnesses challenged Kersahw's story or that Kirkland performed it.
Anyone wishing to learn more about the Kirkland incident should consult the extensive f ile at the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.
Mac Wyckoff
Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. You are absolutely correct in pointing out that anyone interested in the Kirkland will have to take a trip to FSNMP to consult the files. I published the account with full understanding that it covered only sources available Online and that it does a pretty good job of critiquing those sources, your concerns nothwithstanding.
Perhaps you can clarify something for me about the large file on Kirkland that is located at the FSNMP. I assume I am reading their bibliographies incorrectly, but where in their books do Rable and O'Reilly cite a Kirkland collection? So, I assume that the file includes wartime accounts of Kirkland's actions. If so, than why did neither of these authors cite those accounts? Thanks again for taking the time to write. It's a fascinating story that seems to bridge the divide between history and collective memory.
Michael Schaffner Dec 23, 2009 @ 15:09
“While there is no contemporary evidence that Kirkland performed this act, there is not evidence that he did not.”
I think that kind of sums up the actual historical case for Kirkland, except that I also think that the after-action reports of the commanders of Sykes' regulars and Kershaw’s brigade provide compelling documentation that the story told by Kershaw could not have happened. After-action reports often vary in details, and can lend a kind of Rashomon-like quality to the story of a battle – in the case of Fredericksburg, for example, the reports I cited vary in the intensity of firing described, with those receiving generally reporting more than those giving. But they all agree in the absence of the hour and a half long cease-fire claimed by Kershaw in his later account (though not in his AAR), as well as in the absence of angels. Moreover, McLaws’ statement about the distance of Federal bodies from the wall supports Humphrey’s account of the removal of his wounded, which receives further support from McCarter and other casualties who survived. So contemporaries not only fail to mention Kirkland’s deed, but they describe a situation in which it simply could not occur as Kershaw tells it.
A reading of Dickert's history of Kershaw’s brigade (written by an officer in that brigade who served at Fredericksburg) tells me that some who didn't object to Kershaw's story about Kirkland had simply never heard it. Indeed, if Kirkland was widely known as the “Angel of Marye’s Heights” at any time in the 35 years following the war, we would expect a comrade of his, writing for other comrades of his in the same brigade, to have showcased the story in a book published in 1899.
Mr. Wyckoff seems dismissive of “on-line sources” but I want to point out to those readers who might not have seen them that the Official Records first appeared on paper in the years 1880 through 1901. The ORs include just about every report and piece of correspondence that the War Department could lay their hands on and are even more valuable to us now that they can be searched electronically. Those interested can take a look at them here: http://cdl.library.cornell.edu/moa/moa_browse.html
Some of the sources I consulted were available only on paper at the time I first wrote the article (2007), but have since found their way on-line, typically through Google Books. I don’t think they lost historical value in the scanning process.
I’d like to turn this question about the ORs around and ask, if twenty-five years of research have failed to uncover “contemporary evidence that Kirkland performed this act,” why hasn’t Mr. Wyckoff turned to contemporary sources such as the Official Records and Dickert’s history for possible alternative explanations? To say “Incidents like this were usually not mentioned in the Official Records” sells that source pretty short. I’ve found everything in the Official Records from battlefield correspondence to studies of knapsack weight, ammunition production statistics, inventories of captured materiel, and reports on the durability of sewed vs. pegged brogans. The only incidents consistently not mentioned in the Official Records are incidents that did not occur.
But my search didn’t start with the computer; it did in fact begin on the battlefield. I have gone to Fredericksburg many times, both as a tourist and as a reenactor. I have several times marched along the route traveled by the Irish Brigade in living histories narrated by Mr. Wyckoff’s NPS colleague Frank O’Reilly. It was at the end of one of those, facing the statue of Kirkland before the fateful wall, that my questions about the sergeant began. I wanted to know more about the story from the men who had seen it happen. I first looked for leads in my personal library, particularly Foote and McCarter’s books. I was surprised that Shelby Foote didn’t cover Kirkland, since he so obviously loved a good story. Once I got to the Official Records and other original sources, I found an explanation for the omission – no one can reconcile the story as Kershaw told it with the contemporary accounts of the battle by the men who fought it.
I should also mention that I found some of Mr. Wyckoff’s writings on-line, but while dramatic and well-written they did not refer to original sources that independently verified the story. When I first drafted my Kirkland article I sent copies both to Mr. O’Reilly (who worked at the Park with Mr. Wyckoff) and to the e-mail address of the Kirkland museum, in each case asking the recipients if they had any information that contradicted my findings, or indeed anything about Kirkland’s alleged act written earlier than Kershaw’s account. I never heard back. The existence of a “huge file” at the Park was thus something I did not know about, but as I was interested in contemporary accounts corroborating the story – material that, according to Mr. Wyckoff’s statement above, does not exist – I am not sure what anyone is supposed to find there.
I am glad to receive Mr. Wyckoff’s clarification of Kirkland’s rank – that he was a sergeant at Fredericksburg and died a sergeant at Chickamauga. Kershaw’s original letter states that the young man was promoted to lieutenant after Gettysburg, but this now seems the least of the general’s exaggerations on Kirkland’s behalf.
Cynic Feb 15, 2010 @ 18:04
A wonderful piece of scholarship.
I'd like to add, if I may, to your discussion of Kershaw's motives in embellishing or inventing the story in 1880. By the time he wrote his letter, the Civil War was being reimagined amid a national focus on reunion. Nina Silber termed it the Culture of Conciliation, which is as good a label as any. David Blight has focused on the particular subject of soldiers' accounts of their wartime experiences. And other scholarship abounds. It all points in the in the same direction. By the 1880s, a new tone was ascendant in accounts of the war. It became important to Americans to reconstruct the war as a defining and shared national experience. Veterans groups – blue and gray – began meeting together. National groups, particularly fraternal orders, made a point of spanning the Mason-Dixon line. Among the most popular tropes of the era was the notion that all veterans were members of a common fraternity. And stories like that of Kirkland were seized upon as evidence, popularized to illustrate the way they wished the war had been fought. The key feature of the story is that Kirkland's sympathy for the wounded trumped even his concern with his own life – and that his act won the admiration of both sides, to the point that they ceased firing. An act of true fraternal love, in other words, was powerful enough to silence the guns.
Small acts of mercy were common amidst the horror of war. But bilateral, spontaneous, sustained cease-fires were not. The former might well have been omitted from official accounts; the latter would almost certainly have been reflected in some form. So why did Kershaw need to exaggerate the drama of the moment? The key to the power of the story, particularly to his audience at the time, was the fact that all the participants on both sides were prepared to set aside their differences. If Kirkland had moved about the battlefield under sporadic fire for ninety minutes, for example, it would have heightened his own heroism, but diminished the intended import. Similarly, if the surgeons and ambulances were portrayed as following Kirkland's example, they would merely have been fulfilling their duties. It was Kirkland's willingness to act as an individual that is key to the tale.
And, in fact, Kershaw confirms this himself, concluding his account by writing that Kirkland stands as “an example which dignifies our common humanity.” That's a very interesting phrase. Not a confirmation of Christian mercy. Not a heroic figure, distinguished precisely because of his divergence from the norm. Not even a tribute to Southern manhood, or to the nobility of the Lost Cause. No, Kirkland “dignifies our common humanity.” He acted because he saw no difference, amid the suffering, between gray and blue. And both armies, moved by his example, ceased their fire.
It's a powerful fable. And, in some ways, it makes me glad that the statue was erected. It's a concrete embodiment of something very important – the collective Gilded Age desire to reassert our commonality. So long as we don't mistake it for history, it conveys an equally important lesson.
Michael Schaffner Feb 17, 2010 @ 3:10
Thanks very much for the compliment. Really — the whole thing's been a bit awkward for me.
I'm still not sure about the motive behind the story. Possibly it had a complex of purposes. Beyond the reassertion of common humanity, one can also see the assertion of a ripping good yarn and the deliberate change of the Fredericksburg narrative from gallant-Irish-assault-against-all-odds to Christlike-Confederate-compassion-even-against-dastardly-yankees. Either way of course it would sell papers. And that in itself could have been the point. I recently discovered that the Charleston News and Courier published whole books of this sort of thing in the 1880s. If you like Kirkland you can also read, for example, Our Women in the War — http://books.google.com/books?id=GsoksxMSO58C&d… — a whole compendium of tales about gallant southern belles and the hardships of the southland. It seems enough of a genre that I begin to wonder whether Kershaw even wrote that letter himself or simply allowed his name to be attached to something ghost-written for the edification of the masses.
It's not as if much of our popular view of the war isn't more or less legend anyway. Kirkland has plenty of company in the miracle bullet of Raymond, the heroics of vivandiere Annie Etheridge, the Confederate composition of Taps, legions of “Black Confederates,” and other myths.
And even the conventional history of the battle of Fredericksburg seems a little mythic when you delve into the official records and first person accounts like McCarter's and Armstrong's. Each wave of the gallant attack fell apart pretty much within yards of the real jump off point, and Burnside's supposed stupidity looks more or less understandable given the communications of the day and the word he was receiving from the front.
And yet that's all more or less besides the point when it comes to the Kirkland Memorial. I think I would mind it less if it had nearby its own historical marker — one explaining why it had much more to do with 1965 than 1862. Without such an explanation I can't help but see it as less uplifting than septic.
Kevin Levin Feb 17, 2010 @ 12:44
Thanks for the comment. I tend to agree with you, though I think the idea of Kirkland having penned the piece himself goes a bit too far. That said, I do agree that the monument tells us much more about 1965 than it does 1862. I've been reading quite a bit about the monument in publications of the 1960s and it really does fit neatly into the push to see the war along consensus lines at the height of the Cold War. Glad to see that you are still following the blog.
michaelschaffner Feb 17, 2010 @ 15:07
Sorry for the confusion — I didn't mean that I thought that Kirkland himself wrote the piece. I believe Kirkland died in the war. But given that the Kershaw letter wasn't unique — that the News and Courier published many similar stories, enough to fill at least one book — some other ghost writer wouldn't surprise me. But I don't want go any further down that path than simply observing that the original letter looks more like pulp folklore than history.
Just drawing on my own memory of the time, the civil rights movement gives us another context for a statue of a noble, Christian Confederate soldier in 1965. It's a nice counterweight to the Pettus Bridge.
Yes, I still drop in from time to time. About time I registered full time, eh?
By the way, good luck with the “black Confederate” crowd.
Duh…I've had so much on my mind that I overlooked that important fact. Yes, it would have been quite a stunt for Kirkland to have composed the letter.
Craig Dec 24, 2009 @ 20:48
The real gist of your case seems to be the limited number of first hand accounts from witnesses to Kirkland's actions. While I would agree, if we were to present this to a court of law, the weight should be upon eyewitness accounts. But I would ask if Kirkland's actions, or alleged actions if you wish, were something which the officers might normally include in reports. We often cite the ORs as if these were some magic documents encompassing all that occurred on the battlefield. As if the writers were required to provide detailed essays of their perceptions, sensations, and impressions. Not at all. These were simply military after action reports detailing the actions of the units as recalled by the commanders. I would argue then Kirkland's act of mercy, if it occurred or not, was not something normally included in a battalion, regimental, brigade, or division report. That Kershaw never “debunked,” and in fact added to the Kirkland story post war is actually far more telling than his lack of inclusion within reports written at the time of the event, all things considered.
As as second point, I would also wonder how unique or extraordinary Kirkland's actions were. At the very heart of the somewhat contradictory notion of civilized warfare lodged in the Western mindset. Not just soldiers, but throughout society, is ingrained the respect for white flags, dignified treatment of prisoners, care for wounded, and indeed the concept of “non-combatant.” Taking such moral and ethical cornerstones as a base, there should have been dozens if not hundreds of “Kirklands” rendering assistance through the course of the war. Maybe there was more than one “Kirkland” with canteen in hand on Marye's Heights (the evidence presented in your post indicates at least one existed). And who is going to stop and record names for posterity in a situation as played out at Fredericksburg? More to my first point above, are there any mention of Kirkland-like acts from any official reports from other battles (I can think of blue-to-blue or gray-to-gray acts of mercy, but not many gray-blue exchanges)? Or were such acts commonplace enough to go without mention?
As for fictionalizing one man's courage while overshadowing others, well that's the normal state of affairs in this world (think about the Iwo Jima memorial for instance). Some of the bravest men and women I've ever met will never get a statue on even the smallest town square. Some won't even gain recognition in the form of noted awards. Guess I can provide many more appropriate examples from which to make the stand against the inequities of these public displays and the faulty collective memory. I seriously doubt anyone is rolling over in their grave at the attention given Richard Rowland Kirkland. And if the premise is Kirkland's memorial somehow slights other more deserving individuals, then I'll start on my rant about the Dante Alighieri statue in Meridian Hill Park, Washington, D.C. while William Shakespeare goes unrecognized.
Michael Schaffner Dec 25, 2009 @ 4:58
The real import of the after action reports is that they not only fail to mention Kirkland, but that they contradict — without any ulterior motive or reference to the legend to follow — the circumstances underlying Kershaw's account, especially the truce and the ground carpeted with wounded within easy canteen-hauling distance of the Confederate lines.
Of course the other critical fact about the after action reports is that they exist, and that they were written a short time after the battle when memories were fresh, and that both sides agree on the essentials. To discount these reports — Union and Confederate alike — while priviledging a letter to the editor written nearly twenty years after the fact, seems a bit unbalanced to me. It seems bizarre, in fact. If we didn't so much want the story to be true, we would never stretch so far in favor of one much later source against a dozen written at the time.
But don't stop at trying to discount the after-action reports. I would like to hear the explanation for why we have no mention of the incident in any of the newspaper reports of the battle (tell me that editors at Harpers or the Brooklyn Eagle or the Richmond Daily Dispatch wouldn't have given their right arms for a story like this!), nor any of the letters from the soldiers on either side at the time (wasn't even one of Kirkland's beneficiaries grateful enough to write home about it?), nor any contemporary journal entries –it's not just absent from the AARs, but apparently from all other records.
But even those aren't the only problems I have with the account, now that I've taken the time to check it out and consider it. Not only does the Kirkland legend stretch the normal standards of historical research, it seems to me to risk prettifying and trivializing the very real horror of the actual battle. By focusing on the “Christ-like” Kirkland — moving among the grateful wounded while the two great armies sit, jaws-agape, in admiration — we pass by the Regulars lying under fire unable to “attend to the calls of nature” (or, more likely, attending to them in their clothes where they lay); we praise the figure who is not shot at while poor Lt. Col. Buchanan's wounded are wounded again and even the stretcher bearers attempting to reach them are shot. In crediting the legend of Kirkland, we credit Kershaw's 1880 letter while ignoring his own report after the battle, in which he proudly reports inflicting 150 further casualities on his enemy and hasn't a word for his charitable sergeant.
And not only do we praise the water-bearer above his suffering foemen, but by fetishizing Kirkland's alleged act of kindness we ignore the reality of the Confederate position on that day. The Confederate soldiers in the ranks didn't know whether or not they would get hit again, and they didn't know whether or not they might be ordered to counterattack — to cross the same ground that had seen the ruin of many Federal attacks the day before. The Kirkland story obscures both the real suffering and the real heroism of both sides on that battlefield.
And, so attractive has the story of the soldier giving water to the wounded enemy become, that we don't even begin to think about what even that simple act might really have meant. The story is so much about what we'd like to believe that it seduces us away from any critical reading at all. But if you think about it, and have read anything about military medicine at the time, the worst thing you can do for a gut-shot soldier (not an unlikely condition for someone disabled and lingering on the battlefield) is to give him water. For others, exsanguination causes such thirst that a few drops or swallows would be another kind of torture — McCarter emptied two canteens when he finally reached a party of his comrades from the Irish brigade. In fact, the kindest thing to do for the wounded is what the armies actually did: try to get them back to the professional medical staffs, even if in a few cases that means waiting another day for the cease fire. The story not only trivializes the situation of the armies on the day it supposedly occurred, it trivializes the condition of the wounded who were supposedly helped.
I don't want you to stop believing this story if it makes you feel better about humanity and warfare. But the more I consider the legend and compare it to the reality of the battle as reported by participants at the time, the more I think that Kirkland himself would be rolling over in his grave to hear it.
While I usually utilize the Chancellorsville battlefield for my school trips, on a few occasions I have taken my students to Fredericksburg. Inevitably we come across the Kirkland statue, but I've never made too much of it in my tours; in fact, I typically talk about the setting in which it was dedicated in 1965 rather than as a significant point of reflection on the battle itself for some of the reasons you mention here. In short, it seems to me that this story overshadows and distorts what happened on the site.
Your students are truly fortunate to have an instructor who understands that memorials often tell us more about the people who raised them, and the time in which they were raised, than the people or events they memorialize.
Thanks for the kind words. I am lucky enough to be able to teach an entire class on these issues. My students are getting ready to go on a field trip to Monument Avenue and Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond to explore issues of historical memory and public history.
Michael, I am not discounting the after action reports at all. Just pointing out the nature of the vessel.
Two things that are very often misunderstood about the AAR. First these were supposed to be very stoic, unemotional, professional documents written in order to convey a strict understanding of the military situation. At its base, the AAR is the response from subordinate to superior offering proof one followed orders. The documents were not written for the benefit of historians, but rather to support the next higher HQ's presentation of the events. Reports were consolidated in order to ensure accuracy of the details (again military maneuvers, logistics, etc, but not someone's impressions or emotional reactions).
Second is the timeliness. Often times the reports were written, submitted, rejected, resubmitted. In the case of Kershaw's report from Fredericksburg, it was only submitted on the day after Christmas that year, and after all his subordinate units had submitted their reports. If you bounce it off the regimental returns, you see a classic AAR report rollup. But this meant delays up the chain. General Lee's official summary report of the battle was not submitted until April 10, 1863, for instance. I am always suspect of “freshness of memory” with a battle report until I can draw a chain of events pertaining to the creation of said report. In other words, how long DID the author have to contemplate the events and what other accounts did they refer to while composing the report?
All I'm saying is, given the style, format, and processing of the reports, it is expected that no mention of Kirkland's actions or lack thereof would be found in the official reports. And as I alluded to before, if Kirkland-like actions were not uncommon (as I would contend), then why would a reporter or diarist consider them in isolation? Particularly within the context of a great battle with so many observations to consider.
Guess my point about Kirkland is even if the man from S.C. didn't perform the acts attributed to him, someone did. And similar acts occurred throughout the war. It is, as I pointed out before, part of the Western view of how war should retain some degree of civility. (And I can say with great personal reflection that civility is all to often dropped when one perceives a lack of reciprocal civility.) How many “Kirklands” carried water that day in December? Or on other fields during the war? Sometimes we have to look to other disciplines to gain context and comprehension of the historical events. I'd submit this is one such case.
On the other had, since it seems from the tone you are looking for examples of the cold hard realities of war, I would direct you to the writings of E.P. Alexander and his descriptions of artillery employment. At about the same time Kirkland would have been offering canteens, the Confederate artillerist was employing guns to fire upon the pinned down Union troops. This was done more to demonstrate the effectiveness of the particular weapon, less so for military necessity.
If Kirkland didn't carry canteens, then I'll just summarize my response as “meh.”
Thank you for your response. I respect your continued belief in Kershaw's moving tribute to man's humanity under awful circumstances. It may be my loss, but I will probably continue to rely on more prosaic sources, including the AARs and other first hand accounts of the battle. These sources I have already presented and discussed as well as I can, and at this point I fear that in any further discussion I would only repeat myself, and possibly inject an emotion entirely inappropriate to the subject and the day. With all sincerity, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.
Craig Dec 26, 2009 @ 1:42
Michael, I'll accept your sincerity. And certainly if you cannot avoid the injection of inappropriate discussions it is time to move on. But let me make one point perfectly clear. I never said I reject AARs. I said I place them in context. That, sir, is key to understanding the events.
Eric Schafer Mar 9, 2012 @ 9:51
I read your interesting article but not only found it a typical case of revisionist history – “I couldn’t find it, so it didn’t happen” – but you also deliberately deceived the reader concerning a great historian. You state that “Douglas Southall Freeman makes no mention of the Sergeant [Kirkland]” but this is a falsehood. While Freeman does not mention Kirkland in his biography of Robert E. Lee, he devotes no less than two full pages to Kirkland’s act in “Lee’s Lieutenants” Volume 2, middle page 378-middle page 380.
A true historian – like Freeman – researches all the facts, sifts, and reports when he feels sure is the truth. If Freeman says it…I believe it. You deliberately withheld Freeman’s account because it did not jibe with your attempt to discredit Kirkland.
Eric Schafer
Tony Ziebol Mar 27, 2010 @ 0:06
All of you have brought up interesting points, but I’ve been researching the Kirkland story for 8+ years and I believe Kershaw was telling the truth. In fact, the Camden, SC chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans named the camp after Kirkland, despite six generals being from the town. And this was approved by the generals and soldiers that were still living. Contempory accounts are sketchy, in this I agree, but there are so many mentions of Kirkland in speeches and memoirs from soldiers that fought with him, that I find it extremely hard to believe that the story was made up. If you read the accounts of the reburial of Kirkland, you have to come to the conclusion that this was someone who was venerated at the highest level by all who knew him. I’ve just returned from South Carolina and Kirkland’s descendants may soon put all questions to rest. I’ll know more soon!
Kevin Levin Mar 27, 2010 @ 1:04
Thanks for taking the time to write. It’s a fascinating story and one that is worth serious research. First, I don’t think the fact that the SCV chapter was named after Kirkland over six generals is significant. After all, many of the chapters around the country are named after popular figures from the war. There are indeed many mentions of Kirkland, but we don’t see that until after the war. This is also the case for countless postwar stories that we now know are not true. Best of luck with your research.
wade Jun 13, 2010 @ 9:34
This is bullcrap. Richard Rowland Kirkland is my great x4 uncle. My family knows for a fact that he was a Lieutenant before he was killed. And these are eye-witness accounts from the 13th and 14th regiments, when Kirkland was in the 2nd regiment. This guy has no idea what he is talking about.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I guess I understand your disappointment, but it would be a mistake to describe this guest post as “bullcrap.” It’s an honest attempt to come to terms with a popular story based on a selection of the available evidence. It sounds like you have a additional sources to share on this story. We would love to have references to these accounts. Are they original letters, wartime or postwar publications? Thanks for your assistance.
Andy Hall Jun 13, 2010 @ 12:13
I don’t know if you have a copy of Kirkland’s service record, but it’s available here (12 pages, 9.3MB PDF). It shows his rank at the time of his death as First Sergeant. It’s possible that these records (like any other) are in error, but that seems unlikely. I have a similar situation in my own family, an uncle that my family all “knew for a fact” had been an officer. He wasn’t; hell, he wasn’t even a non-com. He was a buck private the entire war. But decades later, the local UDC chapter bestowed the honorary rank of colonel on him. He apparently used the title frequently, so by the time he died, everyone in town (and the family) knew him as “old Colonel Daffan,” and no one thought to question it. It was accepted as fact.
I’ve found a good bit of that in doing my own research — much of what I “knew” was simply wrong.
Thanks for providing the link.
Tony Ziebol Jul 12, 2010 @ 8:41
Hi Wade, I’d like a chance to speak to the Kirkland family for a book I’m writing. If you read this, please contact me at ziebolaj@hotmail.com
Dick Stanley Aug 14, 2010 @ 14:13
I’m glad I don’t have a dog in this fight (I don’t care whether the Kirkland story is true or not), but I must agree with the commenter who says the official reports aren’t always reliable. The old master Sheby Foote wrote something silly years ago when he said of the stuff in the O.R. “there you hear the real men speak.”
What you actually “hear” is the way the real men were taught to write, with all the expected formalities and omissions. Few were the officers on either side who were brave enough to contradict their commanders or write things he wouldn’t approve—not more than once. And so much of the Confederate material was lost, who could know what of what remains is reliable and what isn’t?
I also would quarrel with the idea of relying only on what’s available on the Web. Much primary material in state archives and university libraries (not to mention county historical societies) has yet to be digitized.
Kevin Levin Aug 14, 2010 @ 14:18
I don’t think anyone who has a serious interest in historical research would disagree with your final point. The author of the article in question also concedes the point. That said, however we proceed the fundamental problem is that the earliest account of Kirkland was written in 1880. I also don’t really care whether the standard story of Kirkland is true because that question doesn’t really explain why it continues to have such a profound hold on so many people.
Lawrence Kirkland Apr 17, 2012 @ 18:43
I would really like more information on this if you have it.
Michael Deschain Jul 10, 2015 @ 13:58
I am also a descendant of Kirkland as well as a few other Confederate soldiers from the (now) Kershaw S.C area. I too have read the story of Kirkland, although in our family history books (McGill and Samuel Jones) written by Hazel Parker Jones. Well, nice talking to you, five years after the fact. If you do get see this comment, awesome, I’td be great to know i reached another of the jones McGill line.
Fr. Jack Kirkland Bradberry Aug 15, 2010 @ 19:05
Years ago, while living in North Carolina I journeyed to Camden to learn about Richard Rowland Kirkland. The librarian there gave me a copy of a poem, “The Angel of Mary’es Heights” about the exploits of Sgt. Kirkland. She told me at that time that there was a time in the south when every child in school had to recite the poem. I lost my copy, but did visit his grave. There is no doubt in my mind that the story is exact and true. Just want to comment.
Kevin Levin Aug 16, 2010 @ 1:53
Thanks for taking the time to comment. You said: “There is no doubt in my mind that the story is exact and true.” Do you care to provide an interpretation of the available evidence that would justify such a conclusion?
In the meantime, don’t miss the movie that enshrines the myth: http://www.theangelmovie.com/
Paul Thornton May 19, 2011 @ 5:25
I note from the essay the following;
In 1965, a group comprising among others the states of South Carolina and Virginia, Collateral Descendents of Richard Kirkland, and the Richard Rowland Kirkland Memorial Foundation, erected a statue at Fredericksburg to the memory of Sergeant Kirkland of the Second South Carolina Volunteers.
Do we know if any plans are underway for something similar, perhaps much smaller, during the sesquicentennial in Fredericksburg also? Any help would be much appreciated.
Kevin Levin May 19, 2011 @ 5:30
I do not know of any plans to dedicate a new statue at Fredericksburg.
stephen finch Apr 13, 2012 @ 13:24
Wouldn’t General Kershaw have, at the very least, jeopardized his reputation for sound, dispassionate judgment had he early on acknowledged his decision to allow Sergeant Kirkland to go over the wall? That may well explain why he waited 18 years to publicize Kirkland’s deed. In so doing he avoided creating an impression of sentimentality and weakness on the battlefield.
Eric Schafer Apr 18, 2012 @ 3:38
The Kirkland incident is true. Douglas Southall Freeman spends a great deal of time on it in “Lee’s Lieutenants” Volume 2, middle page 378-middle page 380. If Freeman said it happened, it happened.
Kevin Levin Apr 18, 2012 @ 3:40
If Freeman said it happened, it happened.
What is it about Freeman that makes him omnipotent?
His immaculate research and unstinting integrity. The man won two Pulitzers and deserved a third.
I don’t think anyone will deny Freeman’s talents as a historian or his integrity, but no one deserves to be given a free pass in the way you suggest. I am currently reading a wonderful intellectual biography of Freeman by Keith Dickson, which I highly recommend
It’s not so much a free pass as this: If Freeman failed to find credible evidence, he would not have included it, especially giving it two full pages. Had he found evidence discrediting it, he would have either simply not mentioned it, or spent a single line dismissing it. Thus his account is trustworthy. Shaffner’s post, as well, is full of conjecture and rationalization, which, in the end, he uses to convince even himself. At the worst, it must be accepted that Kirkland’s act was of a type which undoubtedly was repeated often during the war. It is often present as something extraordinary – it was – and unique – which it wasn’t.
I don’t deny that Freeman believed himself to have found “credible evidence” for a whole host of claims. That’s what historians do. However, it doesn’t follow that the evidence and the interpretation of that evidence is somehow beyond question. We are constantly challenging/questioning evidence and developing new interpretation.
But that’s just the point between every day people – who are almost always convinced they hold the truth about something, and careful historians who are relentless in sifting, sorting and making decisions. “Lee’s Lieutenants” has something like 9.600 footnotes and Freeman is endlessly using them to explain how he sorted through multiple sources to draw a scene, and which are reliable and for what reasons, which are unreliable and for what reasons, and what can never be proven beyond doubt. And in the 70 years since the appearance of this collection, few if any have challenged his conclusions. Had anything rung false about this incident, he undoubtedly would have not included it. I find Shaffner’s post to be essentially amongst the latter style of Civil War “historians,” the movement of “Well, let’s see; let’s take something and discount it, even though we have no evidence to discount it, because taking the negative side gives me something to write about.” Much like the revisionist histories of Lee; they’re written not because new evidence has come to light, but because people decided, “Damn, it couldn’t have been THAT good, so let’s just say he was bad without any evidence.” Gettysburg is a perfect example. Of course Lee made errors, but to champion Longstreet as possessing better ideas at this battle would be a gross error. He failed Lee half a dozen times in two days…then laid the blame on Lee. His complete failure to understand and bring about Lee’s request for a “feu d’enfer” on July 3 is why Pickett’s Charge failed, not because it was a bad idea.
You are more than welcome to challenge Schaffner’s post, but if you hope to convince anyone here you are going to have to deal directly with specific claims rather than broad generalizations that have little to do with his actual argument.
As for Freeman you say:
And in the 70 years since the appearance of this collection, few if any have challenged his conclusions.
You are apparently not familiar with the relevant historiography. I recommend starting with Gary Gallagher’s edited collection Lee: The Soldier, Peter Carmichael’s edited collection Audacity Personified, and Elizabeth Brown Pryor’s Reading the Man.
I don’t think that’s a challenge. If anyone took this article seriously it would become well known. Not only does Shaffner pass off conjecture as fact, he even lies: he claims “Douglas Southall Freeman makes no mention of the Sergeant [Kirkland]” but this is a falsehood. While Freeman does not mention Kirkland in his biography of Robert E. Lee, he devotes no less than two full pages to Kirkland’s act in “Lee’s Lieutenants” Volume 2, middle page 378-middle page 380. Any falsehood like this immediately disqualifies the writer as a real historian.
Oh, I’m familiar with all those books. As I stated, we are currently mired in “revisionist history” which basically is: “All these other folks wrote books saying how great these guys were, and I don’t have any new material, so I’m just going to write a book saying how bad those guys were.” You see it in all areas; in music for example, there is now a movement claiming Robert Johnson was not a great blues guitarist. Why? They have nothing else to write, so they’re writing the opposite of what’s been written for 50 years.
Closer to home, any close study of what really happened in the Civil War will undoubtedly lead right back to what people said during and immediately after the war: Lee was a genius, head and shoulders above everyone else. Because Grant was in charge of the Union Armies at the end of the war, he’s constantly referred to today as “brilliant” and even “a genius” but my careful studies of his career never reveal this. Grant was an unimaginative plodder who beat Lee only because he had endless supplies of men. Had their resources been switched, Lee would have crushed Grant and won the war.
Pryor’s book is not a very good one, despite her exhaustive research. Bottom line: she actually used very few letters to write her book. Basically, she wrote what she wanted about Lee, and her conclusions are ill-founded. She makes the great error of asserting that Lee “fought for slavery” which he most certainly did not; and when she writes about Civil War battles she’s in way over her head – it’s clear that she has no grasp of military matters. Thus what could have been an interesting book comes off as shallow and of little value.
As I stated, we are currently mired in “revisionist history” which basically is: “All these other folks wrote books saying how great these guys were, and I don’t have any new material, so I’m just going to write a book saying how bad those guys were.”
This is just silly given the extent to which Freeman viewed his own work as “revisionist”. Your reading of Pryor is much too simplistic. Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment. I don’t know whether the Kirkland story is true or not, but nothing you’ve said pushes me in one direction or another.
In a sense, any new history is “revisionist” and Freeman undoubtedly viewed his work as such. But that is in the context of true historians re-examining the work of other true historians. But my use of “revisionist” is that in which people who want something to be different just say it’s different because they want it to be different, not because they have new evidence or anything of value to say.
ut that is in the context of true historians re-examining the work of other true historians.
I don’t know what a “true historian” is. I know how to evaluate the work of those who consider themselves to be historians or present their work as history. In that sense there is good and bad history based on the quality of the interpretation itself rather than who they are or based on assumptions of motivation. I leave that to others.
Lawrence Kirkland Apr 18, 2012 @ 4:58
I don’t understand all this. Because Richard Kirkland was mentioned in one account and not somewhere else..!!! How did Richard Kirkland’s name get involved…?? If it was just a STORY..why not a Sgt. John Smith or some other soldier. This is stupid. It happened, there are accounts and the name of the soldier that did it..Enough..LOL
It’s just like these people who are desperately trying to get English Lit PhD’s or make a name for themselves, and they claim that when Huck and Jim are naked on the raft it’s because they’ve just had homosexual relations. No…the storm blew away all their clothes. Or the one who claimed that Jay Gatsby was black. No, he was white, and the evidence for such is all through the book. And so on…
You’ve missed the point. I didn’t say that just because Freeman said it, it’s true; I said that because Freeman was a true historian and all the evidence shows he did a marvelous job of sorting fact from fiction, if he discerned the Kirkland story was true, it’s true.
Besides, you admitted you don’t know what a true historian is, so I don’t think you can argue any of these points creditably.
Like I said, I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Ken Noe Apr 18, 2012 @ 6:40
I admire Freeman’s work as well, but we’ve known for years that he suppressed a Lee letter because he (wrongly) believed that it revealed Lee’s murder of a settler early in his career, and he wanted to protect Lee’s reputation. Likewise, at the end of his life Lee admitted in a private letter that he had been unfair to Longstreet and hoped to rectify it. The man was a fine scholar, but he wasn’t perfect.
Hi Ken,
Thanks for reminding me of this. There are also plenty of legitimate questions that can be asked about specific points of interpretation in his Lee biography that can be made. The one that stands out for me is his insistence that resigning from the U.S. army was the “decision he was born to make.” It ignores the fact that Lee’s own family was split on secession and that any number of his West Point colleagues from the South chose not to resign. The only way Freeman could make such a claim is if he ignored Southern Unionists and even fellow Virginians such as George Thomas.
Ken Noe Apr 18, 2012 @ 14:42
Oops, I meant to say that Freeman “admitted in a private letter that he had been unfair to Longstreet and hoped to rectify it.” Sorry.
Andy Hall Apr 18, 2012 @ 4:24
Pffft. You need to get out more, friend. Douglas Freeman trembles in awe at the research brought to the Kirkland story by Mac Wyckoff over at Mysteries and Conundrums:
http://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/a-guest-post-from-mac-wyckoff-what-we-really-know-about-richard-kirkland-the-angel-of-maryes-heights-part-1-origins/
http://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2010/08/29/from-mac-wyckoff-richard-kirkland-part-2-other-evidence/
http://npsfrsp.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/kirkland-a-hero-or-bandwagon-evidence-memory-and-public-history/
Mac Wyckoff’s piece is far more reasonable and better written than Shaffner’s yet is based on the same premise: “I want this story to not be true, so I’m going to say it’s not true” – it does not present factual evidence discounting it. If a man leaves Spotsylvania riding a horse, claiming he’s going to ride to Richmond, and his friends see him ride into Richmond on the same horse, we can take for reasonable certainty he rode from Spotsylvania to Richmond on a horse. If someone else wants to claim, “No, he went by car” yet has no witnesses, photographs or other evidence to show he went by car…we cannot then deduce that he went by car.
As I noted, one thing to remember is that Kirkland’s act was undoubtedly repeated a thousand times before and a thousand times after the battle of Fredericksburg; such things are mentioned briefly by soldiers in letters and diaries, and by historians. But because Kirkland’s act gains the most attention, revisionist history wants so desperately for it not to have happened. Next thing they’ll be telling us is that Elvis didn’t lay down all those vocals and Scotty didn’t lay down all those guitar solos – it was session musicians did it! Can’t name ’em, don’t have any photos or records to prove it…but it must be so because Elvis and Scotty couldn’t have been that good because…because…we aren’t that good, so we don’t want anybody else to be that good…
Mac Wyckoff’s piece is far more reasonable and better written than Shaffner’s yet is based on the same premise: “I want this story to not be true, so I’m going to say it’s not true”[.]
But because Kirkland’s act gains the most attention, revisionist history wants so desperately for it not to have happened.
You need to spend less time on assuming what motivates others and more time on dealing with the actual arguments. What’s to stop me from dismissing you along the same lines or anyone else for that matter? This is a non-starter.
I’ve been a journalist for over 30 years and have seen the changes in what motivates people – and how this appears in journalism and new histories – very well, especially over the past 20 years. And what generates a lot of this stuff these days is, “They say this guy did this; I’m going to say he didn’t.” “They say Lee was so great; I’m going to say he wasn’t.” A perfect example is how Shaffner deliberately deceives his readers when he states that Freeman didn’t write about Kirkland, so it couldn’t have happened. This is a lie; he tells us Freeman didn’t write about Kirkland in “Lee” but never states that Freeman devotes two pages to Kirkland in “Lee’s Lieutenants.”
In fact, Shaffner disproves his own argument. To whit, he states, “Freeman didn’t say it happened, so it didn’t,” which means, “If Freeman said it happened, it did.” And because Freeman said it happened in “Lee’s Lieutenants,” Shaffner has just stated that, in fact, it did happen.
You are still no closer to making your case for the Kirkland story than you were in your last comment. Again, what is to stop me from applying your own approach to critiquing to you? Could it be that you just want the story to be true? And around we go.
Mac Wyckoff’s piece is far more reasonable and better written than Shaffner’s yet is based on the same premise: “I want this story to not be true, so I’m going to say it’s not true” – it does not present factual evidence discounting it.
Um, maybe you oughter go back and read Wyckoff’s essays, because he presents substantial evidence supporting the claims made about Kirkland, either specifically about him or about similar acts by others. My point being this: if you’re going to argue that the Kirkland story is factually true — and I have no trouble acknowledging that, in substance, it likely is — then you can do a whole lot better than saying, “it’s true because Douglas Freeman says so.”
A true historian is one who is educated and trained in the proper methods of research, authentication, verification and who is also so deeply versed in their subject matter that they are judged highly reliable in discerning what is fact or fiction; and they are also able to unearth or judge new material creditably. Just because someone writes a book about history or a historical figure does not make them a true historian – even if they do extensive research. Pryor is a perfect example. I mean, she wrote a book about a man who was a soldier and who was anti-slavery, yet her writing demonstrates she cannot comprehend military matters, and she claims Lee fought for slavery. To make such gross errors disqualifies her as a Lee historian. Incidentally, I’m not surprised she claimed Lee fought for slavery. In our hyper-sensitive, “racism” sensitive, revisionist society, if she claimed Lee didn’t fight for slavery, she’d’ve been run out of town on a rail by the folks who have no idea what they’re talking about, yet are convinced they are right – and anyone who disagrees is evil.
You are no closer to making your case for the Kirkland story than you were in your last comment.
Oh, the point was made long ago; you’re just not getting it. They do not present factual evidence discounting the act. For example, claiming, “It wasn’t in the official reports, so it didn’t happen” is not credible. Do you know anything of military matters? Officers never put incidents like Kirkland’s act into military reports…because his act had nothing to do with the battle or how the regiment fought. One’s superiors – military and political – have no interest in one soldier succoring enemies with canteens of water; they want to know what happened in the battle. If I were Kershaw’s superior and he wrote of the Kirkland incident in his battle report I would have it stricken from the record as being inconsequential and irrelevant.
Yes, I am aware of this. In fact, I believe Mac Wycoff made that very point. My suggestion is that you write something up that addresses the specific points made by Schaffner. Please don’t make the mistake in assuming that I agree with everything in his guest post. This is not a peer reviewed journal. It’s a blog. At the time I believed it was worth posting to generate a discussion and I still believe this to be the case. Your claims about Freeman’s infallibility as well as the tired and I suspect that your references to “revisionist history” have won you few supporters here.
Jim Skinner Aug 18, 2019 @ 9:33
Agreed, may be unfortunate, but when it comes to war, facts (numbers, casualties, results, etc) are what the leaders need and want to know, not heroism.
Jerry McKenzie Dec 15, 2018 @ 20:55
How was Lee anti-slavery? You lost me on this one. He inherited slaves he was to free and worked them relentlessly for his benefit.
Andy Hall Dec 16, 2018 @ 11:31
In fact, Lee saw the institution of slavery as being God’s will and a positive benefit to those enslaved. Lee disliked having to deal with the practice personally, and kept it at arm’s length as much as he could, but he wasn’t “anti-slavery” in any meaningful sense.
Also remember that Lee himself owned slaves for most of his adult life, entirely apart from those that were part of his father-in-law’s estate.
J.W.Nation Nov 28, 2012 @ 14:56
Trying to belittle Richard Kirkland anywhere around Camden, SC, is akin to starting the war again. His decendants have too many letters from this gentleman. Some are in the Kershaw County Archives, others still in family possession.You can believe your tale, we know ours.
Jack Warren Jan 2, 2013 @ 20:12
I have read the argument and the extensive dialogue, which is all very interesting. There’s a significant critical perspective missing, both from Mr. Levin’s post and the commentary: an examination of Kershaw’s credibility as a witness. Mr. Levin’s argument can be summarized, without injustice I hope, in simple terms. General Kershaw’s report of the event, he contends, is the only one we have. He has looked in vain for a supporting account in all of the sources he could think of. Finding none, he concludes that the story is a myth.
That conclusion leaves unanswered — or at least unanswered in any sort of persuasive manner — why J.B. Kershaw would have made up such a story. Mr. Levin says the story should be read as a “parable.” He suggests Kershaw “never really meant us to take his story literally.” That’s an interesting suggestion, because it contradicts, utterly, what Kershaw said he was offering. Kershaw claimed to be giving us “the rigid simplicity of actual truth.”
Mr. Levin dangles the conventional impeachment of post-war memory, pointing out that seventeen years had passed between the alleged events and the publication of the story. Forgive a middle aged historian for not thinking Kershaw’s memory of the Battle of Fredericksburg was likely to have dimmed much in that short time. He certainly had no difficulty remembering Kirkland — a very real person about whom Kershaw remembered significant details.
I see no evidence that Kershaw was creating a parable, one he didn’t expect us to take seriously. Nor do I see any evidence that Kershaw’s memory was clouded. Mr. Levin respects evidence, so he will recognize that he doesn’t offer any evidence to support either of these suggestions.
So was J.B. Kershaw a liar? A spinner of tall tales? A romantic? I don’t know. I haven’t done the work. To address these questions, we have to leave the Kirkland story and examine the rest of Kershaw’s writings. Was he a generally reliable witness, or a fictionalizer?
Historians look for supporting testimony, but they often rely on the testimony of a single credible witness. Skepticism about the Kirkland story is reasonable. It does make sense that someone else would have commented on the extraordinary event Kershaw described. But before dismissing Kershaw’s account as a “myth,” Mr. Levin needs to persuade us that Kershaw is an unreliable witness.
Kevin Levin Jan 3, 2013 @ 2:49
Thanks for the lengthy reply, but please keep in mind that this was a guest post. I did not write it.
michaelschaffner Jan 3, 2013 @ 7:26
I regret that I missed the comments made nine months ago and just now have taken another look at this thread. To the accusation of being a “liar” I plead not guilty, though I certainly am guilty of not looking further in D.S. Freeman before writing that he didn’t credit the Kirkland story.
When I do another revision of the article I’ll correct that and perhaps remove the reference to Shelby Foote as well. The view of any secondary sources is less important than the validity, or existence, of primary ones.
The other item worth commenting on is the latest, the question of Kershaw’s credibility. In my original article I speculated that Kershaw saw a difference between the formal history of after action reports and “Battles and Leaders” on one hand, and popular history on the other. But in revising it a year ago I took a closer look at the particular popular outlet involved and refined the conclusion. The story isn’t simply some kind of Lost Cause fairy tale — though it serves that purpose well enough — but has a role specific to the time and place in which it was written.
With that in mind, here are a few paragraphs from the latest version, from about a year ago. This is sort of a hobby with me, so I don’t think I’ll ever be quite finished with it. I welcome any further comments people may have. I think the real story of Sergeant Kirkland lies somewhere in South Carolina and has yet to be fully told:
“…So we need to choose which Kershaw to believe— the Kershaw who wrote an after-action report to his superiors subject to punishment for falsification, and a note to amend the historical record subject to the criticism of his peers in “Battles and Leaders,” or the Kershaw who wrote, not in an official or historical capacity, but for the popular audience of the News and Courier.
“The Context of Kershaw’s Story
“It helps greatly in answering this question that Mr. Wyckoff’s research has led to his
finding and publishing the letter that inspired Kershaw’s account. In this earlier version published by the Charleston News and Courier the sergeant sets off as Kershaw states but
receives a serious wound before the Yankees cease fire, whereupon several other
rebel soldiers take up canteens, which results in a small flock of “angels” on
Marye’s Heights. The subject of this version later dies in the Wilderness attempting to repeat his kindness. Unfortunately the real Kirkland fell at Chickamauga a half a year before the overland campaign, and the author does not claim to have witnessed either incident himself, only to have heard the story from an unnamed informant.
“Who wrote this earlier version? It carries the byline “C. McK.” Thanks to fellow
enthusiast Robert Mosher we know that this was almost certainly Carlyle McKinley. A Confederate veteran, poet, and author, McKinley was also a correspondent for the very same News and Courier. Somewhat unreconstructed in his political beliefs, he would go on to write the book An Appeal to Pharoah (1889), which proposes a “radical solution” to the “Negro problem” via the mass deportation of black Americans to Africa.
“The News and Courier itself published in addition to journalism such works as the
human-interest collection Our Women in the War (1885). This documents the heroism and strength of southern womanhood in language fully as colorful as that in either of the
versions of the Kirkland story it published. But in the early 1880s an audience existed for such: reconstruction had ended in 1877 and Kershaw belonged to a group of politically strong conservatives known as “Bourbons” who, under the leadership of Wade Hampton, focused on “ousting the carpetbaggers and undoing as much of Reconstruction as they could” while intending “to re-create as much as possible the world of antebellum South
Carolina, a world in which they and their kind held sway” (Walter B. Edgar, South
Carolina: a History, p. 407).
“This leads us to one last look at “Kershaw’s” letter. I put the General’s name in quotes because I now question whether he even wrote the account himself. After all, he only signed his name to the introduction; the rest of the letter tells the story in the third person – it has no “I,” only “the General,” and the language bears far less resemblance to that of Kershaw’s original after action report or subsequent article in “Battles and Leaders” than it does to the more florid prose of a Carlyle McKinley.
“The story did, nonetheless, serve a cause of more immediate interest to Kershaw and like-minded “Bourbons” at the time. It limns the portrait of a noble representative of southern manhood who, in the aftermath of the Confederacy’s defeat, devastation, and “reconstruction,” rises from the ashes to bequeath “to the American youth — yea, to the world — an example which dignifies our common humanity.”
“In addition to the cultural imperatives of the “Bourbons.” the story serves a useful
purpose for “Lost Causers” and southern partisans generally. It changes the fundamental narrative of the battle of Fredericksburg from one of heroic and hopeless self-sacrifice on the part of northern soldiers, to one of southern chivalry and charity. On the field of mythos, the green flag of Erin and the Irish brigade with boxwood in its hats fall not to a stone wall
lined with muskets but a noble young man burdened with canteens.
“But the popularity of the story goes even further than that. The story of the “Angel” and his “Christ-like” mercy offers those of us who read military history for its questionable pleasures – and those of us whose votes may lead to future wars – a kind of solace, and an
absolution. On this battlefield, humanity stays the hand of the grim-faced sharpshooter and acts of mercy go forward without impediment. No one shoots Lt. Col. Buchanan’s wounded or guns down his ambulance attendants. Major Andrews’ men need not go twelve hours
without a drink of water, nor relieve themselves in the mud where they lie under fire the entire day. From this battlefield, we need remember only one man with a canteen in his hand, not the more than 18,000 with lead in other parts of their bodies. Here, war is evil in the abstract but noble in its particulars.
“The legend of Sergeant Kirkland remains as good a story as ever. But in the end it tells us considerably less about the actual battle of Fredericksburg than the cultural and political milieu in which it first appeared, and our continuing need to avoid confronting the reality of war.”
Steve Morin May 26, 2013 @ 4:35
I’m sorry I do not have specific historical value to add, just my gut feelings.
I am no historian, merely a long time military history buff (brigade level down preferred) . I only recently joined a CW reenactment unit.
No disrespect to the descendants.
In reading the thread in its entirety I agree that the evidence for total truth falls short. I fall in with the possibility that it is exaggerated somehow. I am glad I took the time to read because I am much more educated on this important subject from all perspectives.
Mr Levin I commend on putting this forth for discussion knowing it’s sensitivity.
Ron Krandle Sep 23, 2013 @ 17:41
I’m neither a historian or a journalist. I’m just a regular guy who enjoys history and reading up on the Civil War. It would seem to me, using some logic and common sense, and mind you this is only my opinion for what it’s worth, that for something to be “debunked” you’d have to provide conclusive proof showing that the circumstances were impossible for it to have happened the way it’s been presented. An example would be if someone were to show that Kirkland couldn’t possible have even fought at here because he was proven to be somewhere else at the time. Does that mean I’m saying it can’t be called into question? Of course not. But to say it’s been “debunked” simply isn’t so at this point.
Sam Vanderburg Nov 30, 2013 @ 21:28
True? Myth? It still plays it’s role as a myth – encouraging humane treatment and courage in the face of danger. To solve with certainty perhaps will never be settled to many, but often the base of a myth is found in truth, or so my literary teachers have shared with me.
Sam Vanderburg
Mike K. Apr 27, 2014 @ 13:25
Mr. Schafer has been quite effective in making his point (despite the repeated, ineffectual “You are no closer to making your point…” retorts), and all of his remarks concerning “revisionist history” are spot on. The letter from Kershaw (who would gain nothing by fabricating anything), a strong oral tradition, and just plain ol’ common knowledge – as perpetuated by a bunch of guys who were actually there – is more than ample evidence supporting the Kirkland story. And, there is the mention in Freeman. As Schafer and others point out, the fact that ten different generals from both sides failed to write detailed accounts of Kirkland’s actions doesn’t mean that those actions didn’t occur.
Two primary factors are at play here. First is the ever-growing trend to try to make a name for oneself by “debunking” events that are seemingly easy pickings – since there isn’t a video of said event on YouTube, the story is obviously “made up”. And second, in our age of PC-gone-wild, is the passing of judgment on people who were born nearly two hundred years ago, into a vastly different reality than what we now know. I’m speaking, of course, of the disturbing tendency among the general public to equate the antebellum American South with Nazi Germany. Anything that can be seen as even remotely connected to slavery MUST be reviled. Therefore, no man from South Carolina could ever have been capable of performing such a selfless, humane act. Had an incident occurred under the same circumstances in another battle – except with a sergeant from New York aiding wounded Confederates – one has trouble imagining that the the story would ever be questioned. Just my opinion.
From Pat Leonard’s article in the New York Times, December 2012 (which cites Shaffner as a source):
“So, is the Richard Kirkland story true? Looking at the available evidence, it’s almost certain that a Confederate did risk his life to bring water to at least one wounded federal soldier, and if that “angel of mercy” must be identified, odds are probably better than even that it was indeed Kirkland. While Kershaw likely embellished his recollections of the incident for his letter to the News and Courier, it’s just as likely that he named Kirkland as “The Angel of Marye’s Heights” for no other reason than that he believed it himself.”
And Kershaw, it bears repeating, was actually there that day.
One last comment from yours truly – in reading about Kirkland, it’s interesting to find so many people dismiss the account of his actions at Fredericksburg as “Lost Cause mythology”. Kind of goes along with what I wrote, above.
Stu Jul 9, 2014 @ 8:44
Having served in the military I can honestly say actions of the enlisted members are often overlooked. Givin the attitudes of the day I seriously doubt Kirkland would have been mentioned. It makes the officers look like cowards. The last thing they want is for a lowly enlisted man to seem more gentlemanly then the officer corp. As for his cohorts in the trenches not writing of his adventures I think you should remember the ability to read and write was not common in those days.
Sean McCormack Sep 15, 2014 @ 15:41
The Kirkland story added a touching memory to my visit to Fredericksburg. I believe!
Bill Trav Jun 5, 2015 @ 12:27
I don’t know if this story is true or false, but I wonder if this had been a Northern soldier who had performed an act of mercy, would Northern historians be so determined to discredit him. I get the feeling they cannot stand to recognize a Southern hero.
Kevin Levin Jun 5, 2015 @ 12:31
Are you suggesting that only Northern historians have challenged this story? If so, you are mistaken.
Bill Trav Jun 7, 2015 @ 5:52
I don’t know about this particular incident. What I am saying is that there are no nationally recognized Southern hero’s that I am aware of. England no longer hates America for becoming an independent country, however, Northerners still call Southerners traitors.
Andy Hall Jun 7, 2015 @ 14:13
Typical “heritage” navel-gazing. You’re less interested in knowing the factual truth of the Kirkland story than you are in nurturing your feelings of being abused by “Northern historians.” Do your research, find out what’s true and what’s not, and move on.
Mr. Trav, you are free to post a comment about the subject under consideration, but I have little patience for such a vague tangent. There are plenty of other websites that will be more than happy to entertain your thoughts.
billtrav@hotmail.com Jun 8, 2015 @ 3:08
Thank you, Mr. Hall. That’s good advice.
billtrav@hotmail.com Jun 7, 2015 @ 18:17
That works for me.
Vince Sep 17, 2015 @ 7:11
I’m less interested in the veracity of this story than I am in the fact that we choose to commemorate it at all. Every time I visit the Kirkland monument, I get the feeling that this story acts as a sort of pressure valve that allows us to come away from the experience feeling good about humanity. In a similar way, the focus on the Irish Brigade gives us something ennobling to celebrate in spite of the carnage. There’s the compelling and sentimental storyline of Irishmen mowing down their countrymen (ostensibly weeping, could it be that some of them were happy to do so? Didn’t the whole war involve compatriots killing each other, sometimes reluctantly, sometimes gladly?). I often get this feeling when visiting NPS sites, or indeed when reading chronicles of the war. There’s a morsel or two presented, for each battle, aside from the main narrative. A gallant deed, an act of battlefield compassion. Something for a descendant of a soldier on either side to lament, and something to feel good about. For me the power of the Civil War war narrative lies in staring at the horror of it all, and still coming away feeling that the end result was worth the sacrifice. I feel like this story lets us of the hook.
Not only former countrymen mowing one another down, but cousins close and distant.
kbrown2225 Sep 21, 2017 @ 17:07
Hmm, despite all of the untrue and unfair things he said about James Longstreet?
Freeman was a fine historian for his age, but hardly an unbiased one, and a strict adherent to the Lost Cause narrative. Far too often Freeman only found the “truth” than he wanted to find.
Interestingly enough, Freeman himself warned historians against accepting the credibility of the testimony of those writing years after the war, stating:
“It is a very grave mistake to give the same measure of acceptation to the late witness that is given to the early witness.” Douglas Southall Freeman, “An Address.” Civil War History 1, no. 1 (March 1955): 7-15.
It is funny, of course, that Freeman would make such a statement, since all of Freeman’s negative observations regarding Longstreet came from the Southern Historical Society Papers, a politically motivated “late source,” but one that Freeman accepted as gospel.
The lies of the SHSP served the storyline Freeman desired to write, so instead of questioning the dubious sources the SHSP provided, he accepted them without question because they served his purpose.
Sorry, I did not mean to go into a tangent on Freeman’s mistreatment of Longstreet, but when someone makes the sort of statement quoted above about Freeman I cannot help but think of the massive historical injustice that Freeman did to James Longstreet.
In any event, Freeman was a great, but flawed historian, but even he said to beware of “late witness” claims like Kershaw’s.
John Speight Jun 16, 2018 @ 20:45
What bothers me most about this whole discussion is the incivility that is manifest. The barely masked arrogance and anger that some on both sides display towards another individuals comments. Does it truly matter whether Richard Kirkland, or some other anonymous, person performed this act of mercy? Both sides on that day, those who died and those who killed, were Americans! I am a southerner, (and yes I lost an ancestor in the war) but I refuse to refer to this conflict as the War Between the States or any other euphemism employed by either side. It was a civil war! One with all the inherent horrors that comes with a war of that kind. One that almost destroyed our beloved county and almost prevented America from taking her place as the greatest nation in the world. At the local Civil War reenactments that I attend, I mourn for all those who died, regardless of whether their uniform was blue or gray. The Civil War ended in 1865. We have more pressing problems in 2018 that require our attention. Problems that need cool heads and not insults to resolve. “Make you sons Americans” Robert E. Lee and God Save America!
Barry Borchers Feb 11, 2019 @ 18:34
I have read this article and the comments with great interest. I would like to thank the writer and the comments herein. Much of our history is being rewritten these days. I must say that I am very skeptical of most of the revisionist history. Stories seem to come out of thin air daily today. I see that many people have done much research on this story. I applaud them. Every notable event in America’s history seems to be under some sort of scrutiny today. Most especially anything to do with the Confederacy. Many want to demonize anyone or anything to do with it. Believe me, this will not stop with the Civil War. The “re-writers” are just getting started.
Kevin Levin Feb 12, 2019 @ 1:36
Thanks for the comment. History is always being re-written based on new questions that are asked, new evidence that emerges, and different analytical approaches applied. It should always be welcome and scrutinized.
Thank you for you reply. I’m not so sure about the “different analytical approaches applied” portion. We must remember that the ones before us lived in a different world altogether than we do. We are constantly second guessing their meanings in word and deed to a number of things, good or bad, that were commonplace and acceptable in their times. Today people are quick to give judgement when they have no comprehension of those times. On the subject of “new evidence”, I have to wonder how much of this is fabricated to justify the usually slanted version that someone wishes to promote. Generally, the “new evidence” will be in the spotlight. But, if it is later debunked, little is heard. As a youngster I heard a story of Rebs and Yanks pausing their fight in order to perform Masonic funeral rites. I was told this by an old relative whose Grandfather supposedly witnessed it. Who knows?
Douglas Gray Jun 21, 2019 @ 17:39
It is interesting that in modern physics, we have concepts such as the “Uncertainty Principle, and “Probability Densities” which imply that it is sometime difficult to have the kind of deterministic certainty we feel comfortable with. It may be that with these sorts of historical events, there will not be enough evidence to make a determination of what really took place.
Leave a Reply to Andy Hall Cancel reply
Next post: Does It Matter Whether the Richard Kirkland Story is True?
Previous post: A Child’s Richard Kirkland
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line62
|
__label__wiki
| 0.534287
| 0.534287
|
Important Bird Areas for globally threatened species: Blue Swallow
Blue Swallow, © Norman Arlott
A network of 34 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) has been identified for Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea (Vulnerable) in Africa, covering an area of 20,612 km². The total estimated range or Extent of Occurrence (EOO) for this species is 246,000 km2; the IBA network therefore covers 8.4% of the EOO.
Location of IBAs identified for Blue Swallow
Fishpool and Evans (2001)
Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea (Vulnerable) migrates within Africa. It is globally threatened because of degradation and destruction of its grassland habitat in both its breeding and non-breeding ranges. The entire population of H. atrocaerulea (estimated at no more than 3,000 birds) nests in montane grasslands, covering small parts of seven countries of southern and eastern Africa. The species’s known non-breeding range centres on the moist tropical grasslands of the Lake Victoria basin (BirdLife International 2004). A network of 34 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) has been identified for this species (see figure), 27 for breeding populations and seven in the less well-known non-breeding range(Fishpool and Evans 2001). Together, these sites cover a combined area of 20,612 km². The total estimated range or Extent of Occurrence (EOO) for this species is 246,000 km2. The IBA network therefore covers 8.4 % of the EOO.
Similar calculations (from data held in BirdLife’s World Bird Database) for the rest of the c.180 globally threatened, resident landbirds in Africa show that the IBAs selected for them cover a mean of 8.6 % of their EOOs. This demonstrates how the IBA approach focuses on the priority sites, where conservation efforts need to be targeted.
Blue Swallow (Hirundo atrocaerulea)
BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD-ROM. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International.
Fishpool, L. D. C. and Evans, M. I. eds (2001) Important Bird Areas in Africa and associated islands: priority sites for conservation. Newbury and Cambridge, UK: Pisces Publications and BirdLife International.
Compiled: 2004
BirdLife International (2004) Important Bird Areas for globally threatened species: Blue Swallow. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/01/2020
Key message: IBAs have been identified for most threatened species and for many others of conservation concern
Important Bird Areas in Endemic Bird Areas: an example from the East Andes
Important Bird Areas in biomes: an example from north-central Africa
Some IBAs hold the last populations of highly threatened bird species and are an urgent priority
Important Bird Areas for congregatory species: Eurasian Spoonbill
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line64
|
__label__cc
| 0.583331
| 0.416669
|
Posted on February 25, 2018 February 25, 2018 by davidswanson
Can You Give Two Days to Stop the Slaughter?
The power of mass demonstrations to mobilize activism and move those in positions of power is minimized, first and foremost, by those opposed to popular power. Do not listen to them. Make them listen to us!
Can you give two days to stop the slaughter of innocents and the shameless profiteering from their blood? If you can give more, so much the better. But by giving two days, you will guarantee that others will give more. You will be part of building the necessary momentum, the key ingredient in social change.
These are the two days to give: March 24 and November 11. If you can’t give those, or want more, pick some others. But here’s why I say those two, and why the top priority is to be in Washington, D.C., but just as important is to be visible everywhere else.
On March 24 in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in the U.S. (and beyond?), students and teachers and everyone else who values lives over guns will march against gun violence. But the strategy will be weak unless millions of us uninvited marchers show up to augment the message with what it is not permissible to say. The culture of gun violence is fueled by the culture of militarism and by the military. A hugely disproportionate share of mass-shooters have been U.S. military veterans. Some have been JROTC students. The recent killer in Florida was trained to kill by the U.S. Army in the very school where he killed. The JROTC’s “history” classes, the Army’s video games, the military’s role in producing Hollywood movies, the Pentagon’s unloading of old weapons on police departments and the general public — this is all done with our tax dollars. The NRA understands the connections perfectly, and churns out advertisements promoting more wars. If we don’t make the connections, we won’t win. So, bring these signs. And help us keep military recruiters out of schools.
By the way, March 24 was the day in 1999 when the United States and NATO began 78 days of bombing Yugoslavia. Here’s a discussion of exactly how destructive that was. Fittingly, March 24 is also International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. A great day around which to create a new holiday tradition!
So, go sign up here! And (this is important!) politely encourage the organizers to acknowledge the existence of the JROTC.
Since the United States destroyed North Korea almost 70 years ago, November 11 has been called, in the United States, “Veterans Day.” This year, Donald Trump proposes to stage a giant parade of weaponry through the streets of Washington, D.C. But prior to the intense propaganda campaign around the brutal bombardment that leveled most North Korean cities, and to this day in much of the rest of the world, November 11 is known as Armistice Day, or in some places Remembrance Day.
At 11 o’clock on this 11th day of the 11th month, 100 years ago this year, World War I ended. It was a scheduled end to the war, with the killing and dying pointlessly continuing right up to that moment. The worldwide celebration after the armistice was euphoric. And those who had believed the propaganda about a “war to end all war” and those who had not were united in desiring to make it true. Armistice Day was for years promoted by the U.S. government among others as a day to work for global friendship and peace. Parading the instruments of death that suck down 60% of the budget Congress votes on each year is not a way to build friendship or peace.
But our “Armistice Day, Not Trump Day” will be weak if it includes only those who have learned to reject war propaganda and dedicated themselves to ending war and weapons dealing. We need, again, from the other direction, to make the connections. We need to include in our peace parade those who reject the militarization of schools, of police, or borders, and of entertainment. Those who care about the earth’s climate must not sit by while the single greatest contributors to climate change are paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue. Those who care about investment in human needs will metaphorically shoot themselves in the foot if they fail to oppose the glorification of wasting trillions of dollars on weaponry. Those who want safety need to earn it by demonstrating to the world that people in the United States do not agree with the policy of bombing foreign countries.
So, go sign up here, and invite people and organizations to do so too. And if we help prevent the Trumparade from happening, our celebration will go forward — even bigger and better!
Can Madness Be Cured By Marching?
“Madness in individuals is something rare; but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.” –Friedrich Nietzsche
The two marches planned for March and for November are the same march when seen from the perspective of a national psychiatrist. The racism, militarism, and extreme materialism they address are a single disease.
The U.S. has had mass shootings on military bases full of people with guns. The U.S. has filled its schools with armed guards, who have not prevented a single shooting but have criminalized children’s behavior. Proposing to put more guns into schools is not a sane proposal.
Other nations have banned guns, or banned the worst guns, and seen dramatic decreases in mass shootings. Throwing up one’s hands and exclaiming that nothing can be done is not the action of a population or sub-population that is thinking straight.
The U.S. puts almost as much money into war weaponry as the rest of the world combined, with much of the rest of the world buying U.S. weaponry pushed on it by a U.S. State Department turned into a weapons dealer. The result is anti-U.S. hostility at levels other nations can’t imagine going to such expense and effort to generate. Celebrating the weapons that endanger and impoverish is a form of sickness.
Each war kills large numbers of innocent people, disproportionately the very old and the very young. Each day, the vast majority of the people killed with U.S. weapons are outside the United States. Each war leaves a new area of the world devastated, more violent, and a greater threat to others.
When you’re in a hole, the first step is not to use explosives to dig faster.
There are some things, said Dr. King, to which we should insist on remaining maladjusted.
In a time of universal deceit, said George Orwell, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion.
Can a large group of thoughtful, committed citizens change the world? Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
2 Replies to “Can You Give Two Days to Stop the Slaughter?”
Cathy Browning says:
Thanx for good article. But what about the March on the Pentagon in October being organized by Cindy Sheehan? The 2 you mentioned are extremely important and I will be there and also at the Pentagon.
☮️☮️☮️
davidswanson says:
Again, If you can’t give those, or want more, pick some others.
http://worldbeyondwar.org/eventsforWBW/
Previous PostPrevious I’d Elect the People on My Facebook Page Over Any Weapons-Funded Hack
Next PostNext Sociopathy Compounded by Stupidity Shows the Way Forward!
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line65
|
__label__wiki
| 0.728205
| 0.728205
|
Following the Rain of Death, the newly formed Eastern Block Soviet Independent States needed to quickly rebuild their military forces to protect themselves against surviving/rogue Zentraedi as well as the numerous warlords, bandits, and aggressor nations they faced. With most manufacturing capabilities reduced to levels roughly between the 1960's-1980's, the Soviets turned to classic, rugged, and relatively cheaply produced designs that had proven their worth during the height of the old U.S.S.R. Moderately improved weapons and armor techniques (such as Explosive Reactive Armor, ERA) gives these units a fighting chance on the modern battlefield especially in large numbers, quantity has a quality all of its own.
The units listed here are typical of what one will use/encounter. Other Pre-Rain models/derivatives (such as the T-55, T-90, T-14) as well as German Leopards and numerous APC's and support vehicles are in service having been salvaged and refurbished for use by E.B.S.I.S ground forces.
T-72 MBT The standard tank of the E.B.S.I.S. Over 5,000 of these are in service, a combination of new production and Pre-Rain models from numerous locations across Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. A modernized gun and improved armor make this equivalent to the default 'Tank' from the Robotech main book
Weight: 41.5 tons
Length: 23ft (6.2m)
Speed: 40mph
Max. Range: 430 Miles
M.D.C. by Location:
Treads — 25 each side
Main Cannon — 30
Turret — 50
Main Body — 200
1. 125mm smoothbore main gun
Frag. 1D4mdc, HE 1D6mdc or HEAT 3D4mdc
Carries 40 rounds
Range: 4000m
RoF: 4/melee
2. Turret mounted 12.7 mm NSVT antiaircraft machine gun*
300 rnds
3. 7.62 mm PKT coax machine gun.*
2000rnds
T-80 MBT The second most common Soviet tank. Similar in outward appearance to a T-72, the T-80 series is much more difficult to produce due to advanced mechanical and firing systems. As a result, most T-80's are refurbished Pre-Rain models with approximately 3,000 in service. For game purposes, the primary difference is the increased armor protection, decreased operational range, and the main gun which is capable of firing short range missiles.
Weight: 43 tons
Carries 45 conventional rounds and 10 short range missiles, typical damage 1d4x10or 1d6x10
BMP-1/2 Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 (Russian: Боевая Машина Пехоты 1; БМП-1) Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The BMP provides protection for motorized infantry soldiers in the harsh conditions present in many areas of the globe (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) while supporting other armored units with its gun and missile capabilities. Capable of carrying eight soldiers and their equipment and is fully amphibious. Another very common vehicle Pre-Rain, over 10,000 of these are in service among E.B.S.I.S. forces with large numbers currently being refurbished from caches discovered in the former Czech and Slovak Republics. Mix is about half and half older BPM-1's.
Speed: 40mph (5mph in water)
Crew: 3 +8 passengers
Main Body — 75
1.(BMP 1) 73mm gun: HE 6D6 X 10 sdc or HEAT 1D6mdc
Range: 500m
40 rnd magazine
(BMP-2) 30 mm 2A42 autocannon
1D6 M.D. short burst, 2D6 M.D. long burst, 3D6 M.D. full melee burst
Payload: 500 rnds. 24 shells are fired per melee on a full melee burst, 12 in a long burst and 6 in a short burst
RoF: 4/2/1/melee
2. Mounted AT-3 Sagger Missile*
Capacity: 4 missiles
RoFL 1/melee
BMD-1 Airborne amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle )Boyevaya Mashina Desanta (Боевая Машина Десанта, literally "Combat Vehicle of the Airborne") Basically a shortened version of the BMP IFV used to support Soviet Airborne forces. Approx. 1500 in service with 500-1000 more being refurbished.
Weight: 7.5 tons
Length: 17.7 (5.1m)
1. 73mm gun: HE 6D6 X 10 sdc or HEAT 1D6mdc
3. 3x 7.62 mm PKT machine gun.*
2000rnds ea
1x coax, 2x front mounted
BTR-70 APC (бронетранспортер, BTR stands for Bronetransportyor literally "armoured transporter") A lightweight 8x8 wheeled vehicle equivalent to the RDF's AAR-Recon II but without the specialty electronics. Approx. 1000 in service, mostly from Pre-Rain Ukrainian, Romanian, and Belorussian military bases.Several dozen have been discovered in the ruins of Pakistan and are currently being refurbished
Crew: Three plus seven passengers.
A.R.: 12 (S.D.C)
*Main Body — 10 M.D.C./1000 S.D.C.
Turret - 5 M.D.C./500 S.D.C.
Hatches (3) — 2 M.D.C./200 S.D.C.
Wheels (8) — 75 S.D.C. each
Headlights (2) — 10 S.D.C. each
*As always, depleting the M.D.C./S.D.C. of the main body
will totally shut down/destroy the vehicle. Further damage
will strike crew members.
Speed: 50mph (80kmph) maximum on land, 5.6mph (9kmph) in
Range: 600 miles (1287.2km)
1. 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun or 12.7 mm DShK machine gun*
2. 7.62 mm coax PKT machine gun*
2000 rnds
BRDM-2 Amphibious Scout Car (Boyevaya Razvedyvatelnaya Dozornaya Mashina, Боевая Разведывательная Дозорная Машина, literally "Combat Reconnaissance/Patrol Vehicle") A 4-wheeled armored vehicle used for reconnaissance and light infantry support. The standard version is armed w/ a 14.5mm heavy machine gun but a common variant is modified as an anti-armor unit capable of firing 5 Sagger-3 missiles (standard) or 5 short range missiles (uncommon). Approx. 2000 standard units and 200 anti-armor variants are in currently in service.
A.R.: 10 (S.D.C.)
M.D.C. and S.D.C by Location:
*Main Body — 7 M.D.C./600 S.D.C.
Turret - 5 M.D.C./500
S.D.C.Wheels — 50 S.D.C.
Headlights — 10 S.D.C.
*If all M.D.C./S.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the
vehicle is destroyed.
Speed: 62mph (100kmph) land, 10 km/h (6.2 mph) (water)
Range: 470 miles (750km)
Length: 19ft
Weight: 7 tons
1. 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun *
5 AT-3 Sagger anti-tank missiles/standard short range missiles on an external rack w/ 10 more stored internally.* Missiles can be fired in 1,2,3,4 or all 5 rockets. Reloading requires exiting the vehicle and takes 1 melee/missile.
ZSU-23-4 Anti-Aircraft Tank (Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka (Russian: Зенитная Самоходная Установка) With only about 3 dozen 'acquired' Raider X mecha in their arsenal, E.B.S.I.S. commanders needed to find a way to counter superior RDF air capabilities. To do this they turned to the ZSU-23-4 tank. While not as effective as a Raider X, the 4 barreled auto cannon mounted on the turret combined w/ improved radar guidance allows this vehicle to destroy Zentraedi mecha and can severely damage a Veritech fighter. It's major drawback is that it's relatively lightly armored, able to be damaged by conventional weapons and slow speed. ZSU-23-4's are usually assigned as multi-unit batteries (occasionally w/ a Raider X as a command vehicle) and should not be taken lightly.Only about 500 are currently in active service although large numbers have been located in North Africa and an operation in the South American region formerly known as Peru has uncovered several dozen. All are currently being refurbished for service.
Length: 21.5ft
M.D.C/S.D.C.. by Location:
Main Cannon — 4 MDC (400SDC)
Radar - 5MDC (500SDC)
Turret — 10 MDC (1000SDC)
Main Body — 25MDC. (2500SDC)
1. 4 × 23 mm 2A7 autocannons
4D8 short burst (20rnds), 1D6x10 Long Burst (40 rnds), 2D6x10 Full Melee Burst (80 Rnds).
RoF: 4 short, 2 long, 1 Full Melee Burst
Capacity: 2000 rnds.
Effective Range 2.5 miles
Advanced Radar capable of tracking 38 targets out to 100 miles. Same as the replacement unit on reconditioned Raider X's.
BM-30 Medium Range Multiple Rocket Launcher (Russian: Смерч, "whirlwind") No Spartans have fallen into the hands of the Soviet Military so they had to (re)develop their own missile systems. Long range weaponry being beyond their capabilities at this point, the BM-30 is capable of firing 12 medium range missiles from it's launch tubes before needing to be reloaded. This provides much needed artillery support to E.B.S.I.S. forces engaged in heavy combat. Only about 150 of these are in service presently.
A.R.: 6;
Main Body: 6 M.D.C./600 S.D.C.
Launch Tubes (12): 1 MDC/100 S.D.C. ea.
12 Med. Range Missiles
RoF 1,2,3,4,6, 8, 12
* See E.B.S.I.S. Weapons for specifics.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line66
|
__label__wiki
| 0.648235
| 0.648235
|
The State Duma The Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation
State Duma
News of the Chairman
Viacheslav Volodin urged deputies to consider the protection of historical memory a priority in international activity
The Chairman of the State Duma announced this, opening the first meeting of the spring session. He emphasized that everything must be done to protect the fighters against fascism within the parliamentary dimension
Viacheslav Volodin invited the US Department of State to test ambassadors’ knowledge of the history of the countries where they have to work
Chairman of the State Duma voiced his position on the statement of the US ambassador to Poland
Viacheslav Volodin noted the State Duma’s success in international activity
In an interview with TV channel Rossiya 24, the Chairman of the State Duma spoke about the resumption of contacts with PACE, as well as British and Ukrainian parliamentarians
Viacheslav Volodin and Viktor Medvedchuk agreed on the following broad round of meetings
The Chairman of the State Duma held talks with the Chairman of the Inter-Factional Parliamentary Association of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue for Peace: Ukraine-Russia-Germany-France” in the State Duma
Russian and British lawmakers begin restoration of inter-parliamentary relations
Today a meeting between Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin and members of the House of Lords of the British Parliament was held in the State Duma
Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin met with PACE President Liliane Maury Pasquier
On December 17, the Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin held a meeting with the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Liliane Maury Pasquier in Moscow. The conversation lasted more than two hours
Japan's statements on the Kuril Islands are a threat to Russia's territorial integrity and sovereignty
Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin harshly responded to the call to declare the Kuril Islands the territory of Japan
Inter-parliamentary Commission of Russia and Vietnam discussed new areas of cooperation
Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin supported the idea of creation of working groups in several new areas and said that the adoption of legislative decisions would entail a more active development of relations between the two countries
Viacheslav Volodin and Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân visited park Zaryadye
After a tour of the park, the Chairman of the State Duma and the Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam watched the film “Places of Preservation of Russia”, filmed by the Russian Geographical Society
Viacheslav Volodin: Russia and Vietnam have the potential for trade growth
The Chairman of the State Duma said that at a meeting with the Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân. It was held before the first meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission of Russia and Vietnam
Meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Commission on Cooperation of the State Duma and the National Assembly of Vietnam to be held on December 11
In addition, a bilateral meeting of the Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin and the Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân is planned to be held on the same day
Viacheslav Volodin urged to protect history
The Chairman of the State Duma stated this, speaking to MGIMO students and teachers at the International Russian-Slovak scientific conference dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Slovak national uprising
CSTO parliamentarians adopted seven model acts
Viacheslav Volodin noted that the approaches presented in the documents will allow, among other things, to fill in the gaps in national legislation and resolve issues that require a uniform solution by all countries of the Organization
Viacheslav Volodin elected Chairman of the CSTO PA
The decision was approved unanimously by all participants at a plenary meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly
Viacheslav Volodin was nominated as Chairman of the CSTO PA
He was nominated by the Speaker of the parliament of Kyrgyzstan, which chairs the Collective Security Treaty Organization
Load older materials
All content of the site is available under license:
Inquiry office: +7 495 692-62-66
Address: Moscow, Okhotny Ryad street, 1
The State Duma’s website is in test mode
The Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation 2020 year
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line68
|
__label__wiki
| 0.651605
| 0.651605
|
ME Essay, Research Paper
Malcom X All men are created equal. This statement was the basis of the civil right movements of the 1960’s. Malcom X is a man that promoted a society in which all human beings were equally respected. He believes that blacks should achieve that goal by any means necessary. In a time when blacks were not allowed to sit in the front of the bus, using the same bathroom, or were not admitted to Universities. Malcom X’s cry of justice was believed to be the voice of all blacks behind closed doors. Malcom Little grew up as poor and did not have much parental support. His father was run over by a street car when he was six. Soon after his father’s death, his mother was put in a mental hospital. He grew up in East Lansing and Boston. He was a pimp, a hustler, drug user, and a drug dealer. He worked in the Harlem underworld and was almost killed by his boss after he betrayed him. Malcom turned to robbery and was caught by the police and sentenced to 10 years of hard labor. While in jail, he was introduced to the Nation of Islam, a Black Muslim group, and changed his name to Malcom X. The X replaced the slave name that was given by the white masters and stands for the his real name that he never knew. After his release from prison he started preaching for the Nation of Islam (NOI). His preaching was known for its hatred overtone. He describes America as a house with a “bomb” inside and it is about to explode. Unless the white people want the house to explode and kill everyone inside, they should take the bomb out and give it a house of their own. His speeches were very popular among angry blacks and he was frequently on the front page of the newspaper. It was rumored that other Nation of Islam members were jealous about his popularity and worried about the power he was gaining. After the JFK assassination, Malcom stated: “President Kennedy never foresaw that the chickens would come home to roost so soon… Being an old farm boy myself, chickens coming home to roost never did make me sad; they always made me glad.”After many death calls from irritated Whites, The Nation of Islam started to distance themselves from Malcom. There was already friction between The Nation of Islam and they did not want the Nation of Islam to get a bad name because of Malcom. Feeling pressure to leave and felt betrayed by his church, he started the Organization of Afro-American Unity. They had the commitment to “doing whatever is necessary to bring the Negro struggle from the level of civil rights to the level of human rights.” While making a speech in the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem on Feb 21, 1965 he was assassinated by 3 persons all belonging to the NOI.Whether you like him or not, Malcom X was charismatic leader that said the many things that had to be said in the midst of the civil rights movement. “By any means necessary! I’m for freedom. I’m for a society in which our people are recognized and respected as human beings, and I believe that we have the right to resort to any means necessary to bring that about.”-Malcom X, interview with Claude Lewis (December 1964) This statement and others helped propel the recognition of prejudice in the heart of America.Whenever I research into a past leader I always feel a great sadness that a great mind has perished with the person. But in this one case, there is a small sense of relief.Violence bleeds violence. A man that has preached violence to advance his cause was gunned down by 3 men whom he has preached. They stood over his body and emptied their guns. I hope all people can learn from this and move forward together as a nation in peace.
7.1кб. | download | скачати
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line71
|
__label__cc
| 0.738117
| 0.261883
|
Utopia Essay, Research Paper
Utopias are generally said to be societies in which the political,
social and economic troubles hampering its inhabitants has been done away with.
Instead the state is there to serve the people and ensure the peacefulness and
happiness of everyone. The word utopia, which means “no place” in Greek, was
first used to mean a perfect society in 1516 in the publication of Saint Thomas
More’s story “Utopia”. The story depicted life as it was with its people and
social institutions on an imaginary island. More’s Utopia gained critical
acclaim and a wide audience. The term was subsequently used by all prominent
social thinkers and visionaries to define other concepts of this kind.
During the 19th century many attempts were made to actually establish
communities which followed the beliefs of a utopian society. Most were
experiments in utopian socialism. Although they differed considerably in their
specific views, most of them agreed that ideal societies could be created
without much difficulty. They felt all that was needed was to have the
formation of a few small, cooperative communities made up of their followers.
The comte de Saint-Simon regarded technological progress and large scale
economic organization as being the most important keys to the establishment of
these communities. It was felt that industrial growth was the key to happiness
for people in the future.
Another visionary, Fourier, was quite the opposite of Saint-Simon. He
Spoke strongly against the use of industry. His opinion was that agricultural
communities would be better suited for this situation. He favored these
communities as he saw them as small, self-sufficient and more importantly, free
from the restraints that were being imposed by civilization.
Experimental societies based on the theories of the utopians were also
set up in Europe and the Unites States. They included Robert Owen’s cooperative
communities in New Harmony, lnd., and New Lanark, Scotland. Most of these did
not survive long. One of the longer lasting of these communities was the Oneida
Community. It lasted from 1848 to 1881. By the middle of the 19th century the
utopian socialists were beginning to be eclipsed by more militant radical
movements. These included anarchism and Marxism.
In more modern times, utopianism has more frequently been used to
suggest a naive and impractical approach to reality. Most comes by way of
literature with stories such as a way to expose modern societies social ills.
Some prominent examples of this type of writing include George Orwell’s 1984 and
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World”.
The places mentioned in those stories were all imaginary. Such a place
does not exist in the world as we know it today. Therefore the word imaginary
comes into play. I have heard of places that have experimented with the concept
of a utopian environment but none have truly succeeded. One example is the
community in Chicago which George Pullman attempted to control. He attempted to
create a community in which every person was taken care for, all had adequate
housing, medical attention and so forth. In return everyone would work for
Pullman’s company. The better he provided for his workers, the better he
expected their attitude towards working for him would be. Not everything turned
out as planned though. A panic in 1893 lead to Pullman lowering the employees
wages, he did not however lower the employees rent and other charges in the
company town. This lead to what was called the Pullman strike. The anticipated
utopia had turned into a dystopia. (A dystopia would be the exact opposite of a
utopia.) Federal troops arrived on July 4th to try to control the unrest.
Rioting broke out and several strikers were killed. It wasn’t until July 10th
that the troops were able to control the situation.
The word utopia however does not necessarily have to be used to define a
society. A utopia can also be used to define a certain situation as it is
perceived by an individual. A person who feels that their life at the specific
point in time is perfect or a person who is involved with a certain group or
organization can very well feel that they are living in a utopic way.
Regardless of what others may feel, These people feel content that their choices
are the right ones.
These choices are not always the right ones however. Let’s take the
example of the Koresh commune in Waco, Texas. The people who migrated to this
place did so by their own choice. It was their belief that the ideas on how to
live shared by David Koresh were the right ones. They felt that this was the
way that they wanted to live their lives. The inhabitants disagreed with the
ways of society and chose to live in a way completely shut off from the rest of
the world. Meanwhile, to the outside world was well aware that what was going
on in the commune was not right. There were reports of child abuse, and sexual
misconduct. This lead to a stand off between the followers of Koresh and the
military. Unfortunately that situation got out of hand and there were resulting
casualties. This goes to show how hard one would fight and how much one would
gibe to be able to achieve that perfect life which is dreamt about by so many.
They went as far as to give their lives.
Another example of individuals striving for what they consider to be a
utopic society for themselves is the formation of different social-political and
at times militant groups of different kinds. These kind of things have been
appearing throughout history. Some were successful to a certain degree in their
own right, while others have been complete failures. Let me say before I
continue that I am not endorsing the beliefs of any particular group nor
condemning others. I will merely try to give a brief over view of what they
stood for.
One example of these factions was the Black Panther Party. This was a
group of African-Americans that formed in order to try to resolve some of the
issues of civil rights for their people. They felt it was only right that they
as people had the freedom that was given to others. They wanted the power to
determine the destiny of the black community. They also felt that it was up to
the government to provide employment or a guaranteed income for all of the
people. The panthers also sought restitution for the slavery of their ancestors.
These are a few of the demands that were put forth by the Black Panthers.
Although many Americans at that time considered these demands to be excessive,
the Black Panthers saw them as just. One could say that a society in which
their demands were met could be considered a utopia. At least in the eyes of
the Black Panthers.
Another example that I can think of is the formation of the Nazis in
Germany. The Nazis lead by Adolph Hitler also sought to get what they felt
would be the right thing for their people. Few would argue though that their
views were misguided though. They felt that the Aryan People were superior to
the others. And with that in mind, they embarked on what they hoped would be a
plan towards world domination. During World War II, the Nazis appeared to be
indestructible. They conquered many territories and with that brought a terror
to many people of Europe. Perhaps the most notorious result of these actions
was the attempted genocide of the Jewish People. Nazis saw them as inferior
people and therefore considered them expendable. The Nazis saw their actions as
a way to preserve the type of world they felt was the right one. A utopia is
not always what the majority sees as perfect, at times it is merely the beliefs
shared by a certain group or individual. They sought their utopia, and millions
of Jewish people were killed as a result.
Everyday life can also reflect one’s own pursuit of the perfect life.
We see it everyday in a variety of ways. Yet we don’t necessarily think of
these events, happenings and life decisions in these terms. It can be from the
most life changing decision we make, to the most mundane occurrences. The
struggles of humans throughout the world reflect this.
A person working at a factory, at an office or anywhere for that matter
works hard because they want to earn as much money as they possibly can. They
know that this money can be used for a variety of purposes that they hope will
make their lives easier, happier and overall better. Maybe they’ll be able to
send their children to college. Perhaps a new car or a brand new wardrobe will
make them feel complete. Maybe they will acquire a certain prestige they desire
either from their economic or social status. People in general basically do
everything they do to reach a goal in life. It is viewed as the final stop in a
series of steps that lead to the end. The end being the place where one wins.
Almost like a life-sized game of chutes and ladders. They seek their own
private utopia. This holds true for families all over the United States and
throughout the world.
Even as I think about this, I’m living my life trying to reach a point
where I may be happy. There are things in my wildest fantasies that would make
my life perfect in my eyes.
For starters, I’m writing this paper. Hopefully this will get me a
decent grade. If I also get good grades on all my other classes this semester
and for the rest of the time that I attend Roosevelt University I should receive
my degree. With a degree in hand I’ll go out into the job market in search of a
place to work. If and when I settle down with a company I intend to start to
save some money.
With this money I hope to do a number of things. I want to pay off all
debt that I’ve acquired for educational purposes. I would like to treat myself
to a semi-new automobile. Doesn’t have to be the most luxurious car in the
world, but one that isn’t in constant need of repair as is my current one is. I
would like to save a little bundle on the side to be used as a down payment for
a home. White picket fence, doghouse for rusty, the whole kit and caboodle.
I’ve always dreamt of having a house that I could call my own. No one to tell
me how I have to keep the place.
By then I think it may be time to settle down. Perhaps I’d ask the
woman of my dreams (if not, my current girlfriend will do.) to be my lawfully
wedded wife. And in these turbulent times, maybe the marriage would even be a
happy one. And if the Lord allows, I might even father a few little kids.
In my house, I’d love to have a large screen t.v. and a laser disc
player as I am a movie fanatic. A great big leather lazyboy in front of the t.v.
would also be required. Electronic gizmos of all shapes and sizes would
surround me.
Then as my children grew older, I’d hope to be able to provide them with
the opportunity to receive a college education, as this is key to success. To
see them go on to do well for themselves would make me very proud.
By then I would start to contemplate retirement. I’d hope to have a
nice little nest egg stashed away so that I may live comfortably for the rest of
my life. I hope to grow old peacefully, and as gruesome as this may sound, I
hope that when my time does come, I die in my sleep. Never felling a thing.
I know that many of the things I just mentioned may never happen. Many
of my wishes are just that, wishful thinking. It is just a concept of a type of
life I would like to live. Real or not. But after all, its MY private utopia.
Plus we must remember that utopias in these times in their most technical
definition do not exist. They are merely ideas and concepts of the world as man
would wish it were. Being a man in this world of ours, I have my wishes too.
19.2кб. | download | скачати
Utopia Z
Utopia Of More
Utopia By More
My Own Utopia
My Utopia
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line72
|
__label__cc
| 0.676127
| 0.323873
|
Truth of MH 370 Flying By?
http://www.jimstonefreelance.com/awacs.html
Jim Stone writes in his blog why he believes AWACS was used to take over and control the "missing" plane of flight MH 370.
That's Airborne Warning and Control System. This is technology used by aircraft to "detect aircraft, ships and vehicles at long ranges and perform control and
command of the battle space." The technology can also take over and electronically "hijack" airplanes, including planes for passenger flights.
Stone presents an interesting case for this theory. He gets the flight number incorrect and makes a questionable comparison to the allegations of planes hitting the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, but explains the AWACS theory well. He states, among other things, that AWACS can cause a plane to fall off civilian radars but not military radars (which apparently happened here). The facts of cell phones ringing also support an AWACS hijack and landing, as does the fact of "missing" black boxes. Give it a read!
The "Third Edition" of Planes without Passengers
A recent reviewer of my book Planes without Passengers: the Faked Hijackings of 9/11 (2nd edition) wrote that the book needs a third edition. He is right. I write this “edition” to distill the message of the first two editions to just one sentence:
THERE WERE NO HIJACKINGS ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001.
In short, the stories of plane hijackings and the use of the planes by hijackers to strike buildings was a complete hoax. So, too, were stories of distressed passenger calls from planes. The more I researched and debated this matter, furthermore, the more it appeared that, with some exceptions, the alleged passengers were manufactured or used identities.
Background information on the web are these two essays, the first co-written with Jim Fetzer:
“The 9/11 Passenger Paradox: What Happened to Flight 93?”
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/03/15/the-911-passenger-paradox-what-happened-to-flight-93/
“The 9/11 Passenger Paradox: What Happened to Flights 175, 77 and 11?”
http://deanhartwell.weebly.com/1/post/2012/03/the-911-passenger-paradox-what-happened-to-flights-175-77-and-11.html
Can anyone disprove my hypothesis?
Read outside the Box with Facts Talk but the Guilty Walk
_Read author Dean T. Hartwell's latest thoughts on 9/11, including whether Navy SEALs really killed bin Laden and why the public could not find its way out of the "box" that the official theory placed it in!
Hartwell puts into regular-sized font all of his work on the subject of 9/11. You will receive the following:
Part One - "Indictment of Conspiracy," a chapter from his book "Dead Men Talking: Consequences of Government Lies." Hartwell identifies many of the perpetrators of the crimes of 9/11 and states what they did and with whom they did it.
Part Two - the entire best-selling book "Planes without Passengers: the Faked Hijackings of 9/11." Hartwell gives a compelling hypothesis, backed by fact and circumstantial evidence, that the plotters used planes and passengers as props to simulate hijackings and to misdirect the investigation.
Part Three - a series of essays on the topic of 9/11 going back to Hartwell's writings from 2005 to the present. Among them is "If a Good Man Would Have Talked: the Grand Jury Testimony of Colin Powell," a fictional hearing in which the reader learns the group of people behind the whole crimes.
Another essay, "Osama bin Laden Had Nothing to Do with 9/11" is a timely and well-reasoned argument that the United States used bin Laden, first as a partner in fighting the old Soviet Union in Afghanistan, and then as a scapegoat for the events of 9/11.
Readers can also get a sense not only of what really happened on September 11, 2001 but how the event was planned and intended to be carried out. A good essay for this concept is "How the Plotters Scripted 9/11."
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line75
|
__label__wiki
| 0.587904
| 0.587904
|
Woman shot in stomach at DeKalb motel | Crime
Woman shot in stomach at DeKalb motel
Wednesday, August 13th, 2014, 5:07am
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- DeKalb County Police believe a woman shot herself in the stomach inside a room at a Flat Shoals Road motel Wednesday morning.
It happened at around 12:30 a.m. at the Gulf American Inns, just north of I-285
The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen; police said the bullet passed all the way through her body. She told police an unknown man shot her, but an officer on the scene said investigators believe the injury was self-inflicted.
The woman also told police she is a few weeks pregnant. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The shooting is under investigation.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line76
|
__label__wiki
| 0.97962
| 0.97962
|
AAU Announces 2013 Sullivan Award Nominees
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – (March 10, 2014) – The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) announced today that 19 nominees have been selected for the 2013 James E. Sullivan Award, which honors the nation's outstanding amateur athlete. Nominees include Olympic gold medalists David Boudia and Katie Ledecky, along with college football stars AJ McCarron, University of Alabama, Blake Bortles, University of Central Florida, and Tre Mason, member of Auburn’s 2013 BCS National Champion team.
“I am extremely proud of the 2013 slate of nominees for the highest honor the AAU bestows—the AAU James E. Sullivan Award,” said Henry Forrest, President of the AAU. “These young women and men are the best and the brightest among the hundreds of thousands of amateur athletes who are pursuing their dreams. Not just on the court, the field, the mat, the water or in the gym, these outstanding athletes demonstrate character and leadership in their communities as well.”
Today marks the first day of voting to find the winner of the 2013 AAU Sullivan Award. Voting is open to the public and will account for one-third of the athlete’s overall score. The nominees were nominated by someone who thought they fit the requirements of outstanding athletic ability, strong character, leadership and sportsmanship. The public can cast their vote by going to www.aausports.org. Voting will remain open until March 23rd at 11:59 EST.
Three finalists will be named no later than March 28th and the winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday, April 11th at the AAU National Headquarters in Orlando, Fla.
The Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930, and is based on character, leadership and sportsmanship. Notable recipients of the AAU Sullivan Award include: Mark Spitz, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Florence Joyner, Peyton Manning, Michael Phelps, J.J. Redick, Tim Tebow, Shawn Johnson and Missy Franklin.
Nominees for the 2013 James E. Sullivan Award:
Ashley Bishop
One of the two Feature Twirlers for the Florida State University March Chiefs, Ashley Bishop is the reigning AAU Junior Olympic Games College National Champion. She was also the AAU Junior Olympic Games Advance Senior National Champion for two consecutive years. Ashley has held numerous other national, regional and state level titles in solo, strut, two baton, three baton, and duet throughout her twirling career in NBTA, USTA and AAU.
University of Central Florida Football
Star quarterback for the University of Central Florida Knights, Blake Bortles had a memorable year for himself and his school. Blake was chosen as a member of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch list, an honor given to the nation’s top college quarterback. After an impressive season, he led the Knights to the Fiesta Bowl, which they won against Baylor for their first BCS victory.
David Boudia
USA Diving's 2013 Athlete of the Year, David Boudia took home the silver medal on the 10-meter in the 2013 FINA World Championships, making him the first American male to medal on 10-meter in back-to-back World Championships since 1986. He was also the first U.S. Olympic gold medalist in men’s 10-meter in 22 years.
Liz Brenner
Oregon Volleyball, Basketball, Track &Field
A three-sport athlete at the University of Oregon, this is Liz Brenner’s second time being nominated for the AAU Sullivan Award. On the hardwood, she scored a career-high 17 points in Oregon’s rivalry game against Oregon State. In volleyball, Liz was a 2013 All-America Second Team selection after leading the Pac-12 in kills and ranking ninth in the country. She recently joined the track and field team and won the javelin competition at the Oregon Twilight and Oregon State High Performance Meet, where she came in 8th place, capturing All-America honors in her second sport.
Rachel Fattal
Freshman at UCLA, Rachel Fattal helped the Bruins claim a third place finish in the NCAA Championships, where she was honored as the MPSF Rookie of the Year. She joined Team USA after her academic year was over and made her FINA World Championship debut in Barcelona, where she helped the Senior National Team to a fifth place finish. Following that performance she was named the Most Valuable Player of the FINA Junior World Championships, where Team USA won their first gold medal since 2005.
Joy Woog-Garvey
A devoted wife and mother, Joy Woog-Garvey is a menace on the rink. She scored the tying goal in the championship game with only three minutes remaining, which led her team to beat Canada 2-1 and take home the gold medal at the FIRS Women’s World Hockey Championships. She led a team of “cast-offs” who had no team to play on to a gold medal in the North American Rolley Hockey Championships. In a landslide, her peers elected her to represent all athletes, worldwide, as their representative to the Federation of International Roller Sports.
Bria Hartley
University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball
Senior guard for the University of Connecticut, Bria Hartley, finished the season second on the squad with 126 assists, third in steals with 53 and fifth in scoring at 9.2 points per game. She led in assists in a team-high 16 games and was one of only three Huskies to accumulate 1,500 career points, 500 career rebounds and 500 career assists. She was the 2013-All-NCAA Tournament Team selection and ninth on UConn's all-time scoring list.
Robert Herbst
AAU Powerlifting
A 26-time National Champion, Robert Herbst, overcame many obstacles in 2013 after suffering debilitating injuries in his elbow. Despite this injury, he placed first in the 50-54 age group at the AAU World Powerlifting Championships and placed second in the Open Division at the same event. He took home the gold in the AAU Raw National Powerlifting Championships, giving him his 18th consecutive AAU National Championship win. He placed first in the 55-59 age group in the World Drug Free Powerlifting Federation World Championships, collecting his second World Championship win of the year.
University of Miami Volleyball
As a senior, Alex Johnson helped her Miami team earn a spot in the 2013 NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive year. She never missed a game for her entire college career, playing in 125 matches. She finished the season ranked in the top ten in kills, points, assists, service aces, block assists, total blocks and digs. She was on the honor roll and dean’s list every year and was named to the All ACC Academic team.
Olympic Swimmer
Sixteen year old, Katie Ledecky racked up the accolades in 2012-2013. She earned an Olympic gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, four gold medals at the FINA World Championships, five national titles, two world records and four American records. At fifteen years old, she was the youngest member of the entire U.S. Olympic athlete delegation at the 2012 London Olympics, winning the gold in her very first international and Olympic swim event.
Tre Mason
Auburn University Football
Starting tailback for the Auburn Tigers, Tre Mason was the MVP of the SEC Championship game against Missouri and was named to the Athlon Second Team All-American. He was the fifth-highest in the nation in yards with 1,816 and tied for the third most touchdowns in a season with 23. He led the SEC in rushing yards per game, rush attempts and scoring. He is one of only six players in Auburn history to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
University of Alabama Football
Heisman Trophy runner-up, AJ McCarron was named first team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the American Football Coaches Association. He was the Offensive Player of the Week after a win over the sixth ranked Aggies and received the Maxwell Award as the College Football Player of the Year and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for the nation’s most outstanding senior quarterback.
Cory Ann McGee
University of Florida Track & Field
Cory McGee suffered what could have been a career ending injury in 2012, but managed to recover and have an electric 2013 season on the track. She ended the year with 5 first place finishes, 6 second place finishes, and 2 third place finishes. She became the all-time University of Florida record holder in the women’s 1,500 meter by running a 4:06.67.
John Michael Nagel
After injuries slowed him down in 2012, John Michael Nagel came back with a fury in 2013. He received two silver medals at the AAU State Taekwondo Championships and competed in Forms/Poomsae in the National Championships, where he won the bronze with a broken rib. He was awarded his second degree black belt after training in Taekwondo for 15 years.
Kelsey Robinson
University of Nebraska Volleyball
Kelsey Robinson played and started in all 33 matches for the University of Nebraska volleyball team, totaling 530 kills and averaging 4.45 kills per set for the 2013 season. She led the Big Ten in kills and points per set during the conference season and ended her senior year ranked ninth in hitting percentage, second in kills, and fifth in aces in the Big Ten. She was honored as the AVCA/Sports Imports Player of the Week and was named to the 2013 AVCA First-Team All-American and First Team North Region.
Jude Schimmel
University of Louisville Women’s Basketball
As a sophomore at the University of Louisville, Jude Schimmel didn’t miss a game. She grabbed multiple career-high records and scored the game-winning basket in the Cardinals’ win over Texas A&M. She ranks second on the team in steals, assists, and in three-point field goal percentage. She is very active in the Native American community and speaks at conferences and reservations around the nation.
Shoni Schimmel
In her junior season at the University of Louisville, Shoni Schimmel was named to the WBCA All-Region for Region 1, along with being named to the Wooden Watch List and the Preseason Wade Watch List. She became the 23rd 1,000 point scorer in school history in 2013 and ranked 13th in the league in scoring and third in three-point field goals made. Like her sister, Jude, she is very active in the Native American community and speaks at conferences and reservations around the nation.
John Urschel
John Urschel, a First Team All-Big Ten guard in 2013, was named an AP Third Team All-American and helped the Nittany Lions to a winning season for the fourth time in his career. He was awarded the honor of being a team captain for Penn State and was selected as a recipient of the Penn State’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. He received his second First Team Academic All-America Team in 2013 and is currently working on attaining his second master’s degree in math education.
Alli Williams
Saint Francis University Women’s Basketball
Alli Williams became the 11th player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 300 career steals. She has also ranked in the top ten in the country for points per game and steals per game during the season. She was named team captain of the Saint Francis University women’s basketball team in her junior year by her teammates and coaches and has proven herself a leader off the court in her community service initiatives.
About the AAU
Founded in 1888, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. The philosophy of “Sports for All, Forever,” is shared by over 500,000 participants and over 50,000 volunteers. The AAU is divided into 57 distinct Districts which annually sanction more than 34 sports programs, 250 national championships, and over 30,000 age division events. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.
Place YOUR vote for the 84th Annual AAU Sullivan Award HERE.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line78
|
__label__cc
| 0.742947
| 0.257053
|
Prime Slots Casino
Visit Prime Slots Casino >>
About Prime Slots Casino
Prime Slots Casino was founded in 2011 and offers online casino services under the UK Gambling Commission and Malta Gaming Authority gaming licenses. The casino features a selection of over 150 games including video-slots, classic and live-dealer casino games from some of the best-known gaming providers such as NetEnt, NeoGames and Amaya to name but a few. In-terms of looks; Prime Slots Casino features a classic slots theme with a splash of light green completing the effect. Navigation is very intuitive, and the casino plays very well on smartphones and tablets so you can take the casino action anywhere with you. New players are treated well at Prime Slots Casino with a great welcome bonus of up to 100 Free Spins (Full terms available through the links on this page) while there’s plenty of reason for players to return as the casino has a range of reload bonuses such as the Rewards Program. Players are looked after by the casino support team, who are available via email. Play now at Prime Slots Casino and we’re sure you’ll have a great time.
60 times free spin winnings
Terms and Conditions apply. New players only. 18+. Min deposit £10. Wagering requirement apply 35x. Offer valid for 24hr.
Prime Slots Casino may not be available to players from the following countries:
Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Cote D’ Ivoire, Cuba, Curaçao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia Faroe Islands, France, Georgia, Ghana, Greece, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Prime Slots Casino may offer the following banking methods to players, subject to their country of residence:
Visa, MasterCard, Skrill, Neteller, Eco, PaysafeCard
Prime Slots Casino Terms and Conditions >>
Prime Slots Casino Bonus Terms and Conditions >>
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line81
|
__label__cc
| 0.597332
| 0.402668
|
AZAI
Azai Hisamasa
Azai Hisamasa Explained
was a son of Azai Sukemasa and the second head of the Azai clan.Hisamasa became the head of the clan in 1542 after his father died, but unlike his father, he was never a strong leader. Losing domains against Rokkaku clan, he instead became a Rokkaku retainer. Hisamasa's retainers had enough and after his son Azai Nagamasa won the Battle of Norada against a force at least twice the size of his led by Rokkaku Yoshikata to win back independence, they forced Hisamasa into retirement.
Yet, this retirement was not complete and Hisamasa managed to hold some sway of the clan. This surfaced in 1570 after Oda Nobunaga who was allied with his son, Azai Nagamasa, attacked Asakura Yoshikage who had supported Hisamasa against enemies like the Rokkaku clan. Hating Nobunaga for his personality, Hisamasa demanded that the Azai clan pay back the support of Asakura clan and forced a war by breaking the alliance. It is thought that Nagamasa opposed him and believed that the alliance could somehow be mended over time since he refused to divorce his wife, Oichi, but he failed to gain enough support to overturn Hisamasa.
On 1573, Odani Castle was besieged by Nobunaga's forces, and facing a loss Hisamasa committed seppuku.
Father: Azai Sukemasa (1491-1542)
Son: Azai Nagamasa (1545-1573)
Daughter: Kyōgoku Maria (1543-1618)
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Azai Hisamasa".
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line82
|
__label__cc
| 0.710497
| 0.289503
|
GIFT EM FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE – SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP L.L.C ("Company") maintains the website http://www.giftem.ae/ ("Site"). The following are the terms of use that govern use of the Site ("Terms of Use"). By using the Site you expressly agree to be bound by these Terms of Use and the privacy policy and to follow these Terms of Use and all applicable laws and regulations governing use of the Site. COMPANY reserves the right to change these Terms of Use at any time, effective immediately upon posting on the Site. Please check this page of the Site periodically. We will note when there are updates to the Terms of Use at the bottom of the Terms of Use. If you violate these Terms of Use, COMPANY may terminate your use of the Site, bar you from future use of the Site, and/or take appropriate legal action against you.
You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, revocable and non-transferable license to utilize and access the Site pursuant to the requirements and restrictions of these Terms of Use. COMPANY may change, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the Site at any time. COMPANY may also, without notice or liability, impose limits on certain features and services or restrict your access to all or portions of the Site. You shall have no rights to the proprietary software and related documentation, if any, provided to you in order to access the Site. Except as provided in the Terms of Use, you shall have no right to directly or indirectly, own, use, loan, sell, rent, lease, license, sublicense, assign, copy, translate, modify, adapt, improve, or create any new or derivative works from, or display, distribute, perform, or in any way exploit the Site, or any of its contents (including software) in whole or in part.
SITE OPERATION
United Arab Emirates is our Country of Domicile. COMPANY controls this Site from the U.A.E. COMPANY makes no representation that this Site is appropriate for use in other locations. If you use this Site from other locations you are responsible for ensuring compliance with local laws. You may not use, export or re-export any materials from this Site in violation of any applicable laws or regulations, including, but not limited to any U.A.E export laws and regulations.
The Laws of the United Arab Emirates shall govern the use of the Site and the Terms of Use, without regards to conflict of laws principals. All disputes arising in connection therewith shall be heard only by a court of competent jurisdiction in U.A.E.
MULTI-CURRENCY PRICED TRANSACTION
the displayed price and currency selected by you, will be the same price and currency charged to the Card and printed on the Transaction Receipt.
COMPANY accepts payment by Visa or Mastercard debit and credit cards in AED for its products and services. All online purchases are also governed by the terms and conditions of respective merchant service providers. Please review respective merchant service provider’s user agreement and privacy policy before entering any transaction. These Terms of Use supersede all other written and oral communications or agreements with regard to the subject matters discussed in these Terms of Use. A waiver or modification of these Terms of Use will only be effective if made in writing signed by an authorized officer of COMPANY. All refunds will be made onto the original mode of payment.
All prices displayed on the website and application are in AED currency. In case there is any error we discover in the price of items ordered, user will be contacted and will have the option of either to confirm the order at the correct price or to cancel it. In case the user decides to cancel the order, a full refund of that item will be given. If the user cannot be contacted then the order will be cancelled.
OFFICE FOREIGN ASSETS CONTROL (OFAC) SANCTIONED COUNTRIES
COMPANY will not trade with or provide any services to individuals and companies owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, OFAC targeted countries and individuals, groups, and entities, such as terrorists and narcotics traffickers designated under the OFAC programs that are not country specific.
REPRESENTATIONS BY YOU
By visiting the Site, you represent, warrant and covenant that (a) you are at least 18 years old; (b) that all materials of any kind submitted by you to COMPANY through the Site or for inclusion on the Site will not plagiarize, violate or infringe upon the rights of any third-party including trade secret, copyright, trademark, trade dress, privacy, patent, or other personal or proprietary rights. The customer using the website who are Minor /under the age of 18 shall not register as a User of the website and shall not transact on or use the website.
You agree that you are only authorized to visit, view and to retain a copy of pages of this Site for your own personal use, that you shall not duplicate, download, publish, modify or otherwise distribute the material on this Site for any purpose other than for personal use, unless otherwise specifically authorized by COMPANY to do so. You also agree not to deep-link to the site for any purpose, unless specifically authorized by COMPANY to do so. The content and software on this Site is the property of COMPANY. The cardholder must retain a copy of transaction records and Merchant policies and rules.
If you use COMPANY Site, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your account from any devices, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account or password. The Site shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, in any way for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of, or in connection with, your failure to comply with this section.
NO COMMERCIAL USE
This Site may not be used by you for any commercial purposes such as to conduct sales of merchandise or services of any kind. You must obtain COMPANY’s prior written consent to make commercial offers of any kind on the Site, whether by advertising, solicitations, links, or any other form of communication. COMPANY will investigate and take appropriate legal action against anyone who violates this provision, including without limitation, removing the offending communication from the Site and barring such violators from use of the Site.
LINKS AND SEARCH RESULTS
The Site may automatically produce search results that reference and/or link to third party sites throughout the World Wide Web. COMPANY has no control over these sites or the content within them. COMPANY does not guarantee, represent or warrant that the content contained in the sites is accurate, legal and/or inoffensive. COMPANY does not endorse the content of any third party site, nor does it make any representation or warranty about these sites, including that they will not contain viruses or otherwise impact your computer. By using the Site to search for or link to another site, you agree and understand that you may not make any claim against COMPANY for any damages or losses, whatsoever, resulting from your use of the Site to obtain search results or to link to another site. If you have a problem with a link from the Site, you may notify us at info@giftem.ae
COMPANY may terminate the privileges of any user who uses this Site to unlawfully transmit copyrighted material without a license, express consent, valid defense or fair use exemption to do so. If you submit information to this Site, you warrant that the information does not infringe the copyrights or other rights of third parties.
Although COMPANY is not responsible for the content, quality or accuracy of data provided by users, compilations of such data, text, information and other materials made available to users through COMPANY’s system. The On-line Materials are COMPANY’s intellectual property, and are protected by U.S. and international intellectual property laws. The On-line Materials may not be copied or redistributed either in whole or in part without prior written consent of COMPANY, except as expressly and specifically permitted under these Terms of Use.
The On-line Materials are and will remain the exclusive property of COMPANY. All rights, titles and interests in and to the On-line Materials will be and remain vested solely in COMPANY. Under no circumstances will you have any right, directly or indirectly, to own, use, copy, loan, sell, rent, lease, license, sublicense, redistribute, assign or otherwise convey the On- line Materials, or any rights thereto, except as expressly and specifically provided in the Terms of Use. Nothing in these Terms of Use will convey to you any right, title or interest, except that of a license with the express rights and subject to all limitations herein. Nothing in these Terms of Use grants you the right, directly or indirectly, to use the On-line Materials to create a product for resale or to use the On-line Materials in any way that competes with COMPANY.You acknowledge and agree that COMPANY will own all rights, titles and interests in and to any copy, translation, modification, adaptation, derivative work or improvement of the On- line Materials made by or for you. At COMPANY’s request, you must execute, or obtain the execution of, any instrument that may be necessary to assign these rights, titles or interests to COMPANY or perfect these rights, titles or interests in COMPANY’s name.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF DAMAGES
Company makes no warranty or representation of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranty of title or non-infringement or implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement or other violation of rights in relation to the availability, accuracy, validity, reliability or content of these pages and/or the site. Company also does not make any representation or warranty regarding the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information that is submitted, displayed or uploaded through the site by any user. Company shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, lost profits or for business interruption arising out of the use of or inability to use this site, even if Company has been advised of the possibility of such damages. some jurisdictions do not allow exclusion of certain warranties or limitations of liability, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. The liability of company would in such case be limited to the greatest extent of liability permitted by law.
VIOLATION OF TERMS OF USE
You understand and agree that in COMPANY’s sole discretion, and without prior notice, COMPANY may terminate your access to the Site, or exercise any other remedy available and remove any unauthorized user information, if COMPANY believes that the information you provide has violated or is inconsistent with these Terms of Use, or violates the rights of COMPANY, or any third party, or violates the law. You agree that monetary damages may not provide a sufficient remedy to COMPANY for violations of these Terms of Use and you consent to injunctive or other equitable relief for such violations. COMPANY may release user information about you if required by law or subpoena.
You agree to indemnify and hold COMPANY, its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents and other partners and employees, harmless from any loss, liability, claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of or relating to your use of the Site, including also your use of the Site to provide a link to another site or to upload content or other information to the Site, or your breach of the Terms of Use.
The Site may contain advertisements and/or sponsorships. The advertisers and/or sponsors that provide these advertisements and sponsorships are solely responsible for insuring that the materials submitted for inclusion on the Site are accurate and comply with all applicable laws. COMPANY is not responsible for the acts or omissions of any advertiser or sponsor.
If any provision of the Terms of Use is held to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall nevertheless continue in full force and effect.
DELIVERY LOCATIONS & TIME
Delivery service is available all over the UAE.
- For orders delivery in Abu Dhabi, they will be delivered within the same day or as specified by the use. Orders will be delivered by Company everyday.
- For orders delivery in Northern Emirates & Al-Ain, minimum one day advance notice is required and will be delivered by courier everyday except Fridays.
GIFT PICKUP
Gift pickup is available within Abu Dhabi only, where the gift can be collected from the locations as specified by user then it will be wrapped and delivered to the location specified by the user all over UAE.
Delivery cost varys based on locations, it will be stated on the website and application upon user’s selection.
ITEMS AVAILABILITY
Some items might be only available during specific seasons or items could be out of stock. If for any reason, some or all of the ordered items are not available, users will be contacted using the contact details provided and will be informed about the alternatives and whether there is any change in price. In case the user decides to cancel the order, a full refund of that item will be given.
Live chat service is available to help users in case any assistant is required. However; it will be only available during working hours.
Working hours are from 10:00 – 19:00 (Saturday - Thursday). Online orders will be processed only during working hours.
If users decide to cancel any order, they can go to “My Orders” then select the order they want to cancel and click on “Cancel order”.
There will be no cancellation fees and the full order amount will be refunded to the user if the order is not yet processed. User will get a notification once the order is processed and cancellation fees will then be applicable. The cancellation fees percentage (%) will appear to users upon clicking "Cancel order" button.
Refunds will be made back to the payment solution used initially by the customer. Please allow for up to 45 days for the refund transfer to be completed.
We will refund the cost in full if the order is not delivered on time, delivered with error and if order is damaged during delivery.
Refund will be done only through the original mode of payment.
If any order is received by the customer then Company will not accept a return of that order and will not provide refund.
LICENSE GRANTED TO YOU
By providing materials to Company, by submitting or uploading content or materials for use on the Site you represent and warrant that you or the owner of all rights to such content or materials has expressly granted Company an irrevocable world-wide right in all languages and in perpetuity to use and exploit all or any part of the content and materials provided by you. Company may publish and distribute any such submitted content or materials at its sole discretion by any method now existing or later developed. You agree that you shall waive all claims and have no recourse against Company for any alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary rights in any communication, content or material submitted to Company. Any communication or materials you send to Company will be treated as non- confidential and non-proprietary and may be disseminated or used by Company for any purpose, including, but not limited to, developing, creating, manufacturing or marketing products or services.
Headings & section titles in this Agreement are for convenience and do not define, limit, or extend any provision of this Agreement.
Copyright 2019 @ Gift'em. All rights reserved.
Enter the email address registered with Gift’em and we’ll email you the link to reset password.
Remember Password? Sign In
Sign In to Gift’em
Sign Up with Gift’em
Algeria (+213) Andorra (+376) Angola (+244) Anguilla (+1264) Antigua & Barbuda (+1268) Argentina (+54) Armenia (+374) Aruba (+297) Australia (+61) Austria (+43) Azerbaijan (+994) Bahamas (+1242) Bahrain (+973) Bangladesh (+880) Barbados (+1246) Belarus (+375) Belgium (+32) Belize (+501) Benin (+229) Bermuda (+1441) Bhutan (+975) Bolivia (+591) Bosnia Herzegovina (+387) Botswana (+267) Brazil (+55) Brunei (+673) Bulgaria (+359) Burkina Faso (+226) Burundi (+257) Cambodia (+855) Cameroon (+237) USA (+1) Cape Verde Islands (+238) Cayman Islands (+1345) Central African Republic (+236) Chile (+56) China (+86) Colombia (+57) Mayotte (+269) Congo (+242) Cook Islands (+682) Costa Rica (+506) Croatia (+385) Cuba (+53) Cyprus North (+90392) Cyprus South (+357) Czech Republic (+42) Denmark (+45) Djibouti (+253) Dominican Republic (+1809) Ecuador (+593) Egypt (+20) El Salvador (+503) Equatorial Guinea (+240) Eritrea (+291) Estonia (+372) Ethiopia (+251) Falkland Islands (+500) Faroe Islands (+298) Fiji (+679) Finland (+358) France (+33) French Guiana (+594) French Polynesia (+689) Gabon (+241) Gambia (+220) Georgia (+995) Germany (+49) Ghana (+233) Gibraltar (+350) Greece (+30) Greenland (+299) Grenada (+1473) Guadeloupe (+590) Guam (+671) Guatemala (+502) Guinea (+224) Guinea - Bissau (+245) Guyana (+592) Haiti (+509) Honduras (+504) Hong Kong (+852) Hungary (+36) Iceland (+354) India (+91) Indonesia (+62) Iran (+98) Iraq (+964) Ireland (+353) Israel (+972) Italy (+39) Jamaica (+1876) Japan (+81) Jordan (+962) Uzbekistan (+7) Kenya (+254) Kiribati (+686) Korea North (+850) Korea South (+82) Kuwait (+965) Kyrgyzstan (+996) Laos (+856) Latvia (+371) Lebanon (+961) Lesotho (+266) Liberia (+231) Libya (+218) Liechtenstein (+417) Lithuania (+370) Luxembourg (+352) Macao (+853) Macedonia (+389) Madagascar (+261) Malawi (+265) Malaysia (+60) Maldives (+960) Mali (+223) Malta (+356) Marshall Islands (+692) Martinique (+596) Mauritania (+222) Mexico (+52) Micronesia (+691) Moldova (+373) Monaco (+377) Mongolia (+976) Montserrat (+1664) Morocco (+212) Mozambique (+258) Myanmar (+95) Namibia (+264) Nauru (+674) Nepal (+977) Netherlands (+31) New Caledonia (+687) New Zealand (+64) Nicaragua (+505) Niger (+227) Nigeria (+234) Niue (+683) Norfolk Islands (+672) Northern Marianas (+670) Norway (+47) Oman (+968) Palau (+680) Panama (+507) Papua New Guinea (+675) Paraguay (+595) Peru (+51) Philippines (+63) Poland (+48) Portugal (+351) Puerto Rico (+1787) Qatar (+974) Reunion (+262) Romania (+40) Rwanda (+250) San Marino (+378) Sao Tome & Principe (+239) Saudi Arabia (+966) Senegal (+221) Serbia (+381) Seychelles (+248) Sierra Leone (+232) Singapore (+65) Slovak Republic (+421) Slovenia (+386) Solomon Islands (+677) Somalia (+252) South Africa (+27) Spain (+34) Sri Lanka (+94) St. Helena (+290) St. Kitts (+1869) St. Lucia (+1758) Sudan (+249) Suriname (+597) Swaziland (+268) Sweden (+46) Switzerland (+41) Syria (+963) Taiwan (+886) Thailand (+66) Togo (+228) Tonga (+676) Trinidad & Tobago (+1868) Tunisia (+216) Turkey (+90) Turkmenistan (+993) Turks & Caicos Islands (+1649) Tuvalu (+688) UK (+44) Uganda (+256) Ukraine (+380) United Arab Emirates (+971) Uruguay (+598) Vanuatu (+678) Vatican City (+379) Venezuela (+58) Virgin Islands - US (+1340) Wallis & Futuna (+681) Yemen (North)(+969) Yemen (South)(+967) Zambia (+260) Zimbabwe (+263)
I accept terms and conditions.
A verification link has been sent
to your email address
Your order has been placed successfully.
A photo of the gift after wrapping
will be uploaded once it is ready.
Item added to Cart Successfully!
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line88
|
__label__wiki
| 0.950998
| 0.950998
|
Northern Virginia Royals
Title: Northern Virginia Royals
Subject: Virginia Beach Piranhas, 2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, D.C. United, 2006 PDL season, List of professional sports teams in Virginia
Collection: 1998 Establishments in Virginia, Association Football Clubs Established in 1998, D.C. United, Sports in Northern Virginia, Teams in the Premier Development League, Usisl D-3 Pro League Teams, Usl Second Division Teams, Virginia Soccer Clubs
Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium
Ground Capacity
Mo Sheta
USL Premier Development League
6th, Mid Atlantic
Playoffs: DNQ
Club home page
Early Northern Virginia Royals logo
Northern Virginia Royals is an American soccer team based in Woodbridge, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.
The team plays its home games at Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium in nearby Manassas, Virginia, where they have played since 2010. The team's colors are blue, gold and white.
The team has a sister organization, the Northern Virginia Majestics, who play in the women's USL W-League, and fields a team in the USL’s Super-20 League, a league for players 17 to 20 years of age run under the United Soccer Leagues umbrella. Throughout their recent history, the Royals have enjoyed minor league affiliation with D.C. United, the nearby Major League Soccer franchise.
D-3 Pro League 1.1
Pro Select League/USL Second Division 1.2
USL Premier Development League 1.3
Current roster 2.1
Notable former players 2.2
Year-by-year 3
Head coaches 4
Stadia 5
Average attendance 6
D-3 Pro League
The Northern Virginia Royals joined the USISL D-3 Pro League as an expansion franchise in 1998, and ended their first season in 7th place behind Delaware Wizards in the Atlantic Division with a 5-12-1 record. Their second season, 1999, was a major improvement, with the team winning 10 of their 18 regular season games, and finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division behind Charlotte Eagles, with striker Tim Prisco scoring a team-leading 14 goals. The team also qualified for their first US Open Cup campaign in 1999, but were upset in the first round by Florida PDL side Cocoa Expos, losing an 8-goal thriller 5-3. In the playoffs they beat divisional rivals South Carolina Shamrocks 2-1 in the first round before falling 4-0 to Charlotte in the conference semi final, but the progress on the field seemed to bode well for the future. The 1998 season and the Royals were featured in the book "Unlucky: A Season of Struggle in Minor League Professional Soccer" by Dave Ungrady, who trained and played briefly for the Royals as well. The book was highly critical of the teams ownership and the USL as a whole.[1]
The 2000 season was a disappointment, as the team slumped to a 6-12-0 regular season record and finished the year 7th in the Southern Division behind Texas Rattlers. The Royals did qualify for the US Open Cup for the second time in 2000, but lost at the first attempt for the second straight year, losing 3-2 to the Hampton Roads Mariners in the second round. 2001 was even worse for the Royals, as the team hit rock bottom with just one win all year long, and finished dead last Southern Conference. In a truly testing season they scored just 9 goals while conceding 63 - a quite appalling record. 2002 was an improvement, but only just, as the Royals secured three victories in the 20 game regular season, but still finished in the basement of the Southern Conference, a full 55 points behind divisional champions Wilmington Hammerheads.
Pro Select League/USL Second Division
The D-3 Pro League became the USL Pro Select League in 2003, and the Royals suffered yet another disappointing season, finishing bottom of the 3-team Southern Division, with just 6 wins for the year. The year began poorly with a 5-game losing streak in May that included a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Wilmington Hammerheads; they finally picked up their first win the last weekend of the opening month, 4-2 over West Virginia Chaos, but promptly lost their next four games on the trot. The Royals did enjoy brief run of form in late June in which they won three straight games, including an exciting 3-2 victory at home over Greenville Lions, and they followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 win over the Chesapeake Dragons in early July, but this as good as it got for the team in 2003. They lost four of their last five games down the home stretch, falling 4-1 to Wilmington Hammerheads on the road on the final day of the season, capping a largely dispiriting year.
If 2003 was bad, then 2004 was even worse as the Royals finished the season rock bottom of the Southern Division, with just three wins all year. The victories - 3-2 over the Long Island Rough Riders in May with two goals from Matthew Osborne, 2-1 over Chesapeake Dragons in June, and then 4-1 over Chesapeake again in July with two goals from Fabio Andrade - were scant reward for a season where they dropped points and conceded goals left right and center everywhere else. They conceded 5 goals in their games against Harrisburg City Islanders, Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Charlotte Eagles in the early part of the season, and then let Charlotte hit them for six in the return fixture in mid-July, their most ignominious defeat of the season. Times were hard in northern Virginia.
Another early Northern Virginia Royals logo
The USL Pro Select League became the USL Second Division in 2005, and dispensed with divisions in favor of a single-table format; for the Royals, this proved to be yet another disastrous season. In what was undoubtedly a long and demoralizing season, the Royals picked up just two wins all season, lost all of their 18 other games, conceded an astonishing 90 goals in the process, and finished bottom of the league, 37 points behind regular season champions Western Mass Pioneers. The wins - a hard fought 4-3 victory over Wilmington Hammerheads and a 3-1 triumph at home over New Hampshire Phantoms with 2 goals from Matthew Osborne - were the loan high points of the season. The Royals were truly awful in every other game: they conceded 5 goals on 5 different occasions, let in 6 goals twice, and lost 7-0 to Charlotte Eagles on the opening day of the season, to Harrisburg City Islanders in late July, and to Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the penultimate game. First choice goalkeeper Alexander Hall ended the year with a dismal 4.514 GAA average, while top scorer Fabio Andrade managed just four goals all season.
With declining attendances and awful on-field performances, the Royals management took the decision to self-relegate themselves to the USL Premier Development League for the 2006 season.
The transition from professionalism to amateurism was not a wholly smooth one for the Royals in 2006. Despite winning their first ever game in the PDL, 3-1 over West Virginia Chaos, the Royals suffered spotty form for most of the season thereafter, never quite building up enough of a head of steam to put together a decent run of victories. They beat Reading Rage 4-2 at home in a seesaw game thanks to two goals from substitute Davorin Husadzinovic, and put together a pair of back-to-back wins over Virginia Legacy and West Virginia Chaos again in early June, but their form on the road was their downfall. A run of five heavy defeats stretching into mid-July, including a 6-0 walloping at the hands of the Virginia Beach Submariners, put pay to any scant playoff hopes they might have had, and despite gaining a 3-1 revenge win over Virginia Beach in the penultimate game of the season, their 2-0 defeat to Raleigh Elite on the final day left them fourth in the Mid Atlantic Division, ten points off the playoff positions. Davorin Husadzinovic was the Royals' top performer, with 4 goals and 8 assists on the season.
The Royals slumped even further in 2007, picking up just three wins all season long, and traveling across Northern Virginia to play home games in four different stadiums. The three wins - 1-0 over Delaware Dynasty, 2-0 over West Virginia Chaos and 2-1 over Reading Rage on the last day of the season - were the lone high points in an otherwise terrible season. Expansion side Fredericksburg Gunners demolished them 7-0 in their first meeting in mid-May, and put another four past them in the return meeting in late June, while Ocean City Barons, Hampton Roads Piranhas and Virginia Legacy all registered comprehensive victories during the Royals' awful mid-season period, 4-0, 5-0 and 6-1 respectively. The Royals finished the year 8th in the Mid Atlantic Division, just one point above basement-dwellers West Virginia Chaos. The team's token top scorers were Francis McCardle and James Stevens, with 3 goals each. Long-time head coach Silvino Gonzalo resigned after the home game against the Fredericksburg Gunners to take up a post with new USL2 franchise Real Maryland Monarchs, and he was replaced by former Royals goalkeeper John Pascarella.
Despite this, things didn't get any better for the Royals in 2008: just three wins, just 20 goals scored, and fifth in the Mid Atlantic Division, out of the playoffs for the third consecutive season at this level. The year actually started quite brightly when the Royals handed the Hampton Roads Piranhas their first home loss in franchise history, 1-0 off an injury-time goal from striker David Atkinson. This proved to be a false dawn, as the Royals failed to win any of their next 10 games: they lost 4-0 to Fredericksburg Gunners in their very next match, lost to them again 3-0 in early June, and frustratingly let a 2-goal lead slip in their 3-3 tie with Richmond Kickers Future. The Royals earned a little bit of revenge over Fredericksburg in early July with a tight 2-1 victory at home, and managed to beat 10-man Virginia Legacy 3-1 on the home stretch, but these were small highlights, and the bigger picture was yet another disappointing one. Matthew Brady and AJ Sheta each scored 4 of the Royals' 20 goals, while Irad Young contributed 3 assists. Unusually, three of the Royal's games in 2008 were abandoned due to inclement weather.
During the 2008 offseason, head coach Pascarella left the team to take up a goalkeeper coaching position with the Kansas City Wizards;[2] he was subsequently replaced by Royals' former Super-Y League coach Tom Torres.[3]
The 2009 season was a disappointment for the Royals, they collected 11 points in posting a 2-9-5 record with a 17-34 goal difference. Their only wins being 3-0 over the West Virginia Chaos and 2-0 over the Virginia Legacy both of which were at home. The leading goalscorers were David Atkinson with 6 goals, and Maurice Hughes with 5 goals. They started off well with a Jonathan Romero goal earning them a 1-1 draw away to Reading Rage, one of only 3 regular season games the Rage never won. Reality soon sat in though as home and away defeats to the Cary Clarets, 3-1 at home and a trio of poor officials saw them lose 6-1 down in North Carolina. An entertaining 1-1 draw at home to Hampton Roads Piranhas was followed by a narrow 1-0 away defeat to local rivals Fredericksburg Gunners. May was closed out with a pair of weekend games at Virginia Legacy the first a 0-0 draw, the second a 4-0 defeat. June saw the side travel down to the Carolina Dynamo where their bad luck with Tarheel officials saw them lose 3-1. Then began a run of four home games which saw them beat the West Virginia Chaos 3-0, draw 1-1 with the Fredericksburg Gunners, then lose 3-1 to the Carolina Dynamo and squander a 2 goal lead in a 3-2 defeat to the Reading Rage. July's games ended with a 2-1 defeat to West Virginia Chaos which saw David Atkinson score the first penalty the team had been awarded in their PDL time. A 2-0 win over the Virginia Legacy was their last success of the campaign, with a 4-0 loss to the Reading Rage and a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Hampton Roads Piranhas rounding out the season. The final loss was made all the more gruelling as the team took up to 7 hours to travel the short journey down to Virginia Beach due to traffic congestion and accidents on I-95, I-295, I-64 and at the I-64 tunnel. The team had to start the delayed game with some of their starters still stuck in traffic.
As of June 8, 2011.[4]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
1 GK Robert Flott
2 DF A. J. Sheta[5]
4 DF Sam Eng
5 DF Steven Wagoner[6]
6 MF Adam Lauko
7 MF Kareem Sheta
8 MF Grady Renfrow
9 MF Eber Martinez[7]
10 FW Kennedy O'Shea
11 MF Eber Martinez
12 FW Richard Burke
13 DF Sean O'Reilly[8]
14 FW Bernardo Majano
15 DF Sean O'Reilly
16 FW Carlos Cartegena
17 FW Forrest Clancy
18 MF Steven Duran
19 FW Scott Mitchell[9]
20 DF Kevin Zhu
21 MF Travis Pittman
23 MF Joseph Barnd
24 MF Saul Pacheco
25 DF Joseph Glos
26 DF Moussa Diallo
27 MF Steven Mashinski[10]
30 MF Conor Thomson
31 GK Calle Brown
GK William Herrmann
GK John Trye
Notable former players
See also: All-time Northern Virginia Royals roster
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Yu Hoshide
Troy Perkins
Doug Warren
1998 3 USISL D-3 Pro League 7th, Atlantic Did not qualify Did not qualify
1999 3 USL D-3 Pro League 4th, Atlantic Conference Semifinals 1st Round
2000 3 USL D-3 Pro League 7th, Southern Did not qualify 2nd Round
2001 3 USL D-3 Pro League 4th, Southern Did not qualify Did not qualify
2003 3 USL Pro Select League 3rd, Southern Did not qualify Did not qualify
2004 3 USL Pro Soccer League 3rd, Southern Did not qualify Did not qualify
2005 3 USL Second Division 9th Did not qualify Did not qualify
2006 4 USL PDL 4th, Mid Atlantic Did not qualify Did not qualify
2011 4 USL PDL 2nd, South Atlantic Conference Quarterfinals Did not qualify
2012 4 USL PDL 7th, South Atlantic Did not qualify Did not qualify
2013 4 USL PDL 3rd, South Atlantic Did not qualify Did not qualify
Silvino Gonzalo (1998–2007)
John Pascarella (2007–2008)
Tom Torres (2009–2010)
Richie Burke (2011–2012)[11]
Stadium at Forest Park High School; Woodbridge, Virginia (2002–2005)
RFK Memorial Stadium; Washington, DC 1 game (2003)
Ida Lee Park; Leesburg, Virginia 1 game (2003)
Stadium at Trinity University; Washington, DC 3 games (2005)
Stadium at Gar-Field High School; Woodbridge, Virginia (2006–2007)
Valley View Sports Complex; Nokesville, Virginia 2 games (2006–2007)
Stadium at Fairfax High School; Fairfax, Virginia (2006–08, 2011)
Word of Grace Christian Center; Herndon, Virginia 1 game (2006)
Fairfax, Virginia (2007, 2010, 2011)
Stadium at Washington-Lee High School; Arlington, Virginia 1 game (2008)
Stadium at Wakefield High School; Arlington, Virginia 1 game (2008)
Howison Homestead Soccer Complex; Woodbridge, Virginia 3 games (2008)
Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium; Manassas, Virginia 11 games (2009–present)
Average attendance
Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html.
2008: not yet available
^ http://www.amazon.com/dp/0966985001
^ http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/298691.html
^ http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/300766.html
^ http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2011/22363.html#ROSTER
^ http://gomason.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/sheta_aj01.html
^ http://gomason.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/wagoner_steven00.html
^ http://gomason.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/martinez_eber00.html
^ http://www.sfuathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=628
^ http://www.infosportinc.com/2011scottmitchell.html
^ http://www.umbcretrievers.com/sports/msoccer/bio.asp?PLAYER_ID=5036
^ Royals Hire Burke as PDL Coach
Official PDL site
Based in Manassas, Virginia
USL Second Division
Northern Virginia Majestics
List of former stadia
Triangle Soccer Fanatics
Fredericksburg Hotspur
Real Maryland Monarchs
Important Figures
Owner: Mo Sheta
Manager: Richie Burke
USL First Division / D2 Pro League / NASL
USL Premier Development League – Mid Atlantic
Baltimore Bohemians
F.A. Euro
Jersey Express
Long Island Rough Riders
NJ-LUSO Parma
Ocean City Nor'easters
Reading United
Soccer in the United States
USASA
USCS
Venues (stadiums by capacity, SSS)
Women's soccer in the United States
Men's national teams
Senior (statistics)
Men's outdoor leagues
Soccer Bowl
USL Super-20
U.S. Development Academy
Men's indoor leagues
MASL
PASL-Premier
WISL
National Amateur Cup
Men's college soccer
NAIA Championship
Women's national teams
Women's leagues
Women's college soccer
Defunct men's outdoor leagues
AFA (1884–1924)
American Cup (1885–1924)
ALPF (1894)
NAFL (1895–98)
AAFA Cup (1912–13)
ASL (1921–33)
NASFL (1946–47)
NPSL (1967)
NASL (1968–84)
USL (1984–85)
LSSA (1987–92)
WSA (1989)
USL 2nd (1990–2010)
A-League (1995–2004)
USL 1st (2005–10)
D2 Pro League (2010)
Defunct men's indoor leagues
NASL (1975–76, 1979–84)
MISL (1978–92)
NPSL (1984–2001)
CISL (1993–97)
EISL (1997–98)
WISL (1998–2001)
AISL (2003–08)
XSL (2008–09)
Defunct women's leagues
WUSA (2000–03)
WPS (2007–12)
WPSL Elite (2012–13)
Sports teams based in Virginia
Lynchburg Hillcats
Pulaski Yankees
Virginia Beach Neptunes
Martinsville Mustangs
Petersburg Generals
Lynchburg Titans
PIFL
Richmond Raiders
WFTDA
Charlottesville Derby Dames
Dominion Derby Girls
NRV Rollergirls
River City Rollergirls
Rocktown Rollers
Star City Roller Girls
USARL
Northern Virginia Eagles
Richmond Kickers
Virginia Beach City FC
(NCAA Division I)
Sports teams based in the Washington, D.C. area
D.C. Divas
Fredericksburg Lady Gunners
DC Rollergirls
USA Rugby League
Washington D.C. Slayers
Washington Kastles
NCAA Div. I
Mount St. Mary's
NCAA Div. II
NCAA Div. III
Main article: Sports in Washington, D.C.
Football team templates which use American parameter
Association football clubs established in 1998
Teams in the Premier Development League
Sports in Northern Virginia
Virginia soccer clubs
USISL D-3 Pro League teams
USL Second Division teams
1998 establishments in Virginia
Fifa, Football, Scottish Football Association, Association football positions, Futsal
Spain national football team, Defender (association football), Playmaker, Real Madrid C.F., Association football positions
United States, Seattle Sounders FC, D.C. United, MLS Cup, LA Galaxy
Charlotte Eagles
United States, Charleston Battery, Richmond Kickers, Association football, USL Second Division
Virginia Beach Piranhas
United States, Cameroon, Association football, Northern Virginia Royals, Midfielder
2000 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Major League Soccer, United States Soccer Federation, USL First Division, D.C. United, San Jose Earthquakes
2006 PDL season
California, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, New York
List of professional sports teams in Virginia
Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond Kickers, Baseball, Norfolk, Virginia
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line90
|
__label__cc
| 0.694635
| 0.305365
|
Kenz Blog
I made Thanksgiving Dinner for 29 people this Thursday. (Truth to tell, I'm a little disappointed that there weren't at least 30, but I *made* enough food for 30 people, so I still think I achieved my goals. More on that later.) It wasn't just any old Thanksgiving dinner, it was a Thanksgiving dansant. I intentionally invited only dancers. Either people from our dance school, people from our dance club, or friends who dance. It was an incredible night.
I estimate that it took 16 man hours to prepare the entire dinner. On the menu:
2 turkeys, one brined in an herbal mixture, the other in apple juice, orange juice, garlic, and ginger
Stuffing (stuffed inside the birds, damn the health consequences)
Potatoes au gratin
Sweet potatoes (are we seeing a pattern here?)
Beer cheese
Green beans, steamed
The hardest was the two turkeys. In fact, because of the turkeys the whole show got half-an-hour late. Which was a pretty important 30 minutes, as we only had the dance hall from 6 to 10.
It was quite the feast in the end, and, miracle of miracles, Luxembourgers were in the majority. If you know anything about Luxembourg, you know that about the only time you ever find a majority of Luxembourgers in Luxembourg is when there's only one person in the room. I only charged cost, so the final price in the end was 8E/person, incl. wine. We had a wonderful time, and everyone danced and ate until they exploded.
Biggest lesson: don't let saving 1E on celery set your plans back by two hours.
Lesson two: If you peel potatoes early, and preserve them by putting them overnight in salt water, don't salt the water when you boil them the next day.
Lesson three: make sure you prepare garbage bags and soap for the cleanup.
Lesson four... there really isn't one. Everything else went so well that there's nothing to really complain about.
You might wonder why I did this. Certainly, my guests did. It has to do with Laura and my wedding. We hope to be able to organize the meal ourselves, but that's a pretty daunting task. This was my attempt to see how it would work out if it were just me cooking for 30 people (about one fourth of the number we're expecting for our wedding). The results were quite conclusive, and that was A) one person could reasonably cook for 100 (given enough time and a big enough kitchen), so our idea of having a team of 5-10 people working together (don't laugh, it's a good way to get all the guests to meet each other!) seems completely reasonable. Of course, caterers do it with less, but they're professionals, so that's kind of apples and oranges.
posted by K at 11:02 PM
It's the first day of winter. Sadly, in Luxembourg that means 9 degrees and rain. I suppose I shouldn't complain about warmish weather, especially since I'll be gone to Romania in two days. Maybe with a bit of luck it will be below freezing so I'll be able to see some snow.
Thanks to the wonders of VoIP, since a week ago I have a phone number dialable from America: (253) 753-2106. Somewhere in Washington, but it dials through to my phone in Lux, no problem. If it's not used at least once every 30 days, it expires and I can't get it back, so if for no other reason than to make sure you don't have to reprogram your cell phone, take this as an excuse to call once every full-- not blue-- moon. It seems to be more reliable than my blog, in any case.
For those calling from Europe, it's +(352) 27280232. I've also got one in Romania (ain't VoIP great?), but I'll save the space and not put it here.
So, what hasn't appeared in my blog, and has been going on for the last year?
1) I went to Sicily and climbed Mt. Etna during an active eruption.
2) I flew to America, bought a tandem bike, cycled from Boulder to central Kansas, and then flew back to Luxembourg with the bike in a small suitcase. Hellofa bike, those Bike Friday tandems.
3) I taught myself how to program in C.
4) I taught myself how to program microcontrollers.
5) Laura and I got invited to join a competition dance club. We don't dance competitively (we're light-years away from even wanting to do that), but we're surrounded by people who do, which rubs off better than we thought it would. Maybe that'll let us do something more than the traditional bridal waltz. Oh, yeah, speaking of that.
6) I gave Laura the engagement ring that my grandfather bequeathed her in his dying days.
7) I got involved, and then uninvolved, in a radio project. It took too much time. Great people, and I wish them the best, but I needed to focus on my PhD.
8) I got invited to join the university's sustainability group. It takes just as much time as the radio, but I can't really turn down something like this.
Other things, certainly, but I don't remember them right now. I'm a little tired, as I had to take Laura to the airport this morning (she left first for Romania), so my thoughts are a little foggy.
All the seasons bests!
4 weeks in America, and boy are we glad to be back. Don't get me wrong, we enjoyed our trip, but we still missed home and the saner life we live here. And our cat. We missed our cat. Who apparently, judging by his effusive cuddliness when we got home, missed us just as much.
Wow did we do a lot in America. As my last blog entry indicated, my arrival in America wasn't the happiest in the world. The days in New Jersey were long and sad. No one will ever understand why my cousin did what he did, and time will only partially heal the wound: the scars will never go away. Others have said far more intelligent things about this tragedy, and so I will refrain from adding anything else.
After the stress of NJ, Laura and I went with my parents to some much needed calm in Kentucky. In Kentucky, we did just about everything there was to be done. We destroyed my parents' insulation value of the attic by removing hundreds of cardboard boxes. Boxes that had been collecting since the 70s, and had certainly been a not-unsubstantial insulator. We filled up two vans' full with all the broken down boxes. Sadly, I didn't really think things through until right the end when I realized that large, clean, good quality boxes are gold for anyone who is moving. I put an add on Craigslist and within days had 4 or 5 emails from people wanting to pick up the boxes. Well, at least the ones not reused were recycled. (China's richest woman made her fortune by sending empty boxes back to China to be recycled into new boxes.)
While in Kentucky, my parents and we wandered off to the gorge one night, where we made a fire and cooked hobos. I have lots of pictures, but I'll probably never put them online, so just trust me that it was pretty cool. We wandered off another morning with my friend Eric Payne to meet up with my dad's friend Jimmy Hayes for some more fire building, this time on an outcropping. Again, cool photos of people being crazy, but nothing that will make it online.
We also we to Cincinnati. Ho-hum. Cincinnati is like every other featureless American city. Skyscrapers and suburbs. Full to cracking in the daytime, and a ghost-town at night. Well, not *every* other one. Washington DC, Boston, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle stand out. But that's about it. No, America's charm is not her cities, America's charm is her people.
We also made a trip to Shakertown for some excellent cornbread sticks, a couple trips into the city for shopping, we got to see Eric a few times along with his darling son, Franklin, and me up with some of my old friends from high school, Scott Sherrod, Christina Boggs, Jon Winburn, Glen Murray, and their significant others.
In fact, Laura and I spent one evening with Scott and Christina at Christina's parents' house. We spent most of the night talking after Scott gave up in frustration after being beat by, well, everyone at set. It was a good conversation, both for its depth and constructiveness, as well as for the fact that Laura participated in two uniquely American moments. 1) Hearing that all the America's problems are because of the lawyers, and that someone ought to shoot them all, and 2) that all the world's problems can be solved by shooting everyone else. Of course he was kidding, but it was still funny.
Sometime before New Years' we started thinking about where we wanted to spend the 31st. We settled on DC, but had a problem: nowhere to sleep! Enter craigslist and couchsurfing.com. We posted our needs and sure enough found someone. Not right away-- in fact in the nick of time, on the morning of the 31st-- but it worked out. Now, how does one get from KY to DC in time for festivities when at 9AM no one is even packed? By air, of course! Dad lent us his plane-- an unbelievable event in itself-- and away we went. 520km from KY to DC, and it only took us 2 hours. In fact, counting ground time to get to the airport, load the plane, and refuel, we only spent 2h45m. Not bad! In fact, we got to DC with enough time left to visit the new Air & Space museum annex, the Udvar-Hazy Center.
After a two hour visit to this phenomenal museum-- in fact it's far more of an exhibition hall than museum-- where we saw the Enterprise, America's first space shuttle; the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb; the Global Flyer, the airplane that Stephen Fossett flew around the world; the Pegasus, the first and only human powered aircraft to cross the English Channel; an SR-71; a Concord; and so much more, we went back to the house where we were staying and prepared for a night out on the town. Laura and I found a New Year's dance (as in ballroom) party where we practiced our new-found dancing skills. Laura was asked by all the guys to dance. I was asked by all the gals. When Laura told the guys she was new to dancing, they said, "No problem, we'll teach you!" When I told the gals I was new, they said, "Oh."
The following morning, after a rather late start, we drove back to DC and visited all the sights. The Capitol, the museums (thee Hope Diamond!), the Mall, the memorials, etc. We also saw the White House, and Laura was quite unimpressed. "That's it???" she said. Yup. That's it. A small, unimposing white house sitting on a green lawn. You could even see inside some of the rooms through the drawn curtains. Tough to believe that that little house represents America in so many people's mind.
The next day, we flew down to Charlotte to visit Bruce Chapman, a guy we met in France. We met Bruce through Greg, my pilot friend in Dijon. I swear, they're like twins separated at birth. All they can do with there time is think up (hilarious) practical jokes to play on just about everyone. He was a hoot! We visited downtown Chicago, chatted a lot, and did another quintessential American activity: viewing nature through the window of a car. Although at this particular petting zoo, "nature" physically entered through the window and demanded to be fed. I've got some cool photos of Laura feeding a giraffe through the sunroof of Bruce's Ford Explorer.
The evening before we left Charlotte, I got a hold of another long-lost friend, Julee Baber. Off to Nashville we went! Julee is working in children's theatre and is getting married to Ross (forgot his last name). I don't know how good she is at directing (it would appear pretty damned), but she's a phenomenal interior decorator. For an engagement present, I took them flying over Nashville at night. Sure, I just about crashed the airplane on takeoff because of a poorly set trim-wheel, but I recovered from the incipient stall while the airplane was only 1m off the ground (soft-field takeoff practice, anyone?) and away we went. Nashville really is quite pretty from the air at night. All cities are. A much less stressful landing ensued and then, once again we chatted away the night.
Laura and I had a great time with them and upon leaving pronounced them the sanest Americans we met in all the trip. Which isn't saying much, I suppose, since they actually permitted me to take them flying.
A couple days after returning to Kentucky, Laura and I went with Alix to Chicago. We spent a week there, and had a great time. It's a neat city, and Laura especially like the El. We got to all sorts of museums, zoos, parks, and whatnot. Also, we bought way too much extra stuff. Fortunately, we were able to smuggle it all through customs.
When we got back, bad news. Anne-Claire, our wonderful next-floor neighbor, was moving out. Oh, no! Well, she's only moving to the other side of the city, so we'll survive.
I'm certain there were so many things more, but I've run out of time to tell them.
posted by K at 8:31 PM
My cousin Steven Montalbano killed himself yesterday. I don't know why and I don't know how. It seems that it was the aftermath of an argument with his girlfriend which ended with her saying she would never let him see the baby.
I'm not sure what would have made him do this to himself. At the risk of saying the obvious, suicide is never about just one thing, there's never just one factor. I wasn't close enough to him to know what was going on in his life that drove him to such despair.
Adieu, Steven, toi aussi.
(The world is surreal. I'm trying to change my airplane tickets and when I explain to the Indian at the call center that I would like to change my flight reservations because of Steven's death, he says, "I'm very sorry." When we end the call, he just couldn't help himself, the programming was too strong. "Have a very nice day, sir.")
posted by K at 9:48 AM
I've been kicked out of the country! That's a new one for me. I just got a letter saying that my tourist visa is expired, and I need to tell them where I'm going, being understood, of course, that where I'm going isn't "Luxembourg".
Of course, I own an apartment, I have a job, and even a work permit, so I really never had a tourist visa to begin with. Plus I've been here 18 months, which is a little longer than the 3 month tourist visa anyway. We'll see how far this logic gets with the administration.
posted by K at 10:20 AM
This weekend, Stockholm was taken over by the French. I don't know what subliminal messages suggest they all come to Stockholm at once, but I swear over half the country was there. You couldn't turn the street corner without hearing someone speak in French.
Laura and I walked ourselves senseless. Every day we did at least 8km, and probably closer to ten. We took a long stroll through the Skansen, the world's largest outdoor museum. Definitely worth a gander.
We also went to the Vasamuseet, a museum dedicated to the Vasa, a Swedish flagship vessel that sank minutes after being launched in 1628. Turns out she was too top-heavy because of the cannons and narrow draft that prevented enough ballast from being loaded on board. The brackish waters protected and preserved the ship for 333 years, although the sulphur that has impregnated the wood due to bacterial action in polluted waters is rapidly destroying the ship. The upshot is that in 50-100 years, the ship will no longer be viewable in unaltered state.
As it is now, it's incredible. Just walking into the museum you get an idea of what an effort they have gone to in order to preserve the ship. In the specially-designed museum building, there are five (5) doors that protect as much as is humanly possible the indoor atmosphere from outside contaminants. The museum has one feature, and one feature only. A giant 64-gun ship propped up in dry-dock. Incredible. I look forward to going back some year.
Everything's fine, but we're both a little tired after being in the emergency room until 3AM. Laura had some stomach cramps that were so bad she for all intents and purposes collapsed at the dinner table. Ick. Prognosis? Stomach cramps, with a prescription for pain killers the next time it gets that bad. Useful, that.
Good news/bad news. The good news is that we got Gonzales. That makes three down (Rumsfeld, Rove, and Gonzales), all the rest of them to go.
The bad news is that two people I met in Dijon died this weekend in a light-twin accident out in Vannes, a medium-sized town on the coast of Brittany, not far from where Benjamin Franklin landed in France as the colonies' ambassador to France. From a first look at photos and based on witness accounts, it would seem that the airplane lost power in one engine and flipped over before the pilots had time to do anything about it. They crashed in a field right next to the airport, a field that, if they had only had one more second to get their wits about them, was so long and straight and clear that they could have just bellied in. Tragic, really.
Why I love Europe: because when you wake up and find a dead pig sliced in half in your mailbox, it's not the mafia trying to send a message, but just the local butcher's sale flyer.
One of the problems with electric cars replacing gas cars is how to tax them. Without the tax revenues from the gasoline tax, there will be a major budget shortfall for maintaining roads. (Of course, the I-35 debacle makes one wonder just how much maintenance has been done with our tax dollars...) Electricity cannot be taxed in the same way as gas because it's impossible to ensure that everyone pays their fair share.
I worry that the governments' solution will be to install a tracking device in cars, such as a GPS, in order to count the number of kilometers driven in a year and base the tax on that. While it would be a very fair way to do it, I'm concerned about having a black box in my car that I cannot control, cannot remove, cannot modify, and cannot contest. This kind of invasion into our privacy is exactly what I wish to avoid. I can't see how the data would not be misused at some moment or another.
I suppose it's a function of my age, but I have less friends dead from natural and accidental causes than from suicide. I just discovered that Chip Cheng, a friend from my time at GSP and later the man who beat me out for 1st place in Science at the Kentucky State Governor's Cup, recently committed suicide. It's stunning to me to think that so many people I know have taken their own lives. But I suppose that if you're going to die before you reach 30, suicide is one of the most common ways.
Not that knowing that solves anything. It's a crying shame and my condolences go out to his family.
I have a friend who is going through a difficult time because she's being faced with single-parenthood. It gets me wondering. A woman has the right to choose what she does with her body, be that bringing a baby to term or aborting it. However, what rights does the man have here? Does a women have the right to bring a baby to term if the man disagrees?
It's an important question. If the woman doesn't require the man's participation, than it shouldn't inconvenience the man materially to have a child somewhere in the world. (Of course, legally this isn't always the case. In fact, in some countries such as France a child has the right to demand money from an unknown father, even after the age of 18.)
Material inconvenience, however, doesn't at all take into account the man's feelings about having progeny. So does the man have any rights to act on his feelings? Many instances can be found where an anger caused by someone else's actions has no legal standing. I am very angry when I see a soccer mom driving her SUV to the grocery store, but I, of course, have no legal right to do anything about it. So why should a man's choice be any different?
If a woman were to somehow harvest a man's DNA, through the use of hair or fingernail clippings perhaps, would she have the right to inseminate one of her own eggs and have a baby? If the man had no obligations whatsoever to the mother or child, would he have the moral right to protest? I don't think so.
Of course, this is pure ramblings about what could happen in the future, but I find it interesting to contemplate these now.
I've been perusing a book called "The Complete Book of Intelligece Tests: 500 Exercises to Improve, Upgrade, and Enhance Your Mind's Strength". It's one of those books of lots of mental puzzles, only this time it gives itself a big title so as to convince you that simple mental games aren't just for kids.
I keep flipping past the sections I'm not so good at to go right (in other words, don't get everything right) to those where I can get 100%. This seems to me rather silly, as I'm intentionally going past things that I might fail at in order to shoot right ahead to the the things I can already do. Isn't that defeating the point?
I'm not sure how utilities work in America, but I get the feeling that you pay per kW/hr consumed, and that's that. In Luxembourg and France, at least, that's only half of it. I just got the final bill for our time at the previous apartment, and in the 9 months we were there we were charged 54E for electricity and 74E for access to the service.
This is a terrible way to do things. It means that I have diminishing financial impetus to reduce my electricity consumption. If I went completely solar and wind, I would still have to pay a pretty hefty sum per year for... nothing. Now, since I feel quite strongly about the environment, I'm going to reduce my usage as much as possible anyway. However, others might not feel the same way, and since they won't pay as much attention to the bill they'll never notice that those great new energy efficient bulbs are saving them a bundle in kW/hr because of the huge fee for hookup and meter rental relative to the energy consumption. Instead, they'll just notice that those fluorescent bulbs cost them a lot more than the regular incandescent kind.
Shortsighted bureaucrats...
Laura is a like a little child, although not in a bad way. Rather she represents the curiosity and rapid learing that are the hallmarks of youth. It amazes me how much she has learned and evolved in the past year, and it amazes me even more that so much of what she has learned I have known and taken for granted for a long time. There are many examples of this, but our new cat is the perhaps the most recent. She had never played with a cat and string before, didn't know that they love yarn, didn't know how to pick one up without making it uncomfortable, and other things. (Needless to say, she knows all these things now, and the cat loves her to death.)
What's bugging me is wondering about all the things I don't know but that she does and takes for granted. Laura is a very smart lady, one of the fastest learners I've ever been around. During her 25 years of life before she met me, when I was learning about cats and cars, about computers and planes, what was she learning about? What must she know that I know so little about?
Run for the back! According to Popular Science, http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4219452.html, the back of an airplane is the safest place to be. Sort of. If you're only talking about crashes where someone actually survives. And assuming that technology hasn't changed survival odds between now and the 1970s.
Which, considering the way airplanes are built, it probably hasn't. I wonder if there is any safety engineering at all that goes into crashes? Aside from ensuring that everyone is relatively close to a door, is there even anything they could do? Even if you could make an airplane that didn't tear apart on impact, everyone would be dead as their hearts detached from their aortas due to the sudden deceleration. (That's the real reason why Gwen Stacey died, by the way. Not that neck-snapping junk they talk about in the comic book.)
It's amazing how badly people misunderstand me and what I want. For instance, I bought an induction hob/range-top on ebay. During shipping, it somehow got crushed to pieces and completely destroyed. The package was insured, but what was insured: the price I paid for it (actual value), or the price I would have to pay to get another one of similar condition (replacement value)? In this case, the price I paid was quite a lot lower than it was worth-- around 200E lower-- due to one of these rare situations on ebay where something sells for quite a lot less than it's going price.
I think in this case, since the package was insured for up to 500E, that it is fair for the shipping company to replace the object, and not simply refund the price I had paid. This isn't so unusual. If your dear old aunt sells you her classic car she never drives anymore for a token $1000 and then someone hits you and totals the car, you would get the value of the car from the insurance company, and not the token $1000.
What I don't understand, then, is how Laura could be so crass as to accuse me of trying to take advantage of the situation and the people by wanting a replacement hob and not just my money back. With a replacement hob of like condition and age, I can cook as I wanted. With my money back, there is no guarantee that I can ever buy again what I had bought for so little money. When someone I respect so much questions my sense of propriety, I cannot help but ask myself if I am not seriously morally compromised. And yet, I know that there's nothing wrong with wanting, at the end of the day, to have paid the price and received the merchandise promised.
We're nicely settled into our new apartment, now. Everything is going well. We were lucky enough to have moved during the soldes week. Soldes week is when everything in France, Luxembourg, and Belgium goes on clearance sale at the same time. Apparently it's illegal for stores to put things on sale (in the American sense where prices are dropped) except for twice during the year, once in January and once in July. We've managed to stock the apartment with lots of little goodies, from crockery to plumbing tools to an induction plate. Fun stuff. I guess. If you like to cook and build things. Fortunately, I like both.
Two new acquisitions in as many days. First off: on Sunday, we got a cat! There's some debate about his name, but for the moment I'm calling him Quark. Just like every other cat I've ever had or house-sat. This time Quark is a largish medium-haired black cat with three splotches of white on his underbelly and chest and two little pips of white on his rear paws. I've never seen that before on a black cat. It's quite the odd effect because I keep on imagining that he's stepped in something.
He's always got the biggest eyes, I've never seen a cat stare so much in my life. It's not that the orbs of his eyes are so big, it's that he's always looking at things with his eyes wide open. Almost as if he were in a perpetual state of startlement.
He�s about 12 months old. We were worried about fitting a kitten to an apartment. There's no way for a cat to go outside, so all my experience with cats across my life doesn't really apply. A kitten would have been more fun, but this one was already trained, has a good personality, and seems to be a good fit to a smallish apartment. He already lived his first year inside, so maybe another while inside wouldn�t bother him.
We found the cat with some lady who already had two kids and just couldn't keep up with the amount of cleaning necessary. She was charming, and told us that if ever we had to leave for a long time, she would happily take the cat back into her 4th floor apartment where it has never been outside either. He's already litter trained, and the lady gave us everything she had: litter box, litter, food, papers, carrying cage, etc.
He spent it's first day hiding behind the couch. Normal for a cat that�s just been transplanted to a strange house, with strange people (buddy, have you ever got THAT one right), and strange languages. He didn�t move from behind the couch for the first day at all, not even to eat or use the litter.
It was funny because when we came home yesterday, we could push the couch forward and he would rush to our hand to be pet, but he would refuse to come out. When I picked him up from behind the couch and plopped him in his litter pan (designer litter pan, chic!), he darted back behind the couch. Whereupon he instantly came back to be pet again. Almost 24 hours to the second after arriving, he decided to walk out and start exploring.
He apparently doesn't scratch things (although he's making a beeline for my plant!) and he's not too curious. I somewhat regret the curious part, (he wouldn't push open the bathroom door, he just stared at Laura until she did it for him), but that's probably for the best in an apartment cluttered with fragile things.
And a tendency to look into the distance with the classic cat look of "Hey, what's that?!! I'm going to go investigate!" and then... turning around for another pet. I've never seen a cat ignore that look before. It's disconcerting. He should try acting more normally.
Second off: we just bought an apartment! Well, we signed the intent to buy, which isn't quite the same thing yet, but it's a good first step. We found an apartment near the train station, 30, rue du Fort Wedell, which is almost a perfect fit for us. The apartment itself isn't too big, only about 630 sqft.-- of which not all is usable because it's a mansard-- however, the building's 350 sqft. attic belongs to us, as does a 100 sqft. room in the basement that I can use as a small work roomj, and a small closet on the stair landing outside our apartment where we can keep such things as brooms, mops, kitty litter, etc. That means storage space galore, something no one ever has in Europe. That means that our 630 sqft. is 100% usable for living, since we don't have to canabalize living space for storing things.
The apartment is newly renovated, with a front door that's so bomb-proof they tell us we'll have to cut out of it's frame if ever we lose the key. It's a nice looking door, but it's obviously designed to keep the hot side hot and the cold side cold. Our kitchen is fully equipped, and is done in the "American" style, which means that the kitchen is open and simply separated from the main room by an island. It is a nice effect, and sets itself up perfectly for barstools. And there's a back shelf visible from the main room that runs the entire length of the wall. It's a perfect setup for my bottle collection. I think I'm back up to 35 some different bottle of alcohol. Not quite as high as the 55 some bottles I had in my glory days before leaving the US, but I'm certainly starting to get a good selection. I think for the housewarming party, we'll make it open bar and request that people bring a bottle of something weird and different that we would never have had.
Th renovators will repaint the apartment in the color of our chosing, and they're also going to run ethernet cabling to my specifications so that the apartment will be truly modern. We even agreed that they would install a bar on the private walkway in front of the building where we can chain up our bikes.
The neighborhood is somewhat interesting, too. One neighbor is a upscale yuppie bar, and the other neighbor is a toxicology clinic. I bet we're buying in one of the more lively quarters of Luxembourg. Not that anything that passes for "lively" here would be seen as such in any other city. It's a sleepy town.
I'll post some photos of both the cat and the apartment once I get some good ones to show.
I went to Susan's funeral this weekend in Dijon. I left not knowing what to expect, how the atmosphere would be. It's always sad when a special person is lost to the world. However, Susan had a year to prepare for the end, and she spent that time wisely. She was one of the most energetic, outgoing, and friendly people I ever met, and she wanted to be remembered as a source of hapiness and gaity. She organized her own funeral ceremony before she passed away, asking that people do nothing more than come, eat, drink, and make merry.
Of course, it's hard to be at one's best after having lost a friend, but we tried, and we managed. It was more party than funeral, and a good time was had by all, even Susan's daughter, Virginia, and husband, Greg. She chose to be cremated and have her ashes scattered on the small creek that flowed through their yard, so after a small visit to the site along the bank, we conversed and drank the night away.
She left this world in a firey ball of energy, both physically and mentally. Susan, we miss you already.
Last week was a sad week. I lost in less than 7 days my grandfather in New Jersey and a friend in France. It's always difficult to deal with death and dying. Susan Coller and my grandfather both had the luck and misfortune to know their death was coming. Susan had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor of the worst kind. Undergoing an experimental American treatment, the French doctors judged it miraculous that she lived another year. She was as full of life as anyone ever was, and gave great meaning to the idea of seizing life and sucking the marrow out of it.
My grandfather passed away in the morning of his 64th anniversary. How he managed to stay with us so long is anyone's guess. His last years with us were passed in the nightmarish prison of his crippled body. He had a degenerative spinal disease that left him more and more cut off from the world, and yet, he persevered and stayed afloat. Rarely in my life have I met a man with as incisive and clear views and conclusions as my grandfather. He will be buried at West Point Military Academy in New York, where he went to college and later lived for many years after serving in WWII.
We will miss both dearly. They contributed so much to the lives of those around, and still had more to give. Au revoir...
Laura and I are considering buying a house or apartment. I don't know why, we're probably insane to be thinking about it. Right now we have a reasonable790E/mo. rent in a good part of town that allows us to bike to work. Why we'd want to trade that for a 3,000E/mo. mortgage is a little hard to understand. Some of it must be because we're caught up in the euphoria of a possible housing bubble, but it's hard to deny that Luxembourg is growing and growing quickly. While it's true that there's plenty of space to build, I find it unlikely that the gov't will allow the space to be used to such an extent that housing prices crash. Moreover, when one sees the insane amount of construction going on in Kirchberg where we live, it's difficult to imagine that prices will do anything other than climb. Maybe not astronomically quickly, as they did these past few years, but certainly an upwards trend that won't leave us holding the bag. Or so we hope...
We found a cute "little" place in Clausen, one of the oldest quarters in the city, just down the road from the original castle that was the center of the city. Even better, it's only 1km from work! Of course, that kilometer is almost straight uphill, but that's to be expected-- it is Luxembourg after all. The down/upside of this house is that it is in an absolutely deplorable state on the inside. Everything needs to go, without question. The cool thing is that this is an older house made of stone and brick, rather than the newer concrete debacles they keep building around town. Thus, we can really make some fun stuff out of it all, especially because there are old wooden beams as thick as your body that make up the floors and ceilings. That kind of thing can't be bought today anymore at any price-- there just aren't any trees that big left.
The down/downside is the price. Even in a deplorable state, the owner still wants 380,000E. That's not small change, not by anyone's book, and it will probably encourage us to just keep looking. We sort of decided how much we could pay per month, and due to those funny laws of compounding interest, the difference between 380,000 and 320,000 is much, much more than just 60,000E. Anything below 300,000E we can pay off in ten years or less. Anything more than that and the number of years we can expect before we're done increases, well, exponentially.
On the other hand, the location is beyond belief, and the house is quite big, by European standards at least. It's about 1500 sq.ft., plus authentic valuted wine celler and attic space, so there's plenty of space for all my junk. Plus, we can probably expect some serious help from Laura's family with any renovations we might eventually do. I've mentioned it before and I'll say it again; Laura's brother Dani is a woodworking whiz. There's nothing more I'd like than to set him loose inside the house and see what he can't carve, cut, and sculpt us up.
I wrote this back in January, but never finished it. If I were to put it in the right chronological order with the other entries, no one would ever notice it, so here it is, three months after the fact.
I got back from Romania yesterday. I must say that this has been the most enjoyable trip to Romania yet. The country has made great strides since the first time I visited in summer 2004, and for the first time I could actually breath the air-- well, not quite, but more on that later.
A recap of the trip from first day to last. This isn't for you, it's for me, so that I remember things. If it seems long and boring, well, that's your fault, don't claim I didn't warn you. You're basically reading my notes to myself, so if you find nothing better than "5:05-- went to bathroom. No toilet paper", don't blame me. Now, without further ado...
Dec. 20th - Laura and I woke up at a mind numbing 5AM in order to pick up Stefan and Louisa and get us all to the Cologne-Bonn airport in time for the 9AM flight. Laura had shrugged off Stefan's offer to bring along his GPS-- there really wasn't room in the car for one thing more-- so we did it based on my memory alone.
Now, my memory is a pretty good thing when it comes to directions, but it only serves to get me to the point where I'm close enough to have signs for the rest of the way. How was I supposed to know that the signs took me on a 50km detour? What can I say? This is classic for Europe, and doubly so for Germany. European road engineers are sadistic devils who love nothing more than to assume that every person who comes into a region is from the region, and thus doesn't need signs. In other words, they make their signs for the people who don't need them. Sigh...
In any case, we made it to the airport in plenty of time, especially because the airplane was late. Speaking of the airplane, we did something weird on the flight to Bucharest. We went directly there. See, the airplane was supposed to go to Brussels first and then go on to Bucharest. It makes a sort of loop, starting at Bucharest, going to Cologne, then to Brussels, and then back to Bucharest. Except this time, we didn't go to Belgium. I didn't know they could reschedule airplanes like that in mid-air, but they did.
The landing was normal, but the taxing was weird. First off, we back-taxied down the runway. This is most definitely not something that normally happens in commercial aircraft operation. Then we were met by a Dacia Logan with a flashing light clamped onto its roof, not the normal kind of car one expects to see at the airport. Not that I'm going to complain, our "detour" when we left Cologne saved us two hours, so we had time for this kind of weird stuff.
The rest of the day was spent at Laura's friend Cristina's place in northern Bucharest. Not a particularly eventful night, we just ate and then went to a bookstore (What is it about my family that the first thing anyone in it does when they go to a new city is head straight for a bookstore? Even when they don't speak the language?). I got to park Cristina's car in the weirdest little spot I've ever squozen into, but she was happy, telling me that I'd saved her life.
Dec. 21st - After an incredibly late start-- the beginnings of a trend that was broken only once during my entire two week stay-- we moved operations to Laura's old place, somewhere in the very center of Bucharest. The new apartment had all the amenities, such as running water and electricity, but somewhere someone forgot to tell the builders that running water is most useful when three conditions are met: 1) you can turn it on AND off, not just on, 2) the drain leading from the sink should be attached to the rest of the plumbing, and 3) the sewage plumbing in the house should actually allow water to pass.
At least the electricity tasted good.
We made Tiramisu that night. It was good. So good in fact, that I wound up making it later on for Laura's parents in Craiova. We also had some pasta in a white sauce, and it was good too.
Afterward, we left. Laura and Irina went to go hang out with smokers, I went to go hang out with non-smokers. Taking the immaculately clean subway, I wound up somewhere in Cringas, a Bucharest neighborhood that made Laura and Irina cringe at the thought of setting foot within, but one that I found perfectly normal. Well, as normal as Bucharest could be. I met my friend Florin, who I had met when he studied in Dijon along with Laura, and we talked until the wee hours of the morning. His girlfriend got off work at 2AM (She's a lawyer. I didn't know they worked such late shifts.) and we chatted until 5. He showed me the film The 25th Hour which I thoroughly enjoyed, although with all the NYC references and jokes I see why many people don't get the film and subsequently don't like it.
Sometime that morning we finally turned off the light, which leads me 3 short hours later to...
Dec. 22nd - The very first thing I did that morning was go to Carrefour. I don't know why, but to me Carrefour is the symbol of everything being copescetic. It's the world's second-biggest supermarket, right behind-- you guessed it-- WalMart. Something about walking its hallowed aisles makes me feel at ease, as if I were at home in the world. Or maybe the fact that I place going to a supermarket on my list of tourist activiites shows just how neurotic I can be. You decide.
Anyway, Carrefour was impressive. It had the kind of lines that only capitalism could produce. Communism could make one line for bread stretch around the block. Capitalism takes that and adds a large screen plasma TV for good measure, and multiplies it by 40 cashiers. Through wit and cunning, I only waited 20 minutes to buy a kitty litter box, Laura's Christmas present.
Later in the afternoon, having safely returned to Irina's place from my outing, I met up with Laura where we wiled away the last hours and ate the last Tiramisu before catching a train to Craiova. It was a bit of a pain to catch because, being Friday before Christmas, there wasn't a taxi to catch for the life of us, we had to take the metro. Normally, this isn't such a bad thing, but Romanian escalators work about as well as Romanian plumbing, and we had two very large suitcases with us and three smaller ones. Strangely enough, all my luggage fit into one of the smaller bags. The rest of it was all Laura's. Why one girl returning home to her parents' place needs 3 bags more of luggage than the boy without a single article of clothing awaiting him is beyond me.
After a short 2 hour trip to Craiova in a not incredibly disgusting train, we were picked up by Laura's father in his Dacia 1310. I later found out they got the car brand new 17 years ago, and since then it's been through 2 engines, and any number of repairs. This was my first time in it, however. I can't say I was shocked to discover that there were no rear seatbelts-- the taxis in Bucharest don't have them either, but I was shocked to discover that it had a choke. A choke! I mean, sure the car is 17 years old, but that means it was made in 1990. Of all the cars I've had in my life, only one was younger than 1990, but every last one of them had not only a cold-start valve, but fuel injectors to boot.
With a vroom, the massive 1.3L engine sprung to life and we pittered down the road, making sure we drove in the potholes because the road was flatter there. Once home, we got home and socialized with her parents and brother and girlfriend and then started pulling out the Christmas presents early. Laura and I had gotten them a large number of tools, as they just inherited a house out in the countryside that they were going to renovate. We bought them a circular saw, a cordless drill, a corded percussion drill, an electric sander, and a big box of drill bits and attachments. Her father and brother were tickled pink. Now that they had all these tools, they just needed something to work on...
Dec. 23rd - They made me drive the Dacia today. I can't say it was a miserable experience, but it was definitely a chore. Between getting the fool thing started-- a choke!-- and actually putting it in gear it was nigh impossible to get going anywhere with stalling it. Still, I managed, and learned that the quirky 4-speed H shifter layout-- with backwards down and left-- was actually not aligned to the car, but was canted off at a 15-degree angle, meaning that the shift from 2nd to 1st is about the same motion you would make shifting a regular car from 2nd to 3rd. That's confusing. Worse, since the shift from 1st to 2nd requires you to go down and left, and so does reverse, it's quite easy to put the car into reverse instead of second gear as you're going forward. Don't ask me how I know that one.
The Dacia has seat-belts like in older airplanes. There's a lap and shoulder harness, but the belts don't actually retract, they're just adjusted to a close enough size. This means that the seat-belt never fits right, because you can only adjust the belt with the door open, but in order to make it tight you have to be sitting down. Worse, whenever someone else drives they change everything, as simply sliding the seat forward or back knocks everything out of whack. Not that it matters, as the laws of physics (and common sense) don't apply to Romanian drivers. Laura's father's and brother's way of wearing the seatbelt was simply throwing the buckle across their lap. And I do mean throwing. No buckling involved. Just letting the buckle dangle off to the right somewhere between the two seats.
I tried disfiguring myself that night when the car battery died. They had been having problems with the battery, and her father took it inside everyone night in order to charge it overnight. During the afternoon, Laura's brother had left the lights on and had drained the battery, setting us up for a problem once the night got cold. That night, after having met up with Laura's stageiare Adrei, we went to a large super-market, for some food. After we got back out to the car, it refused to start. I tried jumping it with someone else's car, but to no avail. The car refused to even acknowledge that there was another battery attached. All the lights were off, even the inside dome light. Because the other people were blocking the way and traffic was building up behind them, I quickly decided that it was a bad idea to keep trying. And what a good idea that was. Upon removing the jumper cables, I noticed that one of them was quite hot. I marveled at this and that's when I noticed that, on this car, the red wire went to the negative terminal, and the black to the positive! Good lord, that came close to blowing up the battery in my face. Fortunatly, it really died, or else I would have been in for a nasty shock, no pun intended. I know this was my fault, but the parking lot was dark, I didn't have a flashlight, and who in their right mind connects red to negative and black to positive???
Anyway, I went inside and bought some new battery clamps to replace the one broken off by another kind man who thought he could help us, and then we waited for Laura's dad to get there. We wound up being able to start the car by pushing it, and that got us 98% of the way home before the car died 20m from home. All's well that end's 98% well.
Dec. 24th - Laura gave some money to her dad and he got a new battery. After that, we spent the day finding a Christmas tree. They were expensive. The one we got wound up costing just under 50euro, but Laura was very happy with it as it was the first time in her life that she had had a bushy Christmas tree, and not a scraggly one. Her parents too. They said that they'd never seen such a beautiful Christmas tree in their lives. After that, I don't really remember what happened. I think this must have been the moment when I started falling very sick. It was the same old, same old reaction to smokers: me blowing my nose as if it were a ship's horn.
Dec. 25th - Christmas time. The morning started with the exchanging of gifts, just like in America. (I'll remind you that in France they open their presents on Christmas eve). We doled out the rest of our presents, got a few in return, and met with her uncle and cousins. The rest of the day was somewhat of a blur as I was still sick.
Dec. 26th - still sick, but only in the evening. This day we headed out to "the countryside". Now, for me, I've always understood the countryside to be something far removed from 99% of humanity, where you see one house every 2 miles, and everything else is farms. In Romania, when they talk about the countryside, they mean any habitation that's not a major city. So, in this case the countryside was a neighboring town 40 miles away where her grandparents live. Hightlight of the trip? Having them explain an outhouse to me. Come on guys, some parts of Romania might be backwards, but not any more than parts of Kentucky!
Dec. 27th - Today we went to Pratiker, a German home improvement store that had opened house in Romania. We bought some door latch mechanisms for Laura's parents' apartment. The old one barely worked anymore, and the door handles all drooped at odd angles that were closer to vertical than horizontal. While we were there, we picked up a new kitchen faucet for the apartment, one of those nice ones that can switch between spray or stream and where the faucet head is mounted on a long hose so you can take it out of its socket and maneuver it around.
What was eventful about this shopping trip was the way we left. In Romania, no one lets you return anything for money. At best, they'll give you store credit. Now, this isn't particularly useful to us, as we don't live in Romania so we'd never get a chance to redeem the credit, and Laura's parents would never go there on their own. So I decided that it didn't make sense to buy the 40E faucet without knowing if that was a good price and whether we could even fit it into the existing sink. I told Laura that we should go see a manager and tell them that while we respected the way they wanted to do business, we wanted to just share our opinion of how things could be better. That's what I said we should do. What happened was something different. Laura wound up in an argument with the people at the welcome desk.
You see, I was supposed to talk to them with Laura being my interpreter. The problem was that she kept adding things in Romanian, things I wasn't saying, and then responding to the employee's comments without translating them back to me. This meant that I became totally lost in the conversation and couldn't really add anything useful. That's why it's a big no-no when doing direct interpretation to add anything, anything at all, even the smallest nugget. I know it makes sense to add things that seem logical, but the people speaking back and forth through the interpreter don't know that those little nuggets were added in, and so the non-verbal communication, which becomes much more important, starts reflecting realities that the other person doesn't understand. I can't complain too much, though. Laura got her message across, and they promised to refund our merchandise in case we didn't want it. It seems that even in post-Soviet countries the customer can be king.
That night, we visited a half Romanian, half Palestinian friend of hers. How to put this...? I never get why when I'm in Romania with a group of people that all speak English well, they have a nasty habit of slipping into Romanian. I hesitate to call it "rude", after all I'm visiting their country, not the other way around. But it's terribly distressing when you're left on a couch for two hours to listen to other people chatter on in a foreign language you don't understand. The first 15 minutes it's okay, you try to listen and you learn a lot. But after this first quarter hour has gone by, the conversation moves on to other things and your brain sort of saturates on the intense energy required to listen when not understanding. So that was the evening, me staring at a kid play with his toys while three English speakers ignored me. Bleh.
Dec. 28th - I was supposed to go to the countryside, but didn't think it was a good idea considering how sick I'd been. So today I spent the whole day indoors working on the sink with her parents. They were so happy about the new faucet. The old one came with the apartment and refused to turn off without you first turning it back and forth like a combination lock. More often than not, people were lazy and simply didn't turn off the faucet at all. So her father and I set out to replace it. Laura excused herself from the apartment for the afternoon, and left her dad and myself together, to somehow make ourselves understood with a combination of pidgin English, pidgen Romanian, and clicks and screeches when nothing else worked. After many hours of false starts, the day finally culminated with me wedging my entire body underneath the kitchen sink while I tightened the final pipe fittings and nuts and bolts. Her family found that hilarious, as it was sort of like one of those tricks where the Chinese man folds himself in half to fit into an impossibly tiny box. But I don't care, it worked, and now they're the proud parents of a brand new, modern faucet.
As the day turned to night, I fell sick again and retreated to the bedroom. I guess that when the sun is up, I feel more energetic and there are more things going on, letting me fight off the sickness more easily, but once night sets in and the world slows down, I no longer have the energy to keep going. I had taught Laura's family how to play Hearts, and the evening culminated with me going delirious, as I threw down my cards and proclaimed, "They're all mine!" when nothing could have been further from the truth. I'll never live that one down, as the expression on my face, and on everyone else's as they tried to understand just what sort of drugs I was on, was classic.
Dec. 29th - Countryside again. This time I went to the countryside to visit the house recently inherited by her parents. It's to the southwest of Craiova, very close to the Bulgarian border. This trip was just her father and myself. Again, we managed to communicate as we could. I certainly had picked up a bit of Romanian, enough to understand simple concepts. We chatted a bit in the car. It's funny how we take for granted the ability for the English mind to so easily understand foreigners and their accents. In fact, it's only thanks to a lifetime of listening to these silly accents that we come to understand so easily what people want.
I wouldn't be surprised if her dad had in his life met another foreigner who tried to speak Romanian, but I would be surprised to find out that he'd met more than 5 of them. Oftentimes he didn't understand what I was saying because I mangled the word too badly, and he didn't really seem to know how to make an effort to understand. It wasn't for lack of desire, just lack of knowledge. I don't think he's ever sat down and thought about what words a foreigner is likely to use, or what a foreigner would like to learn based on mangled expressions. I tried to learn how to conjugate verbs, but neither of her two parents ever understood that when I repeated two or three conjugations for a verb and then trailed off after having started with a new pronoun that what I wanted was for them to finish the conjugation. For instance, if someone said to me in bad English "I am, okay. He is, okay. You...?" I would understand that they want me to finish the sentence for them.
The house in the countryside was nice. It was a small three room farmhouse, with outhouse out back, and a couple small shed/barns. There was a cat and a dog, too. After this short visit to their house, we drove down to his brother-in-law's bar. In an odd coincidence, both men grew up in the same small village, even though neither met till they married their respective wives. What was weird about the bar, was that it, too, had an outhouse. I can't imagine how bad that must smell.
Dec. 30th - The only day of the entire vacation we woke up before 10AM. We had to, as we were setting off for the Carpacian Mountains in central Romania. We rented a Dacia Logan off of Laura's mother's collegue's brother's taxi service. Yup, we rented a taxi. And, yes indeed, people really did try to get us to drive them around town.
Dec 31st - I have never had so much fun sliding in my life. There was a hill. And this hill had aspirations. Aspirations to be a mountain.
After all that insane real driving, they were driving those bumper cars around like old ladies. I have never, and I mean never seen a bumper car driver slow down in order to avoid a collision. What's the point if you don't hit other people? I figured that Romanians of all people would know how to crash and burn, but no, they were docile as could be. The world never ceases to surprise.
I was going to write more, but then I lost track of things. For anyone who soldiered on this far, I hope it provided some small enjoyment.
I am Anna Nicole Smith's daughter's father.
Just in case you were wondering.
I think I will be going back to America in just a few days. My grandfather has been ill for a long time with a mysterious spinal cord degeneration that the doctors never knew how to explain. I almost can't remember seeing him walk. The years have taken their toll, and last year Christmas I was very happy to see him again. From what my mother says, he hasn't long left with us.
I can't say I'm surprised, we knew this was coming. As my mom said, he's dying from old age. I can't imagine how he must feel, and I'm very sorry for my grandmother. I don't know what she'll do without him. They spent 60 years living together, how will she continue apart? Will she continue? I don't know that I want to think about it. Sometimes the most beautiful things in the past are the most tragic in the present.
New car! Well, new for us, at least. It's a 2003 Daewoo Nubira 1.8GPLi CDX that we're getting for a song. Something weird about Daewoo being rebadged Chevrolet (yes, Chevrolet!) during 2003 and this being one of the last cars sold with the Daewoo grill. Even though it's a 2003, it first hit the road in Dec. 2003 (which normally would have made it a 2004, but as I said the cars were being rebadged at the time) so it's only three years old. Definitely the newest car I've ever owned. Laura and I are flying down to Marseille tomorrow to get it. I'm carrying more cash in my pocket than I've ever seen in my life. All is good, because the weather here is blustery rain.
Back right
Back left
Cars are apparently as easy to break into as ever. Not counting the numerous reports of people's cars being broken into and stolen with laptops and emergency brake maneuvers, it seems that cars are still vulerable to the old coat-hanger. Fortunately, this time, the information resided with the good guys, as I was able to open my car after Laura locked both sets of keys inside. It wasn't even that hard-- just pulling the front door handle from the inside unlocks all the doors. Matt Stacey's old Datsun 210 was a hundred times harder, as there I had to loop the coat hanger around the little knob that used to serve as a door lock.
All this is lucky for me, because when Laura locked my keys inside my car today at frisbee practice my Xanita took me maybe 15 minutes, 10 of which were just figuring out the right way to approach the problem. I'm pretty sure that next time I'll have it done in 5, and if I were really motivated, could design a tool to get it done in under thirty seconds.
Good thing I don't worry about car theft or else my peace of mind would be shot now.
I got stopped today by customs agents as I was leaving a gas station. I wasn't at the border, although in Luxembourg every highway is near a border. They asked me who I was, where I was going, blah, blah, blah. Then they didn't like my answers and searched my car. This is worrisome to me. I did nothing wrong, had no reason to be suspected of anything, and yet they searched my car and my stuff nonetheless. They were very kind and curteous about things, and honestly I think I prefer to have my car searched by European policemen than to even have to talk to an American one, but it still bothers me that a customs agent can search my car once I am fully inside the border. I suppose it's better than having to stop at all Luxembourg's borders and go through customs there (intra-Europe borders are no longer controlled), but still...
Two intersting things: 1) I just got 50 neodymium super magnets. Oh, joy. This will be fun. I'm going to try to make a CVT out of them.
2) In the box for the magnets came a small sachet marked "blacksocks.com". Inside the packet, there are three small black socks of indeterminate material. They feel as if they were made out of rubber. On the back side, it's marked "Jelly Candies with Cheese-Flavour". That's right, the Germans have invented cheese-flavored gummy bears. _Why_ they did that is a question for the ages. I, for one, will sleep better at night knowing that science never stops.
No, I haven't eaten one yet. If anyone wants to try them, I'll mail them to you.
I listened to the results of the American election on Luxembourgish radio. It was impossibly hard to figure out exactly what they were saying, but I did here the two words "Democrats" and "gewinnen" a lot, and the equally beautiful "Bush" and "gelosen".
They're building a three-storey prefabricated university building right outside my window. It's rather impressive to see all the modules be lifted into place. One thing I didn't understand is why the electric sockets haven't been put in place yet-- I could see the dangling wires coming out of the wall. If the buildings are prefab, couldn't they have put in the sockets, too? The mysteries of building construction escape me.
I was just told by one of the staff at the university that they call me "The Surfer" on account of my blond hair. I was flattered, but I explained that a more accurate nickname would have something to do with frisbee.
Classic: http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte
Since it's the uncyclopedia, it'll probably change faster than you can imagine, so read it now before it's too late. If I had been drinking milk, I would have blown it out my nose. As it is, it's one of the funniest things I've read in a long time.
I just got off the phone with a Goodyear application engineer in Nebraska. He suggested that they return my call, to which I replied that I was in Luxembourg. "Huh," he said, "I thought I had detected a hint of an accent."
...grumble, grumble
I've started a new project page: http://eissq.com/HyDoR/
It's for my hybrid motorcycle project. I hope to have something to put on it every day. I'm going to try to structure my day around research and then proper note-taking of said research. To that end, the site could be dynamic, as one day I discover something and the next day I discover it's completely false.
Ouch. Looks like Dad outdid me.
Looks as if I'll be getting current again sometime soon.
A school south of Boston just banned tag and other sports involving running during recess. http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/18/1442218 Honestly, this disturbs me more than Iraq. I've long thought that America lacks heros because we've all been indoctrinated that there are others who fight for us (police, army, Rambo). I can't help but feel that it is exactly this sort of policy which encourages lack of understanding of what personal responsability and sacrifice mean.
In other-- more sane-- news, I finally got my car back on the road. Instead of buying an Xantia 330E fuel pump from Citroen, I got one for the Citroen Xsara (slightly more modern than my Xantia) on ebay for only 15E including S&H. Within 10 minutes of having it in my grubby, little hands, I had sawed off the piece of plastic keeping it from sliding into the original pump's place, plugged all the connectors back in, and started my car up. THe engine took off first try. Hallelujah!
I just got done watching Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth". Quite the powerful movie, I felt, and I hope that Americans listen. It's especially graphic when Al Gore discusses what _will_ happen if the Antarctic or Greenland ice packs melt. In fact, I have to say that I agree with everything he said in the movie, and that none of it is extremism, unverified, speculation, or otherwise. Watch and listen, please.
I also felt very heartened by the ending. He made the very good point that we have already overcome one global climate problem: the ozone layer. Maybe everything isn't going down the drain after all.
Something else remarkable is happening in America, too. I was reading the posts by soldiers in the war theater, http://gocomics.typepad.com/the_sandbox/, and noticed that they use the metric system to describe things. What does this portend for America and that hellish system of measurements? Surely we have only to wait one more generation before we can finally communicate intelligently with the rest of the world.
And if you haven't been there to read what the soldiers say, you should. It was Gary Trudeau's idea to give the soldiers a place to express themselves. Some of it is good, some bad, but it's all very haunting. You can forget that there is a war going on because Foley is more important than another dead 'ricain. But it's there, and for some 200,000 unfortunate Americans, and many millions of Iraqis, it's very real.
I wiled away my night playing Civ IV. I only take half the blame for that. I went out on time to the bus stop, even early in fact, but no bus. Last bus of the night, and it didn't come. Or it came so early that it had to have left early, a situation unacceptable but all too common in Luxembourg. Sigh...
Buses here are maddening. They add more routes, with less people, and more buses. It's not uncommon to see buses empty, and it's not uncommon for me to find myself the sole rider in a bus going back to Bridel. From an energy/pollution/time standpoint I and the world are actually better of not taking the bus.
I went to a colloquium yesterday on housing prices in Luxembourg. Apparently, housing has doubled since, oh, hmmm, 2003. Wow. Talk about missing the boat. What was odd was that the goverment representative said that Luxembourg-ville actually had a net decrease in inhabitants, falling by 3,000 from its 79,000 high in the 1970s. I have trouble believing that prices doubled, to in excess of 5,000E/m^2 at the same time as population actually dropped. I think they're miscounting pretty badly. Probably missing immigrants, interns, and the like.
Luxembourg's 24HCD has started. We've a relatively humble showing of only 7 people (well, humble compared to last year when we had 37 or so.), but they're hard at work, and I'm happy in the end that it took place here. I had misgivings- look on a map and calculate how far the following are from Luxembourg: Nantes, St. L� (in Normandy), Zurich (!), Dijon, and Namur. Okay, Dijon and Namur were reasonable. The girl who took the train from Nantes to get to Rouen and then drove for 7 hours with some other participants was just crazy. No, really, she is. Crazy. But she's cool, and she draws incredible stuff, so I guess she's allowed to be. However, I think my misgivings were misfounded, as everyone here seems to be very happy to be here and drawing. I had proposed last week moving it to Lille in an effort to make it more accessible, but the general reaction was, "We don't care, we've waited too long for this year and nothing is going to stop us!"
My new b�came
I can't wait to get it back to Luxembourg and pull that giant, gas-guzzling, pollution spewing engine out and replace it with an electric motor. I'm not sure yet, but there might even be enough space to turn it into a hybrid. Now that would be cool.
I spent last week in Trieste at the SISSA Institute. It was a wonderful week spent mostly doing science and lazing about the city. It was a surprising city, as the buildings make it look as if it were heavily inhabited, but apparently many of them are empty, and some haven't even been rebuilt since serving as a ghetto in WWII. Trieste demographically is the oldest city in Italy. We liked it, though.
On Wednesday, Laura went back, leaving me to finish up work at SISSA.
Expense accounts are bad things. Since I eat everything in sight, and since I love eating Italian food so much, I simply couldn't resist overindulging myself. And, heck, since it didn't cost anything, overindulgance became positively epicurean.
Italy is fun and I think it's my favorite place in the world.
Italians who speak English are about the funniest foreign speakers in the world. Funny in a good way. I love their accents.
Everyone loves legos, and they especially love legos when they're doing scientifically interesting.
On Friday, I flew back into Hahn airport-- inbetween Trier and Mainz-- where Brendan and Reija whisked me off to Erlangen for a frisbee tournament with Mother Tongue. A frisbee tournament that we actually won! The oddest thing was, though, that I didn't feel very different having won vs all the other tournaments where we didn't. It's not that I didn't feel good. Au contraire. I felt very good, but then again I always do. Maybe that was it. Just going to the tournament is such an exhilarating time that I don't really care if I win or lose. Winning and losing are dependent on the team, which isn't something I can control. What I *can* control though, is how well I play. And as long as I play to the best of my abilities, I can't think of any better way to spend the weekend.
I discovered allsimps.com. What a wonderful way to waste a day.
It's been awhile since I lasted posted. Has anything happened in my life? I suppose, as each day follows another. But it was summer, and summer in Europe is always slow. People flit in and flit out, as each heads off to vacation in his or her own la-la-land. If I had things to do and were getting things done, it would be infuriating. As it is, it's more of an excuse to not have results than any real reason for the general slowness that typifies my days at work.
Speaking of work, I'm off to Trieste on Thursday. I have been invited by the SISSA to demonstrate my table at a science day. Not perhaps the most glorious of reasons (I seem to keep telling people I'm giving a seminar. Which isn't false, but it perhaps encourages false impressions), but I'm taking it nonetheless. Why not? After all, they're paying for everything, and even urging me to stay around an extra week, just to meet the lab researchers and visit the region.
Aside from that, frisbee took off, although lately it's been a bit disappointing due to the lax turnout. I guess that's to be expected, what with half the (best) players going back to college in some other country. I shouldn't complain, though, as having 30 different people show up, with many a day in excess of 20, is not quite failure. I only need to work on retention rates now.
I think I can make a linear drive out of legos. If it works, I'll post it here.
Had a housewarming party at Laura's new apartment. Everyone liked her apartment, and everyone liked my chocolat fondu. And I made those little cinammon tortilla chips that you get at Pizza Hut. Mmmmmm-mmm, good. Oh, and some bread with lardons and olives. That was a really spectacular loaf. I'll have to make it again later. For those duly equiped with a bread maker, here's the recipe:
350 gr of water
1.5 cc of salt
350 gr white flour
300 gr multi grain flour
Enough yeast to make it rise properly. It's a light loaf, like French bread.
Use a 900g French bread cycle.
You can put it in the following right away, or wait for the beep.
150 gr of green or black pitted olives
200 gr of lardons (If you can't find these, which you probably can't, just substitute with uncooked bacon. Remember that the baking cycle will cook everything, so no need to precook it. You might tear it into smaller pieces, though)
The first every Hat Tourney deLux is now officially over, and the results are positively inconclusive, except to say that my teams didn't win. All in all, it was quite fun, with a healthy roster of foreigners (6 or so made it from far away places). The local turnout was a bit disappointing, with only four newbies showing, but that's okay. They'll be there next time around.
A big hearty thanks to the Mother Tongue team, which much contributed so many players to the tournament that one could almost have believed that they had brought their own team. Kris, Philipe, Toan, Rod, Brendan, Wayne, April, and myself. Mother Tongue _was_ the disc.
So, 18 people in total, which let us play three-team, sloppy-fun 5-on-5 with one sub. After playing a total of three games, we switched teams up, and did it again. The overall results are unknown to me, but I think we kept them on a sheet somewhere. Maybe. And maybe even with team players on it. I don't remember.
Oh, well, time to go play frisbee again. 45 minutes to get there, and I need to swing by the grocery store and eat.
It turns out that my first Ultimate Frisbee team in all of Luxembourg, Les Frisbees deLux, is in fact the second team! Flying Red Rocks Kayl, www.frisbee.lu, beat us out by a whole year. No hard feelings, though, the more the merrier. I'm just as glad I didn't know they existed, or else I never would have made a team in Luxembourg city.
I should be working, but I'm playing Go instead. Don't really know what to do right now. I've got projects, but am waiting on parts. It's a lack of foresight on my part. I'm amazed when I see things like Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy. He shot the last scene first. He knew at the end what he wanted. He had such a clear vision that he could order most everything years in advance, and get it right at the end. He saw it from alpha to omega.
Myself, I have trouble seeing beyond 5 o'clock.
Well, I made it 28 years without dental work, but now no more. I went this morning at 8AM to get a cavity taken care of this morning, one discovered because of my little fracas at the frisbee tournament in Belgium.
Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, the dentist opened my mouth, took his rotary drill, ground out the cavity, filled it in with glue, and shooed me on my way. The only hiccough was that the cavity was deeper than he'd anticipated, but not so deep as to touch a nerve. So without anesthetic, and without a droopy mouth and tongue, I was at work before 8:30.
I just got back from a tournament in Arendonk, Belgium, a sleepy little town with more soccer fields than inhabitants. I guess it's a dumping ground of sorts for sporting events in Antwerp, just like the Kentucky Horse Park is for Lexington games. It was quite amusing and we took fourth place. I'd promise to tell all about it, but we all know that I'd never get around to actually writing down the account. I'll probably post some video in the next few weeks, once I get it from the others.
Unfortunately, no one captured on tape the *ahem* brightest point of the tournament for me. The one where all I saw were stars and bright lights. When I got smacked across the head so hard it literally chipped a tooth. According to my teammates, who unlike me actually saw AND remembered it, the guy was a little out of control and stepped forward while throwing the frisbee, putting me in range of his quite massive backhand. Knocked me plum off my rocker. Oh, well, we won that game anyway, and thanks to the chip and the subsequent visit to the dentist, a very small cavity was discovered that had escaped undetected during my checkup in February.
It's 10AM and it's snowing. Laura told me that at the same latitude, but in the southern hemisphere, this would be Antartica. So Luxembourg is cold. Which has been throwing a wrench in my plans to pick back up glider flying.
Last night I got in a woman's pants. And all it took was one dollar. In fact, there are two misconceptions in that sentence. First, I literally got in a woman's pants. Buttoned them up and everything. Second off, I won one euro, and not one dollar, on the bet. Nice to know I still haven't lost that girlish figure I've been working on all these years.
In other news, I've started organizing a 24 Hour Comics Day in Luxembourg. http://www.wifi-bourgogne.com/24hcd2006/. The website is great, done by one of last years participants. So, here we are again. This year, I'm throwing down the gauntlet and have got a special surprise. You'll find out about it sometime in the coming weeks.
No real news, just a link to a website that offers a very interesting service. It's called jajah, and it lets you make a call at VoIP rates without having to actually use a computer to complete the call. Unfortunately, it still requires you to use a website to initiate the call, but that's okay. That could be done over simple dial-up, at the public library, etc.
www.jajah.com
You could use it to call me in Luxembourg, +(352)333545. (hint, hint)
Joyous day, I just got the 24 Hour Comics Day Highlight 2005 anthology. Lison Bernet, one of my artists on 24HCD, was chosen for publication, and lo-and-behold, and she sent me one of her complimentary copies. How nice! And there, at the beginning of her comic, was a short blurb describing her comic and attributing the translation to me. Wonderful! I mean, I realize that this is completely paysan, but still, to see your name in print. And to see your words in print (I did the translation, remember?). Wow! That brought a big smile to my face. Thanks so much Lison, both for participating, and for the comic. good luck in whatever you do.
(And if you ever really want to thank me, you can name one of your now famous dishes after me. :)
What? Two posts in as many days? Are the first snowflakes melting as they gently waft down to the ground of Hell? No, fear not, gentle reader, this is not a pace I can keep up for long. Most of all because all the news that was fit to print in my life was printed somewhere between yesterday's and today's message.
I've been on a do-nothing spree in Luxembourg, as I had the unfortunate luck to arrive at a time when everybody is on vacation, or galavanting about the continent on scientific outings.
So the last few days have seen me inside, cooped up in front of my internetless computer. Oh, how I miss the halcyon days of 24/7 internet. Soon, I hope, I will once again have a connection worth sneezing at. As it is, I had to set up my old Acer laptop upstairs and pipe the measely 56K internet downstairs via my wifi networks. Well, at least having been a wifi professional gave me some useful knowledge.
I've been studying Java lately. If anyone ever wants to learn something about it, I heartily recommend Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java, downloadable for free from www.mindview.net.
Oh, yeah, and my website detailing my master's thesis has had 15,000 hits since last week. People really liked it. I was pleasently surprised.
I don't know why I never get around to updating my blog. I suppose it's because I want you to have expectations of quality-- that the blog is worth reading, even if there's very little of it to read. I suppose this is why I stubbornly hold to the list format of my blog. It makes it easy to pass from one post to the next without having to click one hundred times. It does seem to be getting a little long, though. I've considered using one of these newfangled web toys, like RapidWeaver or iWeb to make blogs faster and more efficient. Yet, each time I consider it, I am loathe to part from my list ways. Perhaps if I had long, well thought-out posts that expressed an opinion on something, and had a readership, it might be different. As it is, I have no idea how many people visit my blog in a given week, but I'm certain it's less than 10.
So much stuff I plan to do, and so little of it gets done. This is certainly what leads to a what could only be described as melancholy view of life. I feel good when I write on my blog, which begs the question, why don't I do it more often, then? One can only surmise that it's my profound fear of seeming dumb.
Of course, being dumb is also being human. Hrm...
Must be a balance somewhere in there.
I just spilled a whole can of paint down my basement steps. Fortunately, I had just bought a DV camcorder to film it all after the fact. Oh, joy.
In other news, my websites got featured on www.hackaday.com.
Ball and Plate
Digitally reading analog dials
Dad's been bugging me about this for a long time, so I'm finally getting around to updating my blog. It's been bloody forever, so here goes. Don't forget to actually read all the way to the end because I'm splitting up momentous events so that this one doesn't get too long.
Computerless: I've sold my computer. No, I'm not giving up Apple for good (although I'd love to give up their hardware. Never been so dissatisfied in my life over a hardware purchase), just getting rid of my PPC PowerBook now that the new Intel MacBooks are out. So I don't know what I'm going to do for the next long months. Go crazy?
Never! In fact, shortly afterward, I had a crisis and bought a new iMac. $1200 in America, and worth $1600 in France. So I�m hoping to sell it here for a profit once the new laptops come out.
Jaguar: the Jaguar is advancing nicely, albeit slowly. We've got the front frame completely off and are working on stripping the tub so we can decide just what to do with this sorry tub of rust.
Unfortunately, that�s all we did do before I left. Oh, well, at least the project has advanced. It�ll probably sit around another 5 years before anything gets done on it, but that�s the way of things. It was still a lot of fun.
Titanium: titanium is cool stuff. It turns out you can anodize it without any problem whatsoever, using commonly available household goods. For instance, Diet Coke and a 9V battery.
February 7th, Billy Wiseman: Funerals are good for gossip. My brother's long-time friend Billy Wiseman died from a drug overdose-- a lethal dose of barbituates. He was an odd man, insanely gifted in languages and trivia. I don't remember him well, but I do remember his massive girth at the table of academic team matches.
It was an odd visitation, marked for me more for the fact that I ran into people I hadn't even thought about in so many years. Prewitt Witherman, Byron Babs, and my old high school academic team coach (damned if I can remember her name). My academic team coach was the cream of the crop, able to fill me in on all the juicy gossip on those I haven't really seen since my college years. Take it all with a grain of salt, as it's a third-hand account. To wit:
Julee Baber: kinda cheating, I already knew about her, she's got one of those ridiculously easy names to google like, oh, say, SEBESTA. She's in Nashville, TN directing children's theatre, and apparently doing a great job. Of everyone I knew in high school, I think she's the one the most oft in the newspapers.
David Shearer: working a computer job with the Nashville prison system. Not at all what I expected for such a literary guy.
Cory Williams: living in Lexington with his wife, Amy nee Campbell. Working on a PhD at UK. I think their marriage surprised no one but themselves.
Carlye Burchett: Now married and living under the name Carlye Burchett Thacker. Pursuing a PhD in history. No surprise there.
Sasha Wagers: practicing lawyer in Lexington. Absolutely no surprise.
Amit Shah: entering his residency. No big surprise either.
Lisa Hicks: in Chicago.
Jon Kirby: in Atlanta married, in the Army, rank: sergeant. "What the hell???" is all I can really think about that one.
Anyway, that about wraps it up. I'm certain she told me other things, but I've forgotten them already. Really, this gossip serves no interest but to let an interested passer-by track down long-lost acquaintances.
Granddad: my grandfather is in a sorry state. He was admitted to the hospital shortly after Christmas. He has blood in his urine from, it turns out, seven kidney-stones in his one functional kidney. He didn't feel the pain from this because he is for all intents and purposes paraplegic. He's had a mysterious spinal cord degradation for as long as I've been alive, and it's been very sad to watch him deteriorate from walking on his own, to needing a cane, to needing a walker, to needing a wheelchair, to being confined to bed. He was a powerful man, and saw many things, and is still as alert mentally as he was when still a fresh West Point graduate in WWII. It begs the question, "Be it better to lose one's mind in a healthy body, or one's body in a healthy mind?"
Airplane flight: I had a hellacious flight to the US back in December, with them losing my baggage for eight days and me for one! Wound up in London, when I was supposed to be in Manchester. Oh, well.They�ve now lost my baggage three times in four and a half transatlantic crossings.
Many things going on in my life recently. Since the last post, in chronological order:
I went to Dijon in mid-October to demonstrate my ball and plate table at La Fete de la Science, which is the French national science festival day. The project was a rousing success, and worked without a hitch, as long as you don't consider the occasional explosion of legos in all directions a "hitch". Great fun was had by all and I managed to program lots of neat new trajectories for my ball. To date, I can make it follow circles at different speeds (the computer can go as fast as it wants. The limitation is currently the power supply which doesn't produce enough energy for the motors), go in spirals, follow the edge of the table, and perform figure-eights. Everyone from the youngest to the oldest loved it. Jean Paul Gauthier, one of the two professors who aided me in this project, thinks we were the most popular of all the demonstrations in Burgundy. Now if only I could get Lego to believe it and send me some more legos...
Here's a bit of footage made by my American friend Greg Marshall of my demonstration. It's in H.264 format, so I suggest VLC or QuickTime for viewing it. If the sound doesn't work, don't worry, it's all in French.
The next weekend, I was in Pontarlier, a small town on the French-Swiss border, for the National Indoor Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. I played with BDM (Bon DiscManche, a play on "bon dimanche"-- good Sunday), a team that only exists twice a year, once for the indoor national tournament and once for the outdoor national tournament. They're all incredible players, so the team is quite strong and has already won these tournaments. I had played with them two years ago in similar circumstances, and they've taken to calling me "Jesus" and "The Savior" because I keep on coming through for them. I'm certainly not on their level, but I play well enough to play with them.
The weekend was quite action-packed and saw us suffer a humiliating defeat, 4-12, before coming back and going tit-for-tat with a far superior team that was not only all men-- we were co-ed with 4 men and 3 women-- but had ten people to our measly seven to boot. We wound up winning a crucial game 12-11 that kept us in the upper pool for the second weekend of the tournament, which will be held in the first quarter of 2006. I truly think that we've got a chance to win the national tournament because on the second weekend we'll have the entire team, and not just seven players. Since in indoors five players play on the field at a time, it makes a big difference in energy level when you've got only seven players vs. the teams that have eight, nine, or ten.
A little film that I hacked together of the most spectacular game, BDM vs. Flying Carpets, is here..
The weekend after that was Tout Saints-- All Saint's Day, a national holiday in Catholic countries. Laura had three days of vacation, so we went to Strasbourg to see Jerome Bernard, a French frisbee friend, fff.
However, before leaving Saturday morning for France, we made a little detour by Amsterdam. It was a crazy trip, made with the 19-year-old Russian Alexey behind the wheel of his mother's Volvo, driving like a bat out of hell. I think we made it to Amsterdam in 3 hours, at an average 160kph, even in the 100kph zones. We only went for the night, passing by Antwerp on the way back home at 4AM. Ostensibly the whole purpose of the trip was to go to Antwerp to get some suit jackets for Sergeui, Alexey's older brother that I met in Dijon a couple years ago, and some Diet Coke. Why we drove across half of Europe to pick up some of the ugliest blazers this world has ever seen (checkered lime green and white straight out of the 70s) and a 24-pack of Coke, I'll never understand, but it was fun and the conversation was good.
Once back and safely in bed, we overslept and didn't leave until late the next afternoon. So much for being early risers. Nonetheless, we embarked on our short trip to Strasbourg-- only 2 hours away-- and met up with Jerome. Not, of course, without getting lost along the way, multiple times. Giving Laura a map is like giving War and Peace to a newborn: she just puts it on her lap and stares out the window.
The nice thing about Europe, though, is that it's easy to navigate in cities because they always have canals and rivers passing through them. Just find the water that's going where you want to go and follow it. Works like a charm.
Jerome and I have a nasty habit of only talking about frisbee when we're together. Sports: the time immemorial activity for men, right? At least we're talking strategy and how we can play better, instead of rehashing games seen on TV. Nonetheless, this has a habit of boring everyone else to tears, as no one in their right mind cares about frisbee, not unless they play. Laura even refers to it as a "cult activity".
Last weekend we went meandering around the country-side as we headed off in search of the small grass airport just on the other side of the border in Belgium. We chanced across a castle in Septfontaines (Sevenfountains) that was obviously the object of a forgotten restoration attempt. Manning the battering ram, we burst in through the front gate (which, admittedly, was already broken open) and penetrated into the inner court. It was quite amazing to be all alone in a castle that was falling into ruin. Usually, they're barred off and you'd have to have a grappling hook (A purchase that would have paid off handsomely in Europe. Christmas present anyone?) to get inside. Here, though, we could sneak our heads in under the ancient oak door and go wandering on the castle ramparts.
So my current goals in Luxembourg are to advance in my frisbee catching robot plans and to make the first Ultimate Frisbee team in the country. I've already found two other players, and a couple others that are interested, so maybe we're not too far from having a first game. If the weather this weekend holds out, I think I'll try to put together a game.
Oh, yeah, and work on a PhD, too. Did I not mention that one?
P.S.: This blog isn't finished. I'll fill it in today or tomorrow. When this message is gone, you'll know that I've finished adding all the material.
My Luxembourg address until Christmas:
25A, rue des Shoenfels
Bridel 8151
+(352)333545
In unrelated news, Laura made a grammar error last night that I find particularly well-suited to our modern life. She asked if we "have internet in the house". Now, normally this is an error, as you should say "have an internet connection", or the more acceptable, but also incorrect "have the internet" (A ludicrous idea in itself. The internet is, by definition, a grouping of remote computers. If these computers were in the house, as expressed by, "I have the internet in the house", they could hardly be remote, now could they? Of course, this sort of logic requires a modicum of intelligence and learnedness, so let's not ask too much of our country bumpkin neighbors, shall we?). In any case, to ask if we "have internet in the house" is analagous to asking, "Do we have water in the house?" or, "Do we have electricity?" In other words, it's become a utility, something that is such a feature of modern living that people will talk in awe about the days before everyone, even the poorest of the poor, had internet connections, much the same as when we talk about "running water" and "electricity". And Susan Summers will cry about how the poor, starving children of Africa (or Mars, who knows?) could be given internet for only $0.01/day.
I am now safely installed in Luxembourg and have come to the conclusion that the Luxembourgois don't exist. They're all underground moles that only surface between the hours of 8 and 9, 12 and 1, and 5 and 6. Even then, you don't see them, only their hard, shiny, metal shells, bearing such emblems as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Jaguar. They swarm out of their garages in their houses, speed across town, and quickly dive into some underground parking before the harsh light of the sun dries out their skin too much. It is only with great conjecture and sophisticated guesswork that I have gleaned a sense of how the Luxembourgois must look.
Luxembourg has a peculiar tendency to put parking meters everywhere, even in little subdivisions where no one ever goes, and no one ever parks. You'll see a parking meter in front of a row of houses that are spaced as far apart as American houses, and nary a car in sight at 11:00 in the morning. Why this is, I can only guess. It does seem to have the effect of creating lots of garages in houses and lots of underground parking structures.
It's a sleepy little town of around 75,000 people, of which around 30% are foreigners. The European Commission has apparently had a major impact on this. It's quite beautiful, nestled in the bottom of a valley. Why they chose a valley to build their fortress is beyond me, but according to certain sources, it was considered to be the best defended city in all of Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. The old city is beautifully preserved, and with all the money flowing in, they're rebuilding and restoring what isn't.
The cathedral, unfortunately, isn't so spectacular. Dijon's churches are far more magnificent. In fact, I've seen more spectacular churches in small hamlets in Italy. That being said, you might as well poke your head in for a look if you're ever around. The beauty and awe of European churches is still present, it's just not in as abundant supplies as say, Il Duomo de Firenze, Notre Dame de Paris, der Munster dem Mainz, etc...
Luxembourg also has many magnificient bridges crossing from one side of the valley to another. This is because while the old city is in the bottom, the new city is up above.
The one exception to all this is the Kirchberg Plateau. Kirchberg is the Luxembourg quarter where the European Commission is located, and it is a planned cities. In other words, it's a subdivision that looks like an IKEA floormap. "Cars check in, but they never go out." It took Laura and I 3 hours to get to Luxembourg, 15 minutes to find her building (one of only two skyscrapers in Luxembourg), and 20 minutes of driving around and getting lost in order to figure out how to cross the road in order to get there.
Planned, yeah right. Looks as if someone forgot to "plan" for pedestrians. You know sidewalks, medians, walkable distances-- stuff like that. Trying to rollerblade in that area is just nightmarish. It sort of works right now because with all the construction many car lanes are closed and I can roll there, but good luck to me and my fellow wheeled bretheren when the construction is done.
Luxembourg is quite expensive, but manageably so. For instance, a month-long bus pass from home to Kirchberg Plateau costs 41Euro, which is quite expensive for a 4 km trip. However, this bus pas is good for all trains and buses in the entire country, not just those of the city. Of course, do remember that the entire country is only about the size of Lexington, KY, at 2500km2. Still, it's quite a deal and I sure wish I could have gotten a similar price in Dijon for all of the C�te d'Or.
So, on to a couple salient details of my life here so far--
As mentioned above, Luxembourg is a traffic nightmare and this was painfully evident upon our arrival. The Luxembourgois love their cars, and this gave us a lot of grief as we were trying to navigate the city, both to drop Laura off and to go around apartment hunting. I guess this comes from having some of the lowest gas prices in all of Europe (Gas prices which are now, even here, hitting well over $6/gal, so shut up and cope, you gas guzzling Americans.). In fact, the one serious inconvenient of our housing is that we're in a bedroom community and thus have to commute to work.
Speaking of housing, let me recount our apartment search. It all started off in September when Laura first learned she'd been accepted to the EU Commission. Within minutes, she and I hit up the web, looking for a place to stay, especially a place with roommates.
We found nothing. Zilch. Nada. None. Everything was either taken or so expensive that it was going to cost more than half our combined salaries (well, her salary, as I have none). We adopted a wait-and-see attitude. In the meantime, we continued to look for lodging with others in her group, as they were very much in the same predicament as us. No luck, as we were doubly stymied by the prices and the leases.
Let me pause to explain Luxembourg leases. No, first I'll explain French leases, and then on to Luxembourg ones. French leases are incredible documents that leve little to be asked for on the renter's side of the table. A landlord is required to sign a lease for a minimum of at least three years, but this lease can be terminated at any time by the renter with a three month's notice. (This is a million times more flexible than American leases, which are generally signed for one year, no more, no less, and have stiff penalties for early departure. Which is good, because oftentimes, the French gov't requires it's civil servants to move from one side of the country to another with very little notice, e.g. 3 days.)
The Luxembourg renting system is exactly the same as the French one, with one notable addition: if you leave in your first year, you must pay three months' additional rent, if you leave in your second only two, and if you leave in the third year of the lease, a miserly one month of additional rent
We're staying three months. Paying three months in penalties for three months of board doesn't sound good. So, apartments went out the window. Which basically left us with finding a boarding room.
Now, for any of you that would like to live in Luxemourg, and have a few hundred thou lying around, just buy a decent-sized house with lots of rooms and then let them out. At $400-$600/mo, three to four boarders can easily pay the mortgage, electricity, heat, and water, all while only taking up a fourth of the house, leaving you with all the space and money.
Anyway, back to our experience. Come September 30th, Laura sent out a plea to any and all of her fellow interns that might have a place on their floor where we could crash for a night or two. The responses were less than encouraging. In fact, the only response we received was on Sunday, a copy/paste from a recent ad put online.
Well, the ad didn't look so bad, 3 different rooms to let two at 17m2 for 400Euro/mo and one at 10m2 for 350E/mo. We tried calling the lady, and after several abortive attempts with my computer (�llo? �llo? Vous m'entendez???) we finally got through to her on Saturday morning. She said that she had already rented one, and that she had three more visitors to go for the other two rooms. Well, the 10m2 was far too small for the price, so we were really only considering the larger rooms. Still, one gone left us hope for the other. We asked her a couple questions about it, and based on her responses and the general "feel" I got while talking to her, we sent ahead and told her that we'd take the room sight-unseen. She said that'd be okay, but she had to at least finish with the people who had already made appointments. To do otherwise, she said, would be "Unscrupulous! Thouroghly Unscrupulous!"
Laura and I crossed our fingers and waited out the day with Greg in Couternon (a little village 4km from Dijon's center). We hadn't yet left for Luxembourg (we had originally planned to get there Saturday evening) and so we spent all Sunday afternoon haranguing the poor lady every hour-- "Is the room still available? Is the frenchman sufficiently late for the appointment for you to consider it less thoroughly unscrupulous to let us snatch it out from under his feet?" Well, finally at 6 o'clock the frenchman showed up, and took it on the spot.
Nothing to be done about it, no place to live, no place to sleep, and Laura's stage started 14 hours later. We spent the night at Greg's place, drove to Lux in the wee hours of the morning, and each set out on our own seperate ways to find a place to stay. If nothing else, we could always sleep in the youth hostel for a couple days.
I found a newspaper of nothing but classified ads, called LuxbaZar [sic], and found quite a number of chambers for reasonable prices. Laura, from her side, found an updated list of people that rent to EU interns. Laura can make calls from her office, so she spent the afternoon calling anyone and everyone that might possibly maybe perhaps let us stay.
She winnowed the list down to three potentials, based on nothing more than their willingness to rent to a couple, and off we went at 5:00PM to go room hunting.
The first stop was in Beggen. Well, actually, the first stop was in the zoo they call a traffic mess at the bottom of the valley. The second stop was none too far away, precisely at the second stop light. The third, fourth, fifth, and sixth stops were also traffic lights. After that, I lost count. Now, why they seem utterly incompetent at timing lights in Lux is beyond me, but I swear this was the worst thing I've ever seen. Man O' War Blvd. in Lexington, KY is better than this.
So after much stopping and going, and getting lost more than once (Laura forgets to navigate once she starts talking.), we finally got there. After taking a quick stroll through the neighborhood-- and discovering the weirdest little pine tree ever, some sort of cross between a Christmas tree and a pinapple-- we rang the door bell.
A few seconds later, a squat little troglodyte cracked open the door and peered out into the glaring evening sunlight.
"Hi, we're here about the room."
She led us to some sort of door which looked as if it should be left barred and chained at all costs lest the boogyman escape. The troglodyte then opened the door, releasing a wonderful waft of dank basement and mildew, and waddled down the steps. She showed us the white-washed barn door that was to open into our room, and clicked on the light. As the harsh light of a 10W lightbulb filled the room, and the haze of dust settled down, from what we could tell we were looking at a ricketly old bed with a bedspread stolen straight out of a 1970s clearance sale, a "cupboard" that could only be named as such because it was made out of boards and had a cup somewhere on it, and an impossibly small chair that would have better served to bind and gag some poor child than support my massive (70kg) frame.
Then she explained to us that they were building a new door-- "just as soon as the city gives us the permits"-- so that we wouldn't have to enter through the same door as the family. Oh, and that the washing machine would be moved upstairs so we couldn't use it anymore. And that all this would be done "without disturbing the renters too much".
I can't say we actually fled, but I do know that we didn't turn our back on her as we edged our way up the stairs.
The next location on the list was in Bridel; Bridel, like the cheese. The first thing I thought upon finding Bridel on the map-- we had to flip the map over because Bridel is so far from the city center-- was that there was no way on Earth we were going to live that far from everything. Still, Laura had made the appointment, and we were desperate, so off to Birdel we went.
Only geting turned around twice, we arrived in Bridel at a decent hour, found the address, and rang the doorbell. No one answered. We waited a minute and rang again. Still no one. I asked Laura if she were sure and she assured me that everything was correct. Except...
Aha! She remembered that the lady had said that the house wasn't visible from the street because of the big trees. Which was odd, because this house was only partially hidden behind some small shrubs. We looked around, and voila, a two-storey house nestled in the woods 50m off the street.
Upon approaching we perceived a brand-new silver 3-series BMW, parked on the gravel loop that served as a driveway before the house, and a blond-haired dame in her 60s working on the garden to the left of the house. She came out and introduced herself-- Marianne-- and asked our names.
"Laura."
"Kenn."
"Peter?"
Sigh... One year I'll figure out why Europeans can never get my name right.
So, she beckons us enter, and leads us to the left where there is a staircase going down. Oh, no, I really don't want to live in a basement! Still, this staircase has somewhat of an elegant feel, broad steps and well lit. We follow and wind up in a beautiful two-room apartment. We were shocked and quite pleased at our luck.
Marianne, however, balks a little at the idea of a couple living in her house. She's never done such a thing before. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather rent both rooms that she has available, one upstairs and one downstairs?" she asks. Yes, we reply, we haven't the money for that. Then she counter-offers: 500E/mo instead of 400E. We ho and we hum. 500E is half Laura's salary.
"Well, in any case," she says, "let me show you the bathroom." She leads us out of the apartment and opens the first door on the right. I round the corner, see a sink on the left, a shower on the right... and a humongous swimming pool in the center! We're talking 9m X 5m. The thing is as big as any backyard swimming pool, if not bigger, and it's in the basement of her house. Heated, and at two meters from my door.
"Oh," she says abstractedly, "that's just the swimming pool."
"Can we use it???" we cry, faces aglow.
"Sure, I don't see why not."
After that, she leaves us alone in the apartment to mull things over. We decide that 500E is too much, but we can swing 450E, especially for the swimming pool.
Upstairs, we propose our counter offer, she accepts, and we seal the deal over a cup of tea. She's such a sweat lady she even gives us some bread, pasta, butter, tomatoes, and jambon sec to make dinner with.
Marianne is a delightful German Frau who has lived in Luxembourg for 30 years. A retired lawyer, she came with her husband to work with the EU Commission and loved it so much she never left. Her children are grown up and moved out, so she rents to interns at the EU because she knows it's very difficult for them to find rooms in Luxembourg. She's charming as can be, speaks a wonderful English with a soft German accent, and has a habit of switching between German and English without noticing it. We're pleased as punch to be with her, we're 2 minutes from the bus line, she just bought me a new bed because the old one was wreaking havok on my back, she lets us use the washing machine as much as we like, and...
I've got a swimming pool in my bathroom.
So that's where I'm going to end things for now. If you've read this far, you're a brave soul and I don't think I should torment you any further with my ramblings.
I'm packing and thought I'd take a break from my work to write something. In fact, packing things puts me in a foul humor, so I try to find whatever I can to distract me from actually doing it. Sounds like a lot of things in my life.
Current stuff:
-My email was down for 10 days because my domain registrar had the wrong credit card exp date and they didn't tell me about it *before* shutting everything down. That was fun.
-I finished my Masters. Second best grades overall, first in my class. It was all great fun and I learned a lot. Check out my Ball and Plate thesis project, made completely out of legos. It went so well, that they asked me to consider staying on for PhD. I have somewhat accepted their offer and am currently looking for money to finance my PhD project, an automatic, mobile frisbee catcher.
-I'm moving to Luxembourg tomorrow. What fun. Except I'm quite trepeditious. Dijon will miss me, as the French say. I don't know what I'll do there. I'm currently exploring apply for a PhD. offer at the University of Luxembourg. I don't know if it's my thing though, as I seem to really have a lot of trouble working hard when it's not my project. I still don't play well with others. Teamwork, schmeamwork.
So, here's a good-bye and a thanks for all the fish. Dijon, you've been great, and we might see each other again soon. At the least, I'll be back in Dijon for the Fete de la Science where I will be demonstrating my lego table.
A special, special, special hug and kiss to the twins. I miss you already. You may never know the impact you had on my life, but no matter what happens, know that meeting and knowing you was one of the best things that ever happened to me at Dijon. Merci.
Life advances. I'm almost finished with my Masters in Robotics, only a project presentation to be made and I'm done. I just finished another wireless network this week, so additional income is always nice. I could get these things done faster, I think, but it's not so important to me.
Right now I'm drop dead tired because I haven't left the university all day or all night. I hardly pulled an all-nighter, and didn't work a bit, but I've still been up. Who knows why? I just didn't feel like going home last night. I think that's going to catch up to me today.
My dreams have a way of fermenting in my subconcious for years and years-- forgotten, alone, but never truly gone. Every now and then, one of them works it's way to the surface and jumps out, like hydrogen gas in the sun that erupts and makes a glorious sunspot. Again, just like moving to France and teaching in a foreign university and so many others, a dream has come to fruition.
I remember when I was in Gifted English in middle school, and our teacher, Mrs. Johns, had us write a short essay about an imaginary reunion of the gifted students in ten years time. We had to each write about where we lived, and what we did, and what we had done. To cut to the chase, I had poured through an encylopedia the day the assignment was due (I had played hooky that day in order to get it done. Always procrastinating, I am. Always procrastinating.) and had discovered Luxembourg. I tiny little country in the middle of Europe.
I don't know why, but something about the country spoke to me. Maybe it was its name, maybe its size, maybe just the thrill at discovering that there were so many little countries in the world, hidden between the giants. In any case, that was where I "lived" in that 10-year distant future, so many years ago.
And, now, that is where I'm going to live. In two short months' time. (It's a little more than 10 years later, more like 14, but I wasn't so far off.) Laura has been accepted into the European Union's Romanian translator program. I'll be accompanying her for her three month stay in Luxembourg.
What that gives for Dijon, who can say?
Great. Just great. My internet connection will be down for the next three weeks.
My neighbors share their internet connection with me, an ADSL line that has a nasty habit of going down every time theirs lightning. Monday morning we had a bit of rain and lightning, and, voila, the connection went down. The only problem is, the Bontemps went on vacation Friday evening and won't be back till mid-August.
If you're looking for me online, don't. Just send me an email instead. If you're wondering why I take even longer than normal to respond to emails, it's because I can only get a connection on my computer when my professor isn't there and I can steal his.
I'll be back when I'm back, and not a minute before.
I've been playing more frisbee than ever before in France. I'm actually up to something like 5 hours a week. Nothing close to my 20hr/wk in America, but not so shabby either. My big dream right now is to put together some sort of hat tournament for Dijon, one where we'd draw people's names out of a hat in order to choose teams. I did that once in Lexingon and had a pretty good time.
I've fallen in with Marie and Lise Le Lagadec, who will henceforth be known simply as "the twins". The twins are as sweet and adorable as buck-toothed sorceresses could ever be, with all the charm of a Mack truck and the grace of a moderate sized mountain. The twins have invited me here, Vannes off the coast of Brittany, for a week at the beginning of August. The twins have a childish obsession with tickling me. I have a childish obsession with laughing when they do.
The twins' mother berated me the other night for my eating habits. It seems that my one man crusade to convince the world that raw pasta is good is an abysmal failure.
Aside from that, I've created this really cool program that lets me turn analog dial indicators into digital ones. Basically, I point a webcam at the dial and read in the information to the computer. After that, I use some image analysis tools to extract all the contours and edges from the picture. Next, I use a Hough transform to find all the straight lines, of which I choose the two longest (as they probably, nay, certainly represent the edges of the needle). Once that's done, I find the intersection of the two lines, find the angle between the intersection and the center of the dial, and use the resulting angle to calculate where the needle must be pointing. All in all, the process works pretty well, although I need to optimize it a bit because one out of 4 points isn't properly calculated.
(If you'd like to know why this is so complicated, take a look at the Sunday, May 29th blog entry for examples of how the human eye works vs computer eyes.)
Thanks to the wonders of the modern age, you can see where I live.
I've started a wiki. WikiProps. It's for scientists and engineers who absolutely must know the physical properties of an object but have no idea where to look.
I had this idea because the other day I spent hours and hours trying to find out the dimensional tolerances for a pool ball. I needed to know for my project. Sadly, no one, anywhere, has this sort of information. So I decided that a wiki would be the best way to pool it all together. So if any of you have any weird measurements, feel free to contribute.
I just watched the movie adaptation of Frank Miller's Sin City. All in all, not too bad, and definitely the closest I have ever seen a Hollywood movie stick to the original text. In fact, there are only one or two small deviations, and they hardly change anything at all. There was one thing, however, that disturbed me. The serial killer Kevin from the movie looks almost exactly like Scott McCloud from McCloud's seminal work "Understand Comics". I wonder if this is a coincidence because McCloud specifically refers to Frank Miller as one of the visionaries who helped chang the comic book genre in the 80s from superheros to flawed heros.
Anyway, I'll let you decide for yourselves:
(Serial killer Kevin) (Comics visionary Scott McCloud)
This Sunday was my POUF. Although the day didn't exactly go as expected-- I might write more about this later if sufficiently motivated, I was really excited by the turnout. I estimate somewhere around 35-40 people came to play or watch. Here's the front page blurb and newspaper article in the Bien Public and the 10 seconds on France 3.
In rereading my blog posts, I've noticed an overabundance of irrational enthusiasm. I henceforth will attempt to limit my use of the exclamation mark.
Oh, yeah, and scowl a lot, too.
After a month of spotty internet connection with a WRT54G operating in client mode with DDWRT, a hack of the Sveasoft Alchemy firmware hack, linking up to a Wanadoo LiveBox, I did something I should have done a long time ago: I tried WDS with a WRT54GC.
Lazy WDS is on by default in the WRT54G and WRT54GS, so I thought it might be the same case for the WRT54GC. It was a long shot, considering that they share very little in common aside from a name, but I thought that they might still use the same binaries for controlling the wifi connection.
It turns out it works like a charm. ALL I did was go into the configuration for the WRT54G and put it on the same SSID, same WEP key, and activated LAN WDS with the MAC address of the WRT54GC. That's it. Nothing more. Worked right off the bat.
BWAHAHAHAH!!!
My brother... BWAHAHAHAH!!!
He... BWAHAHA!!!
He went to BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!
He missed his plane because... BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
He went here instead of here.
BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH
AHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHA
HHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAH
HAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Although in all fairness, one's named Charles de Gaule (This is the a�roport) and the other Charles de Gaule d'Etoile (this is the Arc de Triomphe). This is very typical of European cities. They have one name, and use it everywhere, even in the subways. I've made a similar mistake myself trying to get to a train station in Madrid.
Some people are born with a gift for words. I was just born with a gift OF them.
I'll be hogtied and walloped, I'm going to Paris!
Well, going to Paris is hardly such a monumental thing, it's only 1h37m away in the train. It's the way I'm going. I won a Settlers of Catan tournament for which the prize was 50Euro in gift certificates and a trip to Paris to compete in the Coupe de France, where the winner will be the national champion!
While I have no hopes whatsoever of winning the nationals (The competition is too good and there's too much luck in the game to let gameplay be the sole deciding factor.), I will have a great time and will probably post pictures. Don't even know when I'm going to play yet, hope it'll be soon.
This optical illusion page is definitely one of the most interesting sites I've ever chanced across. It's fascinating to see how the human eye behaves as opposed to a computer eye. This certainly elucidates for me many of the problems we have for making computer vision as responsive as human vision.
Don't miss the flash demonstrations. Some of the best usage of flash I've ever seen in my life. The Koffka Ring is especially good. Don't forget to wait till the end of each flash animation when they explain their theories for why a particular illusion works.
I don't think I've ever been closer to death or certain injury then I was last Saturday. Perhaps I have been, and just never noticed, but this time it was as clear as day.
What happened is as simple as it was stupid. The gravel road was washed out at a certain spot and there was a tree jutting out into the road from the other side. The tree psychologically pushes a driver to the right, and since there was no more gravel at this spot, when the right car wheel slipped over the threshold, there was no turning back. It was a mishap incredibly reminiscent of that which destroyed my father's airplane. Vehicle rolling slowly has wheel drop off onto slippery slope and the rest is QED.
In Photo 3, you can quite clearly see the marks the car made as it slide-- sideways-- down the hill. Now, you might ask yourself, "Why, if the car were sliding sideways, is it now pointed uphill?" Right after the car slid off the road to the right, the front door, mirror, and then fender smacked into the tree that's touching the car's right side. The mass of the car then pivoted around the tree, starting to slide backwards, a potentially disastrous descent that was miraculously stopped immediately by the tree that the back bumper is resting against.
All in all, there is little damage to the car. Mechanically, it still works perfectly, and cosmetically, the front door and fender are noticably, but not critically, pushed in.
Saints be praised, however, that the trees were there in exactly this configuration, because otherwise the car would have slid 100+ meters and probably would have started to tumble at some moment, as the slope is 35-40deg steep.
We wound up getting the car back onto the road the next morning with the help of an enormous 10-ton winch, one that would have had troubles fitting in a guitar case. That and a generous helping of elbow grease, since the sole locamotive power was my brother and friend Nicolas.
The website for my Ultimate Frisbee day is now online, www.wifi-bourgogne.com/pouf.html
In case any of you are wondering, pouf stands for Portes Ouvertes Ultimate Frisbee. Now, aren't you glad you asked?
I have a phone number.
And his name is Bob.
(360) 227-4940. Feel free to call me any time. It's to Washington, so make sure you use your cell phone so you don't pay any long-distance charges.
How did I work this wonderful magic? Asterisk!
And if you feel like starting down this path on your own, check out my HowTo for replacing SkypeOut with Asterisk and another service that is even less expensive.
I just reinstalled my PowerBook with the new Mac O/S, Tiger. I haven't really used it much, but my first impression is that Dashboard and the Dashboard widgets are nowhere near as good as Konfabulator. The Dashboard widgets are way too big and it's too hard to close them.
24 Hour Comics Day on TV and in print. Has your French gotten any better?
As you all know, I recently bought a Mac. While I am very happy with my purchase, there is one sore point: iTunes. iTunes is terrible, it really is. I don't like the program at all.
Now, I know that there are those who would disagree. That's fine. You have the right. I don't like it, and my problem is that there's nothing better. Which is disappointing. iTunes sucks up 20-40% of my processor power, is constantly skipping (my Acer PIII 850MHz, that was outperformed by a Dell PII 400MHz, never had this problem. Yet my 2005 Powerbook, with 1.5GHz G4 processor can't play music and do anything else without skipping. Unacceptable.), and sorts my music the way Apple wants it sorted, not the way I had it presorted in my folders. Not very nice.
What I miss is the simple functionality and efficiency of winamp. Winamp was nice. It didn't insist on moving your files around. It didn't insist on playing only Apple approved music formats (no ogg, for instance). It took up very little space. When you changed ID3 tag information (little bits of information that encode song information, such as title, band, album, genre, etc.), Winamp changed them for real, not like in iTunes where after spending the better part of a day changing my ogg music files around, I discovered that all was for naught as iTunes only modified its record of the music file, not the actual ID3 tag stored inside the music file itself.
However, iTunes isn't a total waste of hard drive space. iTunes has an incredibly powerful database capability. The ability to find any song, whatsoever, by just typing letters that are in its name. They don't even need to be full words, it could just be one or two letters from each word in a song. For instance, when I type "ta he", I get all my Talking Heads songs, and just a few others. If I go all the way to "tal head", I only get Talking Heads songs, the others have all been filtered out. And since you see it develop in real time, you can continute to type, eliminating possibilities, until you see the song you want.
Now, where things get intersting is when you realize that Tiger, Apple's newest operating system, comes complete with a highly efficient database for ALL your files, not just music ones. Moreover, Apple has released tools to make use of the database, meaning that any program could tie into it and get the same info. It gets better-- Spotlight has a "smart folders" capability where you can define a list of filters and any file that passes all the filters will be listed in the folder.
I propose a replacement for iTunes, an open source program that provides a better GUI interface and ties into the Spotlight database, thus giving the one important iTunes capability. This could be done with just a command line tool that uses scripting languages to dynamically create smart playlists through the use of smart folders. After that, could build whatever interface they want to around it. I understand that Apple really makes life easy for making such interfaces.
Not even done with 24 Hour Comics Day yet, and already on to my next project. P.O.U.F. (Porte Ouverte Ultimate Frisbee). Yes, I know what poof is in English. No I really don't care. If you knew the number of words that are perfectly innocuous in one language and incredibly foul in another, you'd never dare open your mouth.
Sometimes I feel that the French are more capitalist than the Americans. One of my biggest problems and headaches in setting up Dijon 24HCD has been dealing with the associations, basically volunteer clubs, but with lots of administrative overhead.
A common attitude in the associations that I ask for help is, "What's in it for us?" I try explaining the principles of the GPL (Gnu Public License) which gave birth to the entire free software/open source movement, and they just stare at me. When I tell them that I'm getting nothing out of this, not one red cent, they look at me slant-eyed, trying to figure out just what my angle is. It's a little disappointing, because the associations want to make a buck even though I refuse to allow my business, WiFi-Bourgogne, to get anything out of it. You'd think they'd understand that if I'm not going to promote myself, why on Earth would I promote them?
More on this to come...
I've gone over to the dark side. My new computer is pure evil. I think they're preparing a special place in hell for people like me.
Worse than that, my sickness has obviously contaminated my roommates, Mihai who just bought his new computer and the computer Cristina wants to buy. I've even convinced this Russian girl to buy one. When will the folly stop??? My only recommendation is to stay away from me. Oh, wait, you were all doing that anyway.
I know see what those in the Linux world mean when they say that Linux should look to recreate the GU interface, not just follow MS wherever they go. That's what Macs are. Honest to good different. Things just don't work the same way. Some things are better, some things are worse, but all in all I prefer it already. There are things that really just work, although iTunes is definitely NOT one of them. iTunes is like the Model T. It comes in every color you want, so long as you want black. iTunes is an inexcusable blight on Apple. It's great so long as you only use mp3, so long as you don't already have your music organized, and so long as you have less music than free hard drive space.
Not having two buttons on the mouse is less annoying than you'd think, although there's no doubt, 3 button are superior to 1, just like three fingers are superior to 1. Not having a delete key, just a backspace key, is really annoying, and having an eject button on the keyboard in the place of the backspace key is just unfathomable. I wish I could remap it because I never, ever use it, and I need a delete key every other word.
On the other hand, there are some phenomenal advantages such as Expose, an incredible utility that sold me on Mac all by itself. Basically, it lets you zoom out from your desktop and see ALL your open windows at once. An absolutely awesome program that improves productivity beyond all possible belief.
iPhoto is really good, although it suffers from the same problems as iTunes. Fortunately, these problems aren't even minor irritants in iPhoto. In fact, I had a really weird experience with it last night when I imported all my photos into its database. It was a slide-show of my entire photo life for the past two years, bad photos and good, each photo lasting no more than 1 second. It felt very odd, as I was washed over by all the memories from 3 years in Europe. I wish I'd had more photos. I'm beginning to understand the Japanese and Chinese that take pictures everywhere they go.
It's too bad there's a price vs. performance hit when going to Apple computers, but it's really not as bad as you think. No one cares about speed anymore, my Acer laptop from 2001 is still fast enough to do the majority of what anyone throws at it. There's just no need today for anything any faster, unless you're really into games. So the 1.5GHz PowerBook runs plenty fast enough for everything I could think to throw at it. In fact, I wish I could make it run slower so that the battery would last longer. I couldn't care less if Firefox took two seconds longer to open, but I sure care about being able to use my computer 15min longer on its batteries.
Thanks to Geoff, you can now see the original articles! On the front page and the back cover. How's your French?
I have decided to return to my roots. I will no longer be known as Kenn. Call me Kenneth now. Or just 'nneth, for those who read Vasquez.
Only two more weeks until 24 Hour Comics Day! It's been a great leadup so far. I've got an interview with CheriFM, a national radio station. As soon as Geoff finishes photoshopping the newspaper article, I'll post that for your viewing pleasure, although I warn you that it's in French and I'm ugly, so it's really not worth looking at. Unless you're bored. Horribly bored. So bored that you're even prepared to watch a Polly Shore movie costarring Adam Sandler.
Don't say I didn't tell you so.
6 weeks since my last post. Hmm... Well, keep on bugging me about them, guys, and I'll get around to them more often. It seems that people actually read this stuff. Whodathunkit?
We're only 15 days away from the 24 Hour Comics Day! I can't believe how great this project has turned out. Artists from all over Europe, and even my brother who will be making a special "guest appearance." (Actually, he's already appeared, and will be staying with me in Dijon for who knows how long. He'll be gone in three weeks or in three months, we're not sure which.) It's going to be big, although no one really knows how big. There's a good chance that we might have the record for the most number of people. Which really seems to be my only goal in the affair, since I don't draw, I read comic books occassionally when they fall in my lap, and I could hardly be considered to be a big connisseur of the arts. So, you heard it here first, my goal is to have the biggest, bestest, badest bash of them all.
In other news, I've got another two or three residence halls to do, which is really wonderful. It gives me something to do when I don't feel like doing anything. Having clients and responsibilty actually motivates me. Not sufficiently, but a little motivation is never a bad thing.
In yet further news, I went to England a little while ago and met my relatives. Really great bunch, they are, and I'm looking forward to my next chance to see them again.
I've got a user here who needs my help, so this is the end for now...
I slept last night in my table. Physically IN the table. It's the table I had built for the computer lab I created last year. It's a mammoth table that cost around $2500 to build, made out of inch-thick pressure treated wood, 6" thick concrete, and a steel door bears more than a passing resemblance to a safe. The table is so large and heavy they worry that one day it's going to collapse through the floor into the crawl-space below.
Anyway, I was visiting at R�sidence Rimbaud and I missed the last bus because my sys/admin Nicholas and I were chatting-- something we shouldn't have been doing anyway since I've got exams next week-- and it just slipped my mind. Oh, dear. So, I hinted that it was cold and I didn't want to have to walk home, but it was a no-go. I guess I didn't hint loudly enough that he should let me sleep on his spare bed. Thus banished from light and heat, I went downstairs to the main floor with the intention of catching some shut-eye on the sofas in the computer lab. I asked the night watchman to open the room for me, but when I went in it was frigid. Icicles positively dripping off the keyboards.
It dawned on me that the interior of the table was always warm, so, "hop", I opened up the thick steel door, pushed some computers inside, crawled inside, shut the door behind me, and slept on the tiled floor for about 4 hours. It was cold. So very cold. Even on the inside of the table, it was so very cold. And hard. Still, better than going home, where I have no heat because we're poor and electricy is expensive.
Upon waking, I discovered I was locked inside the computer room (I have no key). No aventures there, since I had five computers before me and study materials. But that's the second time I've been locked inside in Europe.
The first time was at night in a church. An honest-to-god stone church constructed in the middle ages. Maybe I'll tell that story later.
My new address. As always, verify before sending. I've been in France 4 years and had 6 addresses.
Kenn SEBESTA
40, rue Jeannin
Weary, oh so weary...
I know that I shouldn't take such pleasure from this, but I just got through disputing my English grade with the an English professor. Specifically, my grade of 0. A 0 because I didn't go to the tests, because my professors told me I didn't have to go to the courses. Which in my mind meant I was excused from all parts of the course, not my physical presence in the classes. However, this apparently only meant the courses and not the test itself. Whoops.
Well, I scurry off first thing to go see the English teacher. I knock on his door, introduce myself, and say, "I understand there's a small problem in English." He turns toward me, bellows, "There's a BIG problem in English!" and returns to his computer. I wait, patiently, two minutes at the door to his office. I'm in no hurry, and I know about this kind of teacher, I had some as coworkers when I was teaching Technical English on the south side of the University, so it was nothing new on the north.
The teacher finally gets up and positively tries to rip into me. I suppose that he's used to students who cower and shiver in fear. I wasn't having any of it. I think that pissed him off worse. I told him, "I don't like your attitude." Which was true. I came, arms open, to try to solve a problem that arose from a cultural misunderstanding. It's hardly as if I'm scared of taking an English test with a room full of Frenchmen who are just now learning English. Au contraire. Coming to the test would have inflated my GPA since I would get a 100 and everyone else, well, less. Not that I'm that smart, but, come on, it's my native language. On a test proctored by a Frenchman.
Well, to make a long story shorter, I cut to the chase and firmly ask him how I can solve this problem. He demands two apology letters. Whatever. We are not amused. I explain to him, calmly, that I have nothing to apologize for, that I asked my profs in advance if I had to go, and that I was simply a misunderstanding that inconveniences no one. I offer to write an explication letter. At this he storms out, and I've never seem him again.
Everyone in my Masters finds this absolutely hillarious, including my professors. We'll see where this winds up. I never did mention that I teach Technical English, and that the university pays me to be an English consultant to the scientists.
Still, I wish people would tell me these things in advance. I wish these things wouldn't go out of their way to find me. I'm trying to eliminate conflict from my life. I'm failing horribly, as my roommates don't give me a second's respite, but I'm trying. I have a dream.
I just posted this to the NY Times bulletin board. I think it pretty well sums up my opinion on the matter, although I think it's more complicate than their 4000 characters would permit.
The problem is that we're looking at this from the wrong perspective. The question isn't whether alcohol should be permitted in Frats, it's whether it should be permitted at all.
We have a serious situation where young adults have never seen alcohol, never tasted it, always feared it, and always believed those who say it's evil. This is a dichotomous situation, and it's no wonder that no one believes us when we say that "this is bad" and really mean it.
It's a signal-to-noise problem. We're so busy demonizing absolutely everything, including the most trivial peccadilloes, that when we must really be heard, such as with cocaine, PCP, and steroids, everyone just hears Peter crying wolf. How do we expect credibility when we say that alcohol is bad on the day before the 21st birthday but good the next?
In the last three years of studying abroad, I have never met a European who drinks to get drunk. I've met plenty who drink until they're drunk, but never a single one whose sole purpose is to be plastered, pissed, destroyed, or any other colorful euphemism for "inebriated". That's not to say that they don't exist, or that there's not a serious alcohol abuse problem-- there is-- but to say that the maturity with which they approach alcohol is far greater than ours.
Other nations' children have been around alcohol since childhood, and thus react normally to it when finally on their own. This is in contrast to our youth who start off in an absolute void, and thus go overboard when first introduced to alcohol, just as every one of us does when presented with a new experience. It's only human nature to push the limits when exploring new ground.
So either ban alcohol completely (anyone remember the colossal failure that was Prohibition?) or retreat from this absurd position that alcohol is bad except when it's good. That it's okay for rich sponsors to drink in the stadium skybox but not poor students in their dorm rooms. (University of Kentucky alcohol policy). That driving an hour after drinking one beer (approx .02 BAC) is a heinous crime when 20 and 264 days, but perfectly legal when 21 and 0 days.
So I'm organizing a 24 Hour Comics Day in Dijon. The reaction of the artist community is just fantastic. Without asking, there's already half a dozen people who are helping me in any way they can. This is going to be big, much bigger than I'd expected. I had initially hoped for 10 artists-- I'm four months away and I've already got ten, six of whom are coming from outside France! Once I get the last couple problems ironed out, I'll be able to go to TV stations, newspapers, and the like to get some free publicity, and then I should start getting lots of interested French artists.
Just for starters, go here, here, here, and here for those who are interested (but I warn you that some of the languages will be a little... foreign).
(And just a little plug for the google machines... "Une BD de 24 pages en 24 heures a Dijon")
Well, I finally got my domain name back. Hallelujah. It's been long enough. Long enough that no one is probably checking anymore. Oh, well. Sigh. It was a good idea. Maybe given enough time someone, somewhere will start reading it again.
Maybe given enough time, I'll start writing it again.
P.S. Add another "PayPal sucks" to the fire. What did they do to lose me as a customer? They stole my money, pure and simple. My parents sent me some Euros, paying a fee to transfer this money from dollars to Euros, and then PayPal exchanged this money in my account back into dollars, taking another fee in the process. When called, they pretend that this option was something I chose, repeatedly telling me that they had shown me this when I had made my account. The account I made in 2000, four years before they offered this option. As if. It's not that it's such a big sum of money, around 5% total, it's the underhanded way they did it and the absolute refusal to undo the change that gets me.
I realised last night while watching the debate that every time Kerry said, "I have a plan," I heard, "I am not Bush."
It's not that I don't believe him. It's that I don't care if he has a plan or not. Plans are easy to come by. When you're president, there are 50,000 people waiting around to create, and implement, plans. No, what's important to me is ideas. Kerry's got them, and Bush doesn't. Bush lives in his cloistered world� painfully obvious in the first debate� and Kerry lives in the world that the rest of us share.
That being said, I must confess to an abysmally unforgivable oversight: I didn't send off for my absentee ballot in time. I kept putting it off, and putting it off, and now I understand that it's too late. For all my thunder and lightning here in Europe, I now fall flat on my face and miss my first presidential election ever. How irresponsible. Utterly in keeping with the change in my character these last few years.
French people do not know how to hold it. It's the most ridiculous thing in the world. I know this because I have to get up every time they go to the bathroom and unplug my laptop, which is running off of the 220V plug that's right over the sink. I'm in the TGV with 19 other people in the wagon, 40 minutes into the trip, and I have gotten up to unplug my laptop at least 8 times now. That means that one person in two goes to the bathroom every hour. Maybe it's all the wine they drank for dinner.
And so it ends where it began, in a bus station nestled between the railroad station and the hill overlooking Dijon. Gazing into the bus from ontop of a concrete post, I wonder if it will be the last time that I see her. I hope that �no�, I fear that �yes�. How can my life ever lead me to one place, for all time, instead of all places for one time?
And so I miss her. Dearly. Life continues, the world spins, but once again I find myself at a loss for someone for whom I cared so deeply. I don't know if I should laugh because I had the experience, the opportunity to know someone like her, or cry because now that I have tasted anew a love that I thought was lost, a feeling that I never expected to know again.
There is always hope.
Interesting pictures.
Me at 2500m moving at 160km/hr. Without an engine.
The break of dawn at Chatillon-sur-Seine, in front of a church where I sang last year with Les Choeurs Roger Toulet.
I went to Budapest yesterday. Friday morning I woke up in France, Saturday, I was in Budapest, and today I'm back again in Dijon. If ever you doubted that Europe was a small place, this pretty much says it all. 54 hours round trip.
With stops in Vienna, where my night's sleep in the bushes in front of Karlskirche (Charles's Church) was interrupted by a gentle rain, Dachau, where we camped on the ground in front of the ghastly Dachau concentration camp, Budapest, where traffic signs are sold to the highest bidder, and Munich, where Nicolas and I watched the surfer dudes for 30 minutes while chatting with a recumbent bicyclist, it was a whirlwind tour of Germanic countries and civilizations.
The highlight of the trip, after picking up Laura from the Trans-Balkan express (two hours late, of course) in Budapest , was Vienna. The city� while neat and orderly as a hospital ward� is lively as only a European capital can be. Life takes on another meaning there, where the streets are shared equally by bicyclists, trolleys, cars, and pedestrians and where the even the subway toilets are set to Wagnerian opera music. A simple stroll down the pedestrian mall from Karlsplatz to the Dom (cathedral) yielded such delights as tattooed break-dancers, a musical trio playing triangular basses and ukulele, street magicians seemingly mouthing silent shows as giant church bells rang through the city, clowns making balloon animals, and, my favorite, a trio of blind singers singing songs that soothed the soul while savaging the senses.
I had an interesting idea yesterday for a movie distribution. I think that it'd be cool to have the world premiere of a movie come out only in digital format, and only for computers that would then send the video to a home stereo system.
It'd be invitation only, only for people who have real home theaters, the kind that your read about in the New York Times, ones that can seat 15 people comfortably.
I shudder to think about the bandwidth requirements, though. You'd have to have a gigabit connection in order to insure the continuity of the film.
I've set up a new website. www.wifi-bourgogne.com. Feel free to make comments about colors, etc. It's an absolute first draft, made just to get something online so that I have the feeling of progress. It's a feeble attempt to start a wifi business in France. Dijon is definitely one of the most hopeless unconnected cities in all of France.
I went to a funeral today. Alain Calmeau, the father my happy little host family, was killed last Tuesday while coming home from work on his motorcycle. A car crossed the center line, smashed into him, and then fled into the night. The police have nothing but a BMW roundel as evidence.
It was an odd funeral. Nothing like those I've seen in America. The bulk of the short funeral was snippets from various French and English songs� occasionally drowned out by the thundering roar of the French Mirages passing overhead, on final for the airport� punctuated by occasional passages from family and friends that were mostly read by the mortician.
Still, once or twice the bereaved found the strength to read their words themselves, the most notable case being Thierry, a hulk of a man towering over you at 6'2�, when he shambled up to the lectern, wearing black motorcycle chaps, and read a poem he had written on the occasion of the death of his best friend. It was touching.
Dress was informal at best. Many a woman could be seen wearing sandals, and black, while prevalent, was hardly la couleur du jour. After, the family filed into a room to watch his casket be rolled into the crematorium, and then everyone left and went to his house for drinks and sprightly conversation. I myself was cornered by a kindly French woman who spent roughly fifteen minutes telling me everything that was wrong with America. I can't say I disagreed with most of her diatribe.
Alain, you will be missed.
I've started taking glider lessons. Gliding is absolutely fantastic. It's like skiing downhill in the middle of an avalanche, only sometimes the avalanches go up instead of down. I don't know if I'll ever fly a normal airplane again.
It's thrilling to fly gliders. Oftentimes, you find yourself mere meters from another glider. Glider pilots aren't greedy about their lift. In fact, they often seek out other pilots who have already found thermals so that they know where the best thermals are. One time, I followed a heron until it led us to a 3m/s (500ft/min) thermal! On a good day, I can climb at over 1000ft/min, without a motor, at 7,000ft MSL, on a 80F (degree) day. Try doing that in a normal airplane.
Gliders are devilishly hard to fly. I'm becoming so much better as a pilot. Every phase of flight is far more difficult than anything you'll see in a normal 4-seater like a Cessna or Beech.
Takeoffs come in two different flavors: winch and tow. The winch is the cheapest: about seven bucks. The tow is about three times as expensive, which makes a big difference when the airplane goes up only to come right back down. (This has happened to me three times out of eight flights)
Any little slip of coordination costs you speed and altitude. And the slips come early and often. There's a piece of yarn taped to the middle of the windshield that shows you your relative wind. The instructor yells at you if it swings more than an 1" to either side. In case you were wondering what that translates into on a Turn and Bank indicator, 1" of movement is about halfway between perfectly neutral and the very first mark on the T&B. In case you weren't wondering, it's something akin to balancing a broomstick on your palm while running around in circles� if you look where you're going, the broomstick tips over, but as soon as you look at the broomstick, you smack into someone else.
How can you beat three and a half hours of airtime for $7? Okay, the truth is that it's a lot more expensive than that, but only because of insurance and club fees (about $20/hour) and that most of the time you have to be hoisted into the air behind another airplane; only the winch launches are that cheap.
Downside? A new gilder is about $50,000 to $90,000.
Well, that was a weekend well wasted. On Saturday, I participated in a raid, which is sort of like a triathlon, only a lot sillier. There was a mountain bike part, 23 km, and a cross-country run, 11km, but there was also water jousting (demount the opponent from a styrofoam board, using only a foam �fry�), tug-of-war, slip 'n slide (most distance slid), wheelbarrow relay (most water in cup), and �tchoukball.� It was a good time, and my team was seventh overall (out of about 25-30 teams). We won the mountain bike competition for our group, broke the records for the water jousting and wheelbarrow relay, and did well in the slip n' slide contest. Sadly, the �tchoukball�, a poor game that I'm not going to waste your time explaining it to you, and the cross-country course got the better of us. The cross-country was the hardest because it actually was a course d'orientation which requires you to use a map and a compass to find flags hidden in the woods. It took us 2'19� to run 10km! Still, seventh is an improvement from last year's eleventh, so things are getting better. Maybe next year...
Sunday was a marvelous day where I finally got to go flying in a glider again. It was quite entertaining, lasting 50 minutes, although the flight would have lasted far longer if there hadn't been three other students waiting on the ground. I got good marks for takeoffs (the instructor couldn't believe that that was the first time I had ever taken the glider off) and airplane control. I've still got some speed issues, especially when coming in for a landing, but he told me to count on another 10-15 flights before I could solo. Apparently that's quite good, but I plan to do better!
Going on at the same time was was an open house going on at the flying club next door. While I was spiraling right at the departure end of 02, a F-38 passed at 500km/hr 5 meters over the runway, 500 meters below us! Even better, an hour later Greg took me up in his �world's fastest Piper Lance� for some 400km/hr passes over the crowd. That was quite something. Crazy man even has a police siren installed in his landing gear wells.
Give a man a fire, keep him warm for a day. Set a man on fire, keep him warm for the rest of his life.
I won the contract! I now have to create a wireless network and to install a computer lab in another residence hall on campus. If all goes well, I'll be washing, rinsing, and repeating as necessary all summer long in at least 7 buildings in and around Dijon.
I don't know where this guy gets his inspiration from (Well, I have an inkling: Super Mario Brother Smash, Final Fantasy, Pokemon, Anime, etc...), but it's really awesome.
http://www.hobochat.com/upload/images/image.gif
I am so overwhelmed. It was my birthday today, and it started of with a plant. A nice, green, big plant. I believe that it's a Monstera. It's quite pretty. It's got big, broad, leaves. The Romanians got it for me. They presented it to me at midnight. And it's name fits my personality.
Which was actually not my first present, mind you. The first one was a package from Mom and Dad which, having been mailed at the end of January, took only 7 weeks (4-6 weeks delivery) which is 2-3 weeks better than the French postal service usually manages. That came in the day before. So did the card from my grandparents and the flying scarf from my grandma. I guess the French bureaucracy keeps track of everyone's birthday, just like they do all other information.
So starting with the incredible foreignness of actually receiving a package somewhere near it's promised delivery date, the day got weirder and weirder. Everywhere I went, people were wishing me "Happy Birthday." People that I knew, for sure, but not that well, and certainly no one to whom I'd mentioned my birthday. At campus, on the street, via SMSs, Instant Messages, "Happy Birthday"'s were raining down like frogs in Missouri.
So as evening approached, I didn't find it at all odd that 5 or 6 people converged on my room to play Settlers of Catan. It was a normal enough thing, after all, since we'd been playing the game non-stop for 2 or 3 weeks. The normal chatter and prattle occurred, occasionally punctuated by titters and bursts of laughter coming from the rooms next door where my neighbors Ophelie and Natasha routinely giggle and carry on until all hours of the morning.
So as 8 o'clock approached, I asked Ophelie and Natasha if they were ready to go out to the Hunky Dory, Dijon's very own karaoke bar. (They had cornered me the week before, and, seeing how it was my birthday, I couldn't say no.) They said no, and told me that I could start playing another game of Settlers of Catan. Well, since Settlers usually takes 2 hours to play, I decided that I didn't really want to play again. But Cristina steadfastly refused to take my place, so there I was, stuck in another game.
In the meantime, Cristina said she was making dinner. Well, it was my birthday after all. It's always nice to have someone else boil your pasta. However, being my usual ornery self, I said no thanks, I wasn't really hungry.
So a few minutes after 8:30, Laura comes by and says that there's a little bit of extra food left, and would I like a bit? Well, have you ever known me to turn down a free meal, especially when there's a need for some courageous soul to shovel down the leftovers?
Out the door, down the hallway, hand in hand. And into the gigantic central hall of the monastery.
Okay, here are the promised texts about my wireless network at the Cite Maret residence hall. This was published in the national newsletter.
The CNOUS article.
The entire page.
Notice how they mispelled my last name! What's really funny is that the reporter and I joked about how the French always misspell my last name and then call me "Mr. Kenneth." I can't win in America, and I can't win overseas. I'm just going to change my last name.
The slant bomb. An idea that has long existed, but never had a name. Basically, it's the bomb that makes all the tall buildings in some future post-apocolyptic Japanese metropolis slant over.
And things just get better and better...
Plush animals awaken a great evil.
Well, long time no see. I've been downright lazy, so here's an attempt to catch up a bit.
I'm sitting in Winchester, KY right now. I've been back in America for almost three weeks now. Just sort of cooling my heels while I work on my carputer project. Not coming along as well as I like, as normal. But who've I got to blame for that aside from myself, eh?
On the other hand, my Wi-Fi project is a wild success. I've installed a wireless network in my residence hall, La Cite Maret, using the preexisting Internet connection.
They've never seen anything like it. It's like bringing fire to the savages.
I've even been featured in the national publication of CROUS, Centre Regional des �uvres Universitaires et Scolaires, as installing the first Wi-Fi network in a residence hall in all of France. Really cool stuff and I hope to expand it to the rest of campus.
Bwah-hah-hah!!!
www.thebricktestament.com
My brother likes to rant. You should definitely read it.
What's devilishly odd is I was saying the same thing just night, only in a less vitriolic manner.
I've got a website. www.eissQ.com.
I'll be changing my email address shortly to reflect this. Why am I going through all this effort? Because Apple wanted $100 (!) to renew my email address. My own personal domain + website costs about 1/3 that.
I've moved again. I just spent six weeks with some of the nicest people I've ever met. Emmaneulle and Alain, who between them have one 14-year old boy, and a 9-year-old boy and 12 year-old girl. Tristan is the coolest 9-year-old boy I've ever met. He's so much like me it's almost unbearable. He talks, he doesn't listen, he talks, he doesn't listen, and he talks. I don't think I'm forgetting any of his other personality traits.
Their 12-year-old daughter is rather quiet, but she likes chocolate and annoying her step-father, Alain. She's quite smart and picks up English at a speed that leaves me green with envy. I didn't learn English that fast.
Cat and dog, too. Tim, as in timid, is the weirdest dog I've ever seen. He's a vegetarian. He could care less about raw meat, but a piece of baguette drives him crazy. However, he's scared of anything and everything. He's a 35kg collie that runs away when you throw him a ball. If you drop a slice of bread smack-dab on his nose he doesn't even try to catch it. You think he's smart because he'll leave the house and go right to the back of the car waiting to climb into the trunk, but then you notice that it's not the right car. Or he'll walk counter-clockwise around the car to get to the trunk, unless the car is parked backwards, in which case he'll start by walking past the trunk and make a full circle around the car to come back to it. Not the brightest dog in the world.
Minette is the little angel cat that loves to eat lizards. Sometimes I'd find lizard tails lying around the house. One time I found the lizard sans tail. Once, she came toward the house with a lizard tail sticking out of her mouth. When Emmanuelle yelled at her she opened her mouth and the lizard, still living, fell to the ground and darted to the nearest shelter. She likes to follow me around when I'm at the house. If I get up and leave a room, she follows. But not immediately, of course. She waits enough time to pretend that it was her decision to leave, thus preserving her feline dignity.
I'm sad to see them go, although they haven't gone far. I'm now house sitting Emmanuelle's parents; house, right on the other side of the highway. I like it because Tristan comes here after school.
Maybe I'll post pictures if I get around to taking them.
This weekend I went to le Parc d'Auxois, which is a little amusement park/zoo not far from Dijon. They've got snakes, wallabies, bears, wolves, and chickens, yes chickens, for the zoo part. Yawn, except when the Emu chased the wallaby. Whereas the amusement park side is the coolest one I've ever seen. Mostly because they've got all the stuff you find in American amusement parks, but it's all human powered. Those giant octopuses that spin round and round? They've got that, but you push it yourself. It's a lot of fun climbing around through the latticework as its spinning. No one there to tell you, "Don't do that!" There was one of those swinging Viking ships, only you made it rock by running back and forth. We got it going so far and fast that it almost tipped over. I started to slip one time and the only thing that kept me from careening off the edge was the metal bar that I slammed into.
They've also got the single coolest contraption I've ever seen. It's sort of like a cross between a hamster wheel and a Ferris Wheel. I'll try to describe it:
You start with an outside ring about 10 meters high that's vertically mounted and spins on a horizontal bearing. Attached to this ring are two large, opposing spokes that come in 2 meters from the edge. Here you have two seats that are mounted on horizontal shafts so that they, too, can spin completely around. Around these seats, rigidly attached to the spokes, are two smaller rings/cylinders, each 2 meters in diameter and 1 meter wide.
To operate: the first person walks up and buckles into a seat. Now comes the hard part. The second, and probably third person, have to physically haul the person up to the top by pushing the ring. This is really hard as you're literally lifting a 70kg person 10 meters. Once this is done, the second person buckles into the other seat, which is now at the bottom. In order to start moving, both people begin to walk on the outer ring/cylinder which surrounds the chair. Imagine the Flintstones pushing their car while seated. This outer ring starts to rotate. Since the contraption weighs so much it keeps on spinning and the riders accelerate it or decelerate it by walking faster or slower. Imagine the scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey when they keep walking in circles on the central hub. It really is fantastic because you can go so fast that you really think the machine is going to fly apart. You only hope it happens when you're close to the ground and the other person is far from it.
This sort of stuff really exemplifies the difference in mentality between Americans and Europeans. Europeans seem to accept that life happens. Some people die before their time and some people after. It's always a tragedy, but it's life. However, we in America are convinced that the only reason that we're not rich and powerful is because we didn't go to a better school, or drive a nicer car, or get the nicest toys growing up. There is no such thing as random chance in America, no such thing as destiny. If a giant meteor slams into the Earth, by gum why didn't NASA stop it? These machines would be illegal in America because, horror of horrors, someone could get hurt and it's never the victim who is at fault.
Just about every time something went around I almost lost an hand, arm, head, or something else. Man, it was fun. If any of you ever come here we're certainly going.
School is starting up soon. I've already looked at my schedule and it's absolutely bonkers. I teach six hours a week at the University, but they've still somehow managed to take every time slot across the entire week. What happened to using computers to increase efficiency??? If an infinite number of monkeys over an infinite time can produce all the books of Shakespeare, it'd still take twice that many if they were French monkeys.
Okay, how's this for a new movie? Run, Chicken, Run. Imagine cutting and pasting scenes from Chicken Run. You've got everything it takes to make all the possible destinies. Chickens being made into chicken pies, being thrown into stockades, dressing up, etc. Heck, you might even be able to work the bank robbery into it if you try.
Of course, it'd be even better if you could make your own claymation chickens, but who's got the time. Geoff? Tony?
What song could we play instead of "I wish I were a hunter?"
Photos from our concert in Autun! We were in the middle of singing Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir from Mendehlssohn's ouvre Kirckenmusik. You can _almost_ see me in the back right.
Be warned, they weigh in at a hefty 1.1MB. Be patient.
Choir + Soloist
Choir + Organ
Well, just got back from a two-week sojourn in Florence and Naples. Florence, as usual, is a fantastic city about which enough can never be said. The art comes alive as you wander through it's mythical streets. The city's art carries such power that, during WWII, the Germans bombed and destroyed all the bridges crossing the river with the exception of the Ponte Vecchio, an ancient bridge that has long housed some of the best goldsmiths in the country.
While expensive by Italian terms, Florence is quite cheap compared to the rest of Europe. Three euro buys an cup of gelato, Italian ice cream, the size of your head that comes in the most fantastic flavors possible. What Jelly Belly did for the jelly bean, Florence does for ice cream. Meringue, chocolate mouse, 5 other types of chocolate, sorbets, etc.
Naples, on the other hand, is a lesson in how Italy got its reputation as a chaotic, anything goes country. From the moment that you step off the train in a foreboding station that has NO signs to the metro� even though the metro is conveniently just below� you sense the pandemonium and topsyturviness that defines the neopolitan life. Pedestrians cross the streets when and where the whim strikes� it's taken for granted that the cars will stop. Stop lights and signs, while generally seen as optional, but good, advice in the rest of the country, aren't even seen, much less obeyed, in Naples.
Hidden amongst the dirt and grime of its cacophonous streets is one of the most spectacular museums ever, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale. A testament to 19th century marble construction, the museum houses some of the world's most interesting European and Egyptian sculptures. Situated mere kilometers from Pompeii and Herculaneum it has a very complete collection of artifacts that tell the story of the last horrific hours of these two cities and 3,000 or so of their inhabitants.
Word to the wise, though, good luck finding anything in particular. When entering the museum doors, the only thing that changes is the noise level. Otherwise, the museum is a perfect reflection of the outside world, rendered in a stunning accuracy. The first three rooms are devoted to modern art, making you wonder if you haven't wondered into the wrong building by accident. In the open air courtyard are numerous statues and stone carving fragments.
There is no central plan or layout, and often enough you find yourself in a room wondering what purpose it serves, only to realize that the room is closed for remolding but no one bothered to close the door. There is no transition from one sort of art to another� the oeuvres are placed where they have room. Ancient illuminated manuscripts are crammed into corridors. The jewel collection is conveniently located next to marble carvings of Greek gods. The Farese collection, one of the most complete and spectacular Egyptian relic collections in the world, is hidden in the basement.
Explanations of artwork are haphazard at best: sometimes in Italian, sometimes in English, occasionally in both, and disturbingly often, no explanation whatsoever. If you've ever wondered how someone could lose a Michelangelo or Da Vinci work, this museum explains all. In short, this museum is a shining example of everything good (and bad) about Italy.
There are many other sites to see in Naples, with the Castle on the Hill and Mount Vesuvius topping the list. Italy was an exciting experience, and it was a sad day when I left in order to go sing in a concert in Autun, France. However, this small Burgundy village was by no means disappointing.
Easily the most beautiful church I've ever sung in, Cathedral St-Lazare d'Autun's walls positively reverberated with music, guiding it away from the choir and towards the audience. We sang Mendelssohn's Kirchenmusik and Gounod's Messe Solennelle de Sainte C�cile.
Lastly, I've settled into my new house with my new dog, Quark, and my new cat, Quark. Quark the dog is the biggest scardeycat you've ever seen. We had a decent size thunderstorm this afternoon and he spent the entire time cowering in the bathroom. For a 50 kg dog the size of a German Shepard he sure is a whimp. Quark the cat has a wonderful personality, is fat, and loves to purr, although he doesn't like being picked up yet. Neither one of them responds to their new names yet, but neither one responds to English either.
(For those of you who don't remember, I'm spending the summer with a French family. In exchange for room and board, I speak English with them. I don't even have to give lessons, I just have to speak English.)
I'll post my address as soon as I figure out what it is.
Next update. Still been awhile since I've written, but not so long as last time. So what's up in my life?
Spent two weeks in England for the Easter vacation. (Yeah, a vacation. For Easter. Europeans are so weird.) The three of us; Graham, an English bloke; Adrien, a Frenchman; and myself, most would say alien; took my car up to Dunkerque where we caught a very, very, very expensive ferry to Dover, England. Ferries are a big rip-off because they charge $5 if you go and come back the same day, but $250 if you go and then two weeks later come back! Still, though, I don't regret it. Anyway, we stayed in Bury, England, just north of Manchester for about 10 days, meeting Graham's wonderfully teenage family, and making occasional outings to the countryside. Even watched a proper British football-- excuse me-- soccer match.
An evening in Nottingham and an afternoon in Cambridge served as an interlude before ending our trip with a three-day stay in downtown London, 10 minutes by foot north of Leicester square and 15 minutes from the Parliament House.
Driving on the left side of the road was definitely a change. I don't remember ever screaming for my life before, but when Adrien simply turned in front of an oncoming car I certainly did my best. Later that week, I got both my car mirrors knocked off by someone who crowded me too much while driving down a street full of parked cars. But in the end not too eventful, thankfully.
The weekend after my return I played in an Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Bruges, Belgium. My team, Top Shelf Sleaze, took 12th place and Sylvain, my friend with whom I went, went on to win the tournament with the misnamed IzNoGood. We, however, won the spirit prize, so we went home with as much beer as the tournament champions! I won't tell you what we did to win the spirit award, but I will post pictures as soon as I get them. You do the math.
I participated in a raid-- a decathlon French style--this weekend. There was a mountain-bike course where I took a nasty spill (although I was still second in my pool and 5th in the tournament), a cross-country navigation race (had to use a compass and a contour map to find waypoints), numerous little brain games, paint-ball marksmanship, fooseball (Except WE were the soccer players! They attached us to ropes such that we could only go back and forth.), and an endurance game where you had to hold your arm in locked position with a 2 kg weight dangling from your pinky.
That one hurt, especially since I had to do it twice because of an mistake in the pairings! Happy to say that I won both times. Thanks a lot for the "pain management" course, Scott.
I haven't eaten properly in three weeks. This is a combination of two factors: (1) I've been putting in 14-16 hour days in the computer lab, and (2) I haven't been paid since March. The eating and working are my fault, but the local government found it convenient to strike me from the payroll on April 1st. Real funny joke, guys. I've been laughing all the way to the bank. My car insurance company's laughing too: they canceled my insurance because I haven't been able to make any payments since March. Grrrr...
I have my first employees. Honest to god real employees that will work for me and will be (eventually) paid by me. I hired a couple of my students to help me develop a computer based project. (It's a seeeeeecret.) I made the decision to hire them tonight and we should start working together very soon. Which is great because I need some food and sleep. And I'll do my best to actually pay them within one month of when I promise to.
My presence in France during the whole month of May was a waste. May in France has a slew of four day weekends, so little work is done to begin with. Couple this with the strike that's been going on since the 1st of May and I haven't worked diddly-squat.
Oh, yeah, and my father bought a jet engine. You know, those things that they hang underneath the wings of 747s. It's a Boeing 506, for those who are interested in that sort of stuff. He went to Iowa this weekend to pick it up. Yes, the Sebestas are insane. No, you don't have to worry about airplane parts falling through your roof yet. You have at least 3 years.
Anyway, enough about me, parlez-moi de vous.
Okay, a little update because I haven't put anything there in over four months now. (If you're wondering why, it's because I get very frustrated with the blogging software. There is no correlation between when I write something and the date that is shown. Yeah, stupid reason, but it doesn't take much to discourage me from writing.)
So, of course, lots has happened in four months. We'll just hit the highlights:
1.) I bought a car. Buying a car in France is easy. Insuring it is a nightmare. If you ever leave the United States, make sure that you bring a letter with you certifying that you have been insured with your car company for x number of years and that you haven't had an accident since y. Don't ask why, just do it. (My car insurance policy specifically excludes coverage in the case of a nuclear attack. I felt cheated. Then Chirac pissed off America and it suddenly made a lot more sense. :P)
2.) Mom and Dad came and we went on a rolling tour of Italy. And I do mean rolling. In 10 days we drove 4,000 km (for the metrically impaired, too bad. Get into the 18th century.). We visited Milan, Bergamo, Monterossa, San Gimignano, Sienna, Florence, and Venice, passing through/by/around Aosta, Turin, Pisa, La Spezia, etc. Fantastic trip, (although there was the usual family friction) that I wouldn't have traded for anything in the world. A memory for a lifetime.
3.) I joined the choir. Les Coeurs Roger Toulet which means, roughly, "Roger Toulet's choir". A rather powerful statement on the conductors fame in Burgundy, apparently. As I found out from the brochures printed for our concert, he was hand-picked by the France's Minister of Culture to lead the Chorale de Bourgogne from its inception until its disbandment in 1998. And I thought all I was doing was singing with a bunch of people who didn't fit in with their church choir. The concerts were fantastic, the final one last night, and a wonderful experience. I'm so happy that I got the chance to do this and very sad that I won't be able to continue with an sensational group of performers. We'll have one last concert in July,
4.) Bought a GPS Navigation System for my car. Currently going through some hair pulling stages as I try to avoid buying a $150 navigation CD and $100 antenna. Right now all I have is an expensive CD player.
5.) Going to Britain tomorrow with a couple mates, Grahm and Adrien. We'll be staying at Grahm's house in Manchester for two weeks! Super trip, I hope. Too bad about the GPS, grrr...
6.) I'm the chef of the frisbee club at the university. No, I don't cook, it's French for "capitain, leader, head person, etc..." Not due to any fantastic frisbee skills (quite the contrary), rather the previous chef is out for the decade: he turned one way and his knee turned the other. Still it's kinda fun because even if people wanted to listen to me, they couldn't because it's all in French.
7.) Passed my 25th birthday on the 24th. Suddenly I feel too old to be hanging out constantly with college students. And I've got business cards, so it's doubly bad. Not that anyone ever seems to take my age at face value. I keep on getting kicked out of my classroom because all the teachers think I'm a student. It's worth it, though, when their faces turn another color upon discovering that, moi, c'est le professeur.
That's about it for right now. Maybe this'll finally jump start my lazy writing butt into gear. I'll do better this time, I promise!
I just got an offer to return to my university post next year!!! Yaaaaaayyyyyy!!! I'm officially an ex-patriate! Woo-hoo!
I want to film a mocumentary. Of King Arthur's Court. "So you see, my sword goes all the way to 11. You know, for those times when 10 just isn't enough to kill a dragon..."
I've been asked to make a 30-60 min speech on America and the differences between the U.S. and France. A bit daunting. Any ideas?
I taught my first university class today. It's really scary to teach in a foreign language. I have no idea if the students are listening or not. With the elementary age children I can yell and scream. With college students I don't have that option.
I spent all afternoon trying to revising what I wanted to teach, since everything I wanted to do had one problem or another. None of the software seemed to work, and many of the computers didn't even turn on. Apparently, however, this was a network problem, so as soon as they got the network running, the computers booted up fine.
I'm supposed to teach Windows 2000, Microsoft Office, and Dreamweaver/FrontPage, but none of these programs are on the computers! (Expect Windows 2000, but the students don't have any permissions so they can't really do a lot.) Happily, though, WordPerfect Office is! Woo-hoo! Because that's the program that I really wanted to teach in the first place.
I finally settled on what I thought was about two hours of material.
As the students filed in, I tried speaking English to them, but they didn't really seem to understand. It's very difficult to gauge a student's English level when you can't talk to them for a long period of time. I began to fear that I would have to spend the whole time ranting in my broken French.
To make matters worse, everyone kept on coming in, long after the start of class. That's the French way, though. I did explain to them that I'm American, and thus won't teach class like a French person. That's good; I won't make them write down every word I say and everything I put on the chalkboard. But . . . That's bad; I demand that they come to class ON TIME.
It seemed to work, though. No one was terribly lost, and most everyone got through with what I wanted them to do.
<Geoff>
The attack on NYC and continuing explosions in the Middle East, in addition
to the highly ritualized and popularized cult of explosions in Hollywood, do
they not all, in effect, mean the same thing? There are those who feel that
a substantial part of the earth should be exploding at any given time. The
reasons are mutable, but the explosions must go on. So a certain part of
the world needs to be blown up with bombs, on that we can agree. The
question becomes, which part? After all, blowing up a bus is a perfectly
acceptable act, to certain social paradigms (suicide bombers, stuntmen,
television viewers). Though unprovoked explosions seem to me an essentially
nihilistic act, that does not mean they are essentially negative. We can
debate the positive and negative effects of unplanned, undirected explosions
as an agent of social change, but you certainly cannot deny their influence
is strong.
So the time has come to ask yourself:
Have you made anything explode today?
</Geoff>
The Germans are setting off firecrackers right now to celebrate the New Year. Heathens. Don't they know that firecrackers are reserved for the 4th of July?!!
I'm riding on Cloud 9. I've been wandering up and down the hallways yelling "yes, Yes, YES!!!" It's too early to promise anything, but I might have just found the path leading to a permanent post at the university. That and an opportunity to be part of a choir. (a choir!)
I went to the Franco-Anglais Club's annual Christmas Carol Night, something I found out about at the last minute. Going in, I expected to lose myself amongst caroling masses, but only a handful of people had come. The first thing I knew, Emilie'd drafted me to sing with the main group, since I was the only native English speaker. Four of us sang Jingle Bells, and didn't do such a bad job of massacring it. Next thing I knew, the group was Gabby, a former professor at the university with an absolutely beautiful singing voice, and one other person? myself.
Since I couldn't bear to leave this poor woman singing by herself in front of all those French people, I forced myself to sing along. The first song was "The Twelve Days of Christmas", which I absolutely butchered. And, of course, it didn't help any that the words she was using were different from the words I was using.
Well, we struggled through it. And "God Bless You Merry Gentlemen". And "Good King Wencelas. And "We Three Kings". And "Away in a Manger". And "Silent Night"(in German at that!) And?
At the end, we got to talking, which is when I discovered that she was a former lecturer at the university. She'd honestly thought that I was also one of the lecteurs in the English Dept. After a good, long conversation where I could say no wrong, she started throwing names at me. Names of people that I "must contact and ask for a job."
Ergo, I'M ECSTATIC!!!
To boot, she's forwarding my name to a choir director to see if they have any need for a baritone. A baritone!
I can't believe how lucky I've been, from finding out about this choir at the last minute, to being the only native English speaker there, to discovering this marvelous woman. Thank god, thank allah, thank jehovah, thank Cthulu, thank yourself!
Heehee!!
It snowed last night! It was absolutely beautiful, watching it swirl down from the sky. I danced underneath it until the snow was sticking more to me than it was melting. It wasn't a lot, but it was definitely a thorough dusting. I even got into a snowball fight with Edith, Sarah, and some random French people. Excellent!
Hope everyone else has snow this Christmas and that you all go out and play in it! It's not just for little kids, you know.
It's now gone, melted in the morning heat. But it was beautiful while it lasted, and I'm glad I had that small bit of luck.
So God and the Devil are sitting around playing cards one night. The agelong responsibility dilemma comes up again, you know, the one where a woman who is cheating on her husband because he ignores her drowns when a rowboat capsizes while crossing the river because the toll-man won't let her cross without money and her lover won't give her the money. Whose fault was it? The husband, who deprived his wife of love, driving her away; the wife, who did not try to solve her domestic problems and cheated; the lover, the partner-in-crime who accepted the wife and then refused to provide help; or the toll-keeper, who showed no sympathy?
God claims that obviously it's the wife because she was sinning in the eyes of the Lord. The Devil says it must be the lover since he provided the temptation to cross the bridge.
"Fine!" says God. "We'll settle this once and for all!"
They find a sleepy little town just outside of Wichita, Kansas where a wife cheats on her workaholic husband every night. God puts the toll-keeper (after all, he's just enforcing the rules?) and the Devil finds the boat (natural, of course, since it's a treacherous boat).
With everything in place, they begin the little drama. The husband comes home and retreats immediately to his study, the wife sneaks out the back door and across the bridge, and the lover is waiting with a bottle of champagne. The next morning, the wife oversleeps and rushes to the bridge, finding an unsympathetic toll-keeper. Desperate because the lover won't give her the money, she rushes down to the riverside and finds an old abandoned rowboat. The boat springs a leak halfway across, and she drowns in the icy water.
"It is done," says God. "At last we will see who's right."
Next week the lawyers are asking for $12 million in emotion damages in Husband, Lover, and Toll-Keeper vs. Consolidated Rowboat Corporation.
Quel weekend! I spent Saturday and Sunday playing Ultimate Frisbee in a tournament. It was fantastic!!! I spent most of the time playing long range catcher, at which, I'm happy to say, I did quite well. An opposing team captain called me super chiant. Basically, that's French for saying that I was super annoying because I caught every pass, stuck to my man like glue, and generally did my best to make them lose. His comments didn't bother me in the slightest. :)
We were playing indoor on a handball court (Imagine three basketball courts side-by-side.) that had a super-slick floor. Not a pass was caught without someone sliding to a halt. I myself made a dive for a touchdown, which after I caught I slid another 5 meters smack dab into the wall. The crowd thought that hilarious. So did I for that matter.
There was also one point where everyone thought I was dead because I slid into the wall so hard. I think it sounded worse than it was since I wasn't hurt in the slightest. At least this happened to everyone, and not just me. It was incredible to see someone dive for the frisbee and then just keep on going.
The French seem to have a much better sense of sportsmanship than Americans. It was really quite fantastic being cheered by the crowd every time someone made a point or pulled off a particularly good block. After every match both teams would gather in the middle in a big group hug, the two team captains would talk about the game, and then the winning team would sing the losing team's fight song.
We did NOT have a song. Whew. Because we lost a lot. A LOT. We really had a great team that was finally pulling together, but then over half our team went home Saturday night leaving only myself and two others. We had to bum people off Lyon's team in order to keep playing. In fact, the only game we won was for 9th/10th place against Lyon, but considering that we were playing with players from their team it wasn't quite a win so much as a tie. Brother versus brother.
There's going to be a tournament at Dijon March 1st, so I'm terribly excited about playing in it. Too bad that it's 3 months away.
I've got a room! w00t!!! I went into Residence Buffon, where all my friends are staying, and the concierge said she needed some words with me. I thought I was in trouble because I'd spent the last week sleeping on the floor of friends' rooms, but in fact it was to offer me a room. Yaay!!! I'm no longer sans-abri! My address is:
10, rue Alain Savary
Ch. 419, Pavillon Buffon
It is an utter relief to finally have a bed. Last night was the best sleep I'd had in weeks.
Next thing on the agenda is an internet link so I can update this blog daily, rather than weekly. I'm setting up a rogue wireless network.
In late 19th century America, Alexander Grahm Bell uttered the now famous phrase, "Watson, come here, I have need of you." In 21st century France, I have to physically walk to the other side of campus in order to see if a friend is home because there are no phones in the rooms.
Todays sports section, in a German newspaper, was adorned by a beautiful football picture. American football, not European football. Specifically, a college football game between Rhode Island and North Carolina.
In the whole wide world, there wasn't anything else worth reporting on than an irrelevant game in the United States?!!
This storm is really frickin' cool. The third little pig seems to have built this German house, so I'm not too worried.
I wish I had been in Italy for Etna's eruption, though. Why does all the really cool stuff happen when I'm away?!!
Okay, it's just too much. I'm going to write everything down in chronological order. Ready?
I re-applied for my assistant de langue job in May. They assured me (one of the many assurances that I would receive from France) that there would be no problem, I would be automatically accepted no-questions-asked, and the paperwork would come at the end of June. (Why it takes France 3 months to process an application is beyond me. I met a guy in France who knows only two English words: "FRENCH and BUREAUCRACY.) Great! So I settled in this summer, found myself a job, fixed my cabriolet, and awaited the paperwork.
Come the beginning of August, I haven't received anything, but that's okay, since the French postal service makes $0.37 look like the steal-of-the-century. (Mom and Dad are still waiting for postcards that they sent in May) Come the middle of August, I've received nothing, and now I'm starting to worry. But... France takes August off. France, as in the whole country. No kidding. It's absolutely empty.
I couldn't find a soul to tell me if I'd been accepted or not. The second week of September I finally got a hold of the organizer, mere hours after she got back. (Yes, I was calling that often. I was desperate.) Turns out that I wasn't in the system and they'd wondered about it, BUT NO ONE BOTHERED TO TELL ME! Sheesh...
Now it's too late to be offered the job-- I can only get it if I'm already in Dijon. "So," I asked, "how about getting me a visa for Dijon?" "Sure," they said, "you can apply for a student visa." All I needed was a letter proving I was a student at UK (University of Kentucky) and an admission letter from the University of Burgundy. It all seemed so easy at the time...
So I immediately shot off an email to Maggie Chevaillier, the woman who writes these letters, and waited for an answer. And waited. And waited. And waited. I called her in France. I had the organizer call. I had my friends call. I had everyone call that I could think of. FINALLY, in the beginning of October, she writes that she's been really busy with the beginning of the semester and that it would have been much, much easier if I'd followed proper procedure. HUH??? It took her three weeks to acknowledge my email, and it's all my fault?!!
But, hey, I'm pretty good-natured about these things. I'm still getting my letter. She's sending me two copies (good thing, since the second one has yet to arrive two weeks later), and I can go ahead and give work my two weeks notice. Whew.
I call a woman at the French consulate, and she assures me that I've got all the necessary paperwork and can now apply for my visa as soon as the letter from France is delivered. Great! Monday rolls around and....
No mail. What? Why not??? Where's the mail?!! Oh, yeah, it's Columbus Day-- federal holiday and all that. Well, okay, if it comes Tuesday I'll still have enough time. Indeed, the letter does come Tuesday, and I FedEx the package to Chicago, noting the return tracking number. I also left a note to the effect that they should call me to confirm that my application is being processed.
Friday morning rolls around and the consulate still hasn't sent my passport. I'm getting worried now, so I call the consulate. 50 googillion times. I leave messages, I talk to secretaries, I chat with underlings, but I can't find anything on my visa. No one ever bothers to call me back! it's as if I've completely disappeared. By 4:00, I call FedEx to find out what to do if the consulate eventually succeeds in mailing my package. They tell me that it will arrive in Huntington, WV at 9:00AM Saturday. It would arrive at my house before 1:30PM. Great. My plane leaves from Cincinnati at 3:00PM, which is an hour and a half drive from Winchester. Not gonna happen.
I start to make plans to drive/fly to Huntington, but this all falls through when the French consulate shuts down at 5:30, never having sent my package never having called me. I was upset to say the least. It was time for me to go home from my last day at work, only I wouldn't be leaving Saturday as planned. Probably wouldn't be leaving for at least one week! I prepare to go to Casey's and drown my sorrows in Robotech: Battlecry, flying Veritechs and blowing up Zentradi Battlepods. If nothing else, I'll be senselessly amused. But then...
At 5:40, ten minutes after I'm supposed to have left, my mother calls. A package from Chicago arrived after all! It was waiting for me at the FedEx Bldg, 2 minutes from Lexmark. Instantly, the veil of frustration lifts and I'm off to get my visa! Evidently the consulate used another envelope, even though I'd provided them with a SASE. If Mom had called 10 minutes later, or my day had gone normally, she never would have found me and I wouldn't have been able to get my letter on Saturday. What luck!
So I get everything ready and the next day I'm in the airport getting my boarding pass. However, why should anything I do be simple? I have the dubious honor of getting an "S" on my pass, "S" as in "SEARCH". I have now been identified as a candidate for a complete search at every checkpoint. And boy do I ever get searched: four times before I boarded my first airplane.
The worst was at the x-ray checkpoint, where there faces lit up like Christmas trees when they scanned my bag. These people just knew that they were going to be on television that night for making the catch of the year. It seems that my blank CDs showed up as large black things and my computer keyboard as an intricate rats nest of wires. In other words, a large bomb.
Yes, they searched my shoes. Twice.
But finally I got to the airplane. Which was subsequently delayed by a maintenance problem. So delayed, in fact, that I was rerouted on a Delta flight through NYC. While I was running like the wind to catch my new flight, they transferred my luggage to Delta. The theory.
The fact went more like this. "We guarantee that your luggage will NOT be on the airplane." Wunderbar. I haven't even left the airport and they've already lost my luggage. But every cloud's got its silver lining;: I won't have to cart 130 lbs of blank CDs and peanut butter through the Paris Metro.
Thinking my trip will be simple now, I take the metro to the train station. And get fined $20. Seems that the ticket that I'd always been using wasn't valid on that trip. To add insult to injury, the combination of delayed flight and lost baggage claim makes me miss my TGV. I'm now forced to take the regional train, which takes a stately 3:30, instead of the TGV's hyper-active 1:37.
So now I get into Dijon 5 hours late, but that's okay, there's still plenty of time to get my room. Except they have no idea who I am. The desk-woman practically goes into convulsions when I ask for a room,not knowing what to do since no one "prepared her for this." She looks for me in all the records as I desperately explain to her that a piece of paper printed on Sept. 25th could not possibly have a reservation for me, since I only had had reservations since the 9th of Oct.
She couldn't call out on the telephone. The woman who is supposed to be in charge of all 7 dormitories during the night can't call out on the telephone. What's she supposed to do if there's a fire? A crime in progrss? Wait for the fireman to call her and see which building's burning down? She didn't know, and all these "hypothetical" situations weren't important.
Daft. She was daft as a duck. Dafty Duck
I finally get the only room left on campus, but it reeks so badly of smoke that I can't stay in the room for even 5 minutes. Did I mention that this was a no-smoking dorm?
To finally top it all off, my cell phone no longer works, so I can't even call anyone for help! I'd ask you guys for care packages, but I have no address. I'd like to talk to someone comforting, but I have no phone. It'd be great to get some emails, but I have no connection.
And France calls itself civilised.
Further adventures ensue. Check back for more updates of "KENZ. IN. SPAAAAAAAAACE!!!"
I want to film a documentary in Dijon about how removed the university and the city are. I'll call it the Lonely Planet.
I bought tickets! I'm leaving Saturday at 3:00, getting into Paris at 7:40. Then I have to take a train to Dijon, arriving at 12:11. This is a total of 15 hours of travel, so it could be worse. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone everyone in the Francais-Anglais Club.
What happens if you give a cat food and shelter?
It eats, sleeps, and loves you. It doesn't write poetry, doesn't build buildings, and doesn't do science.
Why do we expect anything more from humans?
DVD Burners are so cool. Cuts my movie collection from 60 to 10 discs. Although I'm a little peeved that half my movies no longer work. Something in my CD wallet has been destroying them.
Saturday night Celine, Mattieu, Casey, Bethany, Aron, and I carved pumpkins! Celine, Matt, and Bethany had never carved a pumpkin before, so we figured we'd expose them to something they'd missed in their childhood. It's good to do these little things that adults shun because they're too childish. These free flowing forms of self-expression are some of the most mature things one can do.
The coolest pumpkin, by far, was Matt's. Quite impressive considering he had never in his life carved a pumpkin. Mine came in a a distant last... No, worse than that. My pumpkins were so misshapen that they didn't even glow orange! They were just this sort of putrid, pale peach. I'll post pictures as soon as I get them from Matt.
I'm happy to say Connie was quite amused. Good, because I'm not going to be around to pick up the decaying pumpkins! :)
5 more days...
So this is my idea for a cool Science Fiction critter. Feel free to use this to your heart's content.
Remember how computer monitors flicker when recorded with a movie camera? This is because the screen constantly refreshes, redrawing itself 60-75 times a second. Your eye can't see this flickering because it's to slow.
Now imagine that there were some creature on the earth and it looked just like us. You can only tell it's not human by viewing it through a camera. Perhaps it's a shapeshifter whose body constantly oscillates between "its" form and "our" form. Or, a la Casey, aliens from another dimension who are beaming into our galaxy.
Motivation? Maybe the critter's trying to eat us like the Alien. Or a race of aliens bent on invading the earth. Or a mysterious person with otherworldly powers who helps people.
I'm organizing a protest when I get back to France. I don't know what we'll protest, but it's France so that's normal. Whatever happened to protesting-- just protesting-- because it's Saturday and there's nothing else to do?
(No, "Kenz" doesn't come from some "warez" thing. It was a misspelling of my name in France to which I took quite a fancy. Quit asking.)
Language fluency is not understanding what is said, but understanding what isn't.
Xeno's paradox: motion is impossible because the moving object always has to cover half the distance. Since the number of halves is infinite and they become infinitely small, the moving object never really gets itself going.
Put graphically, Xeno remarked that on any line segment, there was a halfway point. No matter how you slice the distance, it can always be halved again.
x============A============x
x============A======B=====x
x============A======B==C==x
x============A======B==C=D=x
Ad infinitum.
Hence, Xeno was asking the question, "How long is an infinity of infitesmals?"
I, Kenneth Dale Sebesta, do hereby christen this page "Kenz Blog"
I've decided that keeping a blog is a million times easier than sending out emails to you. I always wondered if you really wanted to read my rambling emails, so now you'll have the choice.
I'm leaving for France in 9 days. Entirely too soon and entirely too late. Mixed feelings abound. I want to stay because things are so good here. I work for Lexmark, practice my French all day (admittedly not always good), I have good friends here, and my living situation is without compare. But...
I miss the food, I miss my stuff, I miss my European friends, and I miss the vacations.
HOME - ARCHIVES
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line91
|
__label__wiki
| 0.516797
| 0.516797
|
Dear FLOTUS – BE BEST
If You Were Me Would You Let Richard Zona (Jr.) Off the Hook?
Rise Up NOW! Thank you….. SO MUCH
Honestly, I am sorry to bother you as I know you have a full plate. I have waited over twenty years to speak out. I married my first boyfriend a long time ago. He was not physically abusive but horrifically abusive sexually, financially, and emotionally. I was with him over twenty years. Marrying an abusive man has affected my entire life, negatively, since I met him, at 20 years old. Because I began to speak out, my last year was, like Carrie on Homeland (terrifying), yet it wasn’t a script. IT WAS MY LIFE. He and his flying monkeys did not want the TRUTH told. I can’t say much more than that (on my blog) as I have been “gagged” in Riverside County, Ca. My first amendment right was violated as well as forbidden prior restraint issued without due process. In fact, I WAS DENIED A LAWYER. I am speaking out to raise awareness as to the tactics of domestic abuse and because I have a right. (Don’t I? Is this the BE BEST of the United States of America?). My ex abusive husband is a domestic abuse mastermind. I want to “BE BEST”. I want domestic abuse to STOP. Domestic abuse victims are defenseless in a court when they can not afford an attorney because the abuser controls the finances. I have been beaten to a pulp because I have been unable to hire an attorney for twenty years. And this is even worse, I have a judgement that my ex abusive husband has not fulfilled. Domestic abuse survivors, like me, and victims should not be forced to collect their own money from these MONSTERS. This is EXACTLY what an abusive man wants. In my case he would only give me MY MONEY in return for sex. Thirteen years later he still holds it. Luckily, I am a survivor and have not lost my life like millions of wives, girlfriends,daughters and sisters, just trying to collect their OWN MONEY for a fresh start and a peaceful, away from abuse life. I have felt for a long time that the domestic abuse issues in this country are far from BE BEST. But I came across this article that made me positively sick to my stomach.
~ What are the world’s most dangerous places to be female? The United States made the Top Ten. This is NOT our BE BEST.
India was ranked as the world’s most dangerous country for women. It comes five years after public outcry following the rape and murder of a student on a bus in Delhi, which made violence against women a national priority.
2. Afghanistan
While Afghanistan ranked seventh-worst in the world for sexual violence, the survey found that Afghanistan had the world’s worst healthcare for women. The country also ranked worst in the world for non-sexual violence.
3. Syria
The country now in its seventh year of civil war, ranked as the joint third-worst country in the world for sexual violence, along with the USA That violence includes rape as a weapon of war.
4. Somalia
While Somalia came in 10th for sexual violence, it ranked highly and third worst for forms of retribution as cultural traditions. That includes stoning, child marriage and acid attacks as a form of punishment.
5. Saudi Arabia
While sexual violence against women in Saudi Arabia was low, discrimination was second highest in the world.
6. Pakistan
Seven years ago Pakistan made the top five in the survey. Despite doing slightly better this year, it fared fourth worst in the world for discrimination and cultural traditions, which includes women’s inability to make a livelihood and physical abuse or malnutrition as a form of punishment.
7. Democratic Republic of Congo
The Central African nation came in second behind India for the world’s most dangerous country for sexual violence. It includes rape as a weapon of war, lack of access to justice in rape cases and coercion into sex as a form of corruption.
8. Yemen
Yemen ranked fourth worst in the world for non-sexual violence and fourth worst for healthcare available to women.
9. Nigeria
The African nation is the fourth worst country for human trafficking, behind India, Libya, and Myanmar. It included domestic servitude, forced labour, and sexual slavery. It also ranked as the 10th worst country in the world for sexual violence.
A surprise addition to the list was the United States. The US placed joint third with Syria as the country with the world’s worst record for sexual violence.The US also came sixth, behind Pakistan, for non-sexual violence that includes domestic, physical, and mental abuse.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line92
|
__label__wiki
| 0.922771
| 0.922771
|
The Ministry of Hip Hop with Flame and PRo
Monday, 09 January 2012 03:55 Written by Cicely V. Teal
More than 20 years ago, the genre of Hip Hop began as a form of expression giving voice to the woes of society, inner city life and economic inequality. Since then, it has become one of the world’s most prominent art forms, and subsequently morphed into a more commercialized entity where clubbing, drinking, sex and materialism are the focus.
Two emerging Hip Hop artists are taking the field into a more spiritual direction. PRo and 2008 Grammy Award nominee Flame use their own testimonies and, what they believe to be their God-given purpose, to not only fuel a new genre of Hip Hop and fans, but to bring those fans closer to God.
Flame, born Marcus T. Gray, grew up in a two-parent home in the inner city of St. Louis, Missouri. His family was influenced by Christianity, but like so many young people growing up in an urban environment he was exposed to drugs, alcohol, depression and schizophrenia in his household. However, he found an escape his circumstances at a young age––Hip Hop.
“I was in fifth grade and wanted to rap for fun to get attention,” says Flame. My environment was crazy but I was so influenced by the Hip Hop culture––Tupac and NWA,” he said.
At the age of 16, a chain of events forced Flame to stop and think about the path he was taking. He was expelled from school and had to transfer, and was involved a tragic accident where he was hit by an 18-wheeler gas truck three times. Shortly after, his grandmother passed away.
“These things made me think about life,” he commented. “I was invited to church during this time and I committed myself and my music to Christianity.”
Flame started writing raps; it was more on a personal level during his own devotional time. One day he saw the group Due Season. Flame approached them and proudly showcased his gift. They encouraged him to pursue his music full time. Flame admits he’s matured since his first solo project and self-titled album.
“I started to travel and meet new people,” says Flame. “I completed my Bachelor’s degree, got married and moved out of my home state, so all my new experiences made me a new person. With my fifth album, Captured [released on his own label Clear Sight Music], I love God more, love people more and learned how to be a better artist.”
What sets Flame apart from almost any other gospel artist is that he attended Seminary school. He was encouraged by his peers who instilled in him that if Hip Hop was going to be used as a medium, there had to be something that set him apart, a distinction.
“In order to reach the culture as Christians, we needed to be educated so we can grow deeper in relationship with God,” adds Flame. Power is in the word, not the composition of the music. Communicate the word of God because it’s used to change people.”
In the Bible, Jeremiah said to God, “When I speak of you I get into trouble, but your word is like a fire shot up through my bones.” Flame’s name was a childhood nickname, but the name took on a whole new meaning as he became spiritually stronger.
“It’s saying what needs to be said in spite of the consequences,” adds Flame.
PRo, born Derek Johnson Jr., grew up in a very spiritual household where he says it was gospel music or nothing at all. Even though he was surrounded by religion, PRo faced the same pressures and temptations of most young people. The struggles he experienced in the past helped shape him to be who he is in the present.
“People tell you to be young, sew your wild oats, go to college and do you,” comments PRo. Well, I did. I mean I wasn't crazy out there, but I did my dirt.”
At a very young age, the Michigan native lost his grandparents and his godmother. He believed that the loss of those closest to him was a wake-up call.
“Being young I had experienced loss, but wasn't mature enough to understand its depth,” he adds. “By this time, I had grown and those losses hurt. The beauty is God, and His grace allowed those things to push me toward Him.”
Having no exposure to rap growing up, PRo developed his lyrical prowess living with his father during the summer. His father was a producer who invited rappers in his home. PRo’s unabashed testimony in his lyrics is a testament of his desire to say to his listeners that through all the things he’s been through, he’s still here.
“I want to say that yes, at some point I played my part in those things [I did in the past], but they are all behind me,” says Pro. I've been changed.”
After connecting with gospel aficionado Lecrea, PRo was introduced to Reach Records. His first studio project on the label was Redemption, and during the production of this album things began to click for PRo on a deeper level.
“I was being introduced to some interesting concepts,” he comments. "The fact that God was more than just this Sunday school or fly by night God, but he is a God who loves his people enough to sacrifice it all. I just wanted to share that with the world. That's where Redemption came from.”
PRo has launched an independent record label, Reflection Music Group, and his second studio project, Dying to Live, debuted #3 on the iTunes Hip Hop and Rap charts and #7 over all of iTunes. It also was #1 on the Christian Billboard chart and #2 on the Gospel charts.
Published in Entertainment
Cicely V. Teal
Cicely V. Teal graduated from Northeastern Illinois University with a B.A. in Communication and Depaul Univeristy with a M.A in Journalism. She contributed to and maintained a column at N’Digo Magapaper, and wrote for Urban Influence Magazine, Breaking Tweets, The DePaulia and The Independent. She also worked on documentary projects at WTTW channel 11, children’s television programming at WCIU-TV and African American programming at Central City Productions.
She is a blogger and studies web analytics, social networking strategies and integrated marketing at the University of Chicago.
She can be contacted at Cicely@glossmagazineonline.com
Latest from Cicely V. Teal
New Face of Gospel: Nikeya Young
Book Review: Pink Lips & Empty Hearts By Heather Lindsey
Chicago's Stellar Award Winners and Nominees Celebrated
Jonathan McReynolds: Ushering in New Gospel Sound
Dr. Tara Jenkins: More than the Preacher’s Wife
More in this category: « Chicago Rapper Gerald Walker Introduces "Life Music" Up Close with Author Pat Tucker »
© 2006-2014 GMO Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
All images contained on Glossmagazineonline.com that are not original creations of the online publication are publicity photos,
special permission grants and/or believed to be in the public domain. In the event that there is a problem and/or an improper use
of a copyrighted image, the break of the copyright is unintentional and noncommercial. If this occurs, the material will be
removed from Glossmagazineonline immediately.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line93
|
__label__cc
| 0.507029
| 0.492971
|
Patient Gateway Physician Gateway
Education, Intelligence Might Protect Your Brain
FRIDAY, June 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- Being smart and highly educated may not prevent Alzheimer's disease, but it appears to delay the disease's impact on everyday life, a new study suggests.
Researchers can't prove that that's the case, but their data suggests it might be.
"Our study was designed to look for trends, not prove cause and effect, but the major implication of our study is that exposure to education and better cognitive performance when you're younger can help preserve cognitive function for a while, even if it's unlikely to change the course of the disease," said study author Dr. Rebecca Gottesman. She's a professor of neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
For the study, Gottesman and her team collected data on 331 middle-aged and older people without dementia who were followed for 20 years and had brain scans as part of a separate study. The scans revealed how much plaques were in their brains, a hallmark of Alzheimer's. The group included people with less than a high school education and those who went to college.
The researchers found that those with more education scored better on tests of memory and language than those with less education, no matter how much plaque their brains contained.
They also found that cognition scores in midlife did not affect the amounts of plaque found later in life.
"Our data suggest that more education seems to play a role as a form of cognitive reserve that helps people do better at baseline, but it doesn't affect one's actual level of decline," Gottesman said in a university news release.
The report was published in the April issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
For more about Alzheimer's disease, visit the Alzheimer's Association.
SOURCE: Johns Hopkins University, news release, June 13, 2019
Find a Doctor Request an Appointment Locations Services
Hospitalist Service
Aging/Geriatrics
Internal Medicine-Adult Primary Care
Geriatrics (Division of Aging)
Patient Care Services
General Medical Service
Adjustment Disorders in Children
Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Brain
Epilepsy and Seizures
Sports and Music: Both Good for Kids
A Health Home Run: Pro Baseball Players Live Longer, Healthier Lives
© Brigham and Women's Hospital
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line95
|
__label__wiki
| 0.797068
| 0.797068
|
A Better Cardiac Pump for People With Heart Failure?
TUESDAY, March 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- A new version of an implantable heart pump could cut the risk of blood clots, bleeding and stroke in patients with advanced heart failure, according to a study funded by the device's maker.
The study included more than a thousand patients who received either Abbott Inc.'s HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or the HeartMate II.
After two years, about 75 percent of those in the HeartMate 3 group were still alive, had not suffered a disabling stroke and did not require another operation to remove a malfunctioning device, compared with nearly 61 percent in the HeartMate II group, the study found.
"These final results, from what is by far the largest LVAD trial ever conducted, demonstrate the clinical superiority of the HeartMate 3 compared with its predecessor, the HeartMate II," said lead study author Dr. Mandeep Mehra. He's medical director at the Heart and Vascular Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
The study was presented Sunday at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session, in New Orleans, and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In heart failure, damaged hearts become too weak to efficiently pump blood. The new and improved HeartMate should extend the lives of many heart failure patients, said one specialist unconnected to the study.
In 2001, Abbott introduced the HeartMate 1, the first-generation heart pump, explained Dr. Harold Fernandez, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, N.Y.
"Unfortunately, although this pump helped many patients, it would only last for about a year and a half before breaking down," he said.
"Then in 2008, there was the introduction of a new second-generation pump, HeartMate II, that was much smaller, and worked more efficiently than the first one," Fernandez said. "Now, we have the first longer studies showing that the new third-generation pump, HeartMate 3, is even smaller, works better, and has less complications than all the previous pumps."
The results of the new study are impressive, he said.
"In fact, these pumps are so good that the numbers are starting to look very close to the gold standard treatment, which is the heart transplant," Fernandez said.
The rate at which the pumps need to be replaced has plummeted. According to the study, the rate of pump replacement at two years was 2.3 percent in the HeartMate 3 group, compared to 11.3 percent in the HeartMate II group.
Blood clot dangers have also fallen: while nearly 14 percent of HeartMate II patients experienced pump-related clotting, these issues occurred in just 1.4 percent of HeartMate 3 patients, Mehra's group found.
With fewer clots, the odds for stroke fell, as well: disabling stroke occurred in 5 percent of HeartMate 3 patients, compared with 7.5 percent of HeartMate II patients.
Rates of any type of bleeding were about 44 percent for HeartMate 3 patients and 55 percent among Heartmate II patients, while rates of gastrointestinal bleeding were 24.5 percent and 31 percent, respectively.
Based on these findings, the HeartMate 3 LVAD should now be the standard of care for patients with advanced heart failure who do not respond to guideline-directed drug therapy, Mehra believes.
"In addition to having significantly lower rates of adverse events, patients who received the HeartMate 3 had a lower rate of readmission to the hospital and spent fewer days in the hospital when they were readmitted," Mehra said in an American College of Cardiology news release.
The HeartMate 3 was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in August 2017 for short-term use in patients awaiting a heart transplant, and in October 2018 for long-term use in patients who are not candidates for a heart transplant.
As Fernandez pointed out, "heart failure is one of the most devastating conditions, affecting over 6 million patients in the United States with over half a million new cases each year."
But he said technological advances such as cardiac pumps are offering patients hope.
"This is a really exciting time, because the technology that until just a few years ago may have seemed as something from another planet, is now being used in our hospital to help the most ill patients who have a weak heart and who didn't have other options in the past," Fernandez said.
Dr. Sunny Intwala directs sports cardiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He agreed with Fernandez, calling the HeartMate 3 "a significant step forward to provide select patients a safer device, which is associated with less risk of disabling strokes, need for pump or device replacement."
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more on heart failure.
SOURCES: Sunny Intwala, M.D., director of sports cardiology, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Harold Fernandez, M.D., cardiothoracic surgeon, Southside Hospital, Bay Shore, N.Y.; American College of Cardiology, news release, March 17, 2019
Hematology/Marrow cancer
Orthopedics - HSMP
Heart and Vascular Services
Medical Cardiology Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
General Cardiology
Memory Dementia Alzheimers and Cognitive Aging
Vascular Surgery Satellite Clinics
Bleeding / Clotting Disorders
Antithrombin (Activity and Antigen)
8 Mistakes Heart Patients Make
CPR and Defibrillator Quiz
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line96
|
__label__cc
| 0.676608
| 0.323392
|
Tonight's mood
"I coulda dressed like a food stamp cowboy and acid danced the night away"
"You must know my parents, they recycle too!"
"Back to the business of becoming"
That's All It Took
"Did you see bro? Unexpected Hispanic Ahab!"
"when we go to karaoke this is the song I'll sing"
Posted by harmless neighborhood eccentric at 6/23/2015 05:12:00 PM 1 comment:
"After they got sued they changed the name to Gotham City"
"I coulda dressed like a food stamp cowboy and aci...
"when we go to karaoke this is the song I'll sing"...
"After they got sued they changed the name to Goth...
"Are you happy?"
Wouldn't it be nice?
Shorepound Lost and Found July 11th- Mark your cal...
I Don't Want To Grow Up
"La la la, la la la la"
"I could make a pizza but I'm in the mood to dance...
"I'm doing those dishes or dancing- one or the oth...
"I am just a regular Buffalo"
"I think that's you!"
you know......
Another public service announcement from Harmless ...
"If you don't live here don't soufflé here, cook!"...
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line99
|
__label__wiki
| 0.846487
| 0.846487
|
Expiration Date (2006)
Director: Rick Stevenson Writers: Rick Stevenson & Hamish Gunn
Film Score: B.C. Smith Cinematography: Bruce Worrall
Starring: Robert A. Guthrie, Sascha Knopf, Dee Wallace and David Keith
This is a very clever movie, and it’s not hard to see how it won so many awards--thirty three, at last count. That said, it’s just this side of good for me, but perhaps it’s just my taste in comedy, which leans much more toward the dry. Expiration Date by Rick Stevenson manages to weave some very interesting elements together to come up with a zany romantic comedy. The film is set in Seattle and while it is a small, independent feature it nevertheless managed to attract some name stars, including Dee Wallace, David Keith, and Richard Sanders. The film was shot in Seattle and lovingly frames the city in many different lights and times of day. One of the many terrific running gags in the film, however, is that from seemingly every exterior angle in the film you can see the Space Needle in the distance. Writer-director Rick Stevenson isn’t exactly a young filmmaker on the come, but had already tasted some success in Hollywood beginning as a producer back in the eighties before turning to writing and directing. It was through his work with name stars that he was able to call in some favors and probably ensured the financing and distribution that earned him all those film festival awards. It’s a solid film that has a lot to like, but also some pretty big flaws that keep it from being anywhere near great.
The opening draws on two films in particular. The idea of the old man telling the young boy a story--one that is interrupted in the middle--is borrowed directly from The Princess Bride. The other element, the milk bottle in the paper sack instead of booze, was done by Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The old man is played by Ned Romero, and when he sees the young Nakotah LaRance waiting for the bus at the reservation stop, he wants to tell him a story. LaRance doesn’t want to hear any “oral tradition” garbage, but Romero cons him by telling him there’s a part where the girl does this thing with her lips. Waiting anyway, he agrees, and Romero tells him the story of Robert A. Guthrie, whose father and grandfather both died on their twenty-fifth birthday, and were both killed by milk trucks. Guthrie, with only eight days to go until his twenty-fifth birthday, is looking at funeral plots, shopping for caskets, and making a list of the things he wants to do in his remaining days. His mother, Dee Wallace, owns a flower shop and she has already mapped out the milk deliver routes on a map for him. Then one day while picking out a casket he meets Sascha Knopf, inside the casket he wants. They begin by arguing over it because she saw it first and wants it for her dying mother. But he has the money, so he buys it out from under her, starting a feud that includes painting on each other’s front doors.
There’s a definite chemistry between the perky Knopf and the depressed Guthrie, but he refuses to give in to anything like affection because he knows he’s going to die. Eventually, however, he goes to see her mother in the cancer clinic and learns that it is actually Knopf who is dying and suddenly the romance is on. Meanwhile Guthrie works in a coffee shop full of zany customers like the long-haired ex-marine David Keith, and Brandon Whitehead, who can’t get enough caffeine. There are so many running gags in the film it’s difficult to keep up with them all. Knopf has an adopted dog named Roadkill, who has narcolepsy and passes out on the sidewalk where people assume he’s dead. The coffee shop where Guthrie works is owned by Benjamin Ratner, but none of the customers want him to make their coffee as only Guthrie will do. And when Guthrie is dating Knopf she tells him she has a stalker. Unfortunately, he’s a milk delivery driver with a cow figure hanging in a noose from his rearview mirror. When Knopf goes in for her first kiss with Guthrie she tells him that she wants to do it like the old movies where their lips get incredibly close to each other without actually touching. This is another running gag, and it also stops the film when LaRance is outraged that this is the moment he was waiting for. But he’s too far in to stop now, and tells Romero to finish his tale.
As I stated earlier, this is a comedy that is on the exaggerated side, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for subtlety. This is too bad. All of the actors tend to overact, as though they’re trying to create bigger than life characters, but instead it simply comes off as stilted and affected. Guthrie, in particular, plays his depression too forward and it gets in the way of his performance. Dee Wallace spends most of her time yelling, either in delight or in fear, while David Keith chews the scenery in his trucker hat and bared arms trying to pick up every woman in the coffee shop. Richard Sanders, who is almost exclusively known for his nebbish role on the seventies sit-com WKRP in Cincinnati, is the best of the three as a cemetery manager. The writing is very good, and the surreal nature of the film is definitely inspired. Unfortunately, Stevenson’s ability to handle the actors is not very good, and what could have been a comedy gem had the actors been reined in, allowing the dialogue and situations to provide the humor rather than the characters, instead gets mired in missed opportunities. Even so, Expiration Date is a clever and entertaining film that has pleased a lot of fans over the past decade, and it’s one of the better independent films to come out of Seattle in the past fifteen years.
Posted by neslowe at 6:09 PM No comments:
Labels: 2000s, Comedy, Independent
The Last Samurai (2003)
Director: Edward Zwick Writers: John Logan & Edward Zwick
Film Score: Hans Zimmer Cinematography: John Toll
Starring: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada and Koyuki Kato
Tom Cruise is the kind of actor that people either love or hate, and for many the kind of actor they love to hate. Regardless, however, he has made some brilliant films. It’s unfortunate that he has chosen to follow the ludicrous cult of scientology to the point where his personal life has become something of a joke. Of course that shouldn’t effect how audiences judge his onscreen performances, but then they wouldn’t be human it didn’t. The Last Samurai by Edward Zwick is a masterful piece of filmmaking and displays Cruise’s talents to their best. Like some of the director’s previous films, Legends of the Fall and Defiance, this is an historical drama and it is certainly something he does well. In addition he has a terrific script by John Logan, who wrote Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and a very strong supporting cast to help him realize his vision. And though it’s not quite as impressive as Scott’s film in term of scope and story, Zwick manages to walk a fine line between cultures and demonstrates a significant difference between the capitalist zeal that not only has a stranglehold on Euro-American culture but also infected Japanese culture at the end of the nineteenth century, and a more earth-based existence culture that values cooperation with nature rather than dominance over it
The film begins with Tom Cruise as an alcoholic ex-cavalryman who has nightmares about the Indian wars that he participated in under Custer and along side Tony Goldwyn. He has drifted into a position as a demonstrator for the Winchester company for William Atherton. After he’s fired for drunkenness Billy Connolly takes him to see Goldwyn, who makes him an offer to come to Japan and train their soldiers. The offer comes from the acting head of the Emperor’s government, Masato Harada. So he takes the money and goes. There he meets British author, photographer and translator Timothy Spall. In the nineteenth century much of Asia was closed to Euro-American trade and culture. Japan was one of the most ardently against this intrusion into their culture. But they also realized that with modernization comes the need to trade for raw materials they would need to industrialize their nation. With the ascension of a new emperor, Shichinosuke Nakamura, who has allowed Harada to completely open the country to western influence, the samurai, the traditional protectors of the emperor, have rebelled because they feel this change is bad for the people of Japan. Ken Watanabe is the leader of the samurai, and during a failed attempt by Cruise and his Japanese soldiers to attack them his men capture Cruise, but not before Cruise kills one of them.
That first battle scene is beautifully atmospheric, with fog and blue light turning the forest in to a haunted land from a fantasy world, just the conditions the samurai use to frighten their enemy. When Watanabe sees Cruise continue to fight, even when surrounded and wounded and facing certain death, he inexplicably saves him and takes him back to his village. The middle part of the film is the real meat of the story. Cruise winds up living in the house of the man he killed, Watanabe’s brother in law. And there’s a strong parallel between the Native Americans and the samurai that causes Cruise to give up his Western ways in a similar fashion as Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves. One of the things that impresses Watanabe most about Cruise is his apparent lack of fear about dying, though he has no idea this has come about from feelings of guilt and futility, the same motivations that cause Costner’s suicide ride in the beginning of his film. Truth be told, there are many similarities between the two films in both story and character. But because of the extreme differences in the culture, it doesn’t feel like a copy or a rip-off.
While Tom Cruise is good, Ken Watanabe is exceptional, as is his angry lieutenant, Hiroyuki Sanada, and grudging respect eventually turns to a bond of brotherhood and love between them. For his performance Watanabe was given an Oscar nomination. Koyuki Kato as the widow, Sôsuke Ikematsu as her son, and Shin Koyamada as Watanabe’s son do a tremendous job as well. But all the Japanese actors are excellent. Ultimately, the situation in Japan at the time portrayed is far less simplistic as the film puts it, and the idealization of a lost way of life and the “noble savages” who live it threatens to undermine the whole story. But once the viewer can move beyond the literal and see in Cruise the ability to understand and immerse himself in an entirely different culture, it is quite inspirational. The film was given four Academy Award nominations but, with the exception of Watanabe, none of them were in major categories, though a Cruise film was never going to do any better. Which probably caused the actor no end of grief when Johnny Depp was nominated the same year for best actor in one of the horrible Pirates of the Caribbean movies. But the truth will out, and Zwick’s film has stood the test of time. Whatever your opinion of Tom Cruise is--and there are certainly moments when he’s not up to the task--The Last Samurai is a compelling piece of filmmaking and a powerful ideological criticism of consumerist culture.
Labels: 2000s, Historical Drama, Ken Watanabe, Tom Cruise, Warner Brothers
Director: David O. Russell Writers: David O. Russell & Eric W. Singer
Film Score: Danny Elfman Cinematography: Linus Sandgren
Starring: Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner
Though there has been the occasional 1970s inspired film now and again, the period has been ripe for re-visitation in recent years. American Hustle, dives head first into shag carpets, leisure suits and disco in setting its seriocomic caper in the “me decade,” and comes away with some genuine moments of “the real thing.” The story is loosely based on the Abscam case run by the FBI in the late seventies and early eighties that used a phony Arab front man to entice public figures into taking bribes. The film is something of a comedy, though still fairly serious in the way that it unfolds and the real draw is the acting. Amy Adams gives a bravura performance--as well as exposing a lot of cleavage--with Christian Bale in a beautifully costumed role in a fat suit and long hair. Jennifer Lawrence also does a tremendous job in a supporting role and almost certainly would have won an Oscar had the film not been up against 12 Years a Slave that year. In fact, one of the astounding things about the film is that it was nominated for ten Academy Awards and came away with nothing. It is something of a rambling story and the improvisational nature of the dialogue leaves something to be desired, but it is impressive for those standout performances.
The film begins with a sting operation. Christian Bale is in his hotel room putting fake hair on his bald head and doing a monstrous comb-over. He meets up with Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams in the room with the video monitors, and instantly they get into an argument. During the sting the mayor, Jeremy Renner, doesn’t take the bait and leaves, at which point Cooper forces Bale out to get him back. In a flashback Bale tells about how he broke windows so his dad could get business at his glass store, and how he met Amy Adams at a pool party in Long Island and bonded over Duke Ellington. She’s a stripper, and when she discovers his real business is cheating people out of fees for getting them loans they’ll never receive, she walks out, only to walk back in again with a British accent and doubling his take as his assistant, in more ways that one as they begin a sexual relationship. But trouble arrives in the form of Bradley Cooper, who says that he’s desperate for a loan. Bale smells trouble but when Adams takes his check, the world comes down on them. The bottom line is that in order for Bale to get Adams and himself off the hook, he has to use his talents to sting four other big fish and the two of them will walk.
The one quibble I have with the film, and it is a significant one, is the music. After watching the entire movie I still don’t know what the point of the music is. Russell and his people chose a great number of distinctive seventies pop songs to fill the soundtrack, but all of the music in the film--and I mean every song--is from 1974 and earlier. The film is set in 1978, and yet there is nothing from that year on the soundtrack. The most egregious example of this is in the disco scene, when Adams and Cooper go to a discotheque and the song playing in the club is “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” Now, Thelma Houston released a version of that song in early 1977, and that would have been perfect for the scene. Instead, however, incomprehensibly, they played the original version by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes from 1975. I’m sure to most people a seventies song is a seventies song, but to set a film smack dab in the middle of the disco era and not use a single disco song on the soundtrack makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It’s too bad, because it’s the one element that rings absolutely false to anyone who lived in the era and paid any attention to popular music at all.
There are several narrative strings that are working here in David Russell’s screenplay. On the one hand there’s a bit of The Wrestler, with Amy Adams acting briefly as a stripper combined with the low class world of Bale. It turns out he is married to Jennifer Lawrence and has adopted her son, and he’s unwilling to leave her to run away with Adams which creates a lot of tension between the three of them. The relationship between Adams and Bale is reminiscent of any number of caper films--Matchstick Men comes to mind--in which the relationship itself seems like a con. But the most blatant comparison comes with Bradley Cooper’s character in his similarity to Gene Hackman in Get Shorty. Where he started out simply to get the couple to help him bag some bigger players, he quickly gets caught up in his own newfound sense of power and keeps biting off more and more. While Bale is urging him with all of his sincerity to slow down and scale back, Cooper can’t help himself. The ending, of course, is classic caper film material and one of the more satisfying elements of the production. American Hustle is not a film that is obviously great, but it does finish with a sense of satisfaction that seems impressive in retrospect.
Labels: 2010s, Caper Films, Christian Bale, Columbia Pictures, Jeremy Renner
The Tall T (1957)
Director: Budd Boetticher Writer: Burt Kennedy
Film Score: Heinz Roemheld Cinematography: Charles Lawton Jr.
Starring: Randolph Scott, Richard Boone, Maurine O’Sullivan and Arthur Hunnicutt
Another of the mid-fifties westerns that Randolph Scott made for Columbia, The Tall T is notable for the simple fact that the title is never explained, though one presumes this is the brand that Scott uses for his cattle. In actuality, the film had been called The Captives throughout production, but executives discovered that there was another film by that name and changed it. The intent of the new title was that it was the brand of the ranch where Scott intends to by a bull for his ranch. The film also has the distinction of being the first of Elmore Leonard’s works to be adapted for the screen. Primarily known as a writer of humorous crime fiction in later life, Leonard had also written western stories early in his career, including the story that 3:10 to Yuma was based on. This was the second of several films Scott made with director Budd Boetticher, the first of which, Seven Men from Now, being such a commercial success that it led to a total of seven collaborations. The film was also one of Maurine O’Sullivan’s final film performances, after she had moved almost exclusively to television in the fifties.
Randolph Scott plays an Arizona rancher, going into Contention to buy a seed bull for his new ranch. Along the way he stops at a stage depot to water his horse. The place is run by a friend of his, Fred Sherman, and his young son Christopher Olsen. Once in town he meets Arthur Hunnicutt who drives a stagecoach and talks about the train taking over. Meanwhile Maurine O’Sullivan and her husband John Hubbard are going to be chartering Hunnicutt’s stage to Bisbee, and Hunnicutt is convinced that Hubbard only married her to get his hands on her father’s copper mining business. Instead of getting a bull, Scott loses his horse in a bet and winds up walking home with his saddle, flagging down Hunnicutt’s stagecoach. But when they get to the station Sherman and Olsen have been killed, and Richard Boone and his men have taken over the place waiting to rob the regular stagecoach. The weak-willed Hubbard instantly tries to give up O’Sullivan as a hostage to get ransom from her father, so Boone sends a ransom note back to Contention with him and heads toward Scott’s place with O’Sullivan to wait for the money. The bulk of the story takes place a few miles from Scott’s ranch as they wait for the ransom money, giving time for Scott and O’Sullivan to bond and figure out a way to stay alive.
These westerns are little more than stripped down morality tales. Boone becomes sickened by the fact that Hubbard sold out his wife in order to safe himself, and he also talks about how he wants to have a place of his own, a ranch like Scott’s. Scott has a difficult time understanding this. He doesn’t see how killing and robbing to get those things is any different that what Hubbard did, but Boone tells him, “If you can’t see the difference, I ain’t gonna explain it to you.” Boone’s partners are Skip Homeier, a young kid with no family, and Henry Silva, a Chinese killer, and he doesn’t like either one of them. In fact, Boone has never killed a man in his life, though Scott isn’t buying the distinction considering that he consents to allow them to do his dirty work for him. What is so fascinating is that the film almost begins as a comedy, with Scott betting his previous boss, Robert Burton, that he can ride a bull and loses his horse to him after diving in a water trough to escape the bull when he’s thrown off. Then he has to walk fifteen miles back to his ranch with his saddle over his shoulder.
But even during the tense moments waiting for the money there is a bit of comedy relief. When Scott comes out of the opening to the mineshaft where he and O’Sullivan have been sleeping, he hits his head on the beam and sends Boone into a riot of laughter. The relationship between Boone and Scott is the real focal point of the film. Boone is fascinated by this man who tells the truth, even admitting that he’s afraid, and keeps his dignity no matter what happens. This is in stark contrast to Hubbard, a man who cares more about his own life than his wife’s, and it probably bothers Boone so much because he reminds him too much of himself. In fact, at the end of the picture Boone knows Scott so well that he actually walks away from him while Scott holds a gun on him, so sure he is that Scott would never shoot him in the back. The Tall T may be a simple story, but it is told extremely well and acted to perfection. It is one of the better of the Scott-Boetticher films and is as entertaining as westerns get.
Labels: 1950s, Columbia Pictures, Randolph Scott, Western
No Sad Songs for Me (1950)
Director: Rudolph Maté Writer: Howard Koch
Film Score: George Duning Cinematography: Joseph Walker
Starring: Margaret Sullavan, Wendell Corey, Natalie Wood and John McIntire
Though this is a heart-breaking premise in any era, it is unfortunately all too common today. But in the fifties this was the kind of story that was gaining traction, the kind of thing that was causing conflict amid the suburban perfection of the post-war era. No Sad Songs for Me is the kind of film that Douglas Sirk would begin to make in earnest during that decade. Ironically, Sirk had left Columbia the previous year to return to Germany, and came back a year later to sign a contract with Universal where he made his most well-known films. Rudolph Maté, on the other hand, had only been recently promoted from cameraman to director at Columbia and helmed this tearjerker with a steady hand. Though the trailer for the picture proclaims in large block letters that this was the first time the idea had been filmed, a similar story had been done in a less domestic way before, with Bette Davis at Warner Brothers in 1939 with Dark Victory. Here the setting is updated to modern day Los Angeles and with the family already in place. What’s unique is bringing in the idea of adultery, the only other real crisis in suburbia, and weaving that together with the primary storyline. Miraculously, the usually ham-fisted composer George Duning was the only person to earn an Academy Award nod for his, frankly, rather generic romantic score.
The story begins at the home of Margaret Sullavan, her husband Wendell Corey, and their daughter Natalie Wood. Everyone is excited because Sullavan believes she is pregnant and is going to the doctor for conformation that day. Meanwhile Corey is in the middle of a bit development project and is set to make a ton of money when it’s completed. But when Sullavan goes to see the doctor, John McIntire, he has worse news than the fact she can’t conceive. He tries to hide it from her, but she comes back into his office and demands the truth: she has cancer and only a few months left to live. These were still the days when doctors used to keep that kind of news from the patient, letting the family know but allowing the patients to live in ignorance in the assumption it would make their lives happier. That idea has gone by the wayside since then and, in fact, in the opposite direction. Films like My Life Without Me and the Showtime series The Big C show doctors who are now only allowed to tell the patients, and patients who keep the news to themselves so that they really can enjoy their remaining time without being drowned in pity and patronization. Sullavan gets the news in the late fall, at the same time Corey hires a female draftsman, Viveca Lindfors, to help him complete his project before his spring deadline.
As Sullavan’s constitution gradually weakens, Corey begins to spend more time with Lindfors and feels increasingly guilty about it. But it’s not until Sullavan visits her father in San Francisco and sees an old friend, Harlan Warde--who has lost his wife and is dating a real shrew--that she realizes she needs to engineer a relationship between Corey and Lindfors for when she’s gone. While Margaret Sullavan was extremely popular in the forties at MGM, she had a relatively brief career, appearing in only sixteen films and preferring the stage to the screen. This was her last film before retiring, and she demonstrates why she was so popular. Though not a traditional Hollywood beauty, she exudes strength and, if anything, her performance here is more subtle than in her forties work. Wendell Corey is terrific to see, appearing in only a few dozen films in the late forties and early fifties, before working primarily in television for the remainder of his career. The picture is also notable for the appearance of a young Natalie Wood in her twelfth film. Then there is Viveca Lindfors, a Swedish actress in the mold of Ingrid Bergman. After making several films in Sweden during the war she signed a contract with Warner Brothers and made this film on loan to Columbia.
The film received generally positive reviews on its release, especially for Margaret Sullavan’s performance. But Howard Koch’s lucid screenplay also came in for praise. Koch was, of course, instrumental in the synthesis of the screenplay for Casablanca as well as a number of other great Warner Brothers pictures, and was another tragedy of the communist witch-hunts and blacklisted shortly after this film was made. The other actors of note in the film are Jeanette Nolan, who got her start with Orson Welles and was appearing here in only her fourth film, and Ann Doran as one of Sullavan’s friends. Finally, the great John McIntire plays the family doctor and brings his patented gravitas to the role. The film is a good one, with a fascinating story line that while not so shocking today, is still wonderful to watch in the way it unfolds. No Sad Songs for Me is a vintage slice of fifties culture with enough residual forties flair to make it a terrific film, not the least for exceptional performances by Margaret Sullavan and the rest of the cast.
Labels: 1950s, Columbia Pictures, Drama
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Director: Robert Aldrich Writers: Nunnally Johnson & Lukas Heller
Film Score: Frank De Vol Cinematography: Edward Scaife
Starring: Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes and Ernest Borgnine
In the late sixties and early seventies there were a number of war films produced that contained a healthy element of comedy as well as drama. Films like Kelley’s Heroes and M*A*S*H were attempts to take some of the edge off of the Vietnam War then in progress and being paraded nightly across television screens. But it was Hollywood veteran Robert Aldrich who made the first entry into the genre with The Dirty Dozen, based on the novel by E.M. Nathanson. It’s a terrific premise, with a clandestine special force made up of army convicts set to die, given one last chance to redeem themselves by going into battle behind the front lines on the evening before the D-Day assault in Normandy. The film sports an all-star cast, many of whom were little known at the time and later went on to distinguished careers. MGM offered the lead role of Major Reisman to John Wayne, but fortunately for Aldrich he turned it down to make The Green Berets instead. Aldrich had his heart set on Lee Marvin from the beginning and the lanky actor, who had alternated between television and motion pictures for most of his career, anchored the cast of this iconic film and became identified with the role for the rest of his life.
The story begins in a U.S. Army prison in England. Lee Marvin has been sent there to observe a hanging. When he reports back to the general, Ernest Borgnine, and his angry subordinate general, Robert Webber, his insolence becomes apparent. He is given an order to train twelve of the convicts for a special mission and has to sell the idea to twelve lucky “volunteers.” The group consists of, among others, Donald Sutherland, Jim Brown, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas and John Cassavetes, who was nominated for an Oscar. Once they realize they will be getting out of prison--though they are likely to die during the mission--they gladly agree. The problem for Marvin is that they hate each other almost as much as they hate him, and getting them to work together is nearly impossible. He’s assisted by a sergeant, Richard Jaeckel, and when the men refuse to shave, Marvin takes away their soap and Jaeckel christens them “The Dirty Dozen.” During their training there are several episodes that test their mettle. The parachute training facility is run by Marvin’s sworn enemy, Robert Ryan, and Ryan tries to beat out of the men what their mission is. They, of course, believe that Marvin is responsible, but later when Ryan invades their camp while Marvin isn’t there, they bond even closer with him.
Things finally come to a head when Marvin is dragged before Borgnine by Ryan and threatened with losing the operation. With the help of fellow major George Kennedy, he makes a bet with Borgnine that he can take over Ryan’s headquarters during the war games coming up. The way they manage it is terrific, and cements the bond between the men and paves the way for their ultimate mission. And the mission itself is as suspenseful as they get. Aldrich has a terrific visual style that is apparent in almost every scene. Whether it is shooting from the ground or from directly overhead, there is always some interesting visual angle to go along with the story itself. And the story is a long one. Epic in scope, Aldrich is following on the tails of World War Two films like The Bridge on the River Kwai and The Great Escape in the film’s two hour and ten minute running time. Frank De Vol’s appropriately martial sounding score, while not exactly memorable, provides a perfect background for the action. The allegory for the Vietnam War is obvious. It was the first war where draftees, en mas, ran for cover by staying in college or the national guard or, in extreme case, fleeing to Canada, leaving the ranks of the Army primarily soldiered by low income men or minorities--in many cases both. But when it came time to perform they were as good--if not better because of their backgrounds--than career soldiers.
The other members of “the dozen” are less well known today. Clint Walker becomes pals with Bronson in the picture, while singer Trini López becomes the first to die on the mission. Frank Sinatra apparently pushed him to leave halfway through the production, believing that his singing career would go into decline if he stayed away from the U.S. too long, so his character was simply killed off. Tom Busby, Ben Carruthers, Stuart Cooper, Colin Maitland and Al Mancini round out the rest of the dozen. At the time it was released, the film was criticized primarily for its portrayal of extreme violence, but Altman was adamant that the realism of war justified its inclusion. In fact, Aldrich was surreptitiously offered an Academy Award nomination if he would cut the final scene in which Jim Brown throws grenades into the air vents at the chateau. Ostensibly it was because of the violent nature of the scene. In reality it was because of the distaste of seeing a black man kill whites--even if they were Nazis. Fortunately, the film survived intact and has become one of the greatest war films ever produced in Hollywood. In addition to Cassavetes, the film was nominated for three other technical awards and won the Oscar for sound effects. It spawned a television sequel starring Lee Marvin, and two others with Telly Savalas leading the group. The Dirty Dozen has it all, sex, violence, action, drama and humor, and puts them all together in one of the most entertaining war films ever made.
Posted by neslowe at 10:16 AM No comments:
Labels: 1960s, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin, MGM, Robert Ryan, War Films
Director: Stuart Walker Writer: John Colton
Film Score: Karl Hajos Cinematography: Charles J. Stumar
Starring: Henry Hull, Valerie Hobson, Warner Oland and Lester Matthews
This film had a long and arduous genesis, beginning first as a story for Boris Karloff to follow up his success in Frankenstein. Eventually the idea passed through the hands of several writers before John Colton’s version was green-lighted. Director Stuart Walker is not a well-known name because he died in 1941 at the age of fifty-three. Werewolf of London was his second to last film and came on the heels of a pair of Charles Dickens adaptations for Universal, Great Expectations with Henry Hull and The Mystery of Edwin Drood with Claude Rains. The commercial failure of the film at the time of release was probably due to its marked similarity to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Less of a monster movie, the story focuses on the scientific research of Henry Hull, whose obsessions are the real cause of his doom. He neglects his wife, nearly pushing her into the arms of her former lover, and yet is furious with them when he thinks about them being together. At the same time his is angry towards his colleague, when if they had worked together they might have been able to invent a cure. In the end, it is the scientist’s own hubris that ends his life, almost identical the Robert Louis Stevenson story.
The film opens in Tibet, in the middle of an expedition. The camera follows two of the crew to the tent of Henry Hull. The natives do not want to go where Hull is heading, and when priest Egon Brecher comes through the pass the natives scatter in fear. Hull is looking for a rare plant that only blooms in the moonlight, and Brecher tells him he should not seek it, but wishes him luck as he goes anyway. Once Hull finds the flower, however, he is attacked by a man who looks like a beast and is bitten before he can fend him off. But he gets his flower and returns it to England safely. There his neglected wife, Valerie Hobson, is throwing a party and one of the guests is the mysterious Warner Oland. After Oland tells him that they are both werewolves, Hull ignores him and goes about his work until he sees his artificial moonlight has a curious effect on him, causing hair to sprout from his hand. The Tibetian flower, however, is the antidote to the symptoms, but Oland steals the blossoms, leaving Hull helpless to the curse. After the change he instinctively heads for his wife, but foiled there he kills an anonymous woman in the streets. This leads to the inevitable battle between the two werewolves over the remaining blossoms of the flower.
The most obvious impediment for the film to overcome is the screenplay. It is full of obvious references to men and beasts and stilted dialogue, especially when it comes to the jealousy of Hull toward Lester Matthews. The thing is, it’s not a bad story, but the execution is poorly done, in particular the way any suspense about Oland being the original werewolf is given away in the beginning of the film. The actor tells Hull that they met briefly in Tibet, in the dark, and turned him into a werewolf. This is one of many aspects of the film that The Wolf Man would greatly improve upon later. Though the screenplay may have failed him, Stuart Walker has a distinctive style and makes full use of the moving camera to great effect, first in the opening as he tracks the men to Hull’s tent, and later throughout the rest of the film. The technique is a vital one for his unique transition scene as Hull turns into a werewolf. Walker tracks the actor as he walks behind a series of columns. When Hull is behind a column the camera stops and makeup is applied, then the camera rolls again. Though it’s obvious on film, it is still a terrific sequence and one of the high points of the film. The other high point is the music by Karl Hajos, which adds another artistic dimension to a somewhat flat film.
What’s fascinating in watching the film is how similar it is to Stevenson’s novel. The overt sexual overtones of Mr. Hyde are nakedly on display in the film, as he attacks only women. While the trigger for Hull’s transformation seems to be the moon, the jealousy he exhibits toward his wife’s former lover appears just as powerful, and his rage propels him forward. And in the same way that Hyde finds himself an outcast in a society with rigid rules of conduct regarding sexual expression, the juxtaposition of Hull’s animal nature with the civilization he is trapped in is presented in the stark visual symbolism of him donning his hat and coat after the transformation. Hull’s performance has been criticized for his seeming distaste for the part, and along with Valerie Hobson’s stereotyped role they combine to weaken the narrative. Ironically, Warner Oland is the actor who appears most invested in the film. The only other actors of note in the picture are the wonderful Spring Byington as Hobson’s aunt, used for comic relief, and Hull’s lab assistant, J.M. Kerrigan. While it lacks the artistry and magic of The Wolf Man from six years later, Werewolf of London nevertheless holds an important place in the pantheon of Universal monster films as the first werewolf film produced in the sound era.
Labels: 1930s, Henry Hull, Horror Films, Universal
The Blind Side (2009)
Director: John Lee Hancock Writer: John Lee Hancock
Film Score: Carter Burwell Cinematography: Alar Kivilo
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw and Kim Dickens
There’s something about these kinds of films that doesn’t sit well with me. First of all, I certainly enjoy watching them. After all, who wouldn’t? The true story of a young person who defies the odds and becomes a success with the aid of selfless people helping him is incredibly inspiring. When all is said and done, however, I’m left feeling empty inside. While the story is good, there is an overt sentimentality that makes the plot a little too obvious for this to be a really great film. The Blind Side is a semi-biographical tale of an inner-city boy from Memphis named Michael Oher who went on to play football at the University of Mississippi and eventually the NFL. The film is based on the book by Michael Lewis called The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. In the book he weaves two narrative threads together, the first about Lawrence Taylor, who made the necessity of protecting the quarterback’s blind side a priority after breaking Joe Theismann’s leg. The second is the story of Oher. Sandra Bullock begins the film with a narration of Lewis’s first point, punctuated by the footage of Theismann and Taylor in a Monday night game, the last of Theismann’s career.
Oher is played by Quinton Aaron in his first film role. The story begins with Aaron as a homeless boy living on the couch of his friend’s family. Omar Dorsey visits Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis in order to get his son in because of his sports abilities, but when coach Ray McKinnon sees Aaron’s enormous size and quickness on the basketball court he wants him to attend the school as well. With no continuity in school or academic success, Aaron’s grades are virtually nonexistent, but with McKinnon pushing he gets him enrolled. There he makes friends with the tiny boy, Jae Head, and eventually draws the notice of his mother, a rich Memphis socialite played by Sandra Bullock. She brings the boy into their home and her husband, Tim McGraw, daughter Lily Collins, and Head, make an instant family for Aaron. At first Aaron’s participation in football is simply an obvious one because of his size, but McKinnon notices something different about the boy. While most neglected kids display a repressed anger once they get on the football field, this is utterly absent from Aaron. What Bullock knows, however, is that Aaron is in the ninetieth percentile for protective instinct, and when she gives him the goal of protecting his quarterback, suddenly Aaron becomes great.
The rest of the film, I hate to say, is an obvious progression of attempting to help Aaron become successful and combating racism. He struggles in his first football games, and then gradually becomes an all-state tackle. He needs to get his grades up in order to be eligible to play college ball and Kathy Bates is brought in to tutor him, with obvious results. Later, young Jae Head becomes his virtual agent when the parade of college coaches comes to his door. Through it all the bond between Bullock and Aaron becomes closer and, just to throw in a bit of suspense, the NCAA investigates why he decides to go to Old Miss, suspecting that Bullock is simply using her altruism to field players for her old alma matter. Nevertheless, the film is an obvious favorite for its uplifting message and was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture. The only other nomination was for Bullock as best actress and she won over an incredibly weak field that year. For anyone who has seen films like Rudy or We Are Marshall, you’ll have a good idea of what this film is. That is not to denigrate the story of Michael Oher, who is still playing professional ball in his home state of Tennessee, but The Blind Side is a film that fits into that inspirational, if predictable, genre of sports stories that has become prevalent in recent years. I very much enjoyed the story, but the film as a film . . . not so much.
Labels: 2000s, Biopic, Sandra Bullock, Sports Films, Warner Brothers
Bull Durham (1988)
Director: Ron Shelton Writer: Ron Shelton
Film Score: Michael Convertino Cinematography: Bobby Byrne
Starring: Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and Trey Wilson
The first of Kevin Costner’s baseball trilogy, Bull Durham is a romantic comedy rather than the more serious pictures that followed it, Field of Dreams and For the Love of the Game. But the film is also notable for being the picture in which Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins met and began a relationship that lasted twenty years and produced two children. The film was written and directed by Ron Shelton who had written a couple of films prior to this, but his was his first job as a director. The chemistry with his star worked out well, and in the following decade he would team up with Costner again for another sports-related romantic comedy, Tin Cup. Costner has done particularly well in these films because of his natural athleticism, and that was the primary reason that Shelton cast him. The film was a surprise hit, as sports films in general were not very popular at the time. Shelton had been a minor league baseball player and used his experience when writing the screenplay. But the romantic angle is also very well done and holds up today, as well as the buddy-picture antagonism between Costner and Robbins. The film touches a number of cinematic tropes and does all of them very well, resulting in its continuing popularity.
The film begins with Durham, North Carolina’s triple-A baseball team, the Bulls, getting a new pitcher, Tim Robbins, a hot young prospect who signed a hundred thousand dollar signing bonus. He has a thunderbolt for an arm, but is immature and has no control on the mound. Enter Kevin Costner, a veteran catcher that the team hired to teach Robbins and get him ready for the majors. At the same time local baseball fan Susan Sarandon has her own spring training, which involves selecting a player to have an affair with for the season. She brings both Robbins and Costner over to her house, but when Costner figures out what’s going on he refuses, saying that after ten years in the minor leagues he doesn’t try out any more. But while Sarandon hooks up with Robbins for the season, there is plenty of sexual tension between her and Costner. Meanwhile, the baseball season marches on with its ups and downs, winning and losing streaks, as well as the drama that happens off the field with Sarandon’s best friend, the promiscuous Jenny Robertson who is working her way through the entire team. The late, great Trey Wilson plays the harried manager who relies on Costner to lead the team, and the wonderfully comedic Robert Wuhl plays the goofy pitching coach.
Kevin Costner is a great choice for the lead because of his obvious athletic ability. What’s a little more of a stretch is Tim Robbins. Even though he played hockey when he was younger, he does look a bit awkward on the pitcher’s mound. But it was his breakout role and he plays the part well. The rest of the baseball cast was chosen from actual athletes and director Ron Shelton was a stickler for authenticity on the field by completing plays after the camera stopped rolling. Costner even hit a couple of actual home runs during the filming. Susan Sarandon is lovely as the older woman and, though she and Robbins began their off screen romance during shooting, she works very well with Costner and the two are terrific together. It’s hard to believe that this was Shelton’s first film. His scenes are well composed, and the baseball montages look as if they had been shot by a veteran. One of the other aspects of the film that is tremendous is the music by little known composer Michael Convertino. He does a great job of scoring, and integrates it perfectly with the eclectic mix of soundtrack songs. The comedy in the piece is also very natural and unfolds in an unforced way. There is a lot to like about Bull Durham and it’s popularity with fans through the years and frequent rotation on cable attest to that. It’s a great romantic comedy that does not depend on knowledge of sports to be enjoyed.
Labels: 1980s, Kevin Costner, Orion Pictures, Romantic Comedy, Sports Films, Susan Sarandon
Cement Suitcase (2013)
Director: Rick Castañeda Writer: Rick Castañeda
Film Score: Nick Jaina Cinematography: Jeffrey Waldron
Starring: Dwayne Bartholomew, Kristina Guerrero, Nathan Sapsford and Shawn Parsons
My interest in Cement Suitcase was twofold. First, I have been so impressed with independent films coming out of Portland, Oregon that I wanted to check out what was happening in the Seattle film scene. The second was the setting. One of my favorite films is Sideways, a comedy set in California’s central coast wine region. Likewise, this film is set in Washington wine country, an area of the state that I am particularly familiar with. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this film as much as I would have liked. Writer-director Rick Castañeda does, however, have some fine moments of comedy in the film and that keeps it from being a complete loss. One of the things he wanted to do with the project was showcase a little-filmed area of Washington State, the Yakima Valley, and that is probably the most impressive aspect of the film. The landscapes are incredibly beautiful. But Castañeda also uses some animated sequences in the film that are interesting and has a nice directorial touch. It’s the director’s first feature film and, in some respects, it shows. And while it fails to impress overall, there are still plenty of good things in it that keep it from being a failure.
The film begins with Dwayne Bartholomew going up onstage in front of an empty house in an auditorium, but before he can speak he wakes up from his dream. In the first-person narrative he tells of his sad life in Granger, Washington as a wine pourer at the Airfield Winery in Prosser. He lives in a modest house that used to be his mother’s. He’s cleared out her room to make room for a boarder so that he can pay the mortgage, which is way overdue, but the only applicant is Australian Nathan Sapsford, whom he takes an instant dislike to. One day at the winery Shawn Parsons strikes up a conversation and asks him to play golf sometime, the only problem is that his girlfriend, Kristina Guerrero, is having an affair with him and he doesn’t know how to feel about it. To say that Dwayne’s life is in a rut is an understatement. In a brief bit of animation his life is compared to a river that erodes into the earth over time, with himself at the bottom of the canyon. Finally he relents to Sapsford because he has money and is willing to pay in advance. All that said, however, it’s only then that things really begin going bad.
While the plot actually sounds pretty interesting, the film as a whole is surprisingly tepid. For one thing, the twenty-something loser who is more interested in playing video games than improving his life, still living at home--albeit his mother is dead—has very little originality to it. Writer-director Rick Castañeda wrings about the most he can from the premise, but being so weak to begin with doesn’t give him a lot of room to maneuver. Dwayne Bartholomew at first seems like a poor choice for the lead, but he warms to the role. And while he is a comic actor, he manages to keep things very believable rather than going overboard the way most Hollywood comedies tend to do. The best actor in the film is, ironically, Shawn Parsons, who is playing a stereotyped character but manages to imbue it with a strong sense of reality as well. Overall, though, the acting throughout the film is pretty good. Castañeda is also a terrific creative force and he definitely has some skills. His work behind the camera is very confident. Some of the running visual gags are a “For Rent” sign that keeps falling down, and Bartholomew’s beat up car, but there are also some very clever moments in the writing as well. The first-person narration is a bit awkward because it feels like it should have been used a bit more or not at all. Cement Suitcase may not be a great film, but it is a valiant effort by a young filmmaker that promises much more in the future.
Labels: 2010s, Comedy/Drama, Independent
Shockproof (1949)
Director: Douglas Sirk Writers: Samuel Fuller & Helen Deutsch
Film Score: George Duning Cinematography: Charles Lawton Jr.
Starring: Cornel Wilde, Patricia Knight, John Baragrey and Esther Minicotti
Shockproof is the last film that Sam Fuller would write before striking out on his own to begin directing independent films. The impetus was the direction of the film by Douglas Sirk, though the film’s lack of cohesion and success was probably due more to Columbia’s demand that the screenplay be rewritten by Helen Deutsch. The result is an extremely bipolar film that emphasizes both the lurid film noir aspects that were present in Fuller’s original screenplay and the sentimental rewrite by Deutsch. Cornel Wilde is the nominal lead in the picture, and had earned his film noir credentials two years earlier in Leave Her to Heaven for Fox. The other lead, Patricia Knight, had a brief career in Hollywood, and what films she did appear in were mostly due to the influence of her husband, Wilde, who married her during the shooting of this film. Her initial scenes, it must be pointed out, are quite good, and the femme fatale characterization of her in the screenplay is tremendously suspenseful during the first half of the film. While Shockproof does have its moments, it’s a dim reflection of the work that Cornel Wilde did with Gene Tierney, and with all of the edges softened by the rewrite of Fuller’s script it couldn’t help but be a disappointment.
The film begins with Patricia Knight walking through Hollywood. She buys a new dress, has her hair dyed blonde, and goes into an office building to see Cornel Wilde. It turns out he’s her parole officer, and she’s on parole for murder. Her long list of don’ts include staying away from her former lover, John Baragrey, but of course the first thing she does is meet with him and get picked up in a raid. King Donovan chooses to jump to his death rather than go back to prison and Knight wishes she had the nerve to do the same thing. Wilde’s boss wants him to send her back to prison, but he decides to give her another chance--as long as Baragrey stays away from her. To make it easier, Wilde gives Knight a job in his own home taking care of his blind mother, Esther Minicotti, but all the while Knight is working behind his back with Baragrey to get her transferred to San Francisco. It’s not until Wilde proposes to her that Knight realizes she doesn’t want to be with Baragrey anymore, but her old flame wants to use the marriage--a violation of parole--to control him through extortion by threatening to destroy his career by exposing it.
Up to that point the film has a lot of potential, but the whole thing takes a much more romantic turn for the rest of its running time. Even the dark and gritty ending, which contains the most noirish aspects of the film, is tempered by Douglas Sirk’s penchant for the romantic. But this didn’t have to spell doom for the picture. In many ways the ending is reminiscent of James M. Cain’s Double Indemnity, the novel rather than any of the filmed versions. While Hollywood was able to adapt Cain for the screen in the forties, they stayed miles away from his original conceptions of the protagonists in his novels, and that would have been the only way to really save this story. Fuller wasn’t the only one unhappy with the film, however, as the final scene wasn’t even shot by him. Sirk left Hollywood and headed to Europe for a year before returning to helm his better-known fifties films. The other low point in the film is the dreary score by George Duning which is more appropriate for the sappy romances that Sirk would film in the following decade than the gritty noir picture that Fuller was aiming for. These days the film is known primarily for its terrific location shooting in Los Angeles and the rich black and white photography by Charles Lawton Jr. who had shot Orson Welles’ The Lady from Shanghai for Columbia. Shockproof, while not a success, is nevertheless an interesting piece of work from two iconic Hollywood filmmakers.
Labels: 1940s, Columbia Pictures, Douglas Sirk, Film Noir
Touchy Feely (2013)
Director: Lynn Shelton Writer: Lynn Shelton
Film Score: Vince Smith Cinematography: Benjamin Kasulke
Starring: Rosemarie DeWitt, Josh Pais, Ellen Page and Allison Janney
Seattle writer-director Lynn Shelton has made a name for herself in independent films circles producing small, personal films that have also managed to gain a popular following. Touchy Feely is one of her later efforts and is something of a love letter to Seattle, taking on the eccentric nature of some of the community in a generous and thoughtful way, one that eschews stereotypes for well-rounded characters who, while a bit nutty, are still very believable. The film opens with massage therapist Rosemarie DeWitt working on a patient while the credits roll. At the end of the session her very satisfied customer says, “Will you marry me?” That evening she attends a dinner party at the home of her brother, Josh Pais, a dentist with a small practice that is slowly dwindling away because he can’t attract new clients. Pais is something of an autistic whose favorite place is in the x-ray lab at his office with the lights out. Living with him is his daughter, Ellen Page, who also works as an assistant at her father’s office and feels trapped into taking care of him rather than going to college and beginning her own life. Also at the dinner is DeWitt’s boyfriend, Scoot McNairy, who owns a bicycle shop in town.
The dinner is incredibly awkward but the characters don’t really react to it that way because it seems expected to them. DeWitt is looking for a new apartment, and when McNairy says she should move in with him, she finally agrees. The next day she visits her Reiki practitioner, Allison Janney, and everything is great. DeWitt, however, is visibly frightened to move in with McNairy and Janney, rather than advocating caution, tells her to go for it. But the next day at work, DeWitt suddenly becomes repulsed by her own skin and that of her clients and finally shuts down her office. Meanwhile Pais, who has almost no bedside manner with his patients, is simply cleaning the teeth of one of Page’s friends and miraculous cures his TMJ. Suddenly, instead of an empty waiting room, word of mouth has filled it up. DeWitt can’t get over her fears, though, and believes she needs to break things off with McNairy. But throughout the shots with her traveling around town Ron Livingston can be seen in the background, adding a mysterious dimension to the film. From there, things evolve in a surprising way that by the end makes perfect sense. While the film’s screenplay seems to revolve around DeWitt, it’s Pais who really commands the attention of the viewer.
The one thing that is immediately apparent about the film has nothing to do with the plot or characters. Lynn Shelton and her cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke inject the film with a tremendous number of shots of Seattle, both at night and in the daylight, that are carefully composed and keep the context of the film forward in the viewer’s mind. There are also a number of nature shots, still within the city, the image of which project the idea of Japanese nature paintings. Once scene in particular, when DeWitt is walking around the neighborhood, is striking in its close-ups of moss and insects and cracks in the sidewalk. There are also some close-ups of skin when DeWitt is going through her crisis that are striking as well. The criticism of the film is a bit incomprehensible to me, especially those who find the ending lacking resolution. It works as a character study, and yet has a compelling plot as well, and the actors are terrific. Perhaps you have to be familiar with the Northwest to completely fall in love with the film, but certainly doesn’t seem as though it should be a prerequisite. Nominated for a Grand Jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival, Touchy Feely exhibits a bold confidence from its director that translates into a tremendous viewing experience. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone who loves independent films. It’s one of the best.
Posted by neslowe at 12:29 PM No comments:
Labels: 2010s, Comedy/Drama, Ellen Page, Independent
Better Than Sex (2000)
Director: Jonathan Teplitzky Writer: Jonathan Teplitzky
Film Score: David Hirschfelder Cinematography: Garry Phillips
Starring: David Wenham, Susie Porter, Kris McQuade and Catherine McClements
This is one of those unfortunate films that I wanted to like a lot more than I did. It had an interesting premise, and I even thought the actors were pretty good. But it felt flat to me, and was never able to overcome the weight of the expectations I had for it. Better Than Sex is an Australian film by writer-director Jonathan Teplitzky. In essence it is a romantic comedy, but struggles to find its voice throughout its running time and never really does. There’s a lot of sex in the film, but it is tastefully done and doesn’t devolve into awkwardness because of it. Some of the criticism of the film is that it feels like a stage play and, as most film do that originated in that way, it gives a stilted quality to the production. What it mostly reminds me of is a small, independently produced film by local director, but it’s probably the age of the film that makes me feel that way. The cuts to the principals talking to the camera feels a bit like When Harry met Sally, but it’s not horrible. It’s definitely a watchable film, and certainly has its fans. It’s just something that I wouldn’t watch more than once.
The film begins with David Wenham waking up in bed with Susie Porter. His arm is under her head and he wants to move it, but she wakes up anyway. And suddenly he disappears under the covers. The narrative is also injected with the actors talking to the camera about what they were feeling and going through at the time. It’s an interesting idea, and if I had seen the film a decade earlier it might have been more interesting, but as it is it just seemed dated. Afterwards, Wenham begins getting dressed and talks about leaving. He’s only in Sydney for three days and then flying back to London. He walks out of her apartment and down to a phone booth where he calls his friend to ask for Porter’s number. Then both his friends and hers pass the gossip back and forth about them spending the night together. The most interesting part of the film is watching the evolution of two people who know absolutely nothing about each other, but don’t want their time together to end. That much is charming. The screenplay itself, on the other hand, feels a bit forced, and tries too hard to be comedic when the film might have played better--and actually been funnier--if it had been played straight.
As the story takes them from one day to the next, they go through the arc of a relationship, learning their idiosyncrasies, and sort of breaking up when one of Porter’s girlfriends, Catherine McClements, comes over and tries to flirt with Wenham. The Greek chorus in all of this is the cab driver, Kris McQuade, who brought the two home, and she is definitely one of the highlights of the film. When Wenham tries to leave after his argument with Porter, McQuade convinces him--by refusing to take him anywhere--to go back and share something about himself with her. Poor David Wenham, who began his career trajectory by doing some work in interesting films, will forever be associated with his role as the goofy friar in Van Helsing. Susie Porter is really a fascinating actress but she has stayed in Australia, working primarily in television. Both are good in the film, and both the film and its stars and director won numerous awards in Australia. Though the film never really makes it clear, the answer to the title is true love. Better Than Sex is a watchable romantic comedy that will definitely depend on the individual to decide exactly how good it is.
Labels: 2000s, Australian Film, Independent, Romantic Comedy
It Happened in Hollywood (1937)
Director: Harry Lachman Writers: Samuel Fuller & Ethel Hill
Music Dept: Morris Stoloff Cinematography: Joseph Walker
Starring: Richard Dix, Fay Wray, William B. Davidson and Victor Kilian
Before there was The Artist, and before there was Singin’ in the Rain, the idea of a silent film star failing in the talkies was undertaken by Columbia Pictures in It Happened in Hollywood. Based on the story “Once a Hero” by Myles Connolly, this film centers on a cowboy star, Richard Dix, a great casting choice considering that he starred in the first great western of the sound era, Cimarron, an Academy Award winning picture from RKO in which he was also nominated for an Oscar for best actor. This programmer, however, is a huge step down from that. Aside from Dix, the only real star in the film is Fay Wray, but both of them were really past their prime. The screenplay was co-written by Sam Fuller during his studio days, several years before he struck out on his own directing independent features. He was assisted by Ethel Hill, who wrote for Shirley Temple as well as westerns, and novelist Harvey Fergusson, and though the dialogue isn’t half bad, the story is pretty uninspiring.
The film begins in 1928, with Richard Dix at the height of his popularity, attending a special showing of his latest western for a children’s hospital as part of a cross-country publicity tour. The tour is cut short to begin working on a talking picture, but while there’s nothing wrong with his voice, he doesn’t see the point in all of the fancy talk he’s expected to memorize. The result is that his co-star, Fay Wray, is being groomed as the studio’s new star while Dix is unceremoniously let go, forced to move out of his new ranch. While Wray is infatuated with him and continues to try to get him work, Dix is still pleased at the few fan letters he gets from kids, and is not sorry for himself in any way. Seeing a fight Dix has with the real estate man who took his ranch, director William B. Davidson gets him a part in the gangster picture he’s filming with Wray. But Dix is reluctant to ruin his image with the kids when he’s asked to shoot a policeman, and walks off the picture. Eventually he decides to leave Hollywood, but a visit from one of the boys at the hospital, Bill Burrud, gives him an inspiration that nearly destroys him, though a happy ending is requisite for this kind of film.
The inspiration is a party, full of stars that he can introduce to Burrud. But, of course, Dix doesn’t know any stars and comes up with the idea of a giant party attended by celebrity look-alikes. Some of them are pretty good, the Chaplin in particular, and some aren’t, Mae West for example. In terms of actual character actors, the great Victor Kilian is on hand as Dix’s sidekick, Slim, the memorable Charles Williams has a small role as a photographer, and Franklin Pangborn has a brief cameo as an effeminate elocution coach from England. It’s a good role for Dix, a feature performance and he does a good job as the ethical cowboy who doesn’t want to do anything on film that goes against the image of him that his fans, especially the young children, cherished. Fay Wray’s part, as the heroine who is in love with her star but doesn’t know how to tell him, is fairly one-dimensional and is certainly not one of her essential pictures. The direction by Harry Lachman is solid if unexceptional. Probably the best part of the film is the behind-the-scenes aspect, watching the way that William B. Davidson sets up his scenes and shoots the footage for the gangster picture he’s making with Wray. As a low-budget film, It Happened in Hollywood isn’t the worst of its kind, and the stars do bring a certain cache, but ultimately it is what it is and expectations should be adjusted accordingly.
Labels: 1930s, Columbia Pictures, Comedy/Drama, Fay Wray
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000)
Director: Rodrigo Garcia Writer: Rodrigo Garcia
Film Score: Edward Shearmur Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki
Starring: Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Amy Brenneman and Gregory Hines
Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her is an exercise. By that I mean that the things that happen in the film are simply put there on purpose, with no other reason that the director wanted to place them there. As I said, it’s not so much a story as it is an exercise. Writer-director Rodrigo Garcia puts a group of talented women actors through their paces, as though he was teaching a class on film acting, and then tries to somehow string them together hoping that will provide some semblance of narrative. But it doesn’t. It’s the same effect as the epic failure Magnolia by Paul Thomas Anderson from the year before. The major difference is that this isn’t such an epic fail, just a marginal project barely deserving of comment. The film has a rather laborious history. Garcia is the son of writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez—one of his books is referenced in the section featuring Cameron Diaz—and the screenplay was “workshopped” at the Sundance Film Festival’s writing lab in 1998. The film was financed in France and while it won awards at Cannes and Sundance it debuted in the U.S. on television, for Showtime, and only afterward did it get a limited release in theaters. Of course reviewers are drawn to this kind of film for film’s sake that doesn’t really do anything but simply exist. They talk about how great the acting is, but there’s really nothing for these women to do but sleepwalk through their roles and call it acting. You actually can’t tell just by looking at them.
The first of the five stories opens with homicide detective Amy Brenneman who is seen briefly on a murder scene. The next concerns Glenn Close, a closed off, frightened physician who lives alone with her aging mother, or perhaps it’s her grandmother. She hires tarot card reader Calista Flockhart to tell her future and gets less than hopeful predictions, with the exception of meeting a new man. From there the story shifts to Holly Hunter as her boyfriend Gregory Hines leaves at two in the morning. She works as a bank manager with Matt Craven. At lunch she goes to visit her doctor, Roma Maffia, as she’s worried she’s pregnant with Hines. She doesn’t want to have the baby because he’s married. She has a similar encounter with mystical insight given to her by bag lady Penelope Allen. Part four is about Kathy Baker, who seems a little too lonely and a little too attached to her teenage son for comfort. Then she meets little man Danny Woodburn who moves in across the street. The final story line is about Calista Flockhart and Valeria Golino, who is dying of cancer. The two are clearly in love, but Golino’s imminent demise is tearing Flockhart apart. They also live next door to Brenneman and her blind sister, Cameron Diaz, who winds up tutoring Craven’s blind daughter and going on a date with him. Meanwhile, Brenneman keeps on investigating the life of the murder victim who was a high school classmate of hers.
Though there may be an earlier precedent, the most obvious influence for these types of films is Short Cuts by Robert Altman. The difference there is that Altman’s film was made by a great director working with the stories of a great writer, Raymond Carver. Garcia’s film does have one significant advantage over something like Magnolia, however, and that’s the fact that he does manage to keep the emotional pitch of the story rather low. And the only misstep in doing that is with the section featuring Holly Hunter where she stumbles down the street after seeing the doctor and begins weeping. It’s the most forced scene in a movie that is forced in every way. That, of course, is the fault of a screenplay that was painfully worked over until there was no life left in it, and an artistic sensibility that is pretentious and prizes self-indulgence. It’s the same type of stuff that gets written at creative writing seminars and fine arts programs all over the country. The photography by Emmanuel Lubezki is beautiful and the set designs are all incredibly sterile in a good way. But to what end? Composer Edward Shearmur tries to make each other stories unique with either a somber jazz trumpet or a new age harp, and his work comes off no more interesting that Garcia’s as a result. This was Garcia’s first film as a director and it shows. Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her is essentially a film school project, and ultimately just as insignificant.
Labels: 2000s, Drama, MGM
Director: Danny Boyle Writer: Simon Beaufoy
Film Score: A.R. Rahman Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle
Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal and Anil Kapoor
The U.S. version of the popular British game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, was a huge hit on television when it premiered in 1999, and by the following year was being produced all over the British Commonwealth, including India. The idea for the film Slumdog Millionaire is a simple but ingenious one. What if a young man, just through the sheer act of being alive for eighteen years, happened to be exposed to a random set of information that formed the basis for the questions on one particular episode of the game show? If that was all there was to the film, however, it certainly wouldn’t have become the sensation it did, not only an unexpected hit in the United States and the rest of the world, but winning the Academy Award for best picture over its domestic competition, and winning eight Oscars overall. Technically the film is a British production and not from Bollywood. Director Danny Boyle turned it down at first, but when he found out Simon Beaufoy--who had penned The Full Monty--was the screenwriter, he signed on with Loveleen Tandan as co-director in India.
The film begins with text saying that Dev Patel is one question away from winning the twenty million grand prize. Then he is shown on the game show but juxtaposed with him being interrogated and tortured and remembering Freida Pinto. Irrfan Kahn wants to know how he did it. What he tells them is that he actually knew the answers, and in flashback from when he was a boy he tells the story of how he came to know those exact answers. The first is about the star of a 1973 Indian film. But it turns out the star came to Patel’s village when he was a young boy, so he knew him well. Next is the phrase on the Indian flag, and yet he didn’t know that one and had to ask the audience. From there it is depictions of the god Rama and seeing an image of the god when his mother was killed. The next question is about a song written by an Indian poet. But when he was a child and kidnapped to work as a beggar he was forced to sing the song. After he and his brother escape, they ride the trains until they are thrown off in front of the Taj Mahal. There they stole a lot of money from Americans, including hundred dollar bills, the subject of the next question. The reason he goes on the game show is because he wants to find his long lost love, Pinto, and believes she’ll be watching the show.
The real appeal of the film is actually not about the game show at all, but the way in which the seemingly random chance in his life that led him to know the answers is paralleled by the random chance that actually kept him alive. That part of the story is almost more remarkable, and far more suspenseful. As he tells the story, Patel begins as a young boy and gradually grows up on his journey as homeless orphan in India. He and his brother at first traveled with a girl who wasn’t able to escape with them, but later they find her in the red light district where the leader of the beggar children, Mahesh Manjrekar, planned on selling her as a virgin. They escape with her only to be separated from Patel’s character, who doesn’t find his brother until much later when he begins working for a call center. After the host of the show, Anil Kapoor, turns Patel in to the police for cheating, that’s when he’s interrogated but simply tells the truth and Irrfan Kahn believes him. It’s a good film, but should it have won the Oscar for best picture? Not that year, especially with Benjamin Button--which earned the most nominations that year--and The Reader in the running. Still, Slumdog Millionaire is definitely entertaining, and a real surprise for Westerners who don’t know what life is like in much of India.
Labels: 2000s, Best Picture Oscar, Drama, Warner Brothers
The Student of Prague (1913)
Director: Stellan Rye Writer: Hanns Heinz Ewers
Film Score: Josef Weiss Cinematography: Guido Seeber
Starring: Paul Wegener, John Gottowt, Grete Berger and Lyda Salmonova
One of the earliest of the German films to be retroactively deemed the starting point for all supernatural cinema to come, The Student of Prague was, like all supernatural films of the teens and twenties, thought of as simply another literary adaptation at the time. In this case it is something of a combination of the story “William Wilson” by Edgar Alan Poe and the Faust legend. The screenplay was written by the famous German author of horror stories, Hanns Heinz Ewers, and he does a decent job with the limited amount of time he is given in the film. Like all films from this period the different versions vary widely and so I urge everyone to stay well away from the Alpha Video version. As with almost all of their silent films, this is so butchered and truncated and hobbled with bad music that it pales in comparison to the actual film. The fully restored German version is available on YouTube and is, quite literally, the only way to watch the complete film. And there is much in it to be impressed by, Paul Wegener’s performance being foremost among them. But the use of exteriors and very good special effects for the time also make this a film that is well worth seeing.
Paul Wegener plays a popular college student who is disconsolate because he is broke. But when John Gottowt comes to town in his top hat and pointy beard, the two of them strike a bargain. Meanwhile the wealthy countess Grete Berger has been committed to an arranged marriage with a cousin, Fritz Weidemann, but she doesn’t like him and while they are out hunting she rides off in anger and is thrown into the lake by the horse, but Wegener arrives just in time to save her and they fall in love. When Gottowt comes to see him later, he offers the student a hundred thousand dollars for anything in the room that Gottowt wants. Naturally, Wegener agrees. What he wants, however, is Wegener’s reflection in the mirror, and it comes walking out of the glass at his command. Meanwhile, a village girl, Lyda Salmonova, is desperately in love with Wegener and follows him everywhere. Berger later meets Wegener in the graveyard of the church, but suddenly his twin shows up and frightens her away. Salmonova tries to sabotage Wegener’s affair by telling Weidemann, but while Wegener plans to leave town to avoid the duel, his double takes his place instead and kills the fiancé, and so Wegener’s requests to see Berger are then refused. Wegener tries to drown his sorrows in drink and gambling but slowly descends into madness.
What is so fascinating about this film is how the subject matter--the two parts of the same personality being split apart--seems to be reflected by the film itself, and the division between the two parts could not be more stark. The interiors, especially at the estate of the countess, looks very primitive and spare, which is standard for the period, but they look that much worse when juxtaposed with the beautifully filmed exteriors. It wouldn’t be until years later, in Nosferatu, that the quality of the interiors matched those of the outdoor sequences. The other very positive aspect of the film is the special effects. When Wegener’s image walks out of the mirror it looks fantastic, and the trick shots are just as skillfully rendered. In one scene, when Wegener delivers a note to Berger, he spots his twin and it slowly vanishes before his eyes. In other scenes the use of split screen, or double exposure--especially the scene after the duel--is expertly done and makes the illusion incredibly convincing. One of the best scenes is when Wegener is playing cards with himself in front of a black background. While it may not look like it from the stills, Paul Wegener is an incredibly natural actor on the screen at times. And while he does give in to some of the over-gesticulation of the period, he is clearly the best actor on the screen.
While director Stellan Rye doesn’t use any close-ups, and keeps his camera in front of the action at all times, there are actually quite a few memorable exterior scenes in the film that raise it above a lot of the product coming out of the United States at the time, demonstrating how advanced the German film industry was. As stated before, the Munich Film Museum restoration is the only way to watch this film. The speed correction is the most important factor in this type of work and because of that the film unfolds naturally in the way that it was intended. Color tinting of scenes is done in a nicely muted fashion rather than some of the heavy-handed techniques that can make the screen colors garish. In addition, however, one of the delights of this version is the musical score. Bernd Thewes was able to take the original piano score by Josef Weiss and arrange it for the Orchester Jakobsplatz Muenchen under the direction of Daniel Grossmann, and it is wonderful. It may not be the greatest music but, for me, anything that can restore the experience as close as it was to the original conception, is cause for celebration. This restoration is exceptional and, as a result, I unhesitatingly recommend the complete version of The Student of Prague to all film fans.
Labels: 1910s, Foreign Films, German Film, Horror Films
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line101
|
__label__cc
| 0.545142
| 0.454858
|
Stem Cells May Improve Spinal Cord Injury
A recent medical breakthrough has discovered a possible cure for spinal cord injuries. Researchers at the University of California Reeve-Irvine Research Center used human neural stem cells to improve the mobility of paralyzed mice.
Mice that were paralyzed due to spinal cord injury showed tremendous improvement in agility after the injections. The mice began to regain their ability to walk sixteen weeks after injections, according to a report in last week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Dr. Annapurni Trouth, professor and chairperson of the Department of Neurology at Howard University Hospital, explains stem cells as “primitive cells that are still forming in the fetus.” They are “non-differentiated cells,” she said; cells that have not yet taken on an identity or a specific function. Stem cells can literally transform into any tissue.
For this reason, scientists have been intrigued by stem cells and their possibilities. According to Dr. Trouth, the recent study differs from others because it discovered regeneration within the spinal cord using fetal stem cells, not embryonic cells, which were used in past experiments. Most of the injected stem cells transformed into nerve cells, while some turned into support cells, replacing the old and damaged cells.
The study also found regenerated myelin, cells that create biological insulation, that nerve fibers need to communicate, also reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Dr. Aileen Anderson, scientific director of the Christopher Reeves Foundation Injury Core, is the lead investigator of the study. She said she believes this is the first step toward treatment in human cases. “This work is a promising first step, and supports the need to study multiple stem cell types for the possibility of treating of human neurological injury and disease,” she said in a University of California press release.
Although these findings have brought scientists an enormous step closer to the cure, more research needs to be done. For treating spinal cord injury, Dr. Brian Cummings, one of the lead researchers in the experiment, told Reuters Health “there is hope, but we are a long way off.” He also said “Our study improved function in mice with very controlled injuries. We did not cure these mice.”
Many Howard professionals are impressed with the results of the recent study. Dr. Gary Dennis, Chief of Neurosurgery in the Department of Surgery at Howard University Hospital, said the study was the newest and most promising research. “Stem cell research undoubtedly improves the quality of life,” he said. “Spinal cord injury is a very serious condition associated with the many social ills of today.”
Dr. Trouth also has high hopes for the new findings. “This data is very encouraging,” she said. “If we can learn how to replace lost brain tissue in many disorders and diseases, we might be able to find cures.”
Students are too intrigued by this medical phenomenon, such as senior pharmacy major Saba Tuquabo. “A lot of young men get shot and lose their ability to walk. It’s a good thing, especially for people who have had an accident.”
The study, funded by the non-profit Christopher Reeves Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, has many companies and researchers anxious to be the first to test on human subjects. But according to the Washington Post, the FDA needs more questions to be answered before such trials, which may not be for at least 9 months.
D’Angelo’s Drama
Don’t Rap About It, Be About It
Celebrating 190th Birthday of Frederick Douglass
Lauren K. Johnson
Radio Host Joe Madison to Speak at Leader's Anacostia Home Feb. 14 will commemorate the 190th birthday of Frederick Douglass. The date will also celebrate the first…
Pentagon to Dedicate Memorial to Sept 11 Victims
Jamisha Purdy
The Pentagon Memorial will open to the public today at 7 p.m. in remembrance of the 184 victims of the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks on the Pentagon. City officials…
Adora Jenkins Handles Media for U.S. Attorney General
Ta'naysha A. Smith
Dressed in black knee-high, four-inch leather boots, black stockings, black skirt with a conservative back split, black tweed jacket and burgundy blouse, Adora…
Rock the Core fest visits D.C.
Sommer Hill
The Northeast neighborhood of Brentwood hosted a festival for beer and cider lovers in D.C. Oct. 27-28 to kick off the fall. Rock the Core celebrated cider,…
Black Empowerment through Agriculture Business
Shari Logan
The Pentecostal Methodist Evangelical World Missions Board and Nestle Philippines Inc. are teaming up in order to deliver much needed employment to the people of…
Training’s Virtual, Results are Real
Howard University News Service
Game theory and computer simulation take the risk out of teaching skills to soldiers, bankers and clerks. By…
Atlanta Church Leads in Accepting LGBT Community
Noelle Jones
Tabernacle Baptist Church Preaches Acceptance Soon after settling in the pews at the historic Old Fourth Ward's Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atlanta, visitors…
Residents Near Proposed Casino Fear Crime
Ashlee Freelon
National Harbor Site Worries Neighbors If a Las Vegas style casino opens in 2016 as expected at National Harbor in Fort Washington, Md., Prince George's County…
In a Food Oasis, Residents Don’t Have to Hunt for Fruits, Vegetables
Makula Dunbar
From the outside, Yes! Organic Market appears to be like any other food store in the middle of a block. It's not that big, the small sign doesn't stand out and…
Baylor Goes from the Bottom to the Top
Five years ago, Baylor University's Lady Bears basketball program was in a state of disaster. In search of someone to turn their team around, they looked to Kim…
Mixed Views at Hearing for J.F. Cook
With 23 schools closing in the District of Columbia and 23 hearings being held the same night at the same time, parents from all areas of the city came out demanding…
Engaged: Obama and D.C. Residents
Washingtonians Feel Connected to Obama and Hope He Will Connect With Them as Well Withstanding 3 and 4 o'clock wake-up calls and braving the 25-degree temperature,…
Stopping Stigma of AIDS by Any Means Necessary
In September of 2002, the BBC News, World Edition, published an articleentitled, "HIV puppet on Sesame Street." The South African version of the popular children's…
Governor Schwarzenegger Causes Verbal Traffic in Cali
The people of California have mixed feelings about Gov. ArnoldSchwarzenegger recent decision to veto legislation that would haveallowed illegal immigrants living…
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line108
|
__label__cc
| 0.575276
| 0.424724
|
Game review: Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land
Posted in July 9, 2012 ¬ 10:07 amh.Craig Stern5 Comments »
Title: Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land
Developer: Red Wasp Entertainment
Platforms: Windows, iPhone, iPad
Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land is a turn-based tactical RPG by Red Wasp Entertainment based upon Chaosium’s pen-and-paper role-playing game Call of Cthulhu RPG. Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land was initially released on mobile devices and later ported to PC via Intel’s AppUp program. Set in the trenches of World War I, CoC:TWL offers a focused tactical experience, solid writing, and good production values. But the question remains: is it any good as a game?
So here’s the story: the Germans are trying to awaken one of the Old Ones, cosmic horrors that threaten mankind’s survival. You take command of a squad of British soldiers duking it out in the trenches and proceed through a series of increasingly bizarre (and difficult) battles as the true nature of your enemy is revealed.
Combat is pretty much the whole game; but luckily, it’s quite good. You have elevation and line of sight to take account of, as well as aimed versus unaimed shots, action points, and terrain effects. There are also ever-present clouds of mustard gas to contend with. Characters have skills in different abilities as well as various types of weapons, ranging from melee to pistols to rifles and heavy weapons.
My only complaint about combat mechanics concerns the fact that your characters have absurdly low chances to hit (expect to see a 60% chance to hit with a pistol at point-blank range). This is not a huge problem, but it does make combat take longer than it needs to, with turns spent on every character missing every other character they shoot at.
Character advancement is a hybridized system that combines player choice and growth through use. Using weapons of a certain type increases a character’s skill in that weapon type over time. However, whenever a character levels up, you will also get skill points to distribute as you wish. In short, CoC:TWL employs a robust combat system that demands tactical thinking while giving you the best of both worlds when it comes to character improvement.
The setting is also a huge plus: I’ve never read much of H.P. Lovecraft, and I’m actively tired of zombies–but I love World War I. World War I is the quintessential ironic war. Young men signed up for the war driven by romantic ideals from the prior century, ideals which would be shredded by brutal new advances in weaponry (chemical weapons, long-range artillery) and the protracted horrors of trench warfare. World War I is perhaps the only war in human history where the soldiers on each side came to identify more with each other than they did with their own generals.
With all of these things going for it–solid tactical combat, a flexible system of character advancement that reacts to your actual choices in battle, and a setting custom-made for revealing the horrifying futility of war–Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land should have turned out to be a modern classic. Should have.
Theory is not reality, of course; concept, not execution. And speaking of executions: the controls absolutely murder this game. The truth is, I don’t know what was involved in the Intel AppUp transformation from mobile app to PC executable. However, I can confidently say that they stopped short of finishing the job properly.
Exhibit A: hitting the Escape key does not bring up the in-game menu–not unless you left-click on the screen afterwards. Further, there is nothing to indicate that you should left-click after hitting Escape; you hit Escape, and the screen looks unchanged. Of course, there is no sensible reason why you should need to left-click after hitting Escape: it’s just a weird, broken aspect of the user interface.
Once you do bring up the in-game menu, certain options do not work. Trying to restart a battle, for example, merely makes the screen go black, rendering the game completely unplayable. Worse, there are no save slots: only a single autosave. These two facts result in the player having no means of escaping a hopeless battle other than starting the entire game over again (which, in turn, overwrites your previous saved game). The developers, seemingly aware of the problem, have actually published a page on their website telling players to find and backup their saved games manually in order to restart missions.
If these were the only interface issues in CoC:TWL, I’d chalk them up to a couple of isolated bugs and a localized case of developer laziness. But there is nothing isolated about these problems. Playing CoC:TWL is a constant struggle against a multitude of horrid controls. Battlefield panning, for instance: you left-click and drag to pan, but the game treats it a bit like when you tap the middle mouse button in a web browser. Click the left mouse button, hold it and move only a short distance, and the battlefield will slide around underneath you like a hockey puck in a hurricane.
Clicking on onscreen graphical elements is also bizarrely difficult. Mind you, I don’t mean “difficult” in an “action game where that’s part of the challenge” sense; I mean it in a “you click on your characters, and then the game decides arbitrarily whether to register the click” sense. It is surprisingly common to click on your characters and have the game just not register the click.
A similar problem afflicts standard GUI elements such as the game’s buttons. For the first hour or so of play, I found myself regularly having to click two or three times to do extremely basic things like rotate the screen or advance a text bubble. Eventually, I realized what was happening: the game doesn’t register a button click unless your mouse is perfectly still at the moment of the click. If the game detects any mouse movement at all, it considers it a mouse drag, and won’t register it as a click on the button. To state the obvious: clicking buttons should not be a game of Red Light/Green Light. I find it remarkable that no one noticed this during testing–and if they did, that a simple mouse drag listener was not placed on the game’s buttons to avoid it.
Behold, the fruits of pressing the game’s one and only hotkey! (You know, in case you were sick of being able to actually see the battlefield.)
You might think that this is as bad as it gets; you would be wrong. In their wisdom, the individuals in charge of porting this game kept the mobile phone controls, almost totally unmodified, in the PC version. This means that there are virtually no hotkeys in this game. You cannot use the keyboard to pan around or rotate the battlefield, much less issue orders. The only key that actually does anything in the game is the down arrow: it toggles on what I like to call “useless mode,” zooming you in so close to the battlefield that you cannot see more than 2-3 spaces away from the center of the screen.
With keyboard controls largely nonexistent, everything is handled by the mouse (which, as we established above, handles clicks like Lucille Ball handles chocolates). But even the mouse isn’t fully utilized. Forget the mouse drag issue for a moment: CoC:TWL does not even check for mouse-overs or right-clicking. At. All.
Hovering the cursor over a unit gives you no information whatsoever; right-clicking does nothing, either. As such, the one and only way to interact with units is to left-click them. Left-clicking a unit brings up its stats; but perversely, it also centers the camera on that unit, ensuring that you will struggle against the camera at length while trying to view the stats on different units.
If you left-click one of your own units, this also selects that unit to move and/or act. The rightmost eighth of the screen displays the weapons and other usable equipment of the currently selected character in big, easy-to-press buttons. Of course, pressing those buttons doesn’t actually use the items: it merely swaps them. To actually use an item or weapon, you have to left-click and hold down on the character to be targeted.
All of these design choices, nuisances on their own, culminate in the following nightmare scenario: you need to shoot at a far-away enemy with a rifle (not exactly an uncommon event in this game). What do you do? Why, just follow this easy-to-use chart!
Pan the slippy-slidey battlefield camera over to the character you want to attack with. Keep going back and forth until you stop overshooting your character.
Left-click the character to select him or her. If the game doesn’t register your click, keep clicking until it does.
Now pan the battlefield camera over to your target. (Keep trying until you stop overshooting the target.)
Left-click and hold down on the enemy you want to attack.
If the game recognizes what you’ve just done as both (1) a long click and (2) a click on the enemy, then congratulations! You then get to select between a normal and a targeted shot–as it should be.
If the game does not register it as a click on the enemy, you’ll probably end up flinging the battle camera around by accident, and have to pan back and try again. But woe be to you if the game interprets your click as a short click on the enemy! It will (1) fail to launch the attack, (2) deselect your character, and (3) center the game’s camera on the enemy. You will then have to pan all the way back across the battlefield to reselect your attacker, starting over again at Step 1.
Understand, this isn’t me picking on an edge case; I have actually lost count of the number of times that this has happened to me while playing this game. It is profoundly irritating, and would have taken very little effort to avoid.
If you have the patience of a saint and carpal tunnels of iron, then perhaps all of this wasted time and fruitless clicking won’t deter you from CoC:TWL. You may be surprised to know, however, that CoC:TWL’s broken interface is not the thing that made me want to stop playing this game. That honor was reserved for CoC:TWL’s heavily scripted missions and unavoidable enemy ambushes.
Let me tell you a little story, friends. A few missions into Call of Cthulhu, I found myself with my men at the mouth of a narrow bridge. They had no cover, were low on medical supplies, and had just crossed a river of mud that would make any sort of retreat extremely slow and difficult to accomplish. I had avoided taking any casualties until that point, and there were no enemies on the battlefield. (This game has no fog of war, so I can state this last fact with confidence.)
I ended my turn, suspecting that I was about to trigger enemy reinforcements by advancing onto the bridge. Enemy reinforcements appeared, as expected. What I didn’t expect was that there would be a dozen of them–including a machine gunner–all spawning within firing range and with a free turn to take shots at my soldiers. (To put this in context: machine gunners get five attacks per turn, each of which is capable of dealing damage equal to or greater than 50% of a character’s maximum health.) The machine gunner opened fire, hitting one of my characters with two out of his five shots. She died.
To summarize: upon ending my turn, I suddenly went from having a clear battlefield to having a dozen enemies firing on me–including an incredibly deadly machine gunner–without any chance to react. There was only one route toward the map’s objective (over the narrow bridge), and I had no way of dealing with the enemies from a different spot on the battlefield (the enemies didn’t exist before my advance onto the bridge). The only way for me to avoid taking casualties in this situation would be for the dice to roll differently.
This is fundamentally bad design. Forcing losses onto the player removes the only rationale the player has for putting up with those losses: namely, that their choices led up to the loss, and that it was therefore the player’s responsibility. My character died, but not because of any decision I made; it was a whim of the game’s random number generator and little else. Players have a word for this sort of thing: “unfair.” Me, I’d go with the slightly longer “completely antithetical to the whole point of a tactics game.”
Most of the game’s missions are less egregious than this one was, but they still tend to rely on dropping enemies onto the battlefield with a free turn and without warning. On rare occasions this led to desperate (and legitimately thrilling) retreats, but mostly it was just obnoxious.
The Verdict: 1.5/5. I really wanted to like this game. Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land has good mechanics and solid production values, but is crippled by some poor choices in level design and one of the worst interfaces I have ever seen in a game. Ultimately, its flaws are just too pervasive for me to recommend it; the developers seem to have taken the Lovecraftian notion of whittling away the player’s sanity just a bit too literally here.
Special note: This game is released exclusively through Intel AppUp, Intel’s attempt at aping Valve’s popular Steam client. I confess, I profoundly dislike these sort of clients. They’re obtrusive, they waste system resources, and they add another layer of downloading, installation and registration between you and the game you’re trying to buy. Worse, the more of these that show up with their own exclusive titles, the more of them I’m going to have cluttering up my hard drive.
AppUp refused my registration at first, requiring multiple attempts and activations before it recognized me. Even when I got it working, it refused to let me run the game when it wasn’t connected to the internet, throwing up some error message about how AppUp wasn’t up to date (even though it was).
I went back and forth about whether these annoyances belonged in a review about the game, particularly so given that this only applies to the PC version, and ultimately decided to note them in this post-script. These considerations did not contribute to the game’s score.
game reviewAndroid Game, Call of Cthulu, iPad game, iPhone game, Red Wasp Design, tactical RPG, Windows game
FWIW, the controls are pretty much unusable on a lot of phones, too. Look at the comments on the Play store.
Helge says:
I agree with most of your findings but I still found it to be a fun game. Probably mostly because of the setting, even if it was not really lovecraft-esque, to light and playful sometimes.
You’ve echoed my thoughts on this game perfectly. I really wanted to like this game, but the UI controls are so bad that it’s almost laughable. Between the difficult-to-control interface and the sluggishly long levels with bad design, I just couldn’t stick with it. It’s a shame, really, because it’s clear a lot of work went into the graphics and visual design, and it’s a cool theme and setting, but when the gameplay is this bad, that’s not enough to save it.
Borsook says:
While I agree with the review itself, I can’t help but see that you misunderstand the purpose of steam (can’t comment on appup though). It doesn’t add a layer of downloading, it removes it. Ordinary you have to go to a website, buy a game, download it, install it then visit the website to download and install patches. In steam all of this is limit to one click and the rest is done automatically.
IndieRPGs.com Checks Out Heroes of Steel @ IndieRPGs.com says:
[…] click a lot more than necessary to perform basic actions, this never rises to the level of, say, Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land. It annoys me as a designer moreso than it does as a player; which is to say, it isn’t enough […]
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line111
|
__label__cc
| 0.648167
| 0.351833
|
Alisha Mashruwala
Alisha graduated from Harvard University with a B.A in Psychology and a secondary field in Economics in 2011. While at Harvard, she was the captain of the women’s squash team, and an All-Ivy/All-American player. She had the opportunity to visit Khelshala during its inception (2010) and since then, has always felt a personal connect to the organisation and the cause.
After graduating from college, she started her own business- OnCourse, which she has been running for the last 5.5 years. OnCourse is a creative and alternate education company that aims to bridge the gap between formal classroom education and real world skills. In addition, she was featured in India Today, and the Femina Women's Power issue as one of the 35 most influential women under the age of 35 in India in 2013.
She has been playing squash since the age of 8, and has represented India at the Asian & World Juniors as well as the South Asian Federation Games. She has also won the Indian Junior Nationals 5 times. She is now eager to give back to the squash society in as many ways as possible. Having visited Khelshala in the beginning, and after seeing Khelshala’s mission and goals, she is keen on contributing to, raising funds for, and spreading awareness about Khelshala in India.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line119
|
__label__wiki
| 0.557144
| 0.557144
|
Lebanese Prisons
Egypt: Al Karama calls on High Commissioner tro urgent demand
Egypt – Alkarama calls on High Commissioner to urgently demand that pro-government groups halt violence against peaceful demonstrators
In a call for the protection of the Egyptian population, Alkarama has adressed this afternoon an urgent appeal to Ms Navanethem Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to demand that pro-government groups halt violence against peaceful demonstrators. Alkarama regrets that the Egyptian Government has not only failed to protect its citizens but is clearly at the origin of the new escalation in violence.
Our correspondents inform us that, since this afternoon, groups of individuals from the National Democratic Party (the party of the ruling regime) and armed members of Egypt's police and security forces in civilian clothing have been attacking the peaceful citizens in the demonstrations who have been calling for an end to the regime of President Hosni Mubarak. We are informed that this is occurring throughout the country, including in Cairo, Alexandria and other major cities.
The peaceful demonstrators had been occupying several public areas in Egypt's big cities. These have now been attacked by armed groups of President Mubarak's supporters and members of the security forces in civilian clothing with metal bars, knives, rocks and even guns. These attacks have caused hundreds of injuries and a number of deaths. They have forced demonstrators off the streets and into their houses. According to our sources, the population in many locations lives a in real climate of terror.
Alkarama urges President Mubarak to hear the demands of his people and of the international community and spare his country further bloodshed.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line120
|
__label__wiki
| 0.655184
| 0.655184
|
Katharine Mieszkowski
Selected episodes and articles
/ KM on Sep 26, 2009
San Francisco Bay Guardian, May 29, 2002
"Culture Shocked" column
http://www.sfbg.com/36/35/x_culture_shocked.html
Katharine Mieszkowski is a senior reporter for Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, the weekly radio show and podcast, co-produced with PRX. Her journalism has won many national awards, including the Alfred I duPont-Columbia University Award two years in a row and a Peabody award. Before Reveal, she was a senior writer for Salon and for Fast Company magazine. Mieszkowski has a bachelor's degree from Yale University. She grew up outside Houston, but now lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. @kmieszkowski
Blogger.com - Katharine Mieszkowski | Adapted from design by Deluxe Templates
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line124
|
__label__cc
| 0.524767
| 0.475233
|
ITS Architectures
ITS Standards
ITS Training
About Systems Engineering
About ITS Architectures
ConSysTec's professional staff consists of highly qualified experts with a depth and breadth of experience in the ITS industry. Click on a name to learn more about that member of the team.
Robert S. Jaffe, Ph.D, CSEP, President
Dr. Jaffe, located in Shenorock, NY (near New York City), has 35 years of experience designing, specifying, testing, analyzing and managing the development of complex commercial and public systems using the principles of modern systems engineering. Since 1993 Dr. Jaffe has applied his systems engineering expertise to The USDOT National ITS Architecture Program, where he was Program Manager for the IBM Team from the program inception through 1996. Since forming ConSysTec in 1996, Dr. Jaffe has continued to work on the National ITS Architecture Team as a Senior Systems Engineering Analyst involved in ITS architecture development, architecture maintenance, architecture training, and in support to ITS standards development efforts. He is one of the foremost experts on the subject of ITS Architecture Development and application. At ConSysTec Dr. Jaffe has led the development of over 70 regional and statewide ITS architectures as well as national and regional ITS architectures overseas (Chile; Colombia; Israel; Qatar; and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). Dr. Jaffe is an NHI (US DOT National Highway Institute) certified instructor, teaching and developing courses in National ITS Architecture, Turbo Architecture, Improving Highway Safety with ITS, and Systems Engineering; and is an instructor for the Rutgers University National Transit Institute developing and instructing the course “Project Management for Transit Professionals”. Dr. Jaffe is currently on the Board of Directors (BOD) and Executive Committee of the International Road Federation, as well as the BOD of ITS New York. In the past he has chaired the ITS America Research, Integration, Training and Education (RITE) Forum as well as the ITS America Systems Architecture Committee.
Ph.D, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
M.S., Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
B.S., Electrical Engineering, Cornell University
Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP), INCOSE
Member, ITS-NY Hall of Fame (Inducted June 2015)
Bruce S. Eisenhart, Vice President of Operations
Mr. Eisenhart has 35 years of experience in systems engineering including 18 years developing large defense systems and 17 years in ITS. He has been involved in all phases of system development, from operational concepts and requirements definition, through design, to system testing. He is recognized as one of the foremost experts on the subject of ITS Architecture Development. He has been a key member of the USDOT National ITS Architecture Team since 1993, serving as Chief Engineer for the effort from 1993 until 2001. He has developed over 60 Regional and Statewide ITS Architectures. He has led the effort to develop Version 3 of the Traffic Management Data Dictionary (TMDD) Standard, a key ITS Standard, and has been project manager of the NYSDOT Transit Schedule Data Exchange Architecture (TSDEA). He is a NHI certified instructor, teaching courses in Introduction to Systems Engineering for Advanced Transportation, Using the National ITS Architecture for Deployment, Turbo Architecture Software, and Improving Highway Safety with ITS.
Engineers Degree, Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California
M.S., Electrical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
B.S., Engineering, California Institute of Technology
Manny Insignares, Vice President of Technology
If you have driven through traffic signals in New York City, used E-ZPass on the tolled bridges and tunnels, tracked traffic conditions on the Internet, planned a bus trip using Google Transit, or read a message on an electronic roadway sign in The Bronx, then you are among the many people who have benefited from Manny’s work.
Mr. Insignares has 25 years program management and systems engineering experience, and helped numerous transportation agencies worldwide to plan, develop, and deploy intelligent transportation systems (ITS), most recently working in tolling. Manny has led development of open systems architectures, communications standards, and deployed systems to integrate regional transportation and infrastructure systems of diverse agencies and vendors to make cities more sustainable and livable. Mr. Insignares excels in managing high profile strategically important projects, tracking risk to maximize system benefits.
Masters Degree, International Business, University of South Carolina
Bachelors Degree, Civil Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Patrick Chan, P.E., Senior Technical Staff
Mr. Chan has 23 years of experience in many areas of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), including the field inspection, systems integration and testing of one of the world’s largest traffic signal control system; project managing the design and construction of various ITS systems; the development and deployment of ITS standards; the development of regional ITS architectures; and the application of systems engineering to ITS projects.
Since joining Consensus Systems Technologies (ConSysTec) in 2003, Mr. Chan has been involved with developing numerous ITS standards using the systems engineering process, including creating the concept of operations, requirement documents, and creating test plans. He also has been involved in the development of over 45 regional ITS architectures at the state and local level, and one national ITS architecture.
Prior to joining ConSysTec, Mr. Chan was a Project Manager at MTA Bridges & Tunnels in New York City, United States, where he managed and provided technical assistance for its Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) System and various ITS projects, such as dynamic message signs and video surveillance systems. Mr. Chan also was previously a Principal Transportation Engineer with TransCore in New York City where he deployed and helped manage a traffic control system for the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), and performed systems integration.
M.S., Transportation, University of California Berkeley
B.E., Civil Engineering, The Cooper Union School of Engineering
Professional Engineer (PE), New York and New Jersey
Jay Lahiri, Technical Staff
Bio Coming Soon....
Bronwen Crowe, Technical Staff
Consensus Systems Technologies Corporation
200 East 89th Street, Unit 34A
New York, NY, USA 10128-3406
Phone: 914.248.8466 / Fax: 914.248.5840
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line126
|
__label__wiki
| 0.898966
| 0.898966
|
Jordan Cunningham Secures Endorsement of Tom Bordonaro
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA – Assemblyman Cunningham has received the endorsement of San Luis Obispo County Assessor Tom Bordonaro.
“Jordan brings a pragmatic and bipartisan approach to every issue he faces in the Legislature,” said Bordonaro. “As San Luis Obispo County’s representative, he’s worked to protect Prop. 13 and continuously put his district before partisan politics.”
Cunningham was first elected to the Assembly in 2016. Since then, he has focused on combating human trafficking and fighting to grow career technical education (CTE). He has had multiple bills signed into law that protect public safety and increase victims’ rights in human trafficking cases.
After graduating from Atascadero High School, Cunningham graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a degree in physics. He then obtained his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Prior to serving in the Assembly, Cunningham worked as an attorney in private practice, as a federal law clerk, and an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. He later returned home to become a Deputy District Attorney in the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office. He now represents individuals, families, and local businesses as the owner and founder of Cunningham Law Group.
Assemblyman Cunningham represents all of San Luis Obispo County and a portion of Santa Barbara County, including the cities of Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Paso Robles, Grover Beach, Lompoc, Morro Bay, Pismo Beach, Templeton, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and surrounding communities.
Cunningham lives in San Luis Obispo County with his wife, Shauna, and their four children.
To learn more about Jordan, visit www.JordanCunningham.org
September 24, 2018 / Press Releases
Quickly and Securely Online
Join Jordan
Endorse | Volunteer | Yard Sign
Yes, I want to receive campaign updates
Cunningham Introduces Bill To Close Transparency Loophole
California cops can get away with sexual assault by quietly resigning. That’s got to end
Jordan Cunningham bill would open records of police officers accused of sexual assault
Jordan Cunningham For Assembly 2020
FPPC# 1415312
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line127
|
__label__wiki
| 0.549574
| 0.549574
|
Spain 1936, the end of anarchist syndicalism? - Subversion
cnt-tram.jpg
Criticism of anarcho-syndicalism during the Spanish Civil War. From Subversion #18 (1996).
WORKERS' AND PEASANTS' COLLECTIVES IN THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR
This year is the 60th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War, which began in July 1936 when General Franco led a fascist coup to replace the left-wing Republican government.
It was no coincidence that this happened at a time of intense class struggle in Spain. Limited concessions granted in the face of the struggle by the left wing of the ruling class - the 'Popular Front' government elected in February 1936 - had not succeeded in restoring the economic and social stability needed by capitalism. Strikes, demonstrations and political assassinations by the working class continued, as did land seizures and local insurrections in the countryside. The right wing of the ruling class recognised that strong-arm measures were needed, and acted accordingly.
Initially, across one half of Spain the right-wing coup was stalled by armed resistance from peasants and the working class, and only after three years of civil war was the fascist victory secured. But in one sense the revolt was an immediate success: the working class and peasants sacrificed the struggle for their own needs and demands and united with liberal and radical supporters of capitalism in a fight to defend one form of capitalist domination - democracy - against another - fascism.
However, that is not the aspect of the Spanish Civil War which we want to look at here. Instead, we want to focus on another important feature: the influence of anarchist ideas during the struggle in Spain.
ANARCHISM AND THE SPANISH 'REVOLUTION'
At the time of the Civil War, a popular idea amongst the Spanish working class and peasants was that each factory, area of land, etc., should be owned collectively by its workers, and that these 'collectives' should be linked with each other on a 'federal' basis - that is, without any superior central authority.
This basic idea had been propagated by anarchists in Spain for more than 50 years. When the Civil War began, peasants and working class people in those parts of the country which had not immediately fallen under fascist control seized the opportunity to turn anarchist ideal into reality.
Ever since then anarchists have regarded the Spanish 'Revolution' as the finest achievement in the history of the revolutionary movement - as the closest capitalism anywhere has come to being completely overthrown and replaced by a totally different form of society.
'SELF-MANAGED' CAPITALISM
The 'revolution' in the countryside has usually been seen as superior to the 'revolution' in the towns and cities. Anarchist historian and eyewitness of the collectives, Gaston Leval, describes the industrial collectives as simply another form of capitalism, managed by the workers themselves:
"Workers in each undertaking took over the factory, the works, or the workshop, the machines, raw materials, and taking advantage of the continuation of the money system and normal capitalist commercial relations, organised production on their own account, selling for their own benefit the produce of their labour."
We would add that in many cases the workers didn't actually take over production; they simply worked under the direction of 'their own' union bureaucrats with the old bosses retained as advisors.
The reactionary consequences of the working class taking sides in the fight between democracy and fascism, instead of pursuing the struggle for their own needs, was particularly evident in the way the industrial collectives operated. For the sake of the 'war effort' workers frequently chose to intensify their own exploitation - usually with the encouragement of their anarchist leaders.
In 1937, for example, the anarchist Government Minister in charge of the economy in Catalonia complained that the "state of tension and over-excitement" produced by the outbreak of the Civil War had "reduced to a dangerous degree the capacity and productivity of labour, increasing the costs of production so much that if this is not corrected rapidly and energetically we will be facing a dead-end street. For these reasons we must readjust the established work norms and increase the length of the working day."
However, although some anarchists are prepared to criticise the 'Government Anarchists' and the industrial collectives, all anarchists are unanimous that the rural collectives succeeded in achieving 'genuine socialisation', or, as it was popularly termed, 'libertarian communism'.
ORGANISING THE RURAL COLLECTIVES
What typically happened in the peasant villages was this. Once the fascist rebellion had been quelled locally, the inhabitants of the village got together in a big meeting. Anarchist militants took the initiative in proposing what to do. Everyone was invited to pool their land, livestock and tools in the collective: 'The concept 'yours and mine' will no longer exist...Everything will belong to everyone." Property belonging to fascist landlords and the Church was also expropriated for the collective's use. A committee was elected to supervise the running of the collective. Work was parcelled out among groups of 10 or 15 people, and co-ordinated by meetings of delegates nominated by each group.
A few collectives distributed their produce on the communist basis of free access - 'to each according to their needs'. A resident of Magdalena de Pulpis explained the system in his village:
"Everyone works and everyone has the right to what he needs free of charge. He simply goes to the store where provisions and all other necessities are supplied. Everything is distributed freely with only a notation of what he took."
For the first time in their lives people could help themselves to whatever they needed. And that's exactly what they did. Free access was not abused by 'greed' or 'gluttony'. Another of the collectives' eyewitnesses, Augustin Souchy, describes the situation in Muniesa:
"The bakery was open. Anyone can come for whatever bread he wants. 'Are there not abuses of this?' 'No,' answers the old man who gives out the bread. 'Everyone takes as much as they actually need.' Wine is also distributed freely, not rationed. 'Doesn't anyone get drunk?' 'Until now there has not been a single case of drunkenness'."
(This was also partly a reflection of an anarchist puritanism which in other places led them to ban tobacco and even coffee).
THE WAGES SYSTEM
However, distribution of goods on a communist basis (i.e. free access) was not the norm. In the vast majority of collectives the level of consumption was not governed by people's freely-chosen needs and desires, but, just as it is under capitalism, by the amount of money people had in their pockets. Only goods in abundant supply could be taken freely. Everything else had to be bought from wages paid by the collective to its members.
THE FAMILY WAGE AND THE OPPRESSION OF WOMEN
The 'family wage' - which oppresses women by making them economically dependent on the male head of the household - was adopted by almost all the collectives. Each male collectivist received so much in wages per day for himself, plus a smaller amount for his wife and each child. For women in fact, the Spanish 'Revolution' could hardly have been less revolutionary.
It did not challenge the family as an economic unit of society, nor the sexual division of labour between men and women. "It is eleven o'clock in the morning. The gong sounds. Mass? It is to remind the women to prepare the midday meal." Women also remained regarded as inferior social beings, frowned on, for example, if they joined the men in the local cafe for a drink after work.
THE PROLIFERATION OF MONEY
The equal family wage was generally not paid in the national currency, which most collectives discarded for internal use. In its place the collectives substituted other means of exchange, issuing their own local currency in the form of vouchers, tokens, rationing booklets, certificates, coupons, etc. Far from being abolished, as money would be in a communist revolution, during the Spanish 'Revolution' money proliferated as never before!
But the creation of literally hundreds of different local currencies soon caused problems. Few collectives were self-sufficient, but trade among the collectives was hampered by the lack of a universally acceptable currency. In 1937 the Aragon Federation of Peasant Collectives had to reintroduce a standard currency in the form of a uniform rationing booklet for all the Aragon Collectives. It also established its own bank - run by the Bank Workers' Union of course!
THE EXCHANGE OF GOODS
Not all the transactions between collectives were effected by money. Central warehouses were set up where collectives exchanged their surplus produce among themselves for the goods they lacked. Under this system 'hard cash' was frequently absent. However, the relative proportions in which goods were bartered was still determined by monetary values. For example how many sacks of flour a collective could obtain in exchange for a ton of potatoes was worked out by calculating the value of both in monetary terms. Just as under capitalism, prices were "based on the cost of raw materials, the work involved, general expenses and the resources of the collectivists".
This was not a communist system of production for use and distribution according to need, but a capitalist system of rival enterprises trading their products according to their exchange value. No matter how desperately they needed them, collectives couldn't obtain the goods they required until they had produced enough to exchange for them, since they were not allowed to withdraw a sum of goods worth more than those they had deposited. This frequently led to great hardship among the less wealthy collectives.
MARKET COMPETITION
As well as trading among themselves, collectives also had to find markets for their goods in competition with non-collectivised enterprises. A common consequence of this system has always been that goods which cannot be sold profitably end up being stockpiled or destroyed, while elsewhere people have to do without those goods because they don't have the means to buy them. The consequences of the Spanish collectives' capitalist mode of operation conformed to this pattern; for example:
"The warehouses owned by the SICEP (Syndicate of the Footwear Industry in Elda and Petrel) in Elda, Valencia and Barcelona, as well as the factory warehouses, were full of unsold goods, valued at some 10 million pesetas."
Such spectacles would be eradicated for ever in a communist society, where goods would not be produced to be sold for profit via the market, but to directly satisfy people's needs.
THE END OF THE COLLECTIVES
The Spanish collectives were eventually destroyed by in-fighting among the anti-fascists and by the fascist victory itself. One can only speculate about how they might have developed had they survived the Civil War. Our guess is that their basically capitalist nature would have become even more obvious.
In the capitalist economy market competition forces every enterprise to try to produce its goods as cheaply as possible so as to undercut its rivals. The Spanish collectives, trading with each other and competing with non-collectivised enterprises, would inevitably have been subject to the same pressures.
One of the ways in which capitalist enterprises try to cut costs is by increasing the exploitation of the workforce, for example by cutting wages, or increasing the intensity of work, or lengthening working hours.
Where this happens in enterprises owned and run by an individual boss or the state, workers can identify their enemy and fight against their exploitation. This is far less likely to happen where the entire workforce itself is the collective owner and manager of the enterprise, as was the case with the Spanish collectives. The workforce has a vested interest in the profitability of the capital which it collectively owns; it identifies with and willingly organises its own exploitation. It has to, in fact, to keep itself in business.
THE END OF ANARCHISM
Many present-day anarchists still stand for the type of self-managed capitalism established by the industrial and agricultural collectives during the Spanish Civil War. Because of this, we oppose them as resolutely as we oppose supporters of any other pro-capitalist ideology.
From the point of view of working class people's needs, self-managed capitalism is a dead-end, just as reactionary as private or state capitalism. The communist society we are fighting for can only be established by the complete destruction of ALL property, money, wages and markets - whatever their form.
The information and quotes in this article come from The Anarchist Collectives by Sam Dolgoff, Collectives In The Spanish Revolution by Gaston Leval, The Spanish Revolution by Stanley Payne, and With The Peasants Of Aragon by Augustin Souchy.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line129
|
__label__wiki
| 0.852252
| 0.852252
|
HOME / DOCUMENTS / HARVARD DIVINITY SCHOOL AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY / STUDENTS /
The School Gathers in 1895
In the manuscripts collection of Andover-Harvard Library is found the following photograph of the school gathered in 1895, together with a typewritten list identifying many in the photograph. The person's position in the photograph and brief biographical information is included.
Top row #1: Edwin Diller Starbuck (formerly Edwin Eli Starbuck) was born in Guilford Township, Indiana, on February 20, 1866. He was raised in the Quaker tradition, though by early adulthood he had developed a highly critical view of traditional Christian dogma. Investigating Christian belief, however, was more for Starbuck than a personal endeavor.
After receiving an AB degree in 1890 from Indiana University, Starbuck enrolled at Harvard to study religion, philosophy and psychology. While at Harvard, Starbuck engaged in independent research in what is now called the psychology of religion. Having developed various questionnaires "measuring" individual religious experience, Starbuck, largely outside of formal instruction, linked religious experience and psychology, a hitherto unknown field of study. In Dean Everett's class in Systematic Theology, he met Anna Maria Diller (top row, #7) a fellow student, whom he married in 1896.
Starbuck's early work at Harvard elicited a mixed response, with some claiming that psychology and religion "have nothing to do with one each other." Importantly, one of Starbuck's chief supporters was William James, who incorporated Starbuck's findings in The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902).
Starbuck remembered his experience at HDS in his essay "Religion's Use of Me":
[p. 226] During the winter of 1894-5, about the middle of the second year of the study, some clear and significant consistencies began to appear, particularly in the conversion study: the piling up of age-frequencies near pubescence; likenesses of the phenomena of conversion and those attending the breaking of habits; the signs of the dissociation of personality and its recentering, not unlike the split-personality experiences described by James, Prince, and Janet; and so on through a considerable list. Dean Everett was sufficiently interested to request a report before his class in the philosophy of religion made up of about sixty graduate students which included' women as well as men, since Radcliffe students were that year for the first time admitted to graduate courses at Harvard. The presentation was simple and factual and unargumentative. The discussion was then thrown open to the class. That occasion was a sort of christening ceremony for the babe newly born into the family of academic subjects. Some quite hot water was poured into the baptismal font. The first douse of it came from Edward Borncamp, who rose, his face white with emotion. His first sentence, fervid with the warmth of deep conviction, was, "It's all a lie!" Laughter broke out there in that dignified classroom. There was also a pouring of friendly waters into the font, and words of commendation for this new babe. Of course, the attempted damnation of the infant by the first speaker was because its swaddling clothes were only the filthy rags of earthly psychology, [p.227] ill-becoming the sacredness of religion. The charming Dean, high priest on that occasion, had words of encouragement for the father of the child, and for the offspring itself. There in that class sat Anna Diller, profound student, musician-artist. She warmed towards it and took it to her bosom as she was later to take the whole oncoming Starbuck brood.
After receiving his AM from Harvard in 1895, Starbuck enrolled in PhD studies at Clark University. After receiving his PhD two years later, Starbuck published his The Psychology of Religion, the first text in the new field.
Starbuck spent much of his life teaching, holding positions at Stanford University (Assistant Professor of Education, 1897-1903), Earlham College (Professor of Education, 1904-06), the State University of Iowa (Professor of Philosophy, 1906-30), and the University of California (Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, 1930-43, afterwards emeritus). Between his time at Stanford and Earlham, Starbuck studied in Germany under Ernst Meumann, a leading scholar in the new field of educational psychology. After his time in Germany, Starbuck concentrated on "character education," including work with the American Unitarian Association on religious education curricula. He died November 18, 1947.
Top row #2: John Pierce Fox was born in Dorchester on November 5, 1872, He graduated from Harvard College in 1894 and studied at HDS for one year. He became a municipal consultant, specializing in transportation, zoning and city planning, primarily in New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Beginning in 1928, Fox served as a consultant on the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. He died June 25, 1960.
<strong>Top row #3: Charles Albert Parker (Baptist) was born in Ludlow, Maine, on January 8, 1859. He graduated from Brown in 1886 and from Rochester Theological Seminary in 1889. He studied at HDS for almost two years and was ordained in 1889. He served congregations in Lake City, Colorado; and Carver, Quincy, Los Gatos, San Jose, and Redwood City in California. He died July 23, 1930.
Top row #4: Herbert Cunningham Farwell (Unitarian) was born in Clinton, Massachusetts, on November 5, 1868. He graduated from Meadville Theological School in 1894 and studied at HDS for about a year and a half. He worked in the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities (1895-99) and became the Superintendent of the Salem Fraternity ("The Oldest American Boys Club") for 56 years beginning in 1899. He died in 1966.
Top row #5: John Henry Applebee (Unitarian) was born in Davenport, England, on March 12, 1868. The son of a Methodist then Unitarian minister, Applebee moved to the United States and graduated from Meadville Theological School in 1894 and studied at HDS for one year. He served congregations in Buffalo, New York; West Roxbury, Massachusetts; Attleborough, Massachusetts; and Syracuse, New York. Applebee also served in the American Red Cross Home Services during World War I. He died January 11, 1938.
Top row #6: Cora Weld Peabody (January 4, 1848-September 5, 1914) was the daughter of Francis Minot and Elizabeth Rodman Weld and the wife of Professor Francis Greenwood Peabody.
Top row #7: Anna Diller [Starbuck] was the daughter of Isaac Diller. Almost blind from spiral meningitis as a young girl, she was sent to a private school in Ontario, Canada, where she developed a special interest in music. She later studied in Leipzig with Hershift, a student of Franz Lizst, and was one of the first to use the "sensitive touch" technique of Leschetizky. She was one of the first two Radcliffe women to take courses at Harvard (under William James, Josiah Royce, and Dean C.C. Everett). She was married in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on August 5, 1896, to Edwin Starbuck (who changed his middle name to her maiden name), and had eight children. She taught in the Music Department of the University of Iowa from about 1913 until her death on February 12, 1929.
Top row #8: William Channing Brown (Unitarian) was born in Sherborn, Massachusetts, on March 7, 1868. He graduated from Meadville Theological School in 1894. After attending HDS for one year, Brown served congregations in Gardner, Massachusetts (where he was ordained in 1895); Hubbardston, Massachusetts (1895-98); Littleton, Massachusetts (1898-1904); Wheeling, West Virginia (1924-28); and Sudbury, Massachusetts (1929-35). Brown was appointed Field Secretary of the American Unitarian Association, a position he held from 1904 to 1923. Brown, at the time the oldest minister in the Unitarian Universalist Association and a minister emeritus in Littleton, Massachusetts, died on May 6, 1967, at the age of 100.
Top row #9: Joseph Cady Allen (Unitarian) was born in Rochester, New York, on January 30, 1869. After attending HDS for one year, Allen was ordained and served congregations in Winona, Michigan; Redlands, California; Scituate, Massachusetts; Yarmouth, Maine; Walpole and Hubbardston, Massachusetts; Charlestown, New Hampshire; Farmington, Maine; Genesco, Illinois (following a brief stint as a troubadour Shakespearean actor in the British Isles); Rowe, Massachusetts; and Bernardston, Massachusetts. He died April 22, 1955.
Top row #10: Horace Ainsworth Eaton was born in Quincy, Massachusetts, on October 13, 1871. He graduated from Harvard College in 1893 and studied at HDS for two years. After receiving his PhD from Harvard in 1900, Eaton taught German and English at the University of Vermont and, beginning in 1903, English at Syracuse University. He wrote a biography of the author Thomas De Quincey and edited his 1803 diary. Eaton was one of the founders and a leading member of the Syracuse Meeting of Friends. He died August 10, 1958.
Top row #11: Joseph Francis Langton (Presbyterian) was born in Watertown, New York, on May 5, 1862. He graduated from McGill University in 1887, from the Presbyterian College of Montreal in 1888, and from HDS in 1896. He was ordained and served congregations in Quebec; Waltham, Massachusetts; Londonderry, New Hampshire; Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania; Wetonka, South Dakota; and Jacksonville, Illinois. He died November 1, 1932.
Top row #12: Henry Collier Wright (Methodist) was born in Le Roy, Ohio, on August 29, 1868. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan in 1894 and from HDS in 1896. He received a PhD from Boston University in 1900. He served congregations in Austin, Minnesota; Dubuque, Iowa; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Cincinnati, Ohio. Wright also served with the Russell Sage Foundation and was the first Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Public Charities in New York City. As a sociologist, he authored numerous books including Bossism in Cincinnati (1906) and The American City (1915). He died October 24, 1935.
2nd row #1: Edward Kennard Rand was born in Boston on December 20, 1871. He graduated from Harvard College in 1894, studied at HDS for one year, and received his PhD from the University of Munich (1900). Rand held three positions at Harvard throughout his career: Instructor of Latin (1901-06), Assistant Professor of Latin (1906-09) and Professor of Latin (1909-42; Pope Professor of Latin after 1931). He served as annual professor and later trustee and life member of the American Academy of Rome. He was president of the American Philological Association and one of the founders of the Mediaeval Academy of America, serving as its first president and the editor of the first three volumes of its journal, Speculum, for which he suggested the name. He became a high church Anglican and had passed the collection plate at the Church of the Advent on the morning of the Sunday he died. In recognition of his scholarship and lifelong devotion to France, he was posthumously awarded the degree of Docteur de l'Université by the University of Paris. His works included Founders of the Middle Ages (1928), The Magical Art of Virgil (1931), and The Building of Eternal Rome (1943). He died October 28, 1945.
2nd row #2: Adelbert Lathrop Hudson (Unitarian) was born on November 12, 1853, in Richland, New York, and received an LLB from the University of Iowa in 1876. He practiced law for 17 years, first as the County Attorney in Algona, Iowa, and then in 1883 with a firm in Sioux City, Iowa. It was in Sioux City that, as a layman, he helped organize the First Unitarian Church in 1885. His interest in religion was so keen that he decided to study for the ministry. He graduated from HDS in 1905, although he began his studies much earlier. He was ordained in 1897 and served congregations in Salt Lake City, Utah; Buffalo, New York; Newton, Massachusetts (Channing Church); and Quincy, Massachusetts. In 1920, he became minister of the First Parish in Dorchester, Massachusetts, which he served until his death on April 5, 1938.
2nd row #3: Robert Swain Morison (Unitarian) was born in Milton, Massachusetts, on October 13, 1847. He graduated from Harvard College in 1869 and from HDS in 1872. He was minister of the Independent Congregational Church in Meadville, Pennsylvania, from 1874 to 1878. He served as librarian (from 1889, emeritus after 1908) and secretary of the faculty (1893-1908) at HDS. He died February 12, 1925.
2nd row #4: Ephraim Emerton was born February 18, 1851, in Salem, Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard College in 1871, worked as a reporter for the Boston Advertiser, studied law at Boston University, and studied under Theodor Mommsen and J. G. Droysen at Leizig University. At Harvard, he was Instructor in History and German (1876-78), Instructor in History (1878-82), and Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History (1882-1918). His published works include Medieval Europe, 814-1300, Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam, Unitarian Thought, The Defensor Pacis of Marsiglio of Padua, and Humanism and Tyranny: Studies in the Italian Trecento. He died March 3, 1935.
2nd row #5: Charles Carroll Everett was born in Brunswick, Maine, on June 19. 1829. He graduated from Bowdoin in 1850, studied at Bowdoin Medical College and in Berlin under Georg Andreas Gabler and taught modern languages at Bowdoin (1853-57; for the last three years he was also Librarian). His tenure was vetoed by the Bowdoin Overseers because he was a Unitarian. He graduated from HDS in 1859 and served the Independent Congregational (Unitarian) Church in Bangor, Maine (1859-69). At Harvard, he was Bussey Professor of Theology (1869-1900) and Dean (1878-1900). His published works include Religions before Christianity; Fichte's Science of Knowledge; Essays on Poetry, Comedy, and Duty; Ethics for Young People; The Gospel of Paul. A collection of his essays, Essays, Theological and Literary, was published in 1901. He died October 16, 1900.
2nd row #6: Joseph Henry Thayer was born in Boston on November 7, 1828. He graduated from Harvard College in 1850, studied at Harvard Divinity School (1854-55) and graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1857. He served the Crombie Street Church in Salem (1859-64) and as Chaplain of the 40th Regiment Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers (1862-63). At Andover, he was Professor of Sacred Literature (1864-82). At Harvard he was Lecturer on Biblical Theology (1883-84) and Bussey Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation (1884-1901). Much of his the scholarship focused on translation, including serving as one of the revisers that produced the American Standard Versioin and his best-known work, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, to which he devoted nearly twenty years. He died November 26, 1901.
2nd row #7: David Gordon Lyon was born in Benton, Alabama, on May 24, 1852. He graduated from Howard College in 1875. He studied at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, but when his mentor, Crawford Howell Toy resigned, he went to study in Germany with Friedrich Delitzsch. He received a PhD from Leipzig in 1882. At Harvard, he was Hollis Professor of Divinity (1882-1910) and Hancock Professor of Hebrew and other Oriental Languages (1910-22). He conceived the idea of the Semitic Museum, convinced Jacob Schiff to fund it, was its first curator from 1891 until 1922, and oversaw the completion of the building in 1903. He also served as the Director of the American School for Oriental Study and Research in Palestine, 1906-07, and excavated at Samaria. His works included An Assyrian Manual and Harvard Excavtions at Samaria, 1908-1910. He died December 4, 1935.
2nd row #8: Edward Hale (Unitarian) was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, on February 22, 1858. He graduated from Harvard College in 1879. He lived in Rome, Italy, for two years and then studied architecture in the office of H. H. Richardson. After graduating from Harvard Divinity School in 1886, he served as Associate Minister of the South Congregational Church in Boston and then as Minister in Orange, New Jersey. He was Assistant (1886-96), Instructor (1896-97), and Associate Professor (1897-1906) of Homiletics at HDS. He was minister of the First Church of Chestnut Hill from 1897 until his death on March 27, 1918.
2nd row #9: Not identified
2nd row #10: Edward Pearson Pressey (Unitarian) was born in Salem, New Hampshire, on June 28, 1869. He graduated from Harvard College in 1893. After studying at HDS for two years, Pressey was ordained and served congregations in Montague and Turners Falls, Massachusetts. At Montague he founded New Clairvaux, a utopian community based on the "Arts and Crafts" ideal. He advocated a return to the self-sufficient, pre-industrial age in which the dignity of labor was revived and service to all honored. The community never consisted of much more than six families, students, and apprentices who shared common work areas but had privately owned residences. In 1910 the New Clairvaux Press under Carl Rollins published his History of Montague. His community, however, fragmented. He left Montague in 1914 to farm in Vermont and finally settled in Schenectady, New York, where he became Associated Press editor of the Schenectady Gazette. He died September 14, 1928.
3rd row #1: Alexander Pheneix Bourne (Congregationalist) was born in New York on January 7, 1866. He graduated from Brown in 1890 and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1894. He studied at HDS for one year. He served congregations in Exeter, New Hampshire; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Rochester, Massachusetts. He died September 4, 1946.
3rd row #2: Burris Atkins Jenkins (Disciples) was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 2, 1869. He graduated from Bethany College (West Virginia) and from HDS in 1895. He served congregations in Santa Barbara, California; Indianapolis, Indiana; Buffalo, New York; and Kansas City, Missouri. Jenkins also briefly served as Professor of the New Testament at the University of Indianapolis and as President of Kentucky University. He published numerous books and was also editor and publisher of The Kansas City Post (1919-21) and publisher of The Christian (1926-34). He died March 13, 1945.
3rd row #3: Alfred Rodman Hussey (Unitarian) was born in New Bedford on March 22, 1869. He graduated from Harvard College in 1892 and from HDS in 1895. He served congregations in West Roxbury; Massachusetts; Taunton, Massachusetts; Baltimore, Maryland; Lowell, Massachusetts; and Plymouth, Massachusetts (1921-39). From 1916 to 1930 he was the literary and book editor of The Christian Register. He died in 1947.
3rd row #4: Carlos Carson Rowlinson (Disciples) was born in Kent, Indiana, on May 5, 1895. He graduated from Eureka College in 1891 and from HDS in 1895. He served Disciples congregations in Jefferson City, Missouri; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Marshalltown, Iowa; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kenton, Ohio; Iowa City, Iowa; and Congregational churches in La Crosse, Wisconsin; and Brooklyn and Fairfield, Connecticut. He died July 11, 1935.
3rd row #5: Frederick Marsh Bennett (Unitarian) was born in Woodstock, Ohio, on April 6. 1866. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1899. He studied at HDS for three years and received an AM in 1895. He served congregations in Carthage, Missouri; Keokuk, Iowa; Lawrence, Kansas; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Youngstown, Ohio. Bennett also served as a Unitarian Conference Field Agent for the Middle States and Canada. He died December 21, 1929.
3rd row #6: Earl Boynton Wood (Congregationalist) was born in Bangor, Maine, on January 7, 1871. After graduating from HDS in 1895, he served congregations in Lovell and Fort Fairfield, Maine. He died June 22, 1899.
3rd row #7: George Rudolph Gebauer (Unitarian) was born in Schmardt, Germany, on March 17, 1857. After graduating from the Gymnasium in Brieg and serving in the army for one year, he immigrated to Philadelphia where an uncle was a Reformed pastor. After graduating from HDS in 1895, he served congregations in Cincinnati, Ohio; Alton, Illinois; Duluth, Minnesota; Keokuk, Iowa; and Pittsburg (Northside), Pennsylvania. He died December 30, 1930.
3rd row #8: Augustus Phineas Reccord (Unitarian) was born in Acushnet, Massachusetts, on February 14, 1870. He graduated from Brown in 1892 and from HDS in 1895. He served congregations in Chelsea, Massachusetts; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Detroit, Michigan. Reccord, a Minister Emeritus at parishes in Grosse Point and Detroit, Michigan, served in the active Unitarian ministry for 44 years, after which he served informally with parishes in Montreal and Louisville, Kentucky. He died October 4, 1946.
4th row #1: Edward Borncamp (formerly John Edward Borncamp) (Episcopalian) was born in LeSueur, Minnesota, on November 7, 1868. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1893 and the Episcopal Theological (now Divinity) School in 1896. He studied at HDS for just over one year. He served congregations in Duxbury, Massachusetts; Boston, Massachusetts; and Winona, Minnesota. He died August 11, 1912, while finishing the second lesson in a service at the Stoke Church in Coventry, England.
4th row #2: Henry Oliver Hannum (Congregationalist) was born in Kasota, Minnesota, on October 19, 1871. He attended HDS for one year. He served congregations in Southwick, Boston, Holyoke, Newburyport, and Ayer (these in Massachusetts), and Superior, Wisconsin. He also briefly worked for the YMCA and the Interchurch World Movement. He died January 23, 1948.
4th row #3: Willard Reed (Unitarian) was born in Mount Vernon, New York, on June 26, 1876. He graduated from Harvard College (1891) and received his AM after study at HDS in 1896. He was ordained in Passaic, New Jersey, and briefly served the congregation there and in Rutherford, New Jersey. He spent much of his career as an educator, both as an administrator and teacher. In Massachusetts, Reed served at the Roxbury Latin School as well as the Browne and Nichols School. A local political activist, Reed sat on the Cambridge City Democratic Committee. After retirement from education, Reed returned to the ministry, informally serving parishes in the Cambridge area. Both his son, Capt. Willard J. Reed (age 32), and grandson, John Reed Copeland (at age 18), were killed in World War II. Willard Reed died September 6, 1944.
4th row #4: Chester James Wilcomb (Baptist) was born in Chester, New Hampshire, on August 27, 1869. He graduated from Harvard College in 1895 and also studied at HDS during that year. He studied at Columbia (AM 1897) and graduated from Union Theological Seminary (1898). He briefly served a congregation in Greenville, New Hampshire. He then taught at Dartmouth College and in Brooklyn, New York; San Rafael, California; and Riverside, California. He died August 18, 1953.
4th row #5: Robert Thomas Kerlin (Methodist) was born in New Castle, Missouri, on March 22, 1866. He received a master’s degree from Central College in Missouri in 1890 and studied at HDS for almost two years before serving as the Chaplain for the 3rd Regular Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He also studied at Johns Hopkins, the University of Chicago, and Yale (PhD 1907). He taught at a number of colleges, including Missouri Valley College; Normal Schools in Missouri, Virginia, and Pennsylvania; and the Virginia Military Institute, where he was fired after his “Open Letter to the Governor of Arkansas” appeared in the anti-segregation publication The Nation. He wrote this letter in response to the news that ninety-two African-American men had been sentenced to life in prison or execution following the Elaine Riot. The riot was an uprising which ensued after a gathering of African-American men, women, and children were attacked by the Ku Klux Klan at their church in Hoop Spur, Arkansas. In the days following the attack, fifty to sixty African-Americans were killed while attempting to defend themselves from their attackers. Kerlin published numerous books including Theocritus in English Literature (1909) and Negro Poets and Their Poems (1923). He died March 15, 1950. He was honored in an obituary in the Journal of Negro History after his death and is the subject of a featured historical biography on the VMI Archives website by Fredrick Walker.
4th row #6: Joseph Henry Jones (Unitarian) was born in Holland, Virginia, October 22, 1869. He graduated from Elon College in 1894. After graduating from HDS in 1898, he served congregations in Providence, Rhode Island; St. Cloud, Minnesota; St. Joseph, Missouri; and Topeka, Kansas. After retiring from the ministry due to his health, he moved to Oklahoma City, where he was active in the First Unitarian Church.
4th row #7: Not identified
4th row #8: Wallace Nelson Stearns (Methodist) was born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, on August 26, 1866. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan in 1891, from Harvard College in 1893, and from HDS in 1896. He received a PhD from Boston University (1899) and held teaching and administrative positions at Ohio Wesleyan, Boston University, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, Wesley College, University of North Dakota, Fargo College, and McKendree College (Illinois). He published numerous works including Fragments of Graeco-Jewish Writers (1908). He died February 3, 1934.
4th row #9: Kernan Robson was born in North Greenfield, Ohio, on September 22, 1892. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan in 1892 and studied at HDS for one year. He was Professor of English language and Literature at the University of South Dakota (1895-97). After moving to San Francisco, he became a newspaper reporter, then a high school teacher, and eventually had a very prosperous career in real estate. He died January 13, 1956.
4th row #12: Charles Melvin Crooks (Congregationalist) was born in Van Wert County, Ohio, on September 27, 1870. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1892 and from HDS in 1896. He served congregations in Colrain, Grafton, Worcester, Brockton, and Barre (these in Massachusetts). He died April 9, 1962.
4th row #13: Angelo Hall (Unitarian) was born in Washington, DC (Georgetown), on December 16, 1868. He graduated from Harvard College in 1891 and from HDS in 1896. He served congregations in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, and Andover, New Hampshire. In 1901 he became an instructor of mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy; in 1913, he was appointed as a professor. He was a champion for the rights of Armenians in Turkey. He died April 13, 1922.
4th row #14: Arthur Herbert Coar (Unitarian) was born in Yonkers, New York, on August 26, 1872. He graduated from Williams College in 1894 and from HDS in 1897. He served congregations in Ellsworth, Maine; Farmington, Maine; Holyoke and Amherst, Massachusetts; Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Pembroke, Massachusetts. He died January 4, 1950.
4th row #15: Not identified
4th row #10: Silas Jones (Disciples) was born in Owingsville, Kentucky, on February 11, 1867. He studied at HDS for two years. He served congregations in Newman and Sterling, Illinois. He was Professor of Sacred Literature and Philosophy at Eureka College from 1900 to 1938. He died December 18, 1944.
4th row #11: Lyman Manchester Greenman (Unitarian) was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on May 10, 1870. He graduated from Harvard College in 1894 and studied at HDS for two years. He served congregations in Grafton, Massachusetts; Gloucester, Massachusetts; Yonkers, New York; New Brighton, New York; Quincy, Illinois; and Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He died May 24, 1952.
Back to Digital Projects
Harvard Divinity School at the Turn of the 20th Century
The New Library
Renovating Divinity Hall
Building Andover Hall
The Deans
Charles Carroll Everett
Francis Greenwood Peabody
William Wallace Fenn
Crawford Howell Toy
David Gordon Lyon
Edward Caldwell Moore
George Foot Moore
Joseph Henry Thayer
James Hardy Ropes
Ephraim Emerton
Harvard Summer School of Religion
Harvard Theological Review
The Call to Theology by Francis Greenwood Peabody
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line131
|
__label__wiki
| 0.840215
| 0.840215
|
Home > Labour Party Manifestos > October 1974 > Manifesto text in a single long file
October 1974 Labour Party Manifesto
by The Rt. Hon. Harold Wilson, OBE, FRS, MP
In February we put before the British people our Manifesto, 'Labour's Way out of the Crisis'.
It was a programme for getting Britain back to work, for overcoming what was universally acknowledged to be the gravest economic crisis Britain had faced since the war. A programme to be carried out by a Government of all the people working together.
Labour formed the Government, got Britain back to work and showed our determination to fulfil the programme which we had put before the people. No post war British Government has achieved more in six months.
But at every turn we have found ourselves faced in Parliament by a majority which could, and did, coalesce to frustrate the policies we had put before the nation. What is still more serious has been the widespread expectation of an inevitable and early General Election, which created uncertainty in industry and the other institutions of our British society.
Soon the people must decide on the Government to whom they want to entrust the future of themselves and their families for the next five years.
They will judge each Party on its record in office, when it had the responsibility: on its record in honouring the pledges it had made to the country. On its willingness to undertake measures which would enlist the support and enthusiasm of our people in fighting the economic crisis.
They will judge on the policies which each Party puts forward, asking themselves which Party can best be trusted to make a reality of those policies.
They will judge not only on policies and records, but on the calibre and experience of the men and women who will be responsible for carrying out those policies. On their compassion and the understanding of the problems of ordinary families: on their determination to govern for, and with the sanction of, all of the people.
In February the country rejected, as we had urged, policies of confrontation and conflict and 'fight to a finish' philosophies. We put before the country the policy of the Social Contract.
We have shown that as a Government we are prepared to take the decisions that are needed to achieve economic and social justice without which this country can never unite.
The policies we have followed over the past six months, the policies which the next Labour Government will follow, are policies to strengthen the Social Contract.
It is not simply, or narrowly, an understanding about wages. It is about justice, equality, about concern for and protection of the lower paid, the needy, the pensioner and the handicapped in our society.
It is about fairness between one man and another, and between men and women. It is about economic justice between individuals and between regions. It is about co-operation and conciliation, not conflict and confrontation.
But more than that. What we as democratic socialists maintain is that when the going is toughest it is more than ever necessary to base our policies on social justice, to protect the weak, the poor, the disabled, to help those least able to help themselves, and to maintain and improve their living standards.
Other Parties which do not believe in fair shares deny themselves the right to call for equal sacrifices.
Injustice is the enemy of national unity.
The crisis we are facing demands a still greater emphasis on social justice, as well as economic justice, than at any time in this generation.
That is the inspiration underlying the policies set out in this Manifesto.
It carries forward the programme we set out in February. It builds on our achievements in fulfilling, in six months, so much of that programme. It sets out in much more detail the policies we then announced, proposals which have now been firmly rooted in our experience in government, and responsibly costed against the resources which as a nation we can afford.
This Manifesto, which is inspired by the idealism which has created our Movement, is now put before the country on the basis of the realism deriving from experience. It sets out what in our view is the only way to enable Britain to win through the crisis we now all face, and to share together, as one people, the fruits of the success we are determined to achieve.
Britain faces its most dangerous crisis since the war. The Labour Party makes no attempt to disguise this. On the contrary, at the time of the February election, we took the British people into our confidence and shared the realities of our daunting problems. We inherited a three-day week, unlit streets, unheated homes and work-places. And worst of all, a wounded national economy, made all the more serious by the socially divisive policies of the previous Conservative Government, with its deliberate confrontation with the organised working people of our country. The Conservatives created a society in which people who made money were more honoured than men and women who earned their wages.
This crisis for our country was all the more desperate because it was set in the context of a continuing world upheaval. Most of the world is still staggering from the enormous increases in the price of oil - the most important basic commodity in modern industrial and agricultural society.
We come with confidence before the public to ask for a strong mandate for the policies drawn from 'Labour's Programme for Britain' set out in our February manifesto, some of which have been spelled out in greater detail in White Papers published by the Government. No Government can get Britain moving by itself. A democratic Government must reflect the views of the people. And the people who vote for the Government must give their share of endeavour and concern - as well as their votes. But a Government can only ask these efforts from the men and women of this country if they can confidently see a vision of a fair and just society. Why should a coal miner dig extra coal for a few pounds more while he has seen property speculators grow wealthy looking at empty office blocks? A strong new Labour Government, with the agreement and co-operation of the British people, can make constructive, but not painless progress towards building a fair society.
This election is inevitable since no clear majority emerged in February. Despite its minority position the Labour Government have made a good start. Now we ask for the return of a Labour Government, with a working majority, so that we can continue to tackle the great problems facing Britain. We have to come to the men and women of our country and ask for their mandate for industrial and social reconstruction. We need national support for a steady will for a new society. In fact we are asking your help to carry through policies which will work for international peace and co-operation and at the same time create at home effective measures of economic and social reconstruction.
It is only with a sense of unity that we shall win through. But we cannot expect this from a Conservative Government - nor from any Conservative-Liberal coalition. The Tory Party is, by its own statements, deeply divided about what policies to put before the electorate. Neither the Tories nor a Conservative-Liberal coalition can bring a united and decisive programme of solution to contemporary problems.
Why can't we accept the idea of a coalition to meet the nation's crisis? Because what our country needs in this crisis is a government with a clear-cut understanding of the nation's problems and the ability to decide quickly and effectively how to deal with them. A coalition government, by its very nature, tends to trim its policies and fudge its decisions, and in present circumstances that just won't do. If we believe, as we must, in our own independent political philosophies, there is no meeting point between us and those with quite different philosophies, and it would be a cruel farce to suggest that the future of the country would be helped by shuffling, compromising administration.
We want to be frank with you. The regeneration of our economy isn't going to be easy, even with a Labour Government. The next two or three years are going to be difficult for us all. There will be no easy times and no easy pickings for anyone.
We put forward in this manifesto a list of improvements we want to make in society. We put them forward in good faith; but many of them cost money, and we understand perfectly well - and we believe you will, too - that the timing of them will depend on how quickly and how completely we get on top of the economic problems.
But Labour doesn't go along with the prophets of doom and gloom. We have great confidence in the British people. If you give us your full backing over the difficult two or three years ahead we shall weather the storm and get back on the right course.
Promises and Priorities
The Labour Government has kept the promises made at the election in February. From the day we took office we acted. We increased pensions to £10 and £16. We froze rents. We gave security to people who live in furnished tenancies. We repealed the divisive Industrial Relations Act and we replaced confrontation by conciliation. We restrained the rise in the cost of living by our subsidies on essential foods and price controls. We gave loans to the building societies to help house-buyers - who would otherwise have faced mortgage rates of 13%. We allocated more money to local councils to build or buy homes.
The Government have published plans for the public owner ship of development land which will get rid of the major inflationary element in the cost of building; for public control and participation in North Sea oil; for greater accountability and the extension of public ownership in industry; for beginning the redistribution of wealth by new taxation on the better-off - while at the other end of the scale a million and a half people have been taken out of liability to any income tax. We have published radical and detailed proposals for pensions and for bringing help as of right to the disabled. New rights for women and our determination to implement equal pay have been announced. And we have begun in earnest the promised renegotiation of the Conservatives' disadvantageous terms of entry to the Common Market.
As at the last election, we are not making any promises which we cannot keep. We do not believe in electoral bribes - these are an insult to the intelligence and realism of the public. The priorities we set out here are part of a programme for a five year term of office. Much of what we want to do will take longer because of all the heavy spade-work which has to be done to create the economic strength on which all else depends.
At the heart of this manifesto and our programme to save the nation lies the Social Contract between the Labour Government and the trade unions, an idea derided by our enemies, but certain to become widely accepted by those who genuinely believe in government by consent - that is, in the democratic process itself as opposed to the authoritarian and bureaucratic system of wage control imposed by the Heath Government and removed by Labour.
The Social Contract is no mere paper agreement approved by politicians and trade unions. It is not concerned solely or even primarily with wages. It covers the whole range of national policies. It is the agreed basis upon which the Labour Party and the trade unions define their common purpose.
Labour describes - as we did in our February manifesto at the time of the last election and as we do again at this one - the firm and detailed commitments which will be fulfilled in the field of social policy, in the fairer sharing of the nation's wealth, in the determination to restore and sustain full employment. The unions in response confirm how they will seek to exercise the newly restored right of free collective bargaining. Naturally the trade unions see their clearest loyalty to their own members. But the Social Contract is their free acknowledgment that they have other loyalties - to the members of other unions too, to pensioners, to the lower-paid, to invalids, to the community as a whole.
It is these wide-ranging hopes and obligations which the General Council of the TUC described in its declaration of June 26 and which were overwhelmingly approved by the Congress on September 4. This is the Social Contract which can re-establish faith in the working of Britain' 5 democracy in the years ahead.
The first priority must be a determined attack on inflation and the appalling overseas deficit which we inherited. Inflation is a World-Wide problem and there are no easy answers, but for us the crisis was made worse than it need have been because of the financial disasters Labour inherited from the Tory Government.
Inflation is one of the greatest economic perils we face. It afflicts all the countries of the world. From Japan to France, from the United States to Britain, prices are rising at between 15% and 25% a year. Oil, the lifeblood of industry and transport, costs four times what it did a year ago; wheat, feedgrains, sugar and other imported foodstuffs, nearly double. These powerful inflationary forces cannot be wholly mastered by any single government acting alone. It will require international co-operation both to curb inflation and to avoid a slump.
But there are things the Government can - and must - do. We were elected last February to govern a Britain that had been greatly weakened by the policies of the Conservatives. The Heath Government allowed a huge deficit to accumulate on our balance of payments, even before the oil price rises hit us. It borrowed and printed hundreds of millions of pounds at home, fuelling the fires of inflation; it let our scarce resources go into office blocks, luxury flats and property speculation, at a time that Britain badly needed investment in industry and in housing for rent. Britain, in February 1974, was in bad shape to withstand the economic hurricane.
We reject entirely the policy put forward by some Tories of fighting inflation by throwing millions of people out of work.
We are doing everything within our power to curb inflation. And where rising prices are outside our control, as with imports of oil and raw materials, we have sought to protect the least well-off, the pensioner and the low-paid, for whom inflation is not just a worry but a nightmare.
Stopped printing money to finance unnecessary expenditure;
Cut VAT from 10% to 8%;
Reduced gross profit margins by 10% and agreed with the food trade to concentrate profit cuts on essential foods;
Frozen rents and stabilised mortgage rates;
Subsidised basic foods - bread, flour, butter, cheese, milk and tea- in a way that gives most benefit to the least well-off;
Taken powers to set maximum prices for subsidised foods; laid down a minimum of three months between price rises, and stopped' the 'sticky label' trick;
Set up a National Consumer Agency, backed by a net work of local consumer advice centres.
We shall:
Provide detailed information to shoppers on where to get value for money;
renegotiate the Common Agricultural Policy of the Common Market to make sure shoppers get secure supplies of food at fair prices;
Introduce unit pricing for meat, fish, fruit and vegetables;
Put teeth into nationalised industry consumer councils and finance them independently.
Oil Crisis
We shall continue to give high priority to our overseas trade. We have to. At the centre of our national and international crisis is the enormous increase in oil prices which is costing this country an extra £2,500 million this year.
We must get rid of the non-oil deficit we inherited from the previous Tory Government, while tackling in co-operation with other countries also affected, the balance of payments and currency problems created by the fourfold increase in the price of oil.
Labour will encourage the maximum economic production of food by the farming and fishing industries. We inherited from the Tories an extremely grave crisis in the agricultural industry - with extremely high feed costs, and the cereals sector succeeding at the expense of the livestock sector.
A Tory Government negotiated entry into the EEC and removed the long-term guarantees to the livestock industry. The Intervention System of the Common Agricultural Policy has not worked. Labour insists that there must be a new approach, with a clear emphasis on national aids, and that we must be able to provide suitable guarantees to our farmers.
We have already taken urgent action:
A special subsidy on pigs, representing an injection of £30 million to the UK pig industry;
The near doubling of the calf subsidy, providing an extra £35 million a year.
A new beef premium, an arrangement which gives another £40 million to the producers;
The restoration of the lime subsidy which was abolished by the Tories - worth £5 million a year.
A temporary subsidy on the oil used for heating glass- houses - which injects a further £7 million into the horticultural industry.
We will, in addition, introduce in the very near future, considerable help to the dairy industry.
Our long-term objective is to secure the expansion of the industry. We intend to continue our discussions with the Farmers' Unions - and the agricultural workers - with the dual objective of drawing up a meaningful longer term expansion and of determining the means whereby this can be achieved.
Employment and Expansion
In the long run, a nation, like a family, can only live on what it earns. If we want to maintain our standard of living and protect people's jobs and give a boost to our deprived regions, we must get industry to produce more and export more.
This is going to demand some radical changes. The Tories and their Aims of Industry friends say we ought to leave things as they are. But things as they are consist of lower productivity, less competitiveness and much lower investment than other countries. If we leave things as they are we shall go on, as we have done for years, slipping behind other nations. The industrial sector of our economy is suffering from grave and chronic debilitation and that sort of illness cannot be cured with a couple of aspirin tablets. We need a new deal.
The present Labour Government has made a start on this task. It has stemmed the runaway rise in interest rates. It has doubled the Regional Employment Premium and listed new development and special development areas for extra help. Our exports are doing well, and outside the inflated oil bill, we are paying for more of our imports with exports.
But there is still a long way to go. In our February manifesto we put forward proposals for an extension of the public sector where it is most needed, and for a new relationship between the Government and the large privately-owned companies which will do much to regenerate British industry.
We stand firmly by those proposals. The Government has published a White Paper describing how they will work:
A new and urgent Industry Act will provide for a system of Planning Agreements between the Government and key companies to ensure that the plans of those companies are in harmony with national needs and objectives and that Government financial assistance is deployed where it will be most effectively used. Wherever we give direct aid to a company out of public funds we shall reserve the right to take a proportionate share of the ownership of the company; and wherever possible this public support will be channelled through the Planning Agreements System.
In addition to our plans for taking into common ownership the land required for development, we shall substantially extend public enterprise by taking over mineral rights. We shall also take ports, ship-building, ship-repairing and marine engineering, and the aircraft industries into public ownership and control. We shall not confine the extension of the public sector to loss-making and subsidised industries. We shall set up a National Enterprise Board to administer publicly-owned share-holdings: to extend public ownership into profitable manufacturing industry by acquisitions, partly or wholly, of individual firms; to stimulate investment; to create employment in areas of high unemployment; to encourage industrial democracy; to promote industrial efficiency; to increase exports and reduce our dependence on imports; to combat private monopoly; and to prevent British industries from passing into unacceptable foreign control.
We do not accept the negative policies adopted by the previous Tory Government towards the nationalised industries. We shall restore to our public enterprises the assets and licences which the Tory Government took away from them, and will encourage and help them diversify into new industries. We shall bring forward early proposals to ensure that banking and insurance make a better contribution to the national economy.
Regional development will be further encouraged by new public enterprise, by assistance to private industry on a selective basis, and new Regional Planning Machinery, along the lines set out in 'Labour's Programme 1973'. We will set up Scottish and Welsh Development Agencies. Moreover, the revenues from the North Sea and Celtic Sea oil will help us to improve employment in Scotland, Wales and the English regions in need of development.
We shall transform the existing Manpower Services Commission into a powerful body, responsible for the development and execution of a comprehensive manpower policy. Redundant workers must have an automatic right to retraining, with redundancy leading not to unemployment, but to retraining and job changing.
The discovery of oil off our shores dramatically changes not only the country's energy prospects, but our whole economic future. Because its importance cannot be over-estimated it is essential that its development should be under public control in the interests of the whole community, and with regard to the future. The Labour Government will:-
Take majority participation in all future oil licences and negotiate to achieve majority state participation in existing licences.
Set up a British National Oil Corporation to. enable the Government to exercise participation rights; to play an active role in the future development, exploration and exploitation of offshore oil; and to engage in the refining and the distribution of oil. Its headquarters will be in Scotland.
Impose a substantial extra tax on the oil companies' profits from the North Sea - and plug the loopholes in existing taxation.
Take new powers to control the pace of depletion, pipelines, exploration and development - and to protect the environment; and nationalise the land needed for the oil platform construction sites.
Set up new Development Agencies in Scotland and in Wales - financed by the United Kingdom exchequer - with extra funds to reflect the revenue from offshore oil.
After years of Tory indecision Labour has - within a few months - laid the foundation for a coherent energy policy involving coal, gas, nuclear power and electricity as well as oil. We have agreed an additional investment of £600 million for the coal mines. We have backed British technology with a programme of British reactors for the next generation of our power stations.
We promised to repeal the Tory Industrial Relations Act and this promise has been fulfilled. The last minute amendments inserted into our Trade Union and Labour Relations Act, by the coalition of Tories, Liberals and the Lords, will be removed in the first session of the new Parliament.
But the repeal of the Tory Act was only the first step. Our aim is to make industry democratic - to develop joint control and action by management and workers across the whole range of industry, commerce and the public services.
This objective involves strong trade union organisation and widening the scope of collective bargaining. In addition, however, it will mean the provision of new rights for workers through changes in company law.
First, We will introduce an Employment Protection Bill - to provide extensive new rights for workers covering such issues as union membership, apprentices' training and conditions, the guaranteed week, maternity leave, safeguards on redundancy and employers' bankruptcy, to give new rights to unions in collective bargaining, including new safeguards for peaceful picketing, to reform the Wages Councils and establish a key role for the new Conciliation and Arbitration Service in helping to get rid of low pay.
Second, we will introduce new legislation to help forward our plans for a radical extension of industrial democracy in both the private and public sectors. This will involve major changes in company law and in the statutes which govern the nationalised industries and the public services.
Measures will also be taken to tackle the evils created by private employment agencies and to deal with abuses of labour-only contracting.
We believe that men and women will respond to difficult challenges if there is a sense of underlying fairness in society.
Labour believes, for instance, that taxation must be used to achieve a major redistribution of both wealth and income. The March Budget took 1½ million men and women out of income tax altogether and concentrated tax increases on the better off. It also blocked dozens of tax loopholes and announced that a new Capital Transfers Tax would operate from the date of the Budget.
The next Labour Government will introduce an annual tax on wealth above £100,000. We will also legislate for the introduction of the Capital Transfers Tax - which will, for the first time this century, make the Estate Duty an effective tax on inherited wealth. Labour will also offer retired people and young couples saving for a home a form of National Savings the value of which will be guaranteed against inflation.
The Labour Government's first step was to increase pensions to £10 for a single person and £16 for a married couple: a record increase in record time. Corresponding increases for widows, invalids and others on supplementary benefit have been enacted. This is a real increase which more than compensates for the rise in prices.
The Labour Government has already committed itself by law to maintain and improve the real gain for existing pensioners by reviewing pensions and other benefits regularly and by linking future increases to the rise in wages and not just prices.
The Labour Government will:
Pay another £10 Christmas bonus this year to those who have retired and this time will include invalidity pensioners and those receiving attendance allowances, unemployability supplements or widows' benefits.
Replace the unjust Tory pension scheme with our recently announced long-term plan for adequate earnings-related pensions for everyone, fully protected against inflation. This will free future pensioners from the need for means-tested assistance; give equality of treatment to women; include invalidity pensioners; and give special help to the older workers and the low-paid.
Attack family poverty, by increasing family allowances and extending them to the first child through a new scheme of child credits payable to the mother. We are also examining other ways of helping one-parent families.
Help disabled people who are outside the National Insurance scheme through a new non-contributory benefit for those of working age and for disabled housewives. We shall introduce an Invalid Care Allowance for those who give up their jobs to look after a severely disabled relative and a new mobility allowance for severely disabled people Whether or not they can drive a car.
Labour created the National Health Service and is deter mined to defend it. Immense damage has been done to it by Tory cuts in public expenditure, by the Tory Government's policy or rigid pay control and by the upheaval of Tory reorganisation on undemocratic lines. Labour has already injected more money into the Service; published proposals for greater democratic participation in its running and above all, taken steps to end the exploitation of nurses and other workers in the Service and to see that at last they receive the rewards they so richly deserve.
Labour has already relieved women over 60 and children under 16 from prescription charges and strengthened provision for dental care under the National Health Service by freezing the level of dental charges for patients while increasing dentists' fees. Labour has reversed the Tory proposal to impose charges on Family Planning.
It has started its attack on queue-jumping by increasing the charge for private pay beds in National Health Service hospitals and is now working out a scheme for phasing private beds out of these hospitals.
The Labour Government will reduce regional inequality of standards; put the emphasis on prevention and primary care and give a clear priority to spending on services for the mentally ill and mentally handicapped. It will continue the progressive elimination of prescription charges and phase out private pay beds from National Health Service hospitals.
The Labour Party believes that full opportunities for the education of our children, our young people and students of all ages are an essential part of a fair society and indispensable to the social contract. We have already asked local authorities to submit plans for comprehensive education by the end of the year, increased provision for nursery education and raised students' grants by 25%. The Labour Government realises the problems of many of our teachers and an independent inquiry has been set up into their pay. We have made an additional £1 1.8 million available to supplement teachers' pay in difficult areas and increased the school building programme we inherited. We have provided funds for new classes for adults who cannot read.
As in all our plans, economic restraints are bound to influence timing. But the next Labour Government will:
End the II plus and other forms of selection for secondary education. Continue to give priority to nursery school and day care provision, full-time and part-time.
Stop the present system of Direct Grant Schools and withdraw tax relief and charitable status from Public Schools, as a first step towards our long-term aim of phasing out fee paying in schools.
Continue to move towards a fairer system of student grants.
Provide increased opportunities for further education and training, including compulsory paid day release, especially for young people who leave school early.
Legislate for an annual review and an annual report to Parliament on youth services.
Labour appointed the first ever Minister of Sport and Recreation and the first ever Minister for the Arts. We removed the museum charges introduced by the Tory Government, and we allocated greater resources to the Arts Council than ever before. We shall bring forward proposals to make the Arts Council more democratic and representative of people in the arts and in entertainment. We will continue to develop and improve the facilities for sport and leisure for all our citizens.
We will support the further development of the Open University, which was founded by a Labour Government and which has enriched the lives of thousands of people of all ages.
Our Homes, Our Land, Our Environment
Everybody is entitled to a decent home at a price they can afford. This cannot be achieved in a free-for-all market, which has resulted in homelessness, over-crowding and squalor for thousands of our people. We have in a few months:
given an extra £350m for councils to build more new houses and buy existing housing;
given a £500m loan to Building Societies to keep mortgage rates down, and to make more mortgages available;
introduced a rent freeze for both council and private tenants;
passed a Rent Act to give security of tenure to furnished tenants of absentee landlords;
legislated for the creation of Housing Action Areas and against the abuse of improvement grants;
introduced a Bill to demolish the Tory Housing Finance Act.
The Labour Government will take into public ownership land required for development, redevelopment and improvement. These proposals do not apply to owner-occupiers, whose homes and gardens will be safeguarded. But the public ownership by local authorities of necessary land is essential to sensible and comprehensive planning both in our towns and in the countryside. The land will be paid for at existing use value and the expensive disgrace of land speculation will be ended.
The next Labour Government will:
help home-buyers through a new National Housing Finance Agency to assist first-time buyers and to stabilise mortgage lending. Local councils' lending will be expanded so that they can play a major part in helping house purchasers and keep down costs by supplying unified services for estate agency, surveying, conveyancing and mortgages;
restore to local authorities the right to fix rents which do not make profits out of their tenants;
protect council tenants by giving them security of tenure;
ensure that rent increases in the private sector will be limited by Government action and that houses without basic amenities will not be taken out of control;
encourage the public ownership of rented property, except where an owner-occupier shares his home with a tenant;
help conserve homes and areas that can be improved with the aid of grants rather than demolish them;
reverse the disastrous fall in house-building, which will include measures to tackle the 'lump' and other proposals which must be worked out by both sides of the construction industry to attack the system of casual labour in the industry and create a stable, permanent work force;
abolish the agricultural tied cottage system;
transfer housing management and allocation to elected authorities in the New Towns nearing completion.
Everybody realises that the increasing responsibilities of local authorities must lead to reconsideration of the whole question of local government finance. The last Tory Government consistently rejected any alternatives to the rating system. And it bequeathed to Labour this year's massive rate rise. This record proves that their new proposals are vote-buying moonshine.
By contrast, the present Labour Government - like the last Labour Government - has taken swift action to help rate-payers. This year we are giving £150m of special help to those hardest hit by this year's rate increases, and rates have been kept down in hard-pressed inner city areas. And we have set up a high powered independent inquiry to try to find a workable alternative to the rating system as a matter of urgency.
We appreciate the anxieties of rate-payers and this is why we have set up this inquiry into local finance. But everybody has to face the fact that demands for better local services have to be paid for. And these have to be reconciled with demands for more local autonomy and less central direction. Public services have to be paid for by the public - the only argument is about how to share the costs, not how to avoid them.
Our home may be our most immediate environment. But our wider surroundings, whether at work or at leisure, demand much greater concern with the environment. We have published a Green Paper 'The Politics of Environment' which discusses many ideas about our changing world.
It was a Labour Government which in 1970 set up the permanent Royal Commission on the Environment and first appointed a Minister with overall responsibility for the environment. Within a few months the present Government put on the statute book the Control of Pollution Act. We scrapped the Maplin Airport project.
There is an increasing awareness of the need to treat the natural environment with more respect. The oil crisis was but one sharp reminder that finite natural resources cannot be taken for granted. We live in a wasteful society at a time of economic stringency. The Labour Government wants to reverse this trend and has already set up a Waste Management Advisory Council, appointed a responsible Minister, and published a Discussion Paper on the recycling of waste.
All our policies touch at some point or other on the living, working or recreational environment of our people. We will continue to work with the United Nations Council on Environment Problems, because these concern the whole world.
The energy crisis has underlined our objectives to move as much traffic as possible from road to rail and to water; and to develop public transport to make us less dependent upon the private car.
Labour's Railway Act 1974 provides for a general subsidy to passenger services and grants for the provision of new private sidings and .other freight facilities. Many proposed rail closures have been stopped.
Expenditure on new roads has been reviewed and priority given to the creation of a comprehensive heavy lorry network to divert the lorries now thundering through towns and villages. We shall continue to discourage the building of urban motorways.
Proposals have been issued to bring all commercial ports and cargo-handling into public ownership and control with a radical extension of worker participation in the industry.
Further measures will be introduced to:
co-ordinate and integrate our transport services;
improve public transport, especially in rural areas;
extend public ownership of road haulage;
expand the system of free and concessionary fares for old people, the blind and disabled;
improve road safety.
Scotland, Wales and the Regions
The next Labour Government will create elected assemblies in Scotland and Wales. It will also consult with the local authorities and other interested parties about the democratisation of those regional bodies which are at present non-accountable. A separate statement setting out more detailed proposals has already been published by the Labour Party and the Government's proposals are set out in the White Paper. Separate manifestos are being published for Scotland and Wales.
The Labour Party is working for a political solution in Northern Ireland, but no political initiative can succeed without the end of bombing and shooting in an area which has suffered over 1,000 dead and more than ten times as many injured.
Any political solution must enable Catholics and Protestants to work together. As a first step in our policy we have provided for the election of a Constitutional Convention to consider future government in Northern Ireland. It will be a Convention of Northern Irish people elected by Northern Irish people.
The Labour Government has spelt out certain realities which the Convention must take into account before it makes its report to Parliament at Westminster:
There must be some form of power-sharing and partnership because no political system will survive, or be supported, unless there is widespread acceptance of it within the community. There must be genuine participation by both communities in the direction of affairs.
Secondly, any pattern of government must be acceptable to the people of the United Kingdom as a whole and to Parliament at Westminster.
Thirdly, Northern Ireland, unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, shares a common land frontier and a special relationship with another country, the Republic of Ireland. Any political arrangements must recognise and provide for this special relationship. There is an Irish dimension.
When a Labour Government first sent troops into Northern Ireland it was on a temporary basis and their task was to stop sectarian violence. The Army cannot replace the police and it will be the aim of the Labour Government to encourage the whole community to support the police service which would enable the Army to make a planned, orderly and progressive reduction in its present commitment.
Britain has a responsibility in Northern Ireland and the Labour Party rejects the view that the troops should be pulled out in advance of a political solution. A sudden withdrawal in advance of any political settlement would leave a vacuum which would certainly be filled by para-military groups, with a grave possibility of civil war.
The Labour Government reaffirms its intention to phase out detention for all sections of the community in Northern Ireland when, but only when, the security situation permits. As an earnest of this intention, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has begun a programme of releases, in addition to those ordered by the Commissioners as part of the normal review procedure. More and more cases are being tried in the courts. Meanwhile, the Labour Government has established the Gardiner Committee to make a comprehensive review of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1974.
Our appeal is to all the people of Northern Ireland. It is our desire to harness the new awareness among many Catholics and Protestants of their social and economic interests and to enable them to fulfil their aspirations through political means. Labour's policy offers a new opportunity to achieve this.
Individual Rights and the Community
It is part of the very purpose of the Labour Party's existence to protect and extend the processes of democracy at all levels. It was a Labour Government which introduced the law which allows a citizen to sue Government itself; established the Parliamentary Commissioner; and legislated against racial discrimination and to enforce equal pay. Now we want to give a much bigger say to citizens in all their various capacities - as tenants, shoppers, patients, voters. Or as residents or workers in areas where development proposals make them feel more planned against than planned for.
Labour believes that respect for the law must be firmly based on the rights of the citizen and on his or her obligations to the whole community. We share the view of those who are alarmed at the growth of violence in our society, particularly among young people. Labour believes that law-abiding citizens are entitled to full protection. We will strengthen and uphold the police in the exercise of their proper functions. We reject entirely the view that law enforcement should ever be a matter for self appointed and politically motivated private armies.
Labour respects the rule of law; it does not respect those who want to be unofficial enforcement officers or their own special version of it. We shall also vigorously pursue policies for the elimination of areas of deprivation which are the most dangerous breeding grounds of juvenile and other crime. A Labour Government set up the Law Commission machinery to overhaul the whole body of our laws, some of which are out of date and irrelevant. In the interests of a wider, more just and effective democracy we shall seek to:
give real equality to women;
strengthen legislation protecting minorities;
reform the law of nationality and citizenship;
introduce an independent element into complaints against the police;
make legal advice more accessible to those most in need of help;
extend legal aid to certain tribunal hearings;
encourage local authorities in a diversity of neighbourhood or community consultation;
work with the co-operative movement to develop its role through the creation of a Co-operative Development Agency and in other ways.
Labour believes that the process of government should be more open to the public. We shall:
replace the Official Secrets Act by a measure to put the burden on the public authorities to justify withholding information;
establish compulsory registers of interest for all MPs, councillors, peers, senior civil servants, senior council officials, and others in the upper reaches of the public service;
protect the citizen from unwarranted and mischievous intrusion into the citizen's private affairs.
A Charter for Women
Changes in our society over recent years have emphasised the importance of providing practical equal opportunities for women rather than making polite noises about equality. We have already made a start towards equal citizenship by giving British women, married to foreign husbands, the same rights as British men with foreign wives.
The Labour Government's decisions provide a new deal for women. We will:
ensure that by the end of 1975 Labour's Equal Pay Act will be fully effective throughout the land;
introduce a comprehensive free family planning service;
legislate for equality of treatment in social security;
make provision for maternity leave;
introduce a new child cash allowance to be paid (including the first child) usually to mothers;
extend nursery education and day care facilities;
bring a fairer system of family law with new family courts;
reform housing law, to strengthen the rights of mothers on the break-up of marriage: and introduce other reforms proposed by the Finer Committee on One Parent Families;
increase educational opportunities for girls, including further education, training and compulsory day release.
We also intend to legislate directly on new rights for women, through a Sex Discrimination Bill as set out in our White Paper. The proposals cover: employment, training, education, housing and the provision of goods, facilities and services (including mortgages and H.P., etc.) There will also be new machinery to ensure the enforcement of these measures.
But of course all our proposals - about prices and consumer protection and homes and education and full employment - will help to improve life for all the women of our country.
And we are determined to see more of them from all walks of life - in Parliament, on local councils and other public bodies - including political parties and trade union committees.
The Common Market
Our genuine concern for democratic rights is in sharp contrast to the Tory attitude. In the greatest single peacetime decision of this century - Britain's membership of the Common Market - the British people were not given a chance to say whether or not they agreed to the terms accepted by the Tory Government. Both the Conservatives and the Liberals have refused to endorse the rights of our people to make their own decision. Only the Labour Party is committed to the right of the men and women of this country to make this unique decision.
The Labour Government pledges that within twelve months of this election we will give the British people the final say, which will be binding on the Government - through the ballot box - on whether we accept the terms and stay in or reject the terms and come out.
Labour is an internationalist party and Britain is a European nation. But if the Common Market were to mean the creation of a new protectionist bloc, or if British membership threatened to impoverish our working people or to destroy the authority of Parliament, then Labour could not agree.
Within one month of coming into office the Labour Government started the negotiations promised in our February manifesto on the basis set out in that manifesto. It is as yet too early to judge the likely results of the tough negotiations which are taking place. But whatever the outcome in Brussels, the decision will be taken here by the British people.
Policy for Peace - International Co-operation and Security
The nations of the world are becoming ever more economically and politically interdependent. The energy crisis of last winter could not be solved by any individual country acting on its own - international co-operation was required. The same is true if the world is to succeed in solving the problems of inflation, of poverty, of economic growth and full employment. We are more than ever one world. Labour's foreign policy is, therefore, dedicated to strengthening international institutions and to world co-operation in all fields, including trade and currency.
A Labour Government which excluded from its foreign policy the ideals of morality, equality and justice, which are at the heart of our domestic policy, would soon lose such ideals at home. The Labour Government will, therefore, continue its policy of strengthening international organisations and particularly the United Nations, dedicated to the peaceful settlement of disputes, to the promotion of human rights, to the rule of law and to the improvement of living standards throughout the world.
We shall continue to work for a peaceful and just settlement of the disputes in the Middle East and in Cyprus in the light of the declarations of the United Nations and our own responsibilities.
The Labour Government has placed great emphasis on the need for closer relations with Commonwealth countries and we shall use every means of strengthening our ties with them. The Government has accepted the United Nations target of 0.7% of the Gross National Product for financial aid to developing countries in need throughout the world and will seek to move towards it as fast as possible. We have provided special help for the developing countries hardest hit by the crisis in oil prices and for areas of famine and disaster, and we have set up a Disaster Unit to speed our response to emergencies. We shall direct our aid towards the poorest countries and to the poorest people and give emphasis to rural development. In recent negotiations between the European Economic Community and the African, Pacific and Caribbean countries we have sought, with some success, to establish a more generous and liberal trading pattern to meet their needs.
We oppose all forms of racial discrimination and colonialism. We will continue to support the liberation movements of Southern Africa. By a decision of the Government arms are no longer being supplied to South Africa. The Labour Government will seek to end the unlawful South African occupation of Namibia. The policy of sanctions against Rhodesia has been intensified and we will agree to no settlement which does not have the agreement of the African people of that country.
The policy of détente between East and West has brought a relaxation of tension in Europe as in other parts of the world. It is the objective of the Labour Government to bring the current negotiations in the Geneva Conference on European Security and Co-operation to a successful conclusion.
The Labour Government is conducting the widest ranging defence review to be carried out in peacetime; and we shall, in consultation with our Allies, press forward with our plans to reduce the proportion of the nation's resources devoted to defence so that the burden we bear will be brought into line with that carried by our main European allies. Such a realignment would, at present levels of defence spending, mean achieving annual savings over a period on defence expenditure by Britain of several hundred million pounds. If in time this entails closure of or cutting back on defence establishments, alternative sources of employment will be sought, where possible by taking on major contract work and research for outside industry.
Starting from the basis of the multilateral disarmament negotiations, we will seek the removal of American Polaris bases from Britain. We have renounced any intention of moving towards a new generation of strategic nuclear weapons.
The Labour Government will maintain its support for NATO as an instrument of détente, no less than of defence. The ultimate objective of the movement towards a satisfactory relationship in Europe must be the mutual and concurrent phasing out of both NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The Government will continue to work for the success of détente by playing an active role in the multilateral disarmament negotiations now taking place in Vienna and will back this diplomacy by improving bilateral relations with the USSR and the countries of Eastern Europe up to the limit that the situation in each case allows.
We shall continue to improve relations between Britain and China.
Time for Decision
We have not tried in this manifesto to pretend that there is some simple, easy way out of the crisis which confronts us. But we have tried to set out the kind of programme needed to unite the nation against the dangers ahead; a programme designed to create a fairer, more democratic and more socially just society.
We have made no easy promises. Our programme has been fully costed. And we have weighed those costs carefully. But we have set our aims high. We are a democratic socialist party and our objective is to bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of wealth and power in favour of working people and their families.
Now it is for the voters of our nation to make their decision. The Government is pledged to the service of the nation. But only the nation, working with the right leadership, can solve its problems. We believe it will. Britain will win with Labour.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line134
|
__label__cc
| 0.602581
| 0.397419
|
‘Traditionally underrepresented groups’ benefit from active travel funding
Community groups from across the Capital have been awarded funding to encourage people from all backgrounds to walk and cycle.
The funding, announced by Transport for London (TfL) on 26 November, will see 60 community and not-for-profit groups benefit from a share of more than £400,000.
It comes from the ‘Walking and Cycling Grants London’ scheme – which aims to ‘address the barriers that prevent people from getting active’ and help to make London a ‘more sustainable, inclusive and healthy city’.
The winning projects target a range of traditionally underrepresented groups such as people with physical disabilities, refugees and asylum seekers, and children with Down’s Syndrome.
StriderZ_n_RiderZ – The Hope of Childs Hill (Barnet): This project will run regular group walking and cycling sessions, aimed at people over 50 years who may be prone to loneliness, particularly those from lower socio-economic groups
Dare to Ride – Wheels for Wellbeing (Lambeth, Southwark, Croydon, Lewisham): This project will empower disabled people who currently ride exclusively at their cycling sessions to gradually build up their stamina and confidence to participate in a cycling event, such as RideLondon.
Walkie Talkie – Time and Talents (Southwark): This project will run two complementary walks, focused on the health and wellbeing of older people in the community, in order to tackle loneliness and improve mental health
Cycling for Children with Coordination Difficulties – NHS (Haringey): Children with coordination difficulties, including dyspraxia and Down’s Syndrome, will be taught how to cycle in order to help overcome their high risk of being excluded from physical activity.
TfL says the funding is designed to enable people from all backgrounds to feel confident while walking and cycling in London.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “There are so many benefits to walking and cycling from keeping fit to improving wellbeing and we want everyone in London to experience these benefits regardless of their age, ethnicity or physical or mental health.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the results of these inspirational projects, which are bound to encourage even more Londoners from diverse backgrounds to travel more actively around the Capital.”
Work to begin on west London cycle route
In another boost to active travel in the Capital, TfL has announced it will begin construction work at Kew Bridge on 12 December – in preparation for a major project to upgrade pedestrian crossings and create new segregated cycle lanes in west London.
The new roads and junctions will form part of a 7km cycle route between Brentford and Kensington Olympia, subject to final approvals from the London Boroughs of Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham.
TfL will be starting construction work over the Christmas period to take advantage of reduced traffic on the roads.
Nick Fairholme, TfL’s director of project and programme delivery, said: “I’d like to thank people in advance for their patience and would ask people to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journeys whilst this vital construction work takes place.”
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line135
|
__label__cc
| 0.743245
| 0.256755
|
Integral Leadership Review
About ILR
Friends of ILR
Integral Leadership Council
1/18 – Psychonetics: A Russian Corpus of Psychotechnologies
Feature Articles / January-February 2016
Download article as PDF
Oleg Bakhtiyarov (Translated from Russian by Eugene Pustoshkin)
Oleg Bakhtiyarov at the presentation of his latest book Technologies of Freedom (2015) in St. Petersburg, Russia. March 2015. (Photo © Tatyana Parfenova)
Today the entire corpus of psychotechniques is so vast that one could find practices aimed at both resolving psychological, social or medical problems and developing supranormative skills necessary for performing extreme tasks in operational or intellectual activities. There are also, however, non-pragmatic motivations such as the drive towards understanding oneself, the World and Being. A significant portion of non-pragmatic practices is aimed at attaining interior freedom and non-contingency of consciousness upon exterior factors. These practices constitute the technical basis of numerous sacred systems and teachings, but it must be remembered that the dominant masses of practitioners are beyond any specifically defined confessional context.
Awakening of free will which is understood as unconditioned meaning- and goal-making activity is the main aim of the corpus of psychotechniques, known in Russia as psychonetics (psikhonetika). That is, awakening of free will can be spoken of not as an aim but as an attractor of psychonetic practice. Techniques are constructed in this direction, but each stage is self-sufficient in terms of achieving pragmatic results. On the path to freedom psychonetics consistently builds methods of liberation from present conditionings, then from cultural normative conditionings, and, eventually, from conditionings of basic structures of consciousness. Psychonetics creates a specific workable psychonetic ontology that allows the proposal of steps necessary in order to advance towards the aim and to formulate criteria of success on this path.
Key psychonetic techniques are attention deconcentration (and more sophisticated techniques that are based on it) and will meditation. Attention deconcentration (AdC)—or deconcentration of attention—is a specific technique which is opposed to attention concentration. It consists not of selecting and continuous holding of one of the figures in the perceptive field but rather equalization of attention distribution throughout the entire field of stimuli from different modalities—visual, audial, tactile, etc. Equal distribution of attention means that no element that enters the field of deconcentration becomes a figure in contrast to other elements, but is held within the perceptive field alongside other elements so it is given an equal “amount” of attention as to each other element within the field. Since capacities of our attention in terms of perception volume are limited (it is thought that our perception apparatus is able to selectively hold as figures of attention not more than 9 objects simultaneously), deconcentration correctly exercised switches perception into a background mode—the object of attention is not items selected out of the background, but the perceptive background itself.
Fig. 1. Symbolic illustration of the difference between concentration and attention deconcentration (deconcentration of attention). [Source: Wikipedia]
The very first activity in the procedure of forming attention deconcentration (AdC)—suppression of attention’s switching from one part of the visual field to another—leads to organizing of a special state of consciousness which can be referred to as “mental silence,” or cessation of thoughts-and-images generatideon. Such state cannot be conceived prior to its attainment; and it can be said that such an unexpected result brakes the rule of transparency that exists in psychonetic practice [translator’s note: the rule of transparency means that each technique needs to be specifically transparent in terms of its injunctions and results]. Here we are assisted with a different basic technique which is loosely called will meditation (WM). WM is a process of intentional generation of contents of consciousness—from intention to image, thought or action. In WM practice specific contents are not set, only the process itself, in which the very generating activity is discerned as well as intentions that are generated by such generating activity and its result—an image, an action, an act of thinking, and so on. Intention is understood as an amodal meaning formation that seeks to transmute itself into a sensory-manifested content of consciousness. Mastering of the technique of unpacking intentions into contents of consciousness allows one to turn “mental silence”—an unexpected result of deconcentration—into a fully manageable and, hence, transparent act.
The experience of generating new contents of consciousness can be expanded upon various other tasks. The capacity to generate intentions leads towards issuing a question regarding the source of intentions, and here the practitioner begins to discern self from his or her own psychic or mental apparatus (his or her personality traits, functional organization of psyche, etc.) as the source of intentions.
The primary principle of work here is highlighting various realities of consciousness and shifting attention towards that which is left in consciousness beyond these realities. For instance, in the stream of visual AdC the object of attention is, at first, the background out of which figures are discerned, then the field of vision or sight in its pure form (onto which both visual figures and the background are projected), then a meaning construct which precedes concentration upon visual phenomena and predetermines the directionality of efforts in concentration, and then, eventually, the “substance” of consciousness itself which is devoid of meaning content. In will meditation the first step is to discern an act performed by the practitioner, then the imaginary image of this very act, then the intent which precedes the formation of the image of the act, and, finally, the pure activity which precedes the formation of the intent.
Achievement of the final steps in attention deconcentration and will meditation is experienced as a state of unconditioned being and is equated with awakening of free will. But, from this vantage point, both the basic ontology and the means of attaining freedom are reconsidered. The basic obvious reality now is Consciousness [or Awareness] which is understood as non-local world, while the material component of Being is considered to be a factor of coerciveness or conditional forcing that cannot be immediately represented in consciousness but is reflected in it. There is a possibility of various ontological variations of that, but psychonetics itself, while declaring itself to be a technology, leaves the question of confessional orientation upon the practitioner’s own choice.
Psychonetic techniques are realized by the practitioner without any reliance upon suggestive support of an instructor who facilitates workshops and groups where the practice is enacted, and also without any reliance on suggestive support from the group itself. Technical (e.g., biofeedback) and pharmacological support are also included, as well as actions that result in something unpredictable which requires qualified interpretation from the teacher who facilitates the training process (as it happens in the holotropic breathwork system). Psychonetic techniques are transparent for the practitioner—the mechanism of how one can attain a particular predetermined result is understood in each and every detail. Psychonetic techniques lead to emergence of an entire new field of experience and new set of skills which result from the practice itself rather than from pre-given ontological and sacred contexts. Hence, it is more appropriate to call the person who conveys practical experience not with the terms such as “teacher” or “master,” but with the term “instructor,” which allows to shift the emphasis of work from the host of knowledge and skills towards the practice per se. After such a conclusion, it is only natural to use the terms “instruction” and “methodical corpus” rather than “teaching” in relation to psychonetics.
In a discussion of how psychonetics is different from other psychotechniques one should differentiate psychonetic practices aimed at (a) achieving a specific result and (b) training of methods for achieving specific results. In this context a practice may have such results as new experience that results in a novel understanding of oneself, the World, and Being. For pragmatic tasks result is what’s important, but in cases when the primary motivation of a practitioner is the search for unconditioned being the situation gets more complex. Understanding and skills result from a specific series of interior actions of the practitioner. These actions are defined by an instructor, an instruction or the practitioner himself or herself. In the first two instances the result of the practice is important, while in the third instance what’s important is the capacity of the practitioner to achieve his or her own result. Achievement of a result does not necessarily mean understanding of each and every step, and, hence, the result comes in the same way as a reaction to any external stimulus. Subjugation to a particular result contains an aspect of subjugation to various other factors of conditioning. The practitioner may transform his or her own consciousness as a result of identifying with the personality of an instructor, but in such “imitation” of the exemplar of freedom the aspect of conditional limitation will remain—one will be limited by an exemplar of freedom, a reflection of freedom, but not freedom in and of itself. There are two temptations that lead to such a state of affairs—one belongs to the side of an instructor, while the other belongs to the side of a practitioner.
The primary temptation of the instructor is to lead the practitioner towards the result which is needed. This is the position of a sculptor towards clay out of which sculptures are created; it’s the temptation of a demiurge. In this case the instructor creates “sculptures” rather than “sculptors.” The primary aim of psychonetics is to create “sculptors,” which requires transparency and understanding of each and every step. If results come from beyond, they become a limiting factor of conditioning similar to those which one is supposed to transcend. This is so-called trap of the orientation towards result: “the strongest breaks through and walks away,” but one who is weaker (which is majority) “gets entangled and dies” (i.e., his or her drive towards Freedom dies).
The primary temptation of the practitioner is to achieve a specific result. This is the position of clay as contrasted to sculptor. If, previously, limiting factors of conditioning consisted of cultural norms and psychic structures, now true freedom is replaced with (consecutively): the instructor, the instruction, and the working schemata that is turned into a totalized ontology. Instead of attaining freedom one becomes subjugated to a teaching of freedom (at best) or to the instructor who teaches freedom.
One should be aware that the situation of these temptations is predetermined by the contradiction that inherently lies in the very beginning of practice. One way or another, but a psychotechnique generates a result which is not preconceived, otherwise there would be no necessity in practice itself. The criterion of transparency is the capacity to reproduce the result using not the technique which led to this result but using the basic technique which allows to generate any preconceived and not-preconceived results. Let’s take a look at this in terms of examples of psychonetic practice.
Fig. 2. An example of a colored number table that is used in deconcentration exercises. Searching for a given colored number in a regular manner (namely by scanning the table with concentration) requires some time. Deconcentration of attention allows finding any requested colored number instantaneously. [Source: Wikipedia]
As it was mentioned above, learning of psychonetic techniques begins with two basic exercises: attention deconcentration (AdC) and will meditation (WM). The introductory exercise of forming AdC—suppression of switching of attention and equalization of attention across two parts of the visual field and two channels of stimuli (generation of thoughts and images)—leads to the state of “interior silence” (or “mental silence,” or emptying of thought and imagery contents). Usually, such a state has never been encountered by the practitioner in his or her previous life experience, so it manifests as an unexpected result that forcibly modifies previous experience. Modification of previous experience is a form of assimilation of new experiences, but in this case the new experience has intruded in a form which is beyond the practitioner’s expectations and plans. Here we come to a bifurcation point: either a series of ever-new experiences emerges which leads towards an ultimate experience or we acquire not just new experience but also the capacity to intentionally reproduce such experience outside of enacting AdC. In the former case we still witness a sort of being limited by the instructor or the instruction. In the latter case the movement towards an ultimate experience is also accompanied by liberation from external enactments that organize this movement.
Here we are helped with a second component of psychonetic practice—namely, will meditation. WM is practiced to discernment of the intent to perform an action. One starts to discern an amodal (i.e. devoid of any sensory manifestations) meaning (directionality) of intention which unpacks unto a particular action. WM allows to unpack the state of “mental silence” without exercising attention. The practitioner, therefore, becomes liberated from “the reign of a technique,” and he or she, by forming intentions which are different, attains the capacity to generate new states without using help of his or her own psychic automatisms. The movement to freedom (to awakening of free will) remains, but the practitioner’s own activity starts to play an increasingly important role. It manifests in creation of new techniques and methods. One should note that invention of new techniques is not the ultimate goal; rather, it is a way to go beyond the power of limiting factors of conditioning. It is especially important when one turns to purely meaning-based operations (this could be correlated with the operations with “no-forms” in some Buddhist schools) and, subsequently, enters the position of unconditioned generation of new forms of consciousness.
Oleg Georgievich Bakhtiyarov is a Ukrainian and Russian specialist in psychotechnical support of activities related to extreme and critical conditions and development of supranormative skills. He is the founder of Psychonetics—a psychotechnological framework of managing psychic (mental) and consciousness-related processes aimed at liberation from situational, psychophysiological, and cultural conditioning factors.
Oleg Bakhtiyarov graduated from the Faculty of Biology of Kiev State University in 1979; in 1979–1986 he worked at the Institute of Psychology of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences in Kiev (where he developed the method of attention deconcentration); in 1987–1988 he worked at the Research Institute of Material Science of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (where he developed the method of deconcentration as a component of training operators of complex systems); in 1996–1997 he worked in Kiev Military Institute for the Humanities of the Defense Ministry of the Ukraine (he trained methods of supporting the activities of soldiers in the conditions of low-intensity military conflicts). In 1988 he founded and became the director of TKO Perspektiva which was transformed into Prospective Studies and Developments (MP Perspektivniye Issledovaniya i Razrabotki). In 1999 he became the head of the University of Effective Development in Kiev. Since 2015, he is the director of the Institute of Psychonetic Studies and Inventions (Moscow). These organizations have been developing psychonetic methods and conducting training of methods to control processes of consciousness. Since 1980 till 1988 he served as the academic secretary of the Bioelectronics section of the Ukrainian Society of Science and Technology where psychotechnical methods were refined in the experimental groups of volunteers.
Oleg Bakhtiyarov participated in projects of developing psychotechnical support of managing BCI-devices (BCI stands for “brain-computer interfaces”). He is an author of several books: Post-Informational Technologies: An Introduction to Psychonetics (Psikhoinformatsionniye tekhnologii: vvedenie v psikhonetiku, Kiev, 1997), Deconcentration (Dekontesntratsiya, Kiev, 2003), Active Consciousness (Aktivnoye soznanie, Moscow, 2010), Technologies of Freedom (Tekhnologii svobody, Moscow, 2015).
http://ipir.ru/
Contact email: info.ipir@mail.ru
← 1/18 – Who benefits from vertical development in Russia today? 1/18 – Cultural Landscape: An Integral Perspective →
Brian McConnell on 12/21 – Further Integrating Integral - 12/31/2019
First, and perhaps foremost, "Further Integrating Integral" heralds the "sea-change" of a revolution in mainstream science spawned by David Sloan Wilson's well-qualified work relating to "group" and "multi-level selection" and its potential impact on "politics, economics, and business". Secondly, and once I better appreciated the practical working of Wilson's evolutionary perspective, transdisciplinary facets began presenting themselves with tangible prospects for integrating Graves', Kegan's, and Theory U's respective models.
Edward Berge on 12/21 – Nurturing our Humanity with Riane Eisler - 12/27/2019
Speaking of creating new language to define a partnership society, I call it hier(an)archical synplexity to differentiate it from hierarchical complexity. From this piece:* "There is ample evidence that the collaborative commons is not only emerging but already has a solid foothold in the transition away from capitalism. It also seems to be growing organically via its peer to peer principles, changing the very ethos of what it means for a system to organize. It integrates hierarchy with heterarchy in a distributed, networked format that transcends capitalism's dominant hierarchical, top-down structure. This format is where organizational levels no longer evolve in a strictly linear fashion of an ever-increasing complexity of growth but via the evolution of a folded, meshed, ecological sustainability, akin to what I've come to call hier(an)archical synplexity" (p. 90). From capitalism to the collaborative commons: http://integral-review.org/pdf-template-issue.php?pdfName=vol_15_no_1_berge_from_capitalism_to_the_collaborative_commons.pdf
Otto Laske on 6/16 – On Bhaskarian and Laskean Dialectics - 12/16/2019
This is the most perceptive article about my absorption of Bhaskar's work and the clearest sketch of 'Laskean' dialectic I have found. The reluctance of seeing in Bhaskar's work the beginning of a new dialogical epistemology is astounding to me; it seems to be easier to remain in a monological academic mode despite the pervasive and urgent need of listening-based dialogue at high levels of thinking the world over, not only in for-profit organizations. I think this is a sad story. For an attempt to turn the tide toward greater and pragmatic self-reflection based on adult-developmental research, see Jan De Visch's and my book on "Practice of Dynamic Collaboration" forthcoming at Springer in 2020. Thank you Michael for your very clear outline of the differences between Bhaskar's monological and my dialogical dialectic (which by the way owes a lot to Bruno Liebrucks, my Frankfurt teacher who wrote a 7-volume work on Hegel and his use of language, under the title of "Sprache und Bewusstsein", so far untranslated into English. I am convinced that knowledge of Liebruck's and my work could completely redefine the integral community's grasp of how the real world works.
Keifala Kanneh on 1/20 – Leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Development Process - 11/16/2019
Every element of your research is significant and thought provoking. It is one of the amazing research materials I have encountered. It is going to be very useful for my research. Great work!
Narumon Jiwattanasuk on 4/7 – An Integral Perspective of Peace Leadership - 10/25/2019
I've studied PHD Peace studies in Thailand. May I consult with you accordingly.
lofasz on Leadership Comments - 07/16/2019
I am genuinely happy to glance at this web site posts which consists of plenty of valuable facts, thanks for providing these information.
Sahnya on 1/15 – 4. Build the Arks (King Kong Song) - 07/05/2019
Michele Chaban on 06/29 – A Mindful Society (symposium), 24-27 May, 2019, Toronto Canada - 07/01/2019
Thank you for this remarkable outline of the AMS conference and your appreciaiton of what we are trying to accomplish through communal shifts in awareness and advocacy, of compassion in action at all levels of society.
Robert Gordon on 06/29 – Toward a Technology Infrastructure for the Second Tier - 06/30/2019
Extraordinary article Don. Just what I needed to read this morning. Joined so many dots for me on so many levels. Thank you Will reach out on LinkedIn Robert
Jules André-Brown on 1/15 – The Long and Winding Road: Leadership and Learning Principles That Transform - 06/27/2019
Thank you for this! I was struck by the powerful transparency of these insights. It seems like the volume of and quality of meetings here really made the difference. In my experience, it takes vulnerability and time to move from strategic planning as an event to strategic planning as a practice.
Celestine Eagle on 1/15 – The Long and Winding Road: Leadership and Learning Principles That Transform - 05/04/2019
Thank you for sharing this inspiring account of the journey to create an enriching MAL program. I am inspired and moved with emotion and excitement and look forward to furthering my knowledge, growing and learning more about myself and how to engage the world on a deeper level in order make a positive impact to everyone I encounter. Sincerely, Celestine.
Apostle O. Emmanuel Bassey on 4/7 – An Integral Perspective of Peace Leadership - 04/10/2019
I have served a total of 25 years at our National Police and on United Nation's Peace Mission. My practical experience, Master degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution and several exposure to leadership training have provoked my passion and love for Peace Leadership. I have to resign to take up the challenge through an NGO myself and team have put together. The world will be much safer if leaders and Peace and Security Sensitive in the discharge of their responsibilities. Any resource or partnership in Nigeria and Africa is welcome. Peace Leadership is what we need today.
Migi Gonzaga on 08/15 – Joyful Work: Re-imagining Engagement, Creativity and Performance - 03/06/2019
Hi Kirstin, is there a tool which you used to measure Joy at work.
Sue McGregor on 1/15 – Integral Dispositions and Transdisciplinary Knowledge Creation - 01/06/2019
Good afternoon. I just found your note, left in July last year. So sorry. I have not explored the idea of transintegration but I did find this using google search - have not tried to find the paper but I recommend contacting the author https://www.cci.utk.edu/biblio/trans-integration-theoretical-construct-inquiry
Robert Dox on 05/31 – Colin Wilson: Collected Essays on Philosophers - 12/27/2018
Colin Kidd published a book on the background to George Eliot's Mr Casaubon and co-edited a collection of essays on the Scottish novelist John Galt. He spoke at Yale on the fiftieth anniversary of Bernard Bailyn's By the way! The best essay writing service - https://www.easyessay.pro/ And Happy New Year!
Dr Sunanda S rathi on 8/31 – Excellence through Mind-Brain Development: The Secrets of World Class Performers. - 12/24/2018
Very informative.For mind development education in mother tongue is more useful.Whats your opinion
Dana Carman on 11/30 – Insight Guide's Listening Tips - 12/20/2018
Hi Laura, Great to see your picture and hear your voice. Big Love, Dana
Lex Neale lexneale.integral@gmail.com on 8/15 — Global Integral Competence for Cosmopolitan Communication - 12/09/2018
https://www.neuroquantology.com/index.php/journal/article/view/1267 http://integralleadershipreview.com/9013-the-aqal-cube-for-dummies/ Great article Kazuma. Hope you are able to still get this message. My above two links corroborate your ideas, and I regret I had not seen your work before they were published.
Terri O'Fallon on 11/30 – Insight Guide's Listening Tips - 12/01/2018
Beautiful article Laura! I love the way you layer the listening process. In gratitude Terri
Cuando tus compañeros te exigen que seas un Cerdo - Paradigma on 8/31 – Reinventing Organizations: “A Guide to Creating Organizations Inspired by the Next Stage of Human Consciousness” - 11/29/2018
[…] una mayor compresión de este tipo de modelo, recomiendo la lectura de Reinventing the Organizations de Frederic Laloux. En su libro, las organizaciones que aquí yo llamo convencionales, serían del tipo naranja y del […]
Archives Select Month December 2019 (17) June 2019 (17) December 2018 (1) November 2018 (12) August 2018 (6) July 2018 (10) May 2018 (14) April 2018 (1) November 2017 (6) August 2017 (25) April 2017 (15) November 2016 (7) August 2016 (22) June 2016 (1) April 2016 (14) March 2016 (13) February 2016 (1) January 2016 (14) December 2015 (1) November 2015 (8) October 2015 (12) August 2015 (31) July 2015 (5) June 2015 (12) April 2015 (16) February 2015 (14) January 2015 (26) December 2014 (3) November 2014 (7) September 2014 (10) August 2014 (19) July 2014 (1) June 2014 (4) May 2014 (5) April 2014 (7) March 2014 (19) January 2014 (16) December 2013 (9) October 2013 (6) September 2013 (7) August 2013 (19) June 2013 (26) March 2013 (35) January 2013 (34) December 2012 (4) November 2012 (37) August 2012 (33) June 2012 (28) March 2012 (21) January 2012 (27) December 2011 (2) November 2011 (20) October 2011 (11) September 2011 (1) August 2011 (27) July 2011 (3) June 2011 (23) May 2011 (1) April 2011 (1) March 2011 (29) January 2011 (73) October 2010 (6) June 2010 (37) March 2010 (24) January 2010 (28) October 2009 (23) August 2009 (22) June 2009 (23) March 2009 (19) January 2009 (22) October 2008 (28) August 2008 (25) June 2008 (24) March 2008 (17) January 2008 (17) November 2007 (19) August 2007 (16) June 2007 (21) March 2007 (16) January 2007 (16) October 2006 (13) August 2006 (13) June 2006 (14) March 2006 (9) December 2005 (9) September 2005 (10) July 2005 (10) April 2005 (8) February 2005 (8) December 2004 (8) October 2004 (7) August 2004 (6) May 2004 (9) April 2004 (5) March 2004 (7) March 2003 (8) February 2003 (5) January 2003 (6) November 2002 (9) October 2002 (7) September 2002 (7) August 2002 (6) July 2002 (7) May 2002 (6) April 2002 (6) March 2002 (6) February 2002 (6) January 2002 (7) December 2001 (5) November 2001 (4) October 2001 (4) September 2001 (5) August 2001 (5) July 2001 (5) June 2001 (4) May 2001 (5) April 2001 (4) March 2001 (6) February 2001 (3) January 2001 (1)
li • Sitemap • Log in
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line141
|
__label__cc
| 0.529005
| 0.470995
|
Advanced Wellbore Placement
Mud Motors
2019 Annual Meeting and Investor Materials
Shareholder Forms & Notices
Navigate Section
Nabors Industries Ltd. Fourth Quarter 2017 Earnings Conference Call Invitation
Company Release - 2/12/2018 6:07 PM ET
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Feb. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nabors Industries Ltd. (NYSE: NBR) invites you to join Anthony G. Petrello, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and William Restrepo, Chief Financial Officer, Wednesday February 28th at 10:00 a.m. Central Time for a discussion of operating results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017. Nabors will release earnings after the market closes on February 27th, 2018.
10:00 a.m. CT (11:00 a.m. ET)
Dial-in-number(s):
Participant Elite Entry Number:
Please call ten to fifteen minutes ahead of time to ensure proper connection. The conference call will be recorded and available for replay for one week, by 1:00 p.m. Central Time on February 28, 2018. To hear the recording, please call (877) 344-7529 domestically or (412) 317-0088 internationally and enter Participant Elite Entry Number: 10117080.
Nabors will have a live audio webcast of the conference call available on its website at www.nabors.com. Navigate to the Investor Relations page and then select Events Calendar to join the webcast. An electronic version of the earnings release and supplemental presentation will also be available to download from the website.
About Nabors Industries
Nabors owns and operates the world's largest land-based drilling rig fleet and is a provider of offshore platform rigs in the United States and multiple international markets. Nabors also provides directional drilling services, performance tools, and innovative technologies throughout the world's most significant oil and gas markets. Leveraging our advanced drilling automation capabilities, Nabors' highly skilled workforce continues to set new standards for operational excellence and transform our industry.
Media & Investor Contacts:
Dennis A. Smith, Vice President, Corporate Development & Investor Relations, at +1 281-775-8038.
Nick Swyka, Director, Corporate Development & Investor Relations, at +1 281-775-2407.
To request investor materials, contact Nabors' corporate headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda at +1 441-292-1510 or via email at mark.andrews@nabors.com.
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nabors-industries-ltd-fourth-quarter-2017-earnings-conference-call-invitation-300597513.html
SOURCE Nabors Industries Ltd.
© 2020 Nabors Industries Ltd. All rights reserved.Terms and Conditions
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line143
|
__label__wiki
| 0.961155
| 0.961155
|
William D. Nash, President and Chief Executive Officer, CarMax, Inc.
Mr. Nash has been president and chief executive officer of CarMax since 2016 and was elected to serve as a director of the board in 2016. He assumed the role of executive vice president, human resources and administrative services in 2012, where he oversaw human resources, information technology, procurement, loss prevention, employee health & safety and construction & facilities. In 2011, Mr. Nash was promoted to senior vice president, human resources and administrative services. Previously, he served as vice president and senior vice president of merchandising, after serving as vice president of auction services. He joined CarMax in 1997 as auction manager. Before joining CarMax, Mr. Nash, a CPA, held a variety of accounting roles at Circuit City.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line144
|
__label__cc
| 0.645158
| 0.354842
|
More info on Fissile
Fissile: Map
Categories: Fissile materials > Nuclear physics
Top rankings for Fissile
10th Top rock textures
In nuclear engineering, a fissile material is one that is capable of sustaining a chain reaction of nuclear fission.
By definition, fissile materials can sustain a chain reaction with neutrons of any energy. Thus the predominant neutron energy may be typified by either slow neutrons (i.e. a thermal system) or fast neutrons. Hence fissile materials can be used to fuel:
A thermal reactor, with a neutron moderator
A fast reactor, with no moderator
A nuclear explosive
Fissile vs fissionable
"Fissile" is distinguished from "fissionable". "Fissionable" are any materials that can undergo nuclear fission. "Fissile" nuclei are distinguished by their ability to sustain a chain reaction with low energy neutrons. For example, plutonium-239 is fissile but plutonium-240 can only sustain fast neutron chain reactions and is therefore fissionable. "Fissile" thus, is more restrictive than "fissionable" — although all fissile materials are fissionable, not all fissionable materials are fissile. A few writers even restrict the term fissionable to include only fissile materials.
Notably, uranium-238 is fissionable but will not sustain a neutron chain reaction. Neutrons produced by fission of e.g. U-235 have an energy of around 2 MeV (i.e. a speed of 20,000 km/s) and thus not readily cause fission of U-238, but neutrons produced by the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction have an energy of 14.1 MeV (i.e. a speed of 52,000 km/s), and can effectively fission U-238 and other non-fissile actinides. The neutrons produced by this fission are again not fast enough to produce new fissions, so U-238 does not sustain a chain reaction.
Fast fission of U-238 in the secondary stage of a nuclear weapon contributes greatly to yield and to fallout. The fast fission of U-238 also makes a significant contribution to the power output of some fast neutron reactors.
In the arms control context, particularly in proposals for a Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty, the term "fissile" is often used to describe materials that can be used in the fission primary of a nuclear weapon. These are materials that sustain an explosive fast fission chain reaction. One nuclide that is fissile under this definition but not the traditional nuclear physics definition is Np-237.
Fissile nuclides used as nuclear fuel
Capture-fission ratios of fissile nuclides
Thermal neutrons
Epithermal neutrons
σF
σγ
531 46 8.0% 233U 760 140 16%
585 99 14.5% 235U 275 140 34%
750 271 26.5% 239Pu 300 200 40%
1010 361 26.3% 241Pu 570 160 22%
Fissile nuclides in nuclear fuels include:
Uranium-235 which occurs in natural uranium and enriched uranium
Plutonium-239 bred from uranium-238 by neutron capture
Plutonium-241 bred from plutonium-240 by neutron capture. The Pu-240 comes from Pu-239 by the same process.
Uranium-233 bred from thorium-232 by neutron capture
Fissile nuclides do not have a 100% chance of fissioning on absorption of a neutron. The chance is dependent on the nuclide as well as neutron energy. For low and medium-energy neutrons, the neutron capture cross section for fission (σF), the cross section for neutron capture with emission of a gamma ray (σγ), and the percentage of non-fissions are in the table at right.
Which nuclides are fissile?
In general, most actinide isotopes with an odd neutron number are fissile. Most nuclear fuels have an odd atomic mass number (N = the total number of protons and neutrons), and an even atomic number (Z = the number of protons). This implies an odd number of neutrons.
More generally, elements with an even number of protons and an even number of neutrons, and located near a well-known curve in nuclear physics of atomic number vs. atomic mass number are more stable than others - and hence, less likely to undergo fission. They are more likely to "ignore" the neutron and let it go on its way, or else just to absorb the neutron. They are also less likely to undergo spontaneous fission, and have long half-lives for alpha or beta decay. Examples of these elements are U-238 and thorium-232. On the other hand, isotopes with an odd number of neutrons and odd number of protons (odd Z, even N) are short-lived because they readily decay by beta-particle emission to an isotope with an even number of neutrons and an even number of protons - (even Z, even N) - becoming much more stable. The physical basis for this phenomenon comes from the pairing effect in nuclear binding energy.
Nuclear fuel
To be a useful fuel for nuclear fission chain reactions, the material must:
Be in the region of the binding energy curve where a fission chain reaction is possible (i.e. above radium)
Have a high probability of fission on neutron capture
Release two or more neutrons on average per neutron capture (which means a higher average number of them on each fission, to compensate for nonfissions, and absorptions in the moderator)
Have a reasonably long half life
Be available in suitable quantities
Legal controls
The International Atomic Energy Agency used to categorize fissile materials according to their security requirements for transportation:
Fissile Class I: no controls
Fissile Class II: limits on amount of materials shipped
Fissile Class III: special shipping arrangements are needed
but these classes were replaced in the mid 1990s.
Fertile material
Fission product
Fissility (disambiguation)
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line145
|
__label__wiki
| 0.786918
| 0.786918
|
GOURMET MARKET
COFFEE SHOPS & BARS
HORCHATA REFRESHMENT STALLS
ARRANGE EVENTS
FRANCISCO MORA
INTERIOR DRAWINGS
Refurbishment mercadocolon 2016-09-20T20:20:23+00:00
THE PREMISES
The monument had to be restored due to its poor condition combined with the shortage of parking in the surrounding area and the need to combine the market space with other uses that were more in line with new requirements that had appeared over time. New grocery stores and shopping malls opened nearby, causing the original market to virtually come to a standstill.
As a result, it was decided to renovate the market. During the first phase, aside from restoring the building, a three-level underground parking was built along with a shopping mall in the lower ground floor. The second phase consisted of establishing this space as a commercial area.
RENOVATION AND EXPANSION
The first phase of the project involved complex excavation and support techniques in order to maintain the original structure. It consisted of three well-differentiated efforts in terms of their complexity, focus, and importance. The first step was to support, consolidate, and refit the existing foundation in order to excavate four levels below the existing ground level. The second step focused on restoring the historical bay, which showed signs of settling and significant rust at the joints of the original iron structure. The third step consisted of refurbishing the masonry facades and all the elements that had fallen or been modified in order to restore the building’s original appearance.
Downward-upward method
The market’s structural phase involved the complexity of shoring the masonry facades because the foundation had settled (causing many of the issues affecting the bricks) and of refitting the masonry to a new foundation in order to build the underground parking levels. A foundation was designed that would join the existing foundation with the new elements so the beams and piles would support the weight of the building at the new foundation level, thereby making it possible to excavate the land under the facades.
Since fairly deep excavations (14.75 meters) were required near to the surrounding roads and buildings, it was decided to build slurry walls that would serve as basement walls and also make it possible to dig below the underground water level, thereby limiting the negative effects of water on the building and eliminating the underground water during construction.
Once the walls were built, the downward-upward method was carried out. The first step was to drive concrete-steel piles through rotation from the ground level. The 1.2-meter diameter excavation reached a 14-meter depth, and the space between the pile and the perforation diameter was filled with gravel to create the pillars of the market’s new structure that would help support the floor of the ground level, which would be executed first. This was followed by digging to a depth of 7 meters and completing the intermediate floor level, which would also serve to prop the perimeter walls. The excavation continued to a depth of 15 meters and ended with the bottom floor. The process was completed by executing the two remaining structures in an upward direction. This process left a hole in the middle of the ground floor that linked with the level below. It also offered a view of the market and created an interconnected space that could be modified for new uses and allowed light to enter.
METAL STRUCTURE
A second initiative consisted of consolidating the original bay, which had settled and also showed signs of rust at the joints of the iron structures due to the fact that drainage elements from the roof had been placed inside each of the 36 columns that held up the bays.
Obstructed gutters and drains had progressively rotted the interior of the iron structure, and in certain areas only a few millimeters of severely rusted metal remained, so it was necessary to disassemble and repair, joint by joint, the entire structure in order to completely restore it.
Once the building had been structurally consolidated, the last part of the refurbishment process consisted of repairing the masonry facades that had worn down over time. This required cleaning systems that would not damage the decorative, ceramic, and mortar elements, and would restore the market’s exquisite colors and ornamentation. Hot water high-pressure cleaners were used for the tiling and micro-pulling for the cement, cracks were repaired with fiberglass rods, and the decorative elements that
were missing were replaced with reintegration mortar. The documentation that was obtained throughout the project (consisting primarily of old photographs, some of which were provided by market vendors) made it possible to identify missing ornaments, such as the strings of garlic or the dome tips on the Jorge Juan facade, which were replaced to restore this emblematic building of Modernism in Valencia to its original condition.
Mercado Colón © 2016 | Política de privacidad
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line147
|
__label__cc
| 0.647758
| 0.352242
|
This random collection of resources are ones that I find useful, so maybe you will, too.
Australian Science Fiction Foundation – formally established in 1976, partially to carry on the work of the 1975 Aussiecon, the first Australian World Science Fiction Convention. Its main purpose now is to sponsor and encourage the creation and appreciation of science fiction in Australia.
Australasian Horror Writers Association – of course.
British Fantasy Society – founded in 1971 as the British Weird Fantasy Society, an offshoot of the British Science Fiction Association. The society is dedicated to promoting the best in the fantasy, science fiction and horror genres.
CSFG – The Canberra Speculative Fiction Group – helps science fiction, fantasy and horror writers and illustrators develop their craft through critiquing, and sharing news and experiences.
Horror Writers Association – a worldwide organization of writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting dark literature and the interests of those who write it. A close cousin of ours, and an excellent writers resource.
Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America – the purpose of the SFFWA is to promote, advance, and support science fiction and fantasy writing in the United States and elsewhere, by educating and informing the general public and supporting and empowering science fiction and fantasy writers.
General Info and News
Australian spec-fic conferences – courtesy of Jason Nahrung’s excellent website. This is a pretty damn good list of all spec-fic events each year in Australia.
Bloody Disgusting – the best source for the latest horror movie news, videos, and podcasts. Watch scary movie trailers, and find the top streaming horror movies.
Hellnotes – all the latest information on people, places, events, markets, books, and happenings in Horror.
Horror.Net – the Web’s Deadliest Horror Network, with links to general horror sties, movie sites, art and fiction sites, and far, far more.
HorrorWorld – an online community for horror, including latest book releases, reviews and original fiction from some of the biggest names in the genre..
LitReactor – an interactive online community where writers improve their craft and readers celebrate their love for literature.
Tabula Rasa – a compendium of material on a number of esoteric subjects. Includes an indepth history of horror (in literature and on the screen), plus interviews with Australian writers, editors and publishers, and much more.
The Horror Show with Brian Keene – Each week Brian, Mary, Matt and Dave (along with occasional co-hosts Phoebe and Dungeonmaster 77.1) discuss the latest news in horror fiction, films, comic books, games and more, along with in-depth interviews with the genre’s biggest names!
Worlds Without End – a fan-run web site and growing online community, dedicated to identifying, reading and sharing the best Speculative Fiction books the genre has to offer.
Writer Beware – tracks, exposes, and raises awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry.
Markets that accept horror/sci-fi short stories and pay semi-pro to pro rates are a constantly changing landscape. The best resources for finding out what’s open are:
Duotrope – subscription-based but still an excellent site
The (Submission) Grinder – free and excellent
Dark Markets – online market guide for horror writers
Ralan – probably one of the oldest market resources around.
The Horror Tree – more than just a listing of horror markets.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line148
|
__label__wiki
| 0.735418
| 0.735418
|
Home / Blogs / Nao's blog
The student parliament: reflections on the Sunflower movement
The Taiwanese students movement against Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement with China was hardly a radical movement in any way, it nonetheless politicized a lot of people and perhaps opened up space for a more radical critique of existing relations. The following are a few reflections and impressions of events that took place in Taipei from middle of March to beginning of May.
During a demo on Tuesday evening, 18th of March, a group of students, professors (mostly from National Taiwan University) and other activists, who demanded that the government backs out of the service and trade agreement with China, forced their way in the building of the Taipei Legislative Yuan (Taiwan Parliament). With the support of the crowd outside the building they managed to hold on through the night. Next evening, when I first visited the area, crowds were occupying both roads parallel to the parliament, a stage and sound system was already set up. On the south road (Jinan lu), after a speech by one of the professors, a student came on the stage politely asking for a hundred volunteers to follow him to block the police who were trying to make some kind of a cordon into the government complex. Some few hundred people followed and pushed the cops to the crossroads. There was some scuffling with the police, but the whole thing was more of a mass persuasion then a fight; with the protesters shouting "Police, retreat!" （警察退后) and "If you don't make a move we won't make a move!" (警察不動我們不動). One could say that on the side of the police all attempts of evicting the parliament were mostly done in a more or less haphazard and very casual way. As far as their presence on the streets is concerned, in the first few days until Sunday (March 23), there very few police to be seen and they didn't really do much besides stand in front of the main entrance to the parliament. The police did cut electricity and water and tried to raid the assembly hall at first. Though the parliament building was mostly in control of the students, eventually some kind of agreement was reached with the police who were actually allowed to get in some parts of the building unobstructed. Until Monday 24th the police were not really using much force and there was also a constant rhetoric coming from the speaker podiums of police being there to protect everybody and just doing their job, and thanking them for their trouble (警察辛苦) and being generally very sympathetic and genial to the cops who had to stand long hours without rest. All in all, probably more cops received medical treatment due to exhaustion than injury. There were even students holding placards asking the people not to curse at the cops. Nonviolence was preached on almost all the podiums and every time a confrontation could happen the speakers would try to calm the crowd.
On Friday (March 21) one of the students wrote on the outside wall of the parliament in big stenciled letters: When dictatorship becomes reality revolution is a duty (當獨裁成為事實革命就是義務). There would at times be some leftish rhetoric coming from the speakers, but generally what one would hear from the sound systems would be bullshit of the liberal and nationalist kind. The crowds on the street would give a big round of approval when the speaker would say something like "we are just concerned citizens not DPP's assassins". What was coming from the stages was a lot of talk about democracy and peoples rights and not wanting Taiwan to change as if status quo was something ideal. The same went for the slogans that were shouted or written on banners and posters. They mostly focused around repelling the service trade agreement, on denouncing the “traitor” and “Chinese lackey” president Ma Yingjiu and the need to defend democracy against an autocratic government. A very popular slogan on t-shirts, stickers and posters which also conveyed the dominant ethos was: “We ourselves will save our own country” (自己國家自己救). The most often used slogan was "Back out of [the] service [and] trade [agreement]" (退回服貿) which was also the main demand of the movement. The demand stipulated that the review of the service and trade agreement had to be made via a new monitoring body for all further China-Taiwan relations. For the oppositional DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) the movement turned out to be a useful proxy to get their foot in the door regarding further negotiations whit mainland China.
A few words on the composition
I can say that on the first evening after the occupation (March 19th) people round the parliament were mostly young people/students, professors and activists, but there were more and more older people as it got late. So the people whit regular jobs would join in the after hours. The crowds got bigger during the first weekend (March 21-23), because there were a lot of supporters who came from other parts of Taiwan. But most of the people who came there would just walk around or listen to the speeches so the whole thing looked like a big political night market at times (but with much more arbitrary rules then a real night market). What I mean is that students imposed a lot of stupid regulations like the one that there had to be special permanent corridors for ambulances and delivery and literary nobody was allowed to "jaywalk" in this corridors. For most people who came there occasionally the experience of the whole thing would be that of passively listening to speeches and lectures (professors actually held lectures in front of the parliament), some of the people in the crowd, mostly students, would sit in the middle of the streets, while others were slowly moving on the sides of the street, with empty emergency corridors in between. So getting around was very frustrating and took a lot of useless meandering. In short, although the streets round the parliament were at times very congested, the whole thing was not that big and expect for the curriculum of a few universities the general functioning of city life and capital accumulation were not affected in any significant way.
For the protesters on the streets first few nights after the occupation were vigils. A lot of people spent the nights outside on cardboard, a few open canopies were set up. Only later did people start bringing tents and a permanent camp sprung up on Jinan lu. Very soon there were portable toilets on all the streets around the parliament, also distribution points for giving out free food, water and blankets, info-stands, battery charging stations, and first aid stations, and even some kind of a kindergarden at times... The movement also had an security detail that had a uncanny air of a proto-faschist militia. They were a group of camo waring machos calling themselves the EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians). These young men took upon them selves the task of “selflessly protecting the students”. I'm not sure how many of them were professional medical technicians, but on the streets round parliament they acted as some kind of security force protecting the student camp and occasionally beating up troublemakers.
The supplies students were using came mostly from donations by individuals who brought them them selves or had them delivered. In the three weeks of the occupation a more or less permanent community not based on monetary exchange, but relying on free distribution of material obtained from donators, was established. There were even a few small food vendors that would bring their stalls and give out free snacks. There also seemed to be a lot of support for the movement from other small businessmen. There were occasions when bakers donated hundreds of loves of bred, and the Sunflower (太陽花) movement actually got it's name after a florist donated a thousand sunflowers to the students.
Though I'm sure that the experience of living in an environment whit this kind of relations made an impression on a lot of people, I would say that for most students the movement was a communitarian experience which did not necessarily lead to any kind of an internationalist outlook or critical questioning of everyday life. Furthermore, if this was for many students and young people their first firsthand impression of a social movement it must have been, whit all the self-policing and arbitrary decision making, a very ambiguous experience.
Geography of ideology
Slowly a kind of a geographic segmentation of ideological spectrum which persisted during the whole of the occupation was established along the roads round the parliament. The occupying group (students, activists and professors who were actually in the parliament) were mostly addressing people on the north entrance (Qingdao lu) of the parliament. Near the intersection of the of Qingdao lu and Zhongshan nan lu you could occasionally find the Green party and also a small group of trotskyists (CWI) selling their magazine and calling for a general strike. Some fractions of DPP (民進黨), separatists and T-shirt vendors settled along Zhongshan nan lu.
There were also two debate corners. The one on the east part of Qingdao lu that was administered by NGOs engaged round issues of the handicapped and people suffering from occupational diseases. The corner had a strange name, it was called Peoples parliament (人民國會). Though the moderators there talked about direct democracy, they had really unorthodox notions of what that could be, at times they seemed to encourage people to get into politics and run for office, and debates would digress in to pointless discussion on pros and cons of parliamentary and presidential system or even phantasmic suggestions that "the Taiwanese citizens" should directly negotiate with the Chinese government. There was also a lot of moralizing mystification going on. For example, a debate about occupational disease and industrial pollution turned in to moralizing about lack of ethics among some employers who were described as black hearted bosses (黑心老闆). There was even a remorseful retired entrepreneur who described himself as a former black hearted boss and urged everybody not to "think only about money" when doing business.
The other debate corner, located on the west end of Jinan lu, which eventually grew in to a separate fraction of the movement and an occasional party place, was called Jianmin jiefang qu (賤民解放區) or Pariah/outcast liberation space in English. The corner was based on critique of "student vanguardism" dominating the movement and also turned out to be the only space where an internationalist agenda was discussed. It was first organized by some students and NGO activists who were displeased with the direction the movement was taking and also tried to challenge the notion of the "citizens" movement. It attracted a lot of students and mostly young workers that were disaffected with the students in the parliament whose decision making procedures and dealings whit authorities were perceived as obscure and problematic. This corner had a clear procedure for deciding what was going to be discussed. Although the quality of discussion varied they occasionally had some interesting and very long debates. One could say that this corner opened up a space where the generation of 22000NT (about 550 euros or the amount a university graduate could expect after finding a job) could discuss their pragmatic concerns about their present situation and their future through critical analysis of global economy. It also opened a space where individuals and groups with similar sympathies could engage in further discussion.
A few words on the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) or Black box service trade agreement (黑箱服貿）as it is popularly know due to its opacity. The whole thing was supposed to open up whole of Taiwan to mainland Chinese capital in sectors including management consulting, advertising, market research services, technical testing and analysis, consulting services related to science and technology, packaging, printing, exhibition services, mailing list editing, telecommunication, land transport of courier services, film import quota, construction services, environmental services, hospital services, social services, travel agency services, operation of theaters and sports facilities, sales and marketing of air transport services, storage and warehousing services, freight transport agency services, washing and cleaning services, hairdressing and other beauty services, funeral parlor and crematorium services, insurance, banking, and securities services. Both parties, Taiwan and China, made 64 and 80 commitments respectively. The agreement covers various aspects from commitments of market liberalization to promises of more transparency. The most immediately affected by this treaty would be middle class owners of small and medium businesses which would have to compete with Chinese firms. This would of course translate in to indirect pressure on the workers wages and working conditions. So the whole movement can not be simply understood as a liberal/nationalist response to integration with China or as an defensive movement of soon to be decomposed self employed and small employers and middle class since the trade agreement would carry on to affect the rest of working class as well. But the rhetoric in the media, the speaker podiums and by protesters themselves was often not focused on Chinese capital but Chinese migrants - the phantasmal millions of Chinese and their families that will flood Taiwan if the treaty was accepted. Furthermore, the inflow of Chinese capital was mostly not interpreted as an economic threat but as a threat to state security (國家安全), or (in case of publishing) a threat to media autonomy. The dominant discourse imposed was not that of opposing free trade but that of opposing economy being used for political goals, in other words: economic integration was interpreted as a mean of reunifying China and Taiwan. Thus the trade agreement was seen as an excuse the KMT and CCP are using to further their one China policy. In this context quite a few people made a point of the fact that they do not oppose free trade, but free trade with China. On the other hand, expect for a few debates at Jianmin jiefang qu, nobody really talked about the need of Taiwanese capital to consolidate their investments in China through political integration.
Broadening of the battlefield
On Sunday (March 23), when president Ma reaffirmed the decision to pass the trade agreement, tension broke out again and. Round 19:30 a crowd broke through the barbed wire barrier round the Executive Yuan. The first ones to enter used blankets to climb over the wire later they pried an opening on the southwestern entrance and knocked the barbed wire fence in the southeastern entrance, thus entering through both entrances on the south yard in front of the building. There was some scuffling with the cops at the main door and protesters, unable to force their way in, started braking the windows on the ground floor. Again it was mostly young people who entered the building. I guess the stairs were blocked by the cops, so a ladder was brought, and people started climbing to the first floor. People started bringing in the supplies immediately, but they did not really secure the building. The protesters just took a few rooms and there were big crowds in the yard in font of the entrance but most of the building and the yard in back of the building was controlled by the cops. Some people got hurt in the fights with the cops, three or four ambulances and also med-teams from the Parliament came and evacuated a few injured people. The "plan" was, I guess, another "non-violent" occupation. But it did not work out since there was a large police presence and for the first time cops in full riot gear were called in. One of the official reasons for the violent response was that it is illegal for citizens to enter the Executive Yuan. The police first started picking up people who did a sit-in on Beiping lu (street north of the Executive yuan) before one in the morning and latter moved in for the ones that were in the building and in the yard. I think they cleared the building before 03:00 but they were very slow at clearing the yard because the people there did another sit in, so they had to bring in the water cannon. It took them another 5 hours to disperse the crowd that was gathered round the southern entrances. They finally managed it at about 8 in the morning whit another water cannon attack. To my knowledge no tear gas or pepper spray were used. Although about 150 people were injured. All in all sixty people were arrested, but there was no active resistance against the police, beside the tire on one of the water cannons being slashed and a few plastic water bottles thrown at the cops.
During Monday there was some more and some less serious preparation for an eventual police eviction of Legislative Yuan. For example, the protesters moved some of the portable latrines to make a barricade on one of the streets. On another street they just placed a lot of plastic portable chairs upside down on the road and tied strings between the lamp poles, probably to make the potential action by the cops more inconvenient. I guess the cops were tired by the overtime they had to do on Monday morning and the government also decided that they got enough bad press for the time being, so they didn't go all the way. On Monday and Tuesday there were a few minor incidents of people using pyrotechnics or brandishing knives. A lot of these events were self-policed by the crowd who helped the cops restrain the troublemakers. Overall one could say that things were back to normal very quickly, with speeches and lectures from the podiums and most people just sitting on cardboard killing time.
The tide and the ebb
Sunday March 30th was, whit hundreds of thousands of people from all over Taiwan coming in to Taipei and occupying Zhongshan nanlu and other streets in the vicinity of the parliament, the "official" crest of the movement. Massive podiums and projector screens were set up on the road so that everybody in the crowd could get a good look of the spectacle they were participating in.
The police blocked a few blocks around the presidential offices whit barbed wire, but it was all uncalled for since the students turned out to be the best crowd control there was and the protesters were made incredibly pacific. The students just repeated the exercise they have been doing on the streets round the parliament for days only on a massive scale this time. People were again asked to sit in the middle of the streets in front of the screens and podiums, and all the streets had emergency corridors. The sanctitude of these corridors was again defended with polite but determined tenacity. All this left very little space for people who wanted to move around or do anything else beside sitting in the middle of the street listening to speeches. They were made to squeeze on the narrow sidewalks where it took ages to get anywhere. The Sunday spectacle lasted until evening, when the show was over people were asked to pack up, pick up their trash and go home.
In many ways the Sunday event was quite scary. There was even more nationalist rhetoric than usual. A speaker on one of the small podiums was even trying to make a point that the Taiwanese are racially different from the mainland Chinese, and he actually had quite a big and appreciative audience. What was even more disturbing is that students never made any effort to stop this kind of rhetoric or at least address it as problematic. Of course many students themselves harbor more or less subtle anti-Chinese sentiments.
The official end of the movement came on April 10th. This was the date by which the occupying core, after deciding that their demands were met, promised to vacate the parliament. But some protesters (mostly separatist) were not willing to leave the square in front of the parliament. The police, in spite of previous insurances that they would not use force against people who wanted to stay, responded with an eviction on the morning of April 11th in which one of the protesters was hurt. In response a crowd demanding the apology and resignation of Zhongzheng First Precinct police chief gathered in front of the police station. The event was again a spectacle of a crowd simultaneously protesting police brutality and at the same time assisting police in apprehending violent troublemakers.
There is no doubt that the movement did politicize a lot of students, this has been visible in the end of April in the massive occupation of the main street outside Taipei Railway Station in protest against opening of a new nuclear power plant. And again in the large number of young people participating in the May Day parade. But it did not go beyond politicizing. Although the movement was interesting in some of it's communal aspects, it was as a whole in no way a radical movement that would challenge or at least question existing relations. Moreover, the students who were perceived as the vanguard during the Sunflower movement (and acted accordingly) perpetuated the imperative of nonviolent tactics and an uncritical attitude towards police. It is no surprise that the April antinuclear demo ended in a passive sit-in with the cops hosing the protesters, and that just three days later, during May Day parade, a lot of students were carrying placards in support of letting the police establish their own unions... But all this makes sense if the student leaders are planing to get in to the parliament again, only this time through the ballot.
Hulihutu
Nao's blog
Nào (闹) is unrest, noise, uproar. It stands for the proletarian troublemakers, for the revolts of peasants, workers and the unemployed against expropriation, exploitation and exclusion.
Chāi (拆) is the character of the regime. The state's demolition squads paint it on houses to tell the inhabitants to move out. It stands for the destruction not only of houses but of the preexisting social fabric.
This destruction and these revolts lead to the formation of a new social power. Investigations and analysis of this dual process will be the focus of this multilingual blog, Nào. We will irregularly post translations, reports and comments on China-related news, books, films, etc., along with reposts of sources we recommend.
For background on China, please see our lists of recommended articles, books, films, and websites here. (Updated October 21, 2014.)
Featured posts on Nào blog:
* The poetry and brief life of a Foxconn worker: Xu Lizhi (1990-2014)
* Twenty-five years since the Tiananmen protests: Legacies of the student-worker divide
* The new strikes in China
* New foundations for struggle and solidarity: The culmination of development and privatization on a Guangzhou Island
* Black vs. Yellow: Class Antagonism and Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement
* The student parliament: reflections on the Sunflower movement
* Chinese peasant struggles from 1959 to 2013
naochina@gmx.com
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line149
|
__label__wiki
| 0.599606
| 0.599606
|
Update yourself about the MCA-Vanuatu Project.
Website:www.mcavanuatu.gov.vu
About MCA-Vanuatu
Quarry Royalty Payment
Grass Planting
Where's the Road at now?
Road Update
Santo Work
Very good progress is being made with sealing on Santo and the sealing crew have now progressed through Hog Harbour and reached the Blue Hole at the 50 km mark. It is anticipated that the seal will reach Port Olry this weekend. This new seal is being completed to the full 6 m width. Once the sealing crew have reached Port Olry they will return to the start of the Project length and widen the previously completed seal from 5 m to 6 m.
Efate Work
While awaiting the return of the sealing crew from Santo so that final section of second coat seal between Eton and Rentabao can be completed the construction crews on Efate have been undertaking a series of minor jobs necessary to achieve Project completion. These include entrance construction, quarry rehabilitation and the installation of gabion baskets to protect the road formation near the Mele Cascades.
The planting crew from Eton Village are making good progress with establishing grass in the table drains near the village and will shortly relocate to the La Cressonniere area.
A start will be made on the installation of a two cell box culvert at Dry Creek in late September.
Posted by Millennium Challenge Account-Vanuatu at 3:02 PM 0 comments
Widening the Sealing of the Santo East Coast Road
Widening the Sealing of the Santo East Coast Road: Deepening the Vanuatu , United Sates of America and New Zealand Partnership
The Minister for Finance and Economic Management Sela Molisa, the Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities Serge Vohor, the U.S Ambassador to Vanuatu Teddy Taylor and the NZ Minister for Foreign Affairs Murray McMully, today announced plans to widen the upgraded Santo East Coast Road from 5 Meters to 6 meters, consistent with the seal width on the Efate Ring Road. This work, at an additional cost of US$648,575 has been achieved through collaboration, goodwill and good management.
The Hon. Sela Molisa opened today’s media conference “ We are pleased to announce that the prayers of the people of Santo have been answered. The whole of the 57 km seal on the Santo East Coast road will be widened from 5 meters to 6 meters. This is a great 30th Independence Anniversary gift for the people of SANMA Province” he stated.
The road projects, part of a five year US$65.69 million Vanuatu Millennium Challenge compact are bolstering the country’s transportation infrastructure by upgrading the Efate Ring Road and the Santo East Coast road. The overall objective is to reduce poverty and increase incomes by stimulating economic activity through these roads improvements. The Compact also aims to strengthen the ability of the Government including the Public Works Department to maintain and sustain infrastructure assets.
Initially, challenges such as a rise in cost of construction downscaled plans to complete both roads. Last year, the New Zealand Government, working in collaboration with the MCA-Vanuatu and the Government of Vanuatu, offered to provide additional funds of NZ$14million.
To avoid cost overruns, the seal on the Santo road was first restricted to only 5 meter width. MCA-Vanuatu and the design and build contractors, Downer EDI Works , worked to drive maximum value from the available funds and make savings in the hope that the Santo road seal width could be considered. The people of Santo have supported the road-works and have continued to pray that funds would be found for the sealing widening.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, the Hon. Serge Vohor, acknowledged the efforts of his Ministry’s team on Santo and the contribution by the Public Works Department and the SANMA Provincial Government of a stockpile of some 200 cubic meters of 5mm aggregate. This contribution helped to significantly reduce the cost of the seal widening.
The NZ Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Murrray Mc Cully paid tribute to the efforts of Downer EDI Works in its work to ensure that the road are completed on time and within budget. “I am pleased to learn of the positive impacts the roads are having on the movement of people and goods”. He also welcomed the Government of Vanuatu’s Commitment to protecting this investment by ensuring the roads are maintained to a high standard.
Ambassador Teddy Taylor praised the Prime Minister and his Senior Ministers for their whole of Governments commitment and leadership of the Compact and the solid management by the MCA-Vanuatu Steering Committee and Unit. “Vanuatu continues to be a role model for the South Pacific”, he said. “ The impact of this small compact has been huge, from life-saving access to health services, reduced costs in accessing education, better access to market, end impetus to new business development”
In concluding the event, Minister Molisa stated “The MCA-Vanuatu Compact is achieving more than just building the roads. It is strengthening partnerships between communities and Provincial and National Government, and consolidation friendships with the people of the United States of America and New Zealand. By working together, we will be able to widen the seal and provide safer and more sustainable road for Santo”
MCA-Vanuatu has advised that the road-works on both Efate and Santo, including the extended seal on Santo, are expected to be certified for takeover in October 2010, ahead of schedule. It is expected that the celebrations to mark the completion of the road program will held late January/ early February, with the Vanuatu Compact Completing in April 2011.
Vanuatu's MCA Program consist of two principal components:
•civil works for the reconstruction of priority transport infrastructure on eight islands, covering roads, wharfs, airstrips, and warehouse; and
•institutional strengthening efforts in Vanuatu's Public Works Department, including the provision of plant and equipment for maintenance to facilitate the sustainability and maintenance of infrastructure assets.
However due to various unforeseen economic circumstances the scope of work has been reduces to funding only two road projects on the two main islands namely; Efate and Santo. There is also a reduction is the scope of the institutional strengthening component of the program.
The Government of the Republic of Vanuatu has received a grant from the Government of the United States of America through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to support a five-year Program of investments in the Transport Sector, aimed at facilitating poverty reduction through economic growth. Vanuatu is now in the implementation phase of the program. The Program was developed by the country through a consultative process, is designed to reduce poverty through infrastructure development to enable farmers in rural areas to get their produce to the markets and to foster development of the tourism industry.
The Government of Vanuatu has established MCA-Vanuatu as an independent Unit within the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management to be the legal entity responsible for the oversight and management of the implementation of the Compact. The MCA-Vanuatu Steering Committee and Management Unit have principal responsibility for thverall management of the implementation of the Program in a timely, effective, efficient and results-oriented manner in accordance with the terms of the Compact and relevant Supplemental Agreements.
Originally Vanuatu’s MCA Program (“Program”) consisted of two principal project activities: (i) civil works for the reconstruction or construction of priority infrastructure on eight islands, covering roads, wharfs, airstrips and warehouses (the “Infrastructure Activity”); and (ii) institutional strengthening efforts in the Public Works Department (“PWD”), including the provision of plant and equipment for maintenance of the infrastructure (the “Institutional Strengthening Activity”). However due to various unforeseen economic circumstances the scope of work has been reduced to funding only two road projects on two islands with a reduce scope of institutional strengthening.
Blog Archive September (1) August (4)
Millennium Challenge Account-Vanuatu
Port Vila, Shefa Province, Vanuatu
How is MCA-Vanuatu contributing to the Maturity development of Vanuatu?
MCA-Vanuatu 2010 www.mcavanuatu.gov.vu. Picture Window theme. Powered by Blogger.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line150
|
__label__wiki
| 0.52909
| 0.52909
|
Picture Past
Ted Thirlby
Visual Arts mary gregory | July 3, 2018
image: adam weiss
“I’ve been getting these pieces of old discarded plywood. I find they call to me.” It’s a call Ted Thirlby has been answering for decades. He’s worked wood, carved it, bent it to his will and found creative inspiration in its grains, textures and surfaces since his early exhibitions in the 70s and throughout a career in construction and cabinetmaking. Lately it’s become a process of rescue, respect, reuse and resurrection. Through a push-pull, yin-yang interaction between the found and the formed, his abstract paintings on salvaged plywood breathe new life into old material.
Related Content: 9 in Art
“I get these pieces that are very destroyed, and I’m moved to then paint on them. I describe it as a sort of gentle process. I try to be respectful to what they are and their history and all the history and energy that they already have accumulated…I not so much alter the energy as merge with it. There’s a great paradox which is the randomness of our lives. If you think about science and the origins of the universe, there’s a randomness…we’re just specks…but then, we’re human. We think. We do things with intention. So it’s somehow gently putting some intention on all this randomness.”
Duality and dichotomy are central in Thirlby’s work. Large, battered, discarded sheets of wood are tinted and topped with fluid, elegant lines and elemental shapes, then crowned with touches of gold. They transcend their original selves and speak to one’s salvation and redemption.
Gravitational arcs, planets, stars and orbits come to mind through his use of circles, lines and ellipses. “I think these geometric shapes have something to do with our brains and the way they work. They carry with them meanings for us.”
Biblical and religious references inspired by Fra Angelico’s frescoes in the convent of San Marco in Florence enter the conversation through titles like “Lamentation,” “The Transfiguration” and “Visit of the Magi.” Through that lens, Thirlby’s golden circles recall halos or arches on altars. “The Ninth Mode” references St. Dominic, the patron of astronomers and his method of prayerful walking. Thirlby’s incised lines suggest deeply traveled spiritual paths. His works embrace time and eternity, randomness and precision, the mundane and the sacred.
“The process of making them is meditative, and I think looking at them is meditative. This is an artistic process that can bring me, and hopefully others, into a place where those parts of reality are conjoined…it can take weeks or months, but when I finally get one right and the rhythms and the colors, the relationship of the shapes to what the plywood has presented to me, all somehow start to flow together, there’s an ecstatic place there where you’re experiencing those things together.
“I want people to be able to see the inherent beauty in these pieces of plywood and thereby start to look around and feel the energy of things around them and understand the place of those objects in the universe and our own relationships to them…I believe that there are levels of communication and thoughts that cannot be verbalized. There are things that can’t be said in words.”
‘Three Identical Strangers’ Explores ...
Garance Werthmuller
Beauty in simplicity
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line151
|
__label__wiki
| 0.740275
| 0.740275
|
Postcode search
Register your location
London Wimbledon Studios
Central Holborn Production Offices
Landsec Collection
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/b2aaaba6_fullwatermarked.1 (7)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/f4beefbf_fullwatermarked.1
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/eb227779_fullwatermarked.1 (13)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/2e1201c6_fullwatermarked.1 (1)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/2509da5f_fullwatermarked.1 (2)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/35ce978b_fullwatermarked.1 (4)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/2bce9971_fullwatermarked.1 (5)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/d2f58afa_fullwatermarked.1 (6)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/ac1224d9_fullwatermarked.1 (11)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/81fec5d8_fullwatermarked.1 (12)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/a6fac8db_fullwatermarked.1 (8)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/41239f72_fullwatermarked.1 (9)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/cc844b6f_fullwatermarked.1 (14)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/197054dd_fullwatermarked.1 (16)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/c2355374_fullwatermarked.1 (20)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/7f038095_fullwatermarked.1 (18)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/11b27a6e_fullwatermarked.1 (19)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/2a19b37a_fullwatermarked.1 (23)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/a7d7457e_fullwatermarked.1 (17)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/bcf03cfb_fullwatermarked.1 (21)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/bd94bc5f_fullwatermarked.1 (22)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/000b894e_fullwatermarked.1 (27)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/084ca0a1_fullwatermarked.1 (28)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/5ebba479_fullwatermarked.1 (29)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/b55528b3_fullwatermarked.1 (26)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/416e4bdb_fullwatermarked.1 (24)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/d84b2d4b_fullwatermarked.1 (25)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/ab8a896c_fullwatermarked.1 (30)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/b8f09936_fullwatermarked.1 (32)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/d116330e_fullwatermarked.1 (34)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/28aed44e_fullwatermarked.1 (33)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/8a717e5e_fullwatermarked.1 (35)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/e1922715_fullwatermarked.1 (36)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/7b709a44_fullwatermarked.1 (37)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/082a0664_fullwatermarked.1 (38)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/695e48cc_fullwatermarked.1 (39)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/12360faf_fullwatermarked.1 (40)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/3efc2db4_fullwatermarked.1 (41)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/4ee3daa3_fullwatermarked.1 (42)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/f0f41321_fullwatermarked.1 (44)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/b8006141_fullwatermarked.1 (45)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/c46cfb10_fullwatermarked.1 (46)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/e7e1df47_fullwatermarked.1 (48)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/e334f6a3_fullwatermarked.1 (47)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/995b7566_fullwatermarked.1 (49)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/bc8fa534_fullwatermarked.1 (50)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/988fb5a0_fullwatermarked.1 (52)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/6ef7ce88_fullwatermarked.1 (57)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/302f98ec_fullwatermarked.1 (53)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/932bde12_fullwatermarked.1 (59)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/df12135f_fullwatermarked.1 (54)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/a223f264_fullwatermarked.jpg
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/fce81238_fullwatermarked.1 (61)
http://location-collective.co.uk/media/locations/0/0/0/0/5/7/6/5/6bd11c4e_fullwatermarked.jpg
Download a PDF version of this location
ENGLAND - South East (more than 50 miles from London)
Historical country home with traditional features and wood panelling, in a cluster with three other film friendly houses, see 5766, 5767 & 5768. OX3
Located in Oxfordshire
Residential > Basements and cellars - domestic
Residential > Bedrooms > Children's bedrooms
Residential > Living rooms > Unmodernised
Residential > Kitchens > Contemporary
Residential > Dining rooms > Family
Residential > Bathrooms > Contemporary
Residential > Garden / exterior space > Sheds / greenhouses
Residential > Garden / exterior space > Family
Public spaces / services / buildings > Public libraries > Libraries - all
Public spaces / services / buildings > Public libraries > Traditional
Residential > Grounds & gardens > Driveways
Residential > Bathrooms > Bathrooms - all
Residential > Bedrooms > Bedrooms - all
Residential > Staircases - domestic > Staircases - all
Residential > Dining rooms > Dining rooms - all
Residential > Kitchens > Kitchens - all
Residential > Living rooms > Living rooms - all
Residential > Corridors / hallways - domestic
Residential > Studies / home offices / libraries > Studies / home office - all
Residential > Studies / home offices / libraries > Unmodernised
Residential > Garden / exterior space > Garden all
Residential > Entrance halls - domestic > Entrance halls - all
Residential > Entrance halls - domestic > Stately / period
Residential > Houses > Country homes (not manors)
Residential > Houses > Family
Residential > Kitchens > Family
Residential > Kitchens > Open plan
Residential > Living rooms > Family
Residential > Dining rooms > Country
Residential > Bedrooms > Country
Residential > Bedrooms > Unmodernised
Residential > Staircases - domestic > Period / traditional
Residential > Dining rooms > Unmodernised
/ Register your location
/ Members' area
/ London Wimbledon Studios
/ Central Holborn Production Offices
/ Landsec Collection
/ Meet the Team
/ Terms of Use
/ Sitemap
© Copyright 2020 The Collective
Website by White October
4th Division Bisley Rifle Camp ExCel London
Goldsmiths Hall HDS Studios The Banking Hall
Wellesley Barracks
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line153
|
__label__wiki
| 0.576669
| 0.576669
|
Was Michelin involved in human rights abuse in India?
While it is reducing the number of its workers in France, Michelin is preparing to open up a new tyre factory in India. Tax and labour legislation exemptions are at the heart of the project, which is provoking the wrath of local communities, who have seen their livelihood destroyed. The French union CGT and several Indian and French NGOs argue that the project constitutes a violation of the "OECD guidelines" which transnational corporations such as Michelin are supposed to respect as a matter of social responsibility. However, economic leaders and the French government seem to be fixated on a regressive conception of corporate responsibility.
This article was originally published, in a slightly different version, in French. Translation: Gillian Morris.
The brand new Indian factory, one of Michelin’s main investments abroad, is located close to the village of Thervoy, in the state of Tamil Nadu. This truck tyre factory will be Michelin’s biggest in India, with 1,500 workers. The conditions under which the project was awarded to the French company has been denounced by an unusual coalition of local social movements, French NGOs and trade unions. The industrial site is located on the traditional lands of a dalit ("untouchables") community, which has been transformed into a "special economic zone" (SEZ). SEZ are zones with extraterritorial status designed to attract investors, where transnational companies are granted extremely advantageous legal and fiscal conditions, as well as exemptions from normal labour standards.
Indian authorities had thus "prepared" the ground for Michelin. According to local organizations, approximately 6,000 villagers have been dramatically deprived of their livelihood. 456 hectares of forest (the equivalent of half of the Bois de Vincennes in Paris) have been cut down, water supplies have dried up, and pasture land for cattle has been damaged. Although Indian law theoretically recognises the traditional rights of dalit communities, in practice this recognition does not carry much weight in the face of the economic and political elites’ appetites. Villager’s protests have been violently suppressed. Several demonstrators have been imprisoned, or have become the target of legal proceedings.
"Human rights breaches"
According to the French trade union CGT, the CCFD (a French NGO), and Sherpa (a support organisation for victims of corporate abuse), which have been promoting the cause of the dispossessed communities in France, Michelin is guilty of "negligence (...) of its human rights obligations". The transnational company, headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, "failed to take the necessary measures to prevent violations of the community’s human rights and of their environment" and remains "unfazed by the numerous demonstrations and legal procedures filed against local authorities." Why should Michelin be held responsible, and not just Indian authorities? It is the first, and one of the only companies to have established itself in the industrial zone: the only other foreign firm in the special economic zone is one of Michelin’s Belgian subcontractors... The three French organisations believe that the group should be held responsible for the consequences of its decision to locate a factory there.
Together with two Indian organisations (Tamil Nadu Land Rights Federation and Thervoy Sangam), in July 2012, they brought the matter before a body responsible for promoting the OECD guidelines for multinational corporations [1]. These (voluntary) "guidelines" are a series of recommendations on issues such as human rights, professional relations, environmental impact, and the prevention of corruption. In each country, a "national contact point" (NCP) is established as to investigate alleged violations of these principles by transnational corporations. In France, the NCP is composed of officials from five ministries (Economy and Finance, Labour, Social affairs, Foreign affairs, Environment), business representatives (Medef) and unionists, under the authority of the Minister of the Economy and Finance. NCP decisions are supposed to be taken by consensus, and are based on a minimalist set of requirements in terms of human rights, workers rights and environemental sustainability. The system is hardly revolutionary, especially since the NCP has no investigative capacity or normative power whatsoever.
"Superficial" impact studies
A year later, in September 2013, the French NCP handed in its conclusions, which exonerate Michelin from any formal violation of human rights, while remaining quite ambiguous with regards to the company’s actual responsibility. On the one hand, "the NCP believes that the establishment of Michelin’s factory was not the cause of direct violations of human rights to life and livelihood as established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and "argues that the Michelin Group cannot be held responsible for Tamil Nadu police’s intervention methods". On the other hand, however, the NCP has identified several "deficiencies", such as the lack of regard for "the expression of the local people’s point of view", gaps in the impact studies on the environment or human rights, or in fact the absense of any in-depth impact study [2]. If "the group has not brought about human rights abuses", it should however establish "an adequate reparation and prevention policy". If it hasn’t been involved in any human rights abuse, what needs to be repaired? Go figure.
For the plaintiff organisations, the NCP conclusions are a "caricature". "Anxious not to interfere with the company (...), the NCP contradicts itself", argue CCFD, CGT and Sherpa. "How can the NCP conclude that the group ’has avoided being the cause of negative impacts and has taken measures as soon as these incidents occurred’, without a decent impact study? How can the NCP reckon there was no adverse environmental impact when the impact studies are not up to standards, as the NCP itself is forced to acknowledge?" Worse too, according to the plaintiffs, the NCP’s conclusions seem to have been deliberately tailored to benefit Michelin in the legal proceedings taking place in India, notably at Delhi’s Environmental Tribunal [3]. Never have the Indian organisations involved in the complaint against Michelin been invited to come and defend their point of view. In the meantime, serious criticism from officials seems to have been ignored. A confidential report from the Environment Ministry, revealed by Mediapart, clearly states that "environmental impact studies are superficial and insufficient" and heavily criticises other aspects of Michelin’s defence.
Michelin has signed signed an agreement with Tamil Nadu state, which has granted the French company exemptions from regulations over working hours, night work for women and strong restrictions over the right to strike (mandating a 14 days prior notification and the use of public force in cases of conflict). Nevertheless, the NCP seems satisfied with Michelin’s "promise" to respect the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) norms, and implement new impact studies to support its social responsibility commitments.
Michelin did not wish to respond to our questions. In the past, the company has pointed out that it has made a lot of philanthropic investments in the region. It has opened a French school in Chennai (60km from the factory) and created several mobile medical centres. This philanthrophy does not excuse, or compensate for, possible violations of the local community’s rights, damage to the environment, tax exonerations and labour law exemptions...but it was nevertheless praised by the NCP. "The NCP is confusing CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility] with philanthrophy", respond the plaintiffs. Such a confusion seems outdated, and is all the more shocking coming from the body supposed to be the champion of corporate social responsibility in France. In the absence of any fiscal contribution from Michelin, Tamil Nadu citizens will have to do with the French group’s good works.
Delocalisation and social irresponsibility
Whilst the big French groups are becoming more and more internationalised (Michelin has only 21% of its employees in France), the NCP/Michelin affair casts serious doubts over the French government’s desire to encourage these "national champions" to implement real measures of social responsibility. The brand new "French CSR Platform" is unlikely to bring change, because of business backpedalling and governmental inertia. As for the legal proposition prepared by a small group of members of parliament with NGOs and trade unions, it has little chance of success in the current context.
Coincidence? Whilst it was establishing its new factory in India, last June, Michelin confirmed that it was getting rid of 700 employees in its factory in Joué-lès-Tours (Indre-et-Loire). Any direct or indirect relation between the two events was refuted by the company, which assures that the new factory’s production will be exclusively destined for the Indian market. Beyond Michelin’s case, the link between delocalisation in France and more than dubious social and environmental responsibility abroad is blatently obvious. "The social movement can no longer merely denounce industrial delocalisation on an abstract level. Not only does delocalisation creates unemployment amongst us, but it often destroys the living conditions of the South’s poorest", explains the CGT. The Michelin case has succeeded in uniting unions, NGOs and local communities in India; it was being perhaps one more reason, for French political and economic elites, to deal swiftly with the NCP procedure and let Michelin essentially off the hook.
Olivier Petitjean and Ivan du Roy
Photo: CC Dimitri Robert
[1] Read here.
[2] Read here the NCP conclusions (in French).
[3] See the detailed analysis of the NCP conclusions by the plaintiff organisations (in French).
emerging countries
OECD Guidelines
Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Investment
Multinationals involved
Confédération générale du travail (CGT)
CCFD Terre solidaire
Unions and Climate Sharan Burrow: « If a company refuses to have a plan for decarbonisation and preserving jobs, ultimately they are targets for divestment. »
The EU and the Corporate Impunity Nexus Treaty Report Case Studies
Climate Naomi Klein: "If you can marry an economic justice agenda with climate action, people will fight for that future"
France Salsigne: A Century of Mining, 10,000 Years of Pollution?
Influence After their attacks on climate science, industrial lobbyists target the scientific evidence on air pollution
New publication Business and human rights: the European hypocrisy
Yémen: derrière la guerre, la mainmise de Total sur le gaz | Mediapart
All content on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons License | Credits | SPIP
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line155
|
__label__wiki
| 0.618098
| 0.618098
|
Nevada Brothel Association
Nevada’s Legal Brothels
January 10, 2020 By NBA Staff
RGJ: Nevada’s highest-paid sex worker based in Lyon County
(Amy Alonzo | Reno Gazette-Journal) – Lyon County sex worker Alice Little was the highest paid courtesan within in the state for 2019 and was named “Companion of the Year” for the third consecutive year.
Little, 29, works at the Moontlite Bunny Ranch in Mound House.
The title of “Companion of the Year” is awarded to the highest-earning courtesan from the company’s network of Nevada bordellos, making Little the most financially successful licensed prostitute in the United States.
Little brought in about $1.2 million in 2019, more than twice that of the second-highest earning sex worker. …
“If I can do it, anybody can do it. I’m a 4-foot 8-inch redhead. I’m not a supermodel … I’m proud of the work that I do and I’m honored to be publicly recognized as a successful prostitute.”
Click here to read full article
Filed Under: In the News
January 4, 2020 By NBA Staff
PVT: “Lock-down” rule for courtesans removed from Nye County code
(Left-right: Sheriff Sharon Wehrly, courtesan Kourtney Chase, brothel consultant Chuck Muth)
(Robin Hebrock | Pahrump Valley Times) – When the initial draft of the most recent changes to Nye County Code Title 9 was proposed late last year, the inclusion of an expanded “lock-down” rule for the courtesans elicited instant indignation among those who work in and support the brothel industry.
Sex workers and brothel advocates took a firm public stance against what they felt to be overly-restrictive limitations of the courtesans’ personal time, and in response, Nye County decided to scrap the proposed expanded “lock-down” policy which called for the sex workers to be allowed off brothel premise for just six hours every 10-day period.
Going even further, the Nye County Commission has now officially removed all references to restrictions of the courtesans’ ability to leave brothel property, voting to delete the existing section that calls for medical testing any time a courtesan is away from the brothel for more than 24 hours.
The brothel code amendments went before the the Nye County Commission at its Dec. 17 meeting, where several representatives of the brothel industry were present.
Courtesan Kourtney Chase started off by detailing that she works at the Chicken Ranch. She focused her comments on the existing portion of the code calling for medical testing whenever a courtesan leaves the brothel for more than 24 hours.
“Today is Dec. 17, which actually happens to be International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, which I feel is the perfect day to stand up and try to make work conditions better for my peers,” Chase stated. “What other legal type of workers in the United States have to be locked away because of the risks of their job? None of them. Just look at porn stars, who have been statistically shown to have a higher rate of STD transmission than legal brothel workers.”
Using protection, Chase asserted, is the only way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Testing, she stated, is merely a way to monitor a courtesan’s health and does nothing to stop the courtesan from getting a sexually transmitted disease or transmitting it, because certain STDs can take weeks or even months to show up in medical testing results.
“The 24-hour lock-down policy is based on the stigma of sex workers being dirty and irresponsible, not scientific facts. I urge you to repeal the 24-hour lock-down policy in the Nye County brothel ordinance so that courtesans may go home to their families at night and be able to live normal lives,” Chase stated.
Well-known political consultant Chuck Muth, who worked with famed brothel owner Dennis Hof on his campaign for the Nevada Assembly District 36 seat in 2018, a campaign Hof posthumously won, was also present.
“I had no involvement in the brothel industry until three years ago,” Muth explained for the commission. “And one thing I have gotten to know, from their standpoint, is, the terrible stigma that goes with this legal business in Nevada and I just want to commend this commission for the language changes you have in this proposal, referring to these professional women as courtesans and as brothels rather than houses of prostitution. I don’t know that you really fully appreciate how much that means to the women in this industry so I want to thank you.”
Don’t Be Left Out!
Get breaking news, updates & invitations to events!
Suzette Cole, CEO, Moonlite Bunny Ranch
“Prostitution is the oldest profession and will not go away. Nevada has been doing it right since 1971 when we took it out of the criminal’s hands and put it into a highly-regulated industry. As an added benefit, there has never been a case of HIV/AIDS in the history of legal brothels here…and you can’t say that about any other profession in the United States.”
John Stossel, Syndicated Columnist
“We don’t have to cheer for prostitution, or think it’s nice, to keep government out of it and let participants make up their own minds. It’s wrong to ban sex workers’ options just to make ourselves feel better.”
Steve Chapman, Syndicated Columnist
“Prohibition doesn’t eliminate the harms generally associated with prostitution, such as violence, human trafficking and disease. On the contrary, it fosters them by driving the business underground.”
Christina Parreira, UNLV Researcher/Sex Worker
“Sex work is my CHOICE. I’d like to continue to have the opportunity to make that choice legally. We don’t need protection. We’re consenting, adult women.”
Washington, DC Councilman David Grosso
“We need to stop arresting people for things that are not really criminal acts. We should arrest someone for assault…but when it’s two adults engaging in a consensual sex act, I don’t see why that should be an arrestable offense”
New York Assemblyman Richard Gottfried
“Trying to stop sex work between consenting adults should not be the business of the criminal justice system.”
U.S. Sen. Cory Booker
“Yes, sex work should be decriminalized. As a general matter, I don’t believe that we should be criminalizing activity between consenting adults, and especially when doing so causes even more harm for those involved.”
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders
“I think the idea of legalizing prostitution is something that should be considered…(and) certainly needs to be discussed.”
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris
“When you’re talking about consenting adults, I think that, yes, we should really consider that we can’t criminalize consensual behavior, as long as no one is being harmed. … We should not be criminalizing women who are engaged in consensual opportunities for employment.”
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren
“I believe humans should have autonomy over their own bodies and they get to make their own decisions. … I am open to decriminalizing sex work. Sex workers, like all workers, deserve autonomy and are particularly vulnerable to physical and financial abuse.”
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard
“If a consenting adult wants to engage in sex work, that is their right, and it should not be a crime. All people should have autonomy over their bodies and their labor.”
Gov. John Hickenlooper
“Legalizing prostitution and regulating it, so there are norms and protections and we understand more clearly how people are being treated and make sure we prevent abuse, I think it should be really looked at.”
Mike Gravel, former Alaska Senator
“Sex workers are workers, and they deserve the dignity and respect that every worker deserves. For too long, we’ve denied them that. Sex workers, not politicians, should lead the way in crafting sex work policy.”
Prof. Ronald Weitzer, George Washington University:
“Unlike illegal street prostitution in many other places, Nevada’s legal brothels do not disturb public order, create nuisances, or negatively impact local communities in other ways. Instead, they provide needed tax revenue for cash-strapped rural towns.”
Prof. Barbara Brents, UNLV author, “State of Sex”:
“Teams of scholars…have concluded that Nevada’s legal brothels provide a far safer environment for sex workers than the criminalized system in the rest of the United States.”
Prof. Sarah Blithe, UNR author, “Sex and Stigma”:
“Discussions of legal prostitution are rife with misinformation. Academic work and popular press publications alike often conflate legal prostitution in the United States with illegal prostitution.”
Lee Herz Dixon:
“Do I think eradicating legal prostitution from all Nevada counties will erase the practice of the oldest profession in the state, or break the nexus of drugs, crime, and exploitation of the vulnerable? I do not.”
Journalist Michael Cernovich:
“It’s empirically proven that criminalizing sex work allows children to be sex trafficked more readily as they are afraid to turn to authorities and wonder if they will be arrested.”
Enrique Carmona:
“We need to put aside moralistic prejudices, whether based on religion or an idealistic form of feminism, and figure out what is in the best interests of the sex workers and public interest as well.”
Ruby Rae, professional courtesan
“In the brothels, we have the choice, always, to say which clients we will say yes and no to. We have staff that would never let a man hurt us, and we have a clientele that do not come here to hurt us.”
Kiki Lover, professional courtesan:
“We are human beings who chose to do sex work on our own free will. We get treated with respect and like family at the brothels. It’s a job just like any other job. We sell a service that all humans need.”
Paris Envy, professional courtesan:
“I’m not ‘exploited.’ I’m not ‘trafficked.’ I’m not ‘brainwashed.’ I don’t need to be ‘saved.’ I’ve freely chosen this line of work, which is a legal, private transaction between consenting adults.”
Alice Little, professional courtesan:
“It’s ILLEGAL sex work that exploits children. It’s ILLEGAL sex work that traffics. It’s ILLEGAL sex work that sees women exploited and abused by pimps.”
Jim Shedd, Nevadan
“Prostitution should be licensed, regulated, taxed like any other service industry. There are many single or widowed men and women who should be able to take advantage of such services provided by consenting adults for consenting adults. Let’s act to at least reduce illegal sex trafficking and other sex crimes by creating safe and legal outlets for paying adults who wish to use them.”
Paul Bourassa, brothel customer:
“Some people are just never given a chance in the dating scene, so brothels offer those of us with no experience a chance to learn what it’s like to be on a date.”
Lewis Dawkins, brothel customer:
“It’s not always about sex. Little compliments and encouragements offered by the ladies help build my self-confidence. It’s a business, yes. But the ladies care personally about their clients. That means a lot.”
Brett Caton, brothel customer:
“I think brothels provide an important function in society. Legal ones give a safe outlet to their customers and for some men it is the only way they get so much as a hug.”
Early Christmas Present: Nye County Kills Government Lockdown Rule!
Brothel Study Committee Needs to Study Where the REAL Problems Are
US judge dismisses case against legal brothels in Nevada
The Nevada Brothel Association PAC is a coalition of legal brothel owners, brothel workers, brothel clients and brothel supporters dedicated to defending a woman’s right to choose professional sex work as a career, protecting the public’s health and safety, and preserving Nevada’s rich live-and-let-live heritage.
Copyright © 2019 · Nevada Brothel Association - Designed by Jay Chauhan
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line160
|
__label__wiki
| 0.660436
| 0.660436
|
Now who else would I do on Halloween, except Elvira, Mistress of the Dark? I mean, seriously, here.
Cassandra Peterson was born in Manhattan, (Kansas, that is)
She grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her childhood was badly traumatized by an accident she had at five years old, where she was scalded by boiling water, and ended up having to undergo seventeen different skin grafting operations to repair the scar tissue. She had to cover some of her remaining scar tissue on her neck and shoulders with make up or clothing. She admits that she had been mesmorized by Ann Margaret as a girl, and wanted to be a dancer. Days after graduating from high school, she drove to Las Vegas, Nv, where she got a job at the Dunes, as a showgirl. The Guinness Book of World Records cited her as the youngest showgirl in Vegas history. She was a showgirl in the Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever", dated Elvis Presley (briefly) and posed as a stripper for the cover of "Small Change", an album by Tom Waits.
in the early 1970's, she moved to Italy and became the lead singer of an Italian rock band. While she was there, she happened to meet Fellini, and got a small part in one of his movies, "Roma". She eventually came back to the US, where she toured nightclubs, and gay disco with a musical comedy act called "Mama's Boys, which she created. In 1979, she joined a LA based improv group called The Groundings. It was here that she started developing the very beginnings of Elvira....
she was also posing nude for several "Big Bust" magazines, auditioned for the role of "Ginger" in a Gilligan's Island movie, and was a radio show personality.
In late spring of 1981, a local LA station got the bright idea to bring back a weekend horror show called "Fright Night" whose host had died. They wanted a female host, and had originally hired Maila Numi, who used to be a horror host. They were going to call it "The Vampira Show". Numi quit the project when the producers would not hire Lola Falana to play Vampira. A casting call went out, and Cassandra went, with 200 other hopeful horror hosts. She won, obviously, and the producers told her to create her image. She'd originally planned to look like Sharon Tate, in the film "The Fearless Vampire Killers", but the producers jeered her for that. Meanwhile, Numi stopped the producers from using the name "Vampira", so "Elvira" was chosen, and the name of the show was changed to "Elvira's Movie Macabre". Elvira, with her drag queen makeup, and towering black beehive wig quickly gained notoriety. It also helped that she wore a tight fitting gown that showed more cleavage than had ever been on television before. The screened movies were all B grade, or less, and Elvira would recline on her red velvet couch, lampooning them all.
She became a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and did a long series of TV ads for Coors Light, and Mug Root beer, and guest starred on many TV shows (For years, my Father would gaze adoringly at the full sized Elvira cardboard figure he got from a grocery store. I think it was a Coors light ad of some sort).. Soon, costumes, calendars, dolls, among other things modeled after her began to surface. She even went on to be in a film "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" that she co-wrote. She put out some home video's (NO, not that kind) as well. Computer games with her persona were developed, and even pinball machines.
Like a thorn in a paw, Malia Numi surfaced yet again in the late 90's, and sued her for alleged unauthorized use of her likeness and character. Elvira ahem Cassandra won her case.
On Halloween night, 1992, she appeared with U2 when they played at Dodger Stadium. This is where she first announced her candidacy for President, saying "we already have two boobs in the White House, might as well be mine". She ran again fourteen years later. She also recorded five Halloween albums, and has written 4 books. There are thousands of Elvira impersonators in this world. She even was part of a reality show called "The search for the Next Elvira", where she (supposedly) crowned her successor. The winner goes to events where Cassandra cannot go, for any reason. (Kind of like a beauty queen runner up?)
Her career as 'Queen of Halloween' has now spanned over 26 years.
She is married to Mark Pierson, and has one child.
Unpleasant Dreams.........
Labels: Happy Halloween Darlings
Once again insight into someone I knew nothing about who turns out to be very interesting ...
Happy Halloween .. play no tricks, give only treats
BOOOO
I've always wondered if anyone actually knew who she was. I guess the internet has again removed the mask.
CamiKaos said...
I didn't know it was her on the small change album! It's one of my favorites.
Bubblewench said...
My hearts on fire for Elvira! Nicely done! She's pretty cool.
mielikki said...
Knot- I've always known exactly who she was. She makes appearances as herself on a regular basis. There really was no mask to remove.
BW- I wondered if someone was going to comment that song, that will now play in my head all day....
Cami- that surprised me as well
Syb- you,too!
Daryl. Booooo to you, too, may you get many treats today
Pumpkin fun
it's that time
Mother-Daughter bonding
Short Story Saturday returns
Cursed...
Coming soon to a blog near you
look what made LOL dogs!
tea, for two
Fall, fires, and nice weekends
toonlet amusement
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line164
|
__label__cc
| 0.654129
| 0.345871
|
Posted by Nicsa on November 15, 2019
As investors become aware of the sustainability and ethical implications of their decision-making processes, the conversation around diversity and inclusion (D&I) has become all the more relevant to asset managers.
Nicsa members had the opportunity to explore the intersection between Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) investing and D&I at a bonus breakfast sponsored by Broadridge during the Nicsa’s 2019 General Membership Meeting in Boston.
“D&I is becoming increasingly important — not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because the business case for diversity is becoming increasingly clear,” said Naadia Burrows, Vice President, Mutual Funds Regulatory Communications at Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. “At the same time, we see that ESG investing is on the rise for individuals as well as institutions.”
Burrows moderated the panel, which also featured executives from American Century, Fidelity, and SSGA. She began by asking the panelists to provide examples of ESG funds where D&I is specifically required as an outcome.
Amy Philbrook, Head of D&I at Fidelity Investments, said her firm launched its Women’s Leadership Fund in May.
“We developed screening criteria on both the social and governance side of the equation — looking at the numbers for gender representation and the underlying policies — and compiled a rating system,” she said.
The fund consists only of companies that meet the screening criteria on both the social and governance side of gender equality. “When we built the model, we tested it over 13 months and found that it performed at 1% better than the market,” Philbrook said.
Emiliano Rabinovich, Senior Portfolio Manager – Vice President at SSGA, said it’s important to acknowledge that the ESG landscape is messy.
“Most people would agree that, to some extent, ESG data is spotty, imprecise, and unscientific,” he said. “Right now, you have data providers doing a lot of work, but most of the data they collect is really an estimation — based on their analysis and their comprehension of the matters that are important in ESG.”
These providers often offer little transparency into how they collect data and convert it into ESG scores. When looking to add value in the ESG landscape, SSGA took the approach of onboarding multiple sources of raw data in different areas of ESG and systematically mapping that data to each industry’s unique sustainability profile — as sustainable corporate activities vary.
Sibil Sebastian, Senior Director of Product Management, Global Growth Equity & ESG at American Century, said diversity is one part of the ESG umbrella.
“As ESG gains momentum, the diversity issues will gain momentum as well,” she said. “When I think about the evolution of that concept, we will likely move from ESG considerations to impact investing considerations by way of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Hopefully, we’ll come to a place where it’s more about making that impact.”
She added that the regulatory environment has influenced the investment industry’s focus on diversity, citing the UK’s recent mandate that employers with 250 or more employees must publish and report data about their gender pay gap, as well as California’s law requiring women on corporate boards.
“Companies have to pay attention, and they do have to make a shift because they are being scrutinized from different angles, whether it’s asset owners or legislation making the demands,” she said.
Filed Under : Asset Management Industry, Education and Content
Mail (will not be published)(required)
« Effective Cost Forecasting and Budgeting in Asset Management
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line166
|
__label__wiki
| 0.904957
| 0.904957
|
Disaster dice loaded against poorest countries
by Amantha Perera | @AmanthaP | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Friday, 6 December 2013 09:45 GMT
Sri Lankans displaced by floods use a raft made of discarded tar barrels to cross a flooded paddy field in the northeastern district of Pollonaruwa. TRF/Amantha Perera
From 1980 to 2013, half of all deaths from climate-related disasters were recorded in the world's 49 least developed countries
TOKYO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – It is often said that people in the poorest countries suffer most from climate hazards and the effects of a warming world. Now we have the data to prove it.
Between January 1980 and July 2013, climate-related disasters caused 2.52 million deaths around the globe. Of the total, a disproportionately high number of deaths - 1.28 million or 51 percent - were recorded in the world’s 49 least developed countries (LDCs), according to a recent briefing paper from the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
And the situation isn’t getting any better, warned the IIED ahead of last month’s U.N. climate talks.
“Taking just the period from January 2010 to July 2013, deaths from climate-related disasters in LDCs rose to a staggering 67 percent of the world total, reaching 5.5 times the overall global per-capita death rate due to climate-related disasters,” it said.
“In Japan, if a big disaster is looming, then the biggest concern would be economic losses. In a place like Bangladesh or in Africa, the fear would be mass loss of life,” said Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, a capacity-building specialist at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) in Tokyo.
Experts say the high human losses in poor countries are primarily due to the difficulties they face in securing resources – both nationally and from donor governments - to put in place effective measures to reduce the risk of natural disasters and adapt to climate change.
Anbumozhi said developing-state governments should be much more concerned about the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, and take appropriate steps.
“Governments should assess how much they are likely to lose in case of a cyclone or a drought, and take measures as if they were dealing with any other risk – say a possible oil price hike,” he said.
While a certain level of economic losses may be inevitable, lives can be saved with a little bit of forward planning, the ADBI expert said.
He cited the example of the two East Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, which were struck by Cyclone Phailin in early October. Over a million people were moved out of vulnerable areas and the death toll was kept below 50, although government authorities estimate that close to 12 million people may have been affected by the storm.
“We see similar investments in effective adaptation being made in Bangladesh to minimise cyclone impacts, but overall, more needs to be done,” Anbumozhi said.
'PAUCITY' OF CLIMATE FINANCE
The IIED paper argued that financial assistance from richer countries to poorer nations to adapt to shifting climate patterns has been woefully inadequate.
Figures from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), suggest the global cost of adapting to climate change impacts will be $86 billion to $109 billion. But wealthy countries have provided only $4 billion annually for such measures in the past three years, the IIED noted.
“This paucity of climate finance contrasts sharply with global defence spending, at more than $4.6 billion a day, as well as national subsidies to fossil fuels, which may have been as high as $1 trillion in 2012 overall,” the paper said.
Scarce climate funds mean that resources may be diverted from longer-term adaptation programmes to meet more pressing needs. In Sri Lanka, for example, low levels of funding have translated into inadequate stocks of emergency response supplies.
In the middle of this year, the Sri Lankan Red Cross said it had stocks to assist 11,000 families. But officials at the aid agency said that ideally they should be in position to help 100,000 families in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
According to the DesInventar Disaster Information Management System, a global tool to generate inventories of disaster losses, more than 2.6 million Sri Lankans have been affected by disasters in the last two years, more than a tenth of a population of just over 20 million.
Since late 2010, Sri Lanka has suffered major floods in the north and east, which were followed by a severe drought. Extremely strong winds have also affected the south coast, killing more than 60 people.
In 2012, Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre spent around Rs 211 million (around $1.6 million) on disaster prevention measures and emergency relief.
Senaka Basnayake, head of the climate risk management department at the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC) in Bangkok, who has worked in Sri Lanka, said the signs are that the island nation needs to boost efforts to reduce the risks of extreme weather events and adapt to longer-term climate shifts.
“We see a strong reason for assessing the future risks, incorporating the changing patterns of weather and climate trends,” he said.
Atiq Kainan Ahmed, another ADPC expert, said there should be stronger links between early warning of potential hazards and emergency response at the local level.
“Building resilience is not just making a single tool available in a community, but working in a concerted manner to connect (disaster) preparedness and response with a simple procedure that people can practice in a sustained manner,” Ahmed said.
But officials at Sri Lanka's Department of Meteorology said they have been unable to implement even urgently needed programmes, such as installing new weather radar systems, due to a lack of funding.
Amantha Perera is a freelance writer based in Sri Lanka. He can be followed on Twitter at @AmanthaP
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line167
|
__label__cc
| 0.644508
| 0.355492
|
World must use renewables to avoid water and energy crisis - report
by Magda Mis | @magdalenamis1 | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Friday, 21 March 2014 08:00 GMT
In this 2012 file photo Anjana Lama drinks water from a stone spout in Lalitpur, Nepal. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
The world will need 55 percent more water and 70 percent more energy by 2050 to meet the demands of its growing population. Better cooperation between and planning by the two sectors is essential to avoid future shortages in water and energy supplies
LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The world’s growing appetite for water and energy will greatly stress the limited water resources in nearly all regions, and governments must turn to renewable energy to meet increasing demand for both and avoid a looming crisis, a report published on Friday said.
The world will need 55 percent more water and 70 percent more energy by 2050 to meet the demands of its growing population. Better cooperation between and planning by the two sectors is essential to avoid future shortages in water and energy supplies, according to the World Water Development Report (WWDR), published by the United Nations on the eve of World Water Day.
“The link between the two is very close and you cannot look at one without the other. We need to better understand the interlinkages between water and energy, we need to promote better governance to reduce dramatically the number of people without access to drinkable water, sanitation and energy”, Michel Jarraud, Chair of UN-Water and Secretary-General of the WMO (World Meteorological Organisation), told Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview from Tokyo.
Around the globe, 768 million people still do not have access to safe drinking water and 1.3 billion live without electricity, the majority of them in developing countries.
Water and energy are highly interdependent because water is required to produce almost all forms of energy and energy is needed for all stages of water collection and distribution, so decisions made in one domain have a significant impact on the other.
“If we go about business as usual, we are really getting into trouble in places where you already have some water scarcity”, Richard Connor, WWDR lead author, told Thomson Reuters Foundation in a phone interview from Paris.
The Middle East, India and China, which are predicted to account for 60 percent of the increase in energy demand in the next 20 years, will face the biggest challenges because of water scarcity in those regions.
Developing countries will struggle to meet the needs of rapidly growing populations, especially where water resources are scarce or water-related infrastructure is inadequate.
Thermal power plants (coal, natural gas, oil), which require large amounts of water for cooling and account for 80 percent of global energy generation, remain the main source of energy in developing countries looking for cheap ways to increase the supply of electricity to their citizens.
The initial investment required to build renewable energy plants, which are less water-intensive than others, can be high, but such plants have long-term benefits and policymakers in developing countries should look for ways to secure financing for renewable energy production, Connor said.
“Money is a limiting factor, but so is water”, he said. “If you’re not considering water your energy policy is not going to work.”
From a water perspective, power generated by solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and wind is the most sustainable, but other power sources, such as hydropower or thermal power plants, are still needed to compensate for their intermittent supply, the report said.
Despite predicted growth and increasing financial support for wind and solar power generation, renewable energy resources account for less than 5 percent of global energy generation.
“The only way to achieve both water and energy security is to have a massive switch towards non water intensive forms of energy and electricity production. Greater support for the development of renewable energy like wind, solar and geothermal energy are critical to this," Connor said.
There are many opportunities for the development of water and energy infrastructure and technologies that can maximize benefits and reduce negative trade-offs.
Saudi Arabia, for example, uses solar power for the energy-intensive process of desalination to meet its increasing freshwater demand. Its goal is to use solar energy for all its seawater desalination by 2019.
In Japan, hydropower bridged the gap in electricity generation after the closure of numerous nuclear and thermal power plants following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
“The water community needs to (speak) louder if we’re going to solve the coming global energy crisis, and the politicians that make the decisions about energy need to listen”, said Connor.
Bulgaria environment minister charged over water crisis, resigns post
Modi unveils plan to tackle water shortages in India's heartland states
Australia probes theft of drinking water in drought-hit state
Water crisis builds in Egypt as dam talks falter, temperatures rise
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line168
|
__label__wiki
| 0.852562
| 0.852562
|
Former Steelers coach, Browns LB Bill Cowher inducted into HOF
Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves killed after Dakar crash
Heskey Speaks On Iheanacho's Goal For Leicester Against Aston Villa
"Manchester United should move for Spurs star Eriksen", says Sammy McIlroy
Fan Dies During Ravens-Titans Game Saturday
Sports May 18
What does Rafael Nadal's latest title mean?
With his fifth Madrid Masters title, Nadal received 1,000 points and rose to World No. 4 in the ATP rankings after starting the new season with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over his future. But in December or January, I was not expecting to play badly, because I knew I was doing a very good off-season. Neither player could break again and while the home favourite took the lead in the tie-break, his Austrian opponent briefly staged a comeback before Nadal clinched the set.
Mavs 'did everything possible to lose' after playoff elimination, per Mark Cuban
Lakers' Magic Johnson 'Excited' About #2 Pick, Won't Commit to Lonzo Ball
Pablo Zabaleta to leave Manchester City
Sharapova says she'll 'rise up again' after French Open snub
Kawhi Leonard will play in Game 1 vs
Jose Mourinho says Manchester United will rest players against Arsenal
Maria Sharapova's defiant response to French Open wildcard decision
Favorite Cavs open East finals on road vs. underdog Celtics
Sports - All News
Ronaldo and Isco likely to start despite suspension risk
Real's domestic record on their travels certainly makes for encouraging reading, are they are now riding a seven-game winning streak on the road. Thanks to Zidane's constant rotation and a new role as a centre-forward, Ronaldo seems fully fit as the season reaches its decisive stages.
Manchester United reveals £3.8m net loss for third quarter
The Mirror claims that the Portuguese boss wants Carrick to continue being part of the team, but is also keen for the former England global to impart wisdom onto the young players coming through. "We've won the FA Community Shield and the EFL Cup, and obviously we're delighted to have reached the final of the Europa League , the only major trophy we have never won".
Sharapova must move on from French Open snub: Shriver
Since Sharapova returned to tennis last month after a 15-month suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, she has been given wildcards by three other tournaments, including the Italian Open. "Regrettably, I've decided not to participate in the French Open", said the Swiss tennis superstar in a statement on his Twitter page on Monday. She could have saved them that dilemma by reaching the semi-finals in Rome to boost her ranking but withdrew injured from her match with ...
Antonio Conte targets win record after league win
Terry made his first Premier League start since September 11 at Swansea, having initially lost his place due to injury before Chelsea grew from dysfunctional unit last season to champions this term. "The FA Cup final, you don't play that on Saturday". "I never wanted to be that player that was kind of hanging about, stopping the younger players from coming through".
Ainge's patience pays off with Celtics' draft lottery win
Now, here are seven takeaways. A day after reaching the Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics won the National Basketball Association draft lottery, earning the No. For all of these teams, they're now not only chasing Cleveland, but trying to keep pace with Boston as well. The Los Angeles Lakers had a lot riding on the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery .
Prioritising Europa League not a gamble, says Mourinho
Arsene Wenger's side closed the gap on third-placed Liverpool to seven points with two games in hand and Xhaka had impressed before limping off with a recurrence of the problem he first picked up at Tottenham the previous Sunday. I don't enjoy. But today I tried to win. "I try to look at it in a pragmatic way". Arsene Wenger finally conceded before the match that Olivier Giroud's presence in the starting eleven does have a negative effect on how the team play, with the team going more ...
Boston Celtics win NBA draft lottery, Lakers second
Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck was the lucky charm for a team that, despite its shamrock logo, hasn't had such good fortune in the lottery. The Celtics did not make a move, and ultimately took Brown, Guerschon Yabusele out of France, and Ante Zizic out of Croatia with their three first-round picks.
Philippe Coutinho admits Barcelona interest is "cool"
That's what he did today - obviously he felt really well in this position and that was a good game". Hull completes a trio of clubs from northeast England dropping into the second-tier League Championship, with Sunderland and Middlesbrough having their relegation confirmed in recent weeks.
Djokovic, Nadal fight on as Wawrinka bows out — Madrid Open
I wasn't winning too many points on his service games until the last one where I managed to return many balls back in play and then win the match . World No.59 Coric, who won his first ATP title last month in Morocco, took the second break point to serve out for the match , sending last year's finalist and two-time Madrid victor Murray packing.
Zidane excited by 'beautiful final' against Juventus
Madrid has scored 167 goals since a 0-0 draw at Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals a year ago. They knew Atletico had tried everything possible, but the damage had been done eight days before in the Bernabeu stadium.
Real Madrid win Nacho yellow card appeal amid Barcelona outrage
All the information you need on how, where and when to watch Celta Vigo v Real Madrid , 2016/17 LaLiga Santander match on Wednesday May 17th 2017 kicking off at 21:00 CET at Balaídos. "It's tricky because they're a good team", Zidane said. InAndreu Fontas, Sergi Gomez and Carles Planas, Celta have three players who all began their careers at Barcelona and will surely be giving their all to help out the Blaugrana.
« Back 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 864 865 866 867 868 869 870 871 872 873 874 875 876 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 900 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 911 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 922 923 924 925 926 927 928 929 930 931 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 950 951 952 953 954 955 956 957 958 959 960 961 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 970 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978 979 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1042 1043 1044 1045 1046 1047 1048 1049 1050 1051 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1072 1073 1074 1075 1076 1077 1078 1079 1080 1081 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1087 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 1102 1103 1104 1105 1106 1107 1108 1109 1110 1111 1112 1113 1114 1115 1116 1117 1118 1119 1120 1121 1122 1123 1124 1125 1126 1127 1128 1129 1130 1131 1132 1133 1134 1135 1136 1137 1138 1139 1140 Next »
Manchester United prepare £51m bid for Atletico Madrid midfielder
Harry Maguire interview on Man Utd captaincy and Liverpool test
Westwood grabs the lead with a shot in Abu Dhabi
Like Valverde, two defeats and I am under pressure — Real Madrid's Zidane
Ashley Young completes switch from Manchester United to Inter
Bess takes five wickets as England continue to dominate
Timberwolves trade Teague, Graham to Hawks for Crabbe
Maple Leafs' Liljegren makes National Hockey League debut vs. Blackhawks
6 takeaways from 49ers' 27-10 playoff win over Vikings
Al Sadd deny Xavi is on his way back to Barcelona
Mike McCarthy Sends Message To Dallas Cowboys Fans
San Francisco Giants hire 1st female coach in MLB history
Trump has impeachment on his mind during LSU's White House visit
Federer, Nadal seem sure all will be OK at Australian Open
Dana White Believes Donald Cerrone Is "Too Big" For Conor McGregor
Pep Guardiola baffled at Manchester City letting Zaha make crucial run
LSU Safety Grant Delpit Declares For NFL Draft
Zion WIlliamson is expected to make his National Basketball Association debut on January 22nd
Federer concerned about air quality ahead of the Australian Open
© 2015 All rights reserved nyhetsbanken.info.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line171
|
__label__wiki
| 0.777291
| 0.777291
|
Van Helsing (2004)
Written and Directed by: Stephen Sommers
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale, and Richard Roxburgh
Reviewed by: Brett Gallman (@brettgallman)
"Some say you're a murderer, Mr. Van Helsing. Others say you're a holy man. Which is it?"
As movie fans, we tend to gravitate towards those formative experiences that shaped us into who we are. More often than not, this involves lionizing and waxing nostalgic about those moves we love, sometimes going so far as to fetishize the format, the box art, maybe even the video store associated with it. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve done that here on the site myself, so let me assure you that today is not one of those days. Instead, let me describe one of the biggest movie-going disappointments of my life. Friends, I am here to re-confront the beast that is Van Helsing, a movie that I pretty much obsessed over from the moment it was announced via a cryptic website boasting silhouettes of the famous Universal Monsters. Sure, it was hatched from the mind of Stephen Sommers, who directed a couple of Mummy movies I didn’t care for, but I was a dumb 20 year old throwing all caution to the fucking wind, man. The Universal Monsters were my thing, and nothing was going to dissuade me from believing Van Helsing would be the absolute best.
Maybe it was the high of Freddy vs. Jason being good and living up to an almost impossible standard, but I was convinced of this, even in the face of all logic and the increasingly distressing trailers. Finally, the childhood icons that had a hand in making me a horror fan would be gloriously resurrected and usher in a new era of gods and monsters. It was a fun illusion that was shattered almost instantly. Van Helsing wasn’t just a disaster—it was an all-time traumatic movie-related event, one that started with me on the edge of my seat in anticipation and ended with me wishing I could hide under the auditorium carpeting. I am not prone to hyperbole, so believe me when I say it’s among the all-time worst experiences I’ve ever had in a theater. For years, I have harbored these memories to the point that they’ve become a grudge, but, in the interest of fairness (and with Universal’s latest Monsters revival underway, I wanted to see if maybe I had been too hard on it: maybe, just maybe, Van Helsing is much better when removed from my misguided hype.
In short: nope. It turns out that everything that irritated me about Van Helsing is still very much intact 13 years later. That includes the false promise it holds for all of about five minutes, when it opens on a black-and-white prologue evoking the studio’s immortal classics. We see Dr. Frankenstein toiling away, once again bringing his Creature to life as torch-bearing villagers storm his castle. There’s a twist, though: instead of only being joined by a wild-eyed assistant, he’s taking commands from Count Dracula (Richard Roxburgh) himself, who has enlisted the doctor to recreate his life-giving experiments for some unknown purpose. That in and of itself is a pretty terrific, clever hook that opens all sorts of possibilities—the problem is that Sommers wants to explore all off them in the bloated monstrosity that is Van Helsing.
Before we can so much as get our bearings, those villagers have chased the resurrected Frankenstein’s monster (who fucking yodels every line of dialogue) to the top of a windmill that’s quickly engulfed in flames, an image that marks the high point of the film’s inspiration, and even it’s just echoing James Whale’s masterpiece. Dracula and his brides fly off, their scheme to harness life having been thwarted. It’s not a bad short film, to be honest—unfortunately, though, there’s about two hours of more movie attached to it. Most of it revolves around Gabriel Van Helsing (Hugh Jackman), here reimagined as a monster bounty hunter in the employ of the Vatican. Less the kindly professor you may be acquainted to and more supernatural James Bond (complete with a Q-esque assistant played by David Wenham), this Van Helsing scours the globe to dispatch various monsters and madmen. His latest assignment has him tackling Dracula, who, despite his recent failures, still terrorizes Transylvania. Specifically, he’s targeted Anna and Velkan Valerious (Kate Beckinsale & Will Kemp), the last in a line of nobles sworn to do battle with the bloodsucker.
There’s so much more to it than that—there’s some nonsense about the Valerious clan being denied entry into heaven of these last two die—but in the interest of not bogging this down with a plot recap, let’s just leave it there and marvel at how needlessly convoluted this movie is. For whatever reason, Sommers dreams up this complicated mythology that turns into a mystery surrounding Van Helsing’s own lineage and amnesia. This script should be exhibit A in the case against the dumb, everything-is-connected plotting that’s plagued blockbusters for the past decade or so. It’s so concerned with devising various twists and reveals without bothering to have the audience invest in the characters that are affected. So Dracula and Van Helsing share some kind of secret past? Who cares when they’re both such duds? They’re not characters—they’re a couple of lifeless action figures getting flung around in a digital sandbox.
Characterization is one of the few things in Van Helsing that can be seen as lacking. On the contrary, its chief problem is that it’s just too goddamn much. The script is overstuffed with too many subplots, giving the false pretense that the exposition is important when it actually just functions to shuttle characters from one action set-piece to another. These, too, are also far too busy, crowded with unsightly digital monstrosities looked terrible in 2004 and have aged hideously. Van Helsing is often nothing less than an assault on your senses and your taste, almost as if Sommers decided to craft an endurance test to see how long the human eye and brain could process frames cluttered with constant movement. You want to admire the marvelous set designs and art direction, but what good are they when they feel like they’ve been scrawled over with Crayola? At this point, everyone was chasing the dragon that was Lord of the Rings, perhaps in an attempt to see just what could be accomplished with CGI, and Sommers plows right through the sandbox, emptying every single idea that seemed to cross his mind and projecting it right on screen.
Inherent in this is his insistence to to have every single toy in the sandbox. After successfully resurrecting The Mummy, Sommers apparently wasn’t satisfied to tackle the rest of the Monsters stable individually. As such, he tosses them all together here for an unsatisfying monster mash that does none of them justice. Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde only appears as fodder to establish that Van Helsing is a badass, and, while there is ostensibly a werewolf (read: some overwrought digital bullshit that looks kind of like a wolf), he’s mostly an afterthought in the plot, existing as yet another thing to be flung around during action sequences. Eventually, the Frankenstein monster reemerges, providing yet another subplot. In a perfect world, Van Helsing would have been the culmination of Sommer’s Monster obsession, a sort of House of Frankenstein style of gathering of familiar monsters and men; instead, it comes across as a premature climax, as if its director just couldn’t contain himself and everything spilled out all at once.
Usually, I wouldn’t have a problem with such unchained enthusiasm, especially since these monsters are obviously so dear to Sommers. It’s just that the enthusiasm leads to messy, atonal sloppiness that does none of the creatures justice. Roxburgh’s Dracula is among the worst offenders: he brings neither the charm nor menace of Lugosi as he chomps his way through the film, scenery practically spilling from his mouth with each line of dialogue. An attempt to find a tragic core in the character’s desire to bring life to his unborn bat-children backfires once you realize he just wants them as an army. In the hundreds of years he spent trying to figure this out, it never occurred to my dude to just train an army of bats? It seems like way less trouble. At best, this guy is an ineffectual putz; at worst, he’s an asshole with a terrible ponytail.
Nobody else fares much better. Given that he’s always been a personal favorite, the Frankenstein Monster feels like the biggest affront. While his design is a pretty cool, souped-up take on the Karloff monster and the creature from Hammer’s Evil of Frankenstein, there’s no getting past Shuler Hensley’s overcooked performance that turns the Monster into a whimpering, operatic walking pity-party. He sucks in a way that’s emblematic of the film as a whole: despite Sommers’s best intentions (the core of the Monster is intact), it comes across as a shrill, bungled attempt that shouts and shrieks its badness with each passing moment. You know you’re in trouble when a film features a villain that literally chomps on a cigar in an early scene.
Surviving the wreckage with some respectability intact are the human leads. Jackman is fine (if not stiff) as Van Helsing, as he adequately grunts and grimaces through all the nonsense, though it’s extremely difficult to buy into the supposed pathos surrounding the character since he’s practically a video game avatar. At least Wenham approaches something close to decency as Van Helsing’s assistant: between this and his turn in Lord of the Rings, I’m not sure why he didn’t break out and become a bigger star in the following years. Granted, he’s given very little to work with here, but at least he’s not obnoxious. Neither is Beckinsale in a very familiar role of a leather-clad woman charged with killing supernatural creatures. The fact that we have so many movies featuring badass Kate Beckinsale slaughtering vampires and werewolves and none of them good is a crime that demands congressional investigation. Of all the people in Van Helsing, she’s closest to the right wavelength: she’s having fun without going too broad, clearly in tune with the proper pulp sensibilities. (Also in tune and deserving some commendation: the trio of Dracula’s wives, all of whom look and sound like they were ripped out of a Hammer movie on steroids.)
Other than that, it’s hard to find much nice to say about Van Helsing, even 13 years later. Time can only do so much to heal wounds, I suppose: I had hoped that I’d be more inclined to see the utter fun in it now (when I was an early-twentysomething, everything was serious business), but the truth is that it’s just not very fun at all. Forget about it being an embarrassment to a revered set of characters—it’s simply an obnoxious, grating bore that resorts to empty spectacle to grab your attention while making no attempt to actually keep it. At a certain point, it just becomes exhausting. There’s a reason roller-coasters only last about a minute or so, after all.
If nothing else, though, Van Helsing was at least a genuine attempt at reviving these monsters. This perhaps makes its failure all the more heartbreaking, but it’s also worth noting that it sparked an interest in the classics that peaked with the release of Universal’s incredible Monsters Legacy collection that collected most of the Dracula, Frankenstein, and Wolf Man films, complete with miniature busts of the monsters. Despite upgrading all of these films to Blu-ray, that set still sits atop my shelf of favorite movies and perhaps eases the blow of Van Helsing. That’s probably not the most ideal legacy for a film, but it’s better than being exclusively associated with crushing disappointment.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line172
|
__label__wiki
| 0.539865
| 0.539865
|
Proper 10
Amos 7:7-15
By Paul Nancarrow
This passage is a locus classicus of the biblical trope of the prophet speaking hard truth to entrenched power. Amos receives a vision from God of a plumb line, which by a word play he understands to mean a standard of measurement by which God will judge the faithlessness of Israel, and especially its worship of other gods at “high places” and “sanctuaries.” Because of this faithlessness, Amos proclaims that the people will lose their land and the royal house will be overthrown by violence. When Amos preaches the vision, Amaziah the priest reports his words to Jeroboam, and warns Amos himself to leave the country and not to speak words against the king in the king’s own sanctuary.
There was always in pre-exilic Israel a testy relationship between prophet and king: prophets were closely connected to the throne and were involved in the anointing of kings, as exemplified first by Samuel and David; yet at the same time prophets were the ones — sometimes the only ones — who could defy the king and call him to the recognition of God’s justice, as for instance Nathan did with David, or Elijah with Ahab.
Here Amos takes on the second of those prophetic roles. He is opposed here, however, not by Jeroboam himself, but by Amaziah, who represents the sanctuary power-structure, whose own interests were bound up with maintaining royal prerogative and privilege. It is sometimes said that in ancient Israel the priesthood was inherently conservative, tending to serve the interests of the kings and the status quo, while prophecy was inherently progressive, concerned with justice and the well-being of the people. That may be too much to generalize from passages such as this — after all, there were official court prophets who spoke the party line, such as we find in Jeremiah; and there were prophets who were also priests, such as Isaiah and Ezekiel, who were far from the status quo.
What is going on in this passage is perhaps less a clash between prophet and priest as such, than a clash between one who serves the sanctuary of a corrupt king and one who claims to serve no one but God. When Amaziah challenges Amos to go ply his prophetic trade elsewhere, Amos specifically denies that it is his trade: he will not accept the title “prophet,” and he denies any training or affiliation with the “sons of the prophets” or prophetic guild, either in the court or among the charismatic bands that withdrew into the wilderness for prayers and ecstasies (eg, as in 2 Kings 2).
Instead of being professionally trained as a prophet, Amos was a simple worker, until God called him and sent him to speak God’s words of judgment. Therefore Amos’s motives for his speech are presented as strictly derived from divine aims for justice, while Amaziah’s motives are mixed, including both worship and self-interest. Paired specifically with the gospel reading, it sets the stage for a more deadly conflict between prophetic preaching and the self-protection of entrenched power.
The psalm, usually chosen to echo the theme of the first reading, here serves as a mirror opposite. Where the Amos passage threatens desolation for the land because of the corruption of its ruling power and the syncretistic worship of its people, the psalm holds up an idealized portrayal of the land, where harvest, increase, and prosperity are guaranteed by God, because “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”
This is a song of a time when God’s immediate presence in Israel will bring salvation, glory, truth, and peace, because the people will (finally) “turn their hearts” to God. Over against the Amos passage, the psalm serves as an idealized promise of how divine aims can be embodied in human experiences and human-and-natural communities, when the mixture of motives depicted in Amaziah and his ilk is replaced with pure devotion to God’s justice.
The opening section of the Letter to the Ephesians is remarkable for its cosmological breadth, its temporal depth, and its far-reaching proclamation of the gospel. The passage begins with an acclamation of mutual blessing — “Blessed be God ... who has blessed us” — asserting from the beginning that the Ephesian believers are joined to God as co-creators of blessing. This is only the first of a series of connections the author makes between the particular, actual situation of the Ephesians and the all-encompassing, universal perspective of God, the “Adventure of the Universe as One.”
The believers share in Christ “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” even while they remain concretely embodied on earth; and their present-time experience of being chosen by God is rooted in God’s election from “before the foundation of the world.” This is a juxtaposition of planes of existence and time and eternity that would be almost unheard of in what was then the prevailing Hellenistic cosmology. The Ephesians’ partnership with God is not only originated from before time, but is also oriented toward a fulfillment beyond time: they are a part of God’s “plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in” Christ, the final union of “things in heaven and things on earth” when all Creation will be the whole incarnation of Christ.
The Ephesians’ belief has cosmic dimensions, but it also intensely intimate and personal: in the present time they experience for themselves “redemption,” “forgiveness of trespasses,” and “the riches of God’s grace,” while for the future they have a “pledge of our inheritance” in the fulfillment of all things, given in the baptismal “mark” of “the promised Holy Spirit.” The whole passage is a sweeping evocation of the role of believers as blessed and blessing co-creators with God, bringing into being realizations of divine aims that have both local meaning and cosmic significance.
This week’s reading continues the theme of the prophet dishonored in his own country that we saw in last week’s gospel, played out this time in the clash between John the baptizer and Herod. Where Jesus faced the residents of Nazareth “taking offense” at him, and the disciples were warned that towns would “refuse to hear them,” John is imprisoned for speaking truth to Herod’s power, and in the end he is executed for it. This is of course a foreshadowing of Jesus’ execution at the hands of Roman power — and in a way is a foreshadowing of the resurrection as well, albeit in an ironic form: as Herod’s superstitious supposition that Jesus is John raised from the dead, which is Herod’s explanation why miraculous powers are at work in him.
But what I find most interesting in this passage is the paradox of Herod’s tyranny and helplessness. Mark depicts Herod’s banquet as structured according to power and fear — more exactly, according to the use of power to try to control fear. Herod is afraid of John the Baptist, because John has criticized Herod’s marriage to his brother’s widow; yet Herod is also fascinated by John’s charismatic preaching, and respects his obvious holiness.
Herod tries to gain control over his fear by exerting his power to imprison John; this abuse of power effectively removes John’s criticism from the public eye, but it does not ease Herod’s fear, since John is now even closer to Herod and Herod’s fascination with him is only increased. Herod’s pattern is to use power to try to subvert fear, yet in so doing to make the fear even stronger. This pattern is repeated in Herodias, who also has a grudge against John and wants to kill him, but is afraid of what Herod would do to her if she succeeds.
Herodias therefore uses a different sort of power, a manipulative sort of power, over her daughter, telling her to ask for John’s head in response to Herod’s oath to give her whatever she asks. Herodias in effect tries to use her manipulative power to control her fear of both John and Herod. This pattern finally traps Herod himself: he does not want to kill John, but he is afraid of what his guests will think if they see him renege on his oath, and afraid that his failure to keep the oath might reduce his power and prestige in his subjects’ eyes. All the participants in the banquet story are in the end trapped in this pattern of fear and power and yet greater fear.
It is this being trapped in power and fear, Mark indicates, that leads people to dishonor the prophet among them. The witness of Jesus and his disciples, however, is to liberation and well-being, as indicated by the reference to exorcisms and healings in the opening verse, “for Jesus’ name had become known.” The choice for the reader — and the interpreter — is to cling to power and the fear of losing power, or to receive the prophet’s challenging word that leads to well-being and peace.
entrenched power
Paul S. Nancarrow
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line173
|
__label__cc
| 0.645847
| 0.354153
|
UMPI Announces Hall of Fame Changes
Presque Isle, ME– Director of Athletics Dan Kane announced Tuesday that the University of Maine at Presque Isle has decided to change the UMPI Owl's Athletic Hall of Fame to a biennial event with the next Hall of Fame Induction Dinner occurring in the fall of 2020.
"In efforts to better enhance our Hall of Fame Induction Dinner the Hall of Fame Committee felt this change would help provide ample time to plan for the event as well as increase attendance," said Kane on the change. "Being inducted into the UMPI Owl's Athletic Hall of Fame is a great honor and we want to make sure we make the event as special as possible for our inductees and their families and friends."
The Hall of Fame Committee seeks persons who have made outstanding contributions to athletics at UMPI, including student-athletes, coaches, staff members and supporters of the University's athletic programs. Student-athletes must have been away from intercollegiate competition for a minimum of five years. The committee is also researching and requests nominations for past UMPI athletic teams as the committee would like to start to recognize past UMPI teams that excelled in their sport. With the new changes to the hall of fame format, the committee will meet multiple times throughout the years leading up to the event to review nominations. Nominations must be received by October 1stof the year prior to the Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.
Those making nominations are asked to forward to the committee any available information in support of the nomination. This might include letters, clippings, photographs, references to appropriate books or magazines, or any other documents which might be helpful to the committee in its research and deliberations. Materials will be returned to the owner upon request.
Nominations for future inductions can be submitted to:
The Hall of Fame Committee, Athletics Department
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Presque Isle, ME 04769
Submitted via e-mail to Sandra.McDougal@maine.edu
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line178
|
__label__cc
| 0.699259
| 0.300741
|
Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment by Anita Elberse
Download Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment
Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment Anita Elberse ebook
Publisher: Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Mar 7, 2014 - [Note: This article originally appeared in issue #251 of Game Informer]. Sep 10, 2013 - That is what drove me. Oct 3, 2013 - I'm not the only one saying this. The key to this strategy are A-list players. Oct 14, 2013 - In Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment, Anita Elberse explores all the elements behind making the biggest hits in movies, TV, music, books, and sports. Dec 4, 2013 - Elberse, the Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, is the author of Blockbusters: Hit-Making, Risk-Taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment (Henry Holt, 2013). May 27, 2014 - "Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment". Nov 1, 2013 - The following is excerpted from Blockbusters: Hit-Making, Risk-Taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment, by Anita Elberse, published by Henry Holt & Co. Nov 29, 2013 - Il testo che segue è tratto da Blockbuster: Hit-Making, Risk-Taking and the Big Business of Entertainment di Anita Elberse, edito da Henry Holt and Co. Siamo a Boston, marzo 2011, durante il tour Monster Ball di Lady Gaga. Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment will help every new | Jelangsukses.com - Tips Bisnis Online Indonesia. Jan 8, 2014 - Let`s learn and business management & how to leadership. Aug 20, 2013 - Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment. Anita Elberse is the Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and the author of Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment (Henry Holt, 2013). Anita Elberse, a business professor at Harvard, is releasing a book entitled “Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment” on October 15th. Nov 20, 2013 - Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment (2013) Anita Elberse (multi) INFERNO. That the entertainment industry's blockbuster strategy is the future for many industry's including IT. Jan 20, 2014 - Blockbusters: Hit-making, Risk-taking, and the Big Business of Entertainment.
Barron's SAT, 27th Edition pdf download
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line179
|
__label__cc
| 0.644543
| 0.355457
|
Review: Wasteland
posted at Saturday, March 23rd, 2013 at 5:07 PM | Reviews, Young Adult
Wasteland by Laurence Klavan, Susan Kim
Series: Wasteland #1
Published by HarperTeen on March 26, 2013
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Romance
Welcome to the Wasteland. Where all the adults are long gone, and now no one lives past the age of nineteen. Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan’s post-apocalyptic debut is the first of a trilogy in which everyone is forced to live under the looming threat of rampant disease and brutal attacks by the Variants —- hermaphroditic outcasts that live on the outskirts of Prin. Esther thinks there’s more to life than toiling at harvesting, gleaning, and excavating, day after day under the relentless sun, just hoping to make it to the next day. But then Caleb, a mysterious stranger, arrives in town, and Esther begins to question who she can trust. As shady pasts unravel into the present and new romances develop, Caleb and Esther realize that they must team together to fight for their lives and for the freedom of Prin.
First Sentence: “Esther ran across the broken asphalt.”
I like to begin my reviews with the good stuff about a book in most cases, before transitioning into my criticisms. Well, here’s what I can offer about Wasteland: it’s an easy read. The fairly simple sentences are quick to plow through. Also, it’s mostly boring, which actually ended up being a sort of good thing, since, when it isn’t boring, unfortunate things are generally happening. Be warned that there will be spoilers toward the end of this review.
The World Building
The foundation of this post-apocalyptic world is shaky at best. Having finished, I have little to no idea what happened to the world or how long ago. There are a couple of vague references to some sort of climactic changes, violent earthquakes and so forth, but that’s not really enough. I want to know why the rain makes people sick and how the Variants came to be. The sun shines hotter and more damaging, presumably a result of a further decreased ozone layer. While I understand that the characters might not know much, authors generally can find a way to give the readers a bit more than that.
What made me so determined to really know what had happened was a desire to figure out how things had gotten this way, because everything seemed inconsistent. The events can’t have been THAT long ago or I doubt the kids would still be surviving off of supplies from the industrial age. There’s even one building still using gas for power. If it hasn’t been that long, then why is every single adult dead? It sounds like people die young because of how hard life is or because of how easy it is to stumble into infected water and become diseased, but a few adults should still be around, right? Yet, it seems that no one can live past the age of nineteen. WHY? You can’t just set a specific age like that and not explain it!
About the supplies, Wasteland differs from every other post-apocalyptic novel I’ve read in that regard. See, usually, humans, at least in the years following the disaster, survive largely off of canned goods while figuring out how to subsistence farm. Here, though, the kids don’t try to learn farming or hunting of animals (survivalists, they are not) and live ONLY off of supplies left from before the whatever-the-fuck smashed society. Plus, apparently all of the canned goods have spoiled and only the dry goods are edible. I was puzzled by this reversal of what I’d read before, so I went to look in my pantry. The canned goods definitely have letter expiration dates and are less vulnerable to bugs and other animals. Everything about this was just weird to me.
So these kids, right? They live in this town of rotted buildings they call Prin. The oldest ones are around 18. At the age of five, they start work. They have three jobs: Gleaning (???), Harvesting (searching far and wide for more stuff in houses and cars), and Excavation (digging). This does not make for survival, people. Even once you learn the bad guy’s plans, it’s only a short term solution. This whole “society” is TSTL. Any time after twelve, they start partnering off, which is basically getting married. Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that they’re all settling down into monogamous relationships. It’s weird if you don’t, and I don’t feel like that’s not the most natural pattern for a bunch of teenagers to fall into, even if they would supposedly be more mature do to the brief lifespan and early age at which they begin “work.”
Moving on, we’re to the point where I have to talk about the last big element of the world building: the Variants. So, for no reason that is apparent, there are these Variants, insultingly known as “mutants” who are hermaphroditic, and get to choose their own gender when they come of age. They’re wild and sort of live off the land, at least more than the “norms” do. I was concerned about this as soon as I read the blurb, but I really try to give authors the benefit of the doubt. I mean, WHY would you put that in for no reason? Well, I don’t know, but that sure seems to be the case.
So, the Variants, for one thing, are almost NEVER actually referred to by that term, instead called “mutants” pretty much always. They’re portrayed as feral and wild and lesser, but, hey, that’s from the perspective of the people of Prin and they might learn something, right? Plus, Esther is friends with a variant named Skar, so surely their friendship will be the bond that helps them come to terms! Not so much. Instead, the Variants cease being peaceful and begin attacking Prin all at the behest of the bad guy (which is sort of a spoiler, but it’s so damn obvious that I really don’t care). When this is finally figured out by a townsperson, this happens:
“Mutants.
For the first time, Caleb thought of the ugly word, one he had used a thousand times without thinking, and he winced, for they, the variants, were nothing but pawns, poor and pathetic.”
– Page 193 of the ARC; note that quotes could change in the finished copy
For one bright, shining second there, it seems as though the light is dawning and someone has learned how horrific they’ve been this whole time. Then it all comes crashing down. Great, the hermaphrodites aren’t evil monsters after all; they’re just “poor and pathetic.” That’s so much better. Actually, no. Needless though this should be to say, I’ll say it clearly: I find this egregiously offensive.
On the other hand, I will say that the Variants do seem much more suited to life in this world and that they have a much more intelligent speech pattern than the norms, who mostly speak in dialect. How the Variants ended up better-educated is another mystery, but we’ll let that go. These things make me think that, in the end, this is intended to be a positive depiction, but it doesn’t go anywhere near counteracting everything else.
Worse, the Variants hardly appear in the story, and, when they do, they take on the role of villain or pawn. Even once a shaky alliance is formed, they’re compared to the Native Americans with the norms taking on the role of the more “civilized” settlers. This comparison is perhaps meant to be touching, but I find it seriously upsetting, considering how that turned out in history and the fact that the Variants aren’t even invited to the meal they provided. Nor was there ever ANY reason for the Variants to be hermaphroditic, which makes everything even worse.
I don’t usually mention this, but Wasteland has a heck of a lot of telling. The only emotions I felt as I flipped through were irritation, anger and disgust, caused by the offensive nature of the world and the hackneyed romance. I should have felt fear for the characters and hope for the romance, but there’s no effort made to show us how these kids really are. Everything is delineated. Esther does not fit in. Caleb is strong but tortured. They’re in love now. Umm, okay. The telling is to the extent that scenes that might have been interesting are completely skipped, and the reader starts a new chapter with no idea how the characters got to where they are and has to read a short infodump to explain what was missed. None of those sections included twists or had any plot reason to be skipped. So far as I could tell, they happened solely to avoid showing things.
Kim and Klavan also made the questionable decision to use third person limited with rotating POVs. Of course, this storytelling method can be used quite effectively, but Wasteland is a good example of what not to do. The point of using a limited third person perspective is to allow for a closeness to the characters, while still being restricted to their knowledge. The characters all remain quite distant, perhaps because of how often the POV shifts. The POV moves almost at random, going into most of the named characters’ heads at one time or another, and even some who don’t even merit names. Several POVs show up only once, which is almost always a terrible authorial move, and certainly is here.
As you probably expect by this juncture in the review, I was not impressed with Kim and Klavan’s characterization either. The only character who is even remotely dynamic is Esther, who still remains flat and unreal. All of the others have but one motivation driving their existence and lack the complexities that make a character written on a page come to life. It’s a sad day when I feel like the most realistic character is the baby, because at least they don’t really have personalities yet anyway. Oh, and they all have Biblical names, even though there’s nothing else said about the Bible or any reason why a bunch of teens on their own would just happen to choose Biblical names for their offspring.
Every single bit of Wasteland felt like I had read it before, and where the book was headed always felt glaringly obvious. Now, to be fair, I’ve read about 150 dystopian and post-apocalyptic stories at this point, so I’ve got a bit more experience under my belt than the average reader. Still, I expect more from my books, and am not impressed when I read a post-apocalyptic novel that feels like it’s cobbled together from pieces of what came before, a blundering Frankenstein monster of a book.
On the plus side, the plot does not focus on the romance, though it might as well have, since Kim and Klavan do not take the time to set the romance they felt compelled to include effectively and there wasn’t a whole hell of a lot going on anyway. The plot consists almost entirely of the town needing to figure out that Levi, the obvious bad guy, is evil, and then figure out a way to throw off his rule. In the meantime, he hires the Variants to attack and they worry about that. Mostly, Esther runs around and thinks about how she doesn’t fit in.
Then Caleb comes to town, defeats some Variants, proving what a sexy badass he is. He and Esther do not like each other on their first two encounters. On the third, they are suddenly inexplicably drawn to one another. Within the course of a handful of meetings, in which they don’t do much talking or bonding, they fall in love and partner. As I mentioned before, we’re told how in love they are, not made to feel it:
“But something had shifted inside her, a strange new emotion moving into the other. Her desire to ease Caleb’s suffering had been joined with another desire, one even more powerful, like two streams meeting and converging in a riverbed, mingling in a current against which she had no strength.
She had never known this feeling before.”
What makes this even more upsetting for me is that Caleb was actually partnered before, his wife murdered and child kidnapped. His sole motivation is finding his son and revenging himself on whoever did that to his family. Yet we never learn anything about his bond with his partner or even what her name was. We’re told he loved Nameless but that he feels even more strongly about Esther in a matter of days. Everything about their relationship is rushed and unbelievable. Telling the reader something is true doesn’t make it believable. This is lazy writing, and I’m getting really tired of seeing it in young adult fiction.
I am also getting sick of these idealized sex scenes. Caleb and Esther have kissed once, when they find each other after a worrisome separation and partner. Once they’re partnered, conditions are right for making love obviously. Here’s how that goes, according to Kim and Klavan: “Soon, they were moving together, awkwardly, then expertly, bright with sweat” (239-240 of the ARC). Now, I do appreciate the nod to awkwardness, but I’m seriously supposed to believe Esther and Caleb are having expert-level sex not just on their first time, but Esther’s first time ever. This is not a realistic expectation to be giving to teen readers, and it’s not like adding expertly to the description makes the scene any sexier, since that was the whole of it.
Then, there’s the bad guy, Levi. He lives in fear of the sun and the water, never leaving the Source, his fortress. He’s skinny, pale, dark-haired, and weak, but possessed of a might intellect and can make people work for him. He turns out to be driven solely by the desire to destroy the life of his brother Caleb (SHOCK!), because their parents didn’t want the sickly kid and got rid of Levi. What is with this trend of the evil characters in dystopian/post-apocalyptic lit being related to one of the MCs? It’s not surprising anymore, so can we stop? What really takes the cake is that, at the end, Levi is easily defeated by Caleb. While Esther runs off with Caleb’s baby because gender roles, Levi commits suicide, so that Caleb doesn’t have to get his hands dirty by killing anyone, except maybe some Variants at the beginning, but they hardly count. Fuck this shit. I’m done.
It’s not often that I say this, but I recommend Wasteland to absolutely no one. It’s sole redeeming quality is that it’s an easy, fast read, by nature of the simple sentences, which is no reason to read something. Every element in here has been done better elsewhere. Do yourself a favor: go read Blood Red Road or Ashfall instead.
Favorite Quote: None.
Review: After the Snow
Review: Glitch
Review: Outpost
Review: Smart Girls Get What They Want
Review: Wildefire
Size Doesn’t Matter (151): The United States of Absurdity; I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Audiobook Review: The Crown of Embers
TAGGED: .5 stars, survival
27 responses to “Review: Wasteland”
Kah Cherub says:
Wow. That plot is more holey than cheese (LOL. I just ahd to say it!). That thing about dried and canned goods is BS, it’s the other way around.
And the inst-love that makes the guy forget EVERYTHING about the other woman he loved and his own kid? Jeez…
and the girl was great at sex in HER FIRST time? please… kids are gullible but not idiots, authors.
The thing with the canned goods was so weird to me. I have literally never seen authors say that before and my minimal research certainly indicates the norm to be accurate. I don’t get why they would change that; just to be different?
Well, he doesn’t forget about the kid. But his deceased partner is ignored pretty much entirely.
*eyerolls at the sex scene yet again*
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews says:
I second Blood Red Road and Ashfall here.
That’s one of the reasons I love your reviews, Christina! They tell me straight away all the triggers I usually try to avoid in books, so I would steer clear of Wasteland because I abhore non-existent world-building, unexplicable deaths of all adults and instalove. As you said, fuck this shit.
BRR and Ashfall both have some common themes/settings, and they are actually good books with strong writing, characters and plotting. Pretty sure you would hate this too.
April (BooksandWine) says:
Yeah everyone knows that when you lose your v-card you really can’t expect to have expert level sex. That noise takes practice.
I have this on my TBR and I may give it a chance. Depending.
For real.
I wish you luck.
Oh dear! I just started reading this one and I was already kind of having an issue with the 3rd person thing, but after reading your review I am so nervous to continue. And Lol!! Expert level sex? Really? Why would it even say that?
Umm, yeah, good luck with that. Eesh.
Crash and burn! I didn’t read all your review because I may still read this one soon *crosses self*, but starting with a negative and all those words is not going to end well.
Good luck, Kat! *pats on back* *passes alcohol*
I’m very sorry you didn’t like this one, Christina! I haven’t read it nor do I have time to in the near future, but I am hosting the tour and a blog post by the authors this week. Hopefully THAT will be fun. 😉
Lovely review
I hope the tour post is more interesting. Or tries to shed light on some of this. So glad I’m not the tour, because this would have been quite awkward…
Jessica R says:
Wow. I really, really dislike when books like this, which rely so much on the world they are set it, are severely lacking in world-building. That should be a huge part of the story because of the kind of book it is. Also, that whole relationship thing? “Rushed and unbelievable”? “Lazy writing”? Okay, no thank you! Sounds like there are a lot of reasons not to bother with this one. That’s really unfortunate :/ Definitely good to know, though, so thanks!
For real. I am getting so tired of authors walking in the world building and the relationships. Writing isn’t supposed to be easy. I just don’t feel like nearly enough effort went into this.
GillyB says:
YIKES. What an awesome bad review. I’m almost tempted to read this now because I’m a horrible person. But you were awesome at explaining what did and didn’t (or rather, just plain didn’t) work. And OMG THOSE VARIANTS. I’m getting ragey just reading you talk about them. If I actually read the book I might throw it.
And I might have stabbed it at the sex scene. Blechhhh.
Good luck if you embark on this one. I wish I could say I feel like I was overly harsh on this one, but, if anything, I think I was nice.
The sex scene was just unneccessary.
Kayla Beck says:
I wasn’t going to read the whole review because I thought that I wanted to read this. 1/5 stars? We don’t match up completely on interests, but I’m not going to risk it. 🙁
I don’t think you would be pleased, Kayla. I feel like you would rebel at this attempt at sci fi.
theguildedearlobe says:
One of my big frustrations with YA Dystopians, and one of the reasons I don’t read as many is because I never get a feel for how the worlds became the way they were. It’s almost like the author got this great idea for a world, but no idea how our world transitioned to that.
Reading your review, it seemed that the Variant’s should be the heroes of the book. They seem more naturally adaptive to the change world, but I guess they are different and sexually ambiguous, so that makes them icky and we’re not supposed to like icky.
When I first saw this from Harper Audio, I considered it. There’s just too many good books on my radar to bother with the questionable ones.
See, I love dystopian fiction, but I’m pretty fed up with it at this point. So much of it has just been written to jump onto the bandwagon, rather than because the author truly had a great idea. It’s really bringing me down.
The Variants SHOULD be the heroes. They’re much more adaptable and seem to have figured out a way to survive. But nope.
Rhiannon Frater says:
I had looked forward to reading about the hermaphroditic Variants. I’m so disappointed to hear about how they’re portrayed.
I am SO disappointed. I really wanted there to be a point, and for that point to be open-minded and uplifting.
Ashley @ The Bibliophile's Corner says:
Oh wow. I was thinking about reading this, but now after this review, i think I will definitely pass.
I don’t like to convince people not to read books most of the time, but this time…well, I think I’m helping.
Renae M. says:
Welp. I had managed to never heard of this book before you started getting mad at it a few days ago, and I’m quite happy I was never interested. *moves to DNR* Thank you for the head’s up!
You’re welcome. You would despise this. I don’t think you’d wildcard on it.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line191
|
__label__cc
| 0.54276
| 0.45724
|
"A Call To Renewal" – Barack Obama on the Role of Religion in Public Life
TRANSCRIPT: 'Call to Renewal' Keynote Address
Good morning. I appreciate the opportunity to speak here at the Call to Renewal's Building a Covenant for a New America conference. I've had the opportunity to take a look at your Covenant for a New America. It is filled with outstanding policies and prescriptions for much of what ails this country. So I'd like to congratulate you all on the thoughtful presentations you've given so far about poverty and justice in America, and for putting fire under the feet of the political leadership here in Washington.
But today I'd flike to talk about the connection between religion and politics and perhaps offer some thoughts about how we can sort through some of the often bitter arguments that we've been seeing over the last several years.
I do so because, as you all know, we can affirm the importance of poverty in the Bible; and we can raise up and pass out this Covenant for a New America. We can talk to the press, and we can discuss the religious call to address poverty and environmental stewardship all we want, but it won't have an impact unless we tackle head-on the mutual suspicion that sometimes exists between religious America and secular America.
I want to give you an example that I think illustrates this fact. As some of you know, during the 2004 U.S. Senate General Election I ran against a gentleman named Alan Keyes. Mr. Keyes is well-versed in the Jerry Falwell-Pat Robertson style of rhetoric that often labels progressives as both immoral and godless.
Indeed, Mr. Keyes announced towards the end of the campaign that, "Jesus Christ would not vote for Barack Obama. Christ would not vote for Barack Obama because Barack Obama has behaved in a way that it is inconceivable for Christ to have behaved."
Jesus Christ would not vote for Barack Obama.
Now, I was urged by some of my liberal supporters not to take this statement seriously, to essentially ignore it. To them, Mr. Keyes was an extremist, and his arguments not worth entertaining. And since at the time, I was up 40 points in the polls, it probably wasn't a bad piece of strategic advice.
But what they didn't understand, however, was that I had to take Mr. Keyes seriously, for he claimed to speak for my religion, and my God. He claimed knowledge of certain truths.
Mr. Obama says he's a Christian, he was saying, and yet he supports a lifestyle that the Bible calls an abomination.
Mr. Obama says he's a Christian, but supports the destruction of innocent and sacred life.
And so what would my supporters have me say? How should I respond? Should I say that a literalist reading of the Bible was folly? Should I say that Mr. Keyes, who is a Roman Catholic, should ignore the teachings of the Pope?
Unwilling to go there, I answered with what has come to be the typically liberal response in such debates – namely, I said that we live in a pluralistic society, that I can't impose my own religious views on another, that I was running to be the U.S. Senator of Illinois and not the Minister of Illinois.
But Mr. Keyes's implicit accusation that I was not a true Christian nagged at me, and I was also aware that my answerIn litigation, the formal written statement by a defendant in a civil case that responds to a complaint, articulating the grounds for defense. did not adequately address the role my faith has in guiding my own values and my own beliefs.
Now, my dilemma was by no means unique. In a way, it reflected the broader debate we've been having in this country for the last thirty years over the role of religion in politics.
For some time now, there has been plenty of talk among pundits and pollsters that the political divide in this country has fallen sharply along religious lines. Indeed, the single biggest "gap" in party affiliation among white Americans today is not between men and women, or those who reside in so-called Red States and those who reside in Blue, but between those who attend church regularly and those who don't.
Conservative leaders have been all too happy to exploit this gap, consistently reminding evangelical Christians that Democrats disrespect their values and dislike their Church, while suggesting to the rest of the country that religious Americans care only about issues like abortion and gay marriage; school prayer and intelligent design.
Democrats, for the most part, have taken the bait. At best, we may try to avoid the conversation about religious values altogether, fearful of offending anyone and claiming that – regardless of our personal beliefs – constitutional principles tie our hands. At worst, there are some liberals who dismiss religion in the public square as inherently irrational or intolerant, insisting on a caricature of religious Americans that paints them as fanatical, or thinking that the very word "Christian" describes one's political opponents, not people of faith.
Now, such strategies of avoidance may work for progressives when our opponent is Alan Keyes. But over the long haul, I think we make a mistake when we fail to acknowledge the power of faith in people's lives — in the lives of the American people — and I think it's time that we join a serious debate about how to reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy.
And if we're going to do that then we first need to understand that Americans are a religious people. 90 percent of us believe in God, 70 percent affiliate themselves with an organized religion, 38 percent call themselves committed Christians, and substantially more people in America believe in angels than they do in evolution.
This religious tendency is not simply the result of successful marketing by skilled preachers or the draw of popular mega-churches. In fact, it speaks to a hunger that's deeper than that – a hunger that goes beyond any particular issue1. The disputed point between parties in a lawsuit; 2. To send out officially, as in a court issuing an order. or cause.
Each day, it seems, thousands of Americans are going about their daily rounds – dropping off the kids at school, driving to the office, flying to a business meeting, shopping at the mall, trying to stay on their diets – and they're coming to the realization that something is missing. They are deciding that their work, their possessions, their diversions, their sheer busyness, is not enough.
They want a sense of purpose, a narrative arc to their lives. They're looking to relieve a chronic loneliness, a feeling supported by a recent study that shows Americans have fewer close friends and confidants than ever before. And so they need an assurance that somebody out there cares about them, is listening to them – that they are not just destined to travel down that long highway towards nothingness.
And I speak with some experience on this matter. I was not raised in a particularly religious household, as undoubtedly many in the audience were. My father, who returned to Kenya when I was just two, was born Muslim but as an adult became an atheist. My mother, whose parents were non-practicing Baptists and Methodists, was probably one of the most spiritual and kindest people I've ever known, but grew up with a healthy skepticism of organized religion herself. As a consequence, so did I.
It wasn't until after college, when I went to Chicago to work as a community organizer for a group of Christian churches, that I confronted my own spiritual dilemma.
I was working with churches, and the Christians who I worked with recognized themselves in me. They saw that I knew their Book and that I shared their values and sang their songs. But they sensed that a part of me that remained removed, detached, that I was an observer in their midst.
And in time, I came to realize that something was missing as well — that without a vessel for my beliefs, without a commitment to a particular community of faith, at some level I would always remain apart, and alone.
And if it weren't for the particular attributes of the historically black church, I may have accepted this fate. But as the months passed in Chicago, I found myself drawn – not just to work with the church, but to be in the church.
For one thing, I believed and still believe in the power of the African-American religious tradition to spur social change, a power made real by some of the leaders here today. Because of its past, the black church understands in an intimate way the Biblical call to feed the hungry and cloth the naked and challenge powers and principalities. And in its historical struggles for freedom and the rights of man, I was able to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death, but rather as an active, palpable agent in the world. As a source of hope.
And perhaps it was out of this intimate knowledge of hardship — the grounding of faith in struggle — that the church offered me a second insight, one that I think is important to emphasize today.
Faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts.
You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away – because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey.
It was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street in the Southside of Chicago one day and affirm my Christian faith. It came about as a choice, and not an epiphany. I didn't fall out in church. The questions I had didn't magically disappear. But kneeling beneath that cross on the South Side, I felt that I heard God's spirit beckoning me. I submitted myself to His will, and dedicated myself to discovering His truth.
That's a path that has been shared by millions upon millions of Americans – evangelicals, Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims alike; some since birth, others at certain turning points in their lives. It is not something they set apart from the rest of their beliefs and values. In fact, it is often what drives their beliefs and their values.
And that is why that, if we truly hope to speak to people where they're at – to communicate our hopes and values in a way that's relevant to their own – then as progressives, we cannot abandon the field of religious discourse.
Because when we ignore the debate about what it means to be a good Christian or Muslim or Jew; when we discuss religion only in the negative sense of where or how it should not be practiced, rather than in the positive sense of what it tells us about our obligations towards one another; when we shy away from religious venues and religious broadcasts because we assume that we will be unwelcome – others will fill the vacuum, those with the most insular views of faith, or those who cynically use religion to justify partisan ends.
In other words, if we don't reach out to evangelical Christians and other religious Americans and tell them what we stand for, then the Jerry Falwells and Pat Robertsons and Alan Keyeses will continue to hold sway.
More fundamentally, the discomfort of some progressives with any hint of religion has often prevented us from effectively addressing issues in moral terms. Some of the problem here is rhetorical – if we scrub language of all religious content, we forfeit the imagery and terminology through which millions of Americans understand both their personal morality and social justice.
Imagine Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address without reference to "the judgments of the Lord." Or King's I Have a Dream speech without references to "all of God's children." Their summoning of a higher truth helped inspire what had seemed impossible, and move the nation to embrace a common destiny.
Our failure as progressives to tap into the moral underpinnings of the nation is not just rhetorical, though. Our fear of getting "preachy" may also lead us to discount the role that values and culture play in some of our most urgent social problems.
After all, the problems of poverty and racism, the uninsured and the unemployed, are not simply technical problems in search of the perfect ten point plan. They are rooted in both societal indifference and individual callousness – in the imperfections of man.
Solving these problems will require changes in government policy, but it will also require changes in hearts and a change in minds. I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manufacturers' lobby – but I also believe that when a gang-banger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels somebody disrespected him, we've got a moral problem. There's a hole in that young man's heart – a hole that the government alone cannot fix.
I believe in vigorous enforcement of our non-discrimination laws. But I also believe that a transformation of conscience and a genuine commitment to diversity on the part of the nation's CEOs could bring about quicker results than a battalion of lawyers. They have more lawyers than us anyway.
I think that we should put more of our tax dollars into educating poor girls and boys. I think that the work that Marian Wright Edelman has done all her life is absolutely how we should prioritize our resources in the wealthiest nation on earth. I also think that we should give them the information about contraception that can prevent unwanted pregnancies, lower abortion rates, and help assure that that every child is loved and cherished.
But, you know, my Bible tells me that if we train a child in the way he should go, when he is old he will not turn from it. So I think faith and guidance can help fortify a young woman's sense of self, a young man's sense of responsibility, and a sense of reverence that all young people should have for the act of sexual intimacy.
I am not suggesting that every progressive suddenly latch on to religious terminology – that can be dangerous. Nothing is more transparent than inauthentic expressions of faith. As Jim has mentioned, some politicians come and clap — off rhythm — to the choir. We don't need that.
In fact, because I do not believe that religious people have a monopoly on morality, I would rather have someone who is grounded in morality and ethics, and who is also secular, affirm their morality and ethics and values without pretending that they're something they're not. They don't need to do that. None of us need to do that.
But what I am suggesting is this – secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King – indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history – were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause. So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Moreover, if we progressives shed some of these biases, we might recognize some overlapping values that both religious and secular people share when it comes to the moral and material direction of our country. We might recognize that the call to sacrifice on behalf of the next generation, the need to think in terms of "thou" and not just "I," resonates in religious congregations all across the country. And we might realize that we have the ability to reach out to the evangelical community and engage millions of religious Americans in the larger project of American renewal.
Some of this is already beginning to happen. Pastors, friends of mine like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes are wielding their enormous influences to confront AIDS, Third World debt relief, and the genocide in Darfur. Religious thinkers and activists like our good friend Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo are lifting up the Biblical injunction to help the poor as a means of mobilizing Christians against budget cuts to social programs and growing inequality.
And by the way, we need Christians on Capitol Hill, Jews on Capitol Hill and Muslims on Capitol Hill talking about the estate tax. When you've got an estate tax debate that proposes a trillion dollars being taken out of social programs to go to a handful of folks who don't need and weren't even asking for it, you know that we need an injection of morality in our political debate.
Across the country, individual churches like my own and your own are sponsoring day care programs, building senior centers, helping ex-offenders reclaim their lives, and rebuilding our gulf coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
So the question is, how do we build on these still-tentative partnerships between religious and secular people of good will? It's going to take more work, a lot more work than we've done so far. The tensions and the suspicions on each side of the religious divide will have to be squarely addressed. And each side will need to accept some ground rules for collaboration.
While I've already laid out some of the work that progressive leaders need to do, I want to talk a little bit about what conservative leaders need to do — some truths they need to acknowledge.
For one, they need to understand the critical role that the separation of church and state has played in preserving not only our democracy, but the robustness of our religious practice. Folks tend to forget that during our founding, it wasn't the atheists or the civil libertarians who were the most effective champions of the First AmendmentThis Amendment prohibits the government from making laws that establish religion or prohibit free exercise of religion, infringe the freedom of speech, infringe the freedom of the press, limit the right to assemble peaceably, or limit the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances.. It was the persecuted minorities, it was Baptists like John Leland who didn't want the established churches to impose their views on folks who were getting happy out in the fields and teaching the scripture to slaves. It was the forbearers of the evangelicals who were the most adamant about not mingling government with religious, because they did not want state-sponsored religion hindering their ability to practice their faith as they understood it.
Moreover, given the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers.
And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount – a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let's read our bibles. Folks haven't been reading their bibles.
This brings me to my second point. Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.
Now this is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do. But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics depends on our ability to persuade each other of common aims based on a common reality. It involves the compromise, the art of what's possible. At some fundamental level, religion does not allow for compromise. It's the art of the impossible. If God has spoken, then followers are expected to live up to God's edicts, regardless of the consequences. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime, but to base our policy making on such commitments would be a dangerous thing. And if you doubt that, let me give you an example.
We all know the story of Abraham and Isaac. Abraham is ordered by God to offer up his only son, and without argument, he takes Isaac to the mountaintop, binds him to an altar, and raises his knife, prepared to act as God has commanded.
Of course, in the end God sends down an angel to intercede at the very last minute, and Abraham passes God's test of devotion.
But it's fair to say that if any of us leaving this church saw Abraham on a roof of a building raising his knife, we would, at the very least, call the police and expect the Department of Children and Family Services to take Isaac away from Abraham. We would do so because we do not hear what Abraham hears, do not see what Abraham sees, true as those experiences may be. So the best we can do is act in accordance with those things that we all see, and that we all hear, be it common laws or basic reason.
Finally, any reconciliation between faith and democratic pluralism requires some sense of proportion.
This goes for both sides.
Even those who claim the Bible's inerrancy make distinctions between Scriptural edicts, sensing that some passages – the Ten Commandments, say, or a belief in Christ's divinity – are central to Christian faith, while others are more culturally specific and may be modified to accommodate modern life.
The American people intuitively understand this, which is why the majority of Catholics practice birth control and some of those opposed to gay marriage nevertheless are opposed to a Constitutional amendment to ban it. Religious leadership need not accept such wisdom in counseling their flocks, but they should recognize this wisdom in their politics.
But a sense of proportion should also guide those who police the boundaries between church and state. Not every mention of God in public is a breach to the wall of separation – context matters. It is doubtful that children reciting the Pledge of Allegiance feel oppressed or brainwashed as a consequence of muttering the phrase "under God." I didn't. Having voluntary student prayer groups use school property to meet should not be a threat, any more than its use by the High School Republicans should threaten Democrats. And one can envision certain faith-based programs – targeting ex-offenders or substance abusers – that offer a uniquely powerful way of solving problems.
So we all have some work to do here. But I am hopeful that we can bridge the gaps that exist and overcome the prejudices each of us bring to this debate. And I have faith that millions of believing Americans want that to happen. No matter how religious they may or may not be, people are tired of seeing faith used as a tool of attack. They don't want faith used to belittle or to divide. They're tired of hearing folks deliver more screed than sermon. Because in the end, that's not how they think about faith in their own lives.
So let me end with just one other interaction I had during my campaign. A few days after I won the Democratic nomination in my U.S. Senate race, I received an email from a doctor at the University of Chicago Medical School that said the following:
"Congratulations on your overwhelming and inspiring primary win. I was happy to vote for you, and I will tell you that I am seriously considering voting for you in the general election. I write to express my concerns that may, in the end, prevent me from supporting you."
The doctor described himself as a Christian who understood his commitments to be "totalizing." His faith led him to a strong opposition to abortion and gay marriage, although he said that his faith also led him to question the idolatry of the free market and quick resort to militarism that seemed to characterize much of the Republican agenda.
But the reason the doctor was considering not voting for me was not simply my position on abortion. Rather, he had read an entry that my campaign had posted on my website, which suggested that I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." The doctor went on to write:
"I sense that you have a strong sense of justice…and I also sense that you are a fair minded person with a high regard for reason…Whatever your convictions, if you truly believe that those who oppose abortion are all ideologues driven by perverse desires to inflict suffering on women, then you, in my judgment, are not fair-minded….You know that we enter times that are fraught with possibilities for good and for harm, times when we are struggling to make sense of a common polity in the context of plurality, when we are unsure of what grounds we have for making any claims that involve others…I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words."
Fair-minded words.
So I looked at my website and found the offending words. In fairness to them, my staff had written them using standard Democratic boilerplate language to summarize my pro-choice position during the Democratic primary, at a time when some of my opponents were questioning my commitment to protect Roe v. Wade.
Re-reading the doctor's letter, though, I felt a pang of shame. It is people like him who are looking for a deeper, fuller conversation about religion in this country. They may not change their positions, but they are willing to listen and learn from those who are willing to speak in fair-minded words. Those who know of the central and awesome place that God holds in the lives of so many, and who refuse to treat faith as simply another political issue with which to score points.
So I wrote back to the doctor, and I thanked him for his advice. The next day, I circulated the email to my staff and changed the language on my website to state in clear but simple terms my pro-choice position. And that night, before I went to bed, I said a prayer of my own – a prayer that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me.
And that night, before I went to bed I said a prayer of my own. It's a prayer I think I share with a lot of Americans. A hope that we can live with one another in a way that reconciles the beliefs of each with the good of all. It's a prayer worth praying, and a conversation worth having in this country in the months and years to come. Thank you.
It was even better in person. In the fourth row.
I love Obama. I am a Pagan and a strong supporter of the separation of church and state but I do not fault others their spiritual beliefs. I think Obama states the facts very well here.
Home » "A Call To Renewal" – Barack Obama on the Role of Religion in Public Life
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line192
|
__label__wiki
| 0.875674
| 0.875674
|
All content © C&EPizer
www.pizerography.com
A native of New York City, Charles Pizer is an artist, musician, & composer. As a visual artist, he specializes in the unusual medium of solar pyrography. Pizer's keen eye for design is immediately evident in his inspired, imaginative output. Marked by bold contrast & nuance, his work is compelling, exotic, powerful, evocative, graceful, erotic, sensual, & provocative. With his highly distinctive, eye-popping creations, Pizer has raised the bar & elevated the artform to a new level. Also a fine draftsman, Pizer works in graphite pencil. His artwork has been exhibited & is on display in galleries, businesses, & private collections. Pizer's professional career as a jazz pianist/keyboardist & composer spans seven decades, & he has some 4000 musical compositions to his credit. Though he has been residing & creating in Northern New York for 30 years, Pizer has performed in concert, nightclubs, fine hotels, & restaurants in New York City, Miami, Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, & the Thousand Islands Region.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line199
|
__label__wiki
| 0.802937
| 0.802937
|
Prosecutor drops out of case involving murdered Arkansas state Sen. Linda Collins-Smith
https://abcnews.go.com/US/prosecutor-drops-case-involving-murdered-arkansas-state-sen/story?id=67533753
Without explanation, the prosecutor exited the case against Rebecca O’Donnell.
What was strange has gotten stranger in a high-profile murder case in northeastern Arkansas.
Without warning or explanation, the attorney prosecuting the death-penalty case of the woman accused of killing former state Sen. Linda Collins-Smith dropped out of the proceedings altogether this week.
The unexpected move comes a week after the judge in the case asked the state Supreme Court to replace him. Two weeks ago, the accused, Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, was placed under strict jail segregation without legal justification.
And for months, the court has imposed a set of restrictions that have made it impossible for the public to understand what investigators have found and why O’Donnell was charged in the first place.
“Henry Boyce has moved to be relieved as Prosecuting Attorney,” according to a three-sentence order signed Wednesday by the new judge, John Fogleman. “The Motion for Withdrawal is hereby granted.”
In this Jan. 28, 2015 file photo, Sen. Linda Collins-Smith speaks at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark.
In this Jan. 28, 2015 file photo, Sen. Linda Collins-Smith speaks at the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark.Danny Johnston/AP, FILE
Boyce’s assistant said the prosecutor had no comment. Court officials said Boyce’s request to the judge was verbal, so no written record is available.
Lee Short, an attorney for O’Donnell, told ABC News, “The rules of professional conduct dictate when he must recuse. I trust that Mr. Boyce was following those guidelines when he made his decision. The change in prosecuting attorney is not going to alter the defense.”
Collins-Smith, 57, a well-to-do businesswoman, was found dead at her Pocahontas, Arkansas, home on June 4. O’Donnell, 49, was her friend and employee and is now charged with capital murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
Collins-Smith’s son called police on the afternoon of June 4 to report that he and his grandfather were searching for his mother at her home because they hadn’t heard from her. She was last seen alive on May 28. Smith told detectives he found a body wrapped in a blanket under a tarp in the driveway; it was later determined to be the former state senator.
O’Donnell has pleaded not guilty and her family has repeatedly protested that she would never kill Collins-Smith.
Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell, left, leads Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell to a hearing in Randolph County Circuit Court in Pocahontas, Ark., June 17, 2019.
Randolph County Sheriff Kevin Bell, left, leads Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell to a hearing in Randolph County Circuit Court in Pocahontas, Ark., June 17, 2019.John Lee McLaughlin/The Jonesboro Sun via AP, FILE
O’Donnell has been locked up in the Jackson County jail since she was arrested. Even though she has been a model prisoner, officials said, she was placed under the strictest detention protocols after the state police contacted the jailers.
A day after ABC News reported on the strange jailhouse restrictions, Jackson County Sheriff David Lucas said he lifted them.
O’Donnell’s fiancé, Tim Loggains, said, “Becky is still being isolated and has no contact visitation with family. We, the family, still maintain Becky’s innocence and cannot fathom the confusion and seeming incompetence in the handling of this case. Please pray for Becky.”
With all of the personnel changes, it is unclear how O’Donnell’s case will proceed. Prior to the moves of the last two weeks, O’Donnell’s next court appearance had been scheduled for Feb. 28, 2020, and the trial was tentatively set for next October.
Previous West Virginia corrections workers suspended over disturbing Nazi salute photo
Next Senate Republicans blast Pelosi, House Democrats for pursuing impeachment against Trump
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line200
|
__label__wiki
| 0.830482
| 0.830482
|
Board index ‹ Misc / Other Releases ‹ Sci-fi Series
News... News... Shares...
21.07.13 Nightbreed: The Cabal C...
08.09.12 phpBB upgrade and serve...
05.08.12 Site updates and patche...
09.06.12 Mad God on Kickstarter
23.05.12 Carmageddon on Kickstar...
29.04.12 Mel Gibson in Machete k...
29.04.12 Forum registrations ope...
06.02.12 Dead-Donkey Twitter, tw...
The Year of the Sex Olympics (1968)
Scif-fi Series... Farscape, Star Trek, Sliders, etc.
Moderator: Misc Mods
by racine on Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:42 pm
The Year of the Sex Olympics is a 1968 television play made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 as part of its Theatre 625 strand. It stars Leonard Rossiter, Tony Vogel, Suzanne Neve and Brian Cox. It was directed by Michael Elliot. The writer was Nigel Kneale, best known as the creator of Quatermass.
Influenced by concerns about overpopulation, the counterculture of the 1960s, and the societal effects of television, the play depicts a world of the future where a small elite control the media, keeping the lower classes docile by serving them an endless diet of lowest common denominator programming and pornography. The play concentrates on an idea the programme controllers have for a new programme which will follow the trials and tribulations of a group of people left to fend for themselves on a remote island. In this respect, the play is often cited as having anticipated the craze for reality television.
Kneale had fourteen years earlier adapted George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four as a classic and controversial BBC broadcast and the play reflects much of Kneale's assimilation of Orwell's concern about the power of the media and Kneale's experience of the evolving media industry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Year_o ... x_Olympics
B/W: Originally filmed in color, only black and white copies are known to exist today thanks to the BBC’s policy of wiping tapes in the 70s .
Video: DivX, 640x464, 25fps
Audio: Mpga, 2ch, 44100 Hz, 128 kb/s
ed2k: The Year of the Sex Olympics - Nigel Kneale (1968).avi [940.48 Mb] [Stats]
This world will end in a rumour of Angels.
Owns a Genesis Device
Return to Sci-fi Series
Jump to: Select a forum ------------------ Site Development Site Help & Development Smalltalk General Sci-fi Fanatics Cabal Sci-fi Movie Releases Highest Quality Section High Quality Section Lower Quality section VCD / SVCD / xVCD / DVDr Screeners & Unverifed Releases Torrent and NZB Section Collections Sci-fi Collections Collections in progress Misc / Other Releases Sci-fi Series Scifi & Science Documentaries Games Misc / Other Releases Requests and Offering Anyone interested in... Movie Requests Series Requests Misc / Other Requests Reshare Requests
Horror! Terror! Movies! Downloads! Epic!
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line204
|
__label__wiki
| 0.51396
| 0.51396
|
Submitted by Silverbuu on Mon, 05/02/2016 - 02:09
It doesn’t sound like a word, does it? well that’s because officially, it’s not. Yet now more than ever, its importance can not be overstated. Replayability like every other modern word is born out of popular expression, like ‘google’ it, or ‘bling’. Replayability is not obscure at all in its definition, because you can understand it at face value. How much ability does it have to be replayable. Be that a diverse story with choices and branching endings, gameplay that just doesn’t get old, a modding community, or multiplayer that keeps it alive. Replayability adds the much important aspect to games that keeps a player playing, and the company behind it relevant.
Replayability is often overlooked in favor of a unique ideas or an interesting story (especially by indie developers), but at the end of day if that idea or story doesn’t add replayability, it only gets you on the map. And like boomtowns, they often vanish into obscurity once the resource dries up (in this case interest) and the long development time between two games kills their company. How many indie developers do you know who have stormed the front with their one game and then vanished? How many AAA developers thought this game would be the bread and butter but found out that their goods didn’t sell well on the market.
With longer and more expensive development times, it’s become essential to ensure a continuous income, either by DLC (which means continued development time), or by replayability. Replayability is unique in that it continues to draw in customers well beyond development. Look at games like Europa Universalis IV, Minecraft, Dota 2, or Skyrim. Well past their initial release, they still have a good sized player base and their developers still make money off that game.
- Europa Universalis IV is replayable by itself in that it is always a unique story of history driven by the player and it’s still developed by Paradox in the form of patches and DLC, but also has a big modding community that keep interest in the game high.
- Minecraft is the ideal Sandbox: Player driven, moddable, and multiplayer and continues to drawn in new players.
- DOTA 2 gets its replayability almost solely due to the competitive nature of that game in multiplayer which can also earn you money.
- Finally, Skryim still draws in players and revenue however minute it may be because of it’s open world, player-driven adventure, with lots of support for a modding community.
The companies behind these games have become household names in their respective genres due to how much you can replay their games.
Then look at games like Super Meat Boy, Fez, or even Bioshock. These are all games that you could play again because the story, or gameplay is great, but would more than likely have to wait a few months to a few years before you pick it up again because you know how it’ll play out. They are often forgotten about until there is some reason to bring them up be it nostalgia or general gaming discussions. These games don’t continue to draw in customers actively due to the small community that surrounds it. They are not talked about well their release dates because not very many people are still playing it.
I’m not saying we should cut out all unique ideas or story driven games, but I think games like these should be treated as such. Games based on a story shouldn’t have things like gun DLC or skin DLC, because that’s not what the game is based on. Instead they should have expanded stories, or short sub-stories as DLC. Games based on stories shouldn’t have multiplayer as an afterthought to add replayability because it’ll be rushed and clunky and will be a valid point in many people's minds not to buy the game, even though there is a very good game outside of the multiplayer. If you want multiplayer, make sure it’s well thought out and developed with the game, not after the game. Also, don’t make the multiplayer completely negate any reason to make choices in the single player. Companies that base their game solely on stories shouldn’t worry themselves about replayability. Outside of a branching story with choices that adds some degree of replayability. A story game is like a book, you don’t re-read it for a new story, you re-read it because it’s a good story.
If you want to make your story game open world to add replayability, don’t limit that open world because the story prohibits it. ESPECIALLY with invisible walls in places where you will eventually go, or “I can’t go there because they are too well fortified” whops game over, I didn’t listen to the white text. Let the player learn it on their own or even attempt the challenge of being overwhelmed. I don’t mind invisible walls along the borders of a huge area that isn’t ever part of the game, because honestly there are limits, and cheesy impassable mountains or rivers don’t make as much sense either, rivers have bridges and boats, and mountains have paths.
Replayability can’t really ‘just be added’, it needs to be thought out, and implemented.
I personally prefer replayable games because I feel it adds more bang for my buck. It’s nice not having to download the next single player game with huge file sizes just to enjoy it for 30-100 hours. Which is just over 1 ½ hours per dollar at best. Before you mention theaters, I don’t generally go to the theater unless it’s something I really look forward to, which is about once every 3-4 years. It’s pretty much the same with story games. Every few years I’ll pick one up, enjoy it and then go back to my favorite games.
Look at the Witcher 3 for example. Absolutely amazing game with a great story, great characters, and a beautiful world. It took me 64 hours according to GOG to beat it on Death March and I haven’t returned to it yet. I’ve been thinking about it, but it hasn’t felt like the right time to re-immerse myself into the world again. I payed about 70~ dollars for it(Canadian, with the first expansion). That’s just under an hour per dollar. In contrast I paid 70~ dollars for Fallout 4 and the season pass with a discount and I’ve racked up 400 hours. That’s over 5 hours per dollar. EUIV is harder to calculate so all I did was add the price of all dlc I own off sale (even though most of them were bought on sale) plus the game which comes to about 226 dollars. Though I suspect that number to be closer to 130-140. I have just over 2400 hours total. That’s still over 10 hours per dollar spent on the game. Movies are about 8 dollars. No including concession costs. Movies on average are about 130~ minutes, and that works out to just over 16 minutes per dollar spent.
So to me It seems more reasonable to play a replayable game than one based on story, but like I said I definitely love the occasional story.
The only reason I felt like writing this is due to the new wave of story games that are being released that are taking flak due to their ‘walking simulator’ nature. I personally have not played one of these, because I don’t think a game so heavily based on a story that it doesn’t include anything you might attribute to being a game is worth getting. Games need to have some form of replayability and interactivity to be considered a game. These ‘walking simulators’ have absolutely no replayability and almost no interactivity besides the whole walking around and hitting e to continue the story. You could possibly figure out which side of the fence I am on with these kinds of games. I think games based so heavily on a story to the point where you’re just hitting e to continue, that you should just use the game’s engine to make a short movie and then release it as a mini movie. It almost feels like a scam to release it as a game when all the things you attribute to being a game are absent.
To sum it up, replayability is a very important aspect of gaming. Not only for the player, but also the developers. Games have historically been replayable, they need to be. Look at chess, or almost any card game. They are replayable just due to the competitive nature of it, but they ARE replayable. Replayability is often attributed to how interactive the game is. What can I do with the game? How does the game react to me doing this? Can I do this? If I do this, will it allow me to win? All these things you might ask yourself while playing the game. Games which have next to no interactivity are not games in my eyes. They are more like staggered movies which pause so you can look around at the set.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line207
|
__label__cc
| 0.729651
| 0.270349
|
Home Features Seeing eye pup
Seeing eye pup
Music hath charms
Some might find hip hop music annoying, but now the Swiss may have proven that it can be “cheesy,” as well, says the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. It seems that researchers in Burgdorf, Switzerland recently tested the effect music might have on Emmental cheese. They found that hip hop music outdid opera and classical rock when it came to the impact on “flavor, smell and taste.” According to the report produced by the Bern University of Arts scientists who conducted the research, “the hip hop sample topped the list of all cheese exposed to music,” significantly increasing fruitiness, smell and taste.
Dog gets ‘seeing eye pup’
Charlie, an 11-year-old golden retriever belonging to the Stipe family of Mooresville, NC lost its eyesight and so the family adopted a puppy named Maverick to be a companion for Charlie. The Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC] reports that the dogs quickly bonded. In fact, Mrs. Stipe told reporters that when they would play, Maverick would realize that Charlie would lose the toy sometimes, so [Maverick] would pick it up and put it back in front of him to re-engage playtime.” And, when out of doors, the puppy would guide Charlie much the same way a seeing eye dog might guide a blind person. Maverick became a regular “seeing eye pup.”
A big, but not the biggest baby
Harper Buckley who was born on March 15, 2019 in Elmira, NY weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces at birth may hold the record for heaviest neonate ever born in New York State, according to her doctors. But, the folks who chronicle world records at Guinness would consider her a lightweight, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC]. The world record holder, says AMAC, was a boy who weighed in at a whopping 22 pounds when he was born at home in Saville, OH to 7 ft 11 in tall Anna Bates and her husband, Martin, who was just 7 ft 9 in tall.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line209
|
__label__wiki
| 0.636507
| 0.636507
|
Around The World In Five Days
Circuit Asia Dances In April 28-May 2
The Circuit Parties have been around for 16 years, and considering that the events have become so triumphant, the parties are now branching out to all the corners of the globe! This is the first ever Circuit Party to hit the Philippines. So keeping with the anticipation of what might be, I had the opportunity to ask two of the leading DJ’s in the business, Brett Henrichsen and Kimberly S, their thoughts about bringing this party to the faraway land of Manila, and what they expected. Interestingly enough, as seasoned as these two legends are, they still had some nervous energy about conquering a new land, and for good reason. Here’s their take on transporting the success of the West and taking it Far East to a whole new audience.
Brett Henrichsen
Okay, is it exciting, nerve racking, or both, to be kicking off a brand new Circuit destination?
It’s both exciting and nerve racking. Sometimes the parties are a huge success and they’re the first of many - and sometimes not so much - like Prague earlier in the year (Laughing).
What happened there?
That was their first one in Prague and it was the ultimate Circuit disaster of all time. Besides me, they had Tracy Young, Abel, Circuit Mom, Hex Hector. They had the entire makings of an incredible party, and the night of the first event, everything was canceled. The promoter got thrown in jail. It was the ultimate nightmare!
Will the music differ from a typical American event?
One of the things that really helps me internationally is that I don’t really change my style that much because – A) Not being a native of where I’m going, I’m not really in tune with what their style is, and –B) I think what they really like about bringing somebody in from the US is that they’re getting to hear something new - so I pretty much play very similar to what I would play here in the States.
Do you expect a lot of Americans to participate?
I honestly don’t know what to expect. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get American boys to go to the parties that are held in their own backyards these days. It’s doubtful they’ll have hundreds of people flying in from the States. I’m hoping they’ve got a lot of people attending from Manila, as well as a lot from Asia. I’m sure there are a lot of gay people there.
There’s such a diversity of age – Is it difficult to please all of the people all of the time?
That’s an interesting question because it’s something I never used to notice so much, but recently all of us [the Circuit DJ’s] have been discussing it. We just started to notice that it is getting harder to please the gamut of the younger to the older crowd. The older crowd still prefers the vocals and the happy and fun music that came out over ten years ago. Then there’s the middle crowd that’s more accustomed to the Tribal and the Drum driven music with less vocal, and then there’s this whole new third generation that we’re just starting to see that isn’t used to Circuit Parties, but they’re starting to come a little bit, and they’re much more the Hip-Hop crowd, and that’s hardly played at all. Manny [Lehman] and I and most of the DJ’s don’t really consider that music and it’s not part of our repertoire, and it’s also harder to mix. The very young crowd is much harder to please.
Have you heard any new artists lately that excite you and that you would like to work with?
There’s a brand new artist named Melissa G who’s here in LA. Her new song “Naked Fame” is on our White Party Next Generation CD. She’s young and talented and has a great voice and a lot of energy, and she performed at The White Party in Palm Springs at the Tea Dance. She reminds me of Erin Hamilton when I was producing her years ago.
I spoke with Erin for an Advocate story and she credits you for really being a positive force in her career. What is she up to these days?
She just came by my office yesterday and picked up some copies of her album and she was telling me that she’s interested in performing again. I’ve got it in the back of my mind to do some new modern remixes of a couple of her hits. Maybe do a 2005 remix of “The Flame.”
What’s your take on the diva anthems?
That’s definitely still my favorite. That’s what I “came out” to and that’s what I consider music. That’s what I always lean to when I’m playing and when I’m putting a compilation together. I definitely love the vocal anthems. I like words.
Do you see any DJ’s that you’re impressed with?
There’s a friend of mine who I really admire who’s really made a name for himself in the last two years, and that’s Tony Moran. He’s like the ultimate music machine!
What music do you play for your personal listening pleasure?
I pretty much always listen to dance music.
Do you have any projects you’d like to tell me about?
We’re busy working on a new summer album that will be out in June for Gay Days, and we just finished working on “The White Party Generation” CD that’s getting rave reviews and selling like crazy!
Where do you feel music tastes are heading these days?
Unfortunately, I think it’s headed toward the younger generation and Hip-Hop, but at least it’s vocal, and I do see music headed back towards the vocals. I think there’s a trend back to happier vocal uplifting music.
Kimberly S
This being the first event in Asia – How are you feeling heading into uncharted territory?
I’m nervous, and at the same time, it’s totally exciting. I’ve been wanting to break into the Eastern market as far as my career goes. I’m really stoked! Did I say that? I’m not from California, am I? (Laughing) Seriously though, it’s a great opportunity and I’m always a little bit nervous anyway before an event, especially going to another country. I’m also excited that they asked me to do this over a year ago.
Will you play differently than you do in the States?
No. I’m going to play the same way I would play a regular prime time event. There are a lot of guys that I’ve met here that are from the Philippines and from various parts of Southeast Asia, and I always get a really great response from them. There will be some Americans going over there, too, so it’s going to be pretty standard. Of course, I’m going to play my ass off like I played The White Party this year!
Give me a brief review on The White Party.
It was awesome. Manny [Lehman] and I had a great time. We split the night and I just felt like it was in-the-pocket for me as far as the way I wanted to play. I was so pleased with the response.
So, you’re just going to carry on this positive energy to Asia?
Yeah! I try to do that with every event -- from small clubs to big clubs. Circuit Asia is a big event and the promoters have put a ton of time and energy into promoting it, and it’s for a good cause. It’s a great thing.
To be honest, I don’t know how the ticket sales are going. This is just my guess – it will probably be more Singapore, Philippines, the general area out there. Not everybody has the luxury to travel. I heard a lot of guys from Singapore are coming because apparently they’re trying to ban Circuit Parties over there. I know the government would like to ban these types of events.
Do you think it’s because of the possible drug use?
I don’t know. I just know that I’ve read about it, but it was vague. I’ve heard about it. Who knows how much of it is true.
The guys feel very protective about their divas. How about you? Are you a fan of the divas?
I have to say that I am a self-professed diva-lover. I LOVE the divas. As a matter of fact, yesterday I had a Whitney Houston song stuck in my head of a remix and I was telling my girlfriend, “I can’t get this out of my head!” It’s crazy. But Whitney does that to you. She just has that kind of voice. I think the divas are great and I think they’re important. It’s time to get some words back in the music. I’ve been playing for many years, and many different styles of House music come my way, but there have always been those vocals, whether it was Deep House vocals to the gay Circuit diva anthems. I have to tell you – it is the gay audience that embraces those anthems.
Many DJ’s have CD’s they like to promote. Is there a reason why you don’t release your compilations?
I have a CD that came out ages ago, in 2001, and right now there’s a real shortage of labels, and the label I released on went under. I like to make my CD’s and I give them out, I don’t sell them. I give them as gifts. I have the opportunity to do remix projects but honestly I’m just not that interested in doing it. Actually, I feel really good that I’ve been able to get to the level I have without having to add remixer or producer to my name. I think I’d rather learn how to play the drums or play the piano than remix. The truth is, I love playing for the crowd, I love playing live, I love putting those two songs together and I love the response I get. That is what I love about being a DJ.
Do you have favorite cities to play?
Yes, I love San Francisco! SF has a lot of love and it’s just a big city for me. I also love Atlanta. Right now there’s not much of nightlife there, but hopefully they’ll be able to get everything back in place. Of course, I love playing in my hometown of LA. Everywhere I play, and I’m not bullshitting you, I really enjoy myself.
The tastes are always evolving. As far as trends now, as far as gay music is concerned, I hope it goes back to a happier sound. I’m not talking about fluff. I’m talking a trend away from dark. You know the music with the real scary voice in it. Ugh! I can’t stand it! I mean the divas are great, even when they’re melancholy and super dramatic, and you see those mouths moving out on the dancefloor, and they’re just working it out with the drama, and it’s great. There are House songs that are so awesome and can still have a positive element. It’s just energy, bam, bam, bam! It’s still a positive energy, and to me that’s better than hearing the stuff that makes you feel there’s a demon under your bed! (Laughing) I think you and I have the same taste. We want it all to be positive!
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line211
|
__label__wiki
| 0.642123
| 0.642123
|
Tracy Young Redefines Danceculture!
DJ Tracy Young has a new 13-track compilation CD release, titled Dance Culture, that will put you on your feet and ultimately knock you off of them. It is HOT! Her gal pals, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Chaka Khan, provided her with new original tracks that are exclusive to this album and puts this compilation in a league by itself. Young was Virginia-born but is now Miami-based, and the music she spins is as hot as the city she calls home. In this interview, I caught up with Tracy while she was having a day of pampering at her favorite South Beach salon “getting beautiful.” as she said. for the MTV Video Music Awards, where she was playing friend Ingrid Casares’ Liquid Nightclub for a pre-VMA party. In the past five years, Tracy has gone from playing event parties to becoming a celebrity in her own right. Ever since Madonna caught an earful of Young’s music at a New Year’s Eve party six years ago, then was asked by the icon to do a remix of her #1 smash “Music,” it’s been uphill ever since. Tracy talks about past and present work with Madonna, as well as future hopefuls such as Dido, Annie Lennox and Mariah! She also touches ever-so-slightly on her private life. Sorry girls, she’s taken, but as a talent, she’s one of the brightest spinning today. Besides being beautiful, she’s also sweet, sincere and brutally honest. Who could ask for anything more?
Is it fair to say that your fabulous remix of Madonna’s 2000 anthem “Music” propelled you to celebrity status?
Yes, I definitely think my association with Madonna thrust me into the limelight. Prior to that, I was doing a lot of parties and big events, but once I did that remix of “Music,” and started spinning parties for her, people started to find out that I had been working with her, and then my whole life changed practically overnight.
It’s also one of the most played and requested remixes of that song.
Wow! You really did your research. To tell you the truth, I was a nervous wreck. Here I was with two remixes under my belt, which were Enrique Iglesias and the Pet Shop Boys, so Madonna’s was essentially my third remix. I was thinking, this could either make me or break me.
How did you initially get the job remixing the song for her?
I had done a lot of parties for her that nobody knew about. After the remix, the reaction was “Who was that?” I had DJ’d a lot of parties that she had attended and she liked the music that I played. I actually met her during the “Ray of Light” period, but I DJ’d a New Year’s Eve party for the ’99-2000 millennium and that was when it catapulted into something great. She had the album “Music” coming out later that year and that’s when she asked me to do the song.
Tell me about your new CD “DanceCulture,” and why was it two years in the making?
Ah! (Laughing) There are a lot of different reasons why that happened. People in my company left and I was in an artistic kind of funk. I went through this transition period where I got really depressed. I’m being really honest. I just wasn’t happy in my personal life and I had this block and just one day it disappeared and I had to ask myself why I was so negative and stupid? This is what I’m here to do and that’s when I decided that was enough and started to move forward again. To be honest, it was a good thing that it took so long. It gave me the opportunity to put a lot of thought into it. I had time to go into the studio and create songs that would make it fresh and keep it exclusive, such as the Madonna mix that’s on there that can’t be bought anywhere else, Cyndi Lauper and Chaka Khan. So, in hindsight, it turned out to be a good thing.
Do you ever feel like you're in a “man's world” since guys seem to dominate the scene?
I used to, and I was. I’m not a feminist, but I used to submit my tapes (Tapes! Now I’m showing my age (Laughing)) and they would say things like, “You’re a girl, you’re not a DJ.” That’s something that happened all the time. I used to feel that way in other areas, maybe the production aspect of things, but not so much anymore.
What’s the difference in music when spinning for a group of guys as opposed to spinning for a group of girls?
I haven’t played strictly for girls in awhile, but that’s how I started. Girls tend to like more of the pop-oriented music, the top songs, the classics. I remember I used to play stuff like the S.O.S. Band and Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” and things like that and it got to be so boring. Guys are more challenging and a bit more open-minded.
Who are your favorite DJ’s?
Oh yeah! I love Junior! He is the master and he sets the standard, and to me there won’t be another like him ever.
Anyone you'd like to work with that has escaped you so far?
I love Dido’s voice, Annie Lennox and Sarah McLachlan. I like the real singers. I love Mariah. The divas are great! I’m so glad Mariah made a comeback and I’m really rooting for her.
What's more fun, making a CD or spinning live?
You know what, to be honest, I love both. The two give me a balance. I like to put my hand into a lot of different things and not be one-sided. It keeps me growing as an artist.
What does your choice of music say about you?
Probably all over the place! Very ADD! I love everything from Jazz to Blues, Rock, Hip-hop. A good record is a good record.
You could live practically anywhere you want. What is it about Miami that made you decide to make it your home?
When I moved here, it was for a job at Interscope records and it just feels really comfortable here. The city is great and growing by the second. You have the beach, you have the culture.
What are your favorite cities to play?
I love New York, Boston and Miami. I think those are my three favorite cities.
What’s presently in your CD player?
Shakira, my own CD, Mariah, Gwen Stefani, and Kanye West.
Anybody special in your life you’d like to share with our readers?
Yes, I do have someone special and I’m very, very happy in love, but I like to keep it personal.
I understand that you’re embarking on a fifteen-city tour to promote “Danceculture.” When does your tour begin and what cities are lined up?
It just began. Yes, I’m promoting the CD and I’ll be going to P-Town, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Chicago, Boston, so many, I don’t remember all of the cities. Oh! And I’ll be in LA sometime late September – we’re just working on the exact date.
It sounds great. I wish you a lot of success with the tour and the new CD, and have fun at the VMA’s this weekend!
I appreciate your time and your interest, and that goes out to the fans as well!
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line212
|
__label__wiki
| 0.615028
| 0.615028
|
Rulf
Valore:Recorded in over fifty different spellings including as examples Rolf, Roffe, Ruff and Ruffell in England, Rudolf and Rotlauf in Germany, Rohlf in Switzerland, Ridulfo and Firidolfi in Italy, and Roelof in the Netherlands, this is a surname of pre 7th century Nordic-Viking origins. It derives ultimately from the personal name 'Hrodwulf', itself from the period in history known as The Dark Ages, when names were largely pagan in ancestry, and tended to extoll the undoubted virtues of godliness, strength and purpose. This particular name was composed of the elements 'hrod', meaning 'renown' and 'wulf', literally the wolf, and originally may have referred to a particular warrior or chieftain. In the Norse language the contracted form was 'Hrolfr', and in Danish and Swedish 'Rolf', and it was in these forms that they reached Northern Europe in the 8th century. It is not absolutely certain as to the first recording date of the hereditary surname, but it was amongst the earliest of all surnames. Examples taken from authentic rolls and charters of the medieval period include: Johan Rodolfi of Hamburg, Germany, in 1252, Robert Rolf, of Battle, in the county of Sussex, England, in 1272, Jakob Rufi, given as being a priest in Zurich, Switzerland, in the year 1300, and Johan Rudolf of Andelshoven, Germany, in 1332. In the church registers of London, England, the marriage of John Roffe and Elizabeth Blythe was recorded at St. Stephan's, Coleman Street, on November 3rd 1560. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to 'develop', often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line214
|
__label__wiki
| 0.856748
| 0.856748
|
The other poll fraud EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 11/11/2011
The other poll fraud
It is quite ironic that the current administration is running after Gloria, Mike and some former Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials over massive and orchestrated fraud in the 2004 elections while Noynoy hasn’t come clean yet on similar allegations of computerized large-scale cheating to win the presidency.
The ghost of the 2010 automated fraud returned to haunt Noynoy the other day after the group called Tanggulang Demokrasya (TanDem) enumerated clear pieces of evidence that were already raised in the past but nonetheless remained unresolved until now.
It cited several violations of the automated election law, including the Comelec’s decision to disable digital signatures in violation of the requirement in the law that election returns be transmitted electronically and digitally to be considered as official election results and shall be used as the basis for the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of a candidate..... MORE
From WMD to ‘laptop WMD’ DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 11/11/2011
From WMD to ‘laptop WMD’
This century began with hopes of lasting peace as the threat of a nuclear MAD (Mutual Assured Destruction) came to an end. Only one superpower was left; and in its hands, the peace that could prosper. But no sooner had the new century limped through toddlerhood that this lone superpower staged a “false flag” operation against its own people.
Supposedly to avenge the three-building 9/11 World Trade Center “terror attacks,” the US pounded heavily on the medieval nation of Afghanistan in order to flush out the attacks’ alleged mastermind, Osama bin Laden. But it was too small a war.
In his 2002 State of the Union Address, then US President George W. Bush lashed out against the “Axis of Evil,” shattering all dreams of world peace. The following year, his country attacked another nation (Iraq) under the pretext of securing Saddam Hussein’s “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (WMD), which scenario turned out to be a “Weapon of Mass Distraction.”
Ten years later, and with $1.2 trillion spent, 30,000 civilian casualties (including disproportionate number of children and women); 20,000 Taliban and 2,700 coalition forces’ deaths in Afghanistan; 650,000 (according to a Lancet study) to 1.5 million dead Iraqis; mounting Pakistani civilian drone killings; and an expansion of the conflicts into Côte d’Ivoire and Libya, now coming to be known as the new colonial resurgence, there is no end in sight to the Western powers’ 21st Century wars.
The peoples of the world should take heed: There is planning for all these wars and more to come. This was already detailed in the 1990s by US neoconservative think tank, PNAC (Project for a New American Century), which drafted the plan “Rebuilding America’s Defenses” that called for a “New Pearl Harbor” to justify US military resurgence.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato), a military alliance against a bygone Soviet regime, then shifted its support to US military aggression and went off to start its own adventures in Côte d’Ivoire and Libya, with current US President Barack Obama “leading from behind.” The whole of Africa is now even threatened by the US’ own Africom (Africa Command) as interventions in Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Yemen loom.
Even the much ballyhooed “Arab Spring” was a component of the plan with Arab Spring NGOs and “civil society” now shown to be funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and Freedom House, and trained in Serbia’s CANVAS (Center for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies), with experience in the Balkanization of Serbia.
Now, Egypt is far more repressive than ever, with sham elections bringing in worse dependency on the West, as in Tunisia and Libya. Then there’s the US-Israeli thrust through Syria and then Iran.
The drums of war against Iran have been beaten for years now. Previous IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) heads, though, from Hans Blix to Mohamed El Baradei, have never given credence to claims of Iran’s nuclear capability for military use.
But suddenly, with a new Japanese nuclear watchdog chief who was aggressively lobbied for by the US, the agency is now producing a “laptop” of weapons of mass distraction.
The latest came in 2004 when “a mysterious figure handed over to the CIA a laptop he had purloined from an Iranian technician, purportedly working at a nuclear plant in Iran. (It was) said to contain pages and pages of top-secret information in English detailing Iran’s lust for attaining technical knowhow to produce nuclear payroll for Shahab III missile” — this, according to Iranian scholar and author Ismael Shalabi on the Center for Research on Globalization Web site.
Furthermore, “non-proliferation expert Jeffrey Lewis of the New America Foundation says the biggest loophole in the claim is the crude manner in which the laptop documents were constructed… (with reports indicating that) ‘some of the view graphs were done in Power Point, which suggested to me that the program was not terribly sophisticated.’ Another fault… is that the documents were written in English, a language barely used in official Iranian documents, let alone in documents of such paramount sensitivity. In 2005, the US officials briefed the IAEA of the contents of the documents, but they declined to provide the IAEA officials with any actual documents. In 2008, a battle ensued between IAEA chief Mohamed El Baradei and George W. Bush… (as El Baradei) thought Iran should be given a fair chance to see at least some of the invisible documents” (Inter Press Service, Dec. 9, 2006; New York Times, Dec. 4, 2007). But the US would not oblige.
According to a cable released by WikiLeaks in October 2009, “(Yukiya) Amano (current IAEA chief) reminded (the US) ambassador on several occasions that he would need to make concessions to the G-77 (the developing countries group), which correctly required him to be fair-minded and independent, but that he was solidly in the US court on every key strategic decision, from high-level personnel appointments to the handling of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program.”
Furthermore, “Amano recently delivered, reporting that Iran had carried out activities ‘relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device’ with ‘evidence’ provided by ‘more than 10 member states as well as its own information’ which turns out to be the US ‘laptop of WMD.’”
All these remind us of Bush’s infamous “Sixteen Words” in his 2003 State of the Union speech: “The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.”
Those 16 words were about the Niger “Yellow Cake” Colin Powell said before the UN that Saddam obtained for his WMDs. After, the CIA sent US Ambassador Joseph Wilson to Niger to investigate and found the allegation to be false, the US eventually had to admit that Saddam had no WMDs. It was a barefaced lie told to 300 million Americans and 6 billion people of the world.
We have an obligation today to inform our fellow human beings of this new US lie for war — this “laptop Weapon of Mass Distraction.” We must take our role seriously as peacemakers and stop the warmongers-for-profit from destroying more than they already have. A war on Iran will raise oil to $300 per barrel that would devastate our already suffering nation.
Noy in big Blunderland FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 11/11/2011
Noy in big Blunderland
It has been one big blunder after another that Noynoy and his Palace aides have been committing, giving themselves more problems they themselves create.
The latest blunder is the way Noynoy and his Injustice Secretary Leila de Lima have been handling the case involving the travel appeal of Gloria Arroyo for her medical needs.
If they don’t know it yet, the whole shebang is boomeranging on them. Not only are they being seen by many Filipinos as being vindictive, but also that they are being seen as usurpers of judicial power, making it appear that a Department of Justice (DoJ) circular is higher than the law and the Constitution.
It has been noted that while Noynoy and De Lima keep on claiming that there are pending charges of plunder and electoral sabotage against her which are all non-bailable crimes, the nation knows that this is not so, because there have been no charges filed in court at all against Gloria and even her spouse, Mike Arroyo. What exists are complaints and even in the case of electoral sabotage, the preliminary investigation on this has not even been finalized..... MORE
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111111com2.html/
W/ Video: Make money, make war: UK profits from Libya mess
NATO may have ended its operations in Libya, but the Western presence is far from over, with big companies replacing the warplanes. The countries that bombed the oil-rich state are now getting lucrative contracts to rebuild it.
First, British bombs tore it apart. Now, British companies will get paid to put it back together. Libya is open for business, and UK firms are being encouraged to join the gold rush.
“Libya is a relatively wealthy country with oil reserves, and I expect there will be opportunities for British and, indeed, other companies to get involved in the reconstruction of Libya,” British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond has said. He is urging CEOs and sales directors to “pack their suitcases” and head to the North African country..... MORE
URL: http://rt.com/news/profit-libya-companies-british-067/
11/11/11: Eleven craziest facts you need to know about it
From Freemasons, spiritualists to RPG-fans around the world, this day has something to offer to everyone.
1) First and foremost – the date’s number is a full palindrome (reads the same from left to right, and right to left), which occurs only once per century. Nothing crazy about this one, it's just plain math. Rather, it’s the date’s palindromic qualities that get people stirred up. Occultists, Freemasons and numerologists each have their own connotation for the number. Oh, and lotto players often refer to 11 as “the drumsticks”. The Last time a full double-figure palindrome date occurred (November 11, 1911), US citizens in Missouri witnessed an extraordinary temperature drop from 80F to 10 F. Friday will show if it had anything to do with the date or was mere coincidence.
2) Russians get married en masse. Registry services in various Russian towns will be working overtime and setting up additional offices to cater for all the couples who wish to tie the knot. The other popular wedding days – like January 1st, or August 28th – are given a run for their money, as the trend doesn’t stay exclusively Russian. There was also a funny coincidence concerning divorce: trying to stand out in the happy crowd, one Russian couple got married on 09/09/09…and got divorced on 11/11/11!.... MORE
URL: http://rt.com/news/11-november-date-numerology-freemasons-041/
The right to travel C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 11/11/2011
The right to travel
The 1987 Constitution upholds the right to travel as inviolable subject only to considerations of national security, public safety and public health as maybe determined by competent authorities. International law recognizes this right as well as provided in Article 12, Section 3 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which states in part that “...everyone shall be free to leave any country including his own and return to it...” save only in “...times of emergency which threatens the life of the nation and the existence of which is officially proclaimed...” So, what compelling reason or reasons within the ambit of these “prohibitions” have P-Noy and his advisers offered thus far to bar former President Gloria Arroyo from availing of her right to travel? Well, despite their best efforts we have yet to be shown one..... MORE
Happy birthday, Mr. Vice President NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 11/11/2011
Happy birthday, Mr. Vice President
Today, we do the 73rd episode of what first started as your pet project as mayor of your beloved city, an early National Heroes Month production, entitled Aawitan Kita sa Makati: Mga Bayani ng Bayan, at the program’s regular venue at the University of Makati’s 6th floor auditorium, 5:30 p.m., featuring the talents of Bimbo Cerrudo, Cris Villonco, Richard Reynoso, Bayang Barrios, Miguel Castro, Bangge Mabanta, Joel Villaflor and I. The decision to do an advance show was to accommodate our Middle East performances in December, but as it falls also on your birthday, how perfectly right to likewise have it as a tribute to you.
AKSM has gone a long way since you first put it on stage, in July of 2005, at around the same time the nation was glued to the revelation of the “Hello Garci” CDs. It is almost seven years old..... MORE
Reds score Noy for not filing single case vs GMA 11/11/2011
Reds score Noy for not filing single case vs GMA
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has scored the administration of President Aquino for not filing a single case against former President, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo despite so much noise and after more than 500 days in office.
In a statement, the CPP noted that the Department of Justice’s (DoJ) denial of Arroyo’s request to travel abroad to seek medical treatment only opened the possibility that the former President could leave the country for good and evade criminal proceedings following the filing for a temporary restraining order before the Supreme Court.
“The more important issue is that the Aquino regime has wasted its almost 500 days in office in failing to file a single case against Gloria Arroyo and prosecute her for the high crimes of plunder and electoral fraud as well as war crimes committed against the Filipino people during her nine-year rule,” said the CPP..... MORE
Discontentment in AFP brass feared over Noy’s top Army pick By Mario J. Mallari 11/11/2011
Discontentment in AFP brass feared over Noy’s top Army pick
President Aquino’s appointment of Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista as commanding general of the 86,000-strong Philippine Army has drawn some questions on how he would lead officers in the field who are mostly his upperclassmen in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) where seniority is “sacred.”
As Army chief, Bautista has supervision of the 10 Infantry Division (ID) commanders throughout the country and all major support units of the Army such as the Army Support Command (Ascom), Light Armor Division (LAD) and the Special Operations Command (Socom), among other units.
At present, all division commanders except one, 6th ID commander Brig. Gen. Rey Ardo, are senior than Bautista, a member of the PMA Class of 1981 where Ardo also belongs..... MORE
VP Binay marks 11-11-11 birthday with Marines, Navy boodle fight 11/11/2011
VP Binay marks 11-11-11 birthday with Marines, Navy boodle fight
Vice President Jejomar Binay will celebrate his birthday today, Nov. 11, 2011 — or “11-11-11” — with a boodle fight with 1,111 Marine and Navy personnel at the Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.
Binay is a reservist colonel in the Marines.
The boodle fight will be followed by the awarding of financial assistance from the Alay sa Kawal (ASK) Foundation, which Binay chairs, to families of 69 Marines who were killed in action.
The Vice President said he intends to celebrate his next birthdays with the military..... MORE
LTFRB hailed for suspending franchises of striking buses 11/11/2011
LTFRB hailed for suspending franchises of striking buses
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco yesterday lauded the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) decision penalizing the bus lines which participated in a strike on Nov. 15 last year in protest of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)’s new number coding scheme implemented on that same day. The strike resulted in hundreds of commuters stranded along Edsa.
“It was a fair decision,” said Tiangco on the LTFRB decision cancelling the franchise of Philippine Corinthian Liner as well as suspending the licenses of 15 other bus liners that also participated in the strike..... MORE
Archbishop warns lawmakers vs betting in Pacquiao fight 11/11/2011
Archbishop warns lawmakers vs betting in Pacquiao fight
A ranking official of the Catholic Church has advised lawmakers, who will watch the boxing match of their colleague, Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao on Sunday (Manila time), to refrain from using public funds in placing their bets.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said instead of engaging in gambling, solons should just allot their money to help the poor.
“Hindi natin sila hinuhusgahan pero sana lang huwag naman sa ganitong sitwasyon na kung saan hinirang sila ng bayan, dapat maging mabuting ehemplo pero ipinapakita pa nila na sila ang nangunguna sa sugal (We are not prejudging them, but they should set a good example as they were elected by the people),” Arguelles said over Church-run Radyo Veritas..... MORE
The other poll fraud EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 1...
From WMD to ‘laptop WMD’ DIE HARD III Herman Tiu L...
Noy in big Blunderland FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Oliva...
W/ Video: Make money, make war: UK profits from Li...
11/11/11: Eleven craziest facts you need to know a...
The right to travel C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan D...
Happy birthday, Mr. Vice President NO HOLDS BARRED...
Reds score Noy for not filing single case vs GMA ...
Discontentment in AFP brass feared over Noy’s top ...
VP Binay marks 11-11-11 birthday with Marines, Nav...
LTFRB hailed for suspending franchises of striking...
Archbishop warns lawmakers vs betting in Pacquiao ...
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line215
|
__label__cc
| 0.742051
| 0.257949
|
Procter And Gamble Bull Market Ends
by Alan R. Northam
Long-term statistical analysis shows that the bull market for Procter and Gamble has come to an end.
Security: PG
The long-term statistical analysis of the individual securities that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) shows that five of these securities are currently in long-term primary bear markets include Bank of America, Cisco Systems, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Walmart. On August 2, Procter and Gamble signaled the end of its bull market run but has not yet become a bear.
The lower panel of Figure 1 shows the 200-day price bars of Procter and Gamble (PG). This figure also shows the linear regression trendline (middle green line), the upper and lower two sigma channel lines and the upper and lower three sigma channel lines. In the case of a long-term uptrend, statistical analysis shows that when price moves below its lower two sigma channel line, a warning is given that the long-term trend may be over. Such a signal was given in March 2011. This signal turned out to be false as price turned back upward into the upper and lower two sigma channel and continued to rally upward. In late July, another warning was given that the bull market for Procter and Gamble may be over. This was a more valid warning as the linear regression slope indicator was much closer to crossing below its zero line and the R-squared indicator was much closer to crossing below its critical level.
On August 2, price closed below its lower three sigma channel line, signaling the end of the bull market run for Procter and Gamble. Note, a crossing of the lower two sigma channel line is a warning, but the crossing of the lower three sigma channel line is a signal.
FIGURE 1: PG, DAILY. This chart shows the daily price chart of Procter and Gamble in the lower panel along with the 200-day linear regression trendline and its upper and lower two and three sigma channel lines. The top panel shows the linear regression slope indicator, the next lower panel the R-squared indicator, and followed by the relative standard error index (RSEI).
Looking at the linear regression slope indicator in the top panel of Figure 1, we see that this indicator has not yet moved below its zero line. As long as this indicator remains above its zero line, the long-term trend statistically remains upward. This is why the crossing of the lower three sigma channel line is a signal that the bull market for Procter and Gamble has ended but it is not a confirmation that the bull market has ended. The actual confirmation that the bull market has ended occurs when the linear regression slope indicator moves below its zero line. The crossing of this indicator to below its zero line actually indicates that the long-term uptrend has now reversed to a long-term downtrend.
The next lower panel shows the R-squared indicator. This indicator measures the strength of the current trend. When this indicator is above its critical level and moving upward, it signals that the current trend is strong and getting stronger. When this indicator is below its critical level, it indicates that the current trend has lost its strength. Statistically, we say that the trend no longer has any statistical significance. Note that on August 2, the R-squared indicator moved below this critical level and indicates that there is no longer any strength to the current long-term uptrend. This condition leaves the current trend vulnerable for a reversal and occurs just before a change in trend. Can the long-term trend continue, even though its current condition states that it has no significant strength? Yes, and this does occur from time to time, but the higher probability is that a reversal in trend will most likely occur.
A quick note about the relative standard error index in the next lower panel of Figure 1: This indicator moved above its 0.8 level in April 2011. This high level is an indicator of extremely high volatility. Extreme volatility normally occurs just before a reversal in trend. Thus, this indicator has been warning of a possible reversal in the long-term trend of PG since April. On the other end of the scale, a reading below 0.2 indicates extremely low volatility. Extreme low volatility occurs during a strong trend and indicates that the current trend will most likely continue.
In conclusion, the long-term statistical analysis of Procter and Gamble has signaled the end of its bull market trend. However, a long-term bear market trend has not yet developed. Confirmation that the bull market is over should come, once the linear regression slope indicator moves below its zero line, indicating that a new long-term bear market trend has begun. Should a new bear market trend develop, it will become statistically significant once the R-squared indicator moves back above its critical level. Until a new statistically significant bear market trend develops we should be on guard for a possible, although slim, recurrence of the bull market of Procter and Gamble.
Alan R. Northam
Alan Northam lives in the Dallas, Texas area and as an electronic engineer gave him an analytical mind from which he has developed a thorough knowledge of stock market technical analysis. His abilities to analyze the future direction of the stock market has allowed him to successfully trade of his own portfolio over the last 30 years. Mr. Northam is now retired and trading the stock market full time. You can reach him at inquiry@tradersclassroom.com or by visiting his website at http://www.tradersclassroom.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @TradersClassrm.
Website: www.tradersclassroom.com
E-mail address: inquiry@tradersclassroom.com
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line217
|
__label__cc
| 0.710146
| 0.289854
|
Home › Social Responsibility › Society: our approach
Terna is an infrastructure company that is strategic for the Italian economy and provides a public utility service. Society – understood in both a general sense as the recipient of Terna’s service and a local sense as the communities more directly affected by projects for developing the transmission grid – is an essential stakeholder.
SO1 Terna’s approach to the local communities that host the construction of new infrastructure is discussed in depth in the chapter “Environmental responsibility”, because the visual and landscape impacts are the most significant ones of SO9 such activity. In this chapter, contrarily, other possible impacts on individuals and on society are discussed.
EU20 The construction of new electricity lines does not involve the physical displacement of people or entire communities, but only the use of from nearly 30 to nearly 250 square meters of land for every pylon. Terna’s use of innovative solutions, such as, for example, single-pole pylons, tends to reduce the physical encumbrance, as well as the visual impact, of new lines.
Even though Terna is authorized by the law (Law no. 1775 of 1933 and Presidential Decree 327/2001 – Consolidated Act on expropriations) to use an expropriation procedure to obtain the land, the Company prefers solutions based on mutual consent, paying a one-off compensation for the line’s right of way through private property (mounting pylons, installing overhead conductors, laying underground cables). In this case, the owner will no longer be able to use the land physically occupied by the pylons, it being understood that in the event the lines are dismantled, the land will again be at his complete disposal.
EU22 The pursuit of a consensual solution fails only in a minority of cases. When that happens, it is necessary to use coercive measures. In the 2009-2011 three-year period, Terna constructed nearly 515 km of power lines, which entailed obtaining easements from approximately 14,412 land owners (7,092 in 2011, 3,586 in 2010 and 3,734 in 2009). In 16% of the cases it was necessary to use a coercive easement procedure.
When Terna constructs a station, which occupies much more land, the Company normally purchases the necessary land.
Considering its role as the provider of a service to society and the regulatory context in which it operates, Terna complies scrupulously with the laws and regulations that concern it.
In consistency with this fair and respectful approach, Terna considers the identification and implementation of social, humanitarian, and cultural initiatives to be an integral part of its mission, as a concrete sign of participation in the civil development of the communities in which it operates.
As provided for by its Code of Ethics, in its relations with public authorities and associations, Terna represents its interests in a transparent, meticulous, and consistent manner, while avoiding collusive behavior.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line218
|
__label__cc
| 0.58894
| 0.41106
|
> From Past
From Present
Only People
Only Events
Only Icons
What > Events • Arts • Communities • Conflict • Cultures • Death • Domestic • Dynasties • Education • Exploration • Health • Industries • Institutions • Issues • Kids • Law • Miscellaneous • Nature • Philosophy • Politics • Religion • Science • Sports • Reference
Events > Buildings • Civilizations • Disasters • Discoveries • Empires • Independence • Inventions • Laws • Massacres • Migrations • Miracles • Mystery • Protest • Revolutions • Texts • Theories • Traditions • Wars • Elections • Scripts • World Wonders • All Events
14000 MYA
BIG BANG : Formation of the Universe
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model for the earliest known periods of the universe and its subsequent large-scale evolution. It states that the Universe was in a very high density state and then expanded. If the known l...
4600 MYA
Earth, 3rd Planet from the Sun
Earth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets. It is sometimes referred to as the world or the Blu...
300 MYA - 200 MYA
Pangaea, Supercontinent
Pangaea or Pangea was a supercontinent that existed during the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras. It formed approximately 300 million years ago and then began to break apart after about 100 million years. Unlike the present Earth, much...
3 MYA
Lucy, Australopithecus, Found 1974
Lucy is the common name of AL 288-1, the 40% complete Australopithecus afarensis skeleton discovered on November 30, 1974 by the International Afar Research Expedition (IARE; director: Maurice Taieb, co-directors: Donald Johanson and Yves C...
400000 BC
Neanderthals, Subspecies of Homo Sapiens
Neanderthals were archaic humans that became extinct about 40,000 years ago. They seem to have appeared in Europe and later expanded into Southwest, Central and Northern Asia. There, they left hundreds of stone tool assemblages. Almost all...
Control of Fire by Early Humans
The control of fire by early humans was a turning point in the cultural aspect of human evolution that allowed humans to cook food and obtain warmth and protection. Making fire also allowed the expansion of human activity into the dark and...
40000 BC
The Lion Man Of Hohlenstein Stadel - 1939
The Löwenmensch figurine or Lion man of the Hohlenstein Stadel is a very early prehistoric sculpture that was discovered in the Hohlenstein-Stadel, a German cave in 1939. The lion-headed figurine, alternately called (by its German names) Lö...
Cave paintings, Parietal Art
Cave paintings (also known as "parietal art") are painted drawings on cave walls or ceilings, mainly of prehistoric origin, dated to some 40,000 years ago (around 38,000 BCE) in Eurasia. The exact purpose of the Paleolithic cave paintings i...
Ishango Bone, Mathematical Tool - 1960
The Ishango bone is a bone tool, dated to the Upper Paleolithic era, about 18000 to 20000 BC. It is a dark brown length of bone, the fibula of a baboon, with a sharp piece of quartz affixed to one end, perhaps for engraving or writing. It w...
Göbekli Tepe, Turkey
Göbekli Tepe (Turkish: Potbelly Hill) is a Neolithic hilltop sanctuary erected at the top of a mountain ridge in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, some 15 kilometers (9 mi) northeast of the town of Sanliurfa (formerly Urfa / Edess...
Egyptian Hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs was a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that contained a combination of logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood. Less forma...
Megalithic Temples of Malta
The Megalithic Temples of Malta are several prehistoric temples, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, built during three distinct time periods approximately between 3600 BC and 700 BC on the island country of Malta. They have been...
Invention of the Wheel
Evidence of wheeled vehicles appears from the second half of the 4th millennium BC, near-simultaneously in Mesopotamia (Sumerian civilization), the Northern Caucasus (Maykop culture) and Central Europe, so that the question of which culture...
Cuneiform Script, Earliest Writing System
Cuneiform script is the earliest known writing system in the world. Cuneiform writing emerged in the Sumerian civilization of southern Iraq around the 34th century BC during the middle Uruk period, beginning as a pictographic system of wr...
Krishna, The Supreme Being
Krishna is a major Hindu deity worshiped in a variety of different perspectives. Krishna is recognised as the Svayam Bhagavan in his own right or as the complete/absolute incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Krishna is one of the most widely revered...
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line219
|
__label__wiki
| 0.81494
| 0.81494
|
Categorized | Columnists, In My Mind's I by Harriet Gross
UTD forum to cover South African apartheid
Posted on 19 February 2015 by admin
By Harriet P. Gross
Apartheid. This loaded word officially entered the South African vocabulary in 1948, when the government’s white majority decreed total separation — physical and political — for the country’s blacks; for all those natives whose ancestors had been there from the beginning.
The whole world knows of Nelson Mandela, who spoke up for his people and suffered for it before his ultimate triumph. But too few know about a most unlikely champion of the many who were banished to “townships” of poverty and distress. A woman. A white woman. A white Jewish woman. Helen Suzman.
When you say the name aloud, it should be pronounced Soos-man, not Suzz-man, a white Jewish Dallasite who moved here from South Africa has told me. There are many like him; currently, they are working with the Dallas Jewish Historical Society to compile their “Roots to Boots” history. And they are also sharing the story of this compatriot who never left home.
A traveling exhibition, “Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights,” originated with the Kaplan Centre of Jewish Studies and Research at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. It spent several recent weeks on display at the Dallas JCC, and now may be seen at the University of Texas at Dallas. The exhibit has inspired a special program there: the Helen Suzman Forum on Life Under Apartheid, scheduled for next Wednesday evening, Feb. 25. Everyone is invited to a reception and exhibit viewing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in UTD’s Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building; the forum’s panel discussion will follow.
Joan Gremont, a South African Dallasite who has been championing this event, tells me that the panel “is a very diverse group — like the population of South Africa. What the panelists have in common is that they all lived in South Africa during the apartheid years, and were old enough to be aware of the political climate during that time.” They are:
Peter Anderson, 65, who came to the U.S. from Johannesburg on a Fulbright Scholarship, earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees at Boston University, and is now an associate professor at Austin College in Sherman, teaching post-colonial literature.
Lorimer Arendse, 42, who came to the U.S. from Cape Town at age 16. After years of Ohio residence, he moved to the Dallas area in 2007 to become associate principal at Grapevine High School; he is now Grand Prairie High School’s principal.
Warren Harmel, 65, who graduated from the University of Cape Town and interacted with Helen Suzman as a member of her Progressive Party in Johannesburg. He came to Texas in 1986 to work with an advertising agency, and is an advertising consultant today.
Harshad Lalloobhai, 58, who came to Texas from Johannesburg in 1984 for a job with American Corporation. He has long since become an entrepreneur, an owner of retail wine shops and hotels.
Peter Lewin, 67, who came to the U.S. from Johannesburg in 1979 when he was 23 years old. He has studied the economics of apartheid and is now at UTD as clinical professor of managerial economics.
Moderating this panel will be Jill Kelly, professor of African history, including South African history, at Southern Methodist University. She studied in Durban and lived in Pietermaritzburg while researching traditional authority in rural KwaZulu-Natal for her doctorate.
Apartheid finally died in 1994. Did Helen Suzman’s often-lonely voice of white opposition to South Africa’s racial politics contribute to its demise? She once answered the question herself: “It is hard to say if [I have] achieved anything, except to keep certain democratic values alive in this country…[but] You have to take a stand against something you know is wrong.” We do know that when she died peacefully in 2009 at the age of 91, flags across all of South Africa were lowered to half-staff in her honor.
For more information on the Suzman exhibit and forum, contact Lisa Morgan at 972-883-2952 or lisa.morgan@utdallas.edu. Come — and learn!
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line220
|
__label__cc
| 0.649415
| 0.350585
|
Juba do Leao
Samba Galez
The Mass Busk
Street Party!
Sallie Maclennan
Dancer, singer, choreographer, percussionist and band leader – Sallie has been teaching and leading performance groups for over 20 years.
She began teaching dance at the age of 16 and by 19 had co-founded her first contemporary dance company. In 1994 she discovered Brazilian Dance and Percussion and soon established herself as a community dance leader: teaching, performing, running projects and collaborating with many other respected percussionists and dancers throughout the UK. Delving into Afro-Brazilian percussion, dance and song has enabled Sallie to draw more extensively on these Brazilian traditions – studying, performing and passing them on to new audiences.
Sallie soon became known for her ability to blend traditional Brazilian and African dance forms to create a unique street style for each group she worked with. Her ’03-’08 project En Masse demonstrated this, presenting high energy world music, song and dance for the stage; drawing influences from Brazil, Cuba, Colombia, West and South Africa.
Sallie is currently resident choreographer for Samba Galêz, musical director for SWICA’s Carnival Crew and Artistic director of En Masse. When she’s not doing that, she can be found delivering whole class music tuition in schools for Cardiff Council’s Music Development Team.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line227
|
__label__wiki
| 0.714585
| 0.714585
|
Jay Johnson
Hollywood Hernandez
Steve Nice
Pam G.
Michigan News Network
Krazy Kids Inflatable Fun Run
Grand Rapids On Tap
Follow on Facebook Follow on Twitter
What’s Hot:
Ciara Sings ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ with Six-Month-Old Son
By thetouch1410 December 23, 2014 7:54 PM
Neville Hopwood/Getty Images
Just days after serenading Instagram followers with a rendition of Nelly’s “Dilemma,” Ciara has shared another video performance, this one just in time for the holidays.
The singer posted a brief black-and-white clip via Instagram, in which she sings “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” while her six-month-old son, Future Zahir Wilburn, plays random keys on the piano.
“Christmas Song. By Me and Baby F.,” she wrote in the caption of the video. In another clip, her son stares in amazement as she belts the hook.
Over the weekend, Ciara shared another image from her holiday photo-shoot with her son. “We’re So Ready!!:)” she wrote.
Meanwhile, its been three months since Future shared an image of his son on social media.
In August, Ciara called off her engagement with the rapper after 10 months of dating. Interestingly enough, though, she’s still one of the three people that Future follows on Instagram.
Next: Ciara and Future Officially Call It Quits
Source: The Touch Radio
Filed Under: Christmas | Ciara | Future | son | song Category: Articles | Music News | News | R&B | Rock
Reddit This!
Share on Tumblr!
Best of 1410 The Touch
Order Now to Get Corner Bar Hot Dogs in Rockford on Friday
NOOO! You’ll No Longer Find Personal Ads On Craigslist
Place Your Vote & Help Us Find West Michigan’s Favorite Veterinary Clinic
Muskegon Home to New Summer Surf Festival in 2018
Hollywood Hernandez Jay Johnson Pam G.
The Latest From The Touch
Muskegon County Man Missing Since January March 22, 2018 1:02 PM
Another West Michigan Macatawa Bank Robbed February 15, 2018 3:26 PM
Matt Patricia Officially Named Lions Head Coach February 5, 2018 4:50 PM
Holland Chick-fil-A Opens This Week February 4, 2018 2:19 PM
Woman Missing in Ottawa County December 28, 2017 4:17 PM
Fun Park Pass at AJ's Family Fun Center
Buy This Deal Now
Welcome back to 1410 AM The Touch
It appears that you already have an account on this site associated with . To connect your existing account just click on the account activation button below. You will maintain your existing VIP profile. After you do this, you will be able to always log in to http://touch1410.production.townsquareblogs.com using your original account information.
Log in to 1410 AM The Touch
1410 AM The Touch brought to you by:
Sign up for 1410 AM The Touch
Birth Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Birth Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Birth Year 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920
Please solve this simple math problem to prove that you are a real person.
Never Miss the Latest News from 1410 AM The Touch.
1410 AM The Touch
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line231
|
__label__wiki
| 0.779138
| 0.779138
|
The Woodgates
About Frank
Galleries/Cities
See also individual ARTISTS
Can Art change the world? Art with something to say
This lecture (or study day) concentrates on those artists who have used their art to communicate ideas, opinions, criticisms or fears about their world and, in doing so, tell us a great deal about the historical period in which the art was created.
From the 15th to the 21st centuries, artists as varied as Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Goya, William Blake, Picasso, Grayson Perry, Ai Weiwei and many more have created powerful, exciting, moving and, sometimes, disturbing works of art dealing with topics as varied as social unrest and poverty, feminism and gender politics, race, prejudice and multi-culturalism, the environment, war and propaganda, and the cult of personality.
Art Down Under – Australian Art from the Convict Years to the Modern Era
Artistic responses to life in the strange new continent were initially seen through European, and especially British, artistic traditions. In the 19th century, Australian Impressionism & the Heidelberg School challenged the dominance of the ‘Victorian’ style, with Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton and others producing works which became Australian icons. The First World War was a watershed in Australian and New Zealand history. No longer subservient to Europe, artists now found their own language to depict the unique landscape and culture Down Under. At the same time, indigenous artists began to respond to contemporary life, while retaining many of the traditions of their ancestors.
The Art of North America
The art of early American settlers owed more to their European origins than to the indigenous art which they encountered in the New World. The early settlers, the new Republic, the opening up of the West, and the years following the Civil War all provided inspiration for artists. Landscape tradition continued into the 20th century, while some artists responded to the boom years in the twenties and the despair of the hungry thirties. Through the years of the Depression, American art survived and developed, thanks to the support of the Federal Arts Project. While realist art continued, it was Abstraction Expressionism, and the migration of many major European artists to American before WW2, that led to New York replacing Paris as the centre of the international avant-garde.
Life and Social Change in 19th and 20th century Art
Society and attitudes have changed more in the last 200 years than in the previous two thousand, and as society and attitudes change so does art. This lecture compares the way in which 19th and 20th century artists responded to the modern world of politics, social unrest, migrating populations, wars, and everyday life.
In the 20th century it is the expressive power of African tribal carvings which were to have a great influence on so many avant-garde artists, including Picasso and Matisse, and in the Post-Colonial era many European artists of African or Asian descent continue to explore and expand their non-Western cultural heritage.
The link between art and literature is crucial to an understanding of much of the art of the past. For centuries, the closer art was to literature, the greater the art. There were also practical reasons for creating 'visible poetry', thus raising the status of artist above that of a mere craftsman. Artists include Blake, Turner, Bosch, Burne-Jones, Delacroix, Poussin, Rossetti and Millais.
Expressionism: German Revolutionary Art in the early modern period
Reviled by the Nazis, the most important and influential art movement in Germany in the early 20th century could be beautiful and sombre, highly charged and edgy, exciting and disturbing.
The Camden Town Group
Founded in 1911, and inspired by French Post-Impressionism (and working-class life in London), the short-lived Camden Town Group chronicled changes in British society immediately before and during World War 1, and heralded a new modern spirit in British art.
Modern Art and the Old Masters: the new approach to familiar themes in 20th century art
A comparison of the way in which the modern treatment of traditional genres in art is different from that of the Old Masters, the effect of these differences, and whether they add to, or change, our understanding of the subject and its message. The lecture will cover all of the traditional genres, i.e. History Painting, Portraits, Genre (pictures of everyday life), Landscape and Still-Life, and we will consider the way in which the treatment of these subjects has changed over the centuries, up to the present day.
“The paths of glory....” Art and the Great War
This lecture examines the way artists, with direct experience of war, attempted to depict the conflict in the face of strict official censorship, and how each side responded to the aftermath of war.
From Elizabeth to Elizabeth - Five Centuries of British Art
The development of British art from the Elizabethans, with their exquisite miniatures and hieratic portraits of the Queen, to the extraordinary diversity of works produced in the reign of our present Queen.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
In 1848 a group of young artists got together to form a secret society which they called The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. They wanted to establish a new kind of art based on serious subject matter and the painstaking study of nature. Holman Hunt said, “... our talk is deepest treason against our betters.” As proof of this, their early works in the new style provoked a storm of hostile criticism. A few years later, however, works by the Pre-Raphaelites were to be among the most popular exhibits at the Royal Academy. This lecture will make clear the reasons why the Pre-Raphaelites felt that art was in need of reform, how their art was different from the popular art of the day, the reasons for the criticisms of the group and for their gradual rise to fame and acceptance.
Signs and Symbols - the hidden messages in paintings
This lecture looks at paintings from the 14th to 20th centuries and examines the way artists have used signs and symbols to give deeper layers of meaning to their work.
-Isms and -Wasms: artistic labels and what they mean
Mannerism, Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Surrealism …. what these and many other artistic categories mean, and how they can be identified and understood.
Greek Myths and Legends in Art
In every age there have been artists whose fascination with these ancient stories has produced some of the most beautiful and memorable works of art ever created in the Western world.
More than Meets the Eye!
Artists can manipulate colour, form, composition and subject-matter (even facts!) in order to explore universal themes such as life, death, feelings, politics, and to engage our emotional participation in the work.
The Art of the Still-life
From humble origins as the lowest of the genres, still-life became the subject of some of the most beautiful, exciting, innovative and astonishing works in the history of art.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line242
|
__label__cc
| 0.690662
| 0.309338
|
Posted on January 17, 2018 by David Swanson
Support the New Poor People’s Campaign
The new poor people’s campaign should get every ounce of support we can find and generate. I say that without the qualifications and caveats I would usually include, because the Poor People’s Campaign is doing something that may not be strictly unprecedented in U.S. history but is certainly extremely rare in recent decades. It’s pursuing a worthy noble goal, that of ending poverty, while making ending war a central part of its vision, and doing so voluntarily.
Of course this makes sense given the heritage of Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for the world.
Of course it makes sense given the major economic drain that military spending is, the preying of recruiters on the poor, the environmental injustice of military base pollution in poor neighborhoods, the militarization of police by the military in poor neighborhoods, the culture of violence that the military promotes, the culture of racism that war propaganda fuels and feeds off, and the incredible wonders that could be done if military money was diverted toward good ends.
Yet, typically, when there’s a multi-issue or other-issue coalition or mass effort put together in the United States, it takes a full-court-press of private and public lobbying, badgering, and shaming to get the organizers to slip the word peace in somewhere on page 38, or to allow a peace contingent to march at the back of the parade. It’s easy to miss, but I think we ought to recognize, the significance of the Poor People’s Campaign taking on war front-and-center and unasked.
I might overlook it more than others because of the religious focus of this campaign. I’m not religious and am convinced we’d be better off without religion. But we’re very obviously better off with these religious activists.
These are the new poor people’s campaign’s principles (I’ve added bolding):
We are rooted in a moral analysis based on our deepest religious and constitutional values that demand justice for all. Moral revival is necessary to save the heart and soul of our democracy.
We are committed to lifting up and deepening the leadership of those most affected by systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, and ecological devastation and to building unity across lines of division.
We believe in the dismantling of unjust criminalization systems that exploit poor communities and communities of color and the transformation of the “War Economy” into a “Peace Economy” that values all humanity.
We believe that equal protection under the law is non-negotiable.
We believe that people should not live in or die from poverty in the richest nation ever to exist. Blaming the poor and claiming that the United States does not have an abundance of resources to overcome poverty are false narratives used to perpetuate economic exploitation, exclusion, and deep inequality.
We recognize the centrality of systemic racism in maintaining economic oppression must be named, detailed and exposed empirically, morally and spiritually. Poverty and economic equality cannot be understood apart from a society built on white supremacy.
We aim to shift the distorted moral narrative often promoted by religious extremists in the nation from personal issues like prayer in school, abortion, sexuality, gun rights, property rights to systemic injustices like how our society treats the poor, those on the margins, the least of these, women, children, workers, immigrants and the sick; equality and representation under the law; and the desire for peace, love and harmony within and among nations.
We will build up the power of people and state-based movements to serve as a vehicle for a powerful moral movement in the country and to transform the political, economic and moral structures of our society.
We recognize the need to organize at the state and local level—many of the most regressive policies are being passed at the state level, and these policies will have long and lasting effect, past even executive orders. The movement is not from above but below.
We will do our work in a non-partisan way—no elected officials or candidates get the stage or serve on the State Organizing Committee of the Campaign. This is not about left and right, Democrat or Republican but about right and wrong.
We uphold the need to do a season of sustained nonviolent civil disobedience as a way to break through the tweets and shift the moral narrative. We are demonstrating the power of people coming together across issues and geography and putting our bodies on the line to the issues that are affecting us all.
The Campaign and all its Participants and Endorsers embrace nonviolence. Violent tactics or actions will not be tolerated.
I’ve bolded that last sentence because of its importance and rarity, even if it seems separable from the agenda of ending war. I think it’s intimately connected.
This excellent set of principles debunks the notion that the poor are too busy struggling for food and shelter to care about something as abstract as foreign policy. These principles recognize that the war economy requires those impacted by it to care. Yet, it’s not just selfish caring. What is to be valued, it says above, is all humanity. Peace activists sometimes ask to “bring our war dollars home.” Not only is that a selfish idea. It’s also an idea that depends on one’s not really grasping how much money war dollars is. Over $1 trillion in the U.S. alone every year for militarism is enough to transform this country AND all the other countries. We do not have to choose.
At World Beyond War we maintain that one of the key reasons to end war is that war impoverishes us:
Direct Expenses:
War has a huge direct financial cost, the vast majority of which is in funds spent on the preparation for war — or what’s thought of as ordinary, non-war military spending. Very roughly, the world spends $2 trillion every year on militarism, of which the United States spends about half, or $1 trillion. This U.S. spending also accounts for roughly half of the U.S. government’s discretionary budget each year and is distributed through several departments and agencies. Much of the rest of world spending is by members of NATO and other allies of the United States, although China ranks second in the world.
Not every well-known measure of military spending accurately conveys the reality. For example, the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranks the United States near the peaceful end of the scale on the factor of military spending. It accomplishes this feat through two tricks. First, the GPI lumps the majority of the world’s nations all the way at the extreme peaceful end of the spectrum rather than distributing them evenly.
Second, the GPI treats military spending as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) or the size of an economy. This suggests that a rich country with a huge military can be more peaceful than a poor country with a small military. This is not just an academic question, as think tanks in Washington urge spending a higher percentage of GDP on the military, exactly as if one should invest more in warfare whenever possible, without waiting for a supposed defensive need.
In contrast to the GPI, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) lists the United States as the top military spender in the world, measured in dollars spent. In fact, according to SIPRI, the United States spends as much on war and war preparation as most of the rest of the world combined. The truth may be more dramatic still. SIPRI says U.S. military spending in 2011 was $711 billion. Chris Hellman of the National Priorities Project says it was $1,200 billion, or $1.2 trillion. The difference comes from including military spending found in every department of the government, not just “Defense,” but also Homeland Security, State, Energy, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Veterans Administration, interest on war debts, etc. There’s no way to do an apples-to-apples comparison to other nations without accurate credible information on each nation’s total military spending, but it is extremely safe to assume that no other nation on earth is spending $500 billion more than is listed for it in the SIPRI rankings.
While North Korea almost certainly spends a much higher percentage of its gross domestic product on war preparations than the United States does, it almost certainly spends less than 1 percent what the United States spends.
Indirect Expenses:
Wars can cost even an aggressor nation that fights wars far from its shores twice as much in indirect expenses as in direct expenditures. Economists calculate the U.S. wars on Iraq and Afghanistan have cost, not the $2 trillion spent by the U.S. government, but a total of $6 trillion when indirect expenses are considered, including future care of veterans, interest on debt, impact on fuel costs, lost opportunities, etc. This doesn’t include the much greater cost of the increased base military spending that accompanied those wars, or the indirect costs of that spending, or the environmental damage.
The costs to the aggressor, enormous as they are, can be small in comparison to those of the nation attacked. For example, Iraq’s society and infrastructure have been destroyed. There is extensive environmental damage, a refugee crisis, and violence lasting well beyond the war. The financial costs of all the buildings and institutions and homes and schools and hospitals and energy systems destroyed is almost immeasurable.
War Spending Drains an Economy:
It is common to think that, because many people have jobs in the war industry, spending on war and preparations for war benefits an economy. In reality, spending those same dollars on peaceful industries, on education, on infrastructure, or even on tax cuts for working people would produce more jobs and in most cases better paying jobs — with enough savings to help everyone make the transition from war work to peace work.
Recent cuts in certain areas to the U.S. military have not produced the economic damage forecast by the weapons companies.
So, in the short term, military spending is worse than nothing economically. In the long term it may be even worse. Military spending does not produce anything of use to people but depletes people’s supply of useful goods.
War Spending Increases Inequality:
Military spending diverts public funds into increasingly privatized industries through the least accountable public enterprise and one that is hugely profitable for the owners and directors of the corporations involved. As a result, war spending works to concentrate wealth in a small number of hands, from which a portion of it can be used to corrupt government and further increase or maintain military spending.
War Spending Is Unsustainable, As Is Exploitation it Facilitates:
While war impoverishes the war making nation, can it nonetheless enrich that nation more substantially by facilitating the exploitation of other nations? Not in a manner that can be sustained. The leading war-making nation in the world, the United States, has 5% of the world’s population but consumes a quarter to a third of various natural resources. That exploitation would be unfair and undesirable even if sustainable. The fact is that this consumption of resources cannot be sustained. The resources are nonrenewable, and their consumption will ruin the earth’s climate and ecosystems before supplies are exhausted.
Fortunately, greater consumption and destruction does not always equal a superior standard of living. The benefits of peace and international cooperation would be felt even by those learning to consume less. The benefits of local production and sustainable living are immeasurable. And one of the largest ways in which wealthy nations consume the most destructive resources, such as oil, is through the very waging of the wars, not just through a lifestyle supposedly permitted by the wars. What’s needed is greater ability to imagine a shift in spending priorities. Green energy and infrastructure would surpass their advocates’ wildest fantasies if the funds now invested in war were transferred there.
World Beyond War also argues that humanity and the world need $2 trillion a year for better things than war:
It would cost about $30 billion per year to end starvation and hunger around the world. That sounds like a lot of money to you or me. But if we had $2 trillion it wouldn’t. And we do.
It would cost about $11 billion per year to provide the world with clean water. Again, that sounds like a lot. Let’s round up to $50 billion per year to provide the world with both food and water. Who has that kind of money? We do.
Of course, we in the wealthier parts of the world don’t share the money, even among ourselves. Those in need of aid are right here as well as far away.
But imagine if one of the wealthy nations, the United States for example, were to put $500 billion into its own education (meaning “college debt” can begin the process of coming to sound as backward as “human sacrifice”), housing (meaning no more people without homes), infrastructure, and sustainable green energy and agricultural practices. What if, instead of leading the destruction of the natural environment, this country were catching up and helping to lead in the other direction?
(Note that education, like healthcare, is an area where the U.S. government already spends more than enough to make it free but spends it corruptly.)
The potential of green energy would suddenly skyrocket with that sort of unimaginable investment, and the same investment again, year after year. But where would the money come from? $500 billion? Well, if $1 trillion fell from the sky on an annual basis, half of it would still be left. After $50 billion to provide the world with food and water, what if another $450 billion went into providing the world with green energy and infrastructure, topsoil preservation, environmental protection, schools, medicine, programs of cultural exchange, and the study of peace and of nonviolent action?
U.S. foreign aid right now is about $23 billion a year. Taking it up to $100 billion — never mind $523 billion! — would have a number of interesting impacts, including the saving of a great many lives and the prevention of a tremendous amount of suffering. It would also, if one other factor were added, make the nation that did it the most beloved nation on earth. A recent poll of 65 nations found that the United States is far and away the most feared country, the country considered the largest threat to peace in the world. Were the United States responsible for providing schools and medicine and solar panels, the idea of anti-American terrorist groups would be as laughable as anti-Switzerland or anti-Canada terrorist groups, but only if one other factor were added — only if the $1 trillion came from where it really ought to come from.
Ceasing to fund militarism would save a great many lives and halt the counterproductive work of antagonizing the world and generating enemies. But moving even a fraction of that money into useful places would save many times that number of lives and begin generating friendship instead of animosity.
Now, most people in the United States, and many people in a lot of wealthy nations find themselves to be struggling. How can they think about a massive rescue plan for the rest of the world? They shouldn’t. They should think about a massive rescue plan for the entire world, including their own corner of it. The United States could end poverty at home and transition to sustainable practices while going great distances toward helping the world do the same, and have money left over. The climate doesn’t belong to one part of the earth. We’re all in this leaky little boat together. But $1 trillion a year is a truly mammoth amount of money. It’s $10 billion 100 times. Very few things are funded with $10 billion, almost nothing with $100 billion. A whole new world opens up if military funding stops. Options include tax cuts for working people and a shift in power to state and local levels. Regardless of the approach, the economy benefits from the removal of military spending. The same spending in other areas, even in tax cuts for working people, creates more jobs and better paying jobs. And there’s enough savings to make sure that every worker who needs it is retrained and assisted in making a transition. And then the $1 trillion doubles to $2 trillion if the rest of the world demilitarizes as well.
It sounds like a dream, and surely it must be a dream. Don’t we need military spending to protect ourselves and police the planet? We do not. We have other means of protection. The militarism is making us less safe. And the rest of the planet is screaming at the top of its lungs that it would like to cease being policed by a self-appointed and not truly international police force that does more damage than it claims to prevent and leaves ruined nations in its wake after each effort of supposed nation building.
Why do other wealthy nations not find it necessary to spend even 10% of what the United States spends on so-called defense? Well, most of their military spending, like most U.S. military spending serves no defensive purpose. Even if one still believed in military defense, defense means a coast guard and border patrol, anti-aircraft weapons, tools for fighting off a feared invasion, the fear of which would diminish rapidly if nations moved toward departments of actual defense. Weapons in the seas and skies of the world and outerspace are not defensive. Troops permanently stationed in the majority of the world’s nations, as U.S. troops are, is not defensive. It’s preemptive. It’s part of the same logic that leads to aggressive wars aimed at removing possible future threats, real or imaginary.
One need not believe even in the necessity of a scaled back, truly defensive military. Studies of the past century have found that nonviolent tools are more effective in resisting tyranny and oppression. If one nation were to attack another in a demilitarized world, these things should happen: the people of the attacking nation should refuse to take part, the people of the attacked nation should refuse to recognize an invader’s authority, people of the world should go to the attacked nation as peace workers and human shields, images and facts of the attack should be made visible everywhere, governments of the world should sanction the government responsible but not its people, those responsible should be tried in international court, and disputes should be brought to international arbitration.
Because war and war preparation is not needed to protect us and is widely acknowledged to generate hostility, thus making us less safe, we can list all of its consequences on the same side of a cost-benefit analysis. There are no benefits that could not be better created without war. The costs are extensive: the killing of large numbers of men, women, and children in what have become very one-sided slaughters, the remaining violence that lasts for years to come, the destruction of the natural environment that can last for millennia, the erosion of civil liberties, the corruption of government, the example of violence taken up by others, the concentration of wealth, the wasting each and every year of $2 trillion.
Here’s a dirty little secret: war can be abolished. When dueling was abolished, people didn’t keep defensive dueling. Ending war entirely means ending defensive war. But nothing is lost in that bargain, as stronger tools than war have been developed for defensive needs during the 70 years since the last war that many like to claim proves war’s capacity for goodness and justness. Isn’t it odd that people have to skip back over so many dozens of wars to a radically different epoch to find what they think of as a legitimate example of what has been our top public investment ever since? But this is a different world from the world of World War II. No matter what you make of the decades of decisions that created that crisis, we face very different crises today, we’re not likely to face that same type of crisis — especially if we invest in preventing it — and we do we have different tools with which to handle it.
War is not needed in order to maintain our lifestyle, as the saying goes. And wouldn’t that be reprehensible if it were true? We imagine that for 5 percent of humanity to go on using 30 percent of the world’s resources we need war or the threat of war. But the earth has no shortage of sunlight or wind. Our lifestyles can be improved with less destruction and less consumption. Our energy needs must be met in sustainable ways, or we will destroy ourselves, with or without war. That’s what’s meant by unsustainable. So, why continue an institution of mass killing in order to prolong the use of exploitative behaviors that will ruin the earth if war doesn’t do it first? Why risk the proliferation of nuclear and other catastrophic weapons in order to continue catastrophic impacts on the earth’s climate and ecosystems? The fact is that if we are going to adequately address climate change and environmental collapse, we are going to need that $2 trillion that the world invests in war.
War is not a tool for bettering the world. War costs the aggressor nation severely, but those costs are as nothing compared to the damage inflicted on the attacked. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, and Somalia have suffered, and will go on suffering severely from recent U.S. wars. These wars take large numbers of lives, almost all of them on one side, almost all of them the lives of people who did nothing to the nations attacking them. But, while war costs a great many lives, many times that number of lives could be saved by redirecting a fraction of the enormous pile of money spent on war. For far less than war and war preparation cost us, we could transform our lives at home, and make our country the most beloved on earth by providing aid to others. For what it has cost to wage the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq, we could have provided the world with clean water, ended starvation, built countless schools, and created green energy sources and sustainable agriculture practices in much of the globe, including our own homes. What protection would the United States need from a world to which it had given schools and solar energy? And what would the United States choose to do with all of the money left over? Isn’t THAT an exciting problem to be faced with?
Do we need war to prevent something worse? There isn’t something worse. Wars are not effective tools for preventing larger wars. Wars are not effective at preventing genocides. Rwanda needed a history with less war, and it needed police, it did not need bombs. Nor are those killed by a foreign government any less tragically killed than those killed by their own government. War is the worst thing we’ve invented. We don’t speak of good slavery or just rape or humanitarian child abuse. War is in that category of things that are always evil.
Aren’t we stuck with war because we’re humans? There are few things we say that about. Not slavery, not blood feuds, not dueling, not waterboarding, not sweatshops, not the death penalty, not nuclear weapons, not child abuse, not cancer, not hunger, not the filibuster or the senate or the electoral college or fundraising phone calls at dinner time. Almost nothing that we dislike do we claim to be permanently stuck with against our will. How many major institutions requiring great funding and the coordinated efforts of huge numbers of people can you think of that we claim to be stuck with forever against our will? Why war?
If we were to create a new institution that required a global investment of some $2 trillion a year, about $1 trillion of that from the United States alone, and if this institution hurt us economically, if it damaged our natural environment severely, if it stripped us of our civil liberties, if it funneled our hard-earned wealth into the hands of a small-number of corrupt profiteers, if it could only function through the participation of large numbers of young people the majority of whom would suffer physically or mentally and who would be made significantly more likely to commit suicide, if merely recruiting these young people and persuading them to take part in our new institution cost us more than it would to provide them with college educations, if this new institution made self-government more difficult, if it made our nation feared and hated abroad, and if its primary function was to kill large numbers of innocent children and grandparents and people of all ages, I can think of a lot of comments we might hear in response to our creation of this marvelous new institution. One of them is not “Gee it’s too bad we’re stuck with this monstrosity forever.” Why in the world would we be stuck with it? We made it. We could unmake it.
Ah, someone might say, but a new creation is different from an institution that has always been with us and always will be. No doubt that’s true, but war is actually a new creation. Our species goes back 100,000 to 200,000 years. War goes back only 12,000. And during these 12,000 years, war has been sporadic. Most societies at most times have done without it. “There’s always been a war somewhere,” people say. Well, there’s always not been a war many somewheres. Cultures that have used war have later abandoned it. Others have picked it up. It has not followed resource shortages or population density or capitalism or communism. It has followed cultural acceptance of war. And people who have done without war have not suffered for its absence. There is not a single recorded case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder created by war deprivation. On the contrary, most people suffer severely from participation in war and must be carefully conditioned prior to taking part. Since war ceased to involve hand-to-hand combat, it has been as open to women as to men, and women have begun to take part; it would be just as possible for men to cease taking part.
At this moment the vast majority of people on earth are represented by governments that invest less in war and war preparation than the United States does — significantly less, measured absolutely or as a percentage of nations’ economies. And some people are represented by governments that have not waged war in decades or centuries, some by governments that have literally put their military in a museum.
Of course, one might argue that the influence of the military industrial complex and its lobbyists and propagandists is invincible. But few would believe that. Why would something as new as the military industrial complex be permanent? Certainly ending war will require more than telling pollsters we want it ended. Certainly our governments are less than ideally responsive to public opinion. Certainly we are up against skilled people who will struggle to keep the cushy deal they’ve got. But popular activism has stood up to the war machine many times, including in rejecting proposed U.S. missile strikes on Syria in the summer of 2013. What can be stopped once can be stopped again and again and again and again forever, until the idea of it ceases to be thinkable.
Previous PostPrevious Talk Nation Radio: Jackson Lears on the Russiagate Religion
Next PostNext #WarHurtsEarth — April 22, 2018, Earth Day Actions for Peace and Planet
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line248
|
__label__cc
| 0.643487
| 0.356513
|
You Must SIGN UP To Watch or Download 1917 Full Movie For FREE by Click button Below
At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake are given a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers—Blake's own brother among them.
Genre: War, Drama, History
Stars: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden
Director: Thomas Newman, Sam Mendes, Sam Mendes, Sam Mendes, Roger Deakins
Movie Similars
Journey's End (2017)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Joyeux Noel (2005)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
Gallipoli (1981)
A Very Long Engagement (2004)
War Horse (2011)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)
The Last Emperor (1987)
Antz (1998)
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line250
|
__label__cc
| 0.671385
| 0.328615
|
REIT On!
Guest column by Frank Buhagiar
Student accommodation, social housing, warehouses, doctors’ surgeries, shopping centres, supermarkets and even big boxes – name a property sub-sector and chances are there is a REIT focused on it. Last week, shares in the Warehouse REIT became the latest to join the swelling ranks of property focused trusts trading on both the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market and Alternative Investment Market after it successfully raised £150 million to acquire a portfolio of UK warehouse assets.
The trust, which has been spun out of logistics and warehouse property company Tilstone, will start its public life with a portfolio of 27 freehold and long leasehold warehouse assets let out to a total of 129 tenants, including blue chip names such as Boots, Amazon, Asda and Argos. It will take these properties off Tilstone’s hands for £108.85 million with the remainder of the funds raised at IPO earmarked to acquire additional warehouses, specifically those located in urban areas.
Warehouse REIT is looking to capitalise on changing consumer shopping habits: more and more of us are buying all manner of items online and what’s more we expect to get our hands on them in double quick time. To avoid disappointing their punters, retailers need space close to urban areas so that they can deliver on their promises. The problem is that there is a lack of suitable space and properties. More established peers such as Tritax, Segro and LondonMetric have largely focused on out of town big box buildings. What sets the new kid on the warehouse block apart, is that it is interested in smaller urban buildings that comprise the so-called “last mile” delivery sector.
The fund will be managed by Tilstone Partners Limited (“TPL”) who, as part of the consideration received for the seed properties, will hold £16m of equity in Warehouse on Admission. These shares are subject to a two year lock-in period. On top of this, members of the Board and management team subscribed for a further £1.8m in shares of the Company on Admission, which will be subject to a one year lock-in. The fund manager’s interests are therefore aligned with those of its investors and they will therefore be as keen as anyone to hit the 10% targeted annual total return, which includes a 5.5% dividend yield.
This level of yield seems to be par for the course for new investment trusts listing this year. Other funds that have joined the market in 2017 and which are also targeting a 5%+ dividend yield include social housing investors Secure Income (RESI) and Triple Point Social Housing REITs (SOHO) which raised £180 million and £200 million respectively; and Supermarket Income REIT (SUPR) which attracted £100 million and is targeting a dividend yield of 5.5%. The above are among 10 investment trusts that have floated in London in H1 2017, a 10-fold increase on the one trust that came to market in the first half of 2016.
As for what is behind this year’s surge in investment trusts coming to market, Ian Sayers, Chief Executive of the Association of Investment Companies, has a theory: “It’s interesting to note that much of the issuance, both new and secondary, took place in high-yielding, alternative asset classes such as debt, property and infrastructure. This reflects the suitability of the closed-ended structure for investing in these types of illiquid assets and continued investor demand for income.” Investors’ search for yield it seems has found yet another outlet in the form of the UK REIT sector. Due to the closed end nature of REITs, when markets wobble fund managers will not be forced into having to make distressed sales to meet redemptions should investors make a dash for the exit, as was the case with a number of open-ended trusts during the financial crisis and the weeks following the BREXIT referendum. In short, there should be no need for any bargain warehouse sales in the REIT sector, or so the theory goes at least.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line251
|
__label__cc
| 0.732289
| 0.267711
|
The Curious Incident of Living with a PWA
By: Amaris Grace M. Cabason, ASP Marikina Valley Chapter
It’s been almost nine years since my brother Vinz was diagnosed with autism. But until now, the process of coping with his condition continues. I guess “normal” people like us can never really fine-tune our brains to make it in sync with the way he perceives the world.
Amaris, the author (left) with PWA brother Vinz (right)
This disparity will remain for years to come, and that is one bitter pill to swallow. His condition is permanent, and so are the frustration, the misunderstandings, and the coping. Our relationship with my brother is a gruelling, drawn-out process.
The book “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” by Mark Haddon provides us (the so-called “normal” people) with a view of how a person with autism sees the world. I concentrate so much on how my brother can’t see things the way I do, that I don’t even bother to think about how he perceives our world. And that’s what the book gave me, a peek at how a person with autism’s mind operates.
Some autistic people have a hard time understanding idiomatic expressions and would interpret them as literal. For example, when you say “I’m so hungry I could eat an elephant,” they’d probably expect an elephant to be your next meal! It’s easier for us to dismiss this as a stupid interpretation of an idiom and laugh at it.
But the book explains how they have a difficulty seeing this as just a figure of speech - since eating an elephant is impossible, and there are a million other things you can eat besides an elephant and they wonder why you can’t just eat those. What we dismiss as a dim-witted understanding actually makes sense to them, and that it is not just a one-dimensional statement but something that actually involves analysis—even if this analysis is not the way we do it.
Some autistic children bang their heads on the wall or hug their legs and rock back and forth. While we may see this as a reflex or something they do involuntarily, Christopher, the main character, says that he does things like these to cope with the heavy feeling in his chest that he can’t understand.
Some autistic children have difficulty reading emotions, including their own. They can’t detect sarcasm, lying, double entendres, or other figurative speech because again, they view the world literally. The diagram of emoticons that Christopher always carries with him shows this. He consults his diagram to know what the facial expression of the person he is talking to means, and he associates only a single meaning to an emoticon. When he sees a smile, he thinks it means, "I am happy," and never "I wish you could just drop dead right now."
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime is an enlightening read for anyone, especially for those who live with a person with autism. It provides us with a different perceptive about various life experiences that are both funny and endearing and occasionally, liberating, that if we only see the world for what it truly is, then we’ll realize what life could really be—simple and carefree.
Amaris Grace M. Cabason is an AB Social Science 2008 at the Ateneo de Manila University. She is the daughter of Alex and Marivi Cabason, President and First Lady of ASP Marikina Chapter. Be an Angel for Autism. Donate now and help ASP Chapters with their programs and services. Log on to ASP Community Website. Call us at 9266941 or 9298447 or write to alexcabason@yahoo.com
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line255
|
__label__wiki
| 0.836519
| 0.836519
|
Seoul Searching REVIEW - The pop culture historian
Some people have a harder time finding their s(e)oul than others
SEOUL SEARCHING (2015)
October 27, 2015 by thepopculturehistorian.com
Once again, I found myself volunteering at the Boston Asian American
Film Festival. Unlike last year, I managed to see most of the movies that were shown this year. BAAFF 2015 kicked off with Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching.
Seoul Searching follows a group of foreign-born students of Korean descent taking part in a South Korean government-sponsored summer camp to help them connect with their heritage and shows why the program was as short-lived as it was.
Benson Lee aimed to make this movie his tribute to John Hughes (it does take place in 1986 after all) and it shows in the classic Breakfast Club formula of having the characters start off as stereotypes and letting the viewer see that they are in fact more than what is on the surface.... READ MORE
By Yvonne Ng
At BAAFF, we've seen an incredible array of Asian American talent both on-screen and behind the scenes. From actors and directors to producers and writers, BAAFF has showcased films that share their exquisite skills, transporting the movie-goers into their worlds, their homes.
Here are some of the brilliant people who have been part of BAAFF and where they are now.
Although Randall Park has more than 100 film credits, we first saw him as 'Nice But Boring Guy' in BAAFF's 2010 film, The People I Slept With. Park was also the father in a short film, My Name is Asiroh (2014), and he co-wrote and starred in the comedic short, At Your Convenience (2013). Park now stars in ABC's Fresh Off the Boat.
In BAAFF's 2011 season, the legendary James Hong was a guest speaker. Hong is credited with more than 500 film roles and continues to be one of the most hardworking actors. This year alone, he's been in three different TV series, three films, one video and a short film. He'll be the voice of Mr. Ping in Kung Fu Panda 3 set to release in 2016.
Director, producer, writer, and editor, Jennifer Thym recently produced, Jasmine, a psychological thriller with The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Better Luck Tomorrow star Jason Tobin. Thym's dark and beautifully jarring short, Bloodtraffick, was part of BAAFF's 2012 season.
From BAAFF’s previous season, Producer, Director, and Cinematographer, Ursula Liang of the award winning documentary, 9-Man, has also co-produced Tough Love, a documentary about two American parents navigating the welfare system and trying to regain the custody of their children. 9-Man is now available on DVD.
In 2008, BAAFF’s opening night film was Planet B-Boy, a documentary (directed by Benson Lee) that delved into the lives of some of the best breakdancers from Japan, France, South Korea, and the US. Lee also directed the 2013 breakdance film Battle of the Year, which is a 3D version of Planet B-Boy backed by Sony. This season, we’re particularly excited to showcase Lee’s film, Seoul Searching, a 1980’s John Hughes inspired romantic teen comedy about a group of Korean misfits from around the world forced by their parents to attend a cultural propaganda camp in Seoul resulting in the best summer of their lives. Seoul Searching is BAAFF’s opening night film and Lee will be available for a Q&A after the film, so get your tickets today.
The Boston Asian American Film Festival is next week! See you at the movies.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line256
|
__label__cc
| 0.519186
| 0.480814
|
And the Underdog Wins
Blog about Life, Theories, and Fun!
Promotion Page
Why do we believe Oswald killed Kennedy?
Conspiracy Theory, Theory Thursday#JFK, #Oswald, #truth
Posted on November 30, 2017 November 26, 2017 by ltebrinke
I don’t think there will ever be a time when I stop questioning the assassination of JFK and why people think Oswald was the killer. My previous post about JFK Revealed asked a question at the end of the blog. I asked why do we believe that Oswald killed Kennedy? (http://www.andtheunderdogwins.com/jfk-revealed/ )Where is the real proof, the smoking gun, or any sort of evidence? Why has history found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt when Oswald, himself was murdered before he even had a chance to build a case. How were the police and other officials able to comb through the mass chaos of the President being killed in plain sight, and find a suspect that everyone “knew” killed Kennedy? Keep in mind that the President of the United States was killed in daylight in front of hundreds of witnesses. This was the 1960’s and our every move was not being documented at the time. Not everyone had a camera, no one had a cell phone. There are 3 films that caught what happened that day, but it didn’t show who pulled the trigger. This means that very little real time evidence exists, and we know nothing beyond a shadow of a doubt. Together, we are going to take a good look at the time line, and other key bits of information to try to understand why Oswald killed Kennedy, or at least he was the scapegoat.
First, let’s take a good look at the circumstances of that fateful day in Dallas. It was a clear day, and there was a parade route that was open. This meant that people could be very close to The President and their cars, and no one was under any sort of bullet proof protective cover even though this was available at the time. The route of the parade was changed so late in the game, that the cars following the motorcade were not aware and started to go the wrong direction. Besides the President’s motorcade, there were 16 other cars in their party. The total amount of people in this party, not including any sort of security or Secret Service was 88. This did not include the police cars, and unmarked cars. This is a lot of people in a short space who didn’t get hurt, but were exposed and were witnesses. These weren’t just any random people either. This group of people included the Vice President, Congressmen, Senators, newspaper reporters, trained military personal, representatives from CBS and ABC, college students, as well as the President’s personal secretary and personal physician. The fact that only two people were shot during this mass confusion is amazing. First, the assassins would have had to anticipate the change in the parade route. Second, they would have to be an amazingly accurate shot to get their mark through all these people, and the entire crowd. Not one civilian was hurt.
At this time, Lee Harvey Oswald was at work at the book depository and was on his break in the lunch room. There were several witnesses to this fact. No one could ever connect him with even being at the 6th floor at the time. In fact, anyone who was in that building, if that is where the shots came from in the first place, had equal status as a suspect. However, the officer who came into the book depository literally had no clue where the shots came from. According to Officer Marion Baker, he wasn’t sure if the shots came from in front of him, behind him, or beside him. He took a guess and ran into the depository. This was also several minutes after Officer Baker had stopped to talk to other officers and get them to where they needed to be. Basically, a lot of time passed of officers and officials running in circles trying to find anything that could help them find who shot the President.
Officer Baker demanded for an elevator when he walked through the door. This started an argument and confusion since people in the building didn’t know what was going on. When they decided to finally take the stairs, several more minutes had passed, and Lee Harvey Oswald had walked out of the break room with his coke. He wasn’t out of breath, stressed, or fearful until Officer Baker pointed his gun at him and demanded to know who he was. Oswald, was startled, and told him he worked there. Officer Baker left him and ran up the stairs, and Oswald, confused and afraid, left the building, as did many other employees at the book depository. Oswald wasn’t the only one who left. It is reported that the building was then sealed off at 12:33, which is the exact same time that Oswald supposedly left. The 9 blocks surrounding the kill zone was apparently secured and sealed off 9 minutes after the assassination, however many people report utter chaos and this being anywhere near true since people were able to leave their work, their buildings, and even drive home. The President had just been killed right in front of them, who was going to stick around and risk their own safety?
Somehow, Oswald was able to walk 7 blocks and get by without any issues. If everything had been secured, this would never have happened. He was able to walk to a bus stop and wait to get on a public bus. The bus got stuck in traffic. After riding on the bus for awhile, he got off and took a taxi home. He made it home, which was confirmed by his housekeeper. However, he only stayed for a few minutes and then left his house. He went to another bus stop close to his home, and this is where supposedly Oswald shot and killed Officer Tippit. There was supposedly 13 witnesses to this crime. These witnesses can be considered unreliable considering most of them didn’t ID him until after they had seen his face all over the news. Did Oswald kill Officer Tippit? It is very possible and people went on a man hunt for Oswald for a reason. They are in Texas, where everyone has guns, and he was threatened by a police officer less than an hour before. I’m not saying any of this is true, but I am saying there is room for reasonable doubt.
Oswald was arrested that day for killing police Officer Tippit, not for anything to do with shooting the President. The manhunt for him was a direct result of the police shooting, and not the assassination. When he was caught at the movie theater and taken in, his was afraid for his life, and he was ready to fight. Oswald had no clue he was being blamed for the President’s death until a reporter told him. He was not given any council or representation even though he requested it. Basically, this whole thing happened in a very short amount of time. At 12:30, the shots were fired. At 1:50 PM, Oswald was taken into custody at the movie theater. Really think about this because it is important. An hour and 20 minutes passed after the killing of the President Kennedy, and somehow the police, and secret service had enough information to blame this man for the shooting.
Oswald was never given legal help. While the world was starting to hear the Oswald had killed the President, he wasn’t even directly told why he was in jail. The news media had plenty of time to plant the seeds of guilt before the man even had any lawyer or help. By 11:26 PM that day, Oswald had been charged with two counts of murder including the President. Two hours earlier, he had been charged with killing the officer. November 24th, at 11:21 AM, Lee Harvey Oswald was shot in killed only after the public had been told he was the killer. He was given a few moments to speak and proclaimed that he needed a layer and had been denied any help. He also said he was a patsy before he was killed. This was less than 2 days after the assassination happened! Oswald had been blamed, tried via media, and publicly executed before any holes could be punched in the official story.
So, I keep asking, how did Oswald kill the President, and we all know for sure that it was him. It was never proven where the shots came from in the first place. Even trained officers and eye witnesses couldn’t agree on where the shot came from, so why was the book depositor randomly chosen. Officer Baker said he wasn’t even sure, but he made a choice. Was there a gun found there, or was one planted? There was enough time for people to come in and out of that building as the pleased before it was sealed off. It happened to be sealed off the exact minute that Oswald left. There were so many people who were there that day, and no one can agree on what happened. If that is true, then what evidence do we have to connect Oswald with killing the President? Did he shoot the officer, very possible, but what was the hard core evidence that forever condemned this man?
What happened from the moment of the shooting until now has been pure propaganda. There is a reason why many of us question what happened today. It does’t seem to make any sense. Why would this man be deemed the Kennedy killer when the public was never given any information on how this is possible. We were just told that this was the case so we should believe it. It’s a lot like a frustrated parent telling their kid to do something because they said so, instead of explaining the reasons behind why. We have forever lined this man with the killing of the President, who was all on his own and didn’t have any help. Look at the news media even today. They will say things like, the new released papers don’t show that Oswald had any accomplishes. Or, there is no proof of a second shooter outside of Oswald. They are still threading the seed of his guilt even now! But, when was he found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt that it was him who killed the President? The amount of time that Oswald was found forever guilty is insane, especially given the fact that not one person could agree on the facts of the case.
We can all speculate on reasons why Oswald could have killed the President. It is so easy to start at the conclusion of Oswald killing the president and then add in things that are evidence against him. He tried to defect, he had a photo take with a riffle and Russian propaganda, he married a Russian woman, and on and on and on. Where is the real evidence? This is why many of us conspiracy theorist were born. Out of the need to know the truth, because what has been presented to us is questionable at best. I think if even next week we find new evidence that another person shot and killed JFK, Oswald will always be someone who was believed to play a massive part in this event.
Each frame, and every single photo has been studied by hundreds and maybe thousands of people. While all have their own thoughts and theories about what they see, they can all agree upon one thing. There is nothing seen that points to where the gun shots truly came from, or who pulled the trigger(s). This means that not one person saw Oswald pull any trigger. All they can do is say he was in the book depository at the time of the killing, but so where several other people. People like to talk about the smoking gun that proves that Oswald acted alone. However, I have yet to see the smoking gun that proved Oswald acted at all.
By the way, if you didn’t know what happened to Jack Ruby, the man who publicly killed Oswald, here is some information for you. Jack Ruby was a nightclub owner with strong mob ties. He said he killed Oswald to spare Mrs. Jackie Kennedy from going through a public trail and the hardships that would bring. Ruby was dying at that point. He knew he had advanced cancer, and he only had so much time left. His life was pretty much over, so killing Oswald not only ensured his silence, but Jack’s silence as well. He died in prison after his conviction was overturned. That’s right, he was still in jail without any official charges pending against him since everything was overturned. Ruby repeatedly asked to be put in touch with people from the Warren commission, but was always denied. He was a free man who was in a jail cell until he died. Is it any wonder that people question the official stories?
There will never be an answer, but I believe that there is no hard evidence to connect Oswald with the assassination. There was such little time between the murder, and his capture that there would have to be some amazing proof to lead them down the Oswald path. It has never come to light, and we have no other suspects who could have killed the President. That’s because it is embarrassing that the amount of people that were there, and the amount of chaos was not contained. No one wants to admit that they missed very important and real evidence. No one wants the United States come off as fools who didn’t protect their President and have no real idea who killed him.
Stay in Touch: Newsletter
Who are they: Forbidden Love Part 2
Who are they: The story of Matt and Diane
Java Momma https://javamomma.com/LTebrinke
Fragrance X
Newie WordPress Theme, Copyright 2017 Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Newie by Paragon Themes.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0050.json.gz/line261
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.