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» WHAT IS SCIENTOLOGY? » SCIENTOLOGY PRINCIPLES
DIANETICS: UNDERSTANDING THE MIND
The Dianetics symbol uses the Greek letter delta as its basic form. The green stripes stand for growth, the yellow stripes are for life.
The four green stripes represent the four subdivisions of Man's urge to survive which are delineated in Dianetics.
Dianetics: dia (Greek) through, nous (Greek) mind or soul.
To understand exactly how Scientology is used, something should be known of the track of research L. Ron Hubbard travelled and the antecedent of Scientology—Dianetics.
Dianetics is a methodology which can help alleviate unwanted sensations and emotions, irrational fears and psychosomatic illnesses (illnesses caused or aggravated by mental stress).
It is most accurately described as what the soul is doing to the body through the mind.
Prior to 1950, prevailing scientific thought had concluded Man’s mind to be his brain, i.e., a collection of cells and neurons and nothing more. Not only was it considered that Man’s ability could not be improved, but it also was believed that with the formation of his cerebral cortex, his personality was likewise irrevocably established. These theories were, however, inaccurate and as a consequence science has never evolved a workable theory of the mind nor a means to resolve problems of the mind.
L. Ron Hubbard changed all that with Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Its publication in 1950 marks a watershed in the history of Man’s quest for a true understanding of himself.
Like Scientology, Dianetics rests on basic principles, easily learned, clearly demonstrated as true and every bit as valid today as when they were first released in 1950.
In this portion of the website, you will become familiar with the basic concepts of Dianetics and how it works, the goal of Dianetics, and an understanding of the state of “Clear.”
The Goal of Life
Survival and the Mind
The Time Track
Engrams
“Awakening” The Engram
The Solution to the Reactive Mind
The Clear
Attributes of Clear
More on Dianetics
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September 2012 Archives
Life Estate, Remainder Interest and the Power to Appoint; How to Avoid Being Stuck with a Bankruptcy Debtor as Holder of a Remainder Interest in Your Homestead
On behalf of Peter R. Scribner, Esq. on Wednesday, September 12, 2012.
Medicaid planning often includes elderly parents transferring the title to their house to their kids, but retaining the right to own the property while they (the parents) are alive. When this happens, the parents have a "life estate" (that is, they own the house so long as they are alive) and the kids have a "remainder interest" or a "future interest" (that is, they own the right to own the house in the future, after the parents pass.)The bankruptcy problem comes up when one of the kids holding the remainder interest files a bankruptcy. Now the bankruptcy trustee holds the future interest (see my blog of March 8, 2011 as to how the value of a remainder interest is calculated in bankruptcy.)This issue comes up all the time, and is very painful. The parents deed the future interest in their house to their child years ago; the child probably has forgotten all about it. The child comes in for the bankruptcy interview and, with prompting, says "oh yeah, I remember something about that." Even worse is if the child remembers it after the bankruptcy is filed, when it is too late to do anything about it.
Continue reading Life Estate, Remainder Interest and the Power to Appoint; How to Avoid Being Stuck with a Bankruptcy Debtor as Holder of a Remainder Interest in Your Homestead...
Tax refund considered Income for Waiver of Filing Fee Purposes: In re Brooks
On behalf of Peter R. Scribner, Esq. posted in Recent Cases in the Bankruptcy Court Western District of New York on Tuesday, September 11, 2012.
A debtor's attempt to have her bankruptcy filing fee waived was ultimately denied by Judge Bucki in Buffalo, after it was revealed the debtor was entitled to a large tax refund when the case was filed. This tax refund was treated as income, at least for the purpose of determining eligibility to have the filing fee waived, and the reasoning of the case could potentially be applied elsewhere. In re Brooks, WDNY Bk #12-10456; Hon. Carl L. Bucki; decision July 19, 2012.The debtor filed bankruptcy February 17, 2012. She was represented by an attorney, who had charged $915 for his services. The debtor filed an application for waiver of the $306 bankruptcy filing fee, under 28 U.S.C. §1930(f)(1), which states "the bankruptcy court may waive the filing fee in a case under chapter 7 of title 11 for an individual if the court determines that such individual has income less than 150 percent of the income official poverty line . . . and is unable to pay that fee in installments". Therefore, the debtor must show both that he or she is under the 150% of the poverty line and is unable to pay the filing fee even in installments. Even then, the waiver is discretionary ("The court MAY waive. . .")
Continue reading Tax refund considered Income for Waiver of Filing Fee Purposes: In re Brooks...
Bankruptcies in Western New York Continue Decline
On behalf of Peter R. Scribner, Esq. posted in Statistical Trends in WDNY Bankruptcies on Tuesday, September 11, 2012.
Through the end of August, 2012, bankruptcy filings in both the Rochester and Buffalo divisions of the Western District of New York continue to decline. In the first eight months of 2012, 1,520 bankruptcy cases were filed in Rochester, a decrease of 13.2% from the same time in 2011. Buffalo saw 2,887 filings, a decrease of 8.8%. 179 bankruptcy cases were filed in Rochester in August this year, compared to 213 in August 2011 and 288 August 2010. August filings in Buffalo declined from 465 to 359 over the same two year period.Nationally, bankruptcy filings dropped 14% during the first half of 2012, compared to 2011.
Continue reading Bankruptcies in Western New York Continue Decline...
Charges & Cash Advances & charges Just Prior to Filing Provoke Discharge Complaint
If a debtor has recently run up a credit card account, will the bank seek to have its debt excepted from discharge? How much debt and over what sort of time period might cause a bank to file an exception-to-discharge lawsuit in the bankruptcy case? One review of discharge exception lawsuits filed by one bank in particular would suggest that charges and cash advances of $4,000 or more incurred during the five months prior to filing could provoke a lawsuit.
Continue reading Charges & Cash Advances & charges Just Prior to Filing Provoke Discharge Complaint...
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Supreme Court Bankruptcy Cases Archives
Underwater Mortgages Cannot Be Stripped Down in Chapter 7 - For Now at Least: Caulkett
On behalf of Peter R. Scribner, Esq. posted in Supreme Court Bankruptcy Cases on Monday, June 1, 2015.
The United States Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a junior mortgage that is 'under water' - that is, the value of the house is less than the senior mortgage - cannot be stripped down or removed as an unsecured claim in a chapter 7 bankruptcy. And yet, the opinion seems to invite a challenge to the very case the court is relying upon for its conclusion.
Continue reading Underwater Mortgages Cannot Be Stripped Down in Chapter 7 - For Now at Least: Caulkett...
Tags: Caulkett Dewsnup bankruptcy underwater mortgages
Bankruptcy Court Cannot Decide State Law Claims: U.S. Supreme Court: Marshall v Marshall
On behalf of Peter R. Scribner, Esq. posted in Supreme Court Bankruptcy Cases on Friday, July 15, 2011.
Who would have thought that an endless lawsuit involving the late Anna Nicole Smith might be the vehicle for the Supreme Court to curtail the constitutional jurisdiction of Bankruptcy Courts? But the United States Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision along the usual ideological lines, ruled bankruptcy courts do not have the constitutional power to make a final ruling on issues strictly of state law, saying that only judges appointed under Article III of the Constitution (lifetime appointment District Court Judges) have that authority. Marshall v. Marshall; United States Supreme Court decision June 23, 2011. The majority opinion of Chief Justice Roberts opens on a lighter note, quoting Charles Dickens: This "suit has, in course of time, become so complicated, that . . . no two . . . lawyers can talk about it for five minutes, without coming to a total disagreement as to all the premises. Innumerable children have been born into the cause: innumerable young people have married into it;" and, sadly, the original parties "have died out of it." A "long procession of [judges] has come in and gone out" during that time, and still the suit "drags its weary length before the Court." Those words were not written about this case, see C. Dickens, Bleak House, in 1 Works of Charles Dickens 4-5 (1891), but they could have been.
Continue reading Bankruptcy Court Cannot Decide State Law Claims: U.S. Supreme Court: Marshall v Marshall...
Supreme Court Decides: Means Test Car Ownership Expense Applies Only If Debtor Has a Loan: Ransom
On behalf of Peter R. Scribner, Esq. posted in Supreme Court Bankruptcy Cases on Wednesday, January 12, 2011.
The Supreme Court issued a decision in Ransom v. Fia Card on January 11, interpreting the statutory provisions of the 'means test.' In brief, the Court states that debtors who do not have a car loan cannot claim the 'ownership expense' for that car on the means test form. This is basically the current practice in local bankruptcies. I am sure that more extensive analysis will be forthcoming from this case.
Continue reading Supreme Court Decides: Means Test Car Ownership Expense Applies Only If Debtor Has a Loan: Ransom...
Partial Discharge of Student Loans in an erroneous Chapter 13 plan? The Supreme Court to decide.
On behalf of Peter R. Scribner, Esq. posted in Supreme Court Bankruptcy Cases on Thursday, December 3, 2009.
United Student Aid Funds Inc. V. Francisco Espinoza
United States Supreme Court case 08-1134
Oral arguments December 1, 2009Can a student loan be discharged, even in part, in a Chapter 13 plan without a finding of "undue hardship"? More broadly, how final is a confirmed chapter 13 plan? The United States Supreme Court will be answering these questions in a rare bankruptcy case appeal.The facts of the case are simple. In 1988, Francisco Espinoza borrowed $13,050 in a student loan. In 1992, he filed a Chapter 13 case in Arizona, listing that loan as his only debt. His Chapter 13 plan called for paying off the student loan in full, without interest. The plan specifically stated that the student loan would be fully satisfied at the completion of the plan, and a copy of the plan was mailed to the student loan bank at their payment address. The student loan creditor did not object plan, and the bankruptcy court confirmed it. The creditor filed a claim for $17,832.15, and the Chapter 13 trustee filed an objection to the claim, beyond the principal amount of $13,250. Apparently, the creditor did not oppose the objection to claim. The plan was completed, and the bankruptcy court issued a bankruptcy discharge. The creditor did not oppose the discharge, or appeal any of these bankruptcy decisions.Two years after he received his bankruptcy discharge, the student loan creditor started collecting on the unpaid interest. The debtor moved in bankruptcy court to have the creditor found in contempt of court for violating the discharge order. He argued that the interest on his student loans was fully discharged: the Chapter 13 plan specifically said so, the creditor received copy the plan, the creditor did not object to the plan or appeal the plan confirmation order, and the creditor did not object to the discharge or appeal the discharge order. The bankruptcy court agreed with the debtor that the student loan, including interest, was fully discharged.The creditor appealed to District Court, which reversed the bankruptcy court decision. The debtor then appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which upheld in the Bankruptcy Court and reversed the District Court. The United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, and oral arguments took place December 1, 2009.The position of the parties is fairly simple. The student loan creditor argues that student loans are never discharged no matter what the plan says and no matter what the bankruptcy court says. The Bankruptcy Code is self-executing on the point and an order to the contrary is void. The bankruptcy court has no power to discharge a student loan absent a finding of "undue hardship" following a bankruptcy adversary proceeding. The debtor's position is that by failing to object to the plan, the confirmation order, or the discharge order, the creditor has waived its rights to object to the discharge of the student loan.Circuit Courts of Appeal are divided on this issue, or, more specifically, the Ninth Circuit's 2008 decision, Espinosa v. United Student Aid Fund, Inc., 530 F.3d 895 differs significantly from two other circuits. The 10th Circuit in In re Mersmann, 505 F.3d 1033 (2007) and the Second Circuit in Whelton v. Educ. Credit Mgmt. Corp., 432 F.3d 150 (2005) both came out the other way.Oral Arguments: The Supreme Court heard the case on December 1, 2009. The justices appeared to believe the bankruptcy court erred in allowing a partial discharge of student loans absent a finding of undo hardship. The question was what should be done with bankruptcy court orders entered in error. The student loan creditor emphasized in its brief that other claims, such as child support or recent income taxes, might be discharged erroneously in a similar chapter 13 plan, absent objection. The debtor's attorney admitted as much to Justice Ginsburg. On the other hand, the creditor's attorney faced skepticism from Justices Ginsburg, Kennedy and Stevens in claiming that the student loan creditor could never waive its rights to an undo hardship hearing. Justices Sotomayor and Breyer questioned whether a court order could be considered void unless the court lacked jurisdiction. Justice Alito raised the prospect that the debtor's attorney might be sanctioned for including a provision like this in a Chapter 13 plan, and Justices Bryer and Scalia were sympathetic to this argument.
Continue reading Partial Discharge of Student Loans in an erroneous Chapter 13 plan? The Supreme Court to decide....
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Nearly 1,000 planning applications are submitted – every day
Since the start of 2017, around 870,000 planning permission applications have been submitted across the UK as homeowners opt to expand their homes and towns and cities seek to develop amenities to cope with ever-changing needs. Planning departments across the UK have been inundated with 893 application forms every day, equating to 37 per hour.
New research from Churchill Home Insurance reported in today’s Property Investor Today has revealed that nearly two million people have complained about planning permission applications since the start of 2017, working out at approximately 80 objections raised every hour over the past three years.
These people, often referred to as NIMBYs (‘Not in My Back Yard’), are against new buildings or projects being developed too close to where they live.
“These are fascinating statistics,” said Zah Azeem, Partner at Scrivener Tibbatts.
“According the research London has received the highest number of objections, with a huge 482,000 raised since 2017 – over a quarter (26%) of all the objections noted. In total, 55 objections have been raised in the capital since the beginning of 2017 for every 1,000 people living there.”
These applications include plans for building new homes, hospitals, hotels, car parks and wind turbines, as well as extensions to existing properties and proposals to create landfill sites and waste industries. On average, each planning application faces 2.2 objections.
Further research, carried out by Opinium among 2,000 UK adults in September 2019, highlighted the issues that Brits feel they are in their right to object to, with private rights of access (51%) the most commonly-cited reason. Loss of view and land and boundary disputes were in equal second (both 50%).
A negative impact on property value (43%) and the impact of construction works (39%) completed the top five of issues that might encourage people to embrace NIMBYism.
If you would like to discuss this or something related to a valuation please contact zah@scrivenertibbatts.co.uk or call us on 020 8947 7040.
The rise and rise of ‘buy to leave’ properties
An eye-watering £10.7 billion’s worth of homes are sitting empty in London, according to new research by HomeProtect on unoccupied homes. The overall number of long-term unoccupied properties in the capital grew between 2013 and 2018 to…
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Derrick Nunnally
Jennifer Hemmingsen
Update old definitions about nuclear waste to speed safe cleanup
Originally published February 10, 2019 at 12:01 pm
A portion of the Plutonium Finishing Plant on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near Richland. (AP Photo / Nicholas K. Geranios, 2017)
How can we expect to effectively address this problem if we aren’t even willing to accurately define it?
Carl Adrian
The U.S. Department of Energy recently released new estimates for the cost of cleaning up the Hanford nuclear site in central Washington state. That number could now reach a staggering $677 billion, with active cleanup ending in the year 2079. Under this scenario the federal government would spend, on average, more than $11 billion dollars every year for 60 years.
As leaders in the Tri-Cities — the community closest to and most impacted by the Hanford site — we believe that the United States simply must find a way to effectively address this problem at a price that taxpayers can afford. One clear step in the right direction is to begin managing the waste based on its actual contents and risks rather than an arbitrary definition developed decades ago.
To summarize, DOE is responsible for the cleanup of waste left over from decades of nuclear-weapons production, including approximately 53 million gallons in underground tanks at Hanford. Federal laws passed in 1954 and 1982 guide the agency’s management of this waste but do not clearly specify how the waste should be categorized. Rather than making a determination, the agency simply decided in the early 1980s to manage much of our nation’s defense nuclear waste as high-level, requiring the highest standards, regardless of the actual amount of radioactivity it contains or risk it poses.
Do you have something to say?
Share your opinion by sending a Letter to the Editor. Email letters@seattletimes.com and please include your full name, address and telephone number for verification only. Letters are limited to 200 words.
DOE is now considering moving away from this well-intentioned, but overly costly and inaccurate approach. Instead of arbitrarily making decisions based solely on the origin of the waste, agency officials are proposing to manage this waste based on its actual physical characteristics. This is the same method that countries like France and Germany use to guide their waste-management decisions, and would bring the U.S. closer to international standards established by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Why does this matter? A risk-based approach would allow DOE to manage, treat and dispose of defense waste in a manner that accurately reflects its contents and the potential risks it poses to human health and the environment. Doing so could reduce cleanup costs by tens of billions of dollars, and has the potential to significantly speed up remediation efforts at Hanford and elsewhere.
DOE has been accused of proposing this change in order to save money and shirk its responsibilities, but this new approach would not mean that the federal government can simply walk away from its cleanup obligations. The federal government has committed to many billions of dollars’ worth of remediation work at Hanford and elsewhere, and budget shortfalls mean that important cleanup projects often don’t get started soon enough, or take too long to complete.
Treating waste based on its actual contents would allow DOE to direct the resources they save toward other important cleanup efforts that would otherwise languish, potentially for years to come. It could also open up pathways to get some waste out of Washington state more quickly. These waste streams would otherwise remain at Hanford for many more years, or even permanently.
In their letter to DOE opposing this proposed change, Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson stated, “our communities deserve to be heard on this dangerous idea.” We find it frustrating that in this case the governor and AG aren’t listening to the community that is most directly impacted by Hanford cleanup.
We do not feel that it is a dangerous idea and, to the contrary, believe that it will allow other important cleanup work at the Hanford site to happen faster.
Ultimately, there is high-level defense nuclear waste at Hanford and elsewhere that does need to be treated and disposed of in a deep geological repository. It is some of the most challenging and expensive material that our country has to address. We should not, however, delay cleanup progress and waste taxpayer funds by unnecessarily managing lower-level waste, which scientists agree can be safely disposed at permitted sites, in the same manner. After all, how can we expect to effectively address this problem if we aren’t even willing to accurately define it?
The Tri-City community wants the Hanford site remediated as quickly and effectively as possible, but we see no need to make an already difficult job even harder. Our hope is for DOE to meaningfully engage with the appropriate regulatory bodies, including the Washington State Department of Ecology, to determine, in a technically justified manner, that more waste can be managed as low-level.
Importantly, this will require the state government and our elected officials to keep an open mind and make a genuine effort to reach a reasonable consensus. If they are successful, it will open the door for faster, less costly remediation outside of Washington state while still allowing the work to be accomplished safely and responsibly.
We can then turn our attention and resources to other high-priority cleanup efforts at Hanford, and we will all be better off for it.
Robert Thompson is mayor of the City of Richland, the city closest to the Hanford site.
Carl Adrian is president of the Tri-City Development Council, which has advocated for the Tri-Cities on Hanford-related matters since 1963.
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SF medical marijuana clubs fund gun buyback event
Dec. 9, 2014 12:00 a.m.
San Francisco's cannabis businesses want illegal guns off the streets — and they're willing to pay for it.
A gun buyback in South of Market this weekend — on the second anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre in Connecticut — is being underwritten by three medical marijuana dispensaries and a prominent marijuana attorney.
South of Market dispensaries The Green Door and Barbary Coast, Tenderloin-area Grassroots and law firm Hallinan & Hallinan contributed $35,000 to provide the funds necessary to buy back the illegal firearms, attorney Brendan Hallinan said Monday.
“It's giving back a little bit to law enforcement, contributing to public safety,” Hallinan said. “And pot clubs are often accused of creating crime, of causing robberies. … We wanted to counter that a little bit.”
The buyback is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at nonviolence advocates United Playaz, 1038 Howard St.
Anyone turning in a handgun will receive $100. Assault weapons will fetch $200. All guns are accepted, no questions asked by law enforcement.
Afterward, a vigil to commemorate the second anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre will take place at U.N. Plaza at 2 p.m.
Gun buybacks in The City have proven successful, though finding funding has always been a question. Some buybacks have relied on public funds, while others have used crowdsourcing.
It's believed this is the first time businesses dealing in marijuana have funded a gun buyback.
“We want to participate in society, we want to contribute,” said Mike Nolin, the founder of The Green Door and CEO of medical cannabis consulting firm Boss Enterprises.
Children in dilapidated public housing in SF visit ER more often, study shows
Uber hit with complaint and lawsuit over $4 SFO surcharge; Lyft settles legal issues
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https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-taxi-driver-stabbed-and-robbed-in-Castro-3203032.php
S.F. taxi driver stabbed and robbed in Castro
By Peter Fimrite
Published 4:00 am PST, Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A taxi driver was beaten and stabbed before being robbed in the Castro district Monday night.
The suspect, described as a young man wearing a hooded black and gray sweatshirt, attacked the taxi driver at 7:12 p.m. on the 200 block of States Street. After beating the driver, the suspect pulled a knife and stabbed him several times before robbing him of his fares, said San Francisco Police Officer Boaz Mariles.
"This is just a horrific incident," Mariles said. "All for what - his daily wage of taxi fares?"
The cab driver, a man in his 50s whose name was not released, was reported in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital with life threatening stab wounds.
Investigators would not say whether the suspect was a passenger in the cab, but if he was, Mariles said, there is likely some video of the suspect because most taxi cabs in San Francisco are equipped with cameras.
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First Team News
The One And Only Issue 11
Preston North End No.1 Declan Rudd is the main interview in this weekend’s edition of The One And Only.
Ticket Information: Huddersfield Town Home
The goalkeeper is part of the PNE furniture now, signing permanently in 2017 following two loan spells earlier on in his career under then boss Simon Grayson.
He has been part of a couple of near misses as North End have challenged for the Play-Offs over the last couple of years and, despite being among the early challengers this season, he is hoping few are taking note of Alex Neil’s men.
“I think people may be taking more notice of us but I hope not. We always seem to have been, since I have been here, a team which has slipped under the radar. No one talks about us.
“Even when we were in and around it last year, no one was speaking about us. I still don’t think anyone is taking us seriously now.
“Hopefully we can keep it that way, we want to slip under the radar and go about our business without too much pressure being put on us.
Match Officials: Huddersfield Town Home
“It goes to show, it’s not always about how big the name of a club is, or how fancy it is. It’s about the players on the pitch and if you go out there and give it your all, which we have here as everyone goes out and gives it everything they have got, that goes a long way and then we also have the quality in the team to win us games.”
While no one is getting too carried away in the Deepdale camp, Declan is one of a few PNE players who have experienced life at the top level, playing in the Premier League for Norwich.
“I had a taste of it, I’ve been there before, and it’s something we all aspire to get back to. It’s not an easy task but it’s a big carrot at the end of the season to work towards and thrive towards and we have given ourselves a good start.
“We are level-headed, we know there is still a lot of football to be played so it’s a bit early to be looking too far ahead.
“It’s hard not to get too excited when you play in the Premier League. We had one of Norwich’s best results, they probably topped it this year by beating Man City, but we beat Manchester United at Old Trafford which was the first time a Norwich side had done that in 25 years.
“I played in that game, we won 2-1 and it was a great feeling. Unfortunately, at the end we didn’t achieve our goal, we didn’t stay up, so that result means pretty much nothing but, when you look back personally, I played in some really big games and learnt so much from that time in the Premier League.
“I played two games in it when I was 20 and that was rabbit-in-headlights scenario. I got back into it around four years ago, 2015/16, I had a longer run in the team and it was something I always want to try and get back to doing.”
We’ve Met Before: Huddersfield Town Home
Declan says life at PNE has changed since he signed permanently. He put pen to paper under Grayson just before the manager switched to Sunderland that summer and then former Norwich boss Neil took over in July 2017.
He has made the No.1 shirt his own over the years and he feels ‘the gaffer’s’ patient strategy at Deepdale is now paying off.
“The gaffer has changed it, his playing philosophy is completely different to what Simon’s was but he didn’t change it completely straight away because of the type of players he had to bring in, and change around. It’s quite a big jump to go from playing the way we did to the way we play now.
“There’s nothing to say either way is better than the other as both managers have their own styles but what the gaffer has done is taken his time in getting his full philosophy across to us.
“This year is probably the first year where he has set out exactly what he wants, how he wants us to play and he has had a number of transfer windows where he has been able to bring people in and change a few people around and that’s helped in setting up how he wants to go.
“We have a big squad as is well-documented but the squad mentality is good, even the lads who aren’t playing are happy to be here and are still enjoying it.
“At other clubs, lads who aren’t playing can be poisonous to the team who are actually playing but there’s not one of them here and that helps the lads who are out there on a Saturday or the lads who come in if called upon or if there are injuries.
“It’s a really good feeling in the dressing room, in the team and in the training ground. It’s an enjoyable place to be.
“Last year we didn’t start well, we were bottom of the table at one point but we knew we could get ourselves out of the situation.
“However, with having a positive start this season, it’s a different mindset, the dressing room is full of confidence.
“You only have to look at the likes of Tom Barkhuizen, he is full of confidence again. You can see it in training, he is facing players up and taking them on, he has got the belief back in his ability.
“We all knew he had it, he just needed to believe in it again and he does and he is scoring brilliant goals and vital goals in tough games for us.”
There’s plenty more from Dec in Saturday’s programme, plus interviews and features with Jayden Stockley, Ben Pearson, Calum Woods, Chris Lucketti and Neal Trotman.
This is another packed full 84-pages, on sale from Friday afternoon from the Sir Tom Finney Stand ticket office, or from inside and outside the stadium on matchday, still for just £3 per copy.
Preston North End vs Huddersfield Town on 09 Nov 19
Declan Rudd
Lilywhites
The One And One
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Nichols Great Kills Park Marina will finally reopen after being destroyed by Hurricane Sandy
Updated Jan 03, 2019; Posted May 12, 2014
Nichols Marina boat owners finally see repair work
Gallery: Nichols Marina boat owners finally see repair work
By Tracey Porpora | porpora@siadvance.com
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nineteen months after Hurricane Sandy devastated the borough's shoreline, Nichols Great Kills Park Marina will finally be up and running again for Memorial Day weekend.
The marina, which sits on federal property, was clobbered by
Hurricane Sandy and has been closed ever since.
The rebuilding project at the storm-battered marina
has hit a series of setbacks since the Oct. 29, 2012 storm ravaged the facility.
"There are many boaters who want to get back to Nichols. It's like a family there," said Fred DeLise, a boater at the marina for 30 years and one of the founders of the Committee to Save Great Kills Park Marina.
"Nichols is a diamond in the rough. It' s peaceful there. We conquered City Hall and the little people won on this issue."
Said Ed Tomanek, manager of Nichols Marina, "We are excited and so thankful for all the support we were given by the government, public officials and community."
But it almost looked as though the borough's largest marina was going to be closed for a second boating season, when earlier this year bids to install new docks came in significantly higher than the anticipated $3.5 million price tag. This caused the Federal Highway Administration to consider re-advertising the contract.
Since then, the wrinkles in the plan have been ironed out, and when complete there will be 250 new boat slips. The work is being completed in two phases, with the first 125 slips expected to be ready for boating season, said DeLise.
"They were able to put the bid back out and expedited it; the start date was in the beginning of May, and they (contractors) have until May 21 to complete the first phase of construction," he said.
"The second phase will be the the rest of the docks plus all the electric," said DeLise. "The contractors will start phase two right after they finish phase one ... If all goes as planned, our boats will be in the water for Memorial Day."
To help prevent destruction on the order of what Sandy did, pilings are six-feet higher than what they were prior to the storm, said DeLise.
"I believe the whole length of the pilings are 65-feet high. There also is a specially designed gangway, so if the water rises to a certain height, the gangway acts like a scissor, whereby the docks will go above the gangway," he said.
And residents and boaters alike are eagerly awaiting the opening.
On the Save Great Kills Park Marina Faebook page, Philip Tumminia Sr. commented "looking good," about the work being completed.
Said Alex Khotyanov on Facebook, "
Look forward to view(ing) more boats from the house. (There's) something very peaceful about that."
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I Want to Live, Don’t Leave the Culprits: Unnao Gang Rape Victim
The accused had tried to burn Unnao's gang rape victim alive, even after burning alive, about rab away one km Later she herself called the police and told about her condition.
by Shivani Alakh
in Election, India, Nation, News, Uttar Pradesh, World
Unnao gang rape victim is undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi. Even after burning 90 percent, the victim has not given up hope of living and has told her brother that she does not want to die. The gang-rape victim was tried to burn alive, after which she was admitted to Lucknow but later brought to Delhi.
During the treatment on Friday, the victim told her brother, “I don’t want to die … The culprits don’t have to leave at all.”
It is worth mentioning that on Friday, the statement of the doctors of Safdarjung Hospital came out that when the victim reached the hospital, 90-95 per cent was burnt. But her condition has not improved yet, she remains on ventilator continuously. Doctors say that 48 hours is very important for the victim.
The accused had tried to burn Unnao’s gang rape victim alive, even after burning alive, about rab away one km Later she herself called the police and told about her condition. After which the woman was referred to Lucknow and then immediately by an air ambulance she was taken to Delhi.
After the incident came to light, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra targeted the Uttar Pradesh government and demanded justice for the girl. On Thursday afternoon itself, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had summoned the report in this matter and said that action would be taken in 24 hours.
Tags: Do not Leave the CulpritsI Want to LiveUnnao Gang Rape VictimVictim burning 90 percent
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Why This Founder Took Two Years to Launch
by Felix Thea
Mel Wells was inspired by her roommate's desire for a 1920s styled swimsuit to start Beefcake Swimwear. Initially sewing pieces herself, Mel then took the time to research and find sustainable fabrics and an ethical American manufacturer.
Taking two years before launching, Beefcake Swimwear is a true reflection of Mel's dedication to thoughtfully produce androgynous vintage-inspired swimwear.
In this episode of Shopify Masters, you'll hear from Mel Wells of Beefcake Swimwear on why it's important to grow at your own pace and how to create a brand that authentically reflects who you are.
I think there's this false narrative of you have to grow, you have to grow fast, you have to grow big.
Tune in to learn
How you can still succeed in business when you’re not a risk-taker
What to do if you’re an entrepreneur that likes starting businesses but tend to jump around
Why hiring a PR agency is a worthwhile investment
Don't miss an episode! Subscribe to Shopify Masters.
Store: Beefcake Swimwear
Social Profiles: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Recommendations: JLD Studios, Rebellious PR
Felix: Today I'm joined by Mel Wells from Beefcake Swimwear. Beefcake Swimwear makes androgynous one-piece 1920s swimsuits in the USA with sustainable manufacturing and inclusive sizing. Was started 2017 and is based out of Missoula, Montana. Welcome, Mel.
Mel: Thank you. I'm happy to be here.
Felix: Awesome. So all of this started with you on a vintage sewing machine in your basement. And it says here that you attempted to replicate a 1920 swimsuit for your roommate. So what were you doing making 1920s swimsuits?
Mel: Well, she really wanted one, but of course they're all vintage and they're all made of wool, which is not great for swimming in. And I grew up like a nerd sewing my own clothes because I was so tall. So I was like, "I know how to do this. I know how to sew clothes. I'll try making one for you." Turns out sewing stretchy fabric is terrible. But along the way, a bunch of other folks said that they were also interested in 1920s swimsuits. And so I started to think it might be a viable business idea. I just knew that I didn't want to do the sewing.
Felix: Right. So first of all, I didn't know that back then it was made out of wool. I see all those photos, but I have no idea that they must've felt so uncomfortable, but I guess they didn't know any better back then. So that's interesting. So when you first made this, I guess very, very first edition, this very first prototype. Were you looking to seek feedback to see if there was a viable business out of it or how did people start noticing your creation?
Mel: It was mostly because I was complaining about it. I lived in a house with a bunch of roommates and was just sewing it in the living room. And so folks would come by and see what I was doing. Or I was talking to my friends that I was making one for, and she was talking to other people. So this weird word of mouth started up where it seemed to be that everybody was really interested in a swimsuit that was masculine, that didn't have a skirt on it but still had some coverage.
Felix: Got it. So you recognize that there might be a viable business model out of it because people were expressing interest in it. And you'd launched us on Kickstarter, which we'll get to in a bit. Did you ever do any validation before that? Did you try selling in any other ways before you took that leap towards investing your time and resource into a Kickstarter campaign?
Mel: I really didn't. I figured a Kickstarter was a low-risk way to see if it would actually work. I did spend about two years and about, I'd say about $5,000 of my own money just researching and prototyping. So I lucked out.
Mel: I found this place in Portland, Oregon that was a manufacturer of activewear that had zero minimums, which in retail is like insane. So I contacted them and asked them about prototyping just to see, cause I knew that this was a good idea. I just didn't know how to do it. And so they were super helpful. It's JLD-Studios in Portland, Oregon and they only do leggings now, but I snuck in and got them to do my swimsuits.
Mel: And we tested on, I think I mailed suits and had probably about 10 or 12 people across the country. Just friends and friends of friends. Try them on, give me feedback on how they fit. Just so I could get as close to, well not perfect, but as close to what I wanted as possible when we did finally launched the Kickstarter.
Felix: Okay. So two years, $5,000 of your own money. This is a pretty big investment for time and money wise for someone that's just ... first of all, was this your first attempt at starting a business?
Mel: I've always been entrepreneurial. In fifth grade, the first time I got called to the principal's office was for selling candy on the playground.
Felix: Rite of passage for an entrepreneur.
Mel: I have a long history.
Felix: Yeah. But even then, two years and 5,000. I mean, I think the two years part is even more of an investment where I would see a lot of, I think that's an accomplishment because I think a lot of people will spend two years or would try to spend two years or something and give up along the way. So you had a plan, obviously, you had this vision in mind for what you wanted, at least perfect to your vision. What were you looking for? What was it that you wanted to see before you felt comfortable moving forward and eventually go on Kickstarter?
Mel: For me, it was so slow because I'm really into research and I'm very much, I like to know what I'm jumping into before I actually take a leap. So part of that was just personal style. I wasn't like struggling for two years. It was researching and doing all this in my spare time. I worked at a nonprofit where my day job was more than full time. And I'm also a little bit of a writer so I had other hobbies going on. So it was just was where I could put time into on the side was part of the reason it took so long.
Mel: For me, I just wanted to make sure that I did it right. I really cared about the people that I would be making these swimsuits for, and I wanted to do it sustainably. And to just kind of grow slow. It really wasn't about making money, it was about doing this thing and doing it right.
Felix: Right. Yeah. I think this is concept what you talk about in the pre-interview, which I definitely want to touch on about going slow, going at a pace that makes sense for you is an important one because a lot of people get burnt out if they think that there's this timeline. They're watching the clock and trying to get somewhere sooner than what's maybe comfortable for them. So how do you keep the momentum going though? Because I think there's this also other side which is where you go enough, you start feeling the friction, you start feeling the drag more of this thing slowing down. [inaudible] basically burning out. Right. And then in any other way. So how did you keep the momentum going to make sure that you were at least stay on track even though you were going at a slower pace?
Mel: I think it was just the excitement whenever I talk to other people about this project. Everyone that I talked to from the initial fitters, the fit testers were just so excited about the swimsuit. It helped me be really excited. And then once we launched the Kickstarter, that blew up and the feedback was incredible, and we had an original goal of raising $10,000. I knew that was my minimum viable make this thing work and not lose my shirt amount. And we raised 35,000. And so that was thrilling.
Mel: And then along the way, we've had people email us saying, "This is the first time I've been in a swimsuit in 10 years," or, "I cried when I put this on because it felt so good." The feedback that we get from folks wearing the swimsuits is what really keeps me excited and motivated even when this is still a part-time job for me. It's still in addition to my day job evenings and weekends, just whenever I can sneak it in.
Felix: Right. I think that's an important thing to look for. Where the journey can be very lonely, especially if you're doing this by yourself, which you are in your case where you're the sole employee, solo founder of this thing. So what you look for is that you look towards the community, right? You look towards the people's lives that you're improving and then using that as fuel. You're saying, sometimes you just need one person, that you're improving their life. It makes it worthwhile for you to spend the time on this. So two years again that you spent on this, how many iterations did it take before you got to that point where you felt comfortable moving forward from this research and development phase?
Mel: Well there was my initial terrible one and then there was the, I think we had two or three that JLD made first that I tried on. I had my friend try on, I had my girlfriend at the time try on. And then we had some feedback and we did one more iteration, and sent those all over the country and had those folks try them on. And then we went for it.
Mel: So we did all the seats with the Kickstarter. We did about, I think it was 350 suits. And then we started selling online. But then I started getting feedback from folks who had supported the Kickstarter that they wanted improvements. And I always viewed the Kickstarter as help us start this thing, give us feedback, help us make it the best product possible.
Mel: So I did a survey of all our Kickstarter backers and tried to really listen to them and see what was working for folks and what wasn't. And one big thing that we did that we stopped doing was a shelf bra. It just didn't work well enough for enough people. So we stopped doing that and we started lining the entire front of the suit. It added probably a couple of dollars worth of material and labor to each suit, but to me, it was worth it.
Mel: We also switched fabrics to something more sustainable. The fabric we use now is imported from Italy. It's some of the most sustainable polyester fabric that you can find. It's 100% recycled polyester. And then the Lycra spandex content is chlorine resistant. So it's some of the best fabric you can find in the world. And so we started making our suits with that fabric, lining the front. Then I felt like okay, now we've really got it right and I feel confident about it.
Felix: Yeah. And so even to this day, are you still getting feedback on ways to improve the product and are planning on implementing those today?
Mel: The bust support is one thing that we have not figured out that a lot of people ask for. It's kind of an engineering problem where you have to find something that will bind up top but will also fit over a person's hips. And we have not figured that out yet in this specific type of swimsuits. So that's something that is always on my mind. But that's probably a few years down the road, to be honest. It's a lot of money to prototype, and right now we're pouring all of our money into just keeping our inventory in stock.
Felix: Got it. Yeah. I think that the important point where there is no, this finalized stage of your product or finalized stage of your business. You're always constantly trying to make improvements or take feedback and implement it, or spending time trying to solve things. I think it's an important point where a lot of times people, "I'm going to launch on Kickstarter, I get the money and I sell the products and that's it." It's usually not the case, right? If you don't like solving problems, you're in the wrong field. This a constant game. I'm sure we'll get into that in a little bit.
Felix: But yeah. Let's talk about Kickstarter. So you mentioned earlier $10,000 was the goal and you ended up raising over 35,000 from 422 backers. So how did it happen? What were you doing pre-Kickstarter now you look back on it, that helped you get this campaign successfully funded?
Mel: I think a lot of my research probably helps. Part of that two years before launching was looking at other Kickstarters, seeing what was successful, seeing who failed, backing some, seeing what rewards I have got, how soon they set their awards. And just making sure that I knew what a really good campaign entailed. Because it seems, I think at the surface level it can seem really easy. But a Kickstarter campaign is a difficult thing to execute and execute well. I get people asking me all the time, "How did you do it?" And I'm like, "Two years of work." And then they don't email me back.
Felix: No. They want to know how you did it overnight is the idea that they want to find out from you. So what were some of the things that you found in about what made a campaign successful? If you were to launch another campaign, what are some things that you'd want to definitely include to at least I guess, shift the odds into your favor?
Mel: Yeah, I think for me having a prototype that was done and like in the video so you could see it in action is really important. I saw a lot of folks who just didn't have anything as a consumer. Reading these Kickstarters campaigns, it didn't seem viable to me or it just didn't seem quite real. So any question whether or not you can pull this off. You have to be able to say, "Yes, we've done it. Here it is."
Mel: The other one was the human connection. For me, my video was not slick. I did it in my office, in my apartment. But it was for me it was very authentic and from my heart. "This is why I'm doing this. This is the person you are giving the money to." And I try really hard to continue that very personal human connection where it's not like I'm the boss and you are my consumers. It's like I'm a person doing this thing that I hope you will like. I'm looking for fans more than customers.
Felix: That's a good perspective. So are there things in your research that you definitely want to avoid including or during your campaign that is likely to cause failure?
Mel: I'd say communicate as often as you possibly can. It's a lot of work, but just a little note to people so they're not hanging really helps. And then sometimes I'd answer something and then we'd see a bump in backers. So I think that people really look to what you're saying even during the campaign to see whether or not they want to support you.
Felix: Got it. And you mentioned that one of the factors that you looked at was the time I guess, the timeline between backing it and getting the, I guess the end of the campaign and getting the reward. Was there an optimal timeline that you saw?
Mel: It was within six months, I'd say. You got to turn things around pretty quickly. And I understand some folks would sell crazy amounts, and I didn't want ... confession, I didn't want to succeed too much because I didn't want to outstrip my ability to deliver. And so I did a shorter campaign. My motto is always under-promise and then over-deliver. So I knew how many suits my manufacturer could make per month and I tried to time the delivery of those rewards accordingly so that everybody wasn't backing and thinking they were all going to get their rewards in the first three months if that makes sense.
Felix: That does. Got it. So once the campaign ended, you successfully broke through, tripled your goal and raised $35,000. What was next? What happened after the campaign ended?
Mel: We started making suits.
Felix: You mentioned that you already had a manufactured lined up at a time, right?
Mel: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I had their timeline lined up. And I knew that the very end of the campaign, some folks' suits, it was going to be pushing up into October, which is kind of a crappy time to be getting a swimsuit in the United States. But again, I just tried to be as super communicative with folks and let them know, "Hey, I have this manufacturer. They're small, they're woman-owned, they're in the United States. I really believe them and trust them, and enjoy partnering with them. So that's who I'm using. I'm not going to outsource this. You're just going to have to be patient."
Felix: Right. Makes sense. Okay, so you went and manufactured that. Your timeline was also, I guess on the reward that had the longest time. And that was six months?
Mel: Yeah, I think our campaign ended, I think it was April 5th, and I think our final suits shipped a week before thanksgiving, something like that. And then we launched our online store in November. Which is again, such a weird time to launch a swimsuit company online. But it was nice because we didn't have much inventory. We started with about 100 suits because we had spent so much time making all the Kickstarter rewards that it was actually good because then we didn't sell out immediately.
Felix: Okay. Got it. So you basically went almost dark for a bit and just focused on manufacturing these suits to fulfill the orders from the Kickstarter. And then once you got to that phase, you then launched your website with some inventory about 100 suits, and you went live then. What informed your decision on what kind of inventory to stock?
Mel: Well, I'm a spreadsheet nerd. So I made a spreadsheet of which sizes and styles sold on the Kickstarter and then just used that as my guide when I was ordering more suits to keep in stock.
Felix: You basically extrapolated the percent, the breakdown of percentages of people of different sizes over 100 pieces. Okay, got it. Did that match up? The reality between what you sold on Kickstarter matched up with the reality of what you sold on your website?
Mel: Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. That was a really good indicator of what was going to sell. And even now as I launch new suits, I can align the sizes that I think will sell with what sold previously. Sometimes we get that wrong. Often, we've been marketing more towards plus-sized consumers. So I've been sold out of the larger sizes a lot this summer, unfortunately. But it's been pretty predictive.
Felix: Got it. So when you are selling on your own site, I guess that very first month or so that you were launching your own site, were you doing anything at that time to promote it? How are people finding out about it now that the buzz from Kickstarter might've started to fizzle out?
Mel: It was still just word of mouth. We have an Instagram that has been pretty successful I think. And it was cute because we started getting photos from folks wearing their swimsuits, which was awesome and so fun to see. So I just started re-posting those.
Mel: I think I maybe spent $500 the first year on advertising because we had no budget. Every penny we made went right back into making more inventory.
Felix: Got it. Makes Sense. So you mentioned that your process for launching new suits, I want to learn more about this. How do you decide what to design? How do you know what you should be focused on producing next?
Mel: I try to listen to folks. In one of those Kickstarter surveys, I asked everybody what colors they would most like to see. And those were green and purple. So the next suits that we launched were a green one and a purple one. And honestly, the green one I launched because it was the suit that I wanted. The stone fox, it's very seventies. I was a little worried. I was curious to see how it would go. And that's become our second bestseller after the original in black. So that was pretty exciting to see.
Felix: Makes sense. So you mentioned that you do something interesting, which is that whenever you do sell a product and you ship it out, you insert a card with every purchase asking folks to tag you on social. How has this worked out so far?
Mel: It's been awesome. We do have folks who are really enthusiastic about our suits. It's so funny, we just did a photoshoot the other day and we had a very diverse lineup of people, very different body types and styles, and genders. And they all put on their swimsuits, and people literally walk out of the dressing room dancing. And it's like when was the last time you put on a swimsuit and were excited about it? Swimsuit shopping is horrible. I was worried. I was like maybe you folks won't want to tag us cause posting a picture of yourself in a swimsuit feels kind of vulnerable. But so far people love them and feel comfortable, and strong, and confident in them. And that has been fantastic to see.
Felix: That's amazing. Yeah. The photos on your site are awesome, the product photos and the lifestyle shots are awesome. How was that done? Was that done all in-house? You hire help with creating a photoshoot like this?
Mel: Well with our shoestring budget, our first photoshoot was all friends. Actually, our last one was pretty much all friends too. And then we hire a local photographer and we try to be really cognizant of having a very diverse lineup. And that's really representative of a wide spectrum of folks. And that's all, just we hire a photographer. My wife actually pretty much handles the photoshoots. She herds the cats, and then we just go have a fun party on the beach and take photos.
Felix: That's amazing. So I want to get back to this idea of how you are going at your own pace. And you mentioned that you guys have grown thoughtfully and sustainably, and you're more interested in disrupting the exploitative, harmful business of fast fashion and creating a quality product than you are in terms of making loads of quick cash or being on Shark Tank or trying to get all this buzz on TV. And that's the approach that you want to take. And I think there's again an important counterpoint to the more often seen and heard advice of entrepreneurship, which is to just live on ramen and just spent all your money and stress out every night about your business. Otherwise, you're not an entrepreneur. You're talking about taking a much more mindful and I think saying an approach to running a business. Tell us about, was that difficult for you when you're hearing so much, I guess advise counter to that?
Mel: Yeah. It's been an interesting journey because imposter syndrome is real. I just want to put that out there. And I am cautious because I didn't want to put all my eggs in this basket. I've always known with swimsuits H&M could do a suit like this tomorrow and charge so much less and just kill us. I mean, that would be it. Except for I hope folks would understand the way that we make things and the quality of our product. But let's be honest, retail is cutthroat and it's to me, not somewhere I wanted to invest my whole life. And so it's always kind of been like let's do this thing. Let's do it extremely well, and let's see where it goes.
Mel: And I also, I think there's this false narrative of you have to grow, you have to grow fast, you have to grow big. And I watch companies grow and then die, and then grow and then die because they have so much debt that just one thing makes them really unstable. So for me, it's always been about being really sustainable, not just in an environmentally friendly way, but in an energy way. In a money way for me.
Mel: We've never been in debt. We took out a very, very tiny loan our first year for a little cash flow so we could get some inventory. But other than that, we've been in the black since we started, and that is extremely important to me. I'm not really a risk-taker when it comes to businesses and I think that you're right, there's this narrative of you have to otherwise it's not real. But this is real, and it feels good.
Felix: Yeah. I think I really want to hear more of your story about this, not a risk-taker because again, this is very counter to mainstream entrepreneurship storylines where you have to take a lot of risks. So you're not a risk-taker. Tell us more about your experience because of your comment with that personality, right, where you are risk-averse. Because I think a lot of people hesitate to go into entrepreneurship or start their own business because they think they don't have the guts to take big risks. But you are demonstrating that you can start a business, go at your own pace, and not take crazy risks. Just tell us about maybe the pros and cons of that. What have you been able to do that you think that you would not be able to do? If you weren't so I guess careful with your approach to starting a business.
Mel: Yeah, I think my work-life balance has been a lot better. I'm not eating ramen and living with 14 roommates. I was in my thirties when I started this. I was done with that lifestyle. And I'd been able to have a social life. I would not recommend doing a Kickstarter while you're also planning a wedding, but I did that.
Felix: Which one was harder?
Mel: Oh my God. Probably the wedding, honestly. But I don't know. For me, it's just been a matter of that's my life. I like having a lot of different projects happening. I think I would get bored and burnt out if this was my whole life. And again, I feel like an imposter because I'm not constantly on Instagram talking about entrepreneur life and talking up my business. Because it's not the whole thing about who I am. I'm not saving the world. I know that. I'm just making swimsuits that hopefully make a good, positive difference in people's lives.
Mel: Would it be cool to make $1 million? Yeah. I don't hate money. But I also just don't want to ... I think it's because I got married honestly and I wanted to be a responsible partner. I didn't want to risk all of my money because it would affect my partner doing this thing. So I think she probably helped me be a little more reasonable about what I could and couldn't take on. And that has been really nice. I think I would probably hate this business if it was taking over my life and causing me to lose sleep, and stressing me out all the time. I love that it's really enjoyable, and I think the pace is part of the reason I enjoy it.
Felix: Right. I think it's kind of a balancing act, right? It's not just that you can just start working for a month because you feel like taking a break. There's still a balance of at least maintaining it. Right? There's at least maintenance mode. So what are some things I maybe you said no to? I guess this is more in the concept. What are some opportunities that maybe you said no to or some opportunities that you saw that you decided not to pursue because you wanted to make sure that you wouldn't hate your business at the end of the day?
Mel: I mean, marketing. I just haven't done that much. We finally hired a PR firm this summer and that's been phenomenal because it's something I don't enjoy, but it's something I didn't have money for until this year. And they are really helping us grow, and it's so fun to have people to talk to besides my wife, who are excited about the business, and understand what we're doing, and are trying to help us grow. I wish I could have afforded that the first year because it's been a game-changer for my energy levels and my enjoyment of what I'm doing. So yeah, I said no to that the first year because we just couldn't afford it. And that has made a huge positive difference in what we're doing.
Felix: Right. I'm sure it varies from industry to industry, maybe from city to city, but what are some budgets that you'd need to at least have before you can even think about hiring a PR firm or PR agency?
Mel: Well budgeting wise, I just wanted to do my taxes the first year and see what we even had leftover. Our suits are $42 to make, and that's just fabric and labor. And so a $99 price point is kind of insane in the retail world. And I try to be really transparent about that so that whenever someone objects to our price point because I understand it's way more expensive than Target or Walmart or something. I try to explain no, this is what manufacturing that isn't exploiting people looks like. This is how everything should be priced so that the folks who are making it are receiving fair wages. We're not exploiting the earth, we're not exploiting resources. We're doing this.
Mel: So that first year, we barely were a six-figure company, which all my family was like, "Oh my gosh, you're going to quit your job." And I was like no because our costs are so high, the actual take-home was much lower. And I wasn't sure how taxes were going to work out that first year. So I just kind of didn't know what we even had to work out or to work with. So after we got our tax returns back this year and I was like, "Oh cool, we made a profit last year. I can hire advertising this year."
Felix: That's cool. So basically you definitely need to have, you can't really invest in this rough to bat in the PR agency. It makes sense for you to look at this as a way to celebrate your growth once you have some kind of sustainable business at first. So tell us about what it's like to work with someone that works, I guess with a PR agency. What's their job? What do they do for you?
Mel: Yeah. So we work with a company called Rebellious PR and they are in Portland, Oregon. And they are super queer-friendly, woman-owned, amazing company. And I was also really, really picky about who I wanted to work with, and these guys were my dream team because I feel like they understand what we're doing.
Mel: And they have been accessing reporters that I don't have time or interest in trying to send out a million press releases to everybody. But they have those contacts, they know their writing styles. They can spend time doing that. So that was my number one awesome please do this for me request.
Mel: A fun thing they have been doing is finding some influencers to wear swimsuits. So, Jess who was on Queer Eye, she wore our new suit, the charmer, the rainbow pride suit. And that was the first post anywhere, it was on Instagram. That's how we launched our suit. And that was so fun because I love Jess and the response was so positive. And that would have never happened without these guys.
Felix: That's awesome. Okay. So they found these influencers for you? They found people that work with publications that might want to write about you. What's your involvement? When you hire a PR agency, I'm sure it's not just the wipe your hands clean and they do all your marketing for you. What do you have to do to contribute to the success?
Mel: We have a weekly phone call where we chat about things. We email a couple of times a week. I enjoy writing. I consider myself a writer, so I've been putting together some pitches or just some ideas for pitches for them to send out. And mostly, I'd say just talking through how we want to brand things. And they have little homework assignments for me sometimes. They were actually the ones who connected me with this podcast. So they've been helping me figure out how to position the brand and talk about it and get it out in the world.
Felix: Got it. So I want to talk about the spreadsheets that you seem to love looking at. And I think important that especially because you're looking at this early on because I think a lot of times businesses start off and they don't know their numbers for a long time. And I'm surprised sometimes they can last long enough to have the luxury of not looking at the numbers. But you seem to know your numbers from the very beginning. What are the numbers that people should be paying attention to, especially when you're just starting out? What are the key things to keep a laser focus on to make sure that you're not going to go bankrupt?
Mel: Yeah, I think it's really important to figure out how much it is actually costing you to make a product, and how much you are paying yourself. And having a sort of honest conversation with yourself of am I paying myself enough to not burn out?
Mel: We knew really early exactly how much it would cost to produce a swimsuit, exactly how much the packaging was. And I made a spreadsheet and broke it down into a per swimsuit price, partly for myself and partly so that I could talk to people about it. That $99 price point. Again, if anybody had any pushback, I could go through and explain exactly what is involved in deciding that price point. If we were a luxury, we could probably do a $300 swimsuit, but that's not what I want to do.
Mel: Anyway yeah, just paying attention to how much it's actually costing you to run your business. Hard materials and labor wise, and being honest with yourself about that is really important.
Felix: Are there surprises that you think maybe are not as seasoned at looking at the numbers might run into or might maybe gloss over when they are trying to calculate the cost? Surprises that are like, "Hey surprise you owe more money than you'd think," kind of surprises?
Mel: Well, hiring an accountant is more expensive than you think. That was a surprise. I think just my personality is also pretty optimistic. So I myself will gloss over how much things are really costing because I want them to be otherwise. So for me, I'm not intimidated by numbers. It's pretty simple math. Anyone can do it. If you can add and subtract and if you have a calculator, you shouldn't be intimidated by the numbers. And it's interesting because it's real numbers. This is your life, this is your business. So it's not scary hard math.
Mel: But also, I just had to remember to really take a hard look at what everything was costing. And not just being like, "I can use this roll of packing tape that was leftover from my day job." And it's like no, you need to go buy your own tape and factor it in. It's so silly. It was probably $6. But just little things like that really add up.
Felix: Right. You have to set up your almost financial models for scale where you can't just be like, "I can skimp here because I can find recycled this or recycled that." You actually have to think about if you're running this as a business that was maybe 10 times this size, are these numbers that you would actually care about. So I think that's an important point about how you have to take it seriously. Even if you're just starting out and you bring in nothing. You take it seriously from the start, I think you can make much wiser decisions.
Felix: So I want to talk about the other point which you brought up, which is about how you have to pay yourself enough to not burn out. I love the way you say it. I never heard anyone say before, but I think it's a reality, which is if you are just busting your butt for five years and not make any money at all, you're crazy or you're going to burn out somewhere before that.
Felix: So tell us about how you recognize. I think a lot of the other, I guess advice or storyline of a counter to, or narrative counter to what you're telling us here is that don't pay yourself anything. Pay yourself last and don't make any money from the business. But you're saying to keep this sustainable, to make sure you enjoy this, make sure that you actually are paying yourselves. Did you know that from the beginning or did you discover that along the way?
Mel: I think I knew that from the beginning. I've gotten burnt out at work before at other jobs. We all made bad decisions and burned ourselves. And I think at this point, I recognize that I love starting projects. That's so fun and so interesting, and it's challenging. But then I knew I was going to need something to keep me doing it. And part of that was just straight-up money. I'll buy myself a new pair of shoes and just be like, "You know what, you made money last year. You're in the black, you can buy yourself a freaking pair of shoes and that's okay." You know? And just little things like that where it feels like yes, I'm in this business to make awesome suits and I don't want to exploit people price-wise, but I don't want to exploit myself. So I have to recognize I'm going to need some little carrots along the way to keep myself doing this. And sometimes that's just going to be money.
Felix: Yeah. I think it's important to note that when you burn yourself out, you are doing a disservice to your customers because you're not going to produce a good product but maybe you'll go out of business and you no longer are serving anybody. So I think that's important that you do that.
Felix: So I'm not sure, did you have a methodical approach to arriving at his number? I think people are going to also take this advice and think, what's the bay bare minimum that I could pay myself? And then end up choosing something too small and then burning out because of that. So how do you make sure that you're happy with the number that you choose to pay yourself?
Mel: For me it was like I'm going to start with minimum wage, and just try to see if I can do that. With the idea of if for some reason something happened to me, and this business still needed to run and we had to hire someone. I don't know, I break my arm and I can't package swimsuits or something. Just a hypothetical what would I pay someone else to do this? And if I couldn't get minimum wage in there, then something needed to change our original price by, it was $95 a suit. I worked it out to ideally we'd be about 108 or 115. We're not, we're still at 99. And I am trying my damnedest to keep it under a hundred, but I think we're probably going to have to raise our prices at some point.
Felix: Just because of the cost that it requires for you to run the business?
Mel: Yeah. I barely paid myself minimum wage last year and I'm probably still lying to myself about that number, to be honest. Speaking of don't lie to yourself.
Felix: Yeah. Well, you at least know that you're lying to yourself. So you mentioned also to us that you realize that after the last couple of years, is that starting a business was more complicated and time-consuming than you had imagined. And then you compared to planning a wedding as well. So looking back on it, what were some things that you may be overlooked that surprised you? Because I think complications or things that take more time are usually surprised. Right? So what are some surprises along the way that made this a little more complicated, time-consuming than you had originally thought?
Mel: Yeah, I think customer service emails take a lot more time and energy than I originally thought. I hadn't had a whole lot of experience in retail, to be honest. I've always been on nonprofit, publishing tracks in my career. So that was a surprise. Just budgeting enough time for that. And then again speaking to my I love starting projects thing. We did the Kickstarter and then I was like, "Oh wait, I own a business. I have to keep going. I have to figure out how to design a website." And thank God for the templates on Shopify cause I am not a web designer. So shout out to those. It's been really nice to have a sort of plug and play option that I can just tinker with and do on my own without having to hire someone. Especially in that early part where we just had zero budget for anything.
Felix: Yeah. You said this a couple of times I want to touch on it, which is around the idea that you like starting projects. I think anyone out there that is an entrepreneur that is constantly thinking of ideas has the same issue where starting and then sustaining and then finishing a project are totally different skill sets that ideally one person has or ideally your team has, or you just suffer through it all. So when you are starting a project and you start reaching this point where it's like okay, well the honeymoon phase is starting to wane out. What do you look for? I guess you talk about money a little bit, but what else do you look for to keep, what kind of commitments do you made yourself or what do you do to make sure that you aren't just jumping from project to project?
Mel: Yeah. I think the project like this, it's turned out to be bigger and longer than I had initially thought, which is just blindness on my part. Of course, it was going to keep going. For me. hiring the PR firm and just having other folks be excited about it was so huge. And I look forward to the day that I can actually hire other people. That will probably require, that sounds like a lot of research and time. But it's just nice to have other people who are involved in a project and working on it. And I get energy from having coworkers, I guess is, I get energy from other people working on a project with me. So I knew I had to keep a day job and this couldn't be my full-time job until I can afford to have a team. And so until this company makes enough money to support a team, I just keep a day job, and that is my working with other people outlet. And then I can just hammer this out on my own, a couple of hours a day and that's fine. I don't think I could work by myself 40 to 60 hours a week without other people around who are also excited about it.
Felix: That's interesting. So let's say there's a scenario where you are making enough money where you could replace your day job with the income that you're paying yourself from the business. But you'd have to work on it yourself. You would rather hire people to take your place, and hire people to help continue building and maintain the business while you keep your day job?
Mel: Yeah. Hands down. That's why I hired PR.
Felix: Oh, that makes sense. I guess you've done that already. Okay, that makes sense. So when you are hiring help, I'm assuming you're hiring people to help you with things that you don't enjoy doing.
Mel: Yeah. Which is silly because probably the easiest hire to make would be someone to package and ship the swimsuits. But that is one of the most gratifying parts of this is putting a physical product in an envelope and sending it to someone. Because so much of my work is not tangible and never has been. So I love that part and I should probably just hire someone to do it, but it's so enjoyable for me.
Felix: I feel like it's fueling you. It's fueling you to give you the juice you need to continue running this thing. Even though again, conventional advice would run counter to that and say, "Just spend your time on 'more value-producing activities.'" If you are doing that and then you're burning yourself out, then the whole thing collapses anyway. So I think that's important to not give up the things that fulfill you, and fuel you, and keep you in the game. I think the reason why most people fail on this is because they give up too early, not because something catastrophic happened that's not recoverable from. You're usually giving up first, you know?
Felix: So I think it's important that you hold onto that. And I think that you recognize that and I think it's important advice that you're giving here, which is to hold onto the things that fulfill you and keep you in the game. So I think that you're totally doing the right thing for your situation.
Felix: So you also mentioned that certain skills like emotional intelligence and empathy are just as useful as knowing how to market and how to write good copy, how to organize inventory. So say more about this because this is something new that I haven't heard yet on this podcast, about intelligence and empathy. I feel like I'm a robot asking you, but what is to your emotional intelligence and empathy?
Mel: For me, it was what allowed me to answer customer service emails and do marketing in a way that I don't sound like a robot or I don't just sound like a copy of generic ad copy that's everywhere. So I think first startups where you're going to be doing a lot of stuff on your own in the beginning, you have to have a little heart and you have to be a little vulnerable.
Mel: I'm a huge fan of Brene Brown, the Daring Greatly book about vulnerability and shame. And so, especially being in a business like swimsuits where it is a vulnerable thing to be in a swimsuit. And there's a lot of body shame around it in the world. So I just knew from the get go I was going to have to be very comfortable with this touchy section of the market. And especially trying to be oriented towards an LGBTQ audience and a plus size audience. Again, talk about vulnerability and shame. And I've been in both of those audiences myself. I have to be comfortable talking to other people about these sometimes uncomfortable parts of ourselves and be able to do it authentically and recognize their humanity. Otherwise, what am I doing?
Felix: Yeah. Is it learnable? Vulnerability, emotional intelligence, empathy. Can you learn these skills?
Mel: I think so. Absolutely. I've also been in years of therapy, and I think that that helped me develop more emotional intelligence and develop more ability to be real and authentic with other people because I wasn't scared and hiding.
Mel: The hardest part about being an entrepreneur is just putting myself out there and not taking rejection personally because it's my job to keep an eye on the content, or the comments section. And to read all the customer service emails. And I couldn't be defensive, which is my absolutely natural go-to.
Felix: Most people.
Mel: Yeah, and I'm especially so. If I get embarrassed, I get angry. It's not a good look as my wife has helped me learn. So I knew that I needed to have those skills to run this particular business. There might be businesses that you can run where you don't have to have those things. But for me, they're absolutely necessary for the people I'm interacting with on a daily basis.
Felix: Yeah. I think authenticity and being able to be vulnerable is valuable in this day and age where it's so easy to be behind a mask. And I think it's so easy to slip back into your defenses and put on some mask that's not your true self. So when you are thinking about what you're doing when you're building your brand, when you're communicating with customers, are there certain things that you try to look for? I guess when you're looking at yourself, maybe introspectively to make sure that you are truly being yourself or truly being authentic and truly being vulnerable. And are there things that you look at like, "I'm proud of myself because I've done X, Y, Z today"?
Mel: Yeah. I think if I'm understanding it correctly, it's like how do I check myself to make sure that I'm not being-
Felix: Yeah, exactly.
Mel: Just time. Again, going slow. I'm giving myself room and space to figure it out. Customer service emails, I'm not real timely. I usually see them right when they come in, but I don't answer them right away. Good or bad because I know I need a day or two to digest. And just giving myself that space and time, not just frantically responding to everything in the minute. Our Facebook page will never have that badge of responds in 30 seconds. Because I need time. I'm a slow digester of emotions, both other people's in my owns and that's just who I am. Again, if you have time, go to years of therapy, that was really helpful.
Mel: But in the short term, for me when I write copy or I think about putting something out in the world. I think how would my best friend take this? How would my wife take this? How would someone I care about read this and take this? Because that's my audience is people I care about. So even if a customer, I've never met them before. If I'm thinking about my best friend or something when I'm writing copy or writing a social media post, I hope that it would mean something to them because I'm being my real 'self.'
Felix: Got it. That makes sense. So thank you so much for your time Mel. So Beefcake Swimwear, which is at beefcakeswimwear.com is the website. I'll leave you with this final question. What was the biggest lesson that you learned last year that you want to definitely make sure you apply in this year?
Mel: I'd say trust your gut. Whether it's how to answer someone in an email or what style of swimsuit I wanted to do next, or if I had a bad gut feeling about something that I didn't do. And thank God in hindsight. Just trust your gut and give yourself, again that time and space to listen to yourself. I just don't think that there's anything wrong with, in a world that is super frenetic and super anxious, and super fast, with carving out time to go slow and be thoughtful about things, and to listen to people, and to learn, and then trust your gut.
Felix: I love it. I think that's something that I've been learning too, which is that answers are not always available. The answers that you're asking, questions that you're asking yourself, you don't have the answers always available, right when you ask it, right? It takes time to almost like let it bubble up. It's kind of weird to say, but it's like sometimes we look at ourselves, we feel like we can ask ourselves any question. We know ourselves, why don't we know the answer right away? But I think it's important that like you say, you pause. And I think that's the biggest benefit that I'm hearing from your experience, which is that by taking the time to pause, by going in a slower pace, you let the answers come out. You maybe make less decisions, but they seem to be more decisions that are aligned with the lifestyle that you want to create. And I think that I appreciate you coming on and sharing that because I think it's a different path that is not typically talked about.
Felix: So again, really appreciate you coming on Mel. Good luck with everything. And again, beefcakeswimwear.com is the website. Thank you so much for your time.
Mel: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.
Felix Thea
Felix Thea is the host of the Shopify Masters podcast, the ecommerce marketing podcast for ambitious entrepreneurs. Got something to share with Shopify Masters listeners? You can submit your story for consideration.
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Table: C24040. Sex by Industry for the Full-Time, Year-Round Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over [55]
Universe: Universe: Full-time, year-round civilian employed population 16 years and Over
C24040. Sex by Industry for the Full-Time, Year-Round Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over
C24040001Universe: Full-time, year-round civilian employed population 16 years and Over
C24040029 Female
C24040048 Educational Services, and Health Care and Social Assistance
C24040049 Educational Services
Full-Time, Year-Round Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and Over (ACS11_5yr:C24040001)
The 2007-2011 ACS 5-Year Summary File Technical Documentation -> Appendix A. Supplemental Documentation -> Subject Definitions -> Population Variables -> Sex
The data on sex were derived from answers to Question 3. Individuals were asked to mark either "male" or "female" to indicate their biological sex. For most cases in which sex was invalid, the appropriate entry was determined from other information provided for that person, such as the person's given (i.e., first) name and household relationship. Otherwise, sex was allocated from a hot deck.
Sex is asked for all persons in a household or group quarters. On the mailout/mailback paper questionnaire for households, sex is asked for all persons listed on the form. This form accommodates asking sex for up to 12 people listed as living or residing in the household for at least 2 months. If a respondent indicates that more people are listed as part of the total persons living in the household than the form can accommodate, or if any person included on the form is missing sex, then the household is eligible for Failed Edit Follow-up (FEFU). During FEFU operations, telephone center staffers call respondents to obtain missing data. This includes asking sex for any person in the household missing sex information. In Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) and Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) instruments sex is asked for all persons. In 2006, the ACS began collecting data in group quarters (GQs). This included asking sex for persons living in a group quarters. For additional data collection methodology, please see www.census.gov/acs.
Data on sex are used to determine the applicability of other questions for a particular individual and to classify other characteristics in tabulations. The sex data collected on the forms are aggregated and provide the number of males and females in the population. These data are needed to interpret most social and economic characteristics used to plan and analyze programs and policies. Data about sex are critical because so many federal programs must differentiate between males and females. The U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services are required by statute to use these data to fund, implement, and evaluate various social and welfare programs, such as the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Laws to promote equal employment opportunity for women also require census data on sex. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs must use census data to develop its state projections of veterans' facilities and benefits. For more information on the use of sex data in Federal programs, please see www.census.gov/acs.
The sex ratio represents the balance between the male and female populations. Ratios above 100 indicate a larger male population, and ratios below 100 indicate a larger female population. This measure is derived by dividing the total number of males by the total number of females and then multiplying by 100. It is rounded to the nearest tenth.
Question/Concept History
Sex has been asked of all persons living in a household since the 1996 ACS Test phase. When group quarters were included in the survey universe in 2006, sex was asked of all person in group quarters as well.
Beginning in 2008, the layout of the sex question response categories was changed to a horizontal side-by-side layout from a vertically stacked layout on the mail paper ACS questionnaire
Limitation of the data
Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) was included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations have sex distributions that are very different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the sex distribution. This is particularly true for a given geographic area. This is particularly true for areas with a substantial GQ population.
The Census Bureau tested the changes introduced to the 2008 version of the sex question in the 2007 ACS Grid-Sequential Test (www.census.gov/acs). The results of this testing show that the changes may introduce an inconsistency in the data produced for this question as observed from the years 2007 to 2008.
Sex is generally comparable across different data sources and data years.
However, data users should still be aware of methodological differences that may exist between different data sources if they are comparing American Community Survey sex data to other data sources, such as Population Estimates or Decennial Census data. For example, the American Community Survey data are that of a respondent-based survey and subject to various quality measures, such as sampling and nonsampling error, response rates and item allocation. This differs in design and methodology from other data sources, such as Population Estimates, which is not a survey and involves computational methodology to derive intercensal estimates of the population. While ACS estimates are controlled to Population Estimates for sex at the nation, state and county levels of geography as part of the ACS weighting procedure, variation may exist in the sex structure of a population at lower levels of geography when comparing different time periods or comparing across time due to the absence of controls below the county geography level. For more information on American Community Survey data accuracy and weighting procedures, please see www.census.gov/acs.
It should also be noted that although the American Community Survey (ACS) produces population, demographic and housing unit estimates, it is the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program that produces and disseminates the official estimates of the population for the nation, states, counties, cities and towns and estimates of housing units for states and counties .
The 2007-2011 ACS 5-Year Summary File Technical Documentation -> Appendix A. Supplemental Documentation -> Subject Definitions -> Population Variables -> Industry
Industry data describe the kind of business conducted by a person's employing organization. Industry data were derived from answers to questions 42 through 44. Question 42 asks: "For whom did this person work?" Question 43 asks: "What kind of business or industry was this?" Question 44 provides 4 check boxes from which respondents are to select one to indicate whether the business was primarily manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, or other (agriculture, construction, service, government, etc.).
These questions were asked of all people 15 years old and over who had worked in the past 5 years. For employed people, the data refer to the person's job during the previous week. For those who worked two or more jobs, the data refer to the job where the person worked the greatest number of hours. For unemployed people and people who are not currently employed but report having a job within the last five years, the data refer to their last job.
Coding Procedures
Written responses to the industry questions are coded using the industry classification system developed for Census 2000 and modified in 2002 and again in 2007. This system consists of 269 categories for employed people, including military, classified into 20 sectors. The modified 2007 census industry classification was developed from the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) published by the Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget. The NAICS was developed to increase comparability in industry definitions between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It provides industry classifications that group establishments into industries based on the activities in which they are primarily engaged. The NAICS was created for establishment designations and provides detail about the smallest operating establishment, while the American Community Survey data are collected from households and differ in detail and nature from those obtained from establishment surveys. Because of potential disclosure issues, the census industry classification system, while defined in NAICS terms, cannot reflect the full detail for all categories that the NAICS provides.
Respondents provided the data for the tabulations by writing on the questionnaires descriptions of their kind of business or industry. Clerical staff in the National Processing Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana converted the written questionnaire descriptions to codes by comparing these descriptions to entries in the Alphabetical Index of Industries and Occupations.
The industry category, "Public administration," is limited to regular government functions such as legislative, judicial, administrative, and regulatory activities. Other government organizations such as public schools, public hospitals, and bus lines are classified by industry according to the activity in which they are engaged.
Some occupation groups are related closely to certain industries. Operators of transportation equipment, farm operators and workers, and healthcare providers account for major portions of their respective industries of transportation, agriculture, and health care. However, the industry categories include people in other occupations. For example, people employed in agriculture include truck drivers and bookkeepers; people employed in the transportation industry include mechanics, freight handlers, and payroll clerks; and people employed in the health care industry include janitors, security guards, and secretaries.
Editing Procedures
Following the coding operation, a computer edit and allocation process excludes all responses that should not be included in the universe, and evaluates the consistency of the remaining responses. The codes for industry are checked for consistency with the occupation and class of worker data provided for that respondent. Occasionally respondents supply industry descriptions that are not sufficiently specific for precise classification, or they do not report on these questions at all. Certain types of incomplete entries are corrected using the Alphabetical Index of Industries and Occupations. If one or more of the three codes (industry, occupation, or class of worker) is blank after the edit, a code is assigned from a donor respondent who is a "similar" person based on questions such as age, sex, educational attainment, income, employment status, and weeks worked. If all of the labor force and income data are blank, all of these economic questions are assigned from a "similar" person who had provided all the necessary data.
These questions describe the industrial composition of the American labor force. Data are used to formulate policy and programs for employment, career development and training, and to measure compliance with antidiscrimination policies. Companies use these data to decide where to locate new plants, stores, or offices.
Industry data have been collected during decennial censuses intermittently since 1820 and on a continuous basis since 1910. Starting with the 2010 Census, industry data will no longer be collected during the decennial census. Long form data collection has transitioned to the American Community Survey. The American Community Survey began collecting data on industry in 1996. The questions on industry were designed to be consistent with the 1990 Census questions on industry. In the 1990 Census and starting with the 1999 ACS, a check box was added to the employer name questionnaire item that was to be marked by anyone "now on active duty in the Armed Forces..." This information is used by the industry and occupation coders to assist in assigning proper industry codes for active duty military. Prior to 1999, the 1996-1998 ACS class of worker question had an additional response category for "Active duty U.S. Armed Forces member." Other than this exception, American Community Survey questions on industry have remained consistent between 1996 and 2011.
Beginning in 2006, the population in group quarters (GQ) was included in the ACS. Some types of GQ populations have industry distributions that are different from the household population. The inclusion of the GQ population could therefore have a noticeable impact on the industry distribution in some geographic areas with a substantial GQ population.
Data on occupation, industry, and class of worker are collected for the respondent's current primary job or the most recent job for those who are not employed but have worked in the last 5 years. Other labor force questions, such as questions on earnings or work hours, may have different reference periods and may not limit the response to the primary job. Although the prevalence of multiple jobs is low, data on some labor force items may not exactly correspond to the reported occupation, industry, or class of worker of a respondent.
Comparability of industry data was affected by a number of factors, primarily the system used to classify the questionnaire responses. Changes in the industry classification system limit comparability of the data from one year to another. These changes are needed to recognize the "birth" of new industries, the "death" of others, the growth and decline in existing industries, and the desire of analysts and other users for more detail in the presentation of the data. Probably the greatest cause of noncomparability is the movement of a segment from one category to another. Changes in the nature of jobs, respondent terminology, and refinement of category composition made these movements necessary.
ACS data from 1996 to 1999 used the same industry classification systems used for the 1990 census; therefore, the data are comparable. Since 1990, the industry classification has had major revisions to reflect the shift from the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). These changes were reflected in the Census 2000 industry codes. The 2000-2002 ACS data used the same industry and occupation classification systems used for the 2000 census, therefore, the data are comparable. In 2002, NAICS underwent another change and the industry codes were changed accordingly. Because of the possibility of new industries being added to the list of codes, the Census Bureau needed to have more flexibility in adding codes. Consequently, in 2002, industry census codes were expanded from three-digit codes to four-digit codes. The changes to these code classifications mean that the ACS data from 2003-2011 are not completely comparable to the data from earlier surveys. In 2007, NAICS was updated again. This resulted in a minor change in the industry data that will cause it to not be completely comparable to previous years. The changes were concentrated in the Information Sector where one census code was added (6672) and two were deleted (6675, 6692). For more information on industry comparability across classification systems, please see technical paper #65: The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems.
See the 2011 Code List for Industry Code List.
See also, Occupation and Class of Worker.
The 2007-2011 ACS 5-Year Summary File Technical Documentation -> Appendix A. Supplemental Documentation -> Subject Definitions -> Population Variables -> Work Experience -> Full-Time, Year-Round Workers
Full-Time, Year-Round Workers
All people 16 years old and over who usually worked 35 hours or more per week for 50 to 52 weeks in the past 12 months.
The 2007-2011 ACS 5-Year Summary File Technical Documentation -> Appendix A. Supplemental Documentation -> Subject Definitions -> Population Variables -> Employment Status -> Employed
This category includes all civilians 16 years old and over who either (1) were "at work," that is, those who did any work at all during the reference week as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession, worked on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers on a family farm or in a family business; or (2) were "with a job but not at work," that is, those who did not work during the reference week but had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent due to illness, bad weather, industrial dispute, vacation, or other personal reasons. Excluded from the employed are people whose only activity consisted of work around the house or unpaid volunteer work for religious, charitable, and similar organizations; also excluded are all institutionalized people and people on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.
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Duncan Ferguson on his Everton identity and shaking off the past
Everton caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson is proud of his deep roots at Goodison Park, but he is now hoping to carve out a new reputation as a thinker within the game
Everton caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson thinks people won't let him shake off his past reputation - but says he's proud of his identity.
The hard-man striker made a name for himself south of the border at Goodison Park during a four-year spell in the mid-1990s (he later returned for six more years), and in his entire Premier League career picked up eight red cards, the joint-most in the division's history.
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A self-confessed "quiet guy" off the pitch, Ferguson says he has mellowed since retirement and turning his thoughts to coaching, which has culminated in working his way through the youth structure at Everton before taking the reigns of the first team on a temporary basis last week.
Despite that, the 47-year-old feels he will struggle to ever change the general perception of him, including accusations his players were motivated by fear in their 3-1 win over Chelsea last weekend.
Duncan Ferguson says he would 'be on the roof' if Everton beat Manchester United on Sunday and insists his side are confident ahead of the trip to Old Trafford
"I think it's very difficult to get away from the past," he told Sky Sports. "I've moved on as a person and life has moved on - I think as you get older, you mature and you become a better person.
"I feel that's what I've done, I've studied my badges, I've taken coaching roles, I've worked my way through the academy so I'm an experienced coach, but I just don't think people see it unfortunately.
"I'm very mellow I would think as being a coach is different to being on the pitch as there's a lot of aggression in you. But off the pitch, I'm a quiet guy, I'm a thinker who watches a lot of football, I know the players in the Premier League and I know what it takes and I know how to motivate the players.
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"You're always going to get labelled, but we had a plan and we picked a team and set them up on a day's work, so we deserve a lot more merit [than just getting a result out of fearing the consequences].
"I just followed what I did 20 years ago when I captained the side, I went down the same route, and it seemed to work."
It was noted when Ferguson appeared in the home dugout for the first time he was sporting Howard Kendall's old watch on one wrist and a sweatband on the other. A superstition? Not so much, more an unashamed part of the temporary boss' character.
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Everton's win over Chelsea in the Premier League
"I'm proud of my identity," he said. "The sweatband came from a sick kid who many, many years ago presented me with this sweatband when I went to one of the local hospitals.
"So I put the sweatband on. Of course, it's not the same sweatband, but after every season, I would walk around the pitch and give it to one of the children in the disabled chairs. Now I've got to get a new sweatband every week! So I'm proud of my identity.
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"Wearing Howard's watch was a beautiful moment for me. I'll be wearing it again on Sunday, even if it is stuck at quarter past eight!
"It's going to be incredibly difficult. We've only won once in the last 20-odd years there, but their players are in a good moment and are confident after beating Chelsea so we've just got to keep riding on the crest of that wave."
New Year, same Super 6!
FREE TO PLAY: Do not miss your chance to land the £250,000 jackpot for the sixth time this season.
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Everton hold West Ham to draw
'Richarlison, Sigurdsson out injured'
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Mike Newell’s ‘Great Expectations’ Trailer – Hell Hath No Fury Like Helena Bonham Carter Scorned
Posted on Monday, August 13th, 2012 by Angie Han
There are a handful of classic tales that seem to get reinterpreted for the screen every few years, and among them is Charles Dickens‘ Great Expectations. The most recent theatrical version you probably recall is Alfonso Cuarón’s 1998 modernized version featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, and Ethan Hawke, and since then there have been at least two other adaptations for TV.
Now the latest director to tackle the Victorian coming-of-age tale is Mike Newell, who brings the story back to its original 19th century setting. Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) stars as Pip, a poor orphan boy whose life takes an unexpected twist when a mysterious benefactor arranges for him to become a gentleman. Up-and-comer Holliday Grainger stars as the unattainable object of his affections, Estella, while Helena Bonham Carter tackles the iconic role of spiteful shut-in Miss Havisham. Watch the first international trailer after the jump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob7qUkYfF-g
Offhand, Irvine looks like the weak link here, but that may not be entirely his fault. Great Expectations is stuffed with such eerie, larger-than-life characters — escaped convicts! trained heartbreakers! decaying brides! — that its relatively normal protagonist can’t help but seem boring in comparison. Presumably, Irvine will get more of a chance to shine in the full-length feature than he does in this three-minute trailer. Bonham Carter, on the other hand, looks exactly as perfect as Miss Havisham as we could’ve hoped. No one does crazy like Bonham Carter, and she looks to be in fine form here.
Scripted by David Nicholls (One Day) and also starring Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, and Robbie Coltrane, Great Expectations will open in the U.K. and Ireland November 30. No U.S. opening has been announced at this time, but with that cast and crew it should have no trouble snapping up a distributor when it opens at TIFF next month.
‘The King’s Man’ Will Harken Back to ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ Matthew Vaughn Says [New York Comic-Con 2019]
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‘The King’s Man’ Trailer: Ralph Fiennes Helps Create the First Secret Intelligence Agency
‘Enola Holmes’ Will Star Millie Bobby Brown as Sherlock Holmes’ Younger Sister; Sherlock to Be Played By Henry Cavill
Adaptation, Drama, Movie Trailers, Charles Dickens, david nicholls, Great Expectations, Helena-Bonham-Carter, Holliday Grainger, Holly Grainger, Jason Flemyng, Jeremy Irvine, Mike-Newell, Ralph-Fiennes, Robbie Coltrane
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David Ives
+44 (0)20 7090 4266 david.ives@slaughterandmay.com
Download Contact Details
Partner since: 2009
David’s practice covers Outsourcing, Technology, Intellectual Property and Sport. In particular, he advises on strategic technology, telecoms and business process sourcing; software licensing and development agreements and the technology aspects of M&A transactions, as well as all aspects of IP protection and exploitation including a particular focus on franchising and sponsorship. He is also an active member of the firm’s Commercial Contracts advisory team.
Highlights include advising:
Carillion on a range of strategic sourcing projects including outsourcing its IT, IS, finance, HR and payroll services to Accenture; its subsequent second generation outsourcing; and on the sale of it own outsourced services business to Capita
Marks and Spencer in relation to the expansion and operation of its UK and international business across more than 40 jurisdictions using franchise and joint venture business models
Direct Line Group on a strategic outsourcing agreement and brand separation issues in the context of its divestment from RBS plc
GE Capital on the outsourcing of its internet savings bank operation to Newcastle Building Society
YTL Communications on an agreement to license and develop patented technology and software to build the world's first hybrid broadcast - 4G WiMAX broadband TV and internet content delivery platform
David is listed as a notable practitioner for Outsourcing and Intellectual Property in Chambers UK, 2017. He is also a member of the Society of Computers and Law and the National Outsourcing Association.
List of all our partners
Slaughter and May advises Moody’s Corporation on agreed sale of Moody’s Analytics’ Knowledge Services business
Slaughter and May is advising Petrogas and HitecVision on their proposed acquisition of certain of Total’s UK oil and gas assets
Slaughter and May advised Allianz on its acquisition of Legal & General Insurance Limited
Slaughter and May has advised Mitsubishi Corporation on its strategic investment in OVO
Slaughter and May acted for Standard Life Aberdeen plc (“SLA”) on the sale of its insurance business to Phoenix Group Holdings (“Phoenix”)
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Cassidy H.
Born on May 5, 2002, Cassidy is battling the effects of a genetic condition known as Conradi-Hunermann Syndrome. “She’s funny, smiles and is so positive,” her mother says. One incident in particular demonstrates Cassidy’s pluck and good humor. “Cassidy had spent six weeks in the hospital when some photos of her were taken. She rewrote the song “Hello,” by Adele, as “Halo,” for the device that was holding her in traction. She is always positive, creative and entertaining.”
Cassidy’s family would like to thank the Melodic Caring Project and Suzanna White’s 3 Feet of Sunshine. “They were huge contributors and occupiers for us while we stayed at the hospital.”
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Institute for Life Sciences – the success of impact and interdisciplinarity
Southampton’s Institute for Life Sciences (IfLS) is proud of the significant impact it is having across the University, the local region and on government policy.
Since it was launched at the University in 2011 the IfLS has gone from strength to strength. Its membership has substantially grown to more than 300 members and its research collaborations are changing the world in which we live.
Interdisciplinarity lies at the heart of the IfLS, an ethos that reflects a key government priority, and is embodied in the IfLS’ four grand challenges - New Pathways to Health, Life Technologies, Global Change: Systems and Cycles, and Human Nexus.
New Pathways to Health - allows unique collaborations to forge between University academics and NHS clinicians to understand, diagnose and treat diseases within key healthcare areas of national and global relevance including cancer, infection, nutrition, microbiology, respiratory and degenerative diseases.
Life Technologies – focuses on integrating biomedical and health challenges with engineering and physical science solutions, particularly exploring how life technologies can help solve clinical and medical problems through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Global Change: Systems and Cycles - aims to understand and mitigate how changes in environmental conditions affect large scale systems and cycles and the functioning of ecosystems and the human societies that depend on them.
Human Nexus - is a unique 21st century global challenge that draws together data sets from biomedical or environmental sources with cutting edge developments framed around the semantic web and Web Observatory, modelling and high end computing, to develop tools and analytics that will have broad applications, not just to disease states, such as cancer and diabetes, but also to environmental factors and climate change.
IfLS Director Professor Peter J S Smith said: "Not only do our grand challenges capture the heart of the University’s pre-eminence in science and engineering but also local enterprise capabilities. We’re aligning our activities with those smart specialisations and receiving enthusiastic support from local governments and partnerships."
The IfLS has been instrumental in developing this interdisciplinary culture, not only throughout the Institute, but also across the University and out into the wider region. It is continually building and expanding partnerships within the University and the local area and is always ready to welcome new members.
The past four years have seen the Institute act as a catalyst, enabling collaborations between life science researchers, engaging with members through a range of conferences and seminars, facilitating successful funding applications, and developing partnerships with local industries.
Recently the Institute, together with regional partners such as Southampton City Council and Southampton Science Park, launched a network aiming to position the Solent region at the forefront of innovation in life sciences by developing a hub of expertise and resources that could see ideas being translated into life-changing applications that will benefit society and create high quality jobs.
IfLS Collaboration Manager Dr Alexandra Mant said: "The IfLS is truly interdisciplinary with a diversity of membership spreading across, not only the traditional life science disciplines of Medicine and Biological Sciences, but a wider area including Business and Law, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Chemistry.
We have created a model of networking and collaboration that has proved a great success and is already having significant impact locally and nationally. Our aim now is to become even more externally facing and build out that network into the wider region."/p>
Dawn Baxendale, Chief Executive, Southampton City Council commented on the importance of building on the life sciences expertise at Southampton and in the local region in a recent article produced by Southampton City Council. "Southampton is undoubtedly the leading city on the south coast in terms of economic growth. We are already recognised as a key maritime and marine region and we want to build on our other strengths, such as life sciences, to raise our profile and become recognised as a centre for life science expertise. As a region we would benefit from this on so many levels in terms of economic growth, employment and reputation."
Broadening scientific opportunities
Watch and share
Featured below are four videos representing the four grand challenges with insight from the leads of each challenge. Please watch and share. Our mission is to facilitate fusions of expertise in research and education from a range of disciplines in order to broaden scientific opportunities. This can only be achieved by knowledge sharing and participation.
IfLS Conference Living in a High Carbon World | 15th September 2015
The IfLS event Living in a High Carbon World will bring scientists from many different disciplines across the University together with colleagues from local research institutes, and other UK universities, to discuss the pressing questions facing humanity living in a high carbon world with increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. The conference is another significant event from the IfLS’ highly active interdisciplinary community that is seeking to change the way we address some of the most sensitive challenges in our world today through truly unique and innovative scientific investigation.
IfLS Annual Report 2015
The success of our community in the last four years has allowed us to continue supporting and facilitating exciting collaborations. We as a community are addressing some of today’s key global challenges and delivering impact from a regional to a global stage. This years report showcases our developments in the last year, including our integration into regional partnership with a joint aim of positioning the Solent region as a leader in life sciences research, development and innovation.
New Pathways to Health
Novel solutions for everyday problems.
Key areas of excellence translatable to medical practice & pathways to health.
Global Change: Systems & Cycles
Understanding global change by studying its impact at multiple levels.
Human Nexus
A unique 21st century data challenge featuring environment, health and the semantic web.
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Want to Name an Alien Planet? The NameExoWorlds Contest Is Your Chance
This graphic shows the 20 extrasolar systems open for naming in the "NameExoWorlds" contest, organized by the International Astronomical Union and Zooniverse.
(Image: © IAU/ESO/S. Brunier)
Space fans around the globe will soon get a chance to help name some of the galaxy's most famous alien worlds.
The NameExoWorlds contest has kicked off, allowing astronomy clubs and nonprofits to propose names for the stars and planets in 20 different extrasolar systems, officials of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which is organizing the competition along with the citizen-science project Zooniverse, announced Monday (April 27).
Individuals cannot propose names, but they will be able to vote on the names submitted by clubs and nonprofit groups (which must first register with the IAU Directory of World Astronomy). These organizations are permitted to propose names for only one alien system — the host star and its planet(s) — along with a justification for the potential monikers. [10 Exoplanets That Could Host Alien Life]
Submissions are due by June 15, after which the public will be asked to vote on the proposed names. The current plan calls for the final results to be announced during the IAU's 29th General Assembly in Honolulu, which runs from Aug. 3 through Aug. 14 of this year, IAU officials said.
To learn more about the contest, check out the NameExoWorlds site: http://www.nameexoworlds.org
The 20 extrasolar systems include 51 Pegasi, which harbors the first alien world ever discovered orbiting a sunlike star (in 1995), and Fomalhaut, which was one of the first exoplanets ever to be imaged directly (though there is currently some controversy about whether or not the "planet" is really just the rocky remnants of a massive collision).
The 20 systems contain 32 known planets. Five of the host stars already have popular, common names, so they're off-limits to the NameExoWorlds contest, which therefore offers the opportunity to give appellations to a total of 47 objects (planets plus stars).
The IAU assigns "official" names to celestial bodies and their features. The organization is perhaps best known to laypeople for demoting Pluto from a "true" planet to the newly created category of "dwarf planet" in 2006, a decision that remains controversial to this day.
The first exoplanets were discovered orbiting a pulsar — a rapidly spinning, superdense stellar corpse — in 1992. Since then, scientists have spotted nearly 2,000 more, with thousands of additional planet candidates awaiting confirmation by follow-up observations and analysis.
But those numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. Work by NASA's Kepler space telescope suggests that every star in the Milky Way hosts at least one planet on average, meaning our galaxy is probably home to more than 100 billion alien worlds.
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The Spirit of Independence in Singapore
By Justin Choo, August 29, 2019
As a whisky drinker here in Singapore, chances are you’ve drunk from independent bottlings i.e. bottles that didn’t come directly from the distillery.
Why does that matter? Not too long ago before the whisky boom here these bottles – Independent bottlings (IBs) – were only found at specialist retailers and bars; mind you, these weren’t many.
These days, however, it’s an integral part of any whisky fan’s journey and certainly the only way to learn the range of a distillery’s character. Having attended a couple of events recently, I came to the conclusion that arguably, we might have the best scene in the world for such endeavours. This might be stating the obvious for some, but when you’re so used to the pace of its growth sometimes it’s hard to see how far it’s come and how progressive and open-minded we are now when it comes to trying new things, like cask finishes and unusual food pairings.
**We’re just kidding, please don’t do this with your rare whiskies unless you have a crate of the stuff…
Bigger presence of indie events
The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and none more so than the prevalence of more events that feature independent bottlers. You might typically associate pop-ups with mainstream brands a la Auchentoshan’s Born & Raised in the City series but these days you’ll see more indies getting into the game like Cadenhead’s recent collaboration with Cheeky, which gave visitors the opportunity to sample Cadenhead bottlings for as low as $5.
The Whisky Store, which is the distributor for Cadenhead, also works with other local bars to share casks that are to be bottled, such as this Linkwood. The store also handles the distribution for another big name: the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), which conducts monthly tastings for the bottlings and you can expect to see new bottles every quarter. You need to be a member to purchase bottles though. Meanwhile, a bit closer to the present, INTERCO-MLE will be holding a Blackadder tasting featuring Japanese craft distilleries in September; this is particularly interesting as you’d have a chance to try out some new make spirit from a new distillery, Shizuoka, which uses the equipment once used by the now legendary Karuizawa. Whether or not it means that the whisky is going to be as good, nobody knows. But undeniably, part of the charm comes from the idea of heritage.
One of said events was The Spirit of Independence, which celebrates the vibrant world of the indies and featured traditional distributors (Le Vigne), bars (The Wall, The Single Cask), and even indie distributors who are fans who have basically turned their passion into a small business (Spirits Castle, INTERCO-MLE, Friends with Drams, Italian Wine Club).
Traditionally, Whisky Live is the whisky show highlight of the year, if not in terms of scale, then in terms of how one can experience as much whisky as they can in one sitting, preferably without cosplaying a Merlion. Then there’s The Malt Affair, whose strength is in vintage or hard to find whiskies at affordable prices. Could there be room for a show just for modern independent bottlings? As it turned out, yes.
Variety is the spice of life, and shows like these are not just eye-openers, they also represent an opportunity to explore the road less travelled and keep their love for whisky fresh. Considering that there are over 120 active distilleries in Scotland alone, there’s virtually no end to your adventures. Not to mention that ‘malternatives’ like rum are slowly picking up the pace as well.
While it remains to be seen if a second iteration will take place, but I’m pretty sure from the positive response that such events won’t be a thing of the past. In any case, Whisky Live will be up this year in November, while TMA Vol.5 is on the cards.
Official Bottlings (OB) vs Independent Bottlings (IB)
It had always been the case that OBs and IBs live in their own respective worlds. For one, it’s only natural for distilleries to want you to pick up their offerings. Imagine, should you get independent bottlings that is not to your liking, the distillery’s name gets besmirched for products they did not oversee to the end. These days, bad experiences tend to be in the minority, and often, it is a question of preference.
Bruichladdich crossed the divide year or so ago, by officially sanctioning events that feature both Original Bottling (OB) and IB expressions of the distillery. As far as we know, it’s the first of such an endeavour in an official capacity, and still is. The cynic might think that such an event would be rigged in favour of the OB, but having attended more than one of these, that could hardly be further from the truth. They were all decent whiskies with different personalities. If there were any ill-intent on the part of Chloe Wood and Brendan Asher Pillai, it would be to mislead its audience at every possible turn, and relishing in their anguished guesses as one by one the twists are revealed.
You might think that you could do one of your own, which is a fair point, but in an effort to fool its fans and knowledgeable audience, they’ve had to scour the most obscure or interesting expressions, and that entails acquiring rarities such as an Octomore Comus 4.2 that had been aged for a further eight years, which they obtained directly from Adam Hannett, the head distiller, personally. There’s no attempt to hard-sell the OBs, which is probably something the cynics will appreciate.
With the dynamic duo of Chloe and Brendan always looking to one-up the previous session, we can only sit with bated breath to see what’s coming next. The series will continue to run, so follow The Single Cask if you want to keep tabs of upcoming Bruichladdich OB vs IB events. They also have an upcoming Port Charlotte event in September, which you may be interested in if you are Port Charlotte fan.
Sessions: Rosebank through the Ages
Meanwhile, how many places are there in the world that could do a tasting consisting of four decades of the closed distillery, Rosebank? It’s fascinating when you realise that in Singapore, apart from The Auld Alliance, which is already considered one of the world’s best and will have the means to, a humble little bar called The Swan Song, in conjunction with Friends with Drams, had just organised such a tasting.
As part of a regular series of tastings collectively called Sessions, the Rosebank tasting featured examples from the 90s, 80s, 70s – and yes, they are mostly independent bottlings – culminating in a very rare Cadenhead dumpy Rosebank distilled in 1966 that rarely ever surfaced for sale; a testament to their ability to source for such rare specimens. While money can certainly buy you plenty of whiskies, it is practically useless if you don’t where to find the good ones. If you don’t already know that we have bars here that stock the good stuff, you do now.
Needless to say, the tasting lived up to the hype and is a perfect response to why Ian Macleod Distillers bought the Rosebank trademark from Diageo and the old Rosebank site from Scottish Canals (don’t ask) to rebuild the cult distillery, which is slated to reopen next year in 2020. The 1966 Cadenhead dumpy is a good example of why many regard Rosebank as the best of what the Lowlands can offer. Follow Sessions to keep up to date on upcoming tastings.
If all of this seems kind of boring and uptight to you then Dram Club might be one of those things that appeal to the chaotic neutral in you. This mysterious event pops up every couple of months; you get your ticket and you aren’t allowed to talk about it.
You can’t post about it on social media as well (except a week after), and for good reason: it gets really down and dirty – sometimes personal – as two combatants, who are prominent people in the whisky scene, try to take each other down with insults (mum jokes optional) as they go for the jugular a no-holds-barred deathmatch of one-upmanship with (more importantly) their selection of whiskies; hence no videos. The winner is decided by vote, so there’s no point winning the verbal barbs if the drams aren’t up to scratch. The last showdown featured Sarah Thallon from The Whisky Store matching up against Joseph Seah from La Maison du Whisky in a cross-Atlantic showdown (Bourbon vs Scotch). Joe won that one, but I’m not sure if he’s still alive right now.
Not quite the wholesome, professional image that any product will want to have, but as a participant, just going there and being a d*** in cheering and jeering while having nice drams is kind of a nice change of pace. What’s not often said is that these whiskies are well-chosen for their price range.
If I have any legitimate complaints, it’s that the combatants are sometimes too friendly to each other. Boooo, where’s the blood, people? Plans for a fifth instalment are already in place, so if this floats your boat then follow Dramocracy for future updates.
It’s mind-boggling to think that we’d have the privilege to have these many options at our fingertips, all within the heart of the city. Many of these endeavours and ideas stemmed from people who weren’t working in the spirits business prior; they were led here by their passion and ingenuity. I suppose you can call that the true spirit of independence.
[Additional Dram Club photos courtesy of Brendan Asher Pillai]
In the spirit of sharing:
Categories: Happenings, Newsroom, Whisky
Tagged: Adam Hannett, auchentoshan, BlackAdder, Brendan Asher Pillai, Bruichladdich, Cadenhead, Cheeky, Chloe Wood, Comus 4.2, Dram Club, Dramocracy, Friends with Drams, independent bottler, independent bottling, INTERCO-MLE, Italian Wine Club, Joseph Seah, Karuizawa, La Maison Du Whisky, Le Vigne, Linkwood, Octomore, Rosebank, Sarah Thallon, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Shizuoka, SMWS, Spirits Castle, The Auld Alliance, The Malt Affair, The Single cask, The Swan Song, The Wall, The Whisky Store, whisky, Whisky Live
Capitol Kempinski Oktoberfest the latest Volksfest in town
New PS.Cafe weekend brunch menu is a great excuse for free-flow Prosecco
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AON Announces Partnership with LPGA, PGA TOUR
Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, is pleased to announce a multi-year partnership with the PGA TOUR and LPGA in the first-of-its-kind Aon Risk Reward Challenge.
The season-long Aon Risk Reward Challenge will highlight the world’s best professional golfers as they tackle the most strategically challenging holes across both the PGA TOUR and LPGA schedules. The player from each Tour on top of the Aon leaderboard at the end of the regular season will each receive $1 million in prize money.
As an Official Marketing Partner of both Tours, Aon receives the following designations: the “Official Risk, Retirement and Health Advisor of the PGA TOUR” and the “Official Professional Services Firm of the LPGA.”
“At Aon, we use proprietary data and analytics to advise our clients and provide the insights they need to stay a step ahead of the competition,” said Greg Case, Chief Executive Officer, Aon. “The same is true in golf, where players must take calculated risks that improve their performance. We are excited to showcase the best strategic decision makers from across the world of golf through the Aon Risk Reward Challenge.”
The Aon Risk Reward Challenge will be brought to life through a multi-platform strategy that includes broadcast integration with CBS and Golf Channel, the use of PGA TOUR and LPGA digital platforms, and the opportunity for Aon to bring clients and colleagues inside the ropes with exclusive experiences and business networking events around the world.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Aon as our newest Official Marketing Partner and to align with a globally respected brand that we know will be a tremendous asset to our business,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “The Aon Risk Reward Challenge is an authentic fit for our sport that will resonate with players and fans while providing Aon an intuitive way to reinforce how their firm creates value for its clients.”
The PGA TOUR and LPGA entered into a strategic alliance in 2016 designed to further promote the growth of golf. Aon will collaborate with both Tours to create a season-long program that spans the sport, and both Commissioners are hopeful that they will continue to see examples of such collaboration.
"We are thrilled to welcome Aon to the LPGA family of partners," said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. "The Aon Risk Reward Challenge will bring an exciting new season-long competition to our Tour with a very significant $1 million prize for our winner. The fact that Aon is providing equal prize money for the men (PGA TOUR) and women (LPGA) has made a huge statement to our players, and we couldn’t be more appreciative."
Additional Details About the Aon Risk Reward Challenge
Click here to view the official partnership launch video
Click here to download the Aon Risk Reward Challenge infographic
Winners from each Tour will receive the Aon Trophy and $1 million in prize money
Aon Risk Reward Challenge will run across regular season tournaments (28 PGA TOUR; 30 LPGA)
CBS Sports (PGA TOUR) and Golf Channel (LPGA) are official broadcast partners and the Aon Risk Reward Challenge will be brought to life through feature segments including hole flyovers, player interviews and on-air commentary
Final details on scoring and the schedule of holes for each Tour will be released later this year
The Aon Risk Reward Challenge Leaderboard will highlight player performance across the season
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions. Our 50,000 colleagues in 120 countries empower results for clients by using proprietary data and analytics to deliver insights that reduce volatility and improve performance. Sign up for News Alerts to get information instantly. Follow Aon on Twitter and join the conversation on LinkedIn.
About the LPGA
The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management.
The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental and humanitarian golf initiatives, such as LPGA*USGA Girls Golf.
Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram at @lpga_tour.
About PGA TOUR
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.
The PGA TOUR co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Series-China. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 27 countries (88 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 226 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving. In 2017, tournaments across all Tours generated a record of more than $180 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.65 billion.
The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
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Ale's Stones
Ystad, Sweden
Ale's Stones (Ales stenar) is a megalithic monument which consists of a stone ship 67 meters long formed by 59 large boulders of sandstone, weighing up to 1.8 tonnes each. According to Scanian folklore, a legendary king called King Ale lies buried there.
The carbon-14 dating system for organic remains has provided seven results at the site. One indicates that the material is around 5,500 years old whereas the remaining six indicate a date about 1,400 years ago. The latter is considered to be the most likely time for Ales Stenar to have been created. That would place its creation towards the end of the Nordic Iron Age.
In 1989, during the first archaeological excavations performed in order to scientifically investigate and date the monument, archaeologists found a decorated clay pot with burned human bones inside the ship setting. The bones are thought to come from a pyre and to have been placed in the pot at a later date. The pot's contents varied in age; some material was from 330-540 CE while a piece of charred food crust also found inside was determined to be from 540-650 CE. The archaeologists working on the project also found birch charcoal remains from 540-650 CE underneath an undisturbed boulder. According to the Swedish National Heritage Board, carbon-14 dating of the organic material from the site indicates that six of the samples are from around 600 CE, while one sample is from ca. 3500 BCE. The diverging sample came from soot-covered stones that are believed to be the remnants of an older hearth, found close to the ship setting. On the basis of these results, the Swedish National Heritage Board has set a suggested date of creation for Ales Stenar to 1,400 BP, which is the year 600 CE.
Ancient sites in Sweden
Top Historic Sites in Scania
Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in Sweden
Migration Period (Sweden)
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Killevägen 52, Ystad, Sweden
See all sites in Ystad
Founded: 500-1000 AD
Category: Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in Sweden
Historical period: Migration Period (Sweden)
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Interesting Sites Nearby
Valleberga Church (5,1 km)
Löderup Church (6,2 km)
Ingelstorp Church (6 km)
St. Mary's Church (15,7 km)
Ystad Abbey (15,8 km)
St. Nicholas' Church (26,9 km)
Glimmingehus (17,2 km)
Marsvinsholm Castle (23,6 km)
King's Grave (35,2 km)
Christinehof Castle (37,7 km)
Stora Herrestad Church (15,4 km)
Övedskloster Castle (42,8 km)
Vegan-Iced Ella (12 months ago)
An amazing January afternoon with a beautiful sunset. Ales stenar is absolutely a place to visit when in Skåne.
Bill Boyer (12 months ago)
Beautiful place to visit at any time of year. Be prepared for the 1km walk from the main car park and strong winds on the exposed clifftop site.
stefan norell (2 years ago)
A really interesting and magnificent landmark well worth a visit. The coastline is also an attraction as it rises above the rest of the landscape and ends steeply towards the sea.
Rose Shao (2 years ago)
Good day trip and tends not to be overcrowded. Ales Stenar is surrounded by a nice little fishing town where you can sit down for food as well as a nice cliff facing the sea. Make sure the weather is good for your trip because being so close to the sea, the weather (rain, wind, etc) becomes 2X more extreme than usual.
János Kiss (2 years ago)
Ales Stenar is a really mysterious place. You can walk in the middle of the stones and feel the history or something special. This place is higher than the sea level and it is a fairly large area. You can take a long circle and enjoy the view. The entrance is free! When you walk up from the harbour you can meet lovely sheep!
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Photo from Flickr, copyright paolocannas
Historic Site of the week
Temple of Portunus
The Temple of Portunus or Temple of Fortuna Virilis ('manly fortune') is one of the best preserved of all Roman temples. Its dedication remains unclear, as ancient sources mention several temples in this area of Rome, without saying enough to make it clear which this is.
The temple was originally built in the third or fourth century BC but was rebuilt between 120-80 BC, the rectangular building consists of a tetrastyle portico and cella, raised on a high podium reached by a flight of steps, which it retains.
The temple owes its state of preservation to its being converted for use as a church in 872 and rededicated to Santa Maria Egyziaca (Saint Mary of Egypt). Its Ionic order has been much admired, drawn and engraved and copied since the 16th century. The original coating of stucco over its tufa and travertine construction has been lost.
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Morden singer plays God in movie
Lori Penner
More from Lori Penner
A scene from the movie which includes former Morden resident and acclaimed singer Loreena McKennitt.
Time flies when you’re having fun.
It’s been quite a while since Dale Hildebrand graced the stage during W.C. Miller Collegiate’s high school drama productions.
He says that’s where he got his taste for theatre and entertainment.
Fast forward 40 years, and now he’s an award-winning writer, director and producer anticipating the opening of his internationally-acclaimed independent film, Road to the Lemon Grove.
This heartwarming comedy focuses on an old-world Sicilian father trying to negotiate his way into Heaven. The only way to achieve his goal to enter Heaven is to go back and repair his relationship with his reluctant son.
He must get his son to reunite their feuding family, and help all find love in places they never imagined.
The film is a funny, yet touching look at the loss of culture and identity that can only be rekindled by reconnecting with the heart of who we are.
Hildebrand describes it as a story for the intelligent heart.
His own connections run deep in Southern Manitoba, growing up in the village of Halbstadt near Altona.
“When I was just finishing school I went to the Philippines on an exchange program. I really grew up during that trip and it gave me a lot of inspiration for the arts. Later, as I travelled, I ended up in Edmonton where I was doing some music and video production, and I sort of stumbled on filmmaking that way.”
He went on to attend four years of film school at York University in Toronto, and continued on in the film industry, creating films like T O in 2 4, earning 28 international awards, three Gemini nominations, and a Gemini win.
He’s also worked as a cinematographer, embedded behind enemy lines in Afghanistan for the feature film Hyena Road.
“Paul Gross, myself and two other guys shot all the footage deep in Taliban territory and it was absolutely an experience of a lifetime. Paul is a wonderful human being and a great Canadian, and we had a great experience shooting that.”
His recent movie, Road to Lemon Grove, was shot in Canada and Sicily, and has already earned Best Comedy Feature of Edmonton International Film Festival, Cirs Award at the Taormina Film Festival for Best in Cultural and Social Achievement in Sicily, Italian Contemporary Film Festival – Best in Italian-Canadian Cinema, Italian Contemporary Film Festival – the Excellence in Performance Award.
The film also boasts a number of high profile actors like Rocky alumnus Burt Young and Nick Mancuso who is a veteran actor with more than 300 films to his name. Former Morden resident and acclaimed singer Loreena McKennitt also lends her talents to the film as the voice of God.
“Some people refer to it as “My Big Fat Italian Funeral” because it sort of has that feel of the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. It’s a reconciliation story between families, but there’s also a strong immigration story there as well. When Italians came to Canada, they were not looked upon fondly. They were not even allowed to congregate on street corners. They have since then become huge contributors and builders of the foundation of this country, and now they are reconnecting with their roots. It’s a great story for the current immigrant story. They have already travelled that route, and now they are reconnecting with a deeper past.”
Hildebrand also uses his film to honour the various cultures, and in his own way, leave a legacy.
“There’s something like 7,000 languages in the world right now. And they say in the next 100 years, 90 per cent of them will be lost. We’re not just losing language, we’re losing culture and our identity. The main character in the movie loses his father, and he needs to reconnect with his past and his culture. He needs to find value in who he was and who he is.”
The film is intensely personal to Hildebrand, as his own father died the day the film went into pre-production.
“Six or seven other crew members also lost their fathers during the making of this movie, so it became very meaningful to all of us. We pay homage to our fathers at the end of the film.”
“There’s a lot of love stories out there. This film is about reconnecting the love between father and son, and recreating an appreciation. That sort of thing gets lost, and to be able to find that again is very important, as an individual and as a society.”
Hildebrand says he hopes the biggest takeaway from the film is the idea of family appreciation.
“That and the concept of touching the earth. I think that’s very important to me and for these characters. Our main character may have a lot of wisdom, but he never really touched the earth where he came from and connected that loop. It’s really about appreciating your roots.“
Road to the Lemon Grove is opening in 16 cities across Canada on Labour Day weekend.
In Winnipeg it will be opening on Friday, August 30 at the Polo Park Cineplex.
To view the trailer, go to https://vimeo.com/263320354
Former Altona resident Dale Hildebrand. (FRANCESCO LOPES)
City recognizes athlete for mosaic participation $30,000 added to Agassiz renovation fund
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Home > About > Leadership
About Starkville Academy
SA Head of School
Jeremy Nicholas has served as Head of School at Starkville Academy since June 2014. He began his career in education in 2001, with almost all of his experience earned at an MAIS school. Prior to SA, he was the Head of School at Park Place Christian Academy from 2010-2014. Mr. Nicholas also worked as a teacher and coach at Jackson Preparatory School (2002-2010) and at Northwest Whitfield High School in Dalton, GA (2001-2002). He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Mississippi State University and an Ed.S. degree from Mississippi College. He is married to his wife, Sarah, and they have two children who attend SA. His favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold.”
SA Secondary Principal
Carol Berryhill has served as secondary principal at Starkville Academy since June 2016. She began her career in education in 1990. Prior to working at SA, she served as a fourth grade teacher in the Grenada School District from 1990-1993. Berryhill also worked as a junior high teacher at East Webster High School in the Webster County School District from 1993-2010. She moved from the classroom at East Webster to assistant principal where she served from 2010-2016. Berryhill holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Mississippi State University and earned a certification in Educational Leadership. She is married to Lee Berryhill, and they have a daughter, Melony. Berryhill's favorite Bible verse is James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
SA Elementary Principal
Krista Vowell has been a part of the SA Faculty since 2010, when she was hired as elementary music teacher. Since then, she has taught high school English, Speech, US History, and AP US History, and has served as the Junior Class Sponsor and director of the school plays. Ms. Vowell holds a bachelor’s degree from MSU in Communication, and a master’s degree from MSU in Political Science. She also earned a certification in Administration from Delta State University. Krista is the mother of two children: Peyton, a US Marine, and Meghan, a student at Mississippi State University. Vowell's favorite quote is, “Those who say it cannot be done, should not interrupt the person doing it” -Chinese Proverb.
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Sirota: Fessing up to our imperial footprint
Columns | October 3, 2013
Special to the Daily
Is America an empire or not? It is a loaded question because in the modern age, that word — empire — is not a moniker citizens proudly embrace in the way we might imagine the Ottomans or the Romans did during their reigns. Instead, the word today evokes images of the Death Star. And so we shirk the term’s implications and insinuations, much as President Obama did this week at the United Nations.
“The United States has a hard-earned humility when it comes to our ability to determine events inside other countries,” he declared in his speech to the General Assembly. “The notion of American empire may be useful propaganda, but it isn’t borne out by America’s current policy.”
The rhetoric sounds nice and it deftly portrays the United States as the sympathetic victim of an international conspiracy. The problem is that it glosses over how current U.S. policies do, in fact, create an imperial footprint.
This is most easy to see when it comes to our military. According to a 2010 report by the Pentagon, the United States has 662 overseas bases in 38 different countries. Additionally, the United States recently invaded and occupied Iraq and Afghanistan and helped invade Libya. It is also prosecuting undeclared wars in Yemen and Pakistan, while propping up dictators in most of the Middle East. Oh, and we are also the world’s biggest exporter of weapons and spend more on our military than most of the world combined.
On the intelligence side of things, it is a similar story. The National Security Administration is not only collecting domestic communications, it is constructing a global surveillance system. That includes collecting communications data from countries across the world, surveilling heads of state in Brazil and Mexico, hacking computers at the Indian embassy, spying on the United Nations and wiretapping Brazil’s state-owned oil company.
And that’s just what we know about.
To know if this is imperial behavior, simply ask yourself whether you would label another country an empire if it were doing this kind of thing. Of course you would (and you’d probably call that nation even worse things, too).
At his United Nations speech, though, President Obama justified this all as something wholly different from empire. In a signature Obama-ism, he portrayed the United States’ actions as a benevolent effort to prevent “a vacuum of leadership” — but not an imperial project worthy of international resentment.
Yet, that whole “vacuum” idea is, unto itself, an imperial concept — one straight out of the “Star Wars” trilogy. In the megalomanical words of Darth Vader, it assumes that there must be one dominant power to “bring order” to the world — and it further assumes that without such an empire, there will be unacceptable chaos.
Such presuppositions are a failure of both imagination and foresight. They outright reject the notion of a multipolar world of truly sovereign nations — and they ignore the fact that such a multipolar world will be a reality, whether we like it or not. Indeed, though we’ve been telling ourselves since the end of the Cold War that we are the world’s sole superpower, the rise of China, India and Brazil, the re-emergence of Russia and the persistent power of the European Union say otherwise.
The inability to acknowledge this changing reality, in fact, is the ultimate sign that for all the rhetoric to the contrary, the United States government does see itself as running an empire. Such intransigence and hubris, after all, have defined the decline of empires into the very chaos they so fear. Perhaps the only way to halt such a decline is to finally admit we are an empire — and then take the necessary steps to start shedding that label for good.
David Sirota is the best-selling author of the books “Hostile Takeover,” “The Uprising” and “Back to Our Future.” Email him at ds@davidsirota.com, follow him on Twitter @davidsirota or visit his website at http://www.davidsirota.com.
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How to stay fit & healthy when working from home - extract from The Guardian
Working at home means you don't have the walk to the train, or the bus stop, or the trudge from the station to the workplace. You do, however have access to the biscuit tin. So, how do you avoid putting on weight?
Basically, everybody knows what causes weight gain and the resulting health problems. People speak about glandular conditions, they claim to be big-boned but the facts are relatively straightforward: eat and drink too much and don't work it off and you'll get fatter.
Tim Bean, a speaker on fitness, believes that home business owners should have it easier than most when it comes to keeping the kilos off. "You don't have all the temptations in front of you that you have if you're working in the city," he says. "People who are travelling get to a train or tube station and there are all these outlets all over the place, offering healthy stuff but there's always the temptation to buy something that isn't."
This often means eating foods and taking in drinks that you wouldn't otherwise have had, at non-mealtimes. Office vending machines are no help either.
At home, the temptations are limited to whatever you've bought in advance (so, mental note: fitness starts by planning in the supermarket). Only having food in the house that will help you stay alert rather than high-sugar items is actually pretty easy.
"It does require planning," says Bean. "If people are poor at planning their home agenda within their home setting, they may have problems planning their health and physique." People need to diary in their meals in the same way that they diary in their calls and meetings, he says.This needn't be all that taxing: leftovers from dinner often make a good lunch. Smoothies are good snacks, a good fruit bowl is indispensable.
There are a few things to watch for. Dried fruit and nuts sound very healthy and in small amounts they can be; when you're out you'll buy them in small amounts. "At home, when you take them out of the packet, there's no real discipline about the amount you have." Grazing in the house, particularly when eating just to break up the monotony of a desk job, is a minefield without planning.
Heres one practical tip to keep fit and strong whilst sitting at a desk: "Once you start your working day, ensure you sit on a fitball instead of a chair, which will help keep your core muscles strong and release tension in your muscles and joints, therefore keeping you injury free and able to exercise and keep active." And presumably, if you follow this tip, avoid liquid lunches or working in the evening after a couple of glasses of wine.
Ideas can often come to people at unexpected points: when out for a walk or in the gym, for example.
Bean regards exercise as a different issue for home workers. You have to eat, so eating healthily is a small step if you're in the same shop that will sell you junk or fresh stuff. Actively putting things aside to exercise is different. "It's a good break to go five minutes down the road to the local gym; it's a good mental break and gets you out of the office." His ideal gym is the one that's very convenient to your work or home. "The further away it is, the less likely it is to happen."
Training at home is a possibility – but put it in the diary again. The biggest failing with home exercise equipment is that within weeks it becomes a very expensive clothes drier, says Bean. "I've seen it with ab machines, vibration plates and loads of things," he says. Maintaining high energy and a healthy metabolic capacity is important if you're going to be face to face with clients, they'll assess you and your ability to work with them depending on what they see, consciously or otherwise.
Aim for an exercise routine that will take less than 10 minutes, he suggests. "If you have calls coming in and you've scheduled in a run that's going to take an hour plus shower time, it's less likely to happen," he says.
There are good business reasons for staying fit. Alertness and effectiveness are easier when you are basically well. Have a heart attack or suffer diabetes and apart from the personal crises you can't perform at your best in business terms. In some cultures, they build exercise routines into the workplace; in the west we have a history of finding this curious, even amusing, but it's difficult to understand why.
If you're working from home a lot, it's a good idea to treat yourself as one of your clients. This means looking after yourself, and now is a good time to start.
office health
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Abducted VC's mother appeals for son's release
Mrs. Saraswathy Sivasubramaniam, 75, the mother of abducted Vice Chancellor of Eastern University appealed to the abductors to release his son without harm when TamilNet talked to her and her extended family in South London Thursday. "For the last 28 years my son and his family have been living in Batticaloa, the foremost thing in his mind was the development of Batticaloa, especially modernizing the agriculture in Batticaloa," she said. Prof. Raveendranath is 55.
Mrs Sivasubramaniam
"From the time he worked as an Agriculture officer in Karadiyanaaru for three years from 1978, till his tenure as VC from January 2005 until recently, my son worked for the improvement of economic conditions and academic skills of the Batticaloa residents. He is softspoken, and is a man of integrity, and family members looked up to him for advice and support. We are all devastated by his disappearance, and appeal to those who are holding him to let him free," she said.
Eldest of eight siblings, three boys and five girls, Professor Raveendranath, affectionately called by his family and friends as "Indran," is from Kokuvil Jaffna, and is married to Ms Jagatheeswary from Kondavil. The couple moved to Batticaloa immediately after their marriage in 1978, and have two girls, Thushyanthi, 26, and Abirami, 23, both born and schooled in Batticaloa.
Prof. Raveendranath spent 4 years from 1983 for his doctoral studies at the Science Faculty of Imperial College located in Ascot in London, and later spent a sabbatical year 1994 at National Research Institute in Kent also in UK.
"He always wanted to go back to Batticaloa to serve the people there," his mother said. "Neighbors, and people he worked and grew-up with, always have a great respect for his simplicity and his concern towards their welfare," she added.
Professor S. Raveendranath was reported missing Friday 15 Decmber in Colombo's High Security area after attending a conference.
On 30 September, an unidentified armed group kidnapped the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Eastern University, Bala Sugumar, demanding Professor Ravindranath's resignation in return for the Dean's release. Bala Sugumar was released ten days later by captors widely believed to be members of the Karuna Group.
67 foreign academics, colleagues, and partners of Eastern University, Tuesday jointly urged for the safe release of Professor Ravindranath noting that his tenure as Vice-Chancellor has coincided with major developments like the opening of the first medical school in the East of Sri Lanka.
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Story of diminutive sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer on stage at New Rep in Watertown
By R. Scott Reedy, Correspondent
Apr 23, 2019 at 9:00 AM Apr 23, 2019 at 6:12 PM
Sex therapist Ruth Westheimer, better known as Dr. Ruth, a German-American with a voice once described as “a cross between Henry Kissinger and Minnie Mouse,” burst on to the public scene in 1980 with the radio show “Sexually Speaking.”
Before long, Dr. Ruth was hosting television specials and her own series for Lifetime. Her candor, humor and knowledge – coupled with frequent guest appearances on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” and the game show “Hollywood Squares” – made her America’s go-to sex expert.
And while that’s how the now 90-year-old is best known, there is a lot more to her story, as playwright Mark St. Germain (“Freud’s Last Session”) details in “Becoming Dr. Ruth,” a one-woman show the New Repertory Theatre will present beginning April 27 at Watertown’s Mosesian Center for the Arts.
Actress Anne O’Sullivan will portray Westheimer in Watertown. It will be her fifth turn in the role originated by Debra Jo Rupp (“That '70s Show”) in two sold-out 2012 runs at the Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield under the title “Dr. Ruth, All the Way,” and another at TheaterWorks Hartford.
O’Sullivan – Rupp’s understudy for the 2013–2014 off-Broadway run of “Becoming Dr. Ruth” at New York’s Westside Theatre – believes she knows the secret for the show’s success.
“Mark has written a deceptively simple look at an epic life,” O’Sullivan said recently by telephone from her home in Manhattan. “He has great gentility and he tells Dr. Ruth’s story very elegantly.”
St. Germain had a lot to work with while crafting the play, which he wrote with Westheimer’s consent and cooperation.
Born Karola Ruth Siegel on June 4, 1928, in Wiesenfeld, Germany, the only child of Orthodox Jews Irma and Julius Siegel, Westheimer was separated from her parents by the Nazis. Her mother and grandmother sent her to Switzerland to live in an orphanage as part of the Kindertransport.
By 1941, Westheimer had lost all contact with her parents, later learning they had died in the Holocaust. Emigrating at age 17 to British-controlled Mandatory Palestine, Westheimer joined the Haganah in Jerusalem, training as both a scout and a sniper. She moved to France in 1950 to study at the University of Paris, and, in 1956, immigrated to the U.S.
“I had no idea about her story,” acknowledges O’Sullivan. “I learned about her when I got this part. I feel deeply humbled when I play her now, so much so that I surrender my own ego to the grace of this woman. I do it for her and all the families that were devoured in the fires.”
One of the things the actress learned about Westheimer is that while she’s open to giving all manner of sex advice, she’s reticent to discuss her own life.
“I think of her as deeply admirable – someone who carries profound pain with great privacy. Even now, when more is known about her history, it is still hard to get her to talk about it.
“She’s not a mean person, but she can be stern. If someone approaches her with a question about her life, she’s likely to respond, ‘Please don’t ask me about that,’ ” says O’Sullivan.
The author of “Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Good Sex” and some 40 other books on sex and sexuality may not want to speak directly about her early years, but, according to O’Sullivan, she has become comfortable seeing her story on stage.
“As the understudy, I was there night after night off-Broadway and Dr. Ruth was there, too, at every performance. She may come to Watertown, too, because she loves to see the show and often brings family and friends with her.
“She’s adorable, and fiercely bright. She likes to talk on a very high level, but she also seems to have retained the original innocence she was born with,” explains O’Sullivan. “Along with that, though, she also has a fearlessness.”
O'Sullivan, born in Limerick, Ireland, has appeared in regional theaters, in films like “Speed” and “The Mirror Has Two Faces,” made television guest appearances on “Sex and the City” and three series in the “Law & Order” franchise, and was a regular on the short-lived Aaron Spelling prime-time soap opera “Models Inc.”
She has played both Emily Dickinson in “The Belle of Amherst” and Mary Harris Jones (aka “Mother Jones”) on stage, but Dr. Ruth is the first living real-life character she’s portrayed. It is not, however, the first time that she has imitated her unique speaking voice.
“I’ve always been good with accents, and I used to do her voice back in the ’80s just to entertain my friends,” recalls O’Sullivan. “To get ready to play her, though, I watched YouTube videos of her non-stop. She is in her ’60s in the play, so that’s the period I focused on.”
That period, of course, was when the diminutive Westheimer was at the height of her fame, exhorting her public to “Get some!”
“The sex stuff is great fun to play. Mark has brilliantly put it into the overall story of her life. The sex talk always creates a lot of laughter among audiences. The various ways that it’s worked into the play are just very, very funny,” says O’Sullivan.
'Becoming Dr. Ruth'
Presented by New Repertory Theatre
WHEN: April 27-May 19
WHERE: Mosesian Center for the Arts Mainstage Theater, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown
TICKETS: Start at $25
INFO: 617-923-8487; newrep.org
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Nature Takes Centre Stage for Amazon Workplace
In a world where we typically get into our cars every weekend to escape to the country so we can commune with nature and unwind from the stresses of busy Mississauga life, a new phenomenon is happening at Amazon headquarters in Seattle, WA, where nature is being brought into the city for the benefit of the employees. In a big way.
When you're a company like Amazon with a reputation for being demanding of employees to the point of sometimes being labelled "punishing", you think big about how to turn that around. The result is a collection of high-rise and low-rise buildings in downtown Seattle that are arranged around three cylindrical structures called the Amazon spheres. These are new Amazon greenhouses that will take centre stage at their new headquarters.
According to The New York Times, a growing body of academic research points to the benefits of giving employees access to nature. About a decade ago, Ihab Elzeyadi, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Oregon, conducted a study in which workers who were provided with a view of nature experienced a 20 percent reduction in sick leave from their employer, though it was not clear why that happened.
“We wanted it to be iconic, a structure that would be similar to another icon in the city, like the Space Needle, for newcomers to Seattle,” said John Schoettler, director of Amazon’s global real estate and facilities. “It would be a found treasure in the downtown neighborhood.”
Amazon has been a pioneer of internet shopping, electronic book reading and cloud computing, and it is now in the forefront of the newest workplace trends. In a workplace surrounded by nature, it's hoped that the atmosphere will be more conducive to creativity. Workers will discuss work in rooms with walls covered in vines, and indoor creeks will flow through where they walk every day. It's a paradise in the making that is expected not only to spark creative ideas, but look after the health of employees better by minimizing their stress levels.
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Overwhelmed at Work? How to Recognize and Avoid Secondhand Stress
By Naomi Karten - February 3, 2014
We all know about stress. It’s what you experience when someone drives you crazy—or your car doesn’t start, or your flight is delayed, or the anticipated promotion doesn’t come through. When you’re stressed, your heart beats faster, muscles tense, blood pressure rises, and breathing speeds up. When prolonged or intense, stress can have serious health consequences, ranging from simple muscle tension and fatigue to heart attacks. Stress can cause you to feel cranky, frustrated, short-tempered, anxious, and unable to focus on tasks. Not fun!
As if this kind of stress weren’t enough, it seems that we’re also subject to secondhand stress. Analogous to secondhand smoke, it’s the stress that someone else experiences that becomes your own when you aim to defuse the other person’s stress. If your attempt doesn’t work, you feel even more stressed.
Secondhand stress may be even more anxiety-provoking and debilitating than your own stress when you lack the ability to fix or reduce it. With primary stress, you can confront your problems and try possible solutions. Not so with secondhand stress, because you may be powerless to effect change.
To protect yourself from the negative consequences of secondhand stress, allow the stress-giver to vent while you refrain from attempting to fix the situation. Ask yourself, “Whose stress is this?” Try to remain strictly a listener and not a fixer. Keep in mind that you can’t solve everyone else’s problems. By being aware that the stress is secondhand stress, you may be able to keep yourself emotionally removed from the situation.
Usually, it’s the people closest to you who are the biggest sources of secondhand stress. Therefore, it may be useful to identify the stress-givers in your life and the specific situations in which you’re susceptible to their stress. Such situations may include, for example, a colleague who is always uptight, a boss who obsesses over deadlines you know you’re going to meet, or a workplace awash in rumors about a possible merger. Once you recognize these situations as stress-provoking, you can take care of yourself by distancing yourself from the situations, meditating, or focusing on something other than the sources of stress.
Be aware that you may be the source of someone else’s secondhand stress, too. If you’re relentlessly racing from meeting to meeting, interrupting other people, finishing their sentences, and treating things as urgent when they’re not, you may be a secondhand stress-inducer.
Instead of rushing around, spreading stress in your wake, and bringing everyone down, slow down, take a deep breath, and relax. The people around you aren’t the only ones who will benefit. So will you.
Will the Super Bowl Win Impact the Future of Predictive Analytics?
Naomi Karten
Naomi Karten is a highly experienced speaker and seminar leader who draws from her psychology and IT backgrounds to help organizations improve customer satisfaction, manage change, and strengthen teamwork. She has delivered seminars and keynotes to more than 100,000 people internationally. Naomi's newest books are Presentation Skills for Technical Professionals and Changing How You Manage and Communicate Change. Her other books and ebooks include Managing Expectations, Communication Gaps and How to Close Them, and How to Survive, Excel and Advance as an Introvert. Readers have described her newsletter, Perceptions & Realities, as lively, informative, and a breath of fresh air. She is a regular columnist for TechWell.com. When not working, Naomi's passion is skiing deep powder. Contact her at [email protected] or via her Web site, www.nkarten.com.
http://twitter.com/naomikarten
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Judge John S. McCann
Mario J. Caputo, 42, of 8 Everard St., Worcester, was sentenced to two years in the House of Correction, with one year to be served, after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol (third or subsequent offense). The charge was amended from driving under the influence of alcohol (fourth or subsequent offense). The balance of the sentence was suspended for five years with probation. As conditions of probation, he was ordered to undergo drug and alcohol evaluations with any related treatment and counseling as recommended by the Probation Department and to submit to random drug tests. He was placed on probation for five years after pleading guilty to driving so as to endanger.
Jury Session
Jury-Waived Cases
Judge Austin T. Philbin
Matthew S. Bates, 28, of 107 Broad St., Marlboro, charged with assault and battery, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, dismissed.
Judge Thomas F. Sullivan Jr.
Georgia C. Reid, 42, of 10 Weldon Ave., Worcester, charged with larceny over $250 by a single scheme, continued without a finding for six months, ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free, to undergo drug and alcohol evaluations with treatment and counseling as recommended by the Probation Department, and to submit to random drug tests, $50 victim witness fee; and receiving stolen property worth more than $250, dismissed.
Josephine Wynter, 34, of 4 Shawmut St., Worcester, charged with larceny of less than $250, amended from larceny over $250 by a single scheme, continued without a finding for six months, ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free, to undergo drug and alcohol evaluations with treatment and counseling as recommended by the Probation Department, and to submit to random drug tests, $50 victim witness fee; and receiving stolen property worth more than $250, dismissed.
Beverly Roberts, 40, of 11 Mattson Ave., Worcester, charged with larceny under $250, amended from larceny over $250 by a single scheme, continued without a finding for six months, ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free, to undergo drug and alcohol evaluations with treatment and counseling as recommended by the Probation Department, and to submit to random drug tests, $50 victim witness fee; and receiving stolen property over $250, dismissed.
Judge David P. Despotopulos
Rene A. Guzman, 22, of 715 Dennison Drive, Southbridge, charged with two counts of driving with a suspended license, continued without a finding for six months, $1,000 costs, $50 victim witness fee; marked lanes violation, failing to signal, two counts of speeding, and failing to wear a seat belt, found responsible, filed.
Eric Dumont, 21, of Killingly, charged with disturbing the peace, continued without a finding for six months, $100 costs, $50 victim witness fee; assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, dismissed.
Criminal and Traffic Sessions
Judge Paul F. LoConto
Shayla Santiago, also known as Albania Liriano, 33, of 43 Grand St., Worcester, charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (picture frame) and assault and battery, dismissed.
Eugene A. Agosto, 41, of 43 Grand St., Worcester, charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife), dismissed.
Jon T. Eklund, 39, of 296 Leicester St., Auburn, charged with trespassing, amended from breaking and entering with intent to commit a misdemeanor, fined $100.
Stavros Fotiadis, 20, of 12 Sterling St., Shrewsbury, charged with possession of marijuana, continued without a finding for one year, ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free, to undergo drug and alcohol evaluations with treatment and counseling as recommended by the Probation Department, and to submit to random drug tests, $350 costs, $50 victim witness fee.
Judge David W. Cunis
Jose Gudiel, 20, of 32 Cedar St., Worcester, charged with assault and battery, continued to March 13.
Kyle Klavon, 24, of 7 Village St., Worcester, charged with assault and battery on a person over 60 years old or disabled with an injury, continued to March 12.
Elias Pinto, 29, of 106 Fairmont Ave., Worcester, charged with driving without a license, dismissed, $200 costs; and failing to stop or yield, found responsible, $100 costs.
Alberone Moizes Larocha, 59, of 319 East Main St., Marlboro, charged with driving without a license, dismissed, $200 costs.
Claudinei L. Cunha, 26, of 2 Gage St., Worcester, charged with driving without a license, dismissed, $200 costs.
Borkaye Baygboe, 20, of 45 Endicott St., Worcester, charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (knife or cutting instrument) and armed assault with intent to murder (knife or cutting instrument), continued to Feb. 26 on $2,500 cash bail.
Javier Ortiz, 39, of 183 Pleasant St., Worcester, charged with license plate violation, refusing to identify himself to police, and driving with a suspended license (subsequent offense), continued to Feb. 27.
Todd Moberg, 43, of 21 Oread St., Worcester, charged with breaking and entering in the daytime with intent to commit a felony and putting a person in fear, continued to March 9.
Neil W. Sweeney Jr., 41, of 9 Bates Ave., Worcester, charged with failing to register as a sex offender, continued to March 12.
Jonathan Rivera, 27, of 76 Franklin St., Worcester, charged with driving with a suspended license and having no inspection sticker on a vehicle, continued to March 7.
May M. Brooks, 43, of 4 Vaughn Ave., Worcester, charged with driving with a suspended license, fined $625, $50 victim witness fee; and speeding, found responsible, filed.
Matthew S. Bates, 28, of 107 Broad St., Marlboro, charged with violation of an abuse prevention order, continued without a finding for one year; and possession of cocaine, placed on probation for one year, ordered to remain drug- and alcohol-free, to undergo drug and alcohol evaluations with treatment and counseling as recommended by the Probation Department, and to submit to random drug tests.
Steven M. Diroberto, last known address of 14 Duncannon Ave., Worcester, charged with larceny by a check, dismissed upon payment of $102 restitution and default removal fee.
Judge Michael A. Uhlarik
Christopher Mason, 20, of 26 Benefit St., Worcester, charged with violation of an abuse prevention order, continued to Feb. 14.
Luis Santiago, 29, of 25 Townsend St., Worcester, charged with common law affray, continued to March 5.
David Hong, 24, of 44 Dartmouth St., Worcester, charged with assault and battery, continued to Feb. 23.
Judge Paul S. Waickowski
Felix C. Wamburu, 26, of 18 Lancaster St., Worcester, charged with using a false motor vehicle document, continued without a finding for six months, and fined $550; license plate violation, found not responsible; and refusing to identify himself to police, continued without a finding for six months.
Douglas V. DaSilva, 23, of Framingham, charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or .08 percent, and driving with a suspended license, continued to March 7.
David A. Pierce, 49, of 129 Central St., Auburn, charged with lewd, wanton and lascivious behavior, continued without a finding for one year with probation, and ordered to continue private counseling.
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Mozilla Firefox < 17.0 Multiple Vulnerabilities
High Nessus Network Monitor Plugin ID 6625
The remote host has a web browser installed that is vulnerable to multiple attack vectors.
Versions of Firefox prior to 17.0 are potentially affected by the following security issues :
- Several memory safety bugs exist in the browser engine used in Mozilla-based products that could be exploited to execute arbitrary code. (CVE-2012-5842, CVE-2012-5843)
- An error exists in the method 'image::RasterImage::DrawFrameTo' related to GIF images that could allow a heap-based buffer overflow, leading to arbitrary code execution. (CVE-2012-4202)
- An error exists related to SVG text and CSS properties that could lead to application crashes. (CVE-2012-5836)
- A bookmarked, malicious 'javascript:' URL could allow execution of local executables. (CVE-2012-4203)
- The JavaScript function 'str_unescape' could allow arbitrary code execution. (CVE-2012-4204)
- 'XMLHttpRequest' objects inherit incorrect principals when created in sandboxes that could allow cross-site request forgery attacks (XSRF). (CVE-2012-4205)
- An error exists related to the application installer and DLL loading. (CVE-2012-4206)
- 'XrayWrappers' can expose DOM properties that are not meant to be accessible outside of the chrome compartment. (CVE-2012-4208)
- Errors exist related to 'evalInSandbox', 'HZ-GB-2312' charset, frames and the 'location' object, the 'Style Inspector', 'Developer Toolbar' and 'cross-origin wrappers' that could allow cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. (CVE-2012-4201, CVE-2012-4207, CVE-2012-4209, CVE-2012-4210, CVE-2012-5837, CVE-2012-5841)
- Various use-after-free, out-of-bounds read and buffer overflow errors exist that could potentially lead to arbitrary code execution. (CVE-2012-4212, CVE-2012-4213, CVE-2012-4214, CVE-2012-4215, CVE-2012-4216, CVE-2012-4217, CVE-2012-4218, CVE-2012-5829, CVE-2012-5830, CVE-2012-5833, CVE-2012-5835, CVE-2012-5838, CVE-2012-5839, CVE-2012-5840)
Upgrade to Firefox 17.0 or later.
http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2012/mfsa2012-91.html
http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2012/mfsa2012-100.html
Dependencies: 9131
Nessus ID: 62998
Risk Factor: High
Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CPE: cpe:/a:mozilla:firefox
CVE: CVE-2012-4201, CVE-2012-4202, CVE-2012-4203, CVE-2012-4204, CVE-2012-4205, CVE-2012-4206, CVE-2012-4207, CVE-2012-4208, CVE-2012-4209, CVE-2012-4210, CVE-2012-4212, CVE-2012-4213, CVE-2012-4214, CVE-2012-4215, CVE-2012-4216, CVE-2012-4217, CVE-2012-4218, CVE-2012-5829, CVE-2012-5830, CVE-2012-5833, CVE-2012-5835, CVE-2012-5836, CVE-2012-5837, CVE-2012-5838, CVE-2012-5839, CVE-2012-5840, CVE-2012-5841, CVE-2012-5842, CVE-2012-5843
BID: 56611, 56612, 56613, 56614, 56616, 56618, 56621, 56623, 56625, 56627, 56628, 56629, 56630, 56631, 56632, 56633, 56634, 56635, 56636, 56637, 56638, 56639, 56640, 56641, 56642, 56643, 56644, 56645, 56646
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https://www.theridgefieldpress.com/past_obituaries/article/Alexander-Frulla-86-lifelong-Ridgefielder-14003343.php
Alexander Frulla, 86, lifelong Ridgefielder
Published 4:32 pm EDT, Friday, October 31, 2014
Alexander Paul Frulla, 86, of Ridgefield, died on Thursday, October 30, 2014, after a long illness. He was a loving husband and father, dedicated to his family.
A lifetime resident of Ridgefield, Alex loved his hometown. Born in Ridgefield on January 6, 1928, he was a son of Allesandro and Rosa (Cataloni) Frulla and had five sisters and a brother all of who predeceased him along with his parents. He attended Ridgefield schools and graduated from Ridgefield High School in the Class of 1947.
Mr. Frulla was a longtime member of the Italian American Mutual Aid Society, an honoree of the Ridgefield Old Timers Association, and a member of St. Mary Parish. He retired as a foreman on the road crew for the Town of Ridgefield, after 21 years of service.
Mr. Frulla is survived by his wife, Shirley (Mead) Frulla and three children: Paul (Sally) Frulla, Judy (Ken) Schneider, and Marie Frulla. He had three grandchildren, and one great grandson.
Mr. Frulla will be missed by his family, whom he dedicated his life to loving and supporting. We all love him very much.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, November 3, 2014 at 10:15 a.m. in St. Mary Church, Ridgefield.
Interment will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, Ridgefield.
The family will receive friends in the Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah St., Ridgefield on Sunday, November 2, 2014 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Mr. Frulla’s name to the Ridgefield Fire Department, 6 Catoonah St., Ridgefield 006877.
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Equinor to increase gas production at the largest European deposit
The Norwegian Equinor (ex-Statoil) and the country’s government agreed on development of new deposits at the Troll gas field, which is now Europe's largest. The $ 1 billion project should support production on the Norwegian shelf and partly solve supply problems in Northwest Europe, which were exacerbated by the closure of the Groningen field in the Netherlands. But Norwegian gas production will begin to decline even with the development of the new Troll line after 2022.
dragonoil.com
After three years of discussions with partners and the Norwegian government, Equinor approved a plan for the further development of the giant Troll gas field on the North Sea shelf. The so-called third phase of the development of the Troll was approved. The western part of the field, where only oil has been produced so far, will be drilled. It is planned to open eight new wells and start production in the second half of 2021. During the third phase, production from these deposits will reach 11 billion cubic meters in 2023-2024 at the peak, according to Platts. Yet, the total production at Troll will not grow, since the third phase will only help maintain it at the current level of 35-36 billion cubic meters per year. Investments in the third phase are estimated at 7.2 billion Norwegian kroner (about $ 1 billion).
Since production at the Groningen field in the Netherlands fell, Troll has become the largest gas field in Europe (not counting Russia). Extraction there was launched in 1995, and the field also delivers about 6 million tons of oil per year. Troll plays a very important role as the source of peak gas supplies and is capable of delivering 120 million cubic meters per day. At that, the regulator limits the total annual production at 36 billion cubic meters. Troll's remaining gas reserves currently amount to 823 billion cubic meters, it belongs to the operator Equinor (30.58%), the Norwegian state company Petoro (56%), the Anglo-Dutch Shell (8.10%), the French Total (3.69%) and American ConocoPhillips (1.62%).
Gas from Troll is supplied to Belgium. In the past few winters, Troll has partly helped to balance the North-West Europe market, which lost 60% of the Groningen production at that time.
The planned sharp drop in production at Groningen by the beginning of the 2020s increases the importance of the third phase of Troll as a source of peak supplies for the Netherlands, Germany and France, the largest gas markets in Europe. At the same time, the introduction of the third phase corresponds to the new marketing strategy of Equinor. In 2010-2014, Equinor almost completely switched to pricing bound to gas hub quotations and simultaneously reduced annual obligations under long-term contracts from about 70 billion cubic meters in 2012 to less than 40 billion cubic meters. At that, the total supply of Norwegian gas to the market even increased, reaching 122 billion cubic meters in 2017. Now Equinor sells less than half the gas under long-term contracts, and the rest comes under one or two years contracts, or on spot. As Marshall Hall of OIES notes, this allows Equinor to increase deliveries when it is profitable, but not mindlessly invest in new deposits exploration just because of the burden of gas supply obligations.
Nevertheless, the introduction of the third phase of Troll only delays the inevitable decline in gas production in Norway. According to the forecast of the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), production will begin to decline from the current plateau of 120-125 billion cubic meters as early as 2022. It may drop to 110 billion cubic meters by 2026 and to 100 billion cubic meters by 2028. In the future, new discoveries should support it. Without them, by 2030 production will fall below 90 billion cubic meters.
source: ogj.com
Friday, January 17th 2020 - 09:12 Alphabet's market cap hits $1 trillion
Thursday, January 16th 2020 - 08:21 Apple forks out nearly $200Mln for AI startup
Japan Display discusses sale of its factory to Apple and Sharp
U.S. oilfield companies face big challenge in Permian basin
Apple hits record high thanks to China
Tesla increases electric vehicles deliveries by 50% in 2019
Carlos Ghosn: "I ran from injustice"
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Marine City's popcorn string world record is finally official
Guinnesss certificate posthumously also honors Marine City's 'greatest showman'
Marine City's popcorn string world record is finally official Guinnesss certificate posthumously also honors Marine City's 'greatest showman' Check out this story on thetimesherald.com: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2019/04/07/marine-citys-popcorn-string-world-record-finally-official/3378533002/
Jackie Smith, Port Huron Times Herald Published 6:43 p.m. ET April 7, 2019
ANDREW JOWETT/TIMES HERALD Robert Arnold, a surveyor with BMJ Engineers and Surveyors, makes sure the length of the sections are measured correctly Oct. 17, 2016, in Marine City. Residents broke the record for longest string of popcorn with 1,200 feet. (Photo: File photo.)
Marine City’s first Guinness World Record attempt is finally official.
In October 2016, a 1,200-foot string of popcorn stretched across the St. Clair River to Canada.
But it wasn’t until last week that local community organizers announced they’d gotten the certificate proving the feat.
Laura Scaccia, who owns the Mariner Theater, and Erika DeLange, executive director at the Marine City Chamber of Commerce, shared the news in public comment during last week’s Marine City commission meeting.
While it’s the names of Scaccia, Mayor Dave Vandenbossche, and the late Gary Kohs, on the official Guinness certificate, Scaccia emphasized in a later interview achieving the world’s longest popcorn string was a much bigger effort.
“It’s just an amazing experience. I look at the videos now and I sit there and say, ‘Wow,’” she said. “It was a lot of work, a lot of dedication, and unless you had a town like this, and the people of this town, you could never have done this. Because it's the community that made it happen.”
Marine City's 'ultimate showman' dies at 73
Record-breaking success expected in 2nd pumpkin carving attempt
It’s also something Marine City officials credited to Kohs, who spearheaded a slew of community events before he died in December 2017.
“I think that he would’ve been pissed that it took two and a half years to get the official yes, but I think he would’ve been thrilled,” Scaccia said with a laugh. She’d been Kohs’ fiancée and they ran the Mariner together. “His whole thing was to put Marine City on the map. … Here he had a Guinness World Record and he had to take popcorn, a string across (to) Canada to get the international coverage and he did.”
Mayor Dave Vandenbossche, from left, Laura Scaccia, owner of the Mariner Theater, and Erika DeLange, executive director of the Marine City Area Chamber of Commerce, stand with a certificate on Thursday, April 4, 2019, recognizing Marine City's October 2016 recording-breaking string of popcorn. (Photo: Jackie Smith/Times Herald)
The popcorn string had been part of a larger “Pumpkin, Popcorn and Politics” effort, as Kohs organized a forum with city election candidates that October and Marine City’s first attempt at hosting the most people carving pumpkins simultaneously.
The second attempt at the latter came in October 2017.
That one, Scaccia said, they’ve already learned was disqualified because a small group of pumpkin carvers had been separated by a sidewalk that wasn’t roped off.
“It was so close. … We were only within three pumpkins, so they really scrutinized it,” she said. “The string, we beat it pretty big.”
Next October, Scaccia and DeLange told city commissioners they’re planning another recording-breaking attempt instead — most people dressed as a pumpkin at once.
“And Dave doesn’t have to grow them,” DeLange told officials Thursday, referencing Vandenbossche. It’d been Vandenbossche Farms that helped produce the pumpkins. “But we’ll still carve pumpkins.”
Scaccia told officials the costume attempt would still be “another way just to bring the community together and just have fun.”
Later, she added she wasn’t sure of all the criteria yet but said she thought it was something Marine City could get done.
“We thought we all like to dress up. We have Comic Con in town,” Scaccia said. “We all like to dress up for stupid things, and I said, ‘How about we dress up like pumpkins?’ and sure enough, I looked it up.”
“We’re going to get it,” she added. “I don’t know what the criteria are. I don’t know if you have to wear a pumpkin head. So, I’ve submitted the application, and I’m just waiting. They’ll look it over and then they’ll send me the criteria and all the rules.”
Vandenbossche said although it took a long time to get the official word, it was nice to know Marine City had, in fact, broken at least one world record.
And a year since Kohs’ death, the mayor said remembering what it meant to his friend — who he’d called the “greatest showman” and P.T. Barnum of Marine City — made it “so much sweeter.”
“On a personal note, Gary and I were so close,” Vandenbossche said. “It’s just fitting that we finally get the recognition after he’s passed. It’s awarded posthumously. He came to me a year before the record attempt and told me, ‘I’m going to make this the best small town in Michigan.’
“I didn’t know him well at that point. But after a few months, I said, ‘I think he’s going to do it.’ He put an energy into it, and I think it resonates.”
Read or Share this story: https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2019/04/07/marine-citys-popcorn-string-world-record-finally-official/3378533002/
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ThuggMiss, a rising hip hop artist in the international independent scene, has released her latest studio endeavor, ‘What You Doing tonight?’ The new EP dropped on July. 23 and is now available on all digital music platforms, including iTunes, Google Play, and streaming services like Pandora and Spotify. Followed with her latest Ep "Self Made" working with national recording artist like Lil' Flip, C-Bo, Kstylis, Shorty Mack, Koopsta Knicca (R.I.P) member of 36 Mafia,and Marvaless. ThuggMiss has also been produced by Grammy award/multi-platinum producer Jimi Kendrix & Grammy nominated engineer/producer/songwriter Beau Vallis.
Born in Oklahoma City but raised in Kansas City,Mo ThuggMiss’ upbringing was anything but a fairytale. From being in the streets to being locked up physically and mentally, ThuggMiss had to overcome immense obstacles to be where she is today. Her music is an outlet for her to share her knowledge about what is really going on and how to servive in the streets.
Those reflections are honest and authentic, and thus, ThuggMiss has turned down every A&R agent and deal that would have required her to change her image. In 1999, ThuggMiss released her debut record "That Thugg Misstress" as a new artist in the independent industry. ThuggMiss ultimately lost her rights and royalties to a producer. She took to the streets, the hustle, to survive. This caught up with her, and she spent five years in a correctional facility.
That time was, however, well spent. ThuggMiss took that opportunity to turn her life around. “I believe that when God knows your heart is pure, or that you’re lost in a world you were never prepared for, not having anybody to look up to… He will slow your life down and make a brighter future,” ThuggMiss says.
ThuggMiss has been on several ‘TwerkNation’ tours with Kstylis and in the summer of 2012 to present, she had her own successful independent promo tour. She now has a long and impressive resume of live performances internationally, and several companies sponsor ThuggMiss, too.
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Peabody Museum.
NO WRITER ATTRIBUTED February 13, 1900
A very valuable collection has recently been presented to the Peabody Museum by the heirs of David Kimball. This collection, which for many years was on exhibition at the Boston Museum, consists of Indian relics and curios obtained by Lewis and Clark, the famous explorers about the year 1804. Chief among the curiosities are buffalo robes decorated according to the art of the times, ancient bows and arrows, musical instruments and some interesting examples of porcupine embroidery. The last named is especially valuable from a scientific point of view, as being one of the few relics of a sort of decoration which was long ago superseded by bead work. In addition to these there is a collection of pipes, among which are four calumets or sacred pipes of peace, and some eagle feathers of the kind usually worn at peace councils. The tribes of Indians represented in the collection are the Algonquins, the Sioux, the Seminoles and the Choctaws.
Read more in News
Appleton Chapel.
Peabody Museum Acquisitions.
The Peabody Museum received last week a box of Pueblo Indian relics from Arizona. Dr. Frank Russell, instructor in Anthropology,
Going on the Record
Flyby's Guide to Free Tours of Boston
Clip ‘N’ Save: Harvard’s Map Collection
Calderwood Collection Celebrates Old Persia at Sackler
“In Harmony,” which opened on Monday and will remain on display until June 1, consists of the collection of Norma Jean Calderwood, a private art collector, curator, and former fine arts lecturer Boston College, who amassed an extensive array of Islamic art over the course of her life.
"Revenge" Served Cold, Overly Symbolic
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Our Goal: Winning and Winning Big
New York City Wrongful Death Lawyer
14 Wall Street 20th Floor
The residents of New York City are not strangers to the tragedy of sudden and unexpected deaths, even if those deaths are purely accidental, the result of urban violence, or the carnage of 9-11-2001. On this page the New York City wrongful death lawyer at the Doan law Firm gives an overview of the laws governing wrongful death lawsuits in New York.
NY State definition of wrongful death
Unlike some states, the State of New York State requires that five conditions must be met in order to support a wrongful death lawsuit:
There must have been a death.
The death must have been due to wrongful conduct by the defendant.
The wrongful conduct must have given rise to a valid course of action the victim could have pursued had he or she lived.
The victim must be survived by one or more persons that have suffered a loss as a direct result of the victim’s death.
There must be damages the victim’s estate is eligible to recover.
Although some states extend wrongful death claims to the parents of an unborn child, New York does not allow wrongful death lawsuits where an unborn child is the victim.
NY State rules regarding who can file a wrongful death lawsuit
Unlike many states, New York does not allow a family member to file a wrongful death lawsuit on just that family member’s own interests. New York allows only a “personal representative” of the victim’s estate to file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the estate. This personal representative does not have to be a surviving family member, but should be chosen carefully for a reason to be explained shortly.
A family member can file a lawsuit, but only as the personal representative of the estate and with the understanding that the lawsuit is for the benefit of the estate and all survivors who would share in the victim’s estate.
Damages allowed in New York wrongful death lawsuits
New York again differs from many states in that it does not allow surviving family members to sue for damages for their own emotional pain and suffering, even if the victim was their child. Parents can only sue for the loss of services, such as household chores or yard work that could have been performed by a child victim, but any damages awarded will likely be reduced by the estimated costs of child-rearing expenses.
Damage awards in New York courts are determined on a case by case basis. Damages have been awarded for the following situations related to the deceased’s expenses prior to his or her death:
Funeral and burial expenses.
Medical and other health care expenses incurred related to the period between the deceased’s final illness or injury and death.
Wages and other income that the deceased would have earned between the onset of the final illness or injury and death.
The pain and suffering of the deceased between the onset of the onset of the final illness or injury and death.
The value of the support the surviving family could have expected had the deceased been alive.
The value of the support and guidance the deceased would have provided to his or her children.
The value of the estate that the deceased would have left to his or her inheritors.
Interest at a rate of 9%, accruing from the date of the deceased’s death.
New York courts will leave the distribution of any damages awarded to the estate in the hands of the personal representative of the estate, which is why the representative should be carefully chosen!
Time limits for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in NYC and NY State
The State of New York requires that a wrongful death lawsuit be filed within two years of the date of the victim’s death. Any lawsuit filed after that date will be dismissed and cannot be refiled under any circumstances.
Contacting a New York City wrongful death lawyer
The wrongful death lawyer at the Doan Law Firm – New York City understands how an unexpected death is a very stressful time for the surviving family members. This is a time when important decisions must be made, but must be carefully thought through to their impact on future family relations.
If you are considering a wrongful death lawsuit, you should contact the New York City wrongful death lawyer at the Doan Law Firm by calling (646) 847-0000 to arrange a free consultation to review the facts surrounding your loved one’s tragic death. You initial consultation is always free and creates no obligation to hire our firm.
Should you decide that our firm should represent your case, we will assume all financial matters directly related to preparing your case for trial in exchange for an agreed-upon percentage of the final settlement that we will win for you.
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Danica Patrick Announces Retirement From Full-Time Racing
The most popular female racer of the millennium does plan to race at Daytona and the Indianapolis 500 next season.
By Caleb JacobsNovember 18, 2017
Caleb JacobsView Caleb Jacobs's Articles
twitter.com/calebjacobs0611instagram.com/_calebjacobs
During an emotional press conference this Friday, Danica Patrick announced that she will be retiring from full-time racing after this weekend's contest at Homestead-Miami. The 35-year old revealed the decision as she enters the 2017 Nascar Monster Energy Cup Series finale on Sunday. Patrick says that she plans to compete in next year's Nascar Daytona 500 and IndyCar's Indianapolis 500, though she has not confirmed a sponsor for either race.
"I don’t feel like I was necessarily pushed into this," Patrick said amidst the tearful news. "I feel like I should be doing this. I feel like this is where my life should be headed. Sometimes we just get kind of nudged there. Sometimes it is big nudges, and sometimes it’s little.
"I definitely was faced with situations at the beginning of the year that I’ve never faced before. I’ve never had sponsor issues. It made me think about things. I’m excited about the next phase, trust me."
The veteran claimed that she was "down the road" with several sponsors for two of the largest races in 2018, though she didn't reveal who they were. Patrick then admitted that she originally had no plans to return to the IndyCar series, but after a spontaneous response to her agent Alan Zucker, she made the decision.
"I never thought I would do it," she said. "I always thought in my head never, but I never said never. We ran through so many different ideas. Different teams, different scenarios, just do these races, just do this race."
“He (agent Alan Zucker) called, and he said, 'What about finishing up at Daytona?' and I don’t know where it came from, but out of my mouth came, 'What about Indy?' I don’t even know why I said it necessarily, but it was really the first idea that got me really excited."
Patrick achieved many firsts throughout her racing career, perhaps most notably becoming the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500. Additionally, she won IndyCar Rookie of the Year and was the first female to win an IndyCar series race in 2008 (Japan). In Nascar, she has achieved seven top-tens and one pole position at Daytona in 2013.
Danica Patrick Broke Gender Barriers at Top Speeds
“There’s a million things that haven’t been done yet. So why not do them for the first time yourself?”
Danica Patrick's Wonder Woman Car Added to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Race Car Graveyard
It's bound for the great junkyard in the sky. Or, rather, the woods behind Dale Jr.'s house.
Danica Patrick Is "Long In The Tooth," Says Very Old NASCAR Guy
Ex-NASCAR racer and current broadcasting gadfly Ricky Craven accuses relatively young Patrick of being too old for a sport full of much-older-than-her drivers.
Preview: The NASCAR Race At Homestead-Miami
NASCAR's Championship 4 is set and the newest Monster Energy NASCAR Cup champion will be crowned at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Why Danica Patrick Has Let Me Down
Mid-pack Patrick? Not the nickname anybody wants.
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How millions of trees brought a broken landscape back to life
After 25 years, the decision to site the National Forest amid derelict coal and quarry workings has borne spectacular fruit
John Vidal
Sat 6 Aug 2016 19.04 EDT Last modified on Fri 1 Dec 2017 23.11 EST
Hicks Lodge in Leicestershire was left scarred by opencast mining Photograph: National Forest
Twenty-five years ago, the Midlands villages of Moira, Donisthorpe and Overseal overlooked a gruesome landscape. The communities were surrounded by opencast mines, old clay quarries, spoil heaps, derelict coal workings, polluted waterways and all the other ecological wreckage of heavy industry.
The air smelt and tasted unpleasant and the land was poisoned. There were next to no trees, not many jobs and little wildlife. Following the closure of the pits, people were deserting the area for Midlands cities such as Birmingham, Derby and Leicester. The future looked bleak.
Today, a pastoral renaissance is taking place. Around dozens of former mining and industrial communities, in what was the broken heart of the old Midlands coalfield, a vast, splendid forest of native oak, ash and birch trees is emerging, attracting cyclists, walkers, birdwatchers, canoeists, campers and horse-riders.
Britain’s trees have come under increasing attack from exotic diseases, and the grants for planting woodland are drying up, so the 200 sq miles of the National Forest come as a welcome good news story. The new woodland in the Midlands is proving that large-scale tree planting is not just good value for money, but can also have immense social, economic and ecological benefits.
In this one corner of the Midlands, more than 8.5m trees have been planted in 25 years, hundreds of miles of footpath have been created and 500 abandoned industrial sites have been transformed. The landscape and ecology of semi-derelict Britain has been revived and rewilded with trees.
“I came here from Staffordshire 62 years ago,” says Graham Knight, a former coalface engineer who lives near Moira and now works for a retraining charity. “It was clay pits, quarries, coal mines, chimneys, sewer pipes, and kilns then. It was very unhealthy, pretty grim. It was a hard life and it toughened people up. The area went into steep decline when the industry closed and almost everything disappeared. It has changed from a wasteland to an environment that we envied.
“People love trees. They like to see forests and woods. In those days you would go to a place like this for holidays. People are moving in and communities are growing.”
Many of the young trees in the National Forest are little more than whips because hundreds of hectares are being planted every year as more derelict sites are taken over. But the trees that were dug in 25 years ago now stand 30ft tall and need to be thinned.
Along with the maturing trees have come buzzards and red kites, skylarks, butterflies, otters, bats and owls.
This is the first major forest planted in England for 1,000 years. We have taken a black hole and given it new life
As the trees continue to grow, insects, small mammals and flora will come too, says John Everitt, director of the not-for-profit National Forest company, which has taken over many of the area’s old industrial workings and also advises landowners and farmers about switching from low-grade farmland to forest and woodland.
“This is one of the largest landscape transformations in the United Kingdom, the first major forest to have been planted in England for 1,000 years. We have taken a black hole and given it a new lease of life; given people a new landscape they can identify with. We can say that air pollution is better, the rivers are cleaner, the water is being retained better and soil is being better conserved.
Hicks Lodge is now a lakeside haven for wildlife Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo
“We are a typical piece of Middle England,” he adds. “This is not closed canopy, wall-to-wall forest, but forest in the medieval sense with a mosaic of habitats, of trees, open grassland, pastures, and communities. We are roughly half way there. We have planted about 8.5m trees and we expect to plant 16-17m.”
The idea of recreating a new national forest was born in the old Countryside Commission in the late 1980s and was backed first by Tory politicians such as Michael Heseltine and John Gummer and then by Labour ministers, including Michael Meacher, says the National Forest’s director of operations, Simon Evans.
“The first trees were planted in 1991 when the ambition was for 33% of the 200 sq miles to be forested from a starting point of 6- 7%. The idea was to take an area that had very few trees and bring it up to the level of somewhere like Surrey. There were remnants of ancient forest but at the core there were no trees at all,” he says.
This pioneering regeneration experiment has had a low profile and has gone largely unnoticed by environment groups, possibly because it has cost so little and, for many years while the trees were so small, there was very little to see.
Only £60m of public money has been spent in the first 25 years and most of that has come from European Union farm subsidies which would have gone to landowners anyway.
Everitt says: “£60m is the equivalent of just two miles of three-lane motorway, or one mile of HS2 [rail link]. It is peanuts, incredible value for money.” He argues that the forest has already attracted nearly £1bn of inward investment, created many hundreds of jobs, stimulated house prices in the area and led directly to hundreds of new tourism, leisure and wood-based businesses starting up.
“It is one of the very few long-term projects for which a government had a vision and that successive ones have followed through and supported. It’s very hard to argue against it. Why would you not do this? It has cost just £2.5m a year and brings in so many benefits in health and economics. It shows that the principle of using the environment and trees to regenerate a place and stimulate growth can work anywhere.”
John Everitt, Chief Executive of The National Forest Photograph: David Sillitoe/The Observer
Conservationists and regeneration experts now claim that the National Forest is absolute proof that tree planting on a large scale can increase wealth, change the identity of a place and pay for itself hundreds of times over.
A second major new forest has now been proposed for elsewhere in Britain, possibly south Wales or a rural area of northern England.
“People understand the economic and aesthetic benefits of trees,” says Everitt. “They are very popular. They can be a backcloth to many other activities. People prefer a wooded landscape. I do not understand why the idea is not used more. I think politicians may not be environmentally literate.
“There was an active demand by local people for the forest to come here. It did not need to be imposed on people, but it took some time before the farmers embraced the idea fully,” he says. “All the surveys done in the past 20 years suggest that the transformation of the landscape has been popular, giving communities a new sense of place and identity.”
I do not understand why the idea is not used more. I think politicians may not be environmentally literate
The challenge is to ensure that the flourishing of the National Forest is not an isolated success. Elsewhere, Britain’s tree planting is grinding to a halt. Figures last month from the Forestry Commission showed that only 700 hectares of new woodland was planted last year, instead of a goal of 5,000. Woodland areas damaged by storms and other extreme weather are not being replaced and ancient woodland is under threat from infrastructure projects such as the high-speed train line HS2 and airport expansions.
Grant schemes have been cut and those that still exist are said to be confusing, and hard to access.
“We have to present tree planting as a solution; people have to understand that it is a good thing to plant trees,” says Andrew Heald, technical director of forest industry body ConFor (Confederation of Forest Industries).
Government committed last year to the planting of 11m trees by 2020, but Britain is likely to remain near the bottom of the European league table for tree cover, with around 13%. In addition, Britain’s forests are threatened with devastation by tree diseases. Recent academic analysis has warned that all the ash trees in the UK and across Europe are likely to be wiped out by a “double whammy” of a bright green borer beetle and the fungus that causes ash dieback.
“Between ash dieback and the emerald ash borer, it is likely that almost all ash trees in Europe will be wiped out, just as the elm was largely eliminated by Dutch elm disease,” said Peter Thomas, a tree ecologist at Keele University whose analysis was published in March’s Journal of Ecology.
The same problems face the National Forest, says Everitt. “There are grants available for tree planting, but they are not that attractive now. Good woodland schemes are not available now.
“But the National Forest is protected because it has so many species. Last year, we had our cases of dieback and it is now spreading quite rapidly; 15-20% of the trees that have been planted are probably ash. Many of them will be replaced naturally. But there may not be huge die-off here because we are thinning around 20% of the trees. We must understand that this forest is not just about its trees. Trees are important, of course, but they are the setting for everything else.”
Trees and forests
World losing area of forest the size of the UK each year, report finds
Chance of ending deforestation by 2030 seems lower than when pledge was made five years ago
Berlin startup offers €1m to save ancient Hambach forest from coal mining
Ecosia offers to buy remaining forest from energy firm RWE, which plans to fell most of the trees
Published: 9 Oct 2018
Gin lovers relax as declining juniper saved in national seed project
Juniper threatened by fungus-like disease is first species to be fully collected in Kew’s Royal Botanic Gardens tree seed project
Scientology's UK HQ angers residents by felling trees in conservation area
People in St Hill Green, West Sussex brand church ‘selfish and arrogant’ after 22 trees were cut down, but spokesman says more trees have been planted
A place in the country: meet the new woodlanders
British ash trees may resist dieback disease, research reveals
Foreign invaders infiltrate Britain’s ancient woodlands
Ash dieback is unstoppable, but you can help by planting new trees
Julian Rollins
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September - 2018 special1 issue
Better U
By Brad Loiselle, President & CEO
Brad Loiselle
An avid public speaker, a serial entrepreneur, and a published author, Brad Loiselle is a multitalented personality and an ardent believer of 'Education is a human right.' He is committed to leaving a global mark by providing access to quality, affordable education to the mass populations of emerging markets. Primarily focused on the development of India, in order to understand the root challenges pertaining to education access and other underlying issues of the country, Brad traveled to India several dozen times and met with hundreds of companies, government and educational leaders, students and so on. With a clear and bold vision of educating an entire nation of more than one billion people, Brad brought betterU to India in 2013, an education technology company headquartered in Ottawa and Mumbai that is resolute to establish a digital marketplace for online education—connecting global educators and content providers with learners of India.
Acting as the ecosystem that bridges the gap between education and jobs by providing the tools necessary to prepare prospective learners for the jobs they want and better their lives, betterU is backed by partnerships with media groups like Times of India and Hindustan Times. "This association was important for reaching the mass populations. Both media outlets have become shareholders in betterU now," pinpoints Brad. Later, betterU also went on to build a global job portal, including employment services and expanded its partnerships with leading educators such as Skillsoft, Adobe, Merit Nation, Edx, BSEI, Pluralsight, EdCast, ICICIdirect Centre for Financial Learning, IELTS Online, Imarticus Learning, International Career Institute, Internshala, iTrack, John Academy, Udemy and the list does not end there. "The emphasis is always given to the quality. We keep on partnering with leading brands to ensure the education and content being delivered is of top quality," says Brad proudly.
"Followed by $10 million of investment to date, betterU presently offers thousands of courses in Business, Design, Exams Preparatory, KG-Class 12, Personal Interest & Technology, and is adding more every day"
betterU prides itself on being the only platform that has been able to bring together students from across the country along with educators from preschool to Class 12 under
one roof, and facilitates accessibility to multiple formats of delivery including self-paced, online, instructor-led in class, and on-site learning. "Having spent years researching how to bring global education to India, we contemplated that coupled with urban India, we also need to cater to the educational needs of the students who are residing in Tier 1,2,3 and rural areas," opines Brad. Followed by $10 million of investment to date, betterU presently offers thousands of courses in Business, Design, Exams Preparatory, KG-Class 12, Personal Interest & Technology, and is adding more every day.
Brad shares, "Our focus was to build a system that would make sense for India's growing population and enable us to solve the mass education needs with all types of education. In the pursuit of fulfilling this dream, we have included world-class educators from the USA, Canada, and nine other countries, and we are still striving to enhance our offering." Offering programmes to people of multiple age groups, career paths and industries, the aspiring learners at betterU just have to register for the desired course, which will give them easy access to the contents right away. "We have programs planned for rural areas, skills development support for many sectors and much more. Funding has been what has held us back, but that too is being solved with a US$ 100M equity investment coming to betterU shortly. These funds will accelerate all our advancements for India," concludes Brad.
Ways to Improve Presentation Skills
Growing In A Tech-Savvy World
Dr Ajay Rana, Sr Vice President & Dean, Amity University
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Parental Alienation Is Child Abuse
False Allegations - Only Fathers With Money Can Fight Back
How Reliable Is Your Memory?
Interview With A Defense Investigator
You Are Not Required To Talk To Police
Defense Investigation Is Essential
Unbelievable Truth – It COULD Happen To YOU!
The Women Without a Conscience in the Wrongly Accused Men’s Lives – Watch Out!
When Innocence Needs A Champion
The Forgotten. The Innocent. The Wrongly Convicted.
Jilly Prather - Advocate
A Generation of Girls Growing Up Without a Conscience
After receiving an email on Monday morning from the mother of a man who was wrongfully convicted of sexually molesting his step-daughter, I sat back and pondered a few things glaring at me about his case. I see an increasing number of fathers and step-dads convicted of sexual abuse against their teenage daughters. The victim statements aren’t consistent. The descriptions of how the molestation or rape happened physically makes no sense unless the dad was an acrobat. The story changes depending on who the girl is talking to. And evidence becomes available but the prosecution won’t allow it to be heard. Without it the judge doesn’t see the whole story, the teen is more believable and BAM the dad’s worst nightmare becomes true. If the teen puts on an effective enough show of tears and blubbering about her victimization, she can appeal to the judge’s soft spot as the grandpa he likely is. I see a common thread happening.
The stories then become entrenched with more drama than a double feature horror film. I did some digging. The reason for the growing number of such cases struck me as if suddenly being smacked in the head.
What kind of mother would splash all over the Internet, major news stations, and even foreign tabloids that her 16-year-old daughter had been sexually molested by her step father? Anonymity to shield the minor victim from harmful publicity is a no brainer. I’ll tell you why these moms do this. Attention. An insatiable need for attention as a balm to her sickness. A mentally healthy mother would never put her child at more risk by publicizing her abuse.
She named the names and locations of all involved including mothers of his additional children, the children themselves, aunts, and grandmothers. These uninvolved family members of the step-dad fear for their lives now that their personal information was published for every deviant to see. Consequently, there have been death threats and intimidations to do bodily harm to those small children and their moms. They have had to move several times. This mother blogs about these other children and their moms regularly about what it must feel like to have a sexual predator for a father, that they are just miniature sexual deviants because of their DNA, that they should just die and do the world a favor. What kind of mother seeks to ruin the lives of little children who don’t even begin to understand what a sexual predator is yet? The effects of her actions will be destructive throughout their lives. This is a monster who needs to be stopped.
Daughters had been walking a slippery road by meeting older men from chat rooms, drinking, and sneaking out long before the alleged molestation. The step-dads set down consequences, which makes the teens angry and determined to get him out of the house one way or another. He was ruining her sorry life in this case. What sort of mother would work as a stripper, perform adult rated shows on the Internet, hang out with biker gangs, talk about committing suicide, have an affair shortly after marrying the step-dad and then wonder why her daughter’s behavior is what it is? She blamed the effects of the molesting for the teen’s bad behavior. This girl was well on her way to trouble long before the alleged incident, which is usually the case. But it’s always nice to blame someone else for your problems instead of facing the truth. This is becoming common with the wrongly accused and their women.
The step-daughter’s troubled behavior including sexting with grown men at age 13, was not allowed in court because she was a minor. Evidence that would have shown the judge that this girl was street-wise and had ulterior motives for accusing her step-dad of molesting her never got through. If she was old enough to perpetrate such a heinous lie then she was old enough to stand up and take the full consequences of her actions.
Then it cultivated from an accusation of molestation to rape during psychological tests. But she said she didn’t know if her step-dad had used a condom, or whether he had ejaculated. Come on, really? She was not a virgin, but well experienced with sex before then. A rape kit was performed and no bodily fluids were found. No physical signs of intercourse were discovered at all. She should have thought more about how to explain how he molested/raped her – he would have had to have been a contortionist according to her testimony.
What convicted this innocent man is what sends many of them to prison, then a long parole that is so constrictive it’s unfathomable. The accused are threatened to take a plea deal or spend the next 15 – 20 years in prison. Without effective counsel (another serious failure in the justice system), the plea deal is a halleluiah. Down the road, they learn that registering as a sex offender is required, and parole could reach into old age.
While on parole they are not allowed to go to a shopping mall, to church, to a park, a zoo, go near a school, or anywhere else children might be seen. That leaves the parolee’s house and yard. They will never find a job. And all because these people have done…nothing illegal. What sends them to prison wrongfully convicted are women like this teen’s mom – women with no conscience who have mental issues that drive them to create more drama than a drag queen just to feel worthy. The case for these women suffering from Munchausen Disease by Internet is real. This teen’s mother posted all over the Internet and her blog about her daughter’s strange and numerous illnesses and many accidents that elicited thousands of comments of sympathy and support from people all over the world.
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3510683/).
The reason this phenomenon is so tragic is that not only does it send an innocent person to prison it is also a generation of sick moms who are teaching their daughters to be liars, sneaks, and deceivers who have no conscience about accusing someone of a horrific crime that will utterly devastate them and their family forever. This is the next generation of teens becoming adult women learning how to solve their problems with men and life by setting them up to fall through lies and false accusations that land them in prison with no hope of a successful defense. For charges of sexual abuse on a minor, there doesn’t have to be any evidence. These girls are learning that if they cry and whine enough with a half way good story the power to destroy is powerful.
For the men who are victims of these self-serving women, it will bankrupt them. They will lose absolutely everything – their home, their career, friends, family, dreams, their future, their self-respect. And sometimes their lives because they can’t understand how it happened or how to live with it. Being out of options and hopeless suicide is sometimes the only reprieve.
According to Prison Legal News, of the 1,242 total exonerations in 2014, 210 of those were due to crimes that were never committed. Of those, child sexual abuse cases topped the list – 75% of all child sexual abuse exonerations involved no crime at all.
This is a very real and growing problem. The next time you come across a person who is accused of sexual abuse think before you judge him. He could be another victim of the wrongly accused and convicted population in our society whose only crime was that they unknowingly hooked up with a woman who’s without a conscience.
Thoughts? Should women who accuse falsely be convicted and spend some time in jail? Should their teenage minions pay a price also?
wrongfully convicted
no evidence required
accusation of molestation
false accusations
april higuera
defense investigation
defense investigator
forensic evidence destroyed
rob hall
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gender imbalance
Wikipedia's community is 85% male, and founder Jimmy Wales isn't sure how to fix it
The Wikipedia team has tried to bring that ratio down since 2014 – but to no avail.
By Gráinne Ní Aodha Sunday 29 Oct 2017, 7:00 AM
Oct 29th 2017, 7:01 AM 10,431 Views 90 Comments
Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales speaks during the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation Goalkeepers 2017.
Image: EMPICS Entertainment
IN MANY WAYS, Wikipedia has been a roaring success.
In the 16 years since it’s been in operation, it’s evolved from an unknown site to the first point of reference for those looking to get a flavour of a particular topic, or find a starting point before digging into denser sources.
It’s English Wiki-pages have over 32 million accounts, 5.5 million articles, and 1,200 administrators, according to the Wikipedia page on Wikipedia.
It has a community of people who diligently edit and correct the site that seems far-removed from the “horror” of comments sections.
But there’s one aspect that it hasn’t been able to ‘fix’ despite three years of trying – that 85% of its Wikipedia community are male.
In an interview with TheJournal.ie, Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales said that the statistic of 85%, which was something he expressed concern about back in 2014, remained the same despite surveys and efforts to balance the scales.
“It’s hard to say, but yeah it’s probably the same – I don’t think we’ve made any real progress in that area.
“There are some initiatives that are helping, we think so but the numbers are kind of all mushy so it’s hard to know.”
Those initiatives include ‘editathons’ and outreach programmes to bring more women into Wikipedia – but they’ve had “mixed results” so far.
“…A big part of what we’re doing is investing in what we call ‘community health’, by basically saying we need to make sure that Wikipedia is a welcoming environment for everyone and we get more people participating and to feel safe participating, which is really important.”
He also praised a “great” Wikipedia community called Women In Red, whose name is based off the Wikipedia feature of words appearing in red if a page doesn’t exist.
They put [entries] of prominent women in – female scientists are often overlooked in different historical eras, so that kind of thing is really helpful and it brings in a lot of participation by women.
“So that’s something I would find interesting to do.”
He says that the gender imbalance leads to gaps in the site’s usefulness as an online resource – for example, he says their articles on early childhood parenting “aren’t that good” in comparison to award winning science-fiction.
Jimmy Wales speaks during the Institute of Directors annual conference at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Source: PA Images
Wales is strikingly forthcoming about his own site, while remaining passionate about the ethos that’s driven it forward from the start.
“Wikipedia used to be much more of a punchline of a joke and now, people say ‘Oh, it almost has no errors’.
And what I’d say is, we weren’t as bad as people thought we were and we’re not as good as people think we are.
Surprisingly, he says that people do trust the site but should also keep their wits about them, and if something doesn’t sound true, to check the citation.
“Wikipedia is pretty good, but it isn’t perfect and in general, particularly if you see something that’s surprising on Wikipedia check the source and make sure that sources are accurate. And if there is no source, come and tell us, or make a change, something like that.”
Since the site’s birth in 2001, the Internet and its online community has changed massively, especially the surge in trolls, hate-speech commenters and conspiracy theorists. Did the frequency of those factors, which has proven to be a huge problem for Twitter, been problematic for Wikipedia, who relies on internet users to shape the information it offers?
“No,” Wales says.
“We haven’t changed much and I don’t think human nature has changed much.
From the beginning Wikipedia was always about putting together a high-quality community, so things like hate speech and conspiracy theories, we’re warriors against those things constantly and always have been.
“We haven’t really seen any material change.”
He hasn’t really noticed a particular habit about the Irish Wikipedia community either – many Wikipedians are the same, he says.
“There’s a geek culture which transcends national culture.”
About Jimmy
So what about the use of Wikipedia to make a joke?
Often, the edit function of the site is used to make a joke about a person or profile, which grabs people’s attention, although it might undermine the site as a reliable source of information. Does Wales like the site being used that way?
“No, we don’t approve of that, we frown on it.
“Occasionally I’d confess to chuckling at something if it’s particularly clever, but usually it’s not that clever, and you know I think the community is quite rightly not that tolerant of that kind of behaviour, but it goes with the territory.
If you’re open to public participation a few people are going to come in with a bit of a humorous bent and you have to revert it and tell them don’t do that again.
One of the edits that he admits was quite funny was during the 2014 World Cup, when US goalkeeper Tim Howard made a miraculous save.
The Wikipedia page of the US Secretary of Defence was changed to Howard’s name and image, which Wales says he enjoyed.
Somebody changed the photo of the US Secretary of Defence to his photo and it was reverted within minutes but it was noticed and I was like ok well that’s actually kinda funny.
I do NOT APPROVE of vandalizing wikipedia for comedic effect. But this is exquisite: http://t.co/ReAWTYyppQ
— Jimmy Wales (@jimmy_wales) July 2, 2014
Source: Jimmy Wales/Twitter
Despite his criticisms of humourous edits, and his new project WikiTribune in the works, Wales still finds the time to edit and create new entries on Wikipedia.
One of his most recent entries was for the new head of Transportation for London (TFL), which he says will be in the media a lot over the next few months.
“I created a new article because I saw a news story that Uber is being banned in London – which is quite a big deal if you live in London.
“I saw a quote from the head of TFL Transportation for London and I looked at Wikipedia and he wasn’t listed, but I saw that his predecessors were listed. So I said ok traditionally we have an article on the head of TFL and they’re usually ‘Sir something or other’.”
So he started a short article about him.
I still enjoy it, it’s exciting to find oh here’s a prominent person who will be in the news a lot over the next few months because this battle with Uber is going to be a big thing and we didn’t have something I thought ‘Oh people will want to know this’.
Perhaps a clue into one of the subjects WikiTribune’s first articles will tackle, too.
Read: Wikipedia got a huge bump in donations after Donald Trump’s election win
Read: ‘You won’t hear a woman’s voice, and it’s not acceptable’: What are Irish radio stations doing about gender balance?
Gráinne Ní Aodha
grainne@thejournal.ie
See more articles by Gráinne Ní Aodha
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Do Milk and Dairy Products Raise Risk of Heart Disease?
ANALYSIS - Milk and milk products are nutritious foods integral to the nation’s diet and it is a misconception to say milk is high in fat.
The last in a series of conferences organised by the Dairy Council and Dairy Co on Dairy, Saturated Fats and Cardiovascular Disease heard that the image of all saturated fats being labelled as enemies has now been largely overturned.
Dr Anne Mullen, director of nutrition at the Dairy Council said: “Saturated fat has been seen as the bad cop. Recent research has shown that while it might not be the good cop, it is not as bad as it has been made out.
She said that not all saturated fatty acids are created equal and now saturated fat is now not being associated with coronary outcomes.
However, the link between saturated fats and coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes remains in the minds of many people, including scientists and doctors.
Concerns about the relationship between saturated fats and heart disease date back to the 1960s.
The generally held belief has been that dietary cholesterol and saturated fats contribute to LDL cholesterol in the blood.
And because of the connection authorities such as the USDA have included recommendations about dietary cholesterol in in their dietary guidelines.
However, new research is starting to show that saturated fats might not have the harmful effect of increasing coronary heart disease through increasing cholesterol as once thought.
Dr Scott Harding from Kings College said that there are a number of saturated fatty acids that have no effect on LDL cholesterol.
He said that the relationship between saturated fats and LDL cholesterol and between LDL and coronary heart disease have to be examined as it is not known if it is a specific amount that bears a relationship or the percentage in the blood.
He said that it was necessary to look at all the food in the diet.
Prof Marianne Geleijnse from the University of Wageningen said that studies have shown that total dairy consumption both high fat and low fat products together are not associated with coronary heart disease and indeed cheese is shown to be a risk reducer and people who consumed between 200ml and 400ml of milk a day are shown to have reduced their risk of heart disease and stroke.
Prof Philippe Legrande from INRA in France said that fatty acids are nutrients and as the body converts sugars, starch and alcohol into fatty acids it was wrong to define them as enemies.
He said that it is impossible to examine saturated fatty acids as a group as they needed to be examines according to their functions.
“They are not bad guys, they are not villains. It is just a question of amount,” he told the conference.
“They all have their functions.”
He said that out of all the saturated fatty acids three – lauric, myristic and palmitic (C12, C14 and C16) – were the ones that are linked to cardiovascular disease.
He said that the structure, metabolism and function of these saturated fatty acids has to be examined and he added that when foods that are high in one of the main saturated fatty acids associated with heart disease, palmitic acid, is are considered dairy products are not among them.
Prof Ian Givens from Reading University said that studies had also shown that a greater intake of milk helps to reduce high blood pressure and the calcium in the dairy products could be seen to modify the cholesterol and reduce fat absorption
Markets and Economics, Food Safety, Marketing, Dairy Processing, Sustainability
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Livestock Sectors to Have Say on Centre of Excellence
Agritechnica Is Coming to Germany in November 2015
Three Quarters of Chickens Test Positive for Campylobacter
Input Prices Rise for Sheep and Beef Farmers
EU and Spanish Pork Market Complex
US Egg Prices Running High, Avian Flu Epidemic on the Wane
Meat Prices Remain Stable in Brazil
PGI Status for Chicken and Fish Products
Warm Welcome for Welsh Lamb in Hong Kong
House Agriculture Committee Votes to Repeal COOL
Indonesia Beef Imports Rise
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How the Money Primary Is Undermining Voting Rights
June 8, 2015 Issue
Fifty years ago, African-Americans were denied the right to vote. Now the vast majority of Americans are being denied the rightful value of their vote.
By Ari BermanTwitter
In November 1963, Evelyn Butts, a seamstress and mother of three from Norfolk, Virginia,
filed the first lawsuit in federal court challenging her state’s $1.50 poll tax. Annie Harper, a retired domestic worker from Fairfax County, filed a companion suit five months later. In March 1966, the Supreme Court overruled two previous decisions and overturned Virginia’s poll tax, stating that economic status could not be an obstacle to casting a ballot.
“Fee payments or wealth, like race, creed, or color, are unrelated to the citizen’s ability to participate intelligently in the electoral process,” wrote Justice William Douglas in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections. “We conclude that a State violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment whenever it makes the affluence of the voter or payment of any fee an electoral standard.”
Six years later, in Bullock v. Carter, the Supreme Court held that economic status could not be the primary impediment for those seeking elected office, striking down a system of filing fees in Texas that charged prospective candidates up to $8,900 to place their name on the ballot. “We would ignore reality,” wrote Chief Justice Warren Burger, “were we not to recognize that this system falls with unequal weight on voters, as well as candidates, according to their economic status.”
But in the decades after the Harper and Bullock decisions, the skyrocketing cost of political campaigns emerged as a new type of poll tax, with the wealthy so dominating the political process as to erode the value of everyone else’s vote. “The wealth primary impermissibly uses access to wealth as both an obstacle to meaningful political candidacy for nonaffluent citizens and as a proxy for political seriousness,” Jamie Raskin and John Bonifaz wrote in the Yale Law & Policy Review in 1993. “In so doing, it systematically degrades the influence of poor and working people in the political process.”
The “wealth primary” that Raskin and Bonifaz described in the 1992 election—the last time a Clinton ran against a Bush—will be exponentially worse in 2016, when it’s possible that a Clinton and a Bush will again square off. The 1992 presidential election cost $331 million; the 2012 race cost $2.6 billion. The most expensive Senate race in 1992 cost $18 million, compared with $120 million in 2014.
Every election since 1998 has been more expensive than the previous comparable one, but the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision opened the floodgates by allowing unlimited contributions from corporations, individuals, and unions to so-called Super PACs. In theory, Super PACs are legally prohibited from coordinating directly with a candidate, though in practice they’re now performing all the functions of a traditional campaign without any of the corresponding accountability. The cost of federal elections increased by nearly $2 billion from 2008 to 2012 as a result of Citizens United.
In April 2014, the Court further deregulated the campaign-finance system in McCutcheon v. FEC by striking down limits on individual contributions to federal candidates, parties, and political-action committees. “There’s always been a wealth primary,” says David Donnelly, president of Every Voice, which supports public financing of campaigns. “Now it’s a billionaire primary.”
Never before has so much money flowed into the American political system from the deep pockets of an elite few. In 2012, the top 32 Super-PAC donors gave as much money—$313 million—as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney raised from their 3.7 million small donors combined, according to Demos and U.S. PIRG. Twenty-eight percent of total campaign funds came from the 1 percent of the 1 percent, and not a single member of Congress was elected without donations from that exclusive club.
One couple, Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, gave over $92 million in 2012, more than the contributions from every resident of 12 separate states. Charles and David Koch have already pledged to spend 10 times that amount in 2016. “Citizens United has paved the way for the United States to become an oligarchic form of society, where a handful of billionaires are going to control our political process,” says Vermont senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
When the wealthiest Americans dominate every facet of political life—from who runs, to who wins, to which issues are addressed, to how our leaders govern—what happens to the voting rights of everyone else?
Until recently, most presidential candidates have pretended that they aren’t beholden to the donors who finance their campaigns. For the 2016 race, however, the GOP’s candidates aren’t even hiding the fact that they want to be sold to the highest bidder. Their primary really is dominated by a handful of billionaires, with the candidates hoping to win all-important “auditions” with big-money funders like the Kochs and the Adelsons, who will collectively spend over $1 billion on the campaign.
A few weeks after Texas Senator Ted Cruz announced his candidacy, his Super PAC took in $31 million, thanks to the support of Long Island hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer. Florida Senator Marco Rubio has won a $10 million pledge to his Super PAC from the billionaire Miami auto dealer Norman Braman. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has been asking donors to give $1 million a pop to his Super PAC, which expects to bring in $100 million by end of May, the most ever for an unannounced candidate this early in the process. The Bush campaign is planning to outsource many important campaign activities to his Super PAC, from advertising to polling to policy development—despite a prohibition on direct coordination between these groups and the official campaigns. Jeb’s onetime chief rival for the nomination, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, has been struggling in part because, “unlike many of his rivals, he appears to lack a prominent wealthy donor prepared, at this point, to sustain a campaign with a multimillion-dollar contribution,” The New York Times noted.
The presumptive Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, has positioned herself as a populist critic of the Citizens United decision. “We need to fix our dysfunctional political system and get unaccountable money out of it once and for all, even if that takes a constitutional amendment,” she declared at her first campaign event in Monticello, Iowa. During a speech at the New America Foundation last year, she decried “the share of income and wealth going to those at the very top,” which she called “a throwback to the Gilded Age of the robber barons.”
But some of the leading beneficiaries of this new Gilded Age have also been stalwart Clinton supporters throughout her political career, signaling that her 2016 campaign will likely represent a continuation of the 25-year alliance between the Clintons and big business. Five of the top 10 donors to her 2008 campaign were employees of JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and Lehman Brothers. She raised $11 million from the securities and investment sector during her career as a senator, with the largest amount of money coming from employees of Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.
The wealth primary among Democratic candidates for president is not as blatant as it is for Republicans, but it’s just as important. This has posed a particular conundrum for Democrats, who claim to represent the common man. The rise of the Democratic Leadership Council in the 1980s—under the stewardship of Bill Clinton—pushed the Democratic Party away from its traditional working-class and labor base and closer to corporate America. “They were trying to rhetorically be the working man’s party while raising money from Wall Street and corporate America,” says progressive Democratic strategist Steve Cobble.
The Clintons, always the poster children for the DLC’s strategy, have raked in more than $1 billion in campaign contributions, speaking fees, and donations to their philanthropic causes since Bill ran for president in 1992, The Wall Street Journal has documented. And that includes $208 million from the financial-services sector alone.
Much of the corporate money has gone to the Clinton Foundation in recent years, funding worthwhile charitable work but also raising questions about what the donors expect in return. The likes of Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Duke Energy, and Citi Foundation have donated anywhere from $1 million to $5 million to the foundation. Sixty companies that lobbied the State Department during Hillary’s tenure as secretary of state donated $26 million to the Clinton Foundation. It’s difficult to separate the Clintons’ political lives from their personal and charitable endeavors; Hillary’s new finance director, Dennis Cheng, was recently chief development officer for the Clinton Foundation.
Hillary will become the first Democratic presidential candidate to personally raise money for the party’s top Super PAC, Priorities USA, with a goal of $200 million to $300 million—as much as, if not more than, she raised during her 2008 campaign. “I don’t question her integrity; I don’t question her views,” says Harvard Law professor Lawrence Lessig. “But I do think it’s practically impossible to imagine the public looking at the history of the Clintons for the past 25 years and believing that they are not deeply connected to the influence of big money.”
Where Clinton gets the money for her campaign will tell us a lot—as much as her policy pronouncements— about what she would do as president. Her overwhelming financial advantage and connections to wealthy donors help explain why so few heavyweights in the Democratic Party have decided to run against her this time around.
“Why is she the front-runner? First of all, she’s Hillary Clinton, and she has the best résumé in America for being president,” says former Vermont governor Howard Dean, who has already endorsed Clinton. “And second, there’s nobody in the Democratic Party that can raise as much money as she can. Not only can they not raise as much money as her; they can’t get close. It narrows the field dramatically, and that’s not particularly good for the country.”
In June 2003, Dean shocked the political establishment by raising $828,000 over the Internet in one day for his presidential candidacy, with an average donation of $112. Dean raised 38 percent of his total funds from donations of $200 or less, planting the seeds for what many predicted would be a small-donor revolution in American politics. Four years later, Barack Obama raised a third of his record-breaking $745 million campaign haul from small donors, while Ron Paul raised 39 percent from small dollars on the Republican side.
But Citizens United has made it significantly harder for insurgent candidates like Dean or Paul to catch fire without the support of a billionaire backer. “Do I think it’s possible to come from nowhere and end up leading the pack?” Dean says. “Yes—with the right message, and at a time when people really want to make a statement. Do I think it’s possible to raise enough money from a grassroots campaign to win the presidency? I think that might be really problematic. That’s where the problem is, and where people get disillusioned; the Supreme Court put the government up for sale.”
Another Vermonter, Bernie Sanders, is the Dean of this cycle: In the first 24 hours after announcing his candidacy, he raised $1.5 million from 35,000 donors, who gave an average of $43.54. The contrast between the donors to Sanders and Clinton couldn’t be starker. Seven of Clinton’s top 10 donors over her political career are employees of banks or corporate law firms: Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, DLA Piper, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Skadden Arps, and Lehman Brothers. Nineteen of Sanders’s top 20 donors over his political career are unions; his top donor is the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Sanders’s top 20 donors combined gave him less money than employees of Citigroup and Goldman Sachs gave Clinton.
Despite his impressive early small-donor haul, Sanders will not be able to compete with the large donors who will bankroll Clinton’s campaign and can write unlimited multimillion-dollar checks to her Super PAC. “It’s a huge issue,” says Sanders, “and not just for me. We are reaching the point where it may be impossible for a candidate who is trying to represent working families, who is not wealthy, who is not courting billionaires, to be able to win an election.”
This money tsunami not only buys access and influence; it also shapes the terms of the debate. Because of the wealth primary, it’s difficult to imagine a Democratic front-runner for president supporting the breakup of the largest banks, or a Republican frontrunner acknowledging that global warming is real or criticizing illegal settlements in Israel.
There is also a striking disconnect between what the wealthy and the rest of the country believe, particularly on core economic issues. Sixty-eight percent of the public believe “the government in Washington ought to see to it that everyone who wants to work can find a job,” but only 19 percent of the wealthy agree. Fifty-four percent of the public want to raise taxes on the rich to combat income inequality, but only 17 percent of the wealthy concur.
Despite commanding a majority on these issues, everyday Americans have much less ability to see their political views become law. Research by the political scientists Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page found that “economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.” In the United States, they concluded, “the majority does not rule—at least in the causal sense of actually determining policy outcomes.”
This doesn’t mean that voting is hopeless or that every candidate is the same. Few can now argue that Al Gore was no different from George W. Bush or that Barack Obama would have nominated the same Supreme Court justices as Mitt Romney. A Democratic Congress will have very different priorities from a Republican one. And money doesn’t always determine electoral races—in his stunning upset in last year’s Republican primary for Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District, David Brat spent less money on his campaign than Eric Cantor did at steakhouses.
Yet two converging trends have made it far easier for the wealthy to translate their economic power into political power. “The campaign-finance system has shifted radically under the Roberts Court,” says Rick Hasen, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, School of Law. “There are more avenues for the wealthy to have greater influence. And the wealthy are wealthier: There’s profound economic inequality, and that creates this greater disparity in the ability of people to influence politics.”
The megarich have so much power these days that even the bottom half of the 1 percent is bemoaning its diminished influence. “When you look at super-PAC money and the large donations that we’re seeing, the regular bundlers feel a little disenfranchised,” Bobbie Kilberg, a Republican fundraiser who raised $4 million for Mitt Romney, told The Washington Post.
We are all proletarians now.
In November 1964, after Lyndon Johnson’s re-election, the leadership of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee held a retreat in Waveland, Mississippi, to plot the civil-rights group’s next steps. Four months later, the SNCC’s chair, John Lewis, would march for voting rights in Selma, helping to win passage of the Voting Rights Act.
The VRA transformed politics by enfranchising millions of Americans, but 25 years after its passage, leaders of the civil-rights movement and the campaign-finance-reform community returned to Waveland, feeling that their work was incomplete. “Getting private money out of elections is the unfinished business of the civil-rights movement and the Voting Rights Act,” says Gwendolyn Patton, a youth leader with SNCC in the 1960s. “People here were murdered trying to get the right to vote, but what good is it if there’s no one to vote for?”
The 1966 Harper decision held that a state could not “dilute a citizen’s vote on account of his economic status or other such factors,” but that’s exactly what the wealth primary has done. It discriminates not just on the basis of class, but also on the basis of race.
Voters of color are at a marked disadvantage in the wealth primary. They make up 37 percent of the US population but only 1 percent of campaign contributors and 10 percent of elected officials. “Because they control fewer resources, people of color generally have less opportunity than others to participate in politics and elect representatives of their choice,” George Washington University law professor Spencer Overton wrote in the Texas Law Review. “A political process based on private money gives wealthier white communities disproportionately large influence in determining all candidates.”
John Bonifaz’s organization, Free Speech for People, has recently been exploring whether the wealth primary violates Section 2 of the VRA, which prohibits a voting system in which the “totality of circumstances” leads to minority voters having “less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice.”
When Congress reauthorized the VRA in 1982, the Senate named nine factors that courts should consider in judging a potentially discriminatory voting system. Two relate to the wealth primary: “the extent to which members of the minority group…bear the effects of discrimination in such areas as education, employment and health, which hinder their ability to participate effectively in the political process,” and “the exclusion of members of the minority group from candidate slating processes.” Federal courts have previously invoked these factors, with one noting in a 1998 case from Tennessee, for example, that “the economic and educational isolation of African-Americans…limits their ability to fund and mount political campaigns. In this sense therefore, blacks are not able to equally participate in the political process.”
This disparity is particularly notable today, when the flood of big money into the political system coincides with renewed efforts to make it more difficult for citizens—particularly people of color—to vote, whether by shutting down registration drives, cutting early voting, requiring strict voter ID, purging the voting rolls, or disenfranchising ex-felons. “We are facing a dual attack on our democracy—everyday voters are being disenfranchised, while corporations are being hyper-enfranchised,” said former NAACP president Ben Jealous in 2013.
At a recent talk in New York, Lawrence Lessig drew parallels between the fight for voting rights in the 1960s and the push to get money out of politics today. He showed footage of civil-rights marchers being beaten on Bloody Sunday in Selma. “They were fighting for equality, for an equal right to vote,” Lessig said. “Here’s what we must recognize: We don’t have the vote either. We don’t have an equal vote—not in the ballot election, but in the money election. Not in a general election, but in the green primary.”
Fifty years ago, because of poll taxes and literacy tests, African-Americans were systematically denied the right to vote. Now, thanks to the wealth primary, the vast majority of Americans are being denied the rightful value of their vote.
Ari BermanTwitterAri Berman is a former senior contributing writer for The Nation.
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Our Correspondent
Cop martyred in shootout with ‘muggers’ in Baldia Town
A police constable and a suspect lost their lives during a shootout between law enforcers and alleged muggers in a locality of Baldia Town on Monday night.
District West SSP Fida Hussain Janwari said the Ittehad Town police received information that armed muggers were robbing people near the Muhammad Khan Chowki area. He said police vans were immediately despatched to the scene, but as the suspects saw the law enforcers approaching, they opened fire and a shootout between the two parties ensued.
The suspects sped towards the Tori Bangash area to avoid arrest, and as the police pursued them, Constable Abdur Rehman suffered injuries during the crossfire, added the officer. The SSP said that after the shootout, the police arrested one of the suspects in an injured condition, while his alleged accomplices managed to escape from the scene. Both the wounded men were rushed to the hospital, but they were pronounced dead on arrival, he added.
The officer said the identity of the dead suspect was yet to be ascertained, adding that the police had found a pistol on his person.
Around a dozen policemen had lost their lives in targeted attacks in the city the previous year. The victims included an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and 10 constables. One law enforcer was martyred in January, two in February, four in March, one in April, two in June and one in September, according to reports published in newspapers.
Traffic police warden Ehtisham was martyred in Soldier Bazaar on January 21. Policeman Farooq lost his life in Pak Colony on February 13. Former policeman Shafqat was attacked in Orangi Town on February 14.
PC Jahangir was martyred in Hijrat Colony on March 2. ASI Rizwan lost his life in the Iqbal Market area of Orangi Town on March 4. Also in Orangi Town’s Iqbal Market area, policeman Habibullah was attacked on March 9.
Policeman Farooq was martyred near Nipa Chowrangi on March 22. PC Khalid lost his life in the Defence Housing Authority on April 7. Constables Allah Dino and Ahmed Ali were attacked in the Mominabad area of Orangi Town on June 17.
Constable Syed Zeeshan Mian, 26, whose Rukhsati ceremony was scheduled to take place around a month later, embraced martyrdom on September 19 during a gunfight with three suspected criminals in Nazimabad.
‘Murder-suicide’
A man was suspected to have ended his life after murdering his wife on Monday afternoon. According to the Sharea Faisal police, engineer Rana Hadi Mubarik shot his wife Dr Kinza in the house of his parents in Block 14 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar after which he shot himself too.
As the police were called in, the couple were moved to a private hospital where they passed away during medical treatment. Ali Hassan Shaikh, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of the Sharea Faisal Division, said Hadi worked for a private firm and Dr Kinza was a doctor on call.
According to a preliminary investigation, the couple had fallen in love eight years ago and they were parents of a baby boy and a girl.
They chose to live as a nuclear family in their house, he said, adding that Kinza had parted ways with her family after the marriage.
A few days ago, SDPO Shaikh said, the couple had had a domestic dispute after which Hadi had left his wife at his parents’ home.
Allegedly, he added, the man killed Kinza when he came to see her at his parents’ home. Hadi shot at her head before shooting himself too, he said. A case has been registered and an investigation in under way.
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The name of the society shall be Trianon Music Group, hereinafter referred to as the Society
The Objects of the Society shall be to inform the public in the practice and performance of music and to further the education of people, particularly young people, by the presentation of concerts and other activities.
The work of the society will be defined by particular policies which may change from time to time. Copies of these policies are available from the Society’s Administrative Secretary.
The members of the Society shall be those persons who shall provide such evidence of musical ability as the Society may require, and who pay the annual subscription (payable in advance) at the appropriate rates as shall be agreed by the members at the Annual General Meeting.
There is also a category of membership known as ‘Friends’. These are non-performing members who give financial and other support to the Society and may attend various social events as well as musical occasions.
4. OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
The management of the Society, including all arrangements for concerts and other events and control of finance, shall be in the hands of a Management Committee.
There shall be two distinct groups of individuals comprising the Management Committee:
The Officers of the Committee (and Trustees of the Society) comprises :-
Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, Artistic Director, Administrative Secretary, Choir Secretary, Orchestra Secretary, Publicity Officer, Friends Representative, Two Choir Representatives, Ipswich Arts Association Representative, Two Orchestra Representatives, Recruitment Officer.
The Officers shall be elected by and out of the Society’s members at the Annual General Meeting. They shall hold office for one year and be eligible for re-election.
At least six of these persons need to attend meetings to form a quorum for executive decisions to be made.
The Management Committee may also nominate persons to the following specific
Administrative or Advisory Representative roles:-
Community Concert Secretary, Concert Manager, Stage Manager. The members of this group shall be appointed by the Officers for specified tasks and periods of tenure.
They may be invited to attend Management Committee meetings as observers and in an advisory capacity, but they shall have no voting rights.
5. TRUSTEES OF THE GROUP
The Trustees shall be the Officers of the Management Committee.
6. POWERS
In furtherance of the objects but not otherwise the Management Committee may exercise the following powers:
(i) power to raise funds and to invite contributions provided that in raising funds the Management Committee shall not undertake any substantial permanent trading activities and shall conform to any relevant requirements of the law;
(ii) power to buy, take on, lease or exchange any property necessary for the achievement of the objects and to maintain and equip it for use;
(iii) power subject to any consents required by law to borrow money and to charge all of the property of the Society with repayment of the money so borrowed;
(iv) power to employ such staff (who shall not be members of the Management Committee) as are necessary for the proper pursuit of the objects and to make all reasonable and necessary provision for the payment of pensions and superannuation for staff and their dependants;
(v) power to co-operate with other charities, voluntary bodies and statutory authorities operating in furtherance of the objects or of similar charitable purposes and to exchange information and advice with them;
(vi) power to establish or support any charitable trusts, associations or institutions formed for all or any of the objects;
(vii) power to appoint and constitute such advisory committees as the Management Committee may think fit;
(viii) power to do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievements of the objects.
7. EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
No individual shall be excluded from membership of the Society or debarred from any official capacity on the Management Committee on the grounds of gender, race, colour, religion, age, sexual orientation or political affiliation
a) The financial year shall end on the last day of April each year
b) Banking accounts shall be opened as required in the name of the Society and cheques shall be signed by the Treasurer and one other Officer
c) The Society may receive donations, grants in aid and financial guarantees, and tickets for any or all of its concerts and other events may be offered for sale to the public.
d) The income and property of the Society, however derived, shall be applied solely towards promoting the objects of the Society as set forth above, and no portion thereof shall be paid or transferred either directly or indirectly to any members of the Society, except in payment of legitimate expenses incurred on behalf of the Society, or as bursaries (other than to Officers of the Management Committee) as approved by the Management Committee.
9. DISSOLUTION
In the event of the winding up or dissolution of the Society, any remaining assets after all liabilities have been discharged shall not be paid or transferred to any member or members of the Society, but shall be transferred to a charitable organisation whose objects are similar to those of the Society, and whose rules preclude the distribution of income and assets among its members.
10. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Within twenty six weeks after the end of each financial year, there shall be an Annual General Meeting to which members shall have been summoned with at least fourteen days notice in writing.
11. EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), for which at least fourteen days notice in writing must be given, may be called by the Management Committee OR upon written request to the Administrator or Chairperson and signed by at least 20 members of the Society.
12. AUDITED ACCOUNTS
The financial accounts shall be independently audited and submitted to the members at the Annual General Meeting.
The Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the members present at any Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting, provided that fourteen days notice of the proposed amendment has been sent to all members and provided also that the proposed amendment does not have the effect of causing the Society to cease to be a charity.
As agreed at the EGM 10th September 2013 (supersedes that as agreed at AGM September 2010)
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Gaming expert says security at Jacksonville tournament, site of shooting, was lax
Posted: 11:08 PM, Aug 26, 2018
By: Cassie Carlisle
WFTS
<p>Law enforcement is seen at the Jacksonville Landing complex during a<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.easports.com/madden-nfl/news/2018/madden-classic-qualifier-jacksonville-how-to-watch" target="_blank">qualifying event for the Madden 19 Tournament</a> at the GLHF Game Bar after a mass shooting there Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018. The gunman is dead, police said.</p>
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Multiple people are dead and injured after a fellow gamer fired about a dozen rounds in the middle of a tournament in Florida. A gaming expert says there was limited security.
Gayle Dickie, CEO of Gamer World News , said these kinds of tournaments happen all over the world and all the time.
"This is horrifying, really," she said.
The shots rang out on the second and final day of the Madden 19 Tournament . Players entered Chicago Pizza on the first floor of Jacksonville Landing and Dickie said there was little security.
"It's unfortunate because it was a smaller event, I mean it wasn't a large event," Dickie said. "If you go to events like the Barclay's Center or Staple's, you're going to go through a metal detector."
Inside, gamers entered their own world.
"It is probably the biggest quality of a gamer, to have that intense focus, so everybody was focused on gameplay," Dickie said. She added that made it easy for 24-year-old David Katz to find his targets.
"It sounds like he knew who he was going after, so you know and you saw the two players sitting there. I saw the video and you can see them sitting there, and it didn't take him long, you know, obviously he knew what he was looking for," she said.
Dickie said gamers can be as young as 12-years-old at these competitions.
"It's just shaken the core of the gamer community . No one would ever think that something like this would happen," she said.
Dickie said the gaming world provides a place for everyone to find a niche community to which they belong. Now she hopes everyone watches out for one another.
"I think this will be the focal point of being aware of your surroundings no matter where you are," she said.
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vidnews.co.uk
Shamima Begum: IS teen's baby death 'tragedy' - BBC Newsnight
The son of Shamima Begum - who fled London to join the Islamic State group - has died in a Syrian refugee camp. Subscribe to our channel here: https://goo.gl/31Q53F Dal Babu, a former Metropolitan Police chief superintendent and friend of the Begum family joins Katie Razzall in the studio, alongside the Daily Mail's Larisa Brown, who met Shamima and her son in the camp last month. The UK Home Office declined to speak to Newsnight. Newsnight is the BBC's flagship news and current affairs TV programme - with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews. Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsnight Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsnight source
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Greg Hollmann of East Windsor owns Ambient DJs, and found himself in trouble with the state over the use of freelancers.
Things are already terrible for NJ freelancers; proposed law would make it worse
As it turns out, things are already terrible for some NJ freelancers (JEFF EDELSTEIN COLUMN)
By Jeff Edelstein jedelstein@Trentonian.com @jeffedelstein on Twitter
@JeffEdelstein on Twitter
Welp, late Friday state Sen. Steve Sweeney said he would amend his Senate bill concerning freelance work to be in line with the Assembly bill and the Great Independent Contractor Freakout of 2019 seems like it will come to an end. Sweeney said all the bill will do is codify the law, and that nothing will change.
So that's nice. But guess what? Apparently, change is needed, because the law, as it's written, actually pretty much sucks for a lot of people who are freelancers of one stripe or another. And know this: The state has already started clamping down on what they perceive to be illegal behavior, but which is, to anyone with an ounce of common sense, most certainly not.
Truly: New Jersey’s so-called “ABC test” - which is meant to determine if someone is a genuine freelancer or if they should be labeled as an official employee - is already one of the stiffest laws of its kind in the nation. But it was rarely enforced, excepting for gross misconduct.
The story you’re about to hear is not gross misconduct.
Gregg Hollmann of East Windsor is the owner of Ambient DJs. He’s run his business for 12 years, and provides DJs, dancers, musicians, lighting, design, you name it. It’s Hollmann’s business, he has some employees, but the vast majority of his DJs, dancers, and musicians are freelancers. Some have other jobs; some do this as a hobby; some are in such demand, they make twice, sometimes three or four times (or more) as much as a freelancer than they ever would as an employee.
Not once, according to Hollmann, did anyone he hire complain about their freelance gig.
And then …
“From what I understand, when Gov. Murphy came on board, this whole issue of worker classification and employers abusing it was a hot topic,” he said. “They boosted staffing. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess.”
According to Hollmann, the state was auditing a Princeton University eating club, came across an invoice from Ambient DJs, then paid a visit to Hollmann in January of 2018.
“That’s when the trouble began,” he said. “I had guys who were working literally 100 other jobs outside of my company, but the state found them to be employees of mine. They said about 10 of my people were misclassified.”
Hollmann was hit with a $22,000 fine, later reduced to $16,000 after a formal appeal.
And the DJ’s?
“These guys were found to be employees of every single other company they worked for,” Hollmann said. “It killed them.”
Killed them because in order for a DJ to work for Hollmann these days, they have to be brought on as part-time employees. And Hollmann has to pay them 20% less to cover the tax and compliance burden. And then the DJs have to pay more taxes as well.
To be clear: Hollmann loses, the DJs lose, the state wins.
What a world, eh?
“I knew the issue existed, I knew I was technically operating in the grey area of the law,” Hollmann said. “But I felt just by the common sense rule, and the nature of the work they were doing for me, I was legally in the clear. These guys owned their own equipment, had their own insurance, were working for a lot of other people. They were freelancers. It’s common sense. Now, I have to hire everyone as an employee, or be really, really careful that they meet the ABC tests.”
To be clear: None of Hollmann’s “employees” want this, asked for this, or are pleased by this. But that’s the law. And to nutshell the law, in this case: A DJ who owns their own equipment and is in demand and is perfectly happy bouncing from job to job now can’t do it unless they are brought on payroll. And they will undoubtedly see their pay cut dramatically.
Under the proposed bill, the law is only going to get tighter.
Now might be a good time to roll out Sweeney’s quote from NJSpotlight.com concerning his bill: “This is a pro-worker bill for the new gig economy,” Sweeney said. “It’s all about protecting the rights of workers.”
Before Sweeney's Friday announcement, I had been contacted by the AFL-CIO, and they told me not to worry, that nothing was going to change for freelancers. Frankly, I don’t believe it. I feel like this bill is going to tighten things up and employers are going to be scared to hire independent contractors. Besides, things are bad already (see above), and I can’t imagine this bill is going to make things any better for people - and I want to be clear here - WHO WANT TO REMAIN FREELANCERS.
So you know what? Not only should you contact your representatives and tell them what you think, you might as well also tell them the law, as it currently stands, could use a little touching up.
Call your lawmakers and tell them to drop the bass on this nonsense. (I have no idea if that made sense, I just know it’s a DJ term or something.)
Jeff Edelstein is a columnist for The Trentonian. He can be reached at jedelstein@trentonian.com, facebook.com/jeffreyedelstein and @jeffedelstein on Twitter.
Jeff Edelstein is a columnist for The Trentonian.
Actress does voiceover of roller coaster ride
Late-night hosts take on the Warren-Sanders spat
Lev Parnas: Trump is lying. He knows me
Feds: Ex-Bordentown police chief Frank Nucera wasn't 'sandbagged' by black jurors' bias
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ULC Minister's Network
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About the Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church (ULC) is a non-profit, non-denominational religious organization. Although its headquarters are located in Seattle, Washington, the ULC is well-known worldwide for providing legal ordinations online, and free of charge. The ULC believes that we are all children of the same universe, and supports unity among all mankind. As such, the ULC welcomes any individual who seeks entrance into the family of faith, whatever their spiritual beliefs may be. To date, the Universal Life Church has officially ordained over 20 million ministers.
The ULC is renowned for its defense of social justice, religious freedom, and spiritual expression. Although the Universal Life Church works hard each and every day to promote these aims, much of its success must be attributed to the vast network of ULC ministers who share that vision of global togetherness.
Following the fundamental belief that we are all children of the same universe, the Universal Life Church has two central tenets that ministers are expected to abide by:
Do only that which is right.
Every individual is free to practice their religion in the manner of their choosing, as mandated by the First Amendment, so long as that expression does not impinge upon the rights or freedoms of others and is in accordance with the government’s laws.
Whether our ministers come from a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Shinto, Atheist, Agnostic, Wiccan, Pagan, or Druid tradition, we encourage them to embody these tenets and work to further them in whatever way they feel is best.
We’ve knocked down the barriers which make traditional ordination difficult, and thus ensured that anyone who wants to get ordained can do so. Ordination is easy, and can be completed online at our website (themonastery.org). Our goal is to fulfill everyone’s spiritual needs by providing access to extensive information, a broad range of products and services, and opportunities to network within the ministry.
While proud of the work we’ve done and the victories we’ve won in areas like religious freedom and the legalization of same-sex marriage, we are far more excited by and interested in discussing our hopes for plans for the future.
The Minister’s Network
The social networking platform located at ulcministers.org was built exclusively for the use of Universal Life Church members around the world. Technology has enabled us to bring religion into the 21st century; via the network, you are able to congregate with other members and ministers of the ULC to discuss life, spirituality, faith, and anything else you like. This platform is designed to replicate the same social experience you’d have during a church service in a chapel down the street from your house with the added bonus of being available to you 24/7 and connecting you to millions of other ministers around the world in real-time!
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Max-Weber-Kolleg
Poorthuis, Marcel
Prof. Dr. Marcel Poorthuis: Ehemaliger Fellow
Fellow am Max-Weber-Kolleg von Oktober bis November 2018
M.J.H.M.Poorthuis@uvt.nl
Marcel J.H.M. Poorthuis (born 23-7-1955 in Hilversum, The Netherlands) is Catholic by upbringing and out of conviction. He finished gymnasium in 1973. He studied theology and specialised in Jewish studies. His dissertation (1992) dealt with the philosophical commentaries on the Talmud by the French-Jewish philospher Emmanuel Levinas. Together with philosopher Joachim Duyndam, he wrote an introduction to Emmanel Levinas, that has appeared in the prestigious series Kopstukken. At present he is a board member of the Levinas company in the Netherlands.
In 1985 he finished his study of music at the Conservatory in Hilversum. After working at the secretariat of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands for Jewish – Christian relations, he started his reseach at the Catholic Theological University of Utrecht in 1992. He coordinates the ‘Forschungsschwerpunkt Relations Between Judaism and Christianity http://www.uvt.nl/faculteiten/fkt/rjc/ ). This research focuses upon image formation of religious identity. Publications treat the image formation of Judaism over the last 150 years as well as the image of Buddhism in the Netherlands. A third interdisciplinary and collective research in this field deals with the image formation of Islam in the Netherlands.
In addition, his work for the Forschungsschwerpunkt brings together Christian and Jewish scholars in interdisciplinary conferences. Partners in this enterprise are the Bar Ilan University and the Schechter Institute, both in Israel, and the Protestant Theological University of Kampen, the Netherlands. The results of these conferences are published in the International series Jewish and Christian Perspectives (Brill publishers, Leiden, The Netherlands) (http://www.brill.nl/product_id7792.htm). He is co-editor of this series.
He also co-edited the publication The three rings. Textual studies in the historical trialogue of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Peeters 2005), testifying of his interest in the authoritative sources of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. His most recent publication in this field is a commentary on the earliest Christian polemics against Islam: John of Damascus and Abu Qurra.
In the field of dialogue between religion and humanism, he conducted several research projects: humanism and religion: obstacles and bridges; and: The actuality of sacrifice.
He is a member of the Catholic Council for the Relations between Judaism and Catholicism in the Netherlands. He is on the board of the foundation ParDeS: Jewish wisdom in the world of today.
He was invited to act as opponent in several defenses of dissertations: At the University of Tilburg (Tineke de Lange, on Abraham in the Gospel of John), at the University of Leuven, Belgium (Frederique Glorieux, on theological pluralism), at the Free University of Amsterdam (‘s Gravesande on yihud (unity) in the thought of Martin Buber), recently on Inculturation in India, He participated in several projects of the Theological Faculty of the University of Leuven.
His publications on Judaism, early Christianity and philosophy are in Dutch, English and German.
He is married and father of four children, two boys and two girls.
Rituals and interreligious dialogue: strange bedfellows?
Rituals are probably the last category of religious phenomena (after ideals, texts and ethics), to experience a post-modern revival. The name of a well-known firm for perfumes and lotions, Rituals, is telling in this respect. The de-institutionalizing of religion has created ample space for both old and new rituals, stemming both from within one religion as from multiple religions and cultures. In addition, civil rituals have maintained their place in society.
The scholarly literature on rituals is vast and growing. One of the principal questions to be answered is: what is a ritual? Answers vary: initiation to a new phase in life, recurring markers of time (Calendrical rituals), re-enactment of myth in ritual (the so-called rite-myth debate), establishing the boundaries between the in-group and out-group, allowing for a non-verbal channeling of emotions, sharing experiences of sports, music, art, etcetera (see: Ronald Grimes, Catherine Bell and others). Study of rituals, both traditional and postmodern, implies research into the ‘sacred’ space, the people present, the gestures and the words, food regulations, the (holy) language, (religious) leadership and frequency of meetings (‘sacred moments’).[1]
The last decade the question has arisen whether interreligious meetings should allow for rituals as well.[2] Until then, guidelines for interreligious dialogue have remain mainly verbal. Vis-à-vis secularization the need may be felt to share religious experiences at interreligious encounters; rituals merely as barriers to interreligious encounter can be felt to be inadequate and as a stumblingblock. At first sight, there is a whole range of possibilities: prayer, silence, dance, music, both classical instrumental music and religious music performed by one of the representatives of the religions present. The problems are nevertheless considerable: does not that lead to syncretism, to an atmosphere of emotions without a cognitive basis, to a conception of multiple belonging and of pluralism which is hardly compatible with the foundations of each religion? From a practical point of view: it is no coincidence that pope John Paul 2 can be found on the internet as the protagonist of the Antichrist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niDpQx43K3w
Both the fundamentalist Pius X Fraternity as a wide array of protestant fundamentalists agree to that, especially because of the meeting on Assisi with major religions of the world, during the World Day of Prayer. The pope’s kissing of the Koran during his visit to the Umayyad mosque in Damascus was another proof fur fundamentalists of a pernicious syncretism.
It is obvious that traditional regulations about prayer, rituals and shared worship in a given religion will not be sufficient to cope with new situations. Still, it is mandatory to have a thorough knowledge of the rules in each given religion (halakha, sharia, Christian moral and canonical rules), to analyse the obstacles and to envisage the possibilities of interreligious encounter.
My research will be limited to the monotheistic, ‘Abrahamic’ religions. The framework will include both postmodern perceptions of rituals and fundamentalist convictions, as well as traditional descriptions and regulations of rituals.
[1] See: A. Houtman, M. Poorthuis , J. Schwartz (reds), Sanctity of time and space in religion and modernity, Brill Leiden 1992; M. Poorthuis and J., Schwartz, A holy people, Brill Leiden, idem, Purity and holiness, Brill Leiden 2000.
[2]M. Moyaert and J. Geldof (red.), Ritual Participation and Interreligious Dialogue, Boundaries, Transgressions and Innovations, Bloomsbury 2017.
Sabrina Blatt, letzte Änderung: 26.09.2019
Forschungsgruppen und -stellen
Förderverein des Max-Weber-Kollegs
Ehemalige Fellows
Anter, Andreas
Behal, Rana
Bremmer, Jan N.
Casteigt, Julie
Chaudhuri, Supriya
Cleppien, Georg
Daniel, Ute
de Champs, Emmanuelle
Dürr, Renate
Frenkel, Luise
Friedenthal, Meelis
Helbig, Marcel
Kanungo, Pralay
Kuller, Christiane
Leonhard, Clemens
Maier, Harry
Otto, Bernd-Christian
Pattison, George
Paulus, Simon
Quero-Sánchez, Andrés
Raja, Rubina
Rajak, Tessa
Ram, Kalpana
Ramelli, Ilaria
Roesner, Martina
Schierz, Kai Uwe
Smith, Camilia
Steinhauer, Julietta
Stemberger, Günter
Stercken, Martina
Tadu, Rimi
Takizawa, Hirokazu
Tellmann, Ute
Tétaz, Jean-Marc
van Henten, Jan Willem
Voigt, Jörg
Weiß, Johannes
Wesche, Tilo
Woolf, Greg
Zangenberg, Jürgen
Zwierlein, Cornel
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Urgent critical action needed to save the lives of thousands of children near Jordan’s north-eastern border with Syria
Statement by Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa
AMMAN, 10 October 2018 - “In the past 48 hours, a five-day-old boy and a four-month-old girl died in Rukban, near Jordan’s north-eastern border with Syria, where they were without access to a hospital.
“While the UN-supported clinic near the border inside Jordan continues to provide basic health services for urgent life-saving cases, more sophisticated healthcare is required. This is only available in hospitals.
“The situation for the estimated 45,000 people- among them many children- will worsen further with the cold winter months fast approaching, especially when temperatures dip below freezing point in the harsh desert conditions.
“The two children in Rukban are among many, many children in Syria and the region who died in a conflict that they have absolutely no responsibility for. Their lives have been cut short, their families forever broken in grief.
“Collectively, we continue to fail to stop the war on children in Syria.
“Once again, UNICEF appeals to all parties to the conflict in Syria and those who have influence over them, to allow and facilitate access to basic services including health for children and families. This is the very minimum for human dignity.
“Above all, it is time to finally put an end to the war on children. History will judge us and the death of children, preventable in many cases, will continue to chase us.”
UNICEF Amman
jtouma@unicef.org
On 15 March 2018 in Beit Sawa, eastern Ghouta. a boy on crutches walks towards Hamourieh where an evacuation exit from eastern Ghouta has been opened.
Additional materials for media
Multimedia materials available
Find out more about UNICEF’s work for children in Syria here
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.
Follow UNICEF on Twitter and Facebook
Fighting in and around Tripoli shuts 210 schools, depriving over 115,000 children of their education
UNICEF's New Year appeal for Syria: Cease fighting in the northwest and end the nine-year war
2019 concludes a ‘deadly decade’ for children in conflict, with more than 170,000 grave violations verified since 2010
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StarCraft II is largest PC game release of the year
StarCraft II sets records for sales
By: Shane McGlaun from Aug 3, 2010 @ 12:04 CDT
The PC game StarCraft II launched recently and was one of the most anticipated PC games in a long time. The game has now set day one sales records according to Blizzard.
[img]3[/img]
The game sold more than 1 million copies around the world making it the best selling game of 2010 within the first 24 hours on the market. In the first 48 hours the game was available it sold 1.5 million copies.
The 48-hour statistic made StarCraft II the best selling strategy game of all time. Blizzard launched the game in North America, Europe, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau on July 27.
NEWS SOURCES:us.blizzard.com
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Invasive Mammals of the Pacific
Science Center Objects
The terrestrial biota of the Central Pacific is primarily defined by its degree of isolation. At the center lies the Hawaiian Archipelago, which is more than 3,200 km from any continental land mass. After tens of millions of years of evolutionary isolation from all mammals except bats, islands of the Central Pacific were quite suddenly besieged by a number of alien rodents, carnivores and both large and small herbivores. The first mammals were introduced by early canoe voyagers of the Pacific more than 1,000 years ago. The discovery of the Hawaiian Islands by Cook in 1778, like many other islands of the Pacific, marked the second wave of introductions of many hoofed animals for beasts of burden, milk, hides and meat as well as small predators to keep an assortment of stowaway rodents at bay.
Large feral pig, photographed at night using an IR wildlife camera. Photo: USGS
Rapid ecological degradation ensued and whole groups of endemic plants and animals suffered extinctions, including virtually all flightless birds, and roughly nine percent of all Hawaiian flora. After a century of settlement by westerners, the concept of eradicating non-native species came about as a solution to primarily agricultural, public health, or economic problems, and only more recently to solve ecological problems. Reversing the devastating effects of alien mammals has proven to be difficult, but limited successes have resulted in the dramatic recovery of native biota.
Mammals General Overview
Herd of mouflon sheep as seen from a helicopter. Photo: S. Hess
Most of the isolated islands of the Pacific existed for tens of millions of years in the absence of terrestrial mammals except for bats, which were able to fly over vast oceans and establish themselves. The first human colonists of these islands brought with them domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) from island southeast Asia and Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans). European colonists brought an assortment of other mammals with them nearly 1,000 years later, including domestic goats (Capra hircus), sheep (Ovis aries), cattle (Bos taurus), other types of wild and domestic pigs, cats (Felis catus), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), rats (R. rattus and R. norvegicus), and mice (Mus musculus). In the absence of natural predators and competitors, these species became abundant on nearly every island, which caused rapid ecological degradation. Native plants of the islands were poorly defended against the newly established herbivores, and native wildlife were naïve to tree-climbing predators with teeth. Species which had never been previously domesticated such as axis deer (Axis axis), European mouflon sheep (O. musimon), and mongooses (Herpestes javanicus) were brought to the islands later and proved to be particularly challenging to manage. Diseases associated with introduced mammals such as toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii), bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis), and bubonic plague (Yersinia pestis) have all caused major problems for wildlife, livestock, and human health in Hawai‘i. Invasive mammals have caused the decline and extinction of numerous native plants and animals, but researchers and land managers have developed progressively more effective strategies for managing these species, allowing the recovery and restoration of native species in increasingly larger natural areas.
Small Mammal/Toxoplasmosis Overview
Toxoplasmosis carried by invasive mammals is the leading cause of death for the Hawaiian Monk Seal.
(Credit: Randolph Femmer, USGS. Public domain.)
Many factors have contributed to the decline and extinction of birds in Hawai‘i, not the least of which has been introduced mammalian predators like rats, mongooses, and cats. These predators take eggs, kill nestlings, or nesting adults, but are also sources of diseases that kill birds. One such disease known as toxoplasmosis can cause severe developmental disabilities and occasional mortality in humans but can also have lethal consequences for marine mammals. The infectious agent of the disease, Toxoplasma gondii, is a protozoan, a single-celled organism which behaves like an animal. It is considered a parasite, causing infection directly rather than by producing toxins. It is a zoonosis because it is a disease of animals that can also be transmitted to humans. Only cats –regardless of whether they are domestic or wild species– can support sexual reproduction of this parasite, and thereby serve as the definitive host of the disease. Any other warm-blooded animal, most commonly rodents, can also carry the parasite but can only serve as an intermediate host. Intermediate hosts of the parasite and may sometimes be consumed by people, leading to infection. Known intermediate hosts include feral pigs (Sus scrofa) and mouflon sheep (Ovis musimon), both popular game mammals in Hawai‘i. Birds can also be intermediate hosts, and populations that have been infected and killed by T. gondii include the critically endangered ‘Alalā (Corvus hawaiiensis), the endangered Nēnē (Branta sandvicensis), Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), and Erckel’s Francolin (Pternistis erckelii), a common gamebird. Flowing water may transport T. gondii oocysts –hardy, thick-walled, environmentally resistant spores– in runoff from land to streams and then into marine environments. Thus, T. gondii represents a land-based pathogen that can pollute nearshore marine ecosystems and infect a wide variety of animals in this environment including whales, seals dolphins, and sea otters. The leading cause of death of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) is now known to be T. gondii infection. Many aspects of T. gondii are poorly understood, but current research may soon lead to more effective management strategies to protect native wildlife from both toxoplasmosis and predation.
Status - Completed
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Steven C Hess, Ph.D.
Research Wildlife Biologist
Email: shess@usgs.gov
Axis axis
Capra hircus
feral goats
Ovis spp
Rattus spp
feral sheep
feral ungulates
vegetation recovery
Below are publications associated with this project.
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Select TopicsBiology and Ecosystems (1)
Select Year2018 (2)2017 (3)2016 (5)2015 (3)2014 (5)2013 (2)2012 (2)2011 (5)2010 (1)2009 (1)2008 (2)2007 (2)2006 (3)1999 (1)
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Factors related to the recovery of subalpine woodland on Mauna Kea, Hawaii
We measured mature tree and sapling density, tree associations, crown size, age structure, recovery from ungulate browsing, and grass cover at four study sites in two types of subalpine woodland on Mauna Kea volcano, island of Hawaii. Beginning in 1981, introduced ungulates were reduced in number to allow regeneration of Sophora chrysophylla (...
Hess, Steven C.; Banko, Paul C.; Brenner, Gregory J.; Jacobi, James D.
Attribution: Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Ecosystems, Northwest - Pacific Islands
Below are partners associated with this project.
National Park Service (NPS)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
Big Island Invasive Species Committee
Hawai‘i Cooperative Studies Unit
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Minnesota town targets 100% renewable energy by 2031
The city of Rochester, Minn., will attempt to use all renewable energy by 2031, targeting energy efficiency and the heating and cooling sectors as the community's top priorities, Minnesota Public Radio reports.
Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede signed the proclamation, which also calls for adopting an "integrated approach" to fiscal, economic and energy policy.
Rochester is the latest Minnesota city to move towards 100% renewable power, though the much smaller Cologne, Minn., will likely be the first to actually meet the goal.
A Minnesota town joined a rapidly growing trend of cities aiming for 100% renewables in their power resource mix across the United States.
Minnesota -- named by WalletHub recently as the third most energy-efficient state -- appears to be experiencing a community-focused boom in clean energy interest.
Cologne, with a population of about 1,500, announced over the summer that a community solar deal would allow the municipality to source all of its energy from clean sources. The city expects to save $1.1 million with its 25-year solar subscription. Now, Rochester (much larger, with a population exceeding 100,000) will move in the same direction.
Rochester's Mayor Brede signed the proclamation on Oct. 12, declaring the city's plan to reach all renewables by 2031. The plan focuses on energy efficiency, consumer education, electrifying the heating, cooling and transport sectors, and adopting integrated planning approaches.
The city says it will also maximize potential for citizen participation, as well as seeking to grow business opportunities.
"At the heart of a successful 100% renewables strategy, it is fundamental to allow open participation in the development and financing of energy infrastructure," the proclamation reads.
These Minnesota towns have followed Georgetown, Texas and Aspen, Colorado's examples. Aspen just inked a deal in April to purchase enough wind power from the the Municipal Energy Association of Nebraska to make their power resource mix 100% renewable energy. Georgetown signed a solar deal with SunEdison to supply 150 MW of clean power to the city by 2016 for 25 years.
Minnesota Public Radio Rochester eyes 100 percent renewable energy by 2031
Filed Under: Solar & Renewables
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Even Without Miley, Liam Hemsworth Cuts a Dashing Figure at the Hunger Games New York Premiere
By Mickey Stanley
From PatrickMcMullan.com.
Liam Hemsworth, Jennifer Lawrence, and Josh Hutcherson.
At Tuesday’s New York City premiere of The Hunger Games, co-hosted by the Cinema Society and Calvin Klein, flashbulbs fired for Liam Hemsworth (who plays Gale)—even though the hunky Aussie arrived sans his Vanity Fair Oscar-party date, pop princess Miley Cyrus. And as the movie’s two other stars—Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, wearing a sexy green dress and snug suit from Calvin, respectively—wended their way to the School of Visual Arts Theater, Lawrence told reporters that what she most admired about her character, Katniss, is “her willingness and strength to stand up for something when it’s not an easy thing to do.” Not unlike her Winter’s Bone character, Ree—a role that garnered the then newcomer an Oscar nomination at the age of 20—Lawrence’s Hunger Games character is a stoic and tenacious coal miner’s daughter, out to defend her hardscrabble homeland.
On the arrival carpet, Isabelle Fuhrman, who plays District 2’s Clove in the movie, spoke effusively of her cast mates: “Usually you get to know everyone on set and then you go your separate ways, but not with this cast,” she told us. “We get together in Los Angeles almost every month.” The sole representative of the film’s adult cast, Stanley Tucci—who plays an exuberant, blue-haired television personality in the film—told Vanity Fair that his own favorite TV host was Jimmy Kimmel, although he seemed to us to be channeling Chris Tucker’s Ruby Rod in The Fifth Element.
The movie bowed to a packed audience, with brief remarks from Lionsgate’s Joe Drake and Hunger Games director Gary Ross, who summoned the three young stars and had Tucci—who was already seated in the back—come bounding up to heartily wave to fans. Security—at both the screening and the afterparty—was tighter than tight, with celebrities and normals required to check their phones for the movie’s duration, and guards aplenty at the post-movie festivities, held at the top of the Standard Hotel. Still, the inside of the Boom Boom Room, our day’s Rainbow Room, was starry. Seth Meyers laughed quietly in the corner with his girlfriend, Alexi Ashe, and took a very diplomatic approach to V.F.’s questions, especially regarding bromance: “I can’t tell you who was a better host—Jonah [Hill] and Jason [Segel] are both incredible. Ask them!” Cheyenne Jackson from NBC’s 30 Rock told us that he “fucking loved” the film. Also in attendance: Tony Danza, Steven Soderbergh, Penn Badgley, Darren Aronofsky, Spike Lee, Zoë Kravitz, Bridget Moynahan, Patti Smith, Paul Haggis, and Victor Cruz.
Mélanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds andThe Beginners seemed uninterested in the advances of a suited, bushy-haired gentleman while smoking upstairs. Meanwhile, Carson Kressley from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy looked on in horror at Cuba Gooding Jr.’s sloppy displays of affection toward another woman at the end of the evening. Around midnight, Liam Hemsworth made a beeline for the V.I.P. section with several bodyguards—who kept VF.com’s party reporters from sneaking in to ask the man of the hour some questions—only to realize he was basking alone, and soon re-entered the crowd to make his rounds. Penn Badgely started his night skirting the photogs at the premiere and later was escorted (dragged by the arm) around the party by girlfriend Zoe Kravitz. Over by the windows, Christian Siriano was chatting with Isabelle Fuhrman, whom we later overheard compliment the green-clad Jennifer Lawrence in the bathroom queue: “It’s a tough color to pull off.”
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World Photography day ...
Posted on August 19, 2011 by UNITED PHOTO PRESS
Carlos Alves de Sousa
President of United Photo Press
Congratulations to all members of the United Press Photo by World Photography day ...
Imagery in the world quite like ours is today, the picture is present at all times. Be the cameras, digital, mobile phones and other gadjets, the image became a central element in this world mediatized, which is nothing more than a "global village photo."
But today the picture has such a prominent position can be changed, transformed and manipulated, much is due to the inventors of the concept.
Two French noteworthy in this discovery:Joseph Nicephore Niepce and Jean Jacques Mandé Daguerre. Niepce was the precursor, combining elements of chemistry and physics, created in 1926 heliography. In this invention the principle he joined the chamber bscura, employed by artists from the sixteenth century, the característicafotossensível of silver salts. After the death of Niepce, Daguerre perfected the invention, rebranding it as a daguerreotype.
By this time a Frenchman living in Brazil, Hercules Florence, also developed experiments that would lead to the same result. But the advent of photography was officially announced to the world, in Paris, the French Academy of Sciences, enshrining the Daguerreotype on August 19, 1839.Since then the picture has changed considerably and was largely responsible for introducing the world to humanity. Even with the emergence of other forms of display of images (film, television, computer), the picture remains the only "able to capture the human soul." Or, as Henri Cartier-Bresson would say, one of the greatest photographers of all time "photography is to capture the decisive moment."
Photography is a recording technique using mechanical and chemical or digital image on a layer of material sensitive to light exposure, known as its support.
The word derives from the Greek words AEEA [fossil] ("light"), and ³ Á ± Æ ¹ Â [GRAFIS] ("style", "paintbrush") or ³ Á ± æ ¯ graph, meaning "drawing with light" or "representation by means Lines "," draw ".
Essence Photography
The discussion about the use of photography is preceded by an attempt to understand his image, which has occurred since its development by various photographers throughout the nineteenth century (as Geoffrey Batchen says). His obvious artistic character is an obstacle to its use by the social sciences, while its scientific character to become something of a subordinate in the field of art, characteristics that seem to reverse in the second half of the twentieth century, to the extent that the study of this medium is deepened, the social sciences were opened to the impossibility of complete objectivity, and the field of art has to deal strongly with the idea, as opposed to an emphasis on the art form.
Historical studies on the photo starts around one hundred years after its invention. Since the theoretical studies on the photo appear to begin after the war, and the main theory used to characterize the photo comes from the field of semiotics, or semiology of Saussure's declines.
In a strict reading of Charles Sanders Peirce, defining the field of semiotics, from photography to define the three categories of sign, which exist in order of importance and dependence on each other: the icon, which is a qualitative representation of a object - for example, by analogy (in the case of the photographic image), the index, which features a sign which refers to the signifier by causality or by contiguity (sometimes differentiated as index, as in reading Umberto Eco), and symbol, whose relationship with the signifier is arbitrary and defined by an agreement (in the case of a flag of a country, for example).
However, initial studies of photography, as well as artists throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century were concerned with the problem of iconicity of Photography, that is, the potential of your image and character of its realism. The first sign of questioning this type of discourse is the work of Walter Benjamin, whose text "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," reveals a concern with the modification of the reception of photography and film in relation to traditional means of art, pioneering and highly influential study that takes instances unique, like the problem of aura (as distinct from classical art) as well as the massive multiplication of the image.
It is the work of Roland Barthes that we see a second moment of the attempt to treat the medium of photography. Barthes's work involves the construction of structuralism, and his reading of the work of Peirce. But Barthes's universe is not just the sign to the universe: his great book on Photography, "Camera Clara," has a phenomenological point of view (which refers to the Photo noema concept of Husserl's phenomenology), and uses elements of Lacanian psychoanalysis. Throughout the work of Barthes, the photo is read a key feature of structuralism dialogue, involving the creation of concepts such as connotation and denotation, or dull and obvious, until the development of the pair studium / punctum, which are no longer poles between which the photo exists, but states of Photography: How studium, the photo is displayed as indifferent object of study, while the expression defines the punctum opening of a phenomenon in which subject and photo will affect them.
One of the legacies of reading Barthes on photography is the perceived importance of the concept of "index", which is developed later in the work of Rosalind Krauss (in "Photo", and "The originality of the Vanguard"), Jean -Marie Schaeffer ("The poor image"), and Philippe Dubois ("The Photographic Act"). This relationship has not only been used in the field of art, as Krauss suggests, but has allowed the use of photography increasingly in the social sciences.
Image forming devicesThe Photography stabilizes as industrial process in the twentieth century articulating a camera or camera obscura as a device forming an image recording mode and image light - a light-sensitive surface, which may be photographic film, photographic paper or in the case of photography digital, a digital sensor CCD / CMOS that turns the light on a map of electrical impulses, which are stored as information in a digital storage card. In this process it is evident the relationship between photography and its allied processes. For example, a photocopy or xerography machine, permanent images but uses the transfer of static electrical charges rather than photographic film, hence the term electrophotography. In rayographs, published by Man Ray in 1922 are images produced by the shadows of objects on photographic paper, without the use of camera. And you can place objects directly from the scanner (scanner) to produce pictures electronically.
Photographers control the camera to expose the photosensitive material (or film) to light, which is altered qualitatively and quantitatively according to the possibilities of each instrument. The controls are often interrelated, for example, exposure varies according to the aperture (which determines the amount of light) multiplied by the shutter speed (which determines exposure time), which varies the tone of the picture, the depth of photographic field and the degree of temporal cut the model pictured. Different focal length lenses to vary the depth of the conformation iagem as well as its angle.
The controls of the camera may include:
Opening the lens
Exposure time (or aperture, shutter speed)
Fixed focal length of objective: (tele-objective, normal or wide), or variable (zoom)
Sensitivity of the film
Uses of photography
Photography can be classified as a technology of making images and attracts the interest of scientists and artists since its inception. The scientists used their ability to make accurate recordings, such as Eadweard Muybridge in his study of human and animal locomotion (1887). Artists also became interested in this aspect, and also tried to explore other ways besides the photomechanical representation of reality, as the pictorial movement. The military, police and security forces use photography for surveillance, identification and data storage. Aerial photographs were used to survey land use and planning of a particular region.
Brief history of photography The first photograph is an image produced in 1826 by Frenchman Joseph Nicephore Niepce, a pewter plate covered with a petroleum derivative called bitumen of Judea photosensitive. It was produced with a camera, and required about eight hours of exposure to sunlight. In 1835 Daguerre developed a process using silver on a copper plate called the Daguerreotype. Although several researchers that develop over the nineteenth century photography, as the historian Geoffrey Batchen in his book, Burning with Desire, it is considered that the date of invention of photography is the date on which the process of Daguerre to the French National Assembly on January 7, 1839.
Almost simultaneously, William Fox Talbot developed a different process called calotype, using paper sheets covered with silver chloride. This process is very similar to the photographic process in use today, as it produces a negative that can be reused to produce several positive images. Hippolyte Bayard also developed a method of photography but delayed announcing it and was not recognized as its inventor.
In Brazil, the French living in Campinas-SP Hercule Florence achieved results superior to those of Daguerre, developed as negative, but despite attempts to spread his invention, which he called "photography" - was the rightful inventor of the word - did not get recognition at the time. His life and work were not fully redeemed in 1980 by Boris Kossoy. The daguerreotype has become more popular as it responded to the demand for portraiture emerging middle class during the Industrial Revolution.
This demand, which could not be met in volume and in cost by oil painting, must have given the impetus for the development of photography. None of the techniques involved (the camera obscura and the photosensitivity of silver salts) was discovered in the nineteenth century. The camera obscura was used by artists in the sixteenth century, as an aid to sketching paintings, and photosensitivity of a solution of silver nitrate was observed in 1724 by Johann Schultze.
Recently, the modern photographic process suffered a series of refinements and improvements on the grounds of William Henry Fox Talbot. The picture has become for the mass market in 1901 with the introduction of Kodak Brownie camera, and in particular, with the industrialization of production and film development. Very little has changed since the principles, as well as color film has become standard, the auto focus and auto exposure.
The digital recording of images is increasingly dominant, as electronic sensors become more sensitive and able to provide definition in comparison with chemical methods. For the photographer lover of photography in black and white, little has changed since the introduction of the Leica 35mm film in 1925.
Part of the culture the figure of the photographer Lick lick, a professional who was in the streets taking pictures commercially, when buying a camera was very difficult due to its high commercial value.
The photography in everyday life andPhotography can be used in the investigation of the daily lives of our students, so that the images obtained by the school, family, neighborhood, city and things that surround them, they are guided through a specific methodology for analysis and study of these "moments documented" and its historical correlations, social, geographical, ethnic and economic, education, the mere availability of technological apparatus does not mean to facilitate the teaching-learning process. It is necessary that the teacher combines the technological resources with their knowledge and teaching strategies aimed at achieving a goal: the actual knowledge of the image provided through photography.
The photography was born in black and white, or rather black on white, in the early nineteenth century. From the earliest forms of photography became popular, like the daguerreotype, about the decade of 1823, to the current black and white films, there were many developments in technology and lower costs. The current films today have a wide range of tone, superior even to the color, resulting in images rich in detail. So the pictures taken with PB films are superior color images converted to PB.The half-tone black and white photographs are characterized by a wealth of passages from hues, the color photograph, however, does not properly capture the subtle nuances of tonal changes. We can say, therefore, that the black and white photography is more appropriate to capture mid-tones. At P &amp;amp;amp; amp; amp; B takes advantage of light and shadow effects that make it more beautiful - so much so that there are those who shoot only black and white even with the advent of digital equipment. Thus, it precipitated the debate that puts into question the chemical processes black and white front of the digital technology.
Color photography was explored during the nineteenth century and the early experiments in color could not fix the photograph and prevent the color from fading. During the half century that the emulsions available were not yet fully capable of being sensitized by the color green or red (full red sensitivity was only achieved with complete success in the early twentieth century).The first permanent color photo was taken in 1861 by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell. The first color film, Autochrome, just hit the market in 1907 and was based on dyed dots of potato. The first modern color film, Kodachrome, was introduced in 1935 based on three colored emulsions. Most modern color films, except Kodachrome, are based on technology developed by Agfacolor in 1936. Instant color film was introduced by Polaroid in 1963.Color photography may form images as a positive transparency, intended for use in a slide projector (slides) or color negatives, intended for use in positive color enlargements of specially coated paper. The latter is currently the most common form of color photographic film (not digital), following the introduction of automatic photo print equipment.
Digital PhotographyDigital photography is a photograph taken with a digital camera or some cell phone models, resulting in a computer file that can be edited, printed, sent by e-mail or stored on CD-ROMs or websites.Traditional photography was a considerable burden for photographers working at remote locations (as the correspondent of news organizations) without access to production facilities. With increasing competition from television, there was an increasing pressure to transfer images to the newspapers soon.
Photographers in remote locations would carry a mini-lab photo with them, and some means of transmitting their images through the telephone line. In 1990, Kodak unveiled the DCS 100, the first commercially available digital camera. Its cost precluded the use of photojournalism and professional applications, but digital photography was born.
In 10 years, digital cameras have become consumer products, and are likely to gradually replace their traditional counterparts in many applications because the falling price of electronic components and image quality improves.
Kodak announced in January 2004 it would no longer produce reusable 35 mm cameras after the end of this year. However, the photograph "net" will last, as dedicated amateurs and skilled artists preserve the use of traditional materials and techniques.
In digital photography, light sensitizes a sensor called a CCD or CMOS, which in turn converts the light into electronic digital code, an array of digital numbers (frame with the color values of all pixels in the image) to be stored on a memory card. Typically, the contents of this memory will later be transferred to a computer. It is also possible to transfer data directly to a printer, to generate an image on paper, without using a computer. Once moved from the memory card, it can be erased and reused.
Virtual albumsWith the popularity of digital photography, there were websites specialized in storing photographs. Your images can be viewed by anyone on the planet. They are organized by folders and can be separated by your choice matters.
Virtual Albums can be used for various purposes, here are some:
Portfolio: Widely used by amateur photographers / professionals to showcase their work.
Storage: Who does not want taking up space on your hard drive can use the album to store your photos.
Business: Others use albums to sell your photographic work.
Photojournalism meets a clearly defined function and has its own characteristics. The impact is fundamental. The information is essential. It is in press photography, an arm of documentary photography, which gives a great picture of the role of information, photojournalism. It is in photojournalism that photography can display all his ability to convey information. And this information can be passed with beauty, the simple framework that the photographer is able to do. Nothing happens today in the print communications without the endorsement of the photograph.
There are basically four kinds of news photography:
The social photographs: In this category are included the picture politics, economics and business, and pictures of events of general facts of the city, state and country, including a picture of tragedy.Sports Photos: In this category, the amount of information is the most important and what affects their publication.
Photos cultural:
This type of photography, its function is to draw attention to the news before it is read and the picture it is unique. In this item we can put a large second group, sports, photojournalism because in the best-selling after the police is a sport.
The police photographs: many, almost all the papers explore the sensational to show accidents with death, marginal in the act, to sell more newspapers and make an average with subscribers. You could say that there is a rivalry between the newspaper to see which one that shows the most shocking scene in a robbery, death, accident's big.
The picture in the media, especially in print (newspapers, magazines and brochures) is the most important, without an image, the material is poor.
The black and white photograph published in newspapers, there is more than one hundred years and is a feature of photojournalism. Although color photography has gained ground in this category, in the early 70's with the weekly magazines.
Peripheral Vision
Over the time the photo-reporters develop what we call peripheral vision, a greater degree of visão.Os degree view of the reporter increased by having to care for distance and near, clear example of this is football, where both ends are used.
Independent Photojournalism
The idea arose independently of photojournalism in France after World War II. He graduated agency photographers with the same goal: to have freedom of staff, discussing the work, to delve into stories and above all to fight for copyright and ownership of the original negatives. The Co-operative Magnum Agency founded in 1947 in Paris by four photographers: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, David Seymour and George Rodger, was the pioneer. The movement for the reconstruction of Europe and technological progress required by the ravages of war propelled the creation of a new way to make and sell the photograph and discuss its function. Paris for its geographical and ideological importance, facilitated it. The creation of this new way of procuring images would change the history of photojournalism in the world.
Over time, the news agencies are proliferated, and today many newspapers create small and midsize agencies, touting their photographers to sell their work and networks of the internal circulation of the newspaper photographs. We can see the images on the agency or the abbreviation.
PaparazziWith the history of the death of Princess Diana has created a folklore about the Paparazzi, photographers can get the opportunity to become famous because of their photos. Be ready with a camera in hand just to record an image that can yield much money, and reputation. The North American singer Britney Spears is often the target of paparazzi who make millions with embarrassing pictures of her at times, certain parts of the USA have already adopted policies against this type of professional.
Photograph publishedIn most of the media photographers photo published by independent gain, then you send dozens of photos and only one is published only receive it. For many, especially those who are starting something great to see your photo credit.
Lenses / LensesTo get a lens, a 24mm equivalent to a field of view 75 degrees, and a 300mm lens is equivalent to a field of view 12 degrees. With the fisheye lens 6mm, 8mm or 12mm, the photographer includes a field of view of over 190 degrees. A 500mm (those we see in football games, for example) to photograph only the goalkeeper on the other side of the football field. That is, lenses with values less than 50mm are considered wide angle, and with values above 150mm is considered telephoto.
Photographer is the person who takes photographs using a camera. It is generally considered an artist, it makes your product (picture) with the same dedication and the same way as any other visual artist.
When amateur and professional photos of a particular author bases much of their income in this activity, is said to be a professional photographer.
Sometimes, the adjective is used erroneously in professional photography to enhance a particular skill or photographic image of an author. Actually, the photo quality is not always related to the fact of its author or not professional. Many amateurs perform regularly images more successful than many professionals.
In fact, "professional" refers only to the profession of the author and not the quality of work. While a professional can do a job poorly done, can be understood better later in the piece of "art." The adjective amateur, when assigned to a photographer, can have a very broad meaning. People who just photograph your family and life, for personal use, consider themselves amateur photographers. Other amateur photographers get to publish books, conduct exhibitions and a lifetime devoted to the study of photography.
Photographer specializationsOnce the photo is currently a wide range of issues and goals, there are spe. The photographer specializing best to master the technique of a certain type of photograph or subject. The best-known specialties are the photo story (social events), fashion, photojournalism, landscape, portrait and advertising (the art object photography studio).
Formation of a photographer
The training in photography at art school can take place through a photography course or integrated into various disciplines of photography courses in art, design, painting, multimedia, film, journalism and so on. Usually these courses are geared to the pursuit of photography as art.
In a professional school, training in photography is more geared to the pursuit of commercial photography as a profession.
Photography and memory.
In the picture is the absence, the memory, the separation of those who love, people who have died, those who disappeared. For some people, photography is a pleasurable act, or appearing to be mimicking something that exists. For others, it is the need to prolong the contact, proximity, desire that the relationship persists.
Strelczenia, 2001, cited in Debray (1986, p. 60) notes that the image is born of death, such as denial of nowhere and to prolong life, such that between the represented and its representation there is a soul transfer. The image is not a simple metaphor of the missing, but "a real metonymy, a sublimated continuation, but his physical flesh."
The photo makes people remember their past and make them aware of who they are. The knowledge of the real and the essence of individual identity depends on memory. The memory links the past to the present, it helps to represent what happened at the time, because before uniting with now have the ability to see the transformation and somehow figure out what will come.
The photograph captures a moment, highlights a moment, that is, the time it stops running and not have changes. When looking at a photograph is important to appreciate the jump between the time the object was clicked and the present in which we contemplate the image, but the time taken is able to contain the before and after.
Trust is, therefore, the ability of the camera to keep the moments that are considered valuable. Taking photographs helps fight nothing, oblivion. To remember is necessary to retain some fragments of experience and forget the rest. It is rather the moments that are lost that we can save. According Strelczenia (2001), "Memory is recalling awards, making memorable, is punished with forgetting."
Photographs to remember, because the events end and the photographs remain, but we do not know if those moments were significant in themselves or become memorable for having been photographed.
The memory is constitutive of the human condition: man has always been busy producing signals that remain beyond the future, marks that serve the very existence and give it meaning. The photo brings more than what you see. She not only captures images of the world, but can register the "revealing gesture, the expression that sums up all the life that accompanies the movement, but that destroys a fixed image to cut the time, if not essential to choose the fraction imperceptible" (CORTAZAR , 1986, p.30)
This whole field of interpretation that allows the picture component of many factors, ingredients that act deeply (not always visible) on the meaning of the image. According to Lucia Santaella and Winfried Nöth (2001), these elements are: the photographer, agent, photographer, and the machine world, ie, the photographic act, the phenomenology of this act, the machine as a medium, the photograph itself; the relationship with the referent of the photo, the photo distribution, ie, its reproduction, the reception of the picture, the act of seeing it.
It is in the photo essay that the person seeking the thrill, something she has never felt. Photography is able to wound, to move or animate a person. For each it provides a kind of affection. In the composition of meaning of the picture, according to Barthes (1984), there are three main factors: the photographer (operator), the object (spectrum) and observer (spectator). The photographer sets his sights on the subject, he infects and causes the photos from his point of view. The object (or model) changes in front of a lens, simulating a thing is not. In the case of the observer, it generates a field of more significance, throwing all his repertoire and changing the image once again.
Barthes (1984, p. 45) also notes the presence of two elements in the picture, what the photographer wanted to convey is called studium, ie, it is obvious what is intended. However, when there is a detail that was not pre-produced by the author, is called punctum. The latter creates a new meaning to the observer, wounds, crosses, messes with your interpretation.
Through the photographs we discover the ability to obtain whole layers and emotions that are hidden in memory. You can also discover and acquire new meanings in those moments were not explicit.
To recognize the studium is inevitably find the intentions of the photographer, into harmony with them, approve them, dicuti them in myself, because the culture (which has to do with the studium) is a contract between creators and consumers . (...) The second element that runs counter to the studium then call punctum. This time, I'm not going to search him, that he is part of the scene, like an arrow, and comes pierce me. (Barthes, 1984, p. 48).
The images are apparently silent. Always, however, provoke and lead to a multitude of discourses around them.
Photography as art
Man has always tried to retain and secure movements of the world, starting with cave drawings, through painting on canvas and sculpture, and finally getting the picture. This is a means of mass communication and is very popular today and born in the Industrial Revolution.
According to Barthes (1984, p. 21), many do not consider art to be easily produced and reproduced, but its soul is true to interpret reality, not just copy it. There are a number of symbols organized by the artist and the receiver interprets and more complete repertoire of symbols.
Making Photography is not just squeezing the trigger. There must be sensitivity, recording a unique, singular. Photographer recreates the outside world through the aesthetic reality. In a world dominated by visual communication, photography comes only to add, can be art or not, all depends on the context, the time involved in image icons. It is the observer to interpret the image, adding to her repertoire and feeling.
"Shooting is put in the same line of sight your head, eye and heart."(Henri Cartier-Bresson)Photography StudioOne of the advantages of a big studio, is to allow a greater distance between subject and background. Under conditions with little space, it is difficult to light the two separately, and there is the danger of the shadows of the reason to form on the bottom. Lighting the background independently, it can be transformed hundreds of ways.Give it a gradual enlightenment, illuminating the top and bottom in different ways. Alternatively, design forms and colors on the bottom, putting on the lights masks (called gobos) or color transparencies. The rolls of white paper or black are the funds most used and most versatile. The rolls may be suspended from the top of the wall of a studio, and then pulled up and down flat on the floor of the studio, creating a curvature so that the junction of the wall with the floor is not visible in the photographs. As the paper will marring or soiling, cuts off that part and pull up more paper roll There are a variety of funds for sale through retail stores, but know that the simple backgrounds often work best, since not divert attention, and because a small studio is not always possible to blur the more elaborate forms that the fund may have.
Shutter speedThe time during which the shutter remains open determines the amount of light reaching the film. When selecting a shutter speed, make sure the camera is steady enough. The stronger you are, the lower will be the shutter speed used. Even a tiny movement during exposure can cause the entire image is blurry. Using a tripod is the only way to ensure the success of a photograph that requires a long exposure. With a telephoto lens, the instability of the camera is more noticeable than with a wide angle, so the larger the lens, the higher the shutter speed required. In addition to "freeze" the action, the shutter speed allows you to create effects that suggest movement, or special effects with the zoom.
Panning EffectIt is not always necessary to use a shutter speed as high. Often it can track the movement while shooting, to compensate, using a technique called "panning".Freeze movementThe shutter speed plays an important role in the transformation of moving subjects in a static image. The less time the shutter remains open, unless the subject moves within the frame and will be clearer. So they use a higher speed when shooting a moving subject, as to a high-speed or a horse running. There are also other factors to consider. First, the actual speed of the subject does not necessarily indicate how quickly the picture will change in the display.If a reason to go directly to the camera or away from her, the picture will change more slowly than if it passes at right angles, and will require less shutter speed to "freeze" motion. A move diagonally in the frame will need a shutter speed in between. The image size is also important: a train seen as a dot on the horizon does not appear to move as fast as a poppy teetered on a gentle breeze in front of the lens. The longer the focal length and more close to the subject, the higher the shutter speed.
Suggestions If you plan to expand the professional photo for the size of a poster, any movement of the subject will be much more noticeable than if you use it in thumbnails on a web page. Remember that there is movement in which many scenes which at first sight seem static: people move a photo of architecture, birds flying in a landscape and trees that bend in the wind. You may need to increase the shutter speed to compensate.
A shutter speed to freeze motion completely may not give the best results. Often there is an artistic merit in suggesting speed, leaving the reason to create a blur on film.
United Photo Press World Photography day ...
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Michael Jordan is the Man in Mexico!
Posted On 08 Jun 2012 / 1 Comment
You can tell just how popular a professional athlete is by how they are perceived in countries outside the U.S. If they have a world-wide appeal, you know they are special. And to this day, there is not one player that is any bigger than Michael Jordan. Both ESPN and Upper Deck honored MJ as the “Athlete of the Century” and he remains one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. There’s no disputing his popularity, heck we even met one fan who had Jordan’s autograph tattooed to his leg.
Upper Deck produced a set of trading cards for Michael Jordan honoring him as the athlete of the century.
It’s not surprising that Michael Jordan has fans all over the world, including Mexico where basketball is not one of the countries most popular sports. We met Victor recently who lives in Mexico who is a big Jordan fan and has the goods to prove it. Here’s his story:
“I’m a big basketball fan so I wanted to have a place to show my love for the game. I built a sports bar in the basement of my house that is 1500 square feet where I have some of my favorite basketball items housed. I’m proud to say that I don’t think anyone else in Mexico has a room quite like this.
As you walk down to the basement of Victor's house, you begin to see the Michael Jordan memorabilia.
Victor has a beautiful sports bar in his basement with plenty of memorabilia from soccer and other sports, but most is from Michael Jordan.
“I have no idols in my life, except for one; Michael Jordan. I believe he is the greatest athlete of all-time from any sport. I built this room in his honor. I’ve collected everything that has to do with Mr. Jordan over the last 15 years and in the bar I have a wall dedicated to his awesome achievements.
“It was always a dream for me to watch him play and I was lucky enough to attend two of his games. I saw him once in Washington D.C. and also went to his last game in Philadelphia in April of 2003.
Victor has an entire wall dedicated to Michael Jordan.
“I actually had the chance to meet him and talk to him for a few minutes. It was a dream come true and I showed him some pictures of my bar. He was very kind and signed a ball and jersey for me. I know not everyone in the world has the opportunity to meet the greatest athlete to ever walk the earth, so I feel lucky every time I think about that day. It was an unforgettable experience.
It is difficult to get close to Michael Jordan, but Victor had the opportunity once and made the most of it.
“There has never been another athlete like Michael Jordan and even though people like to compare others like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to him, anyone who knows the game understands there is no comparison to Michael. And now that he no longer plays, it still feels like there is a void in the NBA. Nobody can replace him and what he meant to the game. That’s why a quote I saw on a billboard in Philadelphia for his last game still reminds me of how irreplaceable he is that read, ‘That’s a big shoe to fill. Michael, thanks for the memories.’”
Encased in the floor of his sports bar is that memorable ad from Jordan's last game in Philadelphia.
Chris Carlin
2019-20 NHL Upper Deck Series One and 2019-20 NHL Artifacts Lead the Way with Hockey Collectors this Season
Upper Deck Looks to Bring Smiles to Collector’s Faces at the 2019 Western Canada Sports Collectors Convention This Weekend in Langley, BC
Vs. System 2PCG: Crossover Vol 2 card preview: Gem Bonds
Upper Deck Will Make Incredible Memories with Hockey Fans at the 2019 Fall Sport Card & Memorabilia Expo in Toronto!
Upper Deck Donates Over 10,000 Trading Card Packs to Local Law Enforcement, Fire Departments and First Responders for Annual Halloween Trick or Trade Event!
Snapshots Basketball is Now Available on e-Pack!
CELEBRATE NATIONAL DOG DAY WITH E-PACK!
Featured Collector: Wade’s Ultimate Collection is a Masterpiece!
NHL Chronology Volume 1 from Upper Deck is Creating a Huge Buzz in the Hobby
Amazing fan there. Only die hard Jordan fans need apply.
SEARCH THE UPPER DECK BLOG
2019-20 GAME DATED MOMENTS WEEK 15 CARDS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON UPPER DECK E-PACK®!
COPYRIGHT © 2019 THE UPPER DECK COMPANY, A NEVADA CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL ™ AND ® ARE THE TRADEMARKS OF THE UPPER DECK COMPANY, A NEVADA CORPORATION.
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Lee Yi Kyung
이이경
Yi I Gyeong
Lee Yi Kyung is a South Korean actor. Born on January 8, 1989, he made his acting debut in the 2011 television drama “Heartstrings.” He has since appeared in both independent and commercial films and in popular television dramas, including “School 2013” (2012), “Nine: 9 Times Time Travel” (2013), “The Blade and Petal” (2013), “My Love From the Star” (2013), “Trot Lovers” (2014), “You’re All Surrounded” (2014), “Because It’s the First Time” (2015), “Descendants of the Sun” (2016) and “Mirror of the Witch” (2016). Lee Yi Kyung also has appeared on many popular variety shows, including as a cast member of “Law of the Jungle in Yap Islands” (2015) and “Real Men” (2015). Lee Yi Kyung’s father is Lee Ung Beom, the CEO of LG Innotek.
Jan 8, 1989 (age 31)
HB Entertainment (Korea)
Welcome to Waikiki S2
Children of Nobody
Lee Yi Kyung Tells Story Of Friendship With BTS’s Jin
Watch: Stars Stun On Red Carpet At 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards
Update: Lee Yi Kyung Cast In Upcoming tvN Drama
Lee Yi Kyung Appointed Honorary Ambassador For Korean Emergency Services
Male Actors Who Cross-Dressed For Their Roles
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The rare and bizarre ritual of marching the impeachment articles from the House to the Senate
Avi Selk and
Avi Selk
Maura Judkis
Reporter covering culture, food and the arts
The world’s slowest missile was walked across the Capitol building Wednesday evening. A 1,416-word pleather-bound warhead, the “Articles of Impeachment Against Donald John Trump,” was escorted from the south wing by a procession of House Democrats and ceremonially lobbed into the Senate Chamber, where Republicans will spend the ensuing weeks trying to defuse the thing lest it blow up Trump’s presidency.
Nearly a month after the House passed the two articles — on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — without a single Republican vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, held an “engrossment ceremony” to sign the bill before it was walked over to the Republican-controlled Senate, which will hold the president’s trial.
Pelosi’s office said she was following “precedent” — a fuzzy word considering only two presidents before Trump have been impeached, with all the accompanying ignominious pomp.
Half an hour before the parade was set to begin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office dispatched a rain cloud, telling reporters that according to congressional rules the impeachment articles could not be “formally” delivered until the following day.
Formal or not, Pelosi (Calif.) and an entourage of high-level Democrats walked into the Rayburn Reception Room at 5:15 p.m. to find several dozen photographers already thronging the impeachment articles, which had been laid out on a table beside a sign that read “#DEFENDOURDEMOCRACY.”
“So sad, so tragic for our country that the actions taken by the president undermined our national security,” she said, speaking from a lectern between a pair of six-foot ornamental vases. “Today, we will make history when the [impeachment] managers walk down the hall.”
Pelosi sat down and signed the bill, which took several minutes, as she used a different pen for every stroke, plucking them from gold-colored trays and distributing them afterward to the other Democrats in Congress. “We’re done! We’re done! We’re done!” cried Rep. Maxine Waters (Calif.), who had been calling for Trump’s impeachment since 2017, before walking out of the Rayburn room holding her commemorative pen aloft.
The procession began. House Clerk Cheryl L. Johnson carried the articles out of the room and through the Capitol’s main corridor alongside House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and followed by seven impeachment managers Pelosi chose to prosecute the case at trial. Directly behind her were House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), their faces as impassive as the statues that flanked their route: Rosa Parks and Chief Standing Bear and Alexander Hamilton Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy.
The procession followed a route first laid out on Feb. 25, 1868, one day after the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. That time the bills were delivered to the Senate by Rep. Thaddeus Stevens (R-Pa.), who was so weak from an illness that attendants had to carry him through the Capitol in a chair.
“Every eye followed Thad Stevens as he limped down the center aisle of the crowded Senate chamber,” David O. Stewart wrote in his book “Impeached.”
“He invoked the authority of the House of Representatives and the people of the United States, then announced, ‘We do impeach Andrew Johnson, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors in office.’”
That first ceremony was even more haphazard than those to come. House Republicans had not yet decided which crimes and misdemeanors they were impeaching the president for, so Stevens hobbled back into the Senate Chamber a week later with nearly two dozen handwritten and hole-punched pages, charging Johnson with 11 articles, including an attempt “to bring into disgrace, ridicule, hatred, contempt, and reproach the Congress of the United States.”
Stevens’s walk created a sort of tradition — like a sparser, rarer and far less celebrated version of the ceremonial march to open Parliament in Britain.
One-hundred thirty years later — on Dec. 19, 1998 — Republicans repeated the impeachment walk, this time carrying articles accusing President Bill Clinton of obstructing justice and lying under oath. That parade, which included then-Rep. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), concluded in the cramped office of Senate Secretary Gary Sisco, who accepted the document from the House members, set it on his desk near his family photos and TV remote, and watched the procession immediately leave through a door decorated with Christmas wreaths.
For all the pageantry, both Johnson’s and Clinton’s impeachments ended in acquittal. Trump’s probably will, too, given that his Republican allies control the Senate and thus his trial. But Democrats got to walk the articles beneath the heavenly mural of the Capitol dome on Wednesday, and straight into the Senate Chamber, where Johnson, the House clerk, announced the coming “impeachment trial of Donald John Trump,” and Senate President Pro Tempore Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) replied in a deadpan tone: “The message will be received.”
A bust of President Richard M. Nixon looked on outside the chamber doors. He had avoided similar formalities by resigning first.
Our impeachment coverage: Live updates
Impeachment: What you need to read
Here’s what you need to know to understand the impeachment of President Trump.
What’s happening now: Trump is now the third U.S. president to be impeached, after the House of Representatives adopted both articles of impeachment against him.
What happens next: Impeachment does not mean that the president has been removed from office. The Senate must hold a trial to make that determination. The House voted Wednesday to appoint impeachment managers and transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said the trial will get underway “in earnest” next week. Here’s more on what happens next.
How we got here: A whistleblower complaint led Pelosi to announce the beginning of an official impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24. Closed-door hearings and subpoenaed documents related to the president’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky followed. After two weeks of public hearings in November, the House Intelligence Committee wrote a report that was sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which held its own hearings. Pelosi and House Democrats announced the articles of impeachment against Trump on Dec. 10. The Judiciary Committee approved two articles of impeachment against Trump: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Stay informed: Read the latest reporting and analysis on impeachment here.
Listen: Follow The Post’s coverage with daily updates from across our podcasts.
Want to understand impeachment better? Sign up for the 5-Minute Fix to get a guide in your inbox every weekday. Have questions? Submit them here, and they may be answered in the newsletter.
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Cubic Awarded $9.9 Million Contract to Support the Air Force Research Laboratory
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – WEBWIRE – Monday, January 26, 2015
Mission Support Services, a business segment of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), today announced it was awarded a contract valued at $9.9 million by the U.S. Air Force to support the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Human-Centered Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division in the counter Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) and survivability mission areas.
“This announcement underscores Cubic’s continued and trusted partnership with the AFRL at Wright-Patterson. We are honored to be selected for this award and to provide the essential functional and technical expertise necessary to enhance combat readiness and effectiveness,” said Bill Toti, president of Cubic Mission Support Services. “AFRL is recognized as one of the leaders in the area of counter-CBRN and survivability programs. As an R&D innovator, we are excited to expand the relationship we established with AFRL in 2006 and continue to conduct leading-edge projects that aid in developing innovative solutions, processes, and procedures for our military forces worldwide.”
Awarded under an AFRL Broad Agency Announcement, this five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) task order contract will focus on research, analysis, testing and evaluations of technology that will enhance the U.S. Air Force’s joint CBRN counterproliferation and survivability mission in the areas of cyber, electronic warfare, consequence management, alternative energy and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR).
Cubic Applications, Inc., an operating company of the Mission Support Services business segment of Cubic Corporation will manage the project in San Diego, California.
About Cubic Corporation
Cubic Corporation is the parent company of three major business segments. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services for intelligent travel solutions. Cubic Defense Systems is a leading provider of realistic combat training systems and secure communications. Mission Support Services is a leading provider of training, operations, maintenance, technical and other support services for the U.S. and allied nations. For more information about Cubic, see the company’s web site at www.cubic.com.
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How CVS Conned Sebastopol
Thread: How CVS Conned Sebastopol
02-05-2017 10:00 PM Top #1
John Eder
Join Date: Jul 3, 2011
Form Seb City Council Member
by John Eder, former Sebastopol City Council Member
I served on the Sebastopol City Council from 2012 to 2016, during the period when many of the events described in this account took place. I have attempted to present this information in the most accurate, complete and factual manner possible.
Longs Drugs was founded in Oakland in 1938. After growing to 521 stores, they were acquired by CVS in 2008. Longs had a store in the Redwood Marketplace in Sebastopol for many years prior to their acquisition. The store is owned separately from the remainder of the shopping center. CVS independently owned the store at this location, and has most likely either sold or leased it at this point.
Business Model Differences
Most of Longs Drugs locations were in shopping centers or downtown business districts, averaging around 30,000 square feet, and did not include drive through windows. CVS, on the other hand, has concentrated on creating new locations at heavily-travelled, high traffic count intersections, averaging around 15,000 square feet, with drive through windows being a standard feature. As a result, CVS is in the process of relocating as many of these shopping center stores as they can to busy corners, most being equipped with drive through windows.
As a sidebar, the largest competitor that CVS faces nationally is Walgreens. They have been battling it out with each other through the construction of new stores at high-visibility locations, often across the street or close by to one another. Currently, Walgreens is in the process of seeking approval to merge with Rite Aid, who has an existing store two blocks from the new CVS store in downtown Sebastopol. Thus, our downtown may be the next battleground for these warring corporations.
CVS Comes to Sebastopol
In early 2010, Armstrong Development (on behalf of CVS) submitted an application to the City of Sebastopol to develop a project consisting of a CVS drugstore (17,000 sq. ft.) and a Chase bank (3,800 sq. ft.) on the former two and a half acre Pellini Chevrolet site, which had been dormant since the end of 2008. The first proposal was stunning in its inappropriateness for Sebastopol. It was a generic, “as-seen-anywhere” suburban strip mall eyesore.
Only 15% of the site was designated for buildings, with the balance paved over for parking, far in excess of City requirements (this is still the case). In a nod to our expressed concern over concealing parking areas, the CVS store was oriented so that the parking was behind it, with blank stucco walls and the drive through window facing Screamin’ Mimi’s. It was apparent that the applicant had likely never spent much (if any) time here, getting a sense of our town. To the credit of the City, CVS was essentially told, “Nice try- come back with an acceptable proposal.”
Government Process 101
In my opinion, Sebastopol has a really disjointed process for project approval. The Planning Commission looks at projects from a land use perspective, separately and, sometimes, prior to, the Design Review Board, which looks at projects from a design/aesthetics point of view. Rarely are the two merged. The Planning Commission has been asked to approve a project without the ability to see what it will look like.
This occurred with the CVS project. I was at the Sebastopol Planning Commission meeting in May, 2011 (as a member of the public) when Commissioner Clare Najarian stated, “How am I supposed to approve a project that I have no idea what it even looks like?” A majority of her colleagues agreed, voting 4-2 for denial (the votes to approve coming from Commissioners Colin Doyle and Robert Green, the husband of then-Councilmember Kathleen Shaffer, a staunch advocate for the CVS project) of the Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) prepared by City staff for this project (an IS and MND are the basic documents required under CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act), a state law). They are the easiest route to satisfying the requirements of CEQA for project approval; otherwise, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), a potentially complex and expensive document, is required. Unfortunately, in the absence of direction from City staff at this meeting, the Planning Commissioners failed to develop adequate “findings” to legally support their denial. This floundering would come back to haunt the then-Sebastopol City Council.
Having abandoned their initial “Anytown, USA” generic building design, Armstrong Development hired a local architect, Kevin Kellogg, to produce a custom design for Sebastopol, in an attempt to give the project a “West County” vibe, with actual glass display windows and doors that faced our public streets. Oftentimes, the project seemed to be going backwards with each successive revision. Ultimately, the Sebastopol Design Review Board (DRB), after several meetings, denied the project due to design issues and lack of compliance with Sebastopol’s Design Review Guidelines. It was felt by them to be too modern and overbearing in its presence, and incompatible with our downtown core.
A Religious Calling
My initial interest in this project was piqued by the appearance of a notice from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in a window at the defunct Pellini dealership, indicating that an application had been filed to sell alcoholic beverages on the site. I immediately started to closely monitor the proposed CVS project as a citizen. It was never my intent to stop this project- my goal was to help realize a better result.
I attended every meeting and provided the developer (and City) with numerous photos of highly successful and inviting multi-story mixed use developments (some, ironically, containing CVS drug stores…), often with a vintage appearance, as inspiration to create a place Sebastopol could be proud of. An assortment of retail spaces, residential units and service providers that successfully integrated visually with our town, while expanding our economic base- a walkable place where you could comfortably meet your friends, shop and hang out.
I advocated for a more efficient and intense use of the precious downtown land being consumed by this project. A higher return on the developer’s investment. A really cool place that just happened to contain a CVS drug store and a Chase bank, both as components, not as the centers of attention. All of these efforts fell on deaf ears. When it became obvious that the developers had no interest in intensifying the project, I turned my attention to attempting to improve the design of the buildings. The current building design reflects, in part, that effort.
Tomorrow, Part 2 starts with 'CVS Pushes Back'
caverly, foxrosie, hanford, luke32, robert777, Sara S, Shepherd, ywv
02-06-2017 09:53 AM Top #2
Join Date: Oct 2, 2005
Location: Sebastopol
Re: How CVS Conned Sebastopol
Thanks, John, for the beginning of communicating the history. Long's was so much better than CVS. I look forward to your other 4 parts.
megun1, ywv
(See Part 1 here)
CVS Pushes Back
CVS likes to construct stores that conform to their standard designs as often as they can get away with, especially in towns with “lazy” or grateful, welcoming city governments. As a result, the resistance encountered in Sebastopol was pushing them way out of their “comfort zone”. The Armstrong representatives acted as if we were presenting the most outlandish requirements that they had ever heard. Their higher-ups were shocked that we were so demanding. They were polite, superficially compliant, but, most of all, slick. In the face of the continued rejection of their custom-commissioned “West County” design by a majority of the Design Review Board, Armstrong Development brought in higher management officials to threaten the DRB in a “good cop/bad cop” scheme, hoping that they would eventually capitulate. The Design Review Board remained resolute in its judgment.
Appeal Of Planning Commission Denial
Armstrong Development filed an appeal on behalf of CVS with the City Council to overturn the Planning Commission’s denial of the project. After determining that the Planning Commission had failed to develop
Kathleen Shaffer
Former Seb City Council Member
and proponent of CVS project
adequate findings to support their denial (due to the lack of staff direction to do so), on July 5, 2011, the then-City Council voted 4-1 to uphold the appeal and approve the City staff-produced Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the project, thereby clearing the way for it to proceed. Former Mayor Guy Wilson, Councilmembers Kathleen Shaffer, Michael Kyes and current Vice Mayor Patrick Slayter cast “Yes” votes. Current Councilmember Sarah Glade Gurney was the sole “No” vote. The late Michael Kyes eventually confided in me that he regretted his vote on this matter. Ironically, Patrick Slayter went on to later make the motion to approve a moratorium on new drive through facilities in Sebastopol, thereby triggering a costly lawsuit brought against Sebastopol by CVS. He also participated in and supported all aspects of the City’s defense efforts against the lawsuit.
The MND
To insure that a project is approved, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (based upon the Initial Study) can be written to conclude that a project either has “No Significant Impacts” or that all identified impacts can be successfully mitigated. If “Significant Impacts” are found and cannot be mitigated, then the project is either dead or on hold until an EIR is produced, and even then, approval is not assured. The conclusion of the MND prepared by City staff for this project was that all impacts noted could be mitigated- essentially, there would be no detectable difference between a dormant Chevrolet dealership and an operating CVS/Chase Bank.
After receiving the “green light” to proceed from the then-City Council, the weirdest thing happened- Armstrong/CVS went silent. It was a mystery as to why they didn’t aggressively pursue completion of the approval process. In this period, Armstrong had the primary approval required to move forward, and could have easily done so, getting everything that they wanted, including both of their coveted drive through windows. Instead, the now-fenced property went into a protracted period of decline, creating a massive eyesore in our downtown.
During the public comment period for the MND, a number of citizens, including me, had submitted, in writing, what we perceived to be obvious flaws in the City staff-prepared MND for this project. All of these concerns were essentially ignored by the City-seen as non-existent, not significant and/or easily mitigated.
The truly sad irony here is that it was eventually determined, after the appeal period had lapsed, and unbeknownst to the public, that the City’s MND contained a significant flaw, rendering it illegal. The approval tendered by the then-Sebastopol City Council for CVS, based on the City-prepared MND, was actually invalid and there was nothing that the City could do to remedy it at the point the problem was recognized.
Small Town Sebastopol (STS) Lawsuit
Helen Shane, member
Small Town Sebastopol
On August 8, 2011, a group of local citizens, the Committee for Small Town Sebastopol, filed a CEQA lawsuit against both the City of Sebastopol and CVS/Armstrong Development. Their suit contended that the traffic study performed for the project (upon which the recently-approved MND was partially based) was both flawed and inadequate, and that a full Environmental Impact Report (EIR), including an expanded traffic study, should be required by the City. They believed that an EIR would conclude that the project had impacts that were not capable of being mitigated, and, thus, should be denied by the City. It should be noted that the setting of a date for the hearing of this suit was delayed by CVS numerous times, ultimately ending in a CVS-requested settlement agreement.
Sebastopol eventually found itself as co-defendant with CVS in the STS lawsuit while simultaneously defending itself against the lawsuit brought by CVS. It is important to note that the City of Sebastopol did not initiate any litigation.
Appeal Of Design Review Board Denial
A second design for the CVS building was put forth by Armstrong Development. It incorporated a fake brick exterior, with detailing that gave it a “vintage” look, more in keeping with the feel of our downtown. While much more successful than the previous design, the Design Review Board continued to find the building and site plan lacking, and it was ultimately rejected by them.
Once again, Armstrong/CVS appealed the actions of a Council- appointed city advisory body to the then-City Council. The Council gave Armstrong/CVS final design approval on August 21, 2012. This cleared another large hurdle in the approval process. The vote was 3-2, with late Councilmember Michael Kyes and Councilmember Sarah Glade Gurney voting “No”.
A number of additional conditions were imposed by the Council, and it was agreed that the then-City Council would retain all future design approval authority. This move eliminated Sebastopol’s Design Review Board from the process from that point onwards. The result of the two major actions to date by the then-City Council (MND and Final Design approvals) was to seriously tie the hands of the succeeding Council to negotiate changes- the project was, in essence, approved and ready to move forward.
Tomorrow, Part 3 continues with The 2012 City Council Election...
luke32, Sara S, Shepherd, ywv
My appreciations to John for all he did as a Council member and for this part 2 history of the ongoing CVS struggle. I assume that Barry probably added the photos and appreciate his good work as a moderator to get these important stories to us and to illustrate them with appropriate graphics.
Speaking about important issues before the Sebastopol City Council, the Graton Day Labor Center is mobilizing workers to attend the Council meeting this evening at the Youth Annex on Morris Street. Please consider joining us there to support immigrant workers, Muslims, and others threatened with deportation. The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
Sara S, ywv
Goat Rock Ukulele
Now that the store is in all we can do is try to mitigate some of the negatives. When I was younger I would have just taken my 22 rifle some late night and shot out those stinking glowing red signs. But I'm not like that anymore. Man those signs are jarring and horrible on a rainy night. They need to dim them down some at the very least.
Barry, Sara S, ywv
The 2012 City Council Election
Five candidates ran for office in the November 2012 Sebastopol City Council election. It was essentially a single issue event- you were either a supporter or opponent of CVS. Two candidates, incumbent Councilmember Kathleen Shaffer and former Councilmember Kathy Austin, ran as supporters of CVS, with Robert Jacob and me running in opposition. Robert and I won seats on the City Council, thereby creating a majority on the Council critical of the project. The eerie silence from Armstrong/CVS continued after the election.
The Drive Through Moratorium
No Drive throughs, please
A prohibition on new fast food drive through facilities existed in Sebastopol at the time of the CVS project’s initial application. On December 18, 2012, the City Council initiated a moratorium on any new drive through facilities. This would allow them time to study the ramifications of an expansion of the existing prohibition on fast food drive through uses to include all drive through uses except gas stations, car washes and oil change facilities. The purpose of the moratorium was to preserve the existing status quo at the time of its imposition. Existing drive through facilities were protected, unless they ceased operation for a defined period of time.
It is established state law that cities are completely within their rights to amend their laws. What they cannot do is attempt to apply new regulations retroactively to previously-approved and vested projects. Many people incorrectly perceive that this is what the City Council did to CVS by invoking the moratorium and, ultimately, a prohibition against most new drive through facilities.
The reality is that Armstrong/CVS, due to their own inaction, had failed to achieve “vested rights” in the project. Having vested rights is defined as a legal status accorded to a project once the applicant has performed substantial work and incurred substantial costs after having obtained a building permit. Armstrong/CVS failed to achieve any of these requirements at the time the moratorium was implemented; thus, they had no right to expect immunity from any changes to existing City regulations. I am curious if Armstrong, being the savvy developers that they are, knew this when they sued Sebastopol.
Once the moratorium was initiated, the City was not obligated to process any additional permitting paperwork for any project that included a drive through component during the life of the moratorium. Thus, Armstrong/CVS was unable to proceed further at this point if they intended to retain the two proposed drive through windows. As before, they could have easily continued the permitting process, although no longer with the drive throughs.
A ban on all new drive through facilities (with exceptions as noted) was signed into law on Jan 6, 2015 by the Sebastopol City Council.
Merry Christmas, Sebastopol
“While visions of lawsuits danced in their heads…”
On December 24, 2012, representatives of Armstrong/CVS slid down the chimney at City Hall and served Sebastopol with paperwork initiating litigation against the City in state court. They accused the City Council of “depriving them of their civil rights”, seeing the moratorium as directed solely at their project. Thus began the legal confrontation, created by CVS, which ultimately cost the City of Sebastopol more than $360,000.00 to defend. The case was soon dismissed by CVS in state court, refiled by them in federal court on March 28, 2014 and eventually settled in September, 2014.
Negotiations Continue
On August 20, 2014, the City Council met with Armstrong/CVS to resolve final design issues.
At this meeting, CVS resisted the Council-imposed requirement for a second entrance at the corner of Sebastopol and Petaluma Avenues, citing security concerns. When confronted with photos of existing CVS stores with similar entry configurations, they agreed to the door, which is to remain open during all hours of operation.
From the beginning, CVS had insisted on a driveway on to Petaluma Avenue. The previous City Council had converted the driveway to an Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) pathway, inaccessible to the public. The Council had also approved a provision that CVS could come back 90 days after opening to petition the City to convert it back to a driveway (this is still the case).
There is a major flaw with this (now existing) location. Emergency vehicles would need to take the most inefficient route possible, or drive opposing one way traffic on Petaluma Avenue to utilize it. At this meeting, an alternative EVA route was approved by the Council that led directly to the project site. This was fully resolved to the satisfaction of all involved, including the Fire Chief.
Finally, the Council was told by the Planning Director at this meeting that all signs for the CVS building would come back to the Design Review Board at a future date.
Sebastopol was now a defendant in two lawsuits. It should be noted that the members of the City Council directly participated in very few of the negotiations between the City of Sebastopol and CVS/STS. Negotiations were typically conducted between the City Attorney, with assistance from outside council, and the attorneys for CVS and/or Small Town Sebastopol. The Council provided direction to our attorneys, who took those proposals to the attorneys for CVS and STS.
During this phase, the Council proposed to CVS that the building be reconfigured from one to two stories, with the upper story occupied by City offices, library, housing, senior center, or any number of other uses. Part of the building was already configured to have a second story office area for the store. To our complete shock, they indicated agreement with this requirement. However, they were clear that they did not want next door/upstairs neighbors (as they have elsewhere), so the proposal was modified to only require an actual, useable, but unoccupied second story. The Council’s thinking was that, should CVS fail at this location, the building could be repurposed, including the possible division of the first story into several retail spaces, and the upper floor utilized for yet to be determined purposes.
Overall, I would say that the City Council succeeded in getting CVS to eventually agree to most of its proposals regarding this project during the negotiations.
Tomorrow, Part 4 starts with The Settlement
erinsheff, Shepherd, ywv
Expressed Gratitude: 10,042
Auntie Wacco
Oh, if only every topic (here, or anywhere) could be covered like you have done here! Thank you so much.
scamperwillow, ywv
The Settlement
While negotiations were still in process, CVS approached both the City of Sebastopol and Small Town Sebastopol in May 2014 seeking a settlement of all litigation. As a result, on October 6, 2014, the City Council voted to authorize the Mayor to sign the Settlement Agreement that had been negotiated between Committee for Small Town Sebastopol, CVS and the City of Sebastopol.
Among the items contained in the agreement:
All drive through facilities in the project are eliminated.
The CVS building is to be redesigned to allow an actual functional second story, unoccupied at present, but suitable for future use.
Left turns are prohibited into or out of Barnes Avenue off of Highway 12 (Sebastopol Ave).
Solar panels are to be installed on CVS building roof.
Five electric vehicle charging stations are to be provided, one at CVS, with four located elsewhere
$150,000.00 is to be paid to Sebastopol and Small Town Sebastopol to compensate STS for legal costs, with the balance to be used for traffic mitigation measures (Note: the City is legally prohibited from recovering its legal expenses at any time, even if it prevails in a case). CVS admonished the City not to refer to this sum as “recovered legal fees”, for fear of the appearance of Sebastopol setting a precedent.
Emergency Vehicle Access to be relocated on Petaluma Avenue to make it actually useable.
Additional glass display windows to be provided on Highway 12 (Sebastopol Ave) face of building in lieu of solid brick wall.
A greater setback for CVS building from the intersection of Hwy. 12 and Petaluma Avenue.
Division of the project site into five parcels to allow future infill development at the site.
CVS Cons Sebastopol
A critical aspect of the Settlement Agreement for the City Council was the two-story CVS building design. The Council had made clear that they had three requirements for the second story: a load-bearing floor, an electrical service panel and a means of access (any other second story improvements were not the responsibility of CVS). Based upon negotiations, it was understood that these were to be provided. A line in City of Sebastopol Resolution 6007, dated October 9, 2014, in summarizing the terms of the settlement, refers to, “…provision of building features that would allow for a future second story for the CVS building…” Correspondence related to the negotiations had contained language such as “…true second story”, “A redesign of the CVS building including a second story…”, “Second story on the CVS building”, “…the second story have the opportunity to be used at some point in the future.”, “…a load-bearing floor on the second story of the CVS building…” Many more references to this essential item can be found elsewhere in relevant legal paperwork. It was clear that the City had received a commitment from CVS to build a two story building.
The City Council had requested updated, detailed drawings from Armstrong/CVS for months prior to the settlement, but we were told that they were not available. The City repeatedly requested cross-section drawings, as it was unclear exactly what CVS was proposing.
The requested drawings were finally received by the City Council on the day that we were due to sign the settlement Agreement, date stamped by the City as received on October 6, 2014 . The first thing noted by the City Council was the date on the drawings- August 15, 2014- two and a half months prior to the settlement date (contrary to CVS statements). The absence of cross-section plans was also noted. These were received electronically during the meeting where the signing of the Settlement Agreement, per the previous negotiations, was to take place.
While awaiting the cross-section plans, it was noted that the two story building elevations were now annotated “Glass in thickened parapet wall”, with an arrow pointing to the upper story windows. This was the first time that the Council had seen this annotation. The cross-section plans confirmed the Council’s suspicions. The upper story was fake- much like a Hollywood set. There was no roof above the first floor, the “thickened parapet” merely being first floor walls that extended upwards to hide the mechanical equipment on the first floor roof. The upper story windows are non-functional- in the completed building, their latches and hinges are on the exterior of the building. If they could be opened, they would open outwards. Lights are provided to give the appearance of the upper story being occupied at night.
At this point, it was obvious that the City Council and citizens of Sebastopol had been misled- conned, actually, by CVS. The Council indicated to our attorneys that the fake second story was a “deal-killer”- the settlement was off. We were informed by our legal team that if the settlement was not signed that day, CVS was prepared to go to court the following week to restart their litigation against Sebastopol, with an initial estimate of “next phase” legal costs of $500,000.00, and possibly more. While our attorneys felt that we would likely prevail in court, the Council realized that the City could not sustain continued litigation costs of this magnitude (don’t forget, per state law, the City cannot recover their legal costs, even if they prevail).
The next unilateral revision depicted in the CVS drawings was the relocation of the Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) pathway, from a Council-directed functional location back to its original illogical location. This reinstated the ability of CVS to approach the City Council at a future date to easily reconfigure it back into a driveway off of Petaluma Avenue, which was perceived as a traffic hazard by the previous Council.
But their con didn’t stop here. The CVS building signs had yet to be reviewed or approved by the Council as of the date of the settlement. When this was brought to the attention of CVS, they responded, “The signs that you see on our drawings are the signs that you are going to get.”
The con continued. The second, smaller building in the project, which had always been slated for a financial institution and designed as such, was now labeled “Retail or Bank”, a change made without agreement from the City. This unilateral redesignation is significant. It opens up the possibility of a future conflict over this building’s use. Does CVS feel that it is “grandfathered” in regards to Sebastopol’s Formula Business Ordinance, passed into law after the settlement agreement? In the view of CVS, is this a potential already-approved fast food location without a drive through?
I can’t help but wonder if CVS pulled the last minute con on Sebastopol as a means to extract retribution over the loss of their drive through window.
Tomorrow, the series concludes with "The Future"
Last edited by Barry; 02-09-2017 at 11:33 AM.
Bryan, erinsheff, scamperwillow, Shepherd, Tofu Larry, ywv
The City Council fought tenaciously for the best and highest use of this very visible site, always seeking an improved result. Is the behavior of CVS as described herein something that you condone? In my view, this is implied if you patronize their new store. If you don’t agree with the actions of CVS in this matter, the best action that you can take is to boycott the store, and encourage all of your friends to do the same. This store serves a market estimated to be in excess of 30,000 people in Sebastopol and the West County. As you can see, it is going to take a lot of “word of mouth” to have an effect.
If you don’t agree with
the actions of CVS
in this matter,
the best action that
you can take is to
boycott the store
There are viable alternatives for prescriptions nearby, including locally-owned stores. Express your opinion with your dollars by withholding your business from the new store. Also, per the City’s Conditions of Approval, "It is noted that the application allows members of the public unrestricted parking in all on-site spaces." This means that the CVS parking lot is a free public parking lot. I encourage you to use it often while shopping elsewhere or visiting our downtown- no patronage of CVS is required.
Some have stated, “CVS had the right to buy the land and develop it.” This is true, but doesn’t the manner in which they went about it cause you to question whether or not you support their actions? Armstrong/CVS was combative from the very early stages and proved their lack of trustworthiness throughout this process, creating suspicions that linger still. Close monitoring is required to insure that they actually meet their commitments to Sebastopol.
Others claim that the drive through ban discriminates against the disabled, the sick, parents with children, etc. To this I respond, “Just use the Sebastopol drive through pharmacy that you have always used.” Their typical response is, “We’ve never had one.” Somehow, since Sebastopol was incorporated in 1902, we have survived without a drive through pharmacy. There are alternatives. Forestville Pharmacy, for example, will deliver to your home in Sebastopol for a nominal charge.
My hope is that the new store, due to poor access issues, traffic congestion and active opposition, will become an “underperforming” location for CVS, leading to its closure. While they may operate the store at a loss for a while, possibly to demonstrate their disdain for Sebastopol and our neighbors, sooner or later it could draw the attention of higher management. CVS is slated to shutter 70 locations in the first part of 2017. Could the new store find itself on a corporate “hit list” sometime in the future? You can personally increase the chances of that happening.
I am told that the fake two story building cannot be economically reconfigured for a true upper story. If true, Sebastopol is stuck for the foreseeable future with a Hollywood set on one of our most prominent corners. It is likely that this building will need to be demolished to make way for a more intense and appropriate use of this precious land in our urban core.
For years, every time that I passed the dead Pellini dealership, I intuitively knew that it was going to be developed, and, given its size, likely by a deep-pocketed developer who wouldn’t necessarily have the best interests of our town as their first priority. I, along with many others, was “asleep at the switch”. Preoccupation with my own life allowed me to ignore the looming potential of inadequate, substandard development at this site. Sebastopol could have gotten out in front of this project by visioning the future use of this property, and then taking the steps necessary to insure a successful result. They couldn’t afford to purchase the property, but they could have crafted parameters that would have provided a potential developer with a statement of our expectations. As a result of this experience, the City of Sebastopol took a more proactive route with the former Diamond Lumber Yard/Sebastopol Tractor Supply site adjacent to the Plaza. That process resulted in the current proposal for the Sebastopol Hotel. While many people are not pleased and worry, with justification, about the gentrification of Sebastopol, in my opinion, this process worked and the result is a success. For some time, there were unsubstantiated rumors that an Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar was going to be developed there. True or not, you can imagine all of the possibilities that would be much worse than the proposed hotel.
The City of Sebastopol had a solid case, and, based on the courts’ tendency to rule in favor of cities in similar cases, it was felt that we had a very high probability of prevailing in court. The cost, however, would be staggering. It was also felt by the City that the Committee for Small Town Sebastopol (STS) may have found the “smoking gun”- a flawed traffic study. Had an EIR with a more thorough traffic study been required, it likely would have divulged the inability of the CVS project to legally comply with CEQA due to traffic impacts, thereby killing it. It was also felt by the City that the settlement overture from CVS was motivated primarily by the STS lawsuit. It likely was of greatest concern to CVS, as they may have recognized the extent of their exposure to a loss in court should the case ever be heard. Unfortunately, STS was unable to continue to challenge CVS due to the enormous potential costs involved. The only other plausible explanation for their request for settlement discussions was recognition by higher management at CVS of the costs and time delays that had been incurred by them to that point. It is thought that CVS conceivably spent the better part of a million dollars on litigation to this point, with additional significant costs yet to come.
While the City Council fought hard, in the end we were outspent, out lawyered, out maneuvered and out smarted by CVS. This is what they do for a living. They fight battles in many communities like ours, and even the slightest appearance of a victory by the “little guy” is unacceptable to them, as it gives courage to their current and future foes.
Finally, as I stated in my farewell remarks when leaving the City Council last December, I truly feel that City staff and two successive City Councils failed the citizens of Sebastopol on many levels in this matter, and for that I am sorry.
applefan, foxrosie, Karl Frederick, robert777, Sara S, scamperwillow, Shepherd, ywv
02-09-2017 04:57 PM Top #10
Location: Sebastopol, California, United States
Received Gratitude 10,749 times for 3,503 posts
Founder & Moderator
So there's the whole story, according to former City Councilmember John Eder.
To recap, the city had an existing moratorium on drive through windows for fast food restaurants at the point of CVS's initial application was filed. The city then extended the moratorium to all new drive throughs after the project was approved but before it had "vested rights". CVS then sued the city and eventually reached a settlement with the city that included a requirement for a "functional second story" which would make the building more suitable for future uses should CVS move out.
CVS waited to supply the final design until the day the agreement was to be signed, and the design did not include a functional second story, along with other design aspects that had been agreed on but not delivered, plus attempting to re-designate the abandoned Chase bank as "Retail or Bank".
CVS threatened the city to continue to pursue their lawsuit, even though it was destined to fail, with their big corporate budget unless Sebastopol signed the agreement that day. The city caved under financial pressure.
Now what do you think? Will you shop at CVS? Will you boycott or accept it?
And how do you feel about the building, parking lot and traffic effects??
Seems like lots of people are making left turns on Hwy 12 into the parking lot. Is that causing trouble??
foxrosie, John Eder, Karl Frederick, Sara S, scamperwillow, Shepherd, WhirledWords, ywv
Thanks for putting up with me on the telling of this account. It is important that as many people in Sebastopol and the West County know what a crappy corporate neighbor they have with CVS...
Barry, foxrosie, Sara S, scamperwillow, sharingwisdom, Shepherd, ywv
JimmyL
I never understood the logic or science that the City has on drive throughs. Certainly one for a pharmacy is a better use than for fast food places. Which all have them. If it's greenhouse gasses, what about all the cars idling into and through town every day, hundreds.
I always felt that those folks who wanted a park or a more "appropriate" use for the site should have done something about it.So we have CVS.
Thanks John for a clear and concise presentation, both facts and analysis. I hope it helps other towns battle this corporate rapist. My only critique is for the word conned. Screwed is more apt. Cvs waited, planning their moment, then twisted the city over and shoved it in.
John Eder wrote:
Barry, Sara S, Shepherd, ywv
I agree, Sebastopol was outsmarted by CVS. I do think John and co-council owes us a Mea Culpa. After all it was us voters who got conned into thinking that we would be protected against this behavior by their election. Instead we now have a precedent and open invitation to more harm by other big companies to come to town and do the same.
Why weren't there penalties or retainers build into the permit process to overcome these kind of confrontations? Where was the due diligence, I doubt this was the first time CVS has done this.
I also would like John to explain why you would force a builder to build a 2nd story that they didn't want, but telling them that it would help the City in case the store fails.... Is that Sebastopol's welcome to our town now? It's akin to telling a teenager that they can only buy a van since they might get pregnant and then they would need it for their kids.
... My only critique is for the word conned. Screwed is more apt. Cvs waited, planning their moment, then twisted the city over and shoved it in.
02-14-2017 06:05 AM Top #15
You seem to be blaming the victim, in this case John and others on the City Council. They fought heroically against one of the largest, most powerful, wealthy corporations in the world. They and we lost, but not because we did not try. We lost because at least one City Council member, Kathleen Schaefer, sided with CVS and Chase Bank at that time, seeking their benefits. She wanted to be mayor. She was defeated in the following election and quickly moved away in disgrace. John represented the majority of us, and still does.
We were not "outsmarted." We are a small town and we were out-spent. John is out there weekly with his Boycott CVS signs. And you? We were not "conned," as you say. We were well-represented by John and others, who did the best that they could, under the circumstances. There is no "open invitation to more harm." We will continue to fight. Join us, rather than blame the victims.
BOYCOTT CVS! RUN THEM OUT OF OUR SMALL TOWN!
Bob2 wrote:
I agree, Sebastopol was outsmarted by CVS. I do think John and co-council owes us a Mea Culpa. ...
Gratitude expressed by 10 members:
Barry, foxrosie, markfassett, robert777, Sara S, scamperwillow, WhirledWords, wisewomn, ywv
Victims? Maybe more like sheep that were led astray Shepherd? How were we well represented if CVS did what it wanted to do? Come on, they didn't do their due diligence. If they had and used good legal counsel, they could have put all kind of penalties or retainers build in to the permit process with a building that was obvious over their head. It DOES create an open invitation for anyone with deep pockets to THREATEN to sue the town and get what you want.......
I've seen John out there and admire that he continues to fight, not so sure what he's fighting though, does he want another empty store there? His presence actually has the opposite effect. It attracts attention to the store that to the casual observer looks closed with those dark tinted windows. At least that's what it looked like to me.
So we didn't get an unoccupied 2nd story, is that really a crime? The added traffic is a joke. The most perilous traffic situation in Sebastopol is right in front of WF! I don't see anyone protesting that intersection or admonishing WF that they don't have enough parking for the size of the store, but I bet anyone who drives in Sebastopol has a story about a close encounter in that stretch of traffic turmoil.
Shepherd wrote:
You seem to be blaming the victim, in this case John and others on the City Council. ...
gypsey
Are you aware you are writing about two city council configurations? And do you get the legal restrictions governmental authorities have in us? If you did your critique would be far more entertaining. Cvs has strongarmed a wasteland into the heart of our town and the people who fought to mitigate it (with demonstrable positive effect), you chose to trash. Please try to make your point again. I really do think you might have something worth the time to read.
Victims? Maybe more like sheep that were led astray Shepherd? How were we well represented if CVS did what it wanted to do? Come on, they didn't do their due diligence. ...
Sara S, Shepherd, ywv
Yes, Ross, the 2nd council was voted in to FIX the CVS deal!
Yes, Ross, I'm aware of the legal restrictions governmental authorities have in US. Have you ever pulled a building permit, Ross? Did you feel restricted or did you feel the town was restricted?
So now tell me, Ross, how Sebastopol can FORCE an owner of a store to put up a 2nd story it's not going to use??? Would they have to pay taxes for that? Would they be forced to develop it? is that what you mean by " legal restrictions governmental authorities have in us"?
Right now this is a personal vendetta for John who has stated that he wants CVS to fail!
What good would that do for Sebastopol, please tell me that, Ross. I think that would be entertaining.....
Are you aware you are writing about two city council configurations? And do you get the legal restrictions governmental authorities have in us? If you did your critique would be far more entertaining. ... Please try to make your point again...
John, my apologies for my hastily written reprimand. After rereading your final conclusion it appears that we have come to the same conclusion a) The council could have been more pro-active and " they could have crafted parameters that would have provided a potential developer with a statement of our expectations"
b) The city of Sebastopol did not do due diligence, "I truly feel that City staff and two successive City Councils failed the citizens of Sebastopol on many levels in this matter, and for that I am sorry."
John, I never questioned your integrity or dedication to the project, just the experience or competence to take on the big boys.
robert777
The threat of a lawsuit against KOWS Radio and the City Council was also the deciding factor in KOWS loss on the issue of building an antenna. This, unfortunately, is the trump card played by wealthy groups.
Mamazon, Shepherd, tommy
Yes i do have significant experience building and pulling permits, even development. It a crazy game. I don't know if the city had the right to require the structure have a developable second strory, they certainly tried. And i think in the long run it would be good for both town and company. Why cvs chose to play the bully endgame to avoid this requirement i don't know, but its a clear example why so many communities struggle with cvs.
...Have you ever pulled a building permit, Ross? ...
So now tell me, Ross, how Sebastopol can FORCE an owner of a store to put up a 2nd story it's not going to use???....
applefan
I will never shop there and will encourage my friends and contacts to do the same.
Barry, mabbott, Sara S, Shepherd, ywv
LOL this reminds me of a friend of mine who lives on Hurlbut. She protested the Longs/Lucky shopping center and was very active in trying to prevent the development and encroachment on her neighborhood. She vowed to never shop there and kept her word for a couple of years until she realized that it was costing her money and time to go elsewhere and she slowly started to go whenever it was convenient until the protests were all forgotten.
Tell me applefan which stores are you going to shop at instead?
applefan wrote:
Mr. O'Foole,
Welcome to Wacco. I have compiled a list of alternatives to CVS for applefan and everyone else, shown below. These should more than adequately meet your needs as well, Bob.
Pharmacy alternatives to CVS in Sebastopol and the West County:
1.) Rite Aid Pharmacy 218 N. Main Street Sebastopol (707) 829-3007
Store Hours: 8 am-9 pm Pharmacy: 9 am-9 pm (9 am-6 pm Sat/10 am-6 pm Sun)
2.) Safeway Pharmacy 406 N. Main Street Sebastopol (707) 823-1937
Store Hours: 24/7 Pharmacy: 9 am-8 pm (9 am-5 pm Sat/Sun)
3.) Forestville Pharmacy 6652 Front Street (Highway 116) Forestville (707) 887-2268
Store and Pharmacy Hours: 9 am-6:30 pm (M-F) Store Hours: 9 am-5 pm (Sat/Sun) Pharmacy Hours: 10 am-5 pm (Sat) Closed Sun (They deliver to Sebastopol and the West County for a nominal charge.) Local business.
4.) Lark Drug Pharmacy 16251 Main Street Guerneville (707) 869-9055
Store and Pharmacy Hours: 9 am-6:30 pm (M-F) Store Hours: 10 am-6 pm (Sat) 11 am-3 pm (Sun) Pharmacy Hours: 10 am-4 pm (Sat) Closed Sun Local business.
5.) Safeway Pharmacy 16405 Highway 116 Guerneville (707) 869-0613
If at all possible, GO LOCAL- keep your dollars in our communities.
applefan, Barry, foxrosie, Sara S, Shepherd, wisewomn, ywv
Yeah, I figured you would recommend safeway. Here's an article so you know what you are supporting now John...
https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/03/...-make-changes/
Just making sure you want to support the gun lobby, John!
Now, the grocer is in the hands of a savvy private equity group that is perhaps best known not for its supermarket holdings but for its stake in gun and car companies and military contractors. Cerberus owns the country’s largest gun company, Freedom Group, and in 2003 bought two of the largest rental car companies — Alamo and National. Then in 2007, it bought Chrysler, the car company that two years later required a taxpayer bailout.
And Rite-aid/Walgreen, are they any better than CVS?
https://nationalpainreport.com/story...s-8823345.html
Walgreens' management noted that it also would seek to merge some Rite Aid locations into Walgreens stores and viewed Rite Aid stores as "generally inferior" to Walgreens stores, Mushkin wrote.
"Perhaps even more important is that after listening to management, we expect that as Rite Aid's leases come up for renewal, (Walgreens) would look to actively prune Rite Aid's store base," he said.
John, I have a few more questions for you.
Were you on the City council when Whole Foods took over the video store? Was there a traffic impact study done or required at the time of the expansion? As I mentioned before The WF traffic congestion is a major obstacle in downtown Sebastopol. Will this ever be addressed or just accepted? CVS is NOT downtown but on the outskirts with minimal foot traffic (there are no other walk-in stores on that side)
Who allowed the mess that is the Barlows? To have a "shoppingcentre" with cars driving through it while they could have created a pedestrian haven/ open space in the center with building surrounding it instead. What it is now, is pedestrians dodging cars to get from one store to another. The barlows could have been a major open air event/ hang out space in town instead we got What?
So John what I'm saying is that maybe CVS is not the problem but the building permit/planning/design people in Sebastopol are the real problem. Ask Ross what it takes to pull a permit if you don't believe me.
foxrosie, Sara S
Received Gratitude 12 times for 7 posts
To be clear. KOWS and the City of Sebastopol WERE sued! KOWS voluntarily withdrew it's application out of consideration for the city. It is very likely KOWS would have prevailed on the merits of the case. However the station and the city simply didn't have the money to spend to defend themselves. Especially after what happened with CVS. As it turned out the plaintiff was able to extort concessions from both the city and the station regarding ever trying to reapply for a permit at the same site. Remind you of anyone? Sad!
american dream, caverly, Shepherd
Tiann
Expressed Gratitude: 2
Received Gratitude 6 times for 2 posts
Barry wrote:
...And how do you feel about the building, parking lot and traffic effects??
John, Barry?
I thought there was to be no left turn allowed into CVS from West-bound Hwy 12?! It is a problem. There's back up there for the signal at Petaluma Ave and Hwy 12 and it's hard enough to get through that intersection during high usage times. I'm concerned that drivers will try getting around cars stopped there for a left-hand turn and more traffic jams will occur (and frustration, too).
And a side question about the moratorium on drive-throughs: I asked at the library why they don't have a drop-box for those of us that just have books and media to return. As it is, the parking near the library is so impacted that I am often circling 2 or 3 times before finding a spot to park and am sometimes idling while I wait for a spot to clear. I could walk to the library, but I am often dropping off my books as part of a full day of work and errands an it's right along my route.
The librarian I asked about a drive-by drop box told me it is considered a drive-thru and would not be allowed. Wouldn't it help with traffic congestion and flow and pollution if the library had a drive-by drop box? I imagine this issue has been explored before . . .
Terriann
Barry, Sara S
The left and right turns from Highway 12 into CVS are far worse than the traffic outside Whole Foods, in spite of the claim by one person. One can get backed up for a long time and further than Llano Rd. to the East, and pass the library to the West. Traffic alone should be enough to condemn CVS, a pharmacy which should be helping heal people, rather than make our lives worse.
BOYCOTT CVS!
Tiann wrote:
I thought there was to be no left turn allowed into CVS from West-bound Hwy 12?! It is a problem. There's back up there for the signal at Petaluma Ave and Hwy 12 and it's hard enough to get through that intersection during high usage times. ...
Barry, caverly, foxrosie, Sara S
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Youngstown plans curfew crackdown
Youngstown police say they'll be stepping up enforcement of the city's curfew for young people under the age of 18 beginning Thursday night.
Thursday, July 11th 2019, 12:55 PM EDT by Glenn Stevens
Thursday, July 11th 2019, 12:58 PM EDT
Mayor Tito Brown and Police Chief Robin Lees say additional patrols will be out conducting sweeps to enforce the 11 p.m. curfew when young people should not be out on the streets.
Chief Lees says parents and guardians will be held accountable.
“The folks that are going to hear about it are the parents because the parents will receive a summons. They'll be brought into court, and the violation will be addressed. The parents will ultimately be held accountable for these violations,” said Lees.
The chief says the curfew sweeps are primarily a prevention effort to keep kids safe.
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https://www.wiltonbulletin.com/opinion/article/Veterans-Day-thoughts-14814615.php
Veterans Day thoughts
Published 5:30 am EST, Thursday, November 7, 2019
Photo: Contributed Photo
On Monday, Nov. 11, there will be programs to honor Veterans Day at 10:30 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Green on Center Street, and at Middlebrook School.
At one time in our history, nearly every able-bodied young man served in the military. Although the opportunities were much fewer, many women chose to serve as well.
We honor veterans for their service. We honor all of them for their sacrifices. We remember the iconic vets who won World War II, fighting in Europe, or the Pacific. We salute those who fought in Korea, and the long tumultuous jungle war of Vietnam.
We honor, too, the desert fighters of the first Iraq War as well as those who have served in the Gulf wars and the ongoing war in Afghanistan. And the veterans of lesser known conflicts — the invasions of Grenada, and Panama, the flyers who enforced the no-flight zone protecting the Kurds — all did as they were asked to do, at risk of life and limb.
Today, those who voluntarily serve our country by putting on the uniform of one branch of our armed forces is very small — nearly 1.4 million or 0.5 percent of the American population, according to the website for the Council on Foreign Relations, cfr.org. That is down significantly from the 2.2 million on active duty when the draft was ended in 1973.
There were about 20.4 million veterans in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center. The largest percentage served in the Gulf wars from 1990 to present. With fewer and fewer people enlisting, the Veterans Administration estimates there will be around 12 million veterans by 2045.
Many of those who serve today signed up after America was attacked for the first time since 1941. They now find themselves in arid deserts and frigid mountains, not on the shores they volunteered to defend. With the example of their risks and sacrifices, Veterans Day rings a little louder in the heart.
Such is war. Its cost is borne by many, who are often remembered by few.
Veterans Day gives a chance for all who benefit to thank all those who have served — postmen and farmers, salesmen and waitresses — responding to their nation’s call by offering every last thing they had to give — their futures, their dreams, their lives.
In August, Trout Unlimited did a heroic job in treating some of the ills that had befallen the Norwalk River due to development over the years. The Mianus Chapter designated a half-mile section that runs through Schenck’s Island for some much needed TLC.
Volunteers from the chapter, along with seasonal workers from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, took a fish census. Then, the chapter brought in professionals from Trout Scapes in Montana to deepen channels and place boulders, tree limbs and root wads in the river to make it a better habitat for the fish — large and small — that live in it. We humans will benefit, too, by being able to enjoy a river that’s a little wilder and a lot healthier.
The chapter would like to continue its work along several other stretches that would total about 2.5 miles. It can’t all be done through volunteers. It takes money. The Schenck’s Island work did not cost taxpayers a dime, but the community can say thank-you by participating in a fundraising contest presented by the national Trout Unlimited organization and Orvis.
The contest is called the Embrace A Stream Challenge that offers Trout Unlimited chapters across the country the chance to win a share of $45,000 in cash prizes. All it takes is a donation that can be as small as $10, but can be a lot bigger, too.
The contest runs Nov. 4-10 and donations may be made online at embraceastream.org/organizations/mianus-chapter-of-trout-unlimited.
Anyone who doubts the value of the work done or the dedication involved may view a video at WiltonBulletin.com. Please help Trout Unlimited continue to help Wilton.
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NCAA bubble bursts for several teams, including Notre Dame and USC
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Matt Farrell #5 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish reacts in the first half against the Duke Blue Devils during the quarterfinals of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 8, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
SOURCE: (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Bubble bursts. Here’s who is out of the 68-team field:Notre Dame had a seven-game losing streak while preseason All-American Bonzie Colson was out injured and couldn’t do enough by the time he returned. With Davidson’s last second win in the Atlantic 10 championship game, the Fighting Irish became one of the first teams bumped.USC was seeded second in the Pac-12 Tournament but lost in thec onference final to Arizona. The Trojans missing the cut may be one of the biggest surprises of Selection Sunday. USC was arguably the second best team in the Pac 12 this season, but lost out to Arizona State. Louisville had a chaotic season mired by the firings of coach Rick Pitino and AD Tom Jurich amid an FBI case. The Cardinals went 20-13 overall but were 9-9 in ACC play.Despite going 28-5 overall with a 16-2 conference record, Saint Mary’s lacked high-quality victories, and it’s tough on a West Coast Conference team to get those opportunities.Nebraska won 22 games and went 13-5 in Big Ten, but was 1-6 against quadrant-1 teams.Oklahoma State beat Kansas twice and had victories against Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Cowboys also lost an assistant coach in the FBI scandal.Baylor lost four offive down the stretch to play itself out.Middle Tennessee made its first Top 25 appearance and dominated the Conference USA regular season, but came up short in the conference tournament.
Bubble bursts. Here’s who is out of the 68-team field:
Notre Dame had a seven-game losing streak while preseason All-American Bonzie Colson was out injured and couldn’t do enough by the time he returned. With Davidson’s last second win in the Atlantic 10 championship game, the Fighting Irish became one of the first teams bumped.
USC was seeded second in the Pac-12 Tournament but lost in thec onference final to Arizona. The Trojans missing the cut may be one of the biggest surprises of Selection Sunday. USC was arguably the second best team in the Pac 12 this season, but lost out to Arizona State.
Louisville had a chaotic season mired by the firings of coach Rick Pitino and AD Tom Jurich amid an FBI case. The Cardinals went 20-13 overall but were 9-9 in ACC play.
Despite going 28-5 overall with a 16-2 conference record, Saint Mary’s lacked high-quality victories, and it’s tough on a West Coast Conference team to get those opportunities.
Nebraska won 22 games and went 13-5 in Big Ten, but was 1-6 against quadrant-1 teams.
Oklahoma State beat Kansas twice and had victories against Texas Tech and West Virginia. The Cowboys also lost an assistant coach in the FBI scandal.
Baylor lost four offive down the stretch to play itself out.
Middle Tennessee made its first Top 25 appearance and dominated the Conference USA regular season, but came up short in the conference tournament.
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North Korea willing to talk to US, South Korea says
Updated: 1:03 AM CST Feb 25, 2018
By Hilary Whiteman
(KOREA POOL/AFP/Getty Images)
Kim Yong Chol (C), who leads a North Korean high-level delegation to attend the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games closing ceremony, arrives at the inter-Korea transit office in Paju on February 25, 2018.
SOURCE: (KOREA POOL/AFP/Getty Images)
North Korea is willing to hold talks with the United States, South Korean President Moon Jae-In said in a statement Sunday.The South Korean leader said he'd met with the North Korean delegation that's in PyeongChang for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, and told them that North Korea-US talks should happen "as soon as possible."Moon said the North Koreans indicated they were willing to talk with the US, and agreed that "the inter-Korean relationship and North Korea-US relationship should develop together."Moon met for an hour with the North Korean delegation at an undisclosed location in PyeongChang at 5 p.m. local time Sunday, three hours before South Korea prepared to host the carefully-choreographed closing ceremony.As the lights dimmed on the stadium, delegates from North Korea and the US took their seats in the VIP box.President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, who attended the Olympics as a US presidential adviser, was seated just feet away from North Korean delegation leader Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the Party Central Committee and former head of North Korea's intelligence agency.The inclusion of Kim, who's on the list of individuals sanctioned by the US and South Korea, was considered controversial, given his ties to a fatal torpedo attack on a South Korean warship in 2010.Speculation of potential North Korea-US talks rose earlier Sunday when South Korea released the full list of North Korean delegates, which includes Choi Kang Il, the deputy director of North American affairs.In his statement, Moon said he met all eight delegation members before speaking with leader Kim and Ri Son Kwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.The-CNN-Wire
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea —
North Korea is willing to hold talks with the United States, South Korean President Moon Jae-In said in a statement Sunday.
The South Korean leader said he'd met with the North Korean delegation that's in PyeongChang for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games, and told them that North Korea-US talks should happen "as soon as possible."
Moon said the North Koreans indicated they were willing to talk with the US, and agreed that "the inter-Korean relationship and North Korea-US relationship should develop together."
Moon met for an hour with the North Korean delegation at an undisclosed location in PyeongChang at 5 p.m. local time Sunday, three hours before South Korea prepared to host the carefully-choreographed closing ceremony.
As the lights dimmed on the stadium, delegates from North Korea and the US took their seats in the VIP box.
President Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, who attended the Olympics as a US presidential adviser, was seated just feet away from North Korean delegation leader Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the Party Central Committee and former head of North Korea's intelligence agency.
The inclusion of Kim, who's on the list of individuals sanctioned by the US and South Korea, was considered controversial, given his ties to a fatal torpedo attack on a South Korean warship in 2010.
Speculation of potential North Korea-US talks rose earlier Sunday when South Korea released the full list of North Korean delegates, which includes Choi Kang Il, the deputy director of North American affairs.
In his statement, Moon said he met all eight delegation members before speaking with leader Kim and Ri Son Kwon, chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.
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New character portraits for the third West End Cursed Child cast revealed
Published on May 20th 2018
AnotherAnother year, another generation of Cursed Child actors get ready to hit the stage in London. Here are the official portraits for the third wave of cast members taking on the award-winning play.
As the third wave of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child actors get ready to take on the eighth Harry Potter story, here’s a sneak peek at what they look like in their new rather dashing wizarding outfits, photographed by Charlie Gray.
So, who have we got?
As is now becoming tradition, a new Jamie will be taking on the starring role of Harry Potter: following on from Jamie Glover, and Jamie Parker before him, is Jamie Ballard. Beyond Harry, Susie Trayling takes on Ginny Potter, Nicola Alexis is Hermione Granger, Joe Idris-Roberts plays Albus Potter and Jonathan Case portrays his unlikely best friend, Scorpius Malfoy.
This cast will be joining remaining members of the Cursed Child family, including Thomas Aldridge, who is staying on as Ron Weasley, Helen Aluko as Rose Granger-Weasley and James Howard as Draco Malfoy.
The cast begin performances at the Palace Theatre on Wednesday 23 May, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of them very soon!
Meanwhile, over in America, the Broadway production (including seven members of the Original West End Cast) is currently bringing the magic to New York, and has recently been nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best New Play. The Cursed Child adventures will soon begin in Australia too, with the play set to open in Melbourne in 2019.
If only we could Apparate all over the world to see the different productions in action.
For tickets for Cursed Child performances in London, or simply to learn more about the production, check out the Cursed Child website.
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On Memorial Day, We Must Remember That THIS Is What American Troops Are Made Of…
Warner Todd Huston May 26, 2014 Courage, History, Military 2 Comments
To honor our troops for this year, I am going to share this story about their mettle. What follows are excerpts from remarks by Marine Lt. Gen. John F. Kelly made to the Semper Fi Society of St. Louis on November 13, 2010. While leading his platoon on a combat patrol, Kelly’s son, Marine 1st Lt. Robert Michael Kelly, had been killed in action four days earlier in Sangin, in southern Afghanistan. Lt. Kelly was only 29-years-old.
Giving Thanks for Our Warriors
“Those with less of a sense of service to the nation never understand it when men and women of character step forward to look danger and adversity straight in the eye, refusing to blink, or give ground, even to their own deaths… No, they are not victims but are warriors, your warriors, and warriors are never victims regardless of how and where they fall. Death, or fear of death, has no power over them. Their paths are paved by sacrifice, sacrifices they gladly make… for you….
“Two years ago when I was the commander of all U.S. and Iraqi forces, in fact, the 22nd of April 2008, two Marine infantry battalions, 1/9 ‘The Walking Dead,’ and 2/8 were switching out in Ramadi… Two Marines, Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter, 22 and 20 years old respectively, one from each battalion, were assuming the watch together at the entrance gate of an outpost that contained a makeshift barracks housing 50 Marines… Yale was a dirt poor mixed-race kid from Virginia with a wife and daughter, and a mother and sister who lived with him and he supported as well. He did this on a yearly salary of less than $23,000. Haerter, on the other hand, was a middle-class white kid from Long Island. They were from two completely different worlds… But they were Marines, combat Marines, forged in the same crucible of Marine training, and because of this bond they were brothers as close, or closer, than if they were born of the same woman.
“The mission orders they received from the sergeant squad leader I am sure went something like: ‘Okay you two clowns, stand this post and let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass. You clear?’ I am also sure Yale and Haerter then rolled their eyes and said in unison something like: ‘Yes, Sergeant,’ with just enough attitude that made the point without saying the words, ‘No kidding sweetheart, we know what we’re doing.’ They then relieved two other Marines on watch and took up their post at the entry control point of Joint Security Station Nasser, in the Sophia section of Ramadi, al Anbar, Iraq.
“A few minutes later a large blue truck turned down the alley way–perhaps 60-70 yards in length–and sped its way through the serpentine of concrete jersey walls. The truck stopped just short of where the two were posted and detonated, killing them both catastrophically. Twenty-four brick masonry houses were damaged or destroyed. A mosque 100 yards away collapsed. The truck’s engine came to rest two hundred yards away knocking most of a house down before it stopped. Our explosive experts reckoned the blast was made of 2,000 pounds of explosives. Two died, and because these two young infantrymen didn’t have it in their DNA to run from danger, they saved 150 of their Iraqi and American brothers-in-arms…
“What we didn’t know at the time, and only learned a couple of days later after I wrote a summary and submitted both Yale and Haerter for posthumous Navy Crosses, was that one of our security cameras, damaged initially in the blast, recorded some of the suicide attack. It happened exactly as [Iraqi policemen on the scene] had described it. It took exactly six seconds from when the truck entered the alley until it detonated.
“You can watch the last six seconds of their young lives. Putting myself in their heads I supposed it took about a second for the two Marines to separately come to the same conclusion about what was going on once the truck came into their view at the far end of the alley. Exactly no time to talk it over or call the sergeant to ask what they should do. Only enough time to take half an instant and think about what the sergeant told them to do only a few minutes before: ‘Let no unauthorized personnel or vehicles pass.’ The two Marines had about five seconds left to live.
“It took maybe another two seconds for them to present their weapons, take aim, and open up. By this time the truck was halfway through the barriers and gaining speed the whole time. Here, the recording shows a number of Iraqi police, some of whom had fired their AKs, now scattering like the normal and rational men they were–some running right past the Marines. They had three seconds left to live.
“For about two seconds more, the recording shows the Marines’ weapons firing nonstop… the truck’s windshield exploding into shards of glass as their rounds take it apart and tore into the body of the son-of-a-beech who is trying to get past them to kill their brothers–American and Iraqi–bedded down in the barracks, totally unaware of the fact that their lives at that moment depended entirely on two Marines standing their ground. If they had been aware, they would have known they were safe… because two Marines stood between them and a crazed suicide bomber. The recording shows the truck careening to a stop immediately in front of the two Marines. In all of the instantaneous violence Yale and Haerter never hesitated. By all reports and by the recording, they never stepped back. They never even started to step aside. They never even shifted their weight. With their feet spread shoulder-width apart, they leaned into the danger, firing as fast as they could work their weapons. They had only one second left to live.
“The truck explodes. The camera goes blank. Two young men go to their God. Six seconds. Not enough time to think about their families, their country, their flag, or about their lives or their deaths, but more than enough time for two very brave young men to do their duty… into eternity. That is the kind of people who are on watch all over the world tonight–for you.”
(Originally published by The Weekly Standard in December of 2010)
Tales like this are legion in the annuls of the military history of the United States of America. Our citizen soldiers are some of the best ever seen by mankind. This Memorial Day, please do remember them, pray for them, support them.
Weekend Caption Contest™ Winners
Eric Holder Tells Graduates to Forget Sterling, Voter ID a Bigger Threat
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Obama’s Narcissism: The Troops are Fighting for Me, Me, Me
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Work at WJCNY
WJCNY Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Dairy Worker in Herkimer County
posted by Worker Justice Center of New York | 297sc
On June 14, 2019, WJCNY filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York alleging claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act, New York Labor Law, and the New York Real Property Law. The action was filed on behalf of Plaintiff George Hatfield II against Dari Del Inc., Manino Brothers Holdings, LLC, Manino Brothers, Inc. and Samuel A. Manino. Mr. Hatfield served as a manual laborer in Defendants’ profitable Herkimer-based dairy production, processing, distribution and retail businesses.
Mr. Hatfield, who lost his hearing at a young age, was thrilled when he and his wife found an advertisement for dairy work in Central New York. Mr. Hatfield longed for an opportunity to return to Herkimer County where he was born and raised. He didn’t bargain that his return would be conditioned upon exposing himself to severe labor abuses; a grueling seven day, eighty-plus hour work-week schedule and living in unsafe and uninhabitable housing. Throughout the duration of his employment, he was paid less than three dollars per hour while required to live in on-site, overcrowded and substandard housing with his wife and ten-year-old child. He performed a broad range of arduous tasks for Defendants, including non-agricultural work.
Despite his tireless work, Defendants denied Mr. Hatfield basic minimum wage pay, overtime pay, subjected him to unlawful payroll practices, unlawfully deducted wages from his paychecks and committed numerous additional employment and housing law violations. The lawsuit seeks unpaid minimum wage and overtime compensation, statutory liquidated damages, attorneys fees, costs, prejudgment interest, and damages for housing violations, unlawful deductions, spread of hours violations, and inadequate pay notices.
On the matter from WJCNY is staff attorney John Marsella, assisted by paralegal Gabriel Marcano. Click here to read the full complaint.
Follow @WorkerJusticeNY on Twitter
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Judge: Probable cause to prosecute 911 caller in Beavercreek Walmart shooting
John Crawford, 22, shot, killed by Beavercreek police Aug. 5, 2014
Updated: 11:40 PM EDT Apr 6, 2016
A judge has ruled that there is probable cause to prosecute the 911 caller in the John Crawford case.
A judge has ruled that there is probable cause to prosecute the 911 caller in the John Crawford case.The 22-year-old Crawford from Fairfield was shot and killed by a Beavercreek police officer on Aug. 5, 2014, while holding a pellet gun inside the Beavercreek Walmart.Watch this storyPolice officers who were dispatched to the store, shot and killed Crawford.A portion of the 911 call in question follows:Caller: "My name is . He just pointed it at two children."Dispatcher: "OK, I do have officers there. So stay on the line with me, OK?"The caller reported Crawford was waving what appeared to be a rifle in the store. Police said he didn't obey commands to put down what turned out to be an air rifle taken from a shelf.The judge noted that video surveillance from the moment described by the caller did not match what the caller described to dispatchers.The 911 caller, who was interviewed by the Associated Press the day after the shooting, told investigators the gun looked like an assault rifle he personally owned, and he believed it was a real weapon because he didn't see an orange tip indicating it was an air rifle.In the next-day interview, the caller told the Associated Press that the man actually didn't point the gun at people but swung it around and flashed the muzzle at children.WLWT spoke with the attorney for Crawford, Michael Wright, who said, ultimately, “He should be held accountable for making this false alarm or making this call, but ultimately it was not him that pulled the trigger.”“People call 911 for all types of circumstances, that's why you have this charge, making a false alarm,” Wright added. “Officers know and they're trained to understand that people are mistaken, some people lie when they call 911, so ultimately it’s their responsibility.”The caller could be charged with calling in a false alarm, but it is unclear what might happen with the prosecution.A judge recommended the case be turned over to a prosecutor.If convicted, the 911 caller could spend up to six months in jail and pay a $1,000 fine.A grand jury declined to indict the two officers involved in the case. More than 18 months later, the Department of Justice investigation is still ongoing.“Ultimately, they have to show up, assess what’s happening and then determine the proper course of action. They can’t just show up and two seconds later someone is dead,” said Wright. “Had the police officers, when they showed up to the scene, had they assessed the situation they wouldn't have shot and killed John.”
FAIRFIELD, Ohio —
The 22-year-old Crawford from Fairfield was shot and killed by a Beavercreek police officer on Aug. 5, 2014, while holding a pellet gun inside the Beavercreek Walmart.
Prosecutor: Charges against 911 caller in Wal-Mart shooting would set ‘horrible precedent’
Prosecutor: No charges for 911 caller in Beavercreek Wal-Mart shooting
Prosecutor to review 911 caller's role in Beavercreek Wal-Mart shooting
Experts: Charges rarely result from private complaint law
Audio of Beavercreek officers' statements after fatal shooting released
BCI releases photos, documents regarding Walmart shooting
911 caller: Cop told Crawford to drop gun at Walmart
Surveillance video of Walmart shooting
Police officers who were dispatched to the store, shot and killed Crawford.
A portion of the 911 call in question follows:
Caller: "My name is [Redacted]. He just pointed it at two children."
Dispatcher: "OK, I do have officers there. So stay on the line with me, OK?"
The caller reported Crawford was waving what appeared to be a rifle in the store. Police said he didn't obey commands to put down what turned out to be an air rifle taken from a shelf.
The judge noted that video surveillance from the moment described by the caller did not match what the caller described to dispatchers.
The 911 caller, who was interviewed by the Associated Press the day after the shooting, told investigators the gun looked like an assault rifle he personally owned, and he believed it was a real weapon because he didn't see an orange tip indicating it was an air rifle.
In the next-day interview, the caller told the Associated Press that the man actually didn't point the gun at people but swung it around and flashed the muzzle at children.
WLWT spoke with the attorney for Crawford, Michael Wright, who said, ultimately, “He should be held accountable for making this false alarm or making this call, but ultimately it was not him that pulled the trigger.”
“People call 911 for all types of circumstances, that's why you have this charge, making a false alarm,” Wright added. “Officers know and they're trained to understand that people are mistaken, some people lie when they call 911, so ultimately it’s their responsibility.”
The caller could be charged with calling in a false alarm, but it is unclear what might happen with the prosecution.
A judge recommended the case be turned over to a prosecutor.
If convicted, the 911 caller could spend up to six months in jail and pay a $1,000 fine.
A grand jury declined to indict the two officers involved in the case. More than 18 months later, the Department of Justice investigation is still ongoing.
“Ultimately, they have to show up, assess what’s happening and then determine the proper course of action. They can’t just show up and two seconds later someone is dead,” said Wright. “Had the police officers, when they showed up to the scene, had they assessed the situation they wouldn't have shot and killed John.”
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James R. Mulroy named general counsel at Youth Villages
by youthvillages | Nov 18, 2016 | News Releases, Pressroom | 0 comments
MEMPHIS – (Nov. 18, 2016) – James R. Mulroy has been named managing director – general counsel at Youth Villages. He most recently served as managing principal of the Memphis office of Jackson Lewis, P.C.
Mulroy is a director of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and past president of North East Mental Health Center. He is a past board member and past president of the board of West Tennessee Family Solutions, an agency providing housing and supportive services for mentally disabled adults. In addition, he was appointed as an administrative judge for the Tennessee Department of Education.
Mulroy is a graduate of Rhodes College and received his MBA from the Fogelman College of Business at the University of Memphis. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Law. He has also received continuing education from the Naval War College, National Defense University, Naval Justice School and Northwestern University. He served six years of active duty as a JAG officer in the United States Navy, where he earned the Navy Achievement Medal and Navy Commendation Medal and served in various capacities in the U.S. and overseas including as a trial observer for the U.S. Embassy in Japan.
He is AV rated by Martindale Hubble and has been peer selected as one of the Top 100 lawyers in Tennessee and one of the Top 50 lawyers in Memphis by Super Lawyers. He was selected to be a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has been repeatedly selected as a leader in the field by Chambers USA and Best Lawyers.
Youth Villages is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to helping emotionally and behaviorally troubled children and their families live successfully. Founded in Memphis in 1986, Youth Villages will help more than 22,000 children and families from 20 states and the District of Columbia this year. It is one of the largest private providers of children’s services in Tennessee and has been recognized by Harvard Business School, U.S. News & World Report and the White House as a model for data-driven
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Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives celebrates Black History Month
The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA) will host or participate in several events, this month, to recognize and celebrate Black History Month.
Author: Angela Cunningham
Published: 10:56 AM EST February 9, 2017
Updated: 10:56 AM EST February 9, 2017
The museum officially opened in its new space late last year. Founder, George Bayard, is excited to now be able to provide a place for people to immerse themselves in the culture during the month of February.
"One of the things we say at GRAAMA is we are celebrating Black History Month 12 months a year. It is going to be our duty to do so," said Bayard. "In Grand Rapids, there are plenty of stories and artifacts. We know we can fill a museum and this is only a stepping stone."
He calls it a stepping stone because, while grateful to have an exhibit space, the 87 Monroe Center Street location is still not a permanent one.
Bayard says "the next thing will be a bigger space somewhere in Grand Rapids. We are looking between 10,000 and 18,000 square feet, which will have a performance hall and permanent galleries for permanent exhibits and traveling exhibits and have an art gallery library and archives. All of the things a state of the art first class museum will have."
He says they look to The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, which recently opened in Washington D.C., as a model of what they'd like to accomplish, on a smaller scale.
"One of the things we have displayed is a poster series from the Smithsonian's museum. It is a pleasure to have them here. It is called "A Place For All People,"' because that is the story we want to tell folks too. That it is a place for all people to come here and feel that African American history is a part of American history," said Bayard.
Thursday, February 9th GRAAMA will showcase a Muhammad Ali Pop-up Display and Photo Exhibit. The event, from noon until five, is one of several events the museum has scheduled to celebrate Black History Month.
"Randy Finch, who was on the Food Network, is a master ice carver. We are going to have a whole Ali statue that's life-sized. Actually he said it is bigger than life-sized. It is of Ali standing over Sonny Liston. We hope to get a lot of responses. We also have a photo exhibit and artifacts from the local community to celebrate a long history of boxers in Grand Rapids. We will show items about the champ and some photos of his life in Michigan as you cast your vote for his sculpture," said Bayard.
Below are a list of some of the other events the museum is participating in:
February 11: What's Your History Worth? At GRAAMA 10:00am. GRAAMA has wanted to start a collectors club. This pulmonary session will share advice on collecting African American art, artifacts, books and dolls using items from its collection.
February 16: Local Icons; African American Artists at Grand Rapids Public Library Downtown until Feb 28,2017
February 17: at 8 AM - 9:30 PM at GRAAMA (87 Monroe Center NW Grand Rapids, MI 49503) GRABB Breakfasts is a morning Chalk Talk and Development series for dreamers, makers, innovators, and current/aspiring business owners. This series not only brings together our city's Black talent but also creates an open space to connect and build relationships.
February 24: 6:00 pm at GRAAMA African American Art and Music Celebration Fundraiser
February 25: Tracing Your Roots. 10 a.m. at GRAAMA. This elementary genealogy class is for beginners who want to learn about their family history.
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Write Review Add to favorites
Julia Billet
Co-Authors / Illustrators
Claire Fauvel
HarperAlley
A magnificent narrative inspired by a true survival story that asks universal questions about a young girl’s coming of age story, her identity, her passions, and her first loves.
At the Sèvres Children’s Home outside Paris, Rachel Cohen has discovered her passion—photography. Although she hasn’t heard from her parents in months, she loves the people at her school, adores capturing what she sees in pictures, and tries not to worry too much about Hitler’s war. But as France buckles under the Nazi regime, danger closes in, and Rachel must change her name and go into hiding.
As Catherine Colin, Rachel Cohen is faced with leaving the Sèvres Home—and the friends she made there—behind. But with her beautiful camera, Catherine possesses an object with the power to remember. For the rest of the war, Catherine bears witness to her own journey, and to the countless heroes whose courage and generosity saved the lives of many, including her own.
Based on the author’s mother’s own experiences as a hidden child in France during World War II, Catherine’s War is one of the most accessible historical graphic novels featuring a powerful girl since Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi—perfect for fans of Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, Anne Frank, or Helen Keller.
Includes a map and photographs of the real Catherine and her wartime experiences, as well as an interview with author Julia Billet.
WWII Survival Tale
Catherine is living at the Sèvres Children's Home since both of her parents were taken. It has a progessive school, and children are given some freedom in what the want to study. Catherine loves photography, and thanks to an instructor, Penguin, has a good camera and knows how to develop pictures in the darkroom. The staff is vigilant about protecting the Jewish students from the Nazis even having them change their names to be on the safe side, but eventually it is necessary for them to leave. Catherine has another student, Alice, under her care, and the two go to a covent school, where Catherine takes first communion. She also meets a young photographer, Étienne, in the village, and is quite fond of him. Soon, though she and Alice end up in the country at a modest farm. Their teacher is rather snotty about the lack of education in the family, but the girls thrive, enjoying the security, good food, and gentle care they get. Since Catherine is older than many of the students, she starts to teach some of them. This is helpful when she and Alice must move again, this time to an orphanage. Catherine continues to take photographs of the people she encounters. When the orphanage is evacuated, Alice chooses to stay with a younger boy to help him out, and Catherine ends up with a young wife of a soldier. Eventually, the war ends and Catherine returns to Paris, only to find out that her parents have not returned and their apartment has been trashed. She find the photographer, Étienne, and is about to contact Alice as well.
While there are lots of books about people in concentration camps, there are fewer about people hiding from the Nazis and even fewer about children hiding in plain sight, under assumed identities. This graphic novel is based on the experiences of the author's mother, and seeing the number of people who were willing to help children is a testament to the good of humanity!
Catherine's interest in photography helps to give more dimension to her character; it's hard for my students to grasp that the vast majority of the people displaced by the Holocaust came from comfortable, middle class backgrounds similar to their own. The drawings depict many of the photographs taken, some replicas of actual photographs taken by the author's mother.
The drawings are very lovely, and the brown and gray color palette, with touches of green and pink, seem very appropriate to the time period. Historical graphic novels are helpful because they show so many details about life at the time-- clothing, buildings, cars, etc.
I would have liked to have seen Catherine's life before the Sèvres Children's Home, but this is a nice overview of what happened to the character during the majority of the war, as well as what happened afterwards.
This is a somewhat longer graphic novel than books like Holm's Sunny Side Up, and the print is somewhat smaller, but this makes it a great selection for readers who want more details about this historical period and who have enjoyed Jablonski's Resistance or Robbins' Lily Renée, Escape Artist.
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