Split (1)

train · 600k rows

pred_label stringclasses 2 values	pred_label_prob float64 0.5 1	wiki_prob float64 0.25 1	text stringlengths 44 985k	source stringlengths 37 43
__label__wiki	0.676853	0.676853	Camille Pissaro life and biography Camille Pissaro biography Date of death : 1903-11-12 Birthplace : St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Nationality : French Credited as : Artist painter, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Portrait of Jeanne 1972 The French painter Camille Pissarro was one of the original impressionists. Although his work is generally less innovative than that of his major contemporaries, it is no less important in reflecting the new style. Camille Pissarro was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, on July 10, 1830. His father, a Portuguese Jew, ran a general store. Although Pissarro attended school in Paris and demonstrated an exceptional talent for drawing, he returned to St. Thomas in 1847 to work in the family business. During the ensuing years his interest in art persisted, and in 1855 his parents finally yielded to his ambition to become a painter. Pissarro reached Paris in time to see the important World's Fair of 1855. He was particularly impressed by the landscapes of Camille Corot and other members of the Barbizon group, who had taken the first steps toward working directly from nature, and by the ambitious and forthright realism of Gustave Courbet, although his own work increasingly gravitated toward landscape rather than figurative subjects. During the next 10 years Pissarro received some academic training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, but he spent most of his time at the Academie Suisse, where free classes were offered. This was an important gathering place for those artists whose ambitions and sensibilities lay outside the teaching of the official schools, for it offered greater opportunity to discuss and develop personal ideas about painting and art in general. In this setting Pissarro became friends with Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Paul Cezanne, who were seeking alternatives to the established methods of painting. Pissarro's works at this time were occasionally, though by no means consistently, accepted at the annual Salons. More importantly, however, he received critical backing and encouragement from Emile Zola. During the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-1871 Pissarro and Monet went to London, where they were impressed by the landscape paintings of John Constable and J.M.W. Turner. By this time Pissarro and Monet had begun to work directly from nature and to develop the unique style that would later be called impressionism. In their pursuit of this new and revolutionary direction, the lessons of the earlier English landscapists provided crucial and much-needed support, particularly in terms of the loose handling of paint, the abstractness, and the strong response to nature which characterized their own paintings. When Pissarro returned to his home at Louveciennes near Paris, he found that the Prussians had destroyed nearly all of his paintings. By the early 1870s the work of Pissarro and his colleagues had been rejected by the Salon on repeated occasions. In 1874 they held their own exhibition, a show of "independent" artists. This was the first impressionist exhibition (the term "impressionist, " originally used derisively, was actually coined by a newspaper critic). There were seven similar exhibitions until 1886, and Pissarro was the only artist who participated in all eight. This fact is important because it reveals something about Pissarro's relation to impressionism generally: he was the patriarch and teacher of the movement, constantly advising younger artists, introducing them to one another, and encouraging them to join the revolutionary trend that he helped to originate. In 1892 there was a large retrospective of Pissarro's work, and he finally gained the international recognition he deserved. Characteristic paintings are Path through the Fields (1879), Landscape, Eragny (1895), and Place du Theatre Francais (1898). He died in Paris on Nov. 12, 1903. Pissarro is the subject of critical analysis in these works by John Rewald: Camille Pissarro (1963), a monograph on the artist; C. Pissarro (1965), an exhibition catalog; and The History of Impressionism (1961), in which Pissarro's role in the development of impressionism is well documented. Adler, Kathleen, Camille Pissarro: a biography, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1978, 1977. Camille Pissarro Gallery:	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line265
__label__cc	0.745125	0.254875	In 1986 Terry and Cynthia Howell founded the Arizona Rose Theatre Company. The Howells wanted to create a company that would be a training ground for new talent as well as an outlet to create and produce new, original works and nurture theater in our community. When the Rose was founded, the mission statement read that the Arizona Rose Theatre was committed to a philosophy of only producing musical properties that were in some way positive. Since it opened in 1986, the Arizona Rose Theatre Company has produced and developed dozens of original musicals and since its formation, the Rose has continued to “Grow in the Desert”. For the first 20 years the Rose only produced originals, but 10 years ago more familiar pieces were added to each season. The Rose has produced shows like “The Rainmaker”, “Steel Magnolias”, “Lost In Yonkers”, “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” , “Jesus Christ Superstar”, "Spamalot", "The Odd Couple", "Deathtrap", "Murder on the Nile", "Lend Me A Tenor", "Little Women the musical" and more. Although more familiar pieces began to work their way into the season “line-up”, the initial philosophy of producing mostly properties that were in some way positive has remained at the heart of the Arizona Rose mission. Throughout the past 30 plus years the Arizona Rose Theatre Company has been very fortunate to work with a wide variety of talented performers and artists including vocalists, dancers, magicians, jugglers, comedians, and various instrumentalists to name a few. These artists have helped shape and mold the diverseness of the Arizona Rose. Inspired by the various artists that have worked with the Rose over the years, the theater company took another step in it’s growth. As part of our 30 year anniversary, the Arizona Rose Theatre Company decided to expand it’s vision and mission and form the Arizona Rose Arts Organization. The Arizona Rose Arts Organization’s mission is produce, develop, educate and support all art forms. The Arizona Rose Arts Organization is now the parent company of the Arizona Rose Theatre, the Arizona Rose Opera Company and Arizona Rose Arts Academy with hopes to form new branches in the future. The Arizona Rose Arts Organization is a non-profit, 501c3, organization. Being a young organization with many plans and projects in the works there is a great need for support. Please spread the word about this brand new organization . If you might be interested in supporting this mission to nurture the arts in our community please email azrosearts@gmail.com or call (520)888-0509 Artistic Director: Cynthia Howell Managing Director: Brandon Howell ABOUT THE ARIZONA ROSE ARTS ORGANIZATION	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line269
__label__cc	0.519868	0.480132	Representation (arts) Signified (concept) and signifier (sound-image) as imagined by de Saussure "From childhood men have an instinct for representation, and in this respect, differs from the other animals that he is far more imitative and learns his first lessons by representing things." -Poetics, Aristotle, tr. W.H. Fyfe On abstract art: "We stand at the threshold of an altogether new art - an art with forms which mean or represent nothing, recall nothing, yet which can stimulate our souls as deeply as only the tones of music have been able to." --The Beauty of Form and Decorative Art, 1897-98, August Endell. Page from "Letter on the Deaf and Dumb" which illustrates Denis Diderot's take on medium specificity The Pears, by Daumier after the sketch of Philipon. This 1900 minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co., shows the transformation from white to "black". The Bouba/kiki effect (1929) This page Representation (arts) is part of the linguistics series. Illustration: a close-up of a mouth in the film The Big Swallow (1901) Vanitas (1603) by Jaques de Gheyn II, see symbols of death Innocence (1893) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau: Both young children and lambs are symbols of innocence Representation is the use of signs that stand in for and take the place of something else. It is through representation that people organize the world and reality through the act of naming its elements. Signs are arranged in order to form semantic constructions and express relations. For many philosophers, both ancient and modern, man is regarded as the "representational animal" or homo symbolicum, the creature whose distinct character is the creation and the manipulation of signs – things that "stand for" or "take the place of" something else (W. J. T. Mitchell, 1995). Representation has been associated with aesthetics (art) and semiotics (signs) and, again according to W. J. T. Mitchell, remains "an extremely elastic notion, which extends all the way from a stone representing a man to a novel representing the day in the life of several Dubliners". The term 'representation' carries a range of meanings and interpretations. In literary theory, 'representation' is commonly defined in three ways. To look like or resemble To stand in for something or someone To present a second time; to re-present Representation began with early literary theory in the ideas of Plato and Aristotle, and has evolved into a significant component of language, Saussurian and communication studies. 1 Wiktionary definition 2 Defining representation 4 Contemporary ideas about representation 5 Peirce and representation 5.1 Semiotics and logic 5.2 Using signs and objects 6 Saussure and representation Wiktionary definition What represents another thing. Figure, image or idea that substitutes reality. Theatrical performance. Defining representation To represent is "to bring to mind by description," also "to symbolize, to be the embodiment of;" from O.Fr. representer (12c.), from L. repraesentare, from re-, intensive prefix, + praesentare "to present," lit. "to place before". A representation is a type of recording in which the sensory information about a physical object is described in a medium. The degree to which an artistic representation resembles the object it represents is a function of resolution and does not bear on the denotation of the word. For example, both the Mona Lisa and a child's crayon drawing of Lisa del Giocondo would be considered representational, and any preference for one over the other would need to be understood as a matter of aesthetics. Since ancient times representation has played a central role in understanding literature, aesthetics and semiotics. Plato and Aristotle are key figures in early literary theory who considered literature as simply one form of representation. Aristotle for instance, considered each mode of representation, verbal, visual or musical, as being natural to human beings. Therefore, what distinguishes humans from other animals is their ability to create and manipulate signs. Aristotle deemed mimesis as natural to man, therefore considered representations as necessary for people's learning and being in the world Plato, in contrast, looked upon representation with more caution. He recognised that literature is a representation of life, yet also believed that representations create worlds of illusion leading one away from the "real things". For Plato, representation, like contemporary media, intervenes between the viewer and the real, creating illusions that lead one away from "real things". Plato believed that representation needs therefore, to be controlled and monitored due to the possible dangers resulting in its ability to foster antisocial emotions or encourage the imitation of evil (see anti-mimesis). Aristotle went on to say it was a definitively human activity. From childhood man has an instinct for representation, and in this respect man differs from the other animals that he is far more imitative and learns his first lessons though imitating things. Aristotle discusses representation in three ways— The object: The symbol being represented. Manner: The way the symbol is represented. Means: The material that is used to represent it. The means of literary representation is language. An important part of representation is the relationship between what the material and what it represents. The questions arising from this are, "A stone may represent a man but how? And by what and by what agreement, does this understanding of the representation occur?" One apprehends reality only through representations of reality, through texts, discourses, images: there is no such thing as direct or unmediated access to reality. But because one can see reality only through representation it does not follow that one does not see reality at all… Reality is always more extensive and complicated than any system of representation can possibly comprehend, and we always sense that this is so-representation never "gets" reality, which is why human history has produced so many different and changing ways of trying to get it. Consequently, throughout the history of human culture, people have become dissatisfied with language's ability to express reality and as a result have developed new modes of representation. It is necessary to construct new ways of seeing reality, as people only know reality through representation. From this arises the contrasting and alternate theories and representational modes of abstraction, realism and modernism, to name a few. Contemporary ideas about representation It is from Plato’s caution that in the modern era many are aware of political and ideological issues and the influences of representations. It is impossible to divorce representations from culture and the society that produces them. In the contemporary world there exist restrictions on subject matter, limiting the kinds of representational signs allowed to be employed, as well as boundaries that limit the audience or viewers of particular representations. In motion picture rating systems, M and R rated films are an example of such restrictions, highlighting also society’s attempt to restrict and modify representations to promote a certain set of ideologies and values. Despite these restrictions, representations still have the ability to take on a life of their own once in the public sphere, and can not be given a definitive or concrete meaning; as there will always be a gap between intention and realization, original and copy. Consequently, for each of the above definitions there exists a process of communication and message sending and receiving. In such a system of communication and representations it is inevitable that potential problems may arise; misunderstandings, errors, and falsehoods. The accuracy of the representations can by no means be guaranteed, as they operate in a system of signs that can never work in isolation from other signs or cultural factors. For instance, the interpretation and reading of representations function in the context of a body of rules for interpreting, and within a society many of these codes or conventions are informally agreed upon and have been established over a number of years. Such understandings however, are not set in stone and may alter between times, places, peoples and contexts. How though, does this ‘agreement’ or understanding of representation occur? It has generally been agreed by semioticians that representational relationships can be categorised into three distinct headings: icon, symbol and index. For instance objects and people do not have a constant meaning, but their meanings are fashioned by humans in the context of their culture, as they have the ability to make things mean or signify something. Viewing representation in such a way focuses on understanding how language and systems of knowledge production work to create and circulate meanings. Representation is simply the process in which such meanings are constructed. In much the same way as the post-structuralists, this approach to representation considers it as something larger than any one single representation. A similar perspective is viewing representation as part of a larger field, as Mitchell, saying, "…representation (in memory, in verbal descriptions, in images) not only 'mediates' our knowledge (of slavery and of many other things), but obstructs, fragments, and negates that knowledge" and proposes a move away from the perspective that representations are merely "objects representing", towards a focus on the relationships and processes through which representations are produced, valued, viewed and exchanged. Peirce and representation Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) was an innovative and accomplished logician, mathematician, and scientist, and founded philosophical pragmatism. Peirce's central ideas were focused on logic and representation. Semiotics and logic Peirce distinguished philosophical logic as logic per se from mathematics of logic. He regarded logic (per se) as part of philosophy, as a normative field following esthetics and ethics, as more basic than metaphysics, and as the art of devising methods of research. He argued that, more generally, as inference, "logic is rooted in the social principle", since inference depends on a standpoint that, in a sense, is unlimited. Peirce held that logic is formal semiotic, the formal study of signs in the broadest sense, not only signs that are artificial, linguistic, or symbolic, but also signs that are semblances or are indexical such as reactions. He held that "all this universe is perfused with signs, if it is not composed exclusively of signs", along with their representational and inferential relations, interpretable by mind or quasi-mind (whatever works like a mind despite perhaps not actually being one; the focus here is on sign action in general, not psychology, linguistics, or social studies). He argued that, since all thought takes time, "all thought is in signs" and sign processes ("semiosis") and that the three irreducible elements of semiosis are (1) the sign (or representamen), (2) the (semiotic) object, the sign's subject matter, which the sign represents and which can be anything thinkable—quality, brute fact, or law—and even fictional (Hamlet), and (3) the interpretant (or interpretant sign), which is the sign's meaning or ramification as formed into a kind of effect that is a further sign, for example, a translation. Even when a sign represents by a resemblance or factual connection independent of interpretation, the sign is a sign because it is at least potentially interpretable. A sign depends on its object in a way that enables (and, in a sense, determines) interpretation, forming an interpretant which, in turn, depends on the sign and on the object as the sign depends on the object and is thus a further sign, enabling and determining still further interpretation, further interpretants. That essentially triadic process is logically structured to perpetuate itself and is what defines sign, object, and interpretant. An object either (1) is immediate to a sign, and that is the object as represented in the sign, or (2) is a dynamic object, which is the object as it really is, on which the immediate object is founded. Usually, an object in question, such as Hamlet or the planet Neptune, is a special or partial object. A sign's total object is the object's universe of discourse, the totality of things in that world to which one attributes the object. An interpretant is either (1) immediate to a sign, for example a word's usual meaning, a kind of interpretive quality or possibility present in the sign, or (2) dyanamic, an actual interpretant, for example a state of agitation, or (3) final or normal, a question's true settlement, which would be reached if thought or inquiry were pushed far enough, a kind of norm or ideal end with which any actual interpretant may, at most, coincide. Peirce said that, in order to know to what a sign refers, the mind needs some sort of experience of the sign's object, experience outside, and collateral to, the given sign or sign system. In that context he spoke of collateral experience, collateral observation, collateral acquaintance, all in much the same terms. For example, art work can exploit both the richness and the limits of the audience's experience; a novelist, in disguising a roman à clef, counts on the typical reader's not having personal experience with the actual people portrayed. Peirce held that logic has three main parts: Speculative grammar Logical critic Speculative rhetoric, or methodeutic 1. Speculative Grammar. By this, Peirce means discovering relations among questions of how signs can signify and of what kinds of signs there are, how they combine, and how some embody or incorporate others. Within this broad area, Peirce developed three interlocked universal trichotomies of signs, depending respectively on (1) the sign itself, (2) how the sign stands for its object, and (3) how the sign stands for its object to its interpretant. Qualisigns, sinsigns, and legisigns. Every sign is either (qualisign) a quality or possibility, or (sinsign) an actual individual thing, fact, event, state, etc., or (legisign) a norm, habit, rule, law. Icons, indices, and symbols. Every sign refers either (icon) through similarity to its object, or (index) through factual connection to its object, or (symbol) through interpretive habit or norm of reference to its object. Rhemes, dicisigns, and arguments. Every sign is interpreted either as (rheme) term-like, standing for its object in respect of quality, or as (dicisign) proposition-like, standing for its object in respect of fact, or as (argument) argumentative, standing for its object in respect of habit or law. This is the trichotomy of all signs as building blocks of inference. Some (not all) sign classes from different trichotomies intersect each other. For example, a qualisign is always an icon, and is never an index or a symbol. He held that there were only ten classes of signs logically definable through those three universal trichotomies. He thought that there were further such universal trichotomies as well. Also, some signs need other signs in order to be embodied. For example, a legisign (also called a type), such as the word "the," needs to be embodied in a sinsign (also called a token), for example an individual instance of the word "the", in order to be expressed. Another form of combination is attachment or incorporation: an index may be attached to, or incorporated by, an icon or a symbol. Peirce called an icon apart from a label, legend, or other index attached to it, a "hypoicon", and divided the hypoicon into three classes: (a) the image, which depends on a simple quality; (b) the diagram, whose internal relations, mainly dyadic or so taken, represent by analogy the relations in something; and (c) the metaphor, which represents the representative character of a sign by representing a parallelism in something else. A diagram can be geometric, or can consist in an array of algebraic expressions, or even in the common form "All __ is ___" which is subjectable, like any diagram, to logical or mathematical transformations. 2. Logical critic or Logic Proper. That is how Peirce refers to logic in the everyday sense. The main objective of this field, therefore, is to categorise the correlations between correct and incorrect inference, which he divides into three main modes: abductive inference (guessing, inference to the best explanation); deduction; and induction. A work of art may embody an inference process and be an argument without being an explicit argumentation. That is the difference, for example, between most of War and Peace and its final section. 3. Speculative rhetoric. For Peirce this is the theory of effective use of signs in persuasion, research, exposition, and reaching agreement. Here Peirce coincides with Morris’s notion of pragmatics, in his interpretation of this term. It is also known as "methodeutic", in that it is the analysis of the methods used in exploring, giving expositions and creating submissions of truth. Using signs and objects Peirce concluded that there are three ways in which signs represent objects. They underlie his most widely known trichotomy of signs: This term refers to signs that represent by resemblance, such as portraits and some paintings though they can also be natural or mathematical. Iconicity is independent of actual connection, even if it occurs because of actual connection. An icon is or embodies a possibility, insofar as its object need not actually exist. A photograph is regarded as an icon because of its resemblance to its object, but is regarded as an index (with icon attached) because of its actual connection to its object. Likewise with a portrait painted from life. An icon's resemblance is objective and independent of interpretation, but is relative to some mode of apprehension such as sight. An icon need not be sensory; anything can serve as an icon, for example a streamlined argument (itself a complex symbol) is often used as an icon for an argument (another symbol) bristling with particulars. Peirce explains that an index is a sign that compels attention through a connection of fact, often through cause and effect. For example, if we see smoke we conclude that it is the effect of a cause - fire.. It is an index if the connection is factual regardless of resemblance or interpretation. Peirce usually considered personal names and demonstratives such as the word "this" to be indices, for although as words they depend on interpretation, they are indices in depending on the requisite factual relation to their individual objects. A personal name has an actual historical connection, often recorded on a birth certificate, to its named object; the word "this" is like the pointing of a finger. Peirce treats symbols as habits or norms of reference and meaning. Symbols can be natural, cultural, or abstract and logical. They depend as signs on how they will be interpreted, and lack or have lost dependence on resemblance and actual, indexical connection to their represented objects, though the symbol's individual embodiment is an index to your experience of its represented object. Symbols are instantiated by specialized indexical sinsigns. A proposition, considered apart from its expression in a particular language, is already a symbol, but many symbols draw from what is socially accepted and culturally agreed upon. Conventional symbols such as "horse" and caballo, which prescribe qualities of sound or appearance for their instances (for example, individual instances of the word "horse" on the page) are based on what amounts to arbitrary stipulation. Such a symbol uses what is already known and accepted within our society to give meaning. This can be both in spoken and written language. For example, we can call a large metal object with four wheels, four doors, an engine and seats a "car" because such a term is agreed upon within our culture and it allows us to communicate. In much the same way, as a society with a common set of understandings regarding language and signs, we can also write the word "car" and in the context of Australia and other English speaking nations, know what it symbolises and is trying to represent. Saussure and representation Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1857 - 1913) played a major role in the development of semiotics with his argument that language is a system of signs that needs to be understood in order to fully understand the process of linguistics. The study of semiotics examines the signs and types of representation that humans use to express feelings, ideas, thoughts and ideologies. Although semiotics is often used in the form of textual analysis it also involves the study of representation and the processes involved with representation. The process of representation is characterised by using signs that we recall mentally or phonetically to comprehend the world. Saussure says before a human can use the word "tree" she or he has to envision the mental concept of a tree. Two things are fundamental to the study of signs: The signified: a mental concept, and The signifier: the verbal manifestation, the sequence of letters or sounds, the linguistic realisation. The signifier is the word or sound; the signified is the representation. Saussure points out that signs: Are arbitrary: There is no link between the signifier and the signified Are relational: We understand we take on meaning in relation to other words. Such as we understand "up" in relation to "down" or a dog in relation to other animals, such as a cat. constitute our world – "You cannot get outside of language. We exist inside a system of signs". Saussure suggests that the meaning of a sign is arbitrary, in effect; there is no link between the signifier and the signified The signifier is the word or the sound of the word and the signified is the representation of the word or sound. For example, when referring to the term "sister" (signifier) a person from an English speaking country such as Australia, may associate that term as representing someone in their family who is female and born to the same parents (signified). An Aboriginal Australian may associate the term "sister" to represent a close friend that they have a bond with. This means that the representation of a signifier depends completely upon a person’s cultural, linguistic and social background. Saussure argues that if words or sounds were simply labels for existing things in the world, translation from one language or culture to another would be easy, it is the fact that this can be extremely difficult that suggests that words trigger a representation of an object or thought depending on the person that is representing the signifier. The signified triggered from the representation of a signifier in one particular language do not necessarily represent the same signified in another language. Even within one particular language many words refer to the same thing but represent different people's interpretations of it. A person may refer to a particular place as their "work" whereas someone else represents the same signifier as their "favorite restaurant". This can also be subject to historical changes in both the signifier and the way objects are signified. Saussure claims that an imperative function of all written languages and alphabetic systems is to "represent" spoken language. Most languages do not have writing systems that represent the phonemic sounds they make. For example, in English the written letter "a" represents different phonetic sounds depending on which word it is written in. The letter "a" has a different sound in the word in each of the following words, "apple", "gate", "margarine" and "beat", therefore, how is a person unaware of the phonemic sounds, able to pronounce the word properly by simply looking at alphabetic spelling. The way the word is represented on paper is not always the way the word would be represented phonetically. This leads to common misrepresentations of the phonemic sounds of speech and suggests that the writing system does not properly represent the true nature of the pronunciation of words. representation (disambiguation) Representationalism Realism (arts) Cultural artifact Culture theory Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Representation (arts)" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on original research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice. Retrieved from "http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Representation_%28arts%29" This page was last modified 13:31, 2 January 2015.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line270
__label__wiki	0.859801	0.859801	Chris Ofili: Weaving Magic 神奇的織物 26 April – 28 August 2017 In spring 2017, the National Gallery presents ‘The Caged Bird’s Song’, a new tapestry by Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili. The exhibition marks the first time the artist has worked in the medium of tapestry and includes a series of preparatory works on paper in an installation conceived by the artist for the Gallery’s Sunley Room. Ofili is returning to the National Gallery following the exhibition Titian: Metamorphosis 2012. In this he was one of three contemporary artists asked to respond to Titian’s great mythological paintings, Diana and Actaeon, The Death of Actaeon, and Diana and Callisto, which depict stories from the Roman poet Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’. Ofili produced new paintings in which the classical world was transposed to Trinidad, where he lives and works. He also designed a related series of costumes and sets for a new ballet performed by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Chris Ofili, Cocktail Serenaders (Spray), 2014© Chris Ofili Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro, London The imagery in this new tapestry reflects Ofili’s ongoing interest in classical mythology and contemporary ‘demigods’, together with the stories, magic and colour of the Trinidadian landscape he inhabits. Like Rubens, Goya and many artists before him who have engaged with this medium, Chris Ofili has been collaborating closely with master weavers to see his design translated into a tapestry. It is being hand-woven by the internationally renowned, Edinburgh-based Dovecot Tapestry Studio, and has taken two and a half years to complete. Commissioned by the Clothworkers’ Company, a livery company established in 1528 to oversee the cloth-finishing trade in the City of London, ‘The Caged Bird’s Song’ goes on permanent display in Clothworkers’ Hall following the National Gallery’s exhibition of the work. Chris Ofili says:“‘The Caged Bird’s Song’ is a marriage of watercolour and weaving. I set out to challenge the weaving process, by doing something free-flowing in making a watercolour, encouraging the liquid pigment to form the image, a contrast to the weaving process. With their response, which is an interpretation rather than a reproduction, the weavers have paid a type of homage to the watercolour that I gave them as well as to the process of weaving.” The Caged Bird’s Song Chris Ofili 2014–2017 © Chris Ofili. Courtesy the artist and Victoria Miro, London, The Clothworkers’ Company and Dovecot Tapestry Studio, Edinburgh. Photography: Gautier Deblonde ART.ZIP ｜約客 \| Eyes On	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line271
__label__cc	0.688478	0.311522	Welcome to Renmin University of China ( 中国人民大学 ) Programs Search Science and engineering is a general term for disciplines including the natural science, applied science, mathematical logic, as well as the research and process disciplines in computer, information, communication, machinery and other research applications. Beneath are the...... main secondary disciplines: software engineering, communications engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science and technology, architecture, civil engineering, aerospace, oil and gas engineering, and so on. With rapid development of science and technology, China, the big country of education, has made remarkable achievements in science and technology field. International students will receive abundant and valuable knowledge as well as practice opportunities during their abroad study in China. With the development of China’s science and technology and economic level, multinational businesses are also developing rapidly in China. International students with their own cultural background will be standing relatively competitive among multinationals. Chinese culture hereby refers to Chinese and Chinese culture related learning, there are several different directions: Chinese language training, foreign language education, Chinese literature, cultural exchange programs, professional Chinese language programs and so on....... Even if the emergence of Confucius Institutes are now expanding among the world, the most favorable routine is still to put one in the Chinese-language based background for language learning and constantly build links under this background. As a Chinese speaking country and also the birthplace of Chinese, China attracts numerous International students to not only acquire the most authentic Chinese language, but also to experience Chinese culture during the study. Given the rising international status and the rapid growth of China's economy, the Chinese hot has always been the worldwide top topics among International students. Roughly, there are hundreds of Chinese version websites and web pages in world famous international organizations, international companies, international media and world-renowned universities. In some countries, the mastery of Chinese language could be a bargaining chip for job seekers. Students who are not only familiar with their own culture and economy, but also to understand Chinese culture and Chinese will act as an important role in bridging the International trade development between China and the world. Literature and Art hereby refers to the general term for literature and art learning, including art and design, the news media, foreign literature, drama, opera and other popular subjects. Ancient Chinese civilization is one of a handful of independent origin of civilization in human...... history, and is the only continuous and non-stopped country in the development of civilization. With the development and reproduction of its civilization, it set the seal on Chinese literature and art. China's various folk art (such as jade, inside-bottle painting, etc.) drama and traditional Chinese opera are inherent with Chinese unique color and is barely to be experienced out of this culturally rich nation. After the graduate, you can try to work in a large troupe or related cultural propaganda department, spreading of Chinese unique literature and art to different continents. Law and Philosophy hereby refers to the general term for law and philosophy learning, including the main secondary disciplines: law, international relations, political science, sociology and philosophy. Law and international relations are the two most popular disciplines among the...... students. China is a vast land of a large number of population, the administrative, legal system and political system in China are all deeply related with Chinese characteristics. International students studying abroad in China majoring in law& philosophy and the related profession, can not only learn specific knowledge in their related disciplines, but also can learn Chinese related to cultural and academic backgrounds, earning a better access to relevant practices. With the trend of globalization, business trades between the countries are keeping the increase, graduates can undertake international legal workers in multinational companies or in national administrations fields, students can also assume management responsibilities of relevant government departments. Subjects included in this profession are administered primarily economics, management, finance, accounting and other aspects of professional courses. With the rapid development of China's economy, more and more international students choose to study economics and management...... in China. On one hand, the study cost has a great advantage than that in Western countries, also China is a member of the emerging economies, China and foreign enterprises in China play an increasingly important role in the international market. Students specializing in economics and management would start with the very best prospects in China. After graduation, students can engage in business management class to work in industry and commerce and foreign trade, foreign trade, finance, insurance, securities, tourism, real estate and other enterprises. Medicine can be divided into modern medicine (which is usually said Western medicine) and Chinese traditional medicine (including medicine, Tibetan medicine, Mongolian medicine, etc.) The study costs would be more affordable and relatively simple to obtain in terms of medical...... degree and certificate physicians if students choose their abroad study in China. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is the most traditional one in Chinese medicine; Traditional Chinese medicine is an experience integration of ancient Chinese ancestor, including the years of lessons in life and five Millennium lengthy summaries of the results and practice in medicine. Learn the benefits of Chinese medicine can equip people to deal with the problems that Western medicine medical treatment cannot be involved and solved. The traditional Chinese medicine herbs, massage, massage, smoked bath, acupuncture, qigong health and even our lives living contain theory of Chinese medicine. After graduation, students can work in hospitals, clinics and other medical institutions. Agriculture and Forestry consists of agronomy, forestry, horticulture, veterinary and aquatic disciplines. China ranked third in global land area, featuring in its diverse terrain; around 67% of its land...... area are covered with mountains, plateaus and hills, and the basin and plain land accounts for about 33% of the land area. China also enjoys the reputation of the one of the countries with the largest amount of rivers, these rivers are not only an important part of the geographical environment, and it also contains a wealth of natural resources. China's grain output also ranked the highest in the world. Students study in China can learn leading science and technology, but also have easy access to a variety of scientific practice. After graduation students can go to the country to engage in research and development related units or in production and operations or conduct their own business furniture design and manufacturing, to experience more challenging and creative careers. Education consists mainly of education, psychology and sports. Education is a society science targeting at the research in the educational phenomenon, educational issues for the study and summarizing the scientific theory and practice of human educational activities as well as the ......discipline to explore solutions to educational activities, practical educational problems encountered in the development process, thus revealing a general education law. China is a big country of education and population, China enjoys the largest investment in education, education in China is a top-rated program. From the ancient Confucius, to Tao in modern times, these are all world-renowned educators in China history. China is the Country of Rites, and thus education naturally has its specific advantages. students can engage in a wide range of industries, including different types of institutions, colleges, community service, counseling organizations, cultural organizations, also can attempt the careers in the judicial system, the National level associations, committees, research and development centers, government ministries of education, financial institutions and even the media industry is also suitable for education majors. Degree : Select a degree Bachelor's Degree Doctoral Degree Non-Degree Non-Degree Non-Degree Non-Degree Master's Degree Junior College Subject : Select a Subject Agriculture & Forestry Chinese Language & Culture Economics & Management Education Law & Philosophy Literature & Art Medicine Science & Engineering Language : Chinese English Select two Subject All programs Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Doctoral Degree Non-degree International Economics and Trade Bachelor's Degree English RMB16000/Y Details Business Administration (Specializing in International Trade) Master's Degree English RMB18000/Y Details Chinese Economy Master's Degree English RMB60000/Y Details Chinese Finance Master's Degree English RMB100000/Y Details International MBA Master's Degree English RMB74000/Y Details International MPA Master's Degree English RMB60000/Y Details Resource Prospecting Engineering Bachelor's Degree Chinese RMB13000/Y Details Public Business Management Bachelor's Degree Chinese RMB17000/Y Details Science of Public Management Doctoral Degree Chinese RMB25200/Y Details Social Medicine and Health Service Management Doctoral Degree Chinese RMB31200/Y Details Economics of Catch Up Doctoral Degree Chinese RMB26000/Y Details Economics of Catch Up Master's Degree Chinese RMB20000/Y Details Molecule Nutrition Master's Degree Chinese RMB20000/Y Details Elementary Mathematics Master's Degree Chinese RMB21000/Y Details Finance Master's Degree Chinese RMB22600/Y Details Insurance Doctoral Degree Chinese RMB33000/Y Details International Economics and Trade Bachelor's Degree Chinese RMB23300/Y Details Public Finance Bachelor's Degree Chinese RMB15400/Y Details Welcome to study at Renmin University of China(中国人民大学)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line273
__label__cc	0.742014	0.257986	Understanding the Ocean of the Past Using Ocean Sediments During the last glacial period much of the Northern Hemisphere was blanketed by one or more sheets of ice. Throughout this period, chunks of these continental ice sheets often broke off and surged into the North Atlantic, carrying with them large amounts debris and freshwater. These events, called Heinrich events, are often thought to have been responsible for changes in ocean circulation patterns; specifically, weakening the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a system of currents that transports water and heat from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere in the Atlantic basin. Evidence for past ocean circulation patterns, and changes in them, comes from a variety of sources, including model experiments and measurements of carbon and oxygen isotopes in the shells of benthic foraminifera. By looking at the relative abundance of oxygen isotopes in the shell of a foraminifer, scientists can get clues to the temperature and the salinity (and, therefore, the density) of the water in which it was formed. Since the AMOC is driven in part by density gradients, understanding past seawater density is necessary in order to correctly reconstruct the current’s flow and strength. In a recent study published in Nature Geoscience, entitled “Muted change in Atlantic overturning circulation over some glacial-aged Heinrich events,” a team of researchers investigated the impact of Heinrich events on the AMOC by studying benthic foraminfera from cores on either side of the Florida Straits. The Florida Current, which passes through the Florida Straits, is particularly sensitive to changes in the AMOC, making it an ideal study location. The team, lead by Jean Lynch-Stieglitz (Georgia Institute of Technology), and including BIOS Director Bill Curry, combined isotopic oxygen measurements with existing reconstructions and model experiments to study the three most recent Heinrich events. They found evidence that, during some Heinrich events, reductions in the strength of the AMOC were of a much smaller magnitude and/or of shorter duration, than others. These results suggest that changes in low-latitude climate patterns (e.g., drier than normal conditions, warming of the ocean and climate, etc.) often associated with Heinrich events may not be the direct result of changes in the AMOC-driven heat transport, as is commonly thought. Instead, the researchers suggest that other factors, such as changes in land ice over North America or sea ice cover in the North Atlantic, might impact the atmospheric circulation and climate patterns.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line276
__label__wiki	0.633024	0.633024	Sitemap \| home \| interviews > interview with Marc Jampole INTERVIEW WITH MARC JAMPOLE Write a bio Marc Jampole is the author of Music from Words, published in 2007 by Bellday Books, Inc. His poetry has been published in Mississippi Review, Oxford Review, Janus Head, Main Street Rag, Ellipsis, Wilderness House Review and other journals. Over the years, four of Marc’s poems have been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. More than 450 articles he has written on various subjects have been published in magazines and newspapers. Marc has worked professionally as a filmmaker, television news reporter, university instructor in French and German, options trader, advertising executive and writer. When he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he won the scholarship for the outstanding student. He also earned a Masters or Arts at the University of Washington and conducted independent research at the University of Berlin, Germany, on a Fulbright Fellowship. Born in New York City, Marc now resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Where is your favorite place to write? I have an office on the second floor of my home in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. My computer sits in front of three windows which look directly at two magnificent maple trees. Everything in the office is arranged to meet my writing needs: a bulletin board and filing cabinet to my left; a sturdy printer within arm's reach; a pile of audio CDs (as I have not yet switched to iPod), a large desk space to spread out stuff. Often during the day I gather stray thoughts that I write down on slips of paper, which I pile on my desk when I get home from wherver I've been, and begin to sort through whenever I sit down to write creatively--generally for at least a few hours a day. What writers inspire you? Among poets, Wallace Stevens and T.S. Eliot above all, although I also have learned a lot from H.D., Plath, Dickinson, Pound and Hopkins. What inspires me about all of them are two things: 1. The way each, in his or her own way, uses sound to create the emotional meaning of a poem, much like background music does in a movie. 2. The way each can inject two or more levels of meaning into a poem. Among non-prose writers, I love the great French novelists, especially Stendhal and Flaubert. Stendhal may have written the first novel about the "knowledge worker," The Red and the Black, in which the tragic hero Julien Sorel escapes from the rural squalor of his home town only because of his intellectual abilities, specifically the fact that he has a photographic memory. Julien's ambitions, loves, rise and fall represent a chilling object lesson for writers, graphic designers, lawyers, accountants, professors, engineers, social workers, physicians, nurses and so many other knowledge workers struggling today to put food on the table while maintaining their ethical standards in what has become a hard, cruel world. Inspiring writers: I can't forget Dante, Cervantes, Joyce, Twain, Proust, Joseph Heller, on and on. How would you define your poetry? The thing people always notice immediately about my poetry is the musicality, which I achieve through a variety of tactics, including repetiition, use of both regular and irregular metrics, internal rhymes, variations on theme, emjambment, assonance, aliteration, alteration of natural stopping points and dissonance. I want the sound qualities in my poetry not only approach the status of music, but that the music conveys an emotion that underlies the narrative of the poem. Because I will frequently change meters from line to line or create irregular meters, I think of the music I make with words as "jazzy," but my poetry does not qualify as "jazz poetry" if you use Rexroth's classic definition, and besides, what you label it is not important. Another striking characteristic of my work, one that that distinguishes it from most other contemporary poetry, is the dissociation of the voice from the poet. It is very rare that the speaker in one of my poems is me or my alter-ego, and just as rare that the poem is autobiographical in the sense of telling a story about my life. For example, some of the speakers in Music form Words include a man with advanced Parkinson's disease; the composer Arnold Schoenberg; John Coltrane on his death bed; a pine tree that dominates the woods of Squaw Valley. Sometimes, there are two or more speaker's in a poem; for example, "The Death Song of Lenny Ross" is told from a total of seven distinct voices. I love to explore the inherent tension when the narrator(s) of a poem is not the author, and may in fact, disagree with the author. How does the author then make his or her point, while expressing the reality of the dissociated narrator? It's a central question in much of literary history, and I love exploring at least a few of the infinitude of answers in my poetry. Please talk about your new book, Music from Words (Bellday Books). For me, this book was brilliant! Music from Words has five parts, each of which explores a different kind of musicality in poetry: The first part, Operas and Arias, contains stories sung by one or more of the characters in each poem. Part two is called Love Songs, which is fairly self-explanatory. The poems in part three, Abstract Music, are word equivalents to some of the more intense, weird music of the 20th century, like Charles Ives or John Coltrane. The poems in Protest Rock reveal my take on social issues, while the last section, Songs of Self, are first-person confessions of the self, but usually not of my "self." How does music/rhythmn connect with your words. Explain your process. Sometimes I write simple narratives, sometimes in a very abstract way. But in all cases, I want the poem to sound musical, and for the music to convey a specific emotion or emotional ride. So even when people don't understand the abstractions, they can say, this poem is beautiful or this poem makes me feel something:sad, happy, nostalgic, angry, disillusioned, ecstatic, horny, hungry or... That's my goal in every poem, which doesn't mean I always achieve it. Sometimes I start with an idea, sometimes with a word, sometimes with a phrase that is inherently musical, like the name Joe Venuti, which serves as a mantra in "July Fourth." For example, in my reading I came across the stylites, who were early Christian aesthetics who lived for years on top of tall columns in the middle of the Syrian desert around the time of St. Augustine. I had a whimsical thought that a stylite is a state of mind that could flourish in other belief systems, and decided to write a rant from the point of view of an atheistic styilite; the result: "Confessions of an atheistic stylite." In another book I read I discovered the rafflesia, the largest flower in the world, and a parasite that sucks its life from the liana vine. My crazy mind imagined all the couples I know in mutually parasitical relationships, and I mean that in a good way--each symbolically feeding upon the other to fulfill basic needs, including the need to feed upon and be fed upon. So I thought I would describe the relationship between the rafflesia and liana from the point of view of a liana who, in the middle of the poem assumes the role of rafflesia. Thus the idea for "Liana ro raflesia." Once I have an idea, I do a lot of research to make sure my facts are right. For "Ghost," which is an indictment of the U.S. worldwide torture gulag, I read thousands of pages of reports by peace organizations, the U.S. government and journalists, searching for realistic details I could use to build the nightrmare within a nightmare that is "Ghost." I won't begin to put words on paper until I know the point(s) of view that will tell the poem's story. I think carefully about the language the voice or voices would use, and consciously look for ways to put music into that voice. I consider the question, "What is the music playing in the head of this person?" Then I try to use words and meters that convey that music. Perhaps it's through repetition of key phrases, or maybe a type of metric pattern or a certain approach to diction. Rewriting is essential. It is in the rewrite that I can work on the musical details--changing words to improve the musicality. I also can work on the overall musical and emotional structure, which means the flow of feelings I expect readers to experience as they move through the poem. It is usually in rewrite that I create this flow of feelings. One last word on process: I never know if I'm done with a poem until I cut something out that I love or think is beautiful. It is only then that I know that the poem has escaped from my ego to become its own thing. How long were you working on this body of work? Music from Words is my first book, so of course, so a few of the poems are as old as 20 years. But about three-quarters of the book was written between 2004 and 2006. Discuss the importance of writing and reading experimental poetry in today's society. That's a very thorny question that begs the broader question of the role of all poetry in today's society. First to the general role of poetry in society: there is none right now in the broadest sense, even though there are more people writing poetry than ever before, and writing in a wonderfully diverse array of styles. But other than other poets, not many people are reading poetry, just as there are not many people reading serious fiction or history. Our society treats poetry like a relic of past times, and I mean really ancient times. I believe this situation-the marginalization of poetry--is temporary, but I don't know the events that will change it. There are several special roles that experimental poetry plays, can play and/or should play. One is similar to the role of the scientist, to seek new knowledge, in this case, knowledge in how words can be put together to convey meaning and create pleasure. One gloomy example: much of what we consider part of the standard language of television commercials originated in either Joyce or the Dadaists. Another role of experimental poetry is to provide the pleasure of a word adventure, at least for those adventurous enough to set aside preconceived notions of the relationship between words and meaning. Finally, like experimental music or painting, experimental poetry jolts the reader into reevaluating how he or she views the world; it's like an intellectual coaster ride, or perhaps like putting the mind through a mental decathalon. In other words, it's good for people's mental and emotional well-being to read and hear experimental poetry, even if they don't understand all of it. Wallace Stevens said that one should view modern poetry as one does modern art--sometimes you don't understand it, but you know it's beautiful. Talk about some other media you've been involved in. How does this work in regards to your poetry? First the facts: I have worked professionally as a filmmaker and television writer/reporter. When I was a a bit younger, I managed a rock group and produced some jazz group recordings. I have taught both German and French language, which I bring up because to my mind, every language is its own medium. I have also written hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers and done a lot of commercial writing, such as TV and radio commericals, websites, corporate training videos and brochures (and I will add in defensive parentheses that in the marketing stuff, I never sold my soul, refusing to work on any projects that go against my fairly liberal political and social beliefs). I have learned from my work in all these media. For example, I learned a lot about point-of-view from filmmaking. One central concern in filmmaking is where to place the camera, which is really a point-of-view decision. As you move the camera, you change the point-of-view of the narration, sometimes abruptly, but often in subtle ways that the viewer doesn't even notice. Filmmaking also taught me many lessons on how images can be ordered to create meaning Luckily, these lessons were conveniently described for me (and anyone else!) before my birth by the Russian filmmaker Eisenstein in his essays collected in English as Film Form and The Film Sense. I recently wrote an article, still unpublished, about what poets can learn from other art forms. Here is what I said about painting, an art form I have studied extensively, but never practiced: The painter’s vision can be brought to the page in words, but not by mere description. A poem that faithfully describes a painting is not necessarily written in the poetic equivalent of the style of the painting. Instead, the poet must find word-thoughts similar to the depiction processes inherent in line, color, imagery, depth of field, point of view, stroke, media and the relationship of these elements to each other. Here are how four principles of painting translate into poetry: The limited palette: The limited palette exists in virtually every art form, but is identified most commonly as a defining element of style in painting, e.g., Picasso’s “Blue” period or Pollack’s action painting. But a string quartet or the limited vocabulary of the voice speaking a poem are also attempts to limit the palette as a means of expression. Limiting the palette in any art form should not limit the emotional scope of the content. Let’s look at the limited palette as the range of rhetorical tropes engaged by the writer, similar to how the tessitura of a singer defines the general range of a voice part, the part of the register in which most of the tones of a voice part lie. The full range of emotional expression can expand or contract in its sensual manifestations to fill any tessitura, or any palette.Look at Picasso’s “blue” period in which he demonstrates a wide range of expression within a very limited palette of colors. Composers have used the four instruments of the string quartet to express a range of emotion at least as wide as that expressed by a full symphonic orchestra. In a bloodless Racine drama in which characters speak a sparse and stilted vocabulary of less than one thousand very proper and sanitary words, even the nuance of verb conjugation becomes an element of expression. When we see the story unfold exclusively through the eyes of Benjy, a mentally retarded man in The Sound and the Fury, we are viewing reality through his limited thought palette, and yet we manage to understand a full range of emotional states felt by the characters in the narrative. Cubism: The underlying thought process of Cubism is to break a physical reality into pieces and then present each of those pieces from a different point of view. The idea is to capture the post-Einstein physical world, i.e., the reality of the 20th century, which requires multiple points of view. For example, “Imaginary landscape with 29 birds” in Music from Words develops the Cubist principle as the syntax of the poem, fragmenting descriptions of 28 different Audubon prints and one Brancusi sculpture into parts and then reordering those parts to present a heightened Cubist reality of them. Collage: Collage in painting is the juxtaposition of different media or different pieces of the same media. The painter glues bits of newspaper stories, photographs or soccer tickets onto a painted canvas that may include colliding styles or a combination of different painted materials. In a real sense, collage in painting, as practiced by virtually all painters from the Dadaists to Larry Rivers and beyond, is similar to sampling in hip hop music. You can see painterly collage in much of Ezra Pound, or, closer to my home, in a number of poems in Music from Words, such as “Remember the fool in the rain” and “Dreams of old men.” Simultaneity: Many painters have tried to capture multiple moments of a process on a canvas for simultaneous viewing. Duchamp’s “Nude descending a staircase” is the classic example of this attempt to capture movement in time on the canvas. In the composition, Duchamp depicts motion with successively superimposed images. I would assert that to achieve the same effect in poetry, you have to create a written page that can be read in more than one direction, that is, can have two word realities that seem to be merging into each other or co-existing in the same space. Simultaneiety in poetry thus tends to have some element of calligraphy in it. Ready examples from Music from Words include “Source of all” and “Pascal’s Triangle.” You lived in NYC and then moved to Pittsburgh. Why the change? What is the poetry scene like in Pittsburgh? Since I left New York in the middle of high school, I have lived in Miami, Milwaukee, Seattle, Berlin (Germany), San Francisco and Pittsburgh, plus spent large amounts of time in Los Angeles, Syracuse and New York. I kind of drifted from place to place for a long time, having many adventures and getting to know many people with diverse backgrounds, cultures and aspirations. I moved to Pittsburgh as part of a decision to settle down someplace and get serious about my creative writing. If an old woman-friend I was visiting had lived in Boston or Washington instead of in Pittsburgh, I would probably have ended up one of those places. On many levels the poetry scene is very vibrant in Pittsburgh. Two or three nights of most weeks you can hear non-university poets read at a bar, coffee house or art gallery. There are several lively small presses, plus the University of Pittsburgh and CMU presses. Pittsburgh offers both open workshops, plus some fairly exclusive ones. There seems to be more interaction between university-based poets and community-based poets in Pittsburgh than in most places, which has to be a good thing. But just as the population of Pittsburgh is much older than that of Boston so is the universe of people who write or care about poetry also much older in Pittsburgh. The other interesting contrast with Boston is that virtually all of the poets in Pittsburgh write in a very conservative, mainstream vein in which there is a unity between the narrator and the poet and the subject matter is mostly autobiographical. My sense is that while mainstream poetry may dominate the Boston poetry scene, the Boston poetry community is generally more open to experimental poetry than Pittsburgh's. Any last comments? Thanks for the opportunity to articulate some of my thoughts about poetry and the writing process. Copyright © 2005-2008 ČERVENÁ BARVA PRESS LLC - All Rights Reserved	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line277
__label__cc	0.747163	0.252837	La Formentera: The Woodland Refuge of Juan Montoya Photographs by Eric Piasecki Introduction by Karen Lehrman Bloch The Monacelli Press, New York, 2012, English Nonfiction, Architecture; Nonfiction, Interior Design 11 x 1 x 14 inches, hardcover, 232 pages Buy from The Monacelli Press Bookstore Near You provided by Google Designers & Books does not have any financial relationship with any of these booksellers. From the Publisher. In the 1970s, renowned interior designer Juan Montoya lived on La Formentera, a Balearic Island off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Later, near Garrison, New York, Montoya acquired land and built his place of solace, his own La Formentera. He fulfilled his dream of a property that could evoke the same majesty of that island’s rocky terrain, without the Mediterranean climate. The retreat is made up of an elegantly simple Japanese-style house and 100 acres of pristine landscape, shaped by Montoya himself. Setting out on the paths, one encounters massive stone sculptures, an inviting pool complex, and rustic shelters made of rough stone. A rushing brook runs through the property, and empties into a lake with a small island where thousands of daffodils bloom in the spring. La Formentera is the perfect refuge for Montoya, whose credo is, “I want to be surrounded by beauty and creativity.” Photographer Eric Piasecki has captured that beauty and creativity inherent to this unique place in all seasons—from the deep greens of summer, to the golden leaves of fall, to the pristine snow drifts of winter, to the first blush of spring. Karen Bloch's engaging text tells the remarkable story of the property, as well as the great pleasure it gives Juan Montoya and all who visit there. On 1 book list Stanley Abercrombie On Stanley Abercrombie’s Notable Books of 2012 list This is important because it is so beautiful. Formentera, named for the Spanish island where interior designer Juan Montoya once lived, is a 110-acre site near the Hudson River town of Garrison, New York. There is, of course, an interesting house with skillful interiors, but the emphasis here is on nature—trees, forests, streams and ponds, subtly augmented with sculpture, walls and walks. Idyllic. 50 Books on Type and Typography	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line291
__label__wiki	0.560527	0.560527	Missouri Supreme Court Fischer v. Cape Girardeau , 345 Mo. 122 ( 1939 ) * NOTE: Opinion filed at May Term, 1939, July 7, 1939; motion for rehearing filed; motion overruled at September Term, September 14, 1939. Action for personal injuries. From a judgment for plaintiff for $8000, defendants appeal. Plaintiff alleges that he was employed by the City of Cape Girardeau and was engaged in shoveling crushed rock; that the city was negligent in failing to furnish him with a safe and secure tool in that the scoop shovel supplied him was "old, weak, worn and thin;" that while he was shoveling the crushed rock his shovel came into contact with a rock frozen to the ground; that in order to scoop up this rock he pushed hard with his shovel against it, whereupon the weak and defective shovel, after holding for a moment, suddenly gave way and bent backwards throwing him forward with great force and violence causing him to strike his leg on the handle of his shovel and causing the injuries; that his injuries were directly due to the negligence and carelessness of defendant in furnishing him with an old, worn, thin, weak and unsafe shovel. [1] The rule is settled that a master must use ordinary and reasonable care to supply safe tools for his servants to use. This general rule has been qualified in some jurisdictions by what is known as the "simple tool" rule. Under the latter rule the general rule does not apply where the tool is of a simple nature easily understood and the defects, if any, open and apparent to the servant. However, we have held that the simple tool rule as applied elsewhere is not the law in this State where a servant never assumes a risk growing out of the negligence of the master. We have decided the rule to be one merely of contributory negligence under which a master may defend on the ground the tool was a simple device and any ordinary person could see the defects. Under such circumstances, use of a tool glaringly defective would show negligence on the part of the servant Page 125 in doing a thing which an ordinarily careful and prudent man would not have done so that the servant would be denied relief because of his own negligence. [Williams v. Pryor, 272 Mo. 613, 200 S.W. 53.] Discussing that case in Gray v. Doe Run Lead Co.,331 Mo. 481, 53 S.W.2d 877, we said at 491: "In Williams v. Pryor, . . . we held that the so-called simple tool doctrine is in its last analysis `nothing more than that of contributory negligence,' and although the Williams case was reversed by the Supreme Court of the United States (245 U.S. 43), yet it is still authority for holding that in a Missouri common-law action the simple tool doctrine is but an application of the doctrine of contributory negligence." [2] On the other hand, even though the duty of furnishing safe tools is imposed on the master, he is not an insurer of the safety of the servant in using the tool furnished. [Compton v. Construction Co., 315 Mo. 1068, 1083, 287 S.W. 474.] In other words the servant must show the failure to furnish a safe tool or, stated differently, the fact that the tool furnished was unsafe caused his injury. "The mere fact there is a negligent defect in an appliance furnished the servant by the master, does not make the master liable for the servant's injury; such defect must be the proximate or legal cause of the injury. . . . `It is not enough to show an accident and an injury. A causal connection must be established between the accident and the negligence charged, in order to make out a case for the jury. Failing in this, as this plaintiff did, the court should take the case from the jury . . . for the reason that it would have no foundation in law or in fact to rest upon. . . . In other words, the mere occurrence of negligence and injury does not make the defendant liable. There must be a direct connection between the negligent act and the injury, and the negligence must be the proximate cause of the injury.'" [Van Bibber v. Swift Co., 286 Mo. 317, 333, 228 S.W. 69.] Applying this rule to the instant case, we find no substantial evidence of any causal connection between the condition of the shovel and the accident. It would seem instead that the manner in which the plaintiff used the shovel so as to be off balance when it went over the rock frozen to the ground must have been the cause of his fall. Surely anyone would know that any shovel would be likely to slip over rock frozen to the ground. The only testimony about the occasion of his injury was given by the plaintiff himself. He said that he was taken to a big pile of rock which had been crushed into pieces about the size of an egg from which a truck was to be loaded; that part of the rock pile was frozen and the shovel could not be pushed into it. He had noticed the edge of his shovel was worn and because of such worn condition "had little prongs on it." A fellow workman was shoveling on top of the pile and the plaintiff was cleaning up the loose rock from the ground. While he was pushing his shovel to fill it, it was stopped by the rock which was frozen to the ground. He exerted Page 126 pressure on his shovel. His shovel slipped over this piece of rock and went into the pile causing him to fall forward and strike his leg against the handle of the shovel. He describes the casualty in these words: "I was shoveling, that rock being frozen you had to shovel pretty hard. I was shoveling there and all at once my shovel jumped out, as it jumped I fell forward and the shovel snatched in again, when it snatched in, my whole force and weight on this leg fell right up against the shovel handle." After he had hit his leg and had unloaded his shovel he noticed one of the prongs at the right edge of the shovel was bent or curled up about an inch. Although his shovel was in this shape, he finished loading the truck and loaded another one. Then he laid the edge of his shovel on a railroad rail and with a stone pounded down the upturned prong. He continued to use the shovel the rest of the day. Describing his shovel he testified: "It aint no tapered shovel. It had prongs on the end of it. It wasn't square, kinda hollowed out in the middle. The front part of the blade of the shovel was worn back. The edge of the shovel was bent up and I took a rock and straightened it. I used it the next day. I didn't use it as rapidly as I had before. The right edge of the shovel was bent over about an inch after I fell. That was all that I could see wrong with the shovel, I didn't know anything about shovels like that." [3] The only attempt to explain the cause of the shovel "jumping" was also given by the plaintiff. From an observation of the shovel after the accident, he said: "I seen the shovel was bent up like that, I think that is what caused the shovel to jump when it hit the rock." There were no witnesses to the accident. Except for the plaintiff's testimony, "If it had been a shovel that was fitten to work I don't think it would have bent up, it showed it was worn," there was no evidence that the condition of the shovel made it unsafe, or that its condition could reasonably be excepted to cause it to "jump" and thereby injure the plaintiff. The jury could only speculate as to what caused the shovel to slip. This it cannot be permitted to do. In Bennett v. Harry Benjamin Equipment Co. (Mo. App.), 214 S.W. 244, the court said: "The cause of the slipping of the boiler iron (which injured the plaintiff) is left, by the evidence, wholly to speculation and conjecture. And to get to the jury it devolved upon plaintiff to get his case out of the realm of speculation and conjecture and plant it upon a solid basis of fact such as to establish prima facie, actionable negligence on the part of the defendant." The similarity of the facts in the case of Lowe v. Railroad,265 Mo. 587, 187 S.W. 442, makes it markedly pertinent and persuasive. There, the plaintiff based his cause of action on being furnished a pick which was dull rather than one which had been sharpened. He was employed in taking old ties from a railroad track. After removing Page 127 the spikes and jacking up the rail he would imbed the point of his pick in the tie and pull it out. In doing this the pick suddenly came out of the tie, causing the plaintiff to fall backwards and be injured. The question was whether such evidence was sufficient to submit the case to the jury. We held that a case is not usually made out by showing the condition of the tool and the resultant injury but that the facts must show the master would have apprehended that the tool used by his servant would by reason of its condition probably result in injury. We found that while a sharp pick might be a little safer than a dull one, it did not follow that a dull one was not reasonably safe. We decided no submissible case had been made. On this point this case is cited with approval in Allen v. Missouri Pacific Ry. Co. (Mo.), 294 S.W. 80; Nolen v. Halpin-Dwyer Const. Co.,225 Mo. App. 224, 29 S.W.2d 215; Samuel v. National Bag Co. (Mo. App.), 15 S.W.2d 376. Also in Plefka v. Knapp, Stout Co., 145 Mo. 316, 46 S.W. 974, we held that the alleged defect in the appliance was a mere condition and not the cause of the accident and as no causal connection was proved between the defect complained of and the injury sustained, no submissible case was made. In the cases which have upheld awards to plaintiffs because of injuries from unsafe tools we have uniformly found that the evidence showed the causal connection between the condition of the tool and the injury. In Choate v. City of Springfield,343 Mo. 935, 124 S.W.2d 1127, there was abundant evidence that the type of hammer furnished for breaking rock would cause spalls to fly up, thereby causing danger; in Loduca v. St. Louis-S.F. Ry. Co., 315 Mo. 331, 289 S.W. 908, there was clear and pointed evidence that the defective tool was the proximate cause of the injury; in Gray v. Doe Run Lead Co., 331 Mo. 481,53 S.W.2d 877, supra, we held plaintiff's evidence was sufficient to take the case to the jury on the issue of defendant's negligence in failing to supply safe tools; in Nolen v. Halpin-Dwyer Const. Co., 225 Mo. App. 224, 29 S.W.2d 215, there was positive evidence that defendant's foreman knew that the tool was defective and unsafe. Giving to plaintiff every reasonable inference, still we cannot hold that he produced sufficient substantial evidence to make a submissible case. He has not shown that his employer could reasonably anticipate that a shovel with a thin, worn and jagged edge would "jump" more readily than one with a stronger, stouter and thicker edge, or that any such tendency would be likely to cause injury to one using it, or even that the worn condition of his shovel was the cause of his shovel "jumping." His testimony that he thinks that the turned-up prong caused the shovel to "jump" is not evidence, but only speculation and conjecture. As a matter of fact, it is just as probable that his shovel hitting the pile of frozen rock with the force of his fall Page 128 caused the prong to turn up as the pressure exerted on the shovel when it was in contact with the rock frozen to the ground. There is certainly no inherent danger in a shovel with a worn edge, and unless it be put to a use not ordinarily intended such condition would not be reasonably anticipated to be a cause of injury. There is no evidence of any directions by the employer as to any particular manner in which the shovel was to be operated in scooping up the rock. It is entirely probable that a worn edge on a shovel might increase the amount of labor expended in doing the work, but that does not necessarily make the shovel an unsafe tool. It is only the duty of the master to furnish tools that are ordinarily and reasonably safe for the character of the work they are intended for. He is not bound to furnish the newest and best. He performs his duty when he furnishes those of ordinary character and of reasonable safety. Absolute safety is unobtainable and, we repeat, employers are not insurers. [Coin v. John H. Talge Lounge Co., 222 Mo. 488, 121 S.W. 1, 25 L.R.A. (N.S.) 1179.] We hold that plaintiff failed to prove either that defendants were guilty of any actionable negligence or that the worn condition of the shovel was the proximate cause of his injury. For the reasons stated the judgment should be reversed. It is so ordered. All concur, except Hays, P.J., absent. Citation Numbers： 345 Mo. 122, 131 S.W.2d 521 Judges： DOUGLAS, J. Filed Date： 9/14/1939 Modified Date： 7/5/2016 Loduca v. Ry. Co. , 315 Mo. 331 ( 1926 ) Choate v. Springfield , 343 Mo. 935 ( 1939 ) Nolen v. Halpin-Dwyer Const. Co. , 225 Mo. App. 224 ( 1930 ) Gray v. Doe Run Lead Co. , 331 Mo. 481 ( 1932 ) Compton v. Construction Co. , 315 Mo. 1068 ( 1926 ) Van Bibber v. Swift Co. , 286 Mo. 317 ( 1921 )	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line296
__label__cc	0.712268	0.287732	EM Mindset: On the Bearing of Bad News Author: Andrew M. Bazakis, MD (Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine, Central Michigan University College of Medicine) // Edited by: Alex Koyfman, MD (@EMHighAK, EM Attending Physician, UT Southwestern Medical Center / Parkland Memorial Hospital) and Brit Long, MD (@long_brit) The room was filled with half a dozen women and two men. All seated, hands in their laps and wearing worried expressions. A man in a white coat and scrubs entered and introduced himself with one woman, well dressed and appearing in her early thirties announcing herself as the patient’s mother. A brief conversation ensued. All eyes in the room gazed expectantly upon the man in the white coat, appearing to hang on his every word. The doctor spoke quietly, leaning forward making eye contact with the well-dressed woman. Suddenly her hands cupped over her mouth as she stood and then almost fell back into the seat behind her. In doing so she let out a wail of grief. It was the unmistakable sound that comes forth from that part deep within a mother’s soul when she hears the news that her child is gone and a part of her at that moment dies along with her baby. Amidst the human condition’s propensity toward illness and death, modern society often lays the task of bearing of the announcement of such grim events at the feet of the physician. In 2013 over 300,000 Americans were pronounced dead in Emergency Departments across the United States (1) accounting for approximately 11.5% of the deaths in the US that year (2). More than 800 times per day in 2013 in America alone, someone was informed of the death of a loved one in the context of the Emergency Department. Consider also the additional notifications of the presence of disease with a poor prognosis and it is no surprise that the ability to bear bad news to patients and families in a manner that is empathetic, compassionate and professional remains an essential skill for the emergency physician. In two decades of practice I have seen the result that the compassionate humanity of a physician can impart during a moment of grief. When each of us as physicians took up the mantle of medical practice, we assumed with it the responsibility for performing this much-needed task. In these moments, every word, every expression, every action is indelibly etched into the minds of patients and families no matter how well or how little we ourselves will recall these events over time. The physician has only one chance to “get it right” so to speak. While there is no way to provide complete anesthesia from the pain of loss or anticipated loss, there are ways to bear bad news that are honest, compassionate, and professional. This skill is not only essential for the well-being of the patient and family but also for the well-being of the physician and health care staff as well. Greek philosophers have often described the various entities one encounters in two ways: the apophatic (what something is not) and the cataphatic (what something is). For example, a pen is a writing instrument. It is not an animal. It is small enough to fit in my hand. It is not lighter than air, etc. In this way we can describe by both counterexample as well as by affirmative example. One can describe the art of giving bad news in a way that is empathetic, humane and professional in much the same fashion. We can illustrate with recounting the experience of a young woman in in her early twenties receiving a call from a local hospital reporting that her father was there and described him as in “critical condition”. He had collapsed while shopping at a local hardware store and was taken to a nearby hospital by ambulance. She arrived at this large academic medical center with a prestigious emergency medicine training program and was seated alone in a consultation room. A young man in a white coat, presumably a resident, entered the room and asked “Are you Mr. DeBono’s family?” When she nodded in affirmation, he replied while still standing in the doorway “I’m sorry ma’am but he expired.” The man then quickly departed leaving the woman shocked and alone uncertain of what just happened let alone what to do next. We would all easily agree that the above case example represents how not to break bad news. Sadly however, this case is not at all fictitious. That young woman later became my wife. That deceased man was my father-in-law. I have since apologized to her on behalf of my profession as this conversation should have gone much differently. This occurred at a well-known and well-funded hospital with a very prestigious residency training program located in a financially prosperous suburb of a major city. How could this type of error have occurred there of all places? How could this type of error be avoided in the future? The following is in part my attempt to answer those questions and provide some thoughts as to a solution. In the Emergency Department physicians often find themselves feeling prisoner to multiple competing interests. More patients every hour waiting to be seen, consultants that won’t call back promptly and are difficult when they do, demanding patients, demanding families, ever increasing required boxes to check and records to keep, overworked nurses stressed to the breaking point and in urgent need of your collaboration to address the latest crisis. All these and more weigh on one’s mind while navigating the intricacies of caring for a multitude of patients and families all in differing stages of vastly variant circumstances each along any one of a myriad of trajectories of care. In the mix of it all, the call to bear the bad news of an ominous diagnosis or the news of a death of someone’s loved one stops everything cold. As it should. The doctor does so with part of him/her hoping that once emerging from that consultation room that the rest of the “plates are still spinning” so to speak. We must resist the temptation to be quick about it and get out and back to our current active census as fast as possible. The memory of this shift will eventually fade for us, but the moments about to follow will remain forever in etched the minds of those with whom we are about to speak. We must resist the temptation to put it off for too long, lest word of tragedy be brought to the family in some other way that is not so kind as we all know it should be. We must always resist the temptation to delegate the task of bearing bad news to someone else as this is the physician’s duty specifically. The obligation to bear such news and to do so in a way that is compassionate and professional is a part of what we have each taken upon ourselves from the first time that white coat is cast upon our shoulders. The literature is replete with all manner of excellent mnemonics on how to effectively and compassionately relate bad news, most of these focusing on revealing the death of a loved one to the family and friends of a patient pronounced dead in the emergency department. (3,4,5). In teaching my own residents I have traditionally employed the following guidelines using the mnemonic ASHES based in part of the work of Dr. Robert Buckman of the University of Toronto (6). The mnemonic is mine, but its basis is found in his work on the topic. First Assemble the team. So much as is at all possible, allow for a private accommodation for the family such as a consultation room. The team always includes the physician and at least one other staff member. Ideally a member of the nursing staff should be a part of this team, along with a chaplain and/or a social worker to provide additional support and stay with the family once the initial notification has taken place. Notifying security personnel is also at times an appropriate part of assembling the team, often present just outside the consultation room door, in the event further logistic assistance is required or if safety concerns arise. I almost never break bad news alone. This is more for the sake of the patient in the unlikely event I am urgently called from the room so as not to leave the family alone not knowing what to do next. Make your coworkers aware that you are stepping “off the floor” of the department so to speak. It is appropriate to allot to this duty of breaking bad news the same degree of attention and priority as running a resuscitation. Announce who you are and who the members of the team are when entering the room. I find that even if one does not wear a white coat on shift that this type of event is one where having a clean, pressed white coat hung somewhere to wear during such events is helpful as it provides a cultural signature that you are the doctor and often provides a comforting sense of authority for the family. Affirm the identity of the patient’s family by using the patient’s name to be certain that you are entering the correct room and speaking to the appropriate people. Nobody wants to break bad news to the wrong family members. Sit if at all possible. Time is often at a premium as it is in the emergency department, and in the breaking of bad news time is particularly sacred. When we sit, this communicates compassion and gives the message to the patient, or in the case of a death the family, that those to whom you speak represent a priority. (7,8). At times, it may be best to sit near a door to safely allow for a quick exit should a volatile response to the bad news occur. Speak plainly (3). Often a group will have one person who acts as a spokesperson. Even if that family person has a medical background and can understand the jargon of medical practice, use language understandable by the lay public so that all in the room may understand. Say the patient’s name and as stated above confirm who is in the room. So as to not sound clinically distant, avoid the use of phrases like “the patient” as the use of the patient’s name shows a certain recognition of and respect for the patient’s humanity and individuality. Stay; that is be sure not to appear at all rushed. This can be particularly challenging in a busy department. Be certain however that the fifteen minutes you spend with this grieving patient or family will have far more impact over time than the extra fifteen minutes of waiting on the part of anyone else on your census. History is best obtained right away. There are some words in medicine that produce what in modern colloquial parlance is described as a “mic drop”. The news of death almost always changes the tone of the room permanently. That is, once these words are uttered, everything changes and the family may be in no state to provide historical details. Start by ascertaining what the family members know up until that point to allow clarity of communication and avoidance of misunderstandings and misconceptions. I have found it most helpful to inquire up front as to events surrounding the patient’s presentation, medical and surgical history, and who the primary care physician is prior to breaking the actual news of death or a grave prognosis. That said, if the physician is asked point blank if the patient is alive or not, an immediate and clear answer is necessary. Express the news clearly. Be certain to use clear language including words such as “I’m sorry sir, but he is dead,” or “We did everything we could but she died.” Euphemisms such as “passed away”, “gone”, or “fallen asleep” should be avoided in this situation. Jargon such as “expired” or “remained in asystole” should similarly not be used for the same reason. The former are perfectly appropriate for chaplain staff, pastors, and other spiritual leaders, but in the communicating the news of death the physician has a certain duty of clarity and in this word choice is key. Sympathy should be expressed once the initial grief reaction has abated. The teams’ patient silence through the initial grief reaction is necessary and is often the greatest possible show of respect and sympathy we can offer. Stay through the emotion that ensues after the bearing of the news. Show availability to guide the family through the next steps in the process. This will involve the use of nursing staff and chaplain or social work staff if available. Be certain to assure your availability for any further questions or concerns. An expression of condolence to the family for their loss is always appropriate and reflects the doctor’s own humanity. After family notification, the tasks of the emergency physician are far from over. In many cases, the medical examiner may need to be notified to clear the patient’s body for release to the funeral home versus reservation for autopsy. In some states physicians are required to notify Child Protective Services and law enforcement of any unexpected pediatric death (e.g. SIDS deaths). Each provider should be aware of state and local statute as well as local standards of care regarding these circumstances. In addition to these notifications, it is our duty to immediately notify the patient’s primary care physician. It is the duty of the emergency physician to make due diligence in this professional courtesy to our primary care colleagues. This is not only a show of respect for their relationship with our shared patient, but also a show of care and respect for the patient and family themselves. The case at the beginning of this article involved a six-year old little girl shot in a drive by shooting while walking off her grandmother’s porch holding her father’s hand. She gasped her last breaths in her grandmother’s car en route to the emergency department. Her father was wounded and transported urgently to another hospital, and her mother and other family members did not expect the news that her chest wound was fatal. That was several years ago, and to this day I still carry with me a picture from the newspaper of that little girl who I only saw once. I remember her face; it is forever engraved in my memory. I remember her name; it is permanently inscribed in a part of my heart. I remember her mother and the shock of her family’s grief; that shared experience has for eternity become a piece of my own soul as well. We must also never disregard the impact of this aspect of our practice on our own well-being. The impact on the emotional and even physical health of the entire health care team is one requiring particular consideration (9,10). An opportunity for the health care team to debrief is especially helpful, and I dare say even necessary. This often can be a brief few moments in the resuscitation bay once death has been declared. Resident physicians in particular are at times encountering these scenarios for the first time in their professional role. Careful mentorship by experienced attending physicians is essential. The attending physician also would do well to remain cognizant of the impact such events have on his or her own soul and not neglect to address the permanent changes in one’s own heart and mind that occur as a result of the necessary sharing in the grief of our patients and their families. Should we disregard our own humanity, then the price insidiously paid over time may be very great indeed. Kim, et. al noted the correlation between bearing bad news and physician anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and burnout. (9) The emergency physician has, as part of expected practice, the duty of bearing bad news to patients and families in a way that is compassionate, thoughtfu,l and reflective of a respect and even I dare say a love for humanity, including one’s own. We must ever recall the wise words of Hippocrates: (1) National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2013. Emergency Department Summary Tables. Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ahcd/nhamcs_emergency/2013_ed_web_tables.pdf (2) Kochanek, K, Murphy S, Xu J, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2013. NCHS Data Brief No. 178 December 2014. Centers for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db178.pdf (3) Nardi T, Keefe-Cooperman K. Communicating Bad News: A Model for Emergency Mental Health Helpers. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health. 2006; 8(3): 203-7. (4) Baile WF, Buckman R, Lenzi R, et al: SPIKES–A six-step protocol for delivering bad news: application to the patient with cancer, Oncologist 5:302-311, 2000. (5) Lowry F. Think GRIEV_ING When Giving Bad News to Loved Ones. ACEP News. April 2007. (6) Buckman R. How to break bad news. A guide for health care professionals. Baltimore: JHU Press; 1992. (7) Swayden KJ, Anderson KK, Connelly LM, Moran JS, McMahon JK and Arnold PM. Effect of sitting vs. standing on perception of provider time at bedside: A pilot study. Patient Education and Counseling, 1Feb 2012; 86 (2):166-17. (8) Johnson RL, Sadosty AT, Weaver AL, Goyal DG. To Sit or Not to Sit? Annals of Emergency Medicine, 01 Feb 2008; 51 (2):188-193. (9) Gordon GH (2017). Breaking Bad News. The Medical Interview. Elsevier. Chapter 27, 216-225. (10) Kim L, et.al. Simulating Reflective Practice Using Collaborative Reflective Training in Breaking Bad News Simulations. Families, Systems and Health. 2016; 34(2): 83-91. One thought on “EM Mindset: On the Bearing of Bad News” Pingback: Breaking bad news: Notifying family members of a death in the emergency department – First10EM	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line297
__label__cc	0.719244	0.280756	Just as Busy as Ever, But Missing Most of the Revenue Dave Aiello wrote, "Season's Greetings from everyone at Chatham Township Data Corporation. The year 2002 is finally over, and I'm glad to see it go. For a long time this summer, I wondered if we were even in business anymore because there was a such a dearth of opportunities. But, business recovered to a 'reasonable' level in September and October, and we were fortunate enough to be able to sustain that through the end of the year." "There were a few big milestones here at CTDATA this year. We successfully completed a project for a large financial services company in Morris County, NJ, at the beginning of April. This marked the end of our work on major projects for 2002, requiring us to find a way to generate revenue on smaller, more tactical projects." "In July, we relaunched AAHArefs, the website we maintain for USA Hockey's Atlantic District Officiating Program. This was a surprisingly successful rollout of a second-generation training seminar registration application based on the Slash content management system. As a result of the rollout, USA Hockey was able to provide seminar admission information to over 2,000 hockey officials in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania." "August 22 was the 13th Anniversary of CTDATA's incorporation which would not be a big milestone from my perspective if it wasn't so hard to generate income these days. Some of my friends and family stopped by to celebrate the anniversary. You can tell we were looking for anything we could find to take our minds off the lack of business." "Our website reached 1,000 pages of content around Thanksgiving. This was a victory for us in that it showed that CTDATA was still surviving the economic downturn, and still publishing information that is useful to our website's readers. About this time, it became clear that business had rebounded in a measurable way, and this fact made achieving the 1,000 article milestone more gratifying." Dave Aiello continued: Over the past few days, I looked at some of the content on our website and the emails I've sent recently, looking for inspiration for this article. The best summary I can find of the current state of the business from my perspective comes from a message I sent to Art Iger, a friend who works at J.P. Morgan Chase: ... I have my head down right now, working on {several} things: An e-commerce site for one of my clients, using the Interchange Open Source toolkit with Apache and mySQL. Migration of the final pieces of CTDATA infrastructure to Linux. Conversion of existing CTDATA-related Slash sites to the latest Slash distro. ... I'm just as busy as I used to be, if not more so, but a lot poorer/hungrier. I have no money, but, I've accomplished more on projects that matter to me since September than I did in the previous three years. CTDATA is certainly better organized than it has been since 1990. We are fairly focused on the projects that are generating revenue for us. But, those projects are too small and too few to satisfy me, or anyone else that knows the whole situation. I am more optimistic for 2003 than I was at this time last year. But, the economic outlook is still overcast, and the geopolitical outlook is truly scary. In some greeting cards I sent, I said that I hope that all of us are in one piece and better off in a year than we are today. Any progress without disaster would be welcome. Before I conclude, I'd like to take a moment to thank our clients for helping us to survive the most difficult year in our company's history. I hope that CTDATA has added value to your business. I'd also like to thank our partners at other companies who helped CTDATA significantly in 2002: Martin O'Donnell Phil Lurie Michael Weinberger Shane Hanlon On behalf of our little company, I want to extend best wishes to our customers and all of the readers of our website. We hope that 2003 is a better year for all of us, in our personal and business lives. CTDATA is still here to serve you. If we can help you to build a better web-based application, or a better Internet-based infrastructure, please let us know. Best wishes to you and your family during this holiday season. Dave Aiello Chatham Township Data Corporation Previous CTDATA holiday messages: Unfinished Business, 2001 A Real Correction, a Real Winter, and the Hope for a Real Government, 2000 Posted by Dave Aiello at 8:23 AM \| Permalink \| Comments (0) Washington Senator Flies Below National Media RADAR Before Christmas, U.S. Senator Patty Murray of the State of Washington told a group of high school students that Osama bin Laden is popular in some countries because he built schools, roads, and daycare centers there. This was originally pointed out in The Columbian, a newspaper based in Vancouver, WA, but subsequently picked up by the AP and carried in newspapers across the Western U.S. We have to chuckle at the disingenuousness of Murray's speech. How likely is it that a millionaire leader of worldwide terrorism would build daycare centers at the same time that he was in league with groups like the Taliban, who are notoriously anti-woman? The implication of her statements is that the United States has not provided foreign aid to the Islamic countries of the world-- another misleading notion. We can excuse Murray for assuming that the average American adult is stupid. But, she was speaking in front of impressionable high school students. There is no excuse for this degree of misrepresentation. The Washington Post broke its silence on the matter in an editorial about Murray's speech in its Christmas edition. It referred to Murray as "inept but entitled to have her say"-- as if all of her misstatements were OK in light of her patriotic criticism of American foreign policy. But, The New York Times has failed to mention the incident at all. How long will "the paper of record" be silent? So far, it's been 12 days. Posted by Dave Aiello at 3:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments (0) Buying Custom Printed Stationery in Central New Jersey Dave Aiello wrote, "I decided to bite the bullet today and get estimates for new CTDATA stationery from three commercial printers in the Trenton-Princeton area. My needs are simple:" 500 letterhead, one color printing, on white bond paper 500 second sheets, essentially blank bond paper matching the letterhead 500 #10 envelopes, matching letterhead 1,000 business cards "I asked three printers for quotes. The printers are:" The Alphagraphics franchise in Dayton, NJ Printech Printing and Imaging in Princeton, NJ The Allegra Printing and Imaging franchise in Lawrenceville, NJ "It was an interesting experience driving around and getting quotes. This is something I had never done before. Normally, I'd just walk into one printer, get a price, and give the go-ahead. I decided not to do that this time. Read on if you are interested in the outcome." Both Alphagraphics and Allegra came up with detailed quotes while I waited. Their substantial facilities were visible to me when I was standing at the reception desk. Both seem to do a large business. They also came up with quotes that were within 15 dollars of each other on a $250 job. PrinTek looked like a somewhat less substantial business, but that may be because they are located in a low rise office complex that is populated with more small non-industrial offices than businesses like commercial printers. I am not swinging them the business primarily because they did not give a detailed estimate. Too bad because their price was $40 to $50 less than the others bids I got. I think I am going to order the printing from Allegra, in spite of the fact that they are 6 percent more expensive than Alphagraphics. I chose Allegra because of their reasonable price, proximity to East Windsor, and large client list (for instance, UMDNJ has placed Allegra on their vendor list through a competitive process). I hope that this experience is of some value to other Princeton area businesspeople. I'm glad I took the time to go out and look at three commercial printers in our area. I feel fairly confident now that I am buying competitively priced printing services. Doc Searls: Looking for a Fax Machine that Connects to a LAN Doc Searls started talking about his search for a SOHO fax machine that can be put on an Ethernet network. This is interesting because he does not want or need a number of the multifunction bells and whistles that seem to come with every one of these devices now. The thread that develops from this will probably be worth following. Internet Peering Dispute Dogs Some Maryland School Districts On Saturday, The Washington Post reported that Internet access at schools in Prince George's County, Maryland, was slowed by a peering dispute between America On-line and Cogent Communications Group, a smaller Internet Service Provider. Cogent provides Internet access to several educational organizations including school districts and George Washington University. Peering is the term used by Internet Service Providers for providing reciprocal network access to customers of affiliated ISPs. These peering arrangements allow small ISPs to provide their customers with nationwide and international network access. Many peering agreements have come under pressure recently as a result of the economic downturn in the USA. This is what happened in the case discussed in the Washington Post article. A similar thing happened to CTDATA in November as a result of a dispute between our colocation provider and the company that provided bandwidth to them. It is virtually impossible for conscientious Internet access buyers to perform a comprehensive due diligence analysis of their providers. Peering agreements can change without notice to the end customers and they can be broken just as easily. This is one situation where the Internet would benefit from more governmental oversight. "Install Slash for Dummies" Proves Very Useful Dave Aiello wrote, "Over the weekend, I completed my first Slash 2.2.6 installation. I got a lot of ideas and useful help from a recent HOWTO document called Install Slash for Dummies by Evan Erwin." "The document took me step-by-step through the installation. I can't say that I had an install that was free of head-scratching. Installing the Slash-related Perl modules (aka Bundle::Slash) did not go perfectly smoothly. The problems I had were more likely to be attributed to the idiosyncracies of the distribution that I am using, rather than the install document itself." "I would recommend Install Slash for Dummies to anyone installing Slash 2.x for anything less than the fifth time. There is no doubt that you can learn from it." T-Mobile Provides Concrete Stats on Treo Communicator Use Dave Aiello wrote, "I've been using a Handspring Treo 180 for about eight months now. To give you an idea of how much I use it, I will reveal a few aggregate statistics from my November bill:" 666 minutes voice use 633 text messages (SMS) 5.53 megabytes of GPRS data access "Of course the statistic that stands out from this bill is the 633 SMS messages. There probably aren't too many people in the USA that send or receive over 500 SMS messages a month. It sure helps when you have a keyboard on your phone." Washington Post Highlights Practical Limits on Some Webloggers Freedom of Speech The Washington Post has run an article in today's edition that provides an overview of some of the hazards of publishing potentially sensitive information in a Weblog. The article talks about situations like violating the letter of a nondisclosure agreement, and writing about office politics even if certain elements of the story are fictionalized. The article also did not mention the possible impact on one's career that publishing politically incorrect viewpoints on the Internet might have. We see this as a significant risk associated with blogging as well. This article is more useful to people who are very familiar with the structure and content of a typical weblog than it would be to someone who is casually interested in expressing himself on the Internet. There are definitely risks associated with telling the world what you think. But, someone who is not already a weblogger may not be able to put those risks into proper context after reading this article. Discussion of Slash Integration with E-commerce Systems on Slashcode.com Dave Aiello wrote, "Over on Slashcode, Tim McCormick started a thread about Integrating Slash with E-commerce. I replied to it suggesting Interchange as a good candidate for integration with Slash, and I added an outline of the Interchange configuration that I created for a client." "I would like to put up a more detailed discussion of the Interchange installation here on CTDATA.com, but I haven't had time to put it together yet. Watch for that article within the next week." Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:35 AM \| Permalink \| Comments (0) Russian Software Company Found Not Guilty in Landmark DMCA Case CNET News.com reported that a jury in San Jose has found Elcomsoft not guilty of four counts of violating the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. The company was charged with "desiging and marketing software that could be used to crack {Adobe} eBook copyright protections, plus an additional charge {of conspiracy}...." According to the article: ElcomSoft attorney Joseph Burton said Tuesday's win is important as one of the first setbacks for publishers seeking to assert the law against programmers. But he cautioned that the acquittal did not mean software developers should consider themselves immune from future criminal prosecutions under the law. The "not guilty" verdict in the case may have been inevitable in light of the jury instructions. Reportedly, "the judge told jurors that in order to find the company guilty, they must agree that company representatives knew their actions were illegal and intended to violate the law. Merely offering a product that could violate copyrights was not enough to warrant a conviction...." On the basis of these instructions to the jury, we wonder if the legal actions taken by the RIAA and the MPAA against casual users of p2p file sharing depend for possible legal success on an overly-expansive view of their the trade groups' rights as publishers' representatives. Ben Stein on Ruining American Enterprise Steve Mushero pointed out an article from the 85th Anniversary issue of Forbes where Benjamin J. Stein offers a tongue-in-cheek set of suggestions to America's government called How to Ruin American Enterprise. This article articulates 12 relatively recent political and cultural developments that have had chilling effects on the productive capacity of American Business. As a casual observer of what makes this country work and what stops it cold, I hereby offer a few suggestions on how we can ruin American competitiveness and innovation in the course of this century. I think the reader will agree with me that we are already far down the road on many of them.... Stein clearly believes that these developments combine to make our country less productive. But, he apparently also feels that many of the trends he articulates can be halted or reversed if sufficient political will is brought to bare on them. Stop the Madness, Switch Web Browsers Now There's continued evidence that running Microsoft Internet Explorer is a security risk. According to ZDNet, Microsoft has issued cumulative security patches aimed at solving problems, but the patches don't provide as much protection as they appear to at first glance. This is just the latest half measure Microsoft has taken to close security gaps in this important piece of software. Anything you can do to deviate from the standard configuration of Windows, Outlook (or Outlook Express), and Internet Explorer limits the risk that your machine will be exploited successfully. CTDATA recommends switching browsers and email clients where possible. A nice alternative for both web and email is Mozilla, the Open Source web browser that evolved from the Netscape Communicator product line. News Factor Network reports that "Mozilla is overtaking Internet Explorer in terms of features, if not yet market share". According to the article, Mozilla incorporates ad blocking features and W3C standards that Internet Explorer does not. Mozilla has the added advantage of being Open Source. This is particularly important when security risk assessment must be done. When a security issue is suspected with Mozilla, independent researchers can refer to the source code to determine the scope of the impact. With IE, these independent researchers must do all of their investigation through inference or reverse engineering. This increases the time associated with finding and reporting problems with the software product. Latin American Immigrant Money Transfers Reach $13 Billion Per Year The El Paso Times reports that money transfers from Latin Americans living in America to people in their home countries have reached $13 billion per year. This information is contained in a report called Billions in Motion: Latino Immigrants published by Pew Hispanic Center at USC and the Inter-American Development Bank. Among the interesting statistics revealed in this article and the underlying report: 47 percent of Hispanic immigrants send money regularly. 45 percent of Mexican immigrants send money, compared with 57 percent from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. 60 percent are male; 59 percent are married; 59 percent have no high-school diploma; average age is 37. 57 percent make less than $30,000 per year. Among the demographics we would like to have seen reported: percentage of remitters who are in the United States legally (either through legal immigration or amnesty). percentage of remitters who have payroll taxes deducted from their wages, or who pay self employment taxes. percentage of remitters who receive public assistance (in the form of Social Security, unemployment, AFDC, Medicare, Medicaid, or some other form of health-care subsidy). Regardless of their immigration status, anyone transferring money to relatives or friends outside the United States should be paying taxes on any income earned while living here. If remitters are not paying taxes, then state and federal government agencies should not allow remittances to go through. Bell Canada Using Novel Approach to Public WiFi Deployment The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that Bell Canada is deploying wireless access points of the same form factor as pay telephones. As a result, they are able to remove one payphone from a bank of payphones at a train station or airport terminal and insert a WiFi access point with a DSL connection to the Internet. This is a solution that is brilliant in its simplicity. Let's hope that they have an equally brilliant idea of how to get travellers to pay for the use of these services. Comcast CEO is Latest Cable Industry Bigwig to Slam TiVo Earier today Slashdot pointed out that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts gave a speech that focused on the threat Personal Video Recorders represent to the cable industry. Roberts reportedly said that downloading TV programming to a hard drive in the consumer's home threatens the life blood of the of TV entertainment. The cable industry is pushing hard to roll out video on demand to check the spread of satellite television services and recording devices like TiVo. But, the free timeshifting of televised entertainment is the biggest development in broadcasting in the last 10 years. It will be very difficult to get users who have already adopted TiVo or ReplayTV to surrender their new-found freedom. Feds Raid Massachusetts Software Company, Investigating Possible Links to al Qaeda Dennis Villone pointed out the MSNBC report that FBI and Customs agents staged a high-profile raid at a software company in Quincy, MA. The company, Ptech, makes enterprise knowledge management and business process modeling systems. The raid took place because the U.S. Treasury Department has designated Yasin al-Qadi, an investor in the company currently believed to be living in Saudi Arabia, a "terrorist financier". According to the article: SOURCES FAMILIAR with the raid told NBC News on condition of anonymity that investigators also were trying to determine whether the company, Ptech Inc. of Quincy, Mass., used its software to gain access to sensitive government data.... The company�s client list includes the FBI, NATO, the FAA, the Air Force, the Naval Air Services Command, the Energy Department, the IRS, the Postal Service and the House of Representatives. The article goes on to state that Ptech "categorically denies having any connection with any terrorist organization." Other Newspapers Begin to Focus NY Times Political Bias Other newspapers are focusing on the obvious political bias of the management of The New York Times, and that focus isn't just about selling newspapers or fanning the flames of controversy. As The New York Post reports, the decision to reverse the spiking of two sports columns that differ with Times editorial policy on Augusta National has accentuated the controversy surrounding the situation. The real problem at The Times is not the fact that they are relentlessly hectoring the members of Augusta National Golf Club, or that they are repressing dissenting views held by some of their own senior reporters and columnists. Rather, it's the fact that the editorial policy has an excessive impact on story selection and perspective. An example from Saturday's New York Times is the story Some Tentative First Steps Toward Universal Health Care, a news article that discusses insurer proposals around the country that would further shift the burden of paying for health care to the states and the federal government. The reporter found many proposals that, taken together, would bring the country much closer to single-payer health care systems. Yet, all of these are proposals, and this is not reflected in the headline. Beyond that, the article contains no alternative viewpoints. Couldn't the reporter have found someone in a public policy or insurance administrative position who could have pointed out holes in even one of these proposals? What about pointing out the issues associated with treatment of people who are in this country illegally, and the legions of Americans who want the federal government to stop these abuses? The problem that The New York Times is experiencing is part and parcel of its editors' disingenuousness. The motto shouldn't be All the News That's Fit to Print-- it should be All the Left Wing Opinions that Are Fit To Print, or All the News That Fits Our Agenda. Nobody Ever Said Installing Open Source Applications Was Easy Dave Aiello wrote, "Earlier today, Martin O'Donnell and I had a relatively long talk about installing Interchange, the Open Source E-commerce Platform. I have been struggling with this, on behalf of a client, for several weeks-- interrupted by a vacation, a major U.S. holiday, and two family birthday celebrations." "In the course of the conversation, I suggested that there comes a time in the initial implementation of any major Open Source application where the implementor asks whether the software is ever really going to work?" "My past experience tells me that the answer to that question is yes." "I cannot think of a situation where I stayed the course and was disappointed. The only times I have been frustrated with Linux for an extended period of time were situations when I had not made the implementation my top priority, or when I had rationalized the decision to cut my losses." Read on for more about perseverance on Open Source application installation.... This is a particularly difficult time to be uncertain about anything that is important in our lives. We are within two weeks of the shortest day of the year, and the lack of sunlight is often enough to depress people. We are also living through uncertain times: a severe economic recession, a dearth of IT jobs, and a sense of enhanced risk of terrorist attacks near where we live. But, we need to remember that this is also a time of year associated with miracles. It seems to me that nearly every religious tradition in America associates this time of year with some sort of miracle: not just Christmas and Hanukkah, but holidays like Diwali and Eid al-Fitr. The expectation of celebrating one of these holidays ought to momentarily take our minds off the frustration of not knowing exactly how to tweak the configuration of the application that just won't run right, no matter what we try. It's also important to change gears periodically-- to walk away from the computer. Be with family and friends. Watch TV. Exercise. These activities often provoke new thoughts in my mind. Quite often, these thoughts result in new approaches to problems that I'm trying to solve. Some of my best ideas have come to me while running, mowing the lawn, or shoveling snow. One new idea is sometimes enough to solve the deployment problem so that you can move on. Nobody ever said that installing Open Source applications was easy. But, we need to remember why we began the installation process in the first place. Think of the benefits your users will experience. Think of the new customers that your business will obtain. Think of how much more productive you and your co-workers will be. We also need to remember the personal by-products of getting the installation done. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes with understanding a major Open Source application well enough to install it successfully. That understanding is particularly valuable when you need to determine whether to actually use the application that you finally managed to install. That experience also allows you to cross that fine but unmistakeable line between newbie and experienced administrator. It can take you to the beginning of the path that leads to contributing code or documentation to the project. And, it opens the door to lower Total Cost of Ownership that we all believe Open Source software can deliver. The Power of "rpm -qa" Dave Aiello wrote, "You'd think that someone like me who fancies himself a skilled Linux user would have a clue when it comes to the use of rpm, the Red Hat Package Manager. But, here's an example of how much I haven't learned yet." "I just discovered a powerful way to identify groups of packages that are already installed. If I want to find most of the Perl-related packages, I can enter the following command in a shell:" rpm -qa \| grep perl "The fact that I knew to do this with the ps command (i.e. ps -ef \| grep perl) in order to find defunct processes, but I didn't attempt to leverage the same technique to finding installed rpms ought to scare me to death. After all, this is a UNIX-like operating system, and the techniques you learn in one subsystem are ususally valuable in another." "I'm sure that truly experienced Linux people who read this will conclude that I am a poseur. But, I promised myself a while ago that I would disclose as many of my truly embarassing technical gaffes and gaps in knowledge as possible-- just so I could point to them later and prove to my critics how much I've grown." Philadelphia Inquirer "Discovers" Carbon Dioxide Risks in Indoor Ice Arenas Today's Philadelphia Inquirer reports that several members of Millersville University's club ice hockey team were sickened by concentrated exhaust fumes from a malfunctioning Zamboni ice resurfacing machine at the Lehigh Valley Ice Arena. The incident occurred in September, when Millersville was playing Lafayette College. The article gives the impression that everyone who participates in these sports is taking a significant, but previously unknown, risk: .... Little known to the public, the potential danger of fume poisoning exists for hundreds of thousands of adults and children who play and watch hockey and figure skating in ice arenas all over the country.... Yet, there have been very few incidents in New Jersey or Eastern Pennsylvania over past 20 years that were in any way similar to the one that occurred at Lehigh Valley in September. We have to wonder if the Inquirer will write a similar article warning people who live in homes with attached garages. CTDATA Going Long on Used Books Dave Aiello wrote, "Used books have been on the CTDATA radar screen since Martin O'Donnell told me about a Fred Bernstein essay documenting the process of selling used books on Amazon that appeared in the New York Times back in April. When the bottom fell out of our consulting business over the summer, this was CTDATA's major source of income." "Our consulting business has stabilized, but I've decided to continue to expand our used book business in order to backfill a small portion of the revenue we've lost due to the economic downturn. It's clear to me after toying with used books as a business concept over the past eight months that there is still an unmet need in the marketplace. Those businesspeople who can exploit a competitive advantage will be able generate measurable amounts of cash for the foreseeable future." "We are increasing the size of our used book inventory as quickly as possible. Our goal is to take advantage of the inevitable increase in sales that will take place during the holiday gift-buying season. We think a larger inventory of sought-after used books will be a good investment even after the first of the year." "I also believe that this is a sideline business for CTDATA, and not the primary focus. We are working on ways to leverage the knowhow we have developed in small-scale e-commerce to boost our core consulting and software development business. Look for more details about how we will do this here on CTDATA.com in the next few weeks." Posted by Dave Aiello at 10:38 PM \| Permalink \| Comments (0) Lawyers Try to Create "Vicarious Liability" When Employees Using Mobile Devices Get Into Accidents A report in Tuesday's New York Times says that lawyers are attempting to construct new theories of negligence in order to sue companies whose employees are involved in motor vehicle accidents while using mobile communication devices. There will be no end to such legal inventiveness until our legal system is resturctured. But, the article is interesting in that it is yet another indication that lots of people are getting distracted while using their gadgets, and getting into accidents as a result. We feel that safety precautions need to be followed while using mobile phones and other mobile devices while operating a vehicle. Since most peoples' primary mobile devices are still telephones used for voice calls, best practice indicates that people should use headsets. However, for email and internet access devices, this admonition is useless. There are few excuses for looking at a website or texting while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. That type of device interaction is much more distracting than participating in voice calls.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line303
__label__wiki	0.874109	0.874109	en - English (selección) Este documento no está disponible en su lengua y se le ofrece en una de las lenguas que están disponibles en la barra de lenguas. Procedimiento : 2015/2838(RSP) Ciclo de vida en sesión Ciclo relativo al documento : B8-0847/2015 Textos presentados : Votaciones : Textos aprobados : See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0845/2015 PE565.815v01-00 with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure on Russia - in particular the convictions of Eston Kohver, Oleg Sentzov, and Alexander Kolchenko (2015/2838(RSP)) Charles Tannock, Mark Demesmaeker, Geoffrey Van Orden, Anna Elżbieta Fotyga, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Karol Karski, Ryszard Czarnecki, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Stanisław Ożóg, Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, Zdzisław Krasnodębski, Raffaele Fitto, Jana Žitňanská, Ruža Tomašić, Roberts Zīle, Arne Gericke on behalf of the ECR Group European Parliament resolution on Russia - in particular the convictions of Eston Kohver, Oleg Sentzov, and Alexander Kolchenko (2015/2838(RSP)) B8‑0847/2015 The European Parliament, – having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2013 on the ‘European Neighbourhood Policy: towards a strengthening of the partnership – position of the European Parliament on the 2012 reports’(1), – having regard to the Joint Declaration of the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit of 29 November 2013, – having regard to the Constitution of Russia, in particular Article 118 thereof, which states that justice in the Russian Federation is to be administered by courts alone, and Article 120 thereof, which provides that judges are independent and are subordinate only to the Russian Constitution and federal law, − having regard to its previous joint motion for resolutions on the situation in Ukraine of 14 January 2015, − having regard to its previous resolution on the case of Nadiya Savchenko of 28 April 2015, − having regard to the EU-Russia human rights consultations of 28 November 2013, − having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure, A. whereas Eston Kohver, an Estonian police officer, was abducted on the 5th of September 2014 at gunpoint by the Russian Security Services (FSB) on Estonian soil near a quiet village of Miikse nine kilometres from the nearest border crossing; B. whereas according to Estonian security sources Kohver was meeting an informant in a secluded spot on the border as part of an organised crime investigation; whereas the abduction was well-planned by the FSB and equipment such as communications jamming, smoke bombs and stun grenades were used; C. whereas Kohver's abduction was timed to coincide with a NATO summit in Wales and is considered being one among a series of provocations designed to show that the EU and NATO are not prepared to defend former Soviet and Communist states despite their treaty obligations; D. whereas on the 19th of August 2015 a judgment in the case of Kohver was made public by the Pskov Oblast's regional court; whereas Kohver was accused of espionage and sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment in a high security prison; E. whereas no public hearing of the case was arranged and the Estonian consul was not allowed to be present at the hearings; whereas the appointed attorney of Kohver has repeatedly made unclear or even provocative statements including those that seek to undermine the Estonian authorities; F. whereas regular meetings with the Estonian consul have been the only link to the outside world; whereas FSB officials have participated in these meetings and have immediately interrupted all discussions about the proceedings; G. whereas the Russian Federation, as a full member of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has committed itself to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights; whereas as a result of several serious violations of the rule of law and the adoption of restrictive laws during the past months, there are increasing concerns with regard to Russia’s compliance with international and national obligations; H. whereas, on 10 May 2014 Oleh Sentsov, a Ukrainian film director, was illegally arrested in Crimea and later illegally transferred across the border to the Russian territory in order to be put on trial; whereas on 16 May 2014 Oleksandr Kolchenko, and Ukrainian anti-fascist activist, was also detained and transferred to the same military court in Rostov-on-Don; whereas both men were charged with plotting terrorist acts, arson and assault and sentenced to 20 and 10 years in prison, respectively; I. whereas, after annexation of Crimea, both Mr Sentsov and Kolchenko were treated as Russian citizens, despite their claims of holding Ukrainian citizenship; J. whereas Nadia Savchenko, abducted by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine and later illegally transferred across the border and handed over to Russian officials, is still being held in custody, charged with killing of two Russian journalists; 1. Strongly condemns the unlawful detainment of Eston Kohver as a blatant breach of international law;; 2. Strongly condemns the Pskov Oblast regional court decision to sentence Kohver to 15 years of imprisonment and stresses that Kohver has been deprived of the right for a fair trial; likewise, strongly condemns the illegal arrests and imprisonment of O. Sentsov and O. Kolchenko and the use of torture to obtain their testimonies; 3. Urges Russian Federation to act according to its international obligations and release Mr Kohver, Ms Savchenko, Mr Sentsov, Mr Kolchenko and to immediately and guarantee their safe return to Estonia and Ukraine, respectively; urges the Russian judicial and law enforcement authorities to carry out their duties in the future in an impartial and independent manner; 4. Strongly condemns blatant violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Estonia by the illegal kidnapping of citizens of both countries in order to charge them in front of a Russian court; 5. Underlines that the Russian Federation has agreed to the exchange of all political hostages and illegally detained people under the Minsk Agreements; voices its concern over the fact that Russia not only has not fulfilled this commitment, but has further aggravated the situation; urges Russian Authorities to immediately and without any condition release political prisoners, including Nadia Savchenko; 6. Recalls the importance of Russia’s full compliance with its international legal obligations, as a member of the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and with the fundamental human rights and the rule of law enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); 7. Calls on the High Representative and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to ensure that the cases of all persons abducted, prosecuted or sentenced for political reasons are raised in EU-Russia human rights consultations, and that Russia’s representatives in these consultations are formally requested to respond in each case; 8. Calls on the Presidents of the Council and the Commission, as well as the VP/HR to continue to follow these cases closely, to raise these issues in different formats and meetings with Russia, and to report back to Parliament on the exchanges with the Russian authorities; 9. Urges the Council to develop a unified policy towards Russia that commits the 28 EU Member States and EU institutions to a strong common message towards respecting the regional integrity of member states; 10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the President, Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation. Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0446.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line305
__label__wiki	0.589861	0.589861	Press Release: Redistricting Campaign on Pace to Set Petitioning Record, Riding Wave of Grassroots Enthusiasm for Congressional Reform Carrie Davis, LWV Ohio, 614-469-1505 Catherine Turcer, Common Cause Ohio, 614-579-5509 David Miller, The Ohio Environmental Council, 419-944-1986 COLUMBUS, OH - The Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio ballot issue campaign marked Monday's financial filing deadline by celebrating the unprecedented success of its grassroots volunteer petitioning effort. "Unlike so many initiatives that are driven by out-of-state wealthy special interests, our campaign is led by the people of Ohio," said Jeff Cabot, Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio's treasurer. "Take a look at our campaign finance reports and you will see that our support comes from good-government groups who are based in Ohio and care about our communities, along with a long list of small-dollar donations from everyday Ohioans, our friends and neighbors." "We've been fortunate to have an amazing outpouring of volunteer and partner support that has kept our expenses low," said Heather Taylor-Miesle, Executive Director of The Ohio Environmental Council. "We've had a constant flow of volunteers in and out of our office picking up and dropping off petitions. It's clear that Ohioans are eager and ready to put in the work to ensure we get fair congressional districts across the state." Earlier this month, Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio and the Fair Districts = Fair Elections Coalition announced that in just the first month of petitioning, redistricting reformers from all over Ohio collected more than 100,000 signatures. More than 2,400 volunteers fanned out across the state and collected signatures from voters in all 88 counties, and eight counties already surpassed the 5% needed to file from half the counties in the state. "This is incredible, and thanks to a wave of grassroots volunteer enthusiasm, we are on pace for a record-breaking campaign," said Carrie Davis of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "Historically, Ohio initiatives have gathered from 5 to 20 percent of their signatures using volunteers, having to rely on paid circulators to collect the rest. We are over a third of the way to the number of signatures needed, due exclusively to volunteers. As far as we know, no initiative campaign in Ohio has done this before, let alone in just one month." To place the Bipartisan Congressional Redistricting Reform Amendment on the ballot, the coalition of redistricting reformers will need to collect at least ten percent (10%) of the total vote cast for the office of governor at the last gubernatorial election (305,591 valid signatures). "In 2015, Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported redistricting reform for our state legislature. Issue 1 of 2015 passed by more than 71 percent of the vote and won in all 88 counties," said Common Cause's Catherine Turcer. "It's clear Ohio voters are just as hungry to support redistricting reform for our congressional districts." Pictures of volunteers Defense of Gerrymandering and Gerrymanderers Fair Districts for Fair Elections? Not in My Backyard! By a Concerned Citizen from Cleveland It is a beautiful Saturday afternoon along the lake in Congressional District 4, so I have decided to take a walk through my neighborhood to make the most of the day. I make it to the end of the block, and look across the road, only to have my entire day ruined. Just across one of the major roads within my small town is District 9. I could vomit. Savages if I have ever seen them. How is it possible that our little suburbia harbors such monsters without at least caging them off first? I see right through them. The snakes along the lake from District 9 masquerade as though they are no different than the others in our town, they send their kids to school with us, and they even have the audacity to shop in the same retail stores. Make no mistake, I am all for equality and fair representation, but our representation should be more equal and fair than theirs. It seems that there has been a push for “fair districts” for “fair elections”, and it makes me quiver. Me, share a district with those guys? I do not think so. Not in my backyard. Rather than sit here and continue to bash those lepers down the lane to show why we don’t need a fair district where I live, allow me to give some insight as to why nobody needs districting reform. Ohio Congressional Districts are Art! – By an Artist from Akron When is the last time you peeked at our Congressional districts? I have the district map right in front of me, and it is simply beautiful. What some uncultured swine might now realize, is that this is some incredible abstract art that Picasso himself probably drew before his premature death. Among the many things you might find in this map, you will see a duck, a Rorschach blot, a caterpillar wearing a hat, and some strong emotions you probably weren’t aware you had. Art should be preserved, and destroying this will cause Mr. Picasso to roll over in his grave. Have some respect for those passed! Representatives Can Stay Far Away – By a Distance Voter from Defiance My Congressman lives about 3 hours, or 150 miles away from my hometown. Do you know what makes this so great? He is far, far away. Politicians are ALWAYS grimy, and corrupt individuals, and you need to do everything you can to avoid them. So, what if my representative has little to no firsthand knowledge and exposure to life in the north where I come from? It’s not like Congress does much and at least when your representative screws up you can wipe your hands clean. They’re basically from Neverland so how can I blame them for their indiscretions. This is NOT the American Way – By Sons of the Gerrymanderer There seems to be a lot of emphasis on fair districts promoting fair elections. Our founding fathers knew better than to promote fair elections! Back when America was great, do you know who could vote? Men, specifically men who owned property. All this talk of “the founding fathers believed in equality” is fake news. We didn’t have problems before women were voting, or minorities, or poor people (GAG!). It was simpler times when this country was founded, and the further we stray from the way things should be, the further we stray from God’s light. Somebody’s Feelings Might Get Hurt – By a Nice Neighbor from Napoleon I care about people, I really do. One major concern I have is that somebody might have their feelings hurt if we make the districts fair. Many of Ohio’s districts are considered “safe districts” which effectively means that you know who is going to win beforehand based on the way the districts are divided down party lines. Knowing who is going to win beforehand saves our elected officials the pain and embarrassment they may face if there is a close election and they lose. With the typical 70-30 splits we see now, it is an easier pill to swallow when you lose. It just wasn’t your election to take. However, if these elections get too close and too competitive, candidates may start feeling like they could have done more, or spent more time reaching out to voters, and that is what cost them the election. Furthermore, the winner is going to be stressed from having to work to get the vote! The incumbents don’t work when they are down in Washington, who are we to tell them they must work when they get home to relax during their four days off a week (and frequent vacations)? This is nonsense. It is an indirect form of bullying if you ask me. A final note from the editor and concerned citizen: Any rational individual who has read this will understand and agree that attempting to reform congressional districting is just wrong. Rather than fighting Gerrymandering, we must unite and fight against the “Gerryslandering”, and against the remarkable work that has been done by our current rulers-- I mean-- elected officials. How many signatures? Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio announces over 100,000 signatures collected in the first month Plus eight counties have already hit the 5% threshold Today, Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio and the Fair Districts = Fair Elections Coalition announced that in the past month redistricting reformers from all over Ohio collected more than 100,000 signatures. “The Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio ballot committee now has more than 100,000 signatures in hand,” said Carrie Davis, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. “This is a testament to the hard work of volunteers who are committed to fair elections and improving representational democracy. Voters know they deserve fair districts and fair elections, and many of our volunteers report that voters are thanking them for collecting signatures to stop gerrymandering.” During this first phase of the campaign, volunteers collected signatures from voters in all 88 counties. “This shows incredible momentum,” said Catherine Turcer of Common Cause Ohio. “We want to thank all the activists for their hard work. More than 2,000 volunteers from all over Ohio collected signatures. Working together, we can put this on the ballot next year and give Ohio voters the opportunity to end gerrymandering.” Ohioans have been leading the way on the fight to end gerrymandering. In 2015, Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported state legislative redistricting reform. Issue 1 of 2015 passed by more than 71% of the vote and won in all 88 counties. Unfortunately, the state legislature has not acted on pleas to finish the job by putting congressional redistricting reform before the voters. Ohio also has a distribution requirement for the signatures. Petitioners must submit signatures equal to five percent of the county’s total number of gubernatorial votes cast in the last election from 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. For example, if in 2014, 6,100 votes were cast for gubernatorial candidates, the campaign would be required to collect 305 signatures. “Thanks to the amazing work of our Fair Districts volunteers, even though we’re only one month into collecting petition signatures, we already have several counties that have hit the five percent threshold,” added Turcer. “We’re hoping a little friendly competition will add several more counties to the ‘5% Club’ next month.” The counties that reached the five percent threshold: Adams, Athens, Delaware, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Licking and Mercer. To reach 10% statewide (305,591 valid signatures), it will be necessary to collect more signatures than just those required to meet the county threshold for ballot placement. “The Fair Districts volunteer effort truly is remarkable,” concluded Davis. “Most citizen initiatives only have five to twenty percent of their signatures from volunteers and have to use paid canvassers to collect the rest. The fact that we have over 100,000 signatures from 88 counties in only one month, collected exclusively by volunteers, is a strong demonstration of how hungry Ohioans are for putting an end to gerrymandering in our state.” Anyone interested in reading more about the Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio campaign or signing up to help is encouraged to visit www.fairdistrictsohio.org. Didn't see your favorite photograph from this effort? Please email it to ohiofairdistricts@gmail.com. U.S. Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Wisconsin Gerrymandering Case By Jessica C. Dickinson, J.D. Common Cause Ohio Gerrymandering hasn’t been declared unconstitutional because it’s hard to fix a problem if you can’t define it, just ask the United States Supreme Court. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court is ready to revisit this problem. The court agreed to review a Wisconsin appeals case, Gill v. Whitford. A lower court ruled that the state’s Republican-drawn map is unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering. The Supreme Court has never declared drawing legislative district lines to benefit one political party or gerrymandering unconstitutional. The Court missed an opportunity to fix that in 2004 with Vieth v. Jubelirer. The more conservative justices held that “no standard was available to resolve gerrymandering questions.” Justice Kennedy disagreed and acknowledged that gerrymanders can, he explained, “burden representational rights” by “penalizing citizens” because of their “association with a political party” or their “expression of political views.” The liberal justices identified gerrymandering as problematic but each used a different definition or way to quantify gerrymandering. Every 10 years, after the census, congressional and state legislative lines are redrawn to address changes in the population. But all too often, redistricting is used to manipulate boundaries and stack the deck in favor of a particular political party or incumbent candidate. Gerrymandering leads to uncompetitive general elections. The partisan make-up of Ohio’s Congressional districts perfectly predicted the political party of the winner in every single race in 2012, 2014, and 2016. Gerrymandering is such an unfair advantage that it is like playing cards with someone who cheats. The “game” is rigged but in this case, the marginalized party and the voters can’t just walk away. So, what do we do? We can do like Wisconsin citizens and activists in Ohio and take a stand for fairer rules. Getting to the Supreme Court Bill Whitford, a former law professor and self-described “political junkie,” met regularly with a group of friends at the Watts Tea room. This group of lawyers, political scientists, and professors had been involved in previous efforts to stop gerrymandering in Wisconsin. As they began to discuss taking another crack at a challenge, they invited him to join their group as a researcher. The attorneys from the group had filed a lawsuit and through the discovery process, they were able to gain access to previously unseen documents such as: The secrecy agreement entitled “Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Related to Reapportionment.” signed by 17 Republican State Senators before being allowed to discuss the map-drawing plan. Proof that the attorneys hired by Republicans to assist them were paid $431,000 in State taxpayer funds for their work on the plan. Armed with this evidence and research evaluating and defining gerrymandering by University of Chicago Law School professor, Nicholas Stephanopoulos and Public Policy Institute of California research fellow, Eric McGhee, the group felt confident that they could prove that the redistricting map drawing process was conceived with “partisan intent.” Procedurally Speaking Bill Whitford and his friends (the plaintiffs) argued that the 2011 redistricting plan, the Wisconsin state legislative map, created an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander unduly favoring Republicans. Specifically, Whitford argues that the GOP-controlled legislature enacted a redistricting plan that systematically dilutes the voting strength of Democratic voters statewide in violation of the First Amendment’s right to free association. A Wisconsin district court agreed and determined that the First Amendment’s right to free association was violated because it minimized Democrats’ voting power. The Whitford team also argued that the 2011 map violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Under the Equal Protection Clause, the laws of a state must treat an individual in the same manner as other people in similar conditions and circumstances. The Wisconsin Court determined that the map violated this clause because a state should not redraw district lines in a way that treats voters from one party differently than voters from another party. The District Court’s decision was then appealed. A three-judge federal panel upheld the decision and ordered the Wisconsin legislature to redraw the state assembly map by November 1, 2017. This ruling has been put on hold pending the Supreme Court’s decision. Using Math to Define Gerrymandering Gerrymandering is hard to define objectively and the Supreme Court hasn’t been able to establish a standard definition but math can help. The Wisconsin District Court applied what’s called the “Efficiency Gap.” This concept, developed by Nicholas Stephanopoulos and Eric McGhee, focuses on how much district lines “pack” and “crack” the marginalized party’s voters for partisan advantage. Wasted votes sounds harsher than it is. In a nutshell, the winner of an election only needs half of the votes plus one more in a two-way race. A wasted vote is one that does not help to elect a candidate or were unnecessary to get elected. In bringing the case to the Supreme Court, Bill Whitford and many others hope that it can decide what standard to evaluate the claim of partisan gerrymandering. The Efficiency Gap model is one way to analyze the gerrymandering problem. Ohio’s redistricting model also uses some math to pushback on gerrymandering. In 2015, voters overwhelmingly supported state legislative redistricting reform which includes the goal of representational fairness. To meet the goal of representational fairness, the statewide percentage of districts that lean towards each other of the two major parties shall closely correspond to the partisan preferences of the voters of Ohio. This statewide preference is measured by determining the partisan preferences in statewide and federal general elections over the previous ten years. Representational fairness is also used in the Fair Districts=Fair Elections’ congressional redistricting reform proposal. What’s in it for Ohio "The fact is we don't have competitive districts in the state of Ohio,'' said Daniel P. Tokaji, a professor of election law at The Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law. The state legislature could address congressional redistricting reform by putting it on the ballot but they aren’t. Ohio activists are now collecting signatures and driving redistricting reform at the congressional level. How the Court rules on Wisconsin’s challenge has the potential to help states such as Ohio make the mapmaking process as fair and unbiased as possible. Does this mean Ohioans who want fairer rules and fairer elections should stop their reform efforts just because this case might fall their way? No. When it comes to taking on the behemoth that is government, you can never plug too many holes and court cases can take years to resolve so you need have good rules for redistricting in place. It has been over a decade since the Supreme Court has agreed to review a partisan redistricting case and the seriousness of this issue is indicative of them doing so. The Court’s ruling, which is likely to come next year, has the potential to impact redistricting efforts for decades to come. In the meantime, Professor Whitford will continue hoping that the courts “begin to get into the area of setting limits” so that gerrymandering can be a thing of the past. Driven by Volunteer Enthusiasm, Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio Continues to Collect Signatures for the November 2018 Ballot Carrie Davis, League of Women Voters Ohio (614) 469-1505, CDavis@lwvohio.org David Miller, Ohio Environmental Council (419) 944-1986, DMiller@theoec.org Catherine Turcer, Common Cause Ohio COLUMBUS, OH – Today, the Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio ballot issue campaign announced that the first month of the petition effort is off to a great start. “Not only did we celebrate America’s birthday on this Fourth of July weekend,” said Carrie Davis, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, “for us it also marked the one-month point for this campaign to protect the democratic value of giving Ohio voters a voice and a choice by halting gerrymandering of our Congressional districts.” “We have been thrilled by the level of enthusiasm we’ve seen in volunteers picking up petitions in our office,” added Aryeh Alex, Political Director of the Ohio Environmental Council. “We have thousands of volunteers spread across the state, carrying tens of thousands of petitions.” The Fair Congressional Districts for Ohio proposal was certified by the Ohio Attorney General on May 22, 2017, and by the Ballot Board on May 30, paving the way for signature collection to begin. The Fair Districts campaign began circulating petitions on June 2, 2017. “We are well on our way to collecting the needed signatures to place Fair Districts on next year’s ballot,” said Catherine Turcer, Policy Director for Common Cause Ohio. “And for only being one month into the petition signature gathering, we are way ahead of schedule. That’s a real testament to all the hard work of Fair Districts volunteers!” “We have over 250 volunteers at work who’ve gathered thousands of petition signatures at locations around Greater Cleveland,” said Catherine LaCroix, the Fair Districts coordinator for the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. “We can't make our representatives listen to us until they have to. We can't fix political gridlock until we fix Congress.” The campaign needs to collect 305,591 valid signatures from Ohioans, including a minimum number in 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Ohio law permits citizen initiative campaigns to continue collecting signatures and file whenever they wish. However, state law establishes a cut-off of early July for filings to appear on the fall ballot, 125 days before the November election, so that election officials have adequate time to prepare ballots. “We offer a sincere thank you to all the volunteers who have canvassed the state to collect signatures!” said Turcer. “With this level of enthusiasm to ‘slay the gerrymander’, Ohioans can count on seeing this essential Fair Districts reform on the November 2018 ballot.” The Gerrymander at the Doo Dah Parade in Columbus, July 4, 2017	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line307
__label__wiki	0.766812	0.766812	The 170th Fairfield County Fair -- October 11-17, 2020 Remember When.... Enterntainment Tent Open Class Fair Book Open Feeder Calf Show Fair Fun Run Fair Program Jr. Fair Awards Jr. Fair Livestock Sale Jr. Fair Rules Book 2019 Program – Fairfield County Fair – Oct. 6-12, 2019 SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 “88.9 WLRY DAY” 4-H Endowment Breakfast Ricketts Family Hall............................................8:00 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Dogs Feeder Creek Vet. Show Arena .........................8:30 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Companion Animals No. 50 Show Arena..........................................10:00 a.m. Gates Open “Free Admission”............................12:00 noon Grandstand “Free Show”....................... 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Junior Fair Panorama Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena................7:00 p.m. “VETERAN'S DAY" “WCLT DAY” Gates Open.............................................................7:00 a.m. Broad Street Gate...............................................8:00 a.m. Judging Open Class Farm Products Art Hall - Grange Wing .......................................8:00 a.m. Judging Open Class Food for the Home Art Hall, Grange Wing.........................................8:00 a.m. Open Class Mule and Pony Show Outdoor Arena....................................................8:00 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Swine Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena ...............8:30 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Poultry Show (Turkeys & Showmanship) No. 50 Show Arena............................................8:30 a.m. Judging Garden Clubs Art Hall - Grange Wing ....................................10:00 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Pygmy Goats Show Round Cattle Barn............................................11:00 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Poultry Show (Market & Breeding) No. 50 Show Arena..........................................12:30 p.m. Veterans Celebration Old Grandstand “Free Show".............................2:00 p.m. Judging Junior Fair Cakes, Pies and Candies 4-H Display Barn ...............................................2:30 p.m. Blue Ribbon Auction Art Hall - Grange Wing.......................................5:30 p.m. Monster Truck Throwdown Grandstand “Pre-sale reserve seats” 7:00 p.m. Tickets: Advance Sales - Res. Grandstand - $15.00 Bleachers - $15.00 Day of Show - Res. Grandstand - $20.00 Free Pit Party for ticket Holders 5:00 p.m. Gates open 4:00 p.m. “RURAL URBAN DAY” “Refreshing 90.9 Day” "BUCKEYE HONDA DAY" Gates Open....................................................................7:00 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Dairy Feeders Round Cattle Barn ....................................................8:30 a.m. Draft Pony Pull Grandstand “Free Show” ..........................................9: 00 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Dairy/Angora Goat Show No. 50 Show Arena....................................................9:00 a.m. Judging Open Class Draft Horses Outdoor Arena............................................................9:30 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Beef Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena .....................10:00 a.m. Horse Pull Grandstand “Free Show” ..........................................12: 00 noon Entertainment Tent...........................................2:00 & 4:00 p.m. Judging Junior Fair Meat Doe & Market Wether Goat Show No. 50 Show Arena ...................................................1:00 p.m. Fairfield’s Finest Food Contest Art Hall - Grange Wing...............................................2:00 p.m. Judging Open Class Bees Judging Junior Fair Llama Show Round Cattle Barn.....................................................4:00 p.m. Mule Races Grandstand “Free Show” ...........................................4:00 p.m. David Wayne Concert “Free Show” Art Hall .....................................................................7:00 p.m. Abby Anne Miller Grandstand “Free Show”..........................................7:30 p.m. “FAIRHOPE HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE CARE DAY” “WLOH DAY” Admission $2.00 with Golden Buckeye Card Judging Junior Fair Sheep Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena ......................8:30 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Market Rabbits No. 50 Show Arena ....................................................8:30 a.m. Junior Fair Saddle Horse Show Outdoor Arena ...........................................................8:30 a.m. Judging Open Class and Junior Fair Dairy Cattle Show Round Cattle Barn……………………….……………..10:00 a.m. Walgreen Flu Shots Art Hall ......................................................10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Entertainment Tent“Free Show”- 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. Dynamic Beef Dish Cook Off Art Hall - Grange Wing “Free Show” .......................11:00 a.m. Olivedale Cloggers Grandstand “Free Show” .........................................12:00 p.m. Junior Fair Rabbit Showmanship No. 50 Show Arena .................................................12:30 p.m. Honoring Couples Married 50 Years or More Live WLOH Radio Tent ................................12:30 to 1:00 p.m. FairHope Hospice Outstanding Senior Citizen Awards Live WLOH Radio Tent .............................................1:00 p.m. Harness Races, Adelphi Band "Celebrating 138 Years" Grandstand “Free Show” ........................................ 1:00 p.m. Fairfield County Fair Color Contest Winners Grandstand - Sponsor: Licking River Kennel Club ....6:30 p.m. Guys and Gals Sheep Lead Competition Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena .......................6:30 p.m. Hugh White Chevrolet Truck and Tractor Pull Additional Sponsor: Lance Alspaugh Debbie Wright & Friends Concert Art Hall “Free Show” ..................................................7:00 p.m. “SCHOOL DAY” “MEIJER, INC. DAY” Large and Small Animal Super Showmanship Feeder Creek Vet. Show Arena .................................8:00 a.m. Judging Open Class Sheep ............................................9:00 a.m. High School Band Parade Grandstand “Free Show”..........................................9:15 a.m. Judging Open Class Beef Show Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena.....................10:00 a.m. Junior Fair Horse Show Outdoor Arena.........................................................10:00 a.m. Pork Recipe “Cook-off” Art Hall - Grange Wing............................................11:00 a.m. Judging Junior Fair Breeding Rabbit Show No. 50 Show Arena.................................................11:00 a.m. Harness Races Grandstand “Free Show”........................................ 1:30 p.m. Entertainment Tent................1:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. Junior Fair Livestock Auction Market Steers Dairy Feeders Market Swine Feeder Creek Vet. Show Arena...................5:00 p.m. Buckeye Toyota Combine “Farm Implement Demolition Derby” Grandstand “Free Show”......................................7:30 p.m. “Cedar Hill Blue Grass Boys” “Free Show” Art Hall - Grange Wing..........................................7:30 p.m. Youth Power Wheel Derby Grandstand "Free Show"......................................8:30 p.m. “HOMECOMING DAY” “LANCASTER EAGLE GAZETTE DAY” "SOUTH CENTRAL POWER CO. DAY" Gates Open ................................................................7:00 a.m. Junior Fair Champions on Display No. 50 Show Arena ................................................8:00 a.m. Judging Open Class Horse Show Outside Arena .........................................................9:00 a.m. Entertainment Tent..............11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. & 5:00 p.m. Sheep, Rabbits, Poultry, and Goats Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena...................10:00 a.m. Outdoor Arena ........................................................1:00 p.m. Auto Demolition Derby Grandstand “Pre-sale reserve seats”.....................7:30 p.m. “ROUND UP DAY” “PEOPLE'S BANK DAY” Grandstand Registration 6:45 to 7:45 a.m................8:00 a.m. No. 50 Show Arena ..................................................8:00 a.m. Judging Open Class Market Swine Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena......................8:00 a.m. Junior Fair Horse Fun Show Outside Arena...........................................................9:00 a.m. National Kiddie Pedal Pull Round Cattle Barn..................................................12:30 p.m. Entertainment Tent.....10:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. Open Class Feeder Calf Show Feeder Creek Veterinary Show Arena ....................1:30 p.m. Grandstand “Pre-sale reserve seats” .....................7:30 p.m.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line308
__label__cc	0.665867	0.334133	Oscar De Lall Internationally known and respected Canadian artist, Oscar De Lall was born in St-Petersburg, Russia in 1903. De Lall was educated at the naval college in Russia. He was called into the navy, following his discharge he moved to North America. In 1930 he settled in Montréal. De Lalls’ first recognition as an artist came in 1933 when he was commissioned to do charcoal sketchings of 27 McGill University professors. In 1947 he was appointed as Associate of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and in 1958 he was appointed academician. De Lall is known worldwide for his works in oil and charcoal. His subjects often portraits and landscapes, often the Laurentian regions of Québec. His works are part of permanent collection of the National Gallery of Canada and part of private collections worldwide. He died in Montréal in 1971. More in this category: « Mary Eastlake Aaron Allan Edson »	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line309
__label__wiki	0.52011	0.52011	European Football, Sports ByRegina Hackman \| On September 15,18 \| 0 Comment Have you ever wondered how it felt like being a player in one of the world’s most popular sports? As a loyal follower, I’ve often wondered about this myself. Good thing that there game developers have created video games for android phones that everyday people, like you and me, can download and have fun without breaking a sweat. Here are my top 3 picks in no particular order. Final Kick 2018 You get an arcade feel with this simple European football game. You can play shootout a number of times to attempt and score a goal. The game has a pretty decent graphic interface with offline tournaments, weekly tournaments, and simple controls. If you love multiplayer games, Final Kick 2018 also has an online multiplayer game where you can compete with other online gamers. The game is as simple as it gets plus it’s free to download. Just perfect if you want to while away some time instead of getting bored. A mobile game with great graphics interface. You also get to experience the thrill of an actual football game from managing the team to controlling the players. Online multiplayer is also available, so you get to compete with other online gamers as well. You have the option to choose between the standard button-based controls or the mobile specific gesture-based controls depending on your playing preference. It is also free to download onto your android phone. A simulation game that has been created by SEGA. As the name implies, you manage a football team by choosing the players, trying to win game matches, and the ultimate goal is trying to win a championship match. The only downside to this simulation game, would be that it does require you to purchase the game before you can download it onto your android phone. How about you? Ever had the chance to try out any European football games? What’s your top 3 picks for 2018? If you ever watched the UEFA Championship League, you’ll know how fast paced every game goes. You’ll also know that every game has had its fair share of penalties awarded to almost every team. But have you ever wondered just how many penalties have been awarded over the years? You’re in luck! Here are the fact and figures for you. Total Penalties Overall, a total of 631 penalties have been awarded during the UEFA Champions League with 488 scored, 39 missed, and 103 saved. Most Converted Penalties in One Night A total of 8 penalties were converted in one night on matchday three for 5 games on 21/10/2014. Most Converted Penalties in One Matchday A total of 10 penalties were converted in one night on matchday three for 7 games on 29/10/2010. Most Penalties in One Game Season A total of 34 penalties during 2000/01 game season is the highest ever recorded score followed by 33 penalties during game seasons 1999/2000 and 2016/17. Take note that in game season-es 1999/2000 and 2000/01, there was a second group stage with an overall of 157 game matches. In 2003/04, the current format of 125 games per game season was introduced. Clubs with Most Penalties Awarded Barcelona and Real Madrid top the list with 42 awarded penalties each followed by Bayern (38), Manchester United (27), and Arsenal (26). Clubs with Best Conversion Rate Percentage with Minimum of 10 Penalties Juventus and Valencia top the list with 91% conversion rate each followed by AC Milan (89%), Real Madrid (83%), and Chelsea (81%). Clubs with Most Conceded Penalties Real Madrid and Arsenal are tied at 23 each. The other clubs with most conceded penalties are Bayern (22), Olympiacos (18), and Barcelona (17). Clubs with Most Shoot-Out Wins for Penalties Bayern München, Liverpool, and Atlético Madrid are tied at 2 each. Clubs with Most Shoot-Out Defeats for Penalties Chelsea and Lyon are tied at 2 each. It’s nice to know about these facts and figures that are generally overlooked by some football fans, right? Now that you are aware, you can wow your friends with the information the next time you gather together to watch your favorite team play. Unless you lived all your life in Europe, chances are pretty high that you would mistake European football for the most commonly known American football. However, you are farthest from the truth since European football is actually the equivalent of American soccer. To avoid confusion and to set your mind to calling the game its proper name, I’ll simply refer to European football as “football”. Ready? Let’s go! Football is the most popular sport in Europe with England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain leading the top competition with a team of top players. Football season runs from August to May every year with more than a hundred teams competing in a multitude of competitions. The most popular of which are the League season, and the Domestic Cup and European competitions. League Season The size of the country’s national league can vary from 18 to 20 teams depending on the country’s size. Basically, the league’s pyramid will depend on the relegation and promotion system that has been set in place. By the end of the season, almost no team is left untouched. Domestic Cup Competition Depending on the country, the participation rules for the Domestic Cup can vary. For instance, only the top two levels are allowed to compete in Germany while only the top four levels are allowed to compete in both Italy and Spain. The England Domestic Cup is more open to allowing the top ten levels to compete while France gives total freedom where every team can compete. Winners of the yearly Domestic Cup gets a position in the Union od European Football Association (UEFA) Europa League for the following year. European Cup Competition This is divided into the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League. The number of teams from each league that can enter these competitions are determined by a UEFA ranking system. The overall premise here is that the better the team performs, the better their chance at getting qualified for the bigger competitions. And there you have it, the most basic guide for a beginner to understand football. Interested in learning more? Become a subscriber to get email updates for any new posts.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line311
__label__cc	0.721743	0.278257	ASSURANT INC - FORM 10-Q - May 3, 2016 EX-31.1 - EXHIBIT 31.1 - ASSURANT INC aiz-20160331exh311.htm Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2016 Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 For the transition period from to Assurant, Inc. (I.R.S. Employer 28 Liberty Street, 41st Floor (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES x NO ¨ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). YES x NO ¨ Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES ¨ NO x The number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock outstanding at April 28, 2016 was 61,936,907. QUARTERLY REPORT ON FORM 10-Q Financial Statements of Assurant, Inc.: Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 Consolidated Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (unaudited) from December 31, 2015 through March 31, 2016 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited) for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Amounts are presented in United States of America (“U.S.”) dollars and all amounts are in thousands, except number of shares and per share amounts. Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) At March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 (in thousands except number of shares and per share amounts) Fixed maturity securities available for sale, at fair value (amortized cost - $8,230,871 in 2016 and $9,470,795 in 2015) Equity securities available for sale, at fair value (cost - $361,537 in 2016 and $450,563 in 2015) Commercial mortgage loans on real estate, at amortized cost Policy loans Total investments Premiums and accounts receivable, net Reinsurance recoverables Accrued investment income Deferred acquisition costs Property and equipment, at cost less accumulated depreciation Tax receivable Value of business acquired Other intangible assets, net Assets held in separate accounts Future policy benefits and expenses Claims and benefits payable Commissions payable Reinsurance balances payable Funds held under reinsurance Deferred gain on disposal of businesses Accounts payable and other liabilities Tax payable Liabilities related to separate accounts Commitments and contingencies (Note 16) Stockholders’ equity Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 800,000,000 shares authorized, 62,643,447 and 65,850,386 shares outstanding at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively Accumulated other comprehensive income Treasury stock, at cost; 86,945,291 and 83,523,031 shares at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively (3,859,616 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity See the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 Three Months Ended March 31, (in thousands except number of shares and per share amounts) Net earned premiums Net realized gains on investments, excluding other-than-temporary impairment losses Total other-than-temporary impairment losses Portion of net (gain) loss recognized in other comprehensive income, before taxes Net other-than-temporary impairment losses recognized in earnings Amortization of deferred gain on disposal of businesses Gain on pension plan curtailment Benefits, losses and expenses Policyholder benefits Amortization of deferred acquisition costs and value of business acquired Underwriting, general and administrative expenses Total benefits, losses and expenses Income before provision for income taxes Provision for income taxes Weighted average shares outstanding used in basic per share calculations Plus: Dilutive securities Weighted average shares used in diluted per share calculations Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (unaudited) Change in unrealized gains on securities, net of taxes of $(14,836) and $(28,349), Change in other-than-temporary impairment gains, net of taxes of $674 and $481, Change in foreign currency translation, net of taxes of $(1,609) and $2,654, respectively Pension plan curtailment and amortization of pension and postretirement unrecognized net periodic benefit cost, net of taxes of $(35,651) and $(1,409), respectively Total other comprehensive income (loss) Consolidated Statement of Stockholders’ Equity (unaudited) From December 31, 2015 through March 31, 2016 Paid-in Balance at December 31, 2015 Stock plan exercises Stock plan compensation Change in tax benefit from share-based payment Acquisition of common Other comprehensive Balance, March 31, 2016 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) Net cash used in operating activities Fixed maturity securities available for sale Equity securities available for sale Other invested assets Property and equipment and other Subsidiary, net of cash transferred (2) Maturities, calls, prepayments, and scheduled redemption of: Commercial mortgage loans on real estate Purchases of: Equity interest (1) Change in short-term investments Change in policy loans Change in collateral held/pledged under securities agreements Net cash provided by investing activities Issuance of debt Change in tax benefit from share-based payment arrangements Acquisition of common stock Change in obligation under securities agreements Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents Reversal of Cash included in business classified as held for sale Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period Cash and cash equivalents at end of period Relates to the purchase of equity interest in Iké Asistencia. Relates to the sale of Assurant's Employee Benefits segment mainly through reinsurance transactions and supplemental and small group self-funded business. Relates primarily to an immaterial acquisition and the purchase of renewal rights to the National Flood Insurance block of business of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited) (In thousands, except number of shares and per share amounts) 1. Nature of Operations Assurant, Inc. (the “Company”) is a holding company whose subsidiaries globally provide risk management solutions, protecting where consumers live and the goods they buy. The Company is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "AIZ." Through its operating subsidiaries, the Company provides mobile device protection; vehicle protection; pre-funded funeral insurance; renters insurance; lender-placed homeowners insurance; and mortgage valuation and field services. As previously announced, the Company will substantially exit the health insurance market by the end of 2016 and sold its Assurant Employee Benefits segment on March 1, 2016 mainly through a series of reinsurance transactions with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, a subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc. (“Sun Life”). See Notes 4 and 5, respectively, for more information. 2. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. Accordingly, these statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The interim financial data as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 and for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 is unaudited; in the opinion of management, the interim data includes all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods. The unaudited interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its wholly owned subsidiaries. All inter-company transactions and balances are eliminated in consolidation. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and the rules and regulations thereunder (together, the “Affordable Care Act”) introduced new and significant premium stabilization programs in 2014. These programs require the Company to record amounts to our consolidated financial statements based on assumptions and estimates that could materially change as experience develops until the company exits the Health business and settles related receivables later in 2016. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2016. The accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. 3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements On January 1, 2016 the Company adopted the amended guidance on presentation of debt issuance costs. This amended guidance requires that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the debt liability, consistent with debt discounts or premiums. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs is not affected by the amendments. The adoption of this new presentation guidance did not impact the Company’s financial position or results of operations. On January 1, 2016, the Company adopted the new consolidation guidance that affects reporting entities that are required to evaluate whether they should consolidate certain legal entities. All legal entities are subject to reevaluation under the revised consolidation model. The adoption of this new consolidation guidance did not have an impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations. Not Yet Adopted In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued amended guidance on employee share-based stock compensation. This amended guidance provides areas of simplification in several aspects of accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The amended guidance is effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Therefore, the Company is required to adopt the guidance on January 1, 2017. Early adoption is permitted in any interim or annual period. The Company is evaluating the requirements of this amended share-based stock compensation guidance and the potential impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations. In February 2016, the FASB issued new guidance on leases. The new guidance will replace the current lease guidance. The new guidance requires that entities recognize the assets and liabilities associated with leases on the balance sheet and to disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The new guidance is effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Therefore, the Company is required to adopt the guidance on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the requirements of this new lease guidance and the potential impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations. In January 2016, the FASB issued amended guidance on the measurement and classification of financial instruments. This amended guidance requires that all equity investments be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized through net income (other than those accounted for under equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee). The amendments also require an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the fair value option has been elected for financial liabilities. The amendments eliminate the requirement to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value for financial instruments measured at amortized cost, however public business entities will be required to use the exit price when measuring the fair value of financial instruments measured at amortized cost for disclosure purposes. In addition, the new guidance requires financial assets and financial liabilities to be presented separately in the notes to the financial statements, grouped by measurement category and form of financial asset. The amended guidance is effective in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Therefore, the Company is required to adopt the guidance on January 1, 2018. For the provision related to presentation of financial liabilities, early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The Company is evaluating the requirements of this amended measurement and classification of financial instruments guidance and the potential impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations. In May 2014, the FASB issued amended guidance on revenue recognition. In March and April 2016, the FASB issued implementation amendments to the May 2014 amended revenue recognition guidance. The amended guidance, including the implementation amendments (together, the “amended guidance”), affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards. Insurance contracts are within the scope of other standards and therefore are specifically excluded from the scope of the amended revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the amended guidance is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve the core principle, the entity applies a five step process outlined in the amended guidance. The amended guidance also includes a cohesive set of disclosure requirements. In August 2015, the FASB issued guidance to defer the effective date of the revenue recognition guidance. The amended guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and earlier application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Therefore, the Company is required to adopt the guidance on January 1, 2018. An entity can choose to apply the amended guidance using either the full retrospective approach or a modified retrospective approach. The Company is evaluating the requirements of the revenue recognition guidance as it relates to its non-insurance contract revenue and the potential impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations. 4. Reorganization On June 7, 2015, the Company concluded its comprehensive review of strategic alternatives for the Assurant Health business segment and decided to sharpen its focus on housing and lifestyle specialty protection products and services. The Company expects to substantially complete its exit from the health insurance market by the end of 2016. As part of this process, Assurant reinsured its supplemental and small-group self-funded lines of business and sold certain legal entities to National General Holdings Corp. ("National General"), effective October 1, 2015. The following table presents information regarding exit-related charges: Severance and retention Long-lived asset impairments and contract and lease terminations Other transaction costs Balance at January 1, 2015 Balance at March 31, 2015 Non-cash adjustment Balance at June 30, 2015 Balance at September 30, 2015 Amount expected to be incurred, including charges to Premium deficiency charges Total amount expected to be incurred Amounts in the above table are primarily included in underwriting, general and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The total amount expected to be incurred is an estimate that is subject to change as facts and circumstances evolve. For instance, severance and retention estimates could change if employees previously identified for separation resign from the Company before the date through which they are required to be employed in order to receive severance and retention benefits. The premium deficiency reserve liability increased $13,527 from $78,047 at December 31, 2015 to $91,574 at March 31, 2016. The increase is due to reserve margin released with the associated reserve run off and higher than expected policy lapse rates. Future cash payments, for these exit-related charges, are expected to be substantially complete by 2016. 5. Dispositions On March 1, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its Assurant Employee Benefits segment through a series of transactions with Sun Life, for net cash consideration of $926,174 and contingent consideration of $16,000 related to specified account renewals. The transaction was primarily structured as a reinsurance arrangement, as well as the sale of certain legal entities that included ceding commission and other consideration. The reinsurance transaction does not extinguish the Company's primary liability on the policies issued or assumed by subsidiaries that are parties to the reinsurance agreements, thus any gains associated with the prospective component of the reinsurance transaction are deferred and amortized over the contract period, including contractual renewal periods, in proportion to the amount of insurance coverage provided. The Company also has an obligation to continue to write and renew certain policies for a period of time until Sun Life commences policy writing and renewal. The Company was required to allocate the proceeds considering the relative fair value of the transaction components, including the sale of certain legal entities, the reinsurance for existing claims (accounted for as retroactive reinsurance) and reinsurance for inforce policies with remaining terms and future business (primarily accounted for as prospective reinsurance). The Company estimated a gain of $638,517 based on proceeds compared to the relative net assets transferred and other expenses incurred along with realized gains on invested assets transferred. Of this amount, $120,077 was recognized at the close of the transaction and $518,440 was required to be deferred. The deferred amount will primarily be recognized as revenue over the contract period in proportion to the amount of insurance coverage provided, including estimated contractual renewals pursuant to rate guarantees. In the first quarter 2016, the Company recognized $44,593 of amortization of the deferred gain for the month of March 2016. The total pre-tax gain recognized during the first quarter 2016 was $164,670. Over 60% of the remaining deferred gain of $473,847 as of March 31, 2016 is expected to be earned in the remainder of 2016 and over 90% is expected to be earned by the end of 2018. The ultimate amortization pattern will be dependent on a number of factors including the exact timing of when Sun Life commences directly writing and renewing policies and the sales and persistency on business the Company is obligated to write and renew in the interim. The following represents a summary of the pre-tax gain recognized in the first quarter 2016 by transaction component, as well as the related classification within the financial statements: Total expected gain at close Transaction closing gains on March 1, 2016: Gain on sale of entities, net of transaction costs Novations, resulting in recognized gains Loss on retroactive reinsurance component, before realized gains Net loss prior to realized gains on transferred securities supporting retroactive component Realized gains on transferred securities supporting retroactive component Net gain realized as of March 1, 2016 Deferred gain as of March 1, 2016 Amortization of deferred gain for March 2016 Deferred gain as of March 31, 2016 Total net gains realized for the first quarter 2016 Amount classified within underwriting, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Novations of certain insurance policies directly to Sun Life allowed for immediate gain recognition. Reinsurance of existing claims liabilities requires retroactive accounting necessitating losses to be recognized immediately. However, upon transfer of the associated assets supporting the liabilities, the Company recognized realized gains which more than offset the retroactive losses. The Company was required to classify the realized gains as part of net realized gains on investments, within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Amount classified as amortization of deferred gain on disposal of businesses within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Amount classified as a component of the deferred gain on disposal of businesses within the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company will review and evaluate the estimates affecting the deferred gain each period or when significant information affecting the estimates becomes known to the Company, and will adjust the revenue recognized accordingly. The Assurant Employee Benefits segment pretax income was $16,747 and $16,211 for the periods ending March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively (excluding the aforementioned gains realized in the first quarter 2016 which are included in the Corporate & Other Segment). 6. Acquisitions On March 14, 2016, the Company acquired certain renewal rights to the National Flood Insurance Program block of business of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The estimated acquisition-date fair value of the consideration transferred totaled $20,329, which consists of an initial cash payment of $1,000 and an expected contingent payment of $19,329. The contingent consideration arrangement is based on future expected revenue. In connection with this asset acquisition, the Company recorded $20,329 of renewal rights intangible assets which are amortizable over a five-year period. The contingent payment may change over time, with any resulting adjustments required to be evaluated and recorded as adjustments through the income statement when a change in estimated payment is determined. 7. Investments The following tables show the cost or amortized cost, gross unrealized gains and losses, fair value and other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”) of the Company's fixed maturity and equity securities as of the dates indicated: Cost or Amortized Unrealized OTTI in Fixed maturity securities: United States government and government agencies and authorities States, municipalities and political Asset-backed Commercial mortgage-backed Residential mortgage-backed Total fixed maturity securities Equity securities: Non-redeemable preferred stocks Total equity securities Represents the amount of OTTI recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”). Amount includes unrealized gains and losses on impaired securities relating to changes in the value of such securities subsequent to the impairment measurement date. The Company's states, municipalities and political subdivisions holdings are highly diversified across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with no individual state’s exposure (including both general obligation and revenue securities) exceeding 0.5% of the overall investment portfolio as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. At March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the securities include general obligation and revenue bonds issued by states, cities, counties, school districts and similar issuers, including $281,102 and $319,654, respectively, of advance refunded or escrowed-to-maturity bonds (collectively referred to as “pre-refunded bonds”), which are bonds for which an irrevocable trust has been established to fund the remaining payments of principal and interest. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, revenue bonds account for 52% and 50% of the holdings, respectively. Excluding pre-refunded revenue bonds, the activities supporting the income streams of the Company’s revenue bonds are across a broad range of sectors, primarily highway, water, airport and marina, higher education, specifically pledged tax revenues, and other miscellaneous sources such as bond banks, finance authorities and appropriations. The Company’s investments in foreign government fixed maturity securities are held mainly in countries and currencies where the Company has policyholder liabilities, which allow the assets and liabilities to be more appropriately matched. At March 31, 2016, approximately 81%, 7% and 5% of the foreign government securities were held in the Canadian government/provincials and the governments of Brazil and Germany, respectively. At December 31, 2015, approximately 79%, 8% and 5% of the foreign government securities were held in the Canadian government/provincials and the governments of Brazil and Germany, respectively. No other country represented more than 3% of the Company's foreign government securities as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. The Company has European investment exposure in its corporate fixed maturity and equity securities of $708,883 with a net unrealized gain of $62,581 at March 31, 2016 and $888,923 with a net unrealized gain of $67,957 at December 31, 2015. Approximately 23% and 25% of the corporate European exposure is held in the financial industry at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The Company's largest European country exposure (the United Kingdom) represented approximately 4% and 5% of the fair value of the Company's corporate securities as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. Approximately 8% of the fair value of the corporate European securities are pound and euro-denominated and are not hedged to U.S. dollars, but held to support those foreign-denominated liabilities. The Company's international investments are managed as part of the overall portfolio with the same approach to risk management and focus on diversification. The Company has exposure to the energy sector in its corporate fixed maturity securities of $573,013 with a net unrealized gain of $1,365 at March 31, 2016 and $779,720 with a net unrealized loss of $6,985 at December 31, 2015. Approximately 82% and 89% of the energy exposure is rated as investment grade as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The cost or amortized cost and fair value of fixed maturity securities at March 31, 2016 by contractual maturity are shown below. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers of the securities may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. Due in one year or less Due after one year through five years Due after five years through ten years Due after ten years The following table summarizes the proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities and the gross realized gains and gross realized losses that have been included in earnings as a result of those sales. 2016 (a) Proceeds from sales Gross realized gains Gross realized losses 2016 includes $146,727 related to the sale of Assurant Employee Benefits mainly through reinsurance transactions. The following table sets forth the net realized gains (losses), including OTTI, recognized in the statement of operations as follows: Net realized gains related to sales and other: Fixed maturity securities Total net realized gains related to sales and other Net realized losses related to other-than-temporary impairments: Total net realized losses related to other-than-temporary impairments Total net realized gains Other-Than-Temporary Impairments The Company follows the OTTI guidance, which requires entities to separate an OTTI of a debt security into two components when there are credit related losses associated with the impaired debt security for which the Company asserts that it does not have the intent to sell, and it is more likely than not that it will not be required to sell before recovery of its cost basis. Under the OTTI guidance, the amount of the OTTI related to a credit loss is recognized in earnings, and the amount of the OTTI related to other, non-credit factors (e.g., interest rates, market conditions, etc.) is recorded as a component of other comprehensive income. In instances where no credit loss exists but the Company intends to sell the security or it is more likely than not that the Company will have to sell the debt security prior to the anticipated recovery, the decline in market value below amortized cost is recognized as an OTTI in earnings. In periods after the recognition of an OTTI on debt securities, the Company accounts for such securities as if they had been purchased on the measurement date of the OTTI at an amortized cost basis equal to the previous amortized cost basis less the OTTI recognized in earnings. For debt securities for which OTTI was recognized in earnings, the difference between the new amortized cost basis and the cash flows expected to be collected will be accreted or amortized into net investment income. For the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded $311 and $3,208, respectively, of OTTI, of which $648 and $2,570, respectively, was related to both credit losses and securities the Company intends to sell and recorded as net OTTI losses recognized in earnings, with the remaining amounts of $337 and $(638), respectively, related to all other factors and was recorded as an unrealized gain (loss) component of AOCI. The following table sets forth the amount of credit loss impairments recognized within the results of operations on fixed maturity securities held by the Company as of the dates indicated, for which a portion of the OTTI loss was recognized in AOCI, and the corresponding changes in such amounts. Balance, January 1, Additions for credit loss impairments recognized in the current period on securities previously impaired Additions for credit loss impairments recognized in the current period on securities not Reductions for increases in cash flows expected to be collected that are recognized over the remaining life of the security Reductions for credit loss impairments previously recognized on securities which matured, paid down, prepaid or were sold during the period Balance, March 31, The Company regularly monitors its investment portfolio to ensure investments that may be other-than-temporarily impaired are timely identified, properly valued, and charged against earnings in the proper period. The determination that a security has incurred an other-than-temporary decline in value requires the judgment of management. Assessment factors include, but are not limited to, the length of time and the extent to which the market value has been less than cost, the financial condition and rating of the issuer, whether any collateral is held, the intent and ability of the Company to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for recovery for equity securities and the intent to sell or whether it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell for fixed maturity securities. Inherently, there are risks and uncertainties involved in making these judgments. Changes in circumstances and critical assumptions such as a continued weak economy, a more pronounced economic downturn or unforeseen events which affect one or more companies, industry sectors, or countries could result in additional impairments in future periods for other-than-temporary declines in value. Any equity security whose price decline is deemed other-than-temporary is written down to its then current market value with the amount of the impairment reported as a realized loss in that period. The impairment of a fixed maturity security that the Company has the intent to sell or that it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell is deemed other-than-temporary and is written down to its market value at the balance sheet date with the amount of the impairment reported as a realized loss in that period. For all other-than-temporarily impaired fixed maturity securities that do not meet either of these two criteria, the Company is required to analyze its ability to recover the amortized cost of the security by calculating the net present value of projected future cash flows. For these other-than-temporarily impaired fixed maturity securities, the net amount recognized in earnings is equal to the difference between the amortized cost of the fixed maturity security and its net present value. The Company considers different factors to determine the amount of projected future cash flows and discounting methods for corporate debt and residential and commercial mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities. For corporate debt securities, the split between the credit and non-credit losses is driven principally by assumptions regarding the amount and timing of projected future cash flows. The net present value is calculated by discounting the Company’s best estimate of projected future cash flows at the effective interest rate implicit in the security at the date of acquisition. For residential and commercial mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, cash flow estimates, including prepayment assumptions, are based on data from widely accepted third-party data sources or internal estimates. In addition to prepayment assumptions, cash flow estimates vary based on assumptions regarding the underlying collateral including default rates, recoveries and changes in value. The net present value is calculated by discounting the Company’s best estimate of projected future cash flows at the effective interest rate implicit in the fixed maturity security prior to impairment at the balance sheet date. The discounted cash flows become the new amortized cost basis of the fixed maturity security. In periods subsequent to the recognition of an OTTI, the Company generally accretes the discount (or amortizes the reduced premium) into net investment income, up to the non-discounted amount of projected future cash flows, resulting from the reduction in cost basis, based upon the amount and timing of the expected future cash flows over the estimated period of cash flows. The investment category and duration of the Company’s gross unrealized losses on fixed maturity securities and equity securities at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 were as follows: Less than 12 months 12 Months or More Total gross unrealized losses represent approximately 6% and 5% of the aggregate fair value of the related securities at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. Approximately 77% and 88% of these gross unrealized losses have been in a continuous loss position for less than twelve months at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The total gross unrealized losses are comprised of 380 and 884 individual securities at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. In accordance with its policy described above, the Company concluded that for these securities an adjustment to its results of operations for other-than-temporary impairments of the gross unrealized losses was not warranted at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. These conclusions were based on a detailed analysis of the underlying credit and expected cash flows of each security. As of March 31, 2016, the gross unrealized losses that have been in a continuous loss position for twelve months or more were concentrated in the Company’s corporate fixed maturity securities and in non-redeemable preferred stocks. The non-redeemable preferred stocks are perpetual preferred securities that have characteristics of both debt and equity securities. To evaluate these securities, the Company applies an impairment model similar to that used for the Company's fixed maturity securities. As of March 31, 2016, the Company did not intend to sell these securities and it was not more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell them and no underlying cash flow issues were noted. Therefore, the Company did not recognize an OTTI on those perpetual preferred securities that had been in a continuous unrealized loss position for twelve months or more. As of March 31, 2016, the Company did not intend to sell the fixed maturity securities and it was not more likely than not that the Company would be required to sell the securities before the anticipated recovery of their amortized cost basis. The gross unrealized losses are primarily attributable to widening credit spreads associated with an underlying shift in overall credit risk premium. The Company has entered into commercial mortgage loans, collateralized by the underlying real estate, on properties located throughout the U.S. and Canada. At March 31, 2016, approximately 42% of the outstanding principal balance of commercial mortgage loans was concentrated in the states of California, New York, and Oregon. Although the Company has a diversified loan portfolio, an economic downturn could have an adverse impact on the ability of its debtors to repay their loans. The outstanding balance of commercial mortgage loans range in size from $13 to $14,515 at March 31, 2016 and from $17 to $14,625 at December 31, 2015. Credit quality indicators for commercial mortgage loans are loan-to-value and debt-service coverage ratios. Loan-to-value and debt-service coverage ratios are measures commonly used to assess the credit quality of commercial mortgage loans. The loan-to-value ratio compares the principal amount of the loan to the fair value of the underlying property collateralizing the loan, and is commonly expressed as a percentage. The debt-service coverage ratio compares a property’s net operating income to its debt-service payments and is commonly expressed as a ratio. The loan-to-value and debt-service coverage ratios are generally updated annually in the third quarter. The following summarizes the Company's loan-to-value and average debt-service coverage ratios as of the dates indicated: Loan-to-Value % of Gross Debt-Service Coverage Ratio 70% and less 71 – 80% Greater than 95% Gross commercial mortgage loans Less valuation allowance Net commercial mortgage loans All commercial mortgage loans that are individually impaired have an established mortgage loan valuation allowance for losses. An additional valuation allowance is established for incurred, but not specifically identified impairments. Changing economic conditions affect the Company's valuation of commercial mortgage loans. Changing vacancies and rents are incorporated into the discounted cash flow analysis that the Company performs for monitored loans and may contribute to the establishment of (or an increase or decrease in) a commercial mortgage loan valuation allowance for losses. In addition, the Company continues to monitor the entire commercial mortgage loan portfolio to identify risk. Areas of emphasis are properties that have exposure to specific geographic events, have deteriorating credits or have experienced a reduction in debt-service coverage ratio. Where warranted, the Company has established or increased a valuation allowance based upon this analysis. Variable Interest Entities A VIE is a legal entity which does not have sufficient equity at risk to allow the entity to finance its activities without additional financial support or in which the equity investors, as a group, do not have the characteristic of a controlling financial interest. The Company's investments in VIEs include private equity limited partnerships and real estate joint ventures. These investments are generally accounted for under the equity method and included in the consolidated balance sheets in other investments. The Company's maximum exposure to loss with respect to these investments is limited to the investment carrying amounts reported in the Company's consolidated balance sheet in addition to any required unfunded commitments. As of March 31, 2016, the Company's maximum exposure to loss is $224,255 in recorded carrying value and $30,853 in unfunded commitments. 8. Fair Value Disclosures Fair Values, Inputs and Valuation Techniques for Financial Assets and Liabilities Disclosures The fair value measurements and disclosures guidance defines fair value and establishes a framework for measuring fair value. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In accordance with this guidance, the Company has categorized its recurring basis financial assets and liabilities into a three-level fair value hierarchy based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls has been determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. The Company’s assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in its entirety requires judgment, and takes into account factors specific to the asset or liability. The levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below: Level 1 inputs utilize quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company can access. Level 2 inputs utilize other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the asset. Level 2 inputs include quoted prices for similar assets in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets in markets that are not active and inputs other than quoted prices that are observable in the marketplace for the asset. The observable inputs are used in valuation models to calculate the fair value for the asset. Level 3 inputs are unobservable but are significant to the fair value measurement for the asset, and include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset. These inputs reflect management’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in pricing the asset. The Company reviews fair value hierarchy classifications on a quarterly basis. Changes in the observability of valuation inputs may result in a reclassification of levels for certain securities within the fair value hierarchy. The following tables present the Company’s fair value hierarchy for assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. The amounts presented below for Other investments, Cash equivalents, Other assets, Assets and Liabilities held in separate accounts and Other liabilities differ from the amounts presented in the consolidated balance sheets because only certain investments or certain assets and liabilities within these line items are measured at estimated fair value. Other investments are comprised of investments in the Assurant Investment Plan, American Security Insurance Company Investment Plan, Assurant Deferred Compensation Plan, modified coinsurance arrangements and other derivatives. Other liabilities are comprised of investments in the Assurant Investment Plan and other derivatives. The fair value amount and the majority of the associated levels presented for Other investments and Assets and Liabilities held in separate accounts are received directly from third parties. United States Government and government agencies and authorities State, municipalities and political subdivisions Cash equivalents Total financial assets Financial Liabilities Other liabilities Total financial liabilities Mainly includes mutual funds. Mainly includes money market funds. Mainly includes fixed maturity securities. Mainly includes fixed maturity securities and other derivatives. Mainly includes other derivatives. There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 financial assets during either period. However, there were transfers between Level 2 and Level 3 financial assets during the periods, which are reflected in the “Transfers in” and “Transfers out” columns below. Transfers between Level 2 and Level 3 most commonly occur from changes in the availability of observable market information and re-evaluation of the observability of pricing inputs. Any remaining unpriced securities are submitted to independent brokers who provide non-binding broker quotes or are priced by other qualified sources. The following tables summarize the change in balance sheet carrying value associated with Level 3 financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015: Three Months Ended March 31, 2016 beginning of gains (losses) (realized/ unrealized) Net unrealized (losses) gains out (3) Total level 3 assets and liabilities (losses)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line313
__label__wiki	0.656415	0.656415	Seka Owen Mirage Series #8, 2011 acrylic on canvas, 36" × 36" Gallery Gevik — info@gevik.com — Tel: 416-968-0901 — 12 Hazelton Ave, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2E2, Canada Copyright ©1999-2019 Gallery Gevik. All Rights Reserved. Daphne Odjig, Canadian Indigenous Artist and Icon Dies at 97. Click here for more details. Odjig is frequently referred to as the "Grandmother of Indigenous Art." She has been the recipient of many awards, honours and recognitions for her works, to name a few: The Order of Canada, the Governor General's Award, and eight Honorary Doctorates. Her works have been shown in the National Gallery of Canada, The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Art Gallery of Ontario. She established the first native-run fine art print house in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1971. Known as 'Odjig Indian Prints,' this print house was so successful that it evolved into an Indigenous gallery space in 1974, called the New Warehouse Gallery, run by Odjig and her husband, Chester Beavon. She was also a founding member of the Indian Group of Seven. This artistic group's purpose was to promote Contemporary Indigenous art and artists. Alex Janvier's major retrospective, "Alex Janvier: Modern Indigenous Master" is now open at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario until January 21st, 2018. Afterwards, it will travel to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton and the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. This exhibition was recently on display at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina. Alex Janvier is one of Canada's most acclaimed contemporary artists. His career of sixty-five years has yielded thousands of paintings, and more than twenty-five murals and public commissions. (Photo credit: Kim Griffiths) Gallery Gevik congratulates renowned Canadian and International abstract painter, Rita Letendre, on her first major museum retrospective exhibition outside of Québec. Rita Letendre: Fire and Light is now open until September 17, 2017 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. This exhibition, which covers Letendre's career from the 1960's to 2000's, is co-curated by Wanda Nanibush and Georgiana Uhlyarik. The retrospective features nearly forty large-scale paintings drawn from major national public and private collections. Letendre was widely exhibited with the artistic groups, Les Automatistes and Les Plasticiens. She has received the Governor General's Award in Visual Arts, the Prix Paul-Émile Borduas, and the Orders of Canada, Ontario and Québec. Click here for more details.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line315
__label__wiki	0.667035	0.667035	Sefton Park - L17 Sefton Park Sefton Park is a pretty big park. I wish I'd done a little more research before I decided to walk around it. 235 acres, apparently. Not too shabby. Back in the long, long ago, what is now Sefton Park, was just a little part of the 2,300 acre Royal Deer Park of Toxteth. In 1591 it was 'disparked' (I didn't know that there was such a concept) and the Earl of Sefton, somehow got his paws on it. Amazing how these rich people come to own something that didn't really 'belong' to the person (or persons) selling it, in the first place, isn't it? But, anyway. As Toxteth grew, chunks of the park got turned into slums for the plebs, who were making the fat cats rich through their hours of long work for pittance wages. There was no sanitation or, running water, and it was all getting a little unsightly, whiffy, and you could catch some rather unpleasant diseases from the poor people, don't you know. Something had to be done, mainly because the feudal overlords wanted to build their nice big mansions on the green and pleasant lands to the south of Liverpool. So, in 1862, deals started to be done and, in 1867, a parcel of 375 acres of land was purchased from the Earl of Sefton, the latter trousering a whopping £250,000 for something that really wasn't his in the first place. Nice work if you can get it. If you were wondering where 145 acres of that purchase went, well, that got sold off for building the aforementioned large mansions, 'to fund the building of the park'. Presumably, everyone made a nice bundle off it. The next step was a European competition to design a Grand Park, so that the people in the big houses would have pretty views. Some ffrenchie won it but, they did allow a token local, Liverpudlian architect Lewis Hornblower, to work on some parts. On 20th May 1872, Prince Arthur opened the park "for the health and enjoyment of the townspeople" and, don't forget, so that the occupants of big houses would have nice views, with some nice big trees around the perimeter so that they didn't have to actually see the proles making their lovely park look untidy. Sniping aside (justified as it may be), the park does have some very impressive features, such as the ornate lodges, park entrances, follies, and boathouses, which are down to Hornblower. The Palm House The Palm House, is a 3-tier conservatory, designed by Mackenzie and Moncur of Edinburgh, and it is a Grade II listed building. In the Liverpool Blitz of 1941, a bomb landed nearby, shattering all the glass. It was reglazed after the war but, over the years, fell into disrepair and was closed in the 1980s on safety grounds. From 1992, various attempts at funding restoration were launched, eventually receiving the necessary money for the work to be carried out. It was reopened in 2001. The eight corners of the Palm House feature statues of Captain Cook, Christopher Columbus, Gerardus Mercator, Henry the Navigator, Charles Darwin, Carl Linnaeus, John Parkinson, and Andre le Notre. Inside are sculptures "Highland Mary" and "The Angel's Whisper". The grounds of the Palm House features a statue of Peter Pan by British sculptor Sir George Frampton. This is Grade II listed and is a replica of a similar statue given to Kensington Gardens by author J.M. Barrie. The statue was donated to the park by George Audley in 1928 and was unveiled in the presence of Barrie. Originally, it was located in the park itself but, after being repeatedly vandalised in the 1990s, it was restored and returned to the more secure location of the Palm House's grounds in December 2005. The phallic obelisk at the principal entrance to the Park is to Samuel Smith. Sadly, it is not a homage to the beer dude. This particular Smith was a plastic scouser, local merchant MP, Christian Philanthropist (whatever that is) and, according to the blurb, 'a friend of India'. So, there! The Shaftesbury Fountain and Eros statue is Grade II listed, this is located a fair old hike from the main park entrance, in the centre of the park next to the cafe which, apparently, used to be an aviary. Budgie burgers, anyone? The fountain is made from bronze and aluminium and was unveiled in 1932. It's a fake, mind you, albeit a pretty cool one. It is a replica of the more famous memorial to Lord Shaftesbury (tory) in London's Piccadilly Circus. It was restored in 2008, with a new aluminium Eros replacing the original. Gnarly Gothic drinking fountain At one end of the boating lake is a rather gnarly Gothic drinking fountain. As Gothic as it is, unless it supplies unlimited quantities of absinthe, I'm not putting my mouth anywhere near it as it is the local skyrats' favourite hangout and they show their appreciation covering it with impressive quantities of guano. Willy Rathbone V The memorial to William Rathbone V by Sir Thomas Brock was unveiled in 1887. At least this local merchant wasn't a tory. He was a liberal MP and Mayor of Liverpool. I'm sure he was a philanthropist, kind to poor people, and loved his mother, yadda, yadda, yadda... The bandstand, popular since the Victorian era, is said to be the inspiration for the The Beatles' Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. But, that could just be bollocks. It may or, may not have something to do with it. I can see that if John was dropping some LSD whilst having a lazy stroll around Sefton Park one Sunday afternoon, it could have sparked an idea but, it could just be a nice urban myth. It reminds me of something off Trumpton. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bandstand? So, there you have it, Sefton Park. Not named after either, the winner of the 1878 Epsom Derby nor, the one that was injured in the 1982 IRA bombing in Hyde Park and Regent's Park. Named, instead, after a tory descended from a ffrenchie, who hung out at Croxteth Hall, and made a killing selling some land he never really owned in the first place. Mark L. Potts The God of Thunder Click here for the next bit...	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line318
__label__cc	0.51993	0.48007	Notes From the Leading Edge Home/Governance and leadership, Innovation in Education, Uncategorized/Notes From the Leading Edge How are three school leaders and their respective schools staying at the leading edge of the innovation wave? How are they successfully transforming away from the assembly line model of “school”? I had a 90 minute video chat yesterday with Bo Adams of Mt. Vernon Presbyterian in Atlanta, Thomas Steele-Maley of the new GEMS World Academy in Chicago, and Steve Mouldey of Hobsonville Point Secondary in Auckland, New Zealand. Here are a few notes, and reasons to follow these three closely: Our international PLN from yesterday. Bo reminded us of the work that has led him for the past decade. While helping to lead a project of new building design at the Westminster Schools, he realized that architects and builders use a system of design activities and visual tools to articulate and coordinate the dreams of stakeholders along with the pragmatic constraints of things like plumbing, structural engineering, and electricity. He asked “why don’t we do this kind of coordinated systems planning” for the core of our schools, the learning process? This has led to his advocacy for the creation of meta-teams of school stakeholders and the use of extensive, ongoing instructional rounds to collect and use data on just what is taking place in the classrooms, and how to align with all-school goals. Over the last year, the teams at Mt. Vernon have collected more than 350 observations from 24 educators on these rounds. One outcome that Bo shared is that leadership structures at the school may not be optimized to support their essential learning outcomes. Steve told us that the new and growing Hobsonville Point Secondary has also developed teams that transcend traditional silos of department and subject. Their teams are tasked with developing and coordinating focal areas of pedagogy, curriculum, and assessment, much like the “window teams” that I have started using in conjunction with The Miami Valley School, and the non-traditional governance structure we have built for Design 39 Campus. As a community Hobsonville Point has developed a basket of eight core sets of skills and concepts around which learning should take place. Within these framing areas, courses are co-developed on a negotiated basis with students in ways that meet student/teacher passions, the school’s core areas of focus, and national learning standards. Teachers do not actually develop a “class” until both teachers and students decide what they want to learn about. Steve said that they have recognized the key role of hiring the right people who can deal with this kind of rolling evolution and ambiguity…which we all agreed is vastly more like the world outside of school works. Bo said that at Mt. Vernon they are trying to take the kind of learning that he and Jill Gough pioneered with their Synergy class several years ago up to scale. They have started to bust traditional silos; there are no department chairs in the Upper School as they build an interdisciplinary approach to curriculum assessment and courses of study. Last year they started a “negotiated” curriculum in the Upper School: students helped decide that learning would take place around the themes of genetically modified organisms in 9th and 10th grades, and land and water use in 11th and 12th grades. Thomas is helping open the new GEMS World Academy, so they have a largely blank canvas on which to paint the structures they want for their faculty and students. They are interested in the kind of models we discussed: fewer subject-based silos; a large role for students in helping to decide and create the actual courses and curriculum; fewer requirements that students learn a certain packed of information each year; performance based assessments. We talked about the difference between changing an existing school and opening a new school; about the silos teachers place themselves in by labeling their work by grade level or subject and how to change that language; about the tools to truly understand and work with community stakeholders. Do any of these issues resonate with you? Connect with these three and others. Some of this work is “hard”; sometimes we think it is too hard and we turn away. But schools like these are making enormous strides and proving that in both public and private school settings, we CAN turn the aircraft carrier, and sometimes more quickly and nimbly than we have been told in the past. By Grant Lichtman\| 2014-07-01T14:49:50+00:00 July 1st, 2014\|Governance and leadership, Innovation in Education, Uncategorized\|2 Comments stevemouldey July 2, 2014 at 12:40 am - Reply Reblogged this on Steve Mouldey and commented: I was privileged to be in a Google Hangout yesterday with 3 educators who I find incredibly inspiring. Grant captured the notes as we talked about innovation in education. treyboden July 2, 2014 at 12:57 am - Reply Great post Grant! These guys are so much fun to learn from. Everyone should follow them for their #brainshrapnel.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line319
__label__cc	0.50861	0.49139	GRKB – Certified Public Accountants CPA firm located in Worcester, MA 306 Main Street \| Worcester, MA \| 508.791.0901 National and International Services Internal Controls Evaluation Tax Controversy Representation Specialized Practice Areas Tax Calendars Summary of The House-Senate Compromise on Tax and Spending Bills Posted on December 23, 2015 by grkbadmin The Senate by a 65-33 vote gave final approval on December 18 to tax and spending compromise legislation that included a $622 billion package of tax extenders. The House approved the extenders legislation by a 318-109 vote on December 17. President Obama has said that he would sign the legislation. Below is an overview of important tax provisions from the package, which was negotiated by Congressional leaders and released on December 15. Individual and Family Provisions The Bill contains numerous provisions that would benefit individuals and families. Some key tax provisions that have long been temporary would become permanent, while others would only get another temporary extension. Some of the key provisions that are being made permanent are: the enhanced child tax credit, the enhanced American opportunity tax credit, the enhanced earned income tax credit, the deduction of certain expenses for elementary and secondary school teachers, and the deduction for State and local general sales taxes in lieu of State and local income taxes (Division Q, 101-§105). The permanency of these provisions should provide more certainty for individuals and families, who will no longer have to wonder whether they will still be around from year to year. There are also several temporary extenders that would benefit individuals and families. Three provisions that are particularly important to homeowners are being extended through 2016: the exclusion from gross income of discharge of qualified principal residence indebtedness, the provision allowing mortgage insurance premiums to be treated as qualified residence interest, and the credit for nonbusiness energy property (Division Q, 151, §152, §181). Health & Compensation Planning The congressional budget deal would provide relief from certain excise taxes under the Affordable Care Act. The Bill would: Provide for a two-year delay on the excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage (the “Cadillac” tax), meaning that the tax would first be effective in 2020 rather than 2018 as The Bill would also permit the tax to be deductible as a business expense and require a study on the benchmark for the threshold measurement of the Cadillac tax. (Division P, §101-103) Provide for a one-year moratorium on the annual excise tax imposed on health insurance providers for calendar year (Division P, §201) Prohibit the IRS and HHS from using the funds provided under the deal to support the Affordable Care Act (Division E, 113, Division H, §225, Division H, §226) The tax extenders deal would provide additional tax relief and clarifications. The Bill would: Permanently extend the maximum monthly exclusion amount for transit passes and van pool benefits so that these transportation benefits match the exclusion for qualified parking benefits. (Division Q, 105) Modify the filing dates of returns and statements relating to employee wage information and nonemployee compensation to improve (Division Q, §201) Permanently extend the ability of individuals at least 70 ½ years of age to exclude from gross income qualified charitable distributions from Individual Retirement Accounts. (Division Q, 112) Extend the special rule under current law for current benefits paid by accident or health plans of a public retirement system to such benefits paid by plans established by or on behalf of a state or political (Division Q, §305) Allow a taxpayer to roll over amounts from an employer-sponsored retirement plan to a SIMPLE (Division Q, §306) Clarifies the effective dates of Public Law 113-243 to allow certain airline employees to contribute amounts received in certain bankruptcies to an IRA without being subject to the annual contribution limit. (Division Q, 307) Extends the relief providing an exception to the 10-percent penalty on withdraws from retirement accounts before age 50 to include nuclear materials couriers, S. Capitol Police, Supreme Court Police and diplomatic security special agents. (Division Q, §308) Clarify certain rules governing church plans, including preventing the IRS from aggregating certain church plans together for purposes of the non-discrimination rules, and providing flexibility for church plans to decide which other church plans with which they (Division Q, §336) General Business Provisions The proposed Bill includes many business-friendly provisions. Most notably, the research and development credit would be made permanent (Division Q, §121), along with the enhanced limitations asset expensing under §179 (Division Q, §124). Numerous other provisions would get temporary extensions, some through 2016, and some through 2019. Some of the noteworthy provisions that would be extended through 2019 are: the new markets tax credit, the work opportunity tax credit, and “bonus” depreciation for qualified property. (Division Q, 141-§143) the Indian employment tax credit, the special expensing rules for certain film and television productions, and the energy efficient commercial buildings (Division Q, §161, §169, §190) S Corporations The S corporation holding period under 1374(d)(7) for recognition of built-in gains after conversion from a C corporation would be permanently extended to 5 years. Pre-existing installment sales would continue to be governed by the holding periods for the years of sale. (Division Q, §127) The provision under 1367(a)(2) that upon an S corporation’s charitable contribution of property, the shareholder’s basis in the S corporation stock would be reduced by the shareholder’s pro rata basis in the donated property (rather than the pro rata fair market value of the donated property had the provision expired) would be permanently extended. (Division Q, §115) Regulated Investment Companies The provisions under 871(k) allowing a RIC to flow-through the character of qualified net interest income and qualified short-term gains to foreign shareholders by reporting such amount would be permanently extended. (Division Q, §125) The treatment of RICs as qualified investment entities under FIRPTA would be permanently (Division Q, §133) Interests in RICs would not be excluded from the definition of United States real property Interests in RICs would be excluded from the interests in domestic corporations, which are eligible to be excluded from the definition of United States real property interest. (Division Q, §325) (see also International, below) Dividends derived from RICs would be ineligible for a deduction for the United States source portion of dividends from certain foreign corporations. Dividends from RICs would be excluded from the definition of post-1986 undistributed United States earnings for purposes of determining the amount of a dividend paid by a qualified 10-percent owned foreign corporation for which a deduction is (Division Q, §326) (see also International, below) For taxpayers other than corporations, the exclusion from gross income under 1202 of 100% of the gain recognized on the sale or exchange of Qualified Small Business (QSB) stock held for more than five years would be permanently extended. (Division Q, §126) Estates, Gifts, and Trusts In the area of Estates, Gifts, and Trusts, the Bill would make permanent certain charitable deduction provisions which have been subject to one-year extensions in the past. The Bill would add some additional provisions which would either add, clarify, or enhance certain charitable contributions. The Bill would also make certain changes to the valuation of certain trusts. Finally, the Bill would make certain changes and additions with respect to the recognition, termination, and appeal rights of certain tax-exempt organizations. The following is a summary of those provisions. The enhanced income tax charitable deduction for certain conservation easement donations under 170(b)(1)(E) would be made permanent. (Division Q, §111(a)(1)) The enhanced qualified conservation contribution for certain corporate farmers and ranchers under 170(b)(2)(B) would be made permanent. (Division Q, §111(a)(2)) Add new 170(b)(2)(C) which would permit Alaska Native Corporations to deduct donations of conservation easements up to 100% of taxable income beginning in 2016. (Division Q, §111(b)) The enhanced income tax charitable deduction for certain contributions of inventory of apparently wholesome food under §170(e)(3)(C) would be made permanent. (Division Q,113). The Bill would also increase the limitation on deductible contributions of food inventory and provide special rules for valuing food inventory. Provide that charitable contributions made after the date of enactment to an agricultural research organization would be subject to the higher individual limits if the organization commits to use the contribution for agricultural research before January 1 of the fifth calendar year that begins after the date of the contribution. In addition, agricultural research organizations are treated as public charities per se, without regard to their sources of financial (Division Q, §331) Clarify the valuation method for the early termination of certain charitable remainder unitrusts for the termination of trusts made after the date of (Division Q, §344). Require the IRS to create procedures under which a 501(c) organization facing an adverse determination may request administrative appeal to the IRS Office of Appeals. The provision would apply to determinations made after May 19, 2014. (Division Q, §404) Provide a streamlined recognition process for organizations seeking tax exemption under 501(c)(4). The IRS would be required to provide a letter of acknowledgement of the registration within 60 days after an application is submitted. (Division Q, §405) Permit 501(c)(4) organizations and other exempt organizations to seek review in Federal court of any revocation of exempt status by the IRS. The provision applies to pleadings filed after the date of enactment. (Division Q, §405) Treat transfers to organizations exempt from tax under §501(c)(4), 501 (c)(5), and §501 (c)(6) as exempt from the gift tax for transfers made after the date of enactment. (Division Q, §408) Reforms to Real Estate Investment Trusts The proposed Bill would curb real estate investment trust (REIT) spinoffs, beginning December 7, 2015. In a REIT spinoff, a corporation separates its business into a taxable operating company and a real property company whose income generally is not taxable at the corporate level. The spinoff itself also is tax-free. The IRS recently has drawn attention to what it perceives to be abuses of this practice, and proposed legislation would address those concerns. With two major exceptions, spinoffs where either the distributing corporation or the controlled corporation is a REIT would no longer be eligible for tax free treatment. The first exception would be for spinoffs of a REIT by another REIT. This exception would apply where both the distributing corporation and the controlled corporation are REITs immediately after the spinoff. The second exception would apply to spinoffs of taxable REIT subsidiaries. In this case, the distributing corporation must have been a REIT for the prior three years and the controlled corporation must have been a taxable REIT subsidiary during the same time. Neither a distributing nor a controlled corporation can elect to be treated as a REIT for ten years after a tax-free spinoff. While tightening the rules pertaining to tax-free spinoffs, the proposed Bill would relax the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) rules, which are viewed as imposing a barrier to foreign investment in U.S. real property. FIRPTA imposes income tax on foreign persons disposing of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI) and requires purchasers of those interests to withhold 10% of the sales price. The proposed Bill would raise from 5% to 10% the stake a stockholder can own in publicly traded stock of a REIT without triggering the FIRPTA withholding taxes. The Bill would also allow certain publicly traded entities to receive distributions from a REIT without the distribution being treated as gain from the sale of a USRPI. The proposed legislation would also make numerous other changes to the REIT provisions, including modifications of the calculation of REIT earnings and profits, the rules pertaining to the types of assets a REIT may own and permissible sources of income, and the rules governing services provided by taxable REIT subsidiaries. (Division Q, §311-§326) Reforms to the IRS and the Tax Court The proposed Bill also includes IRS reforms to protect taxpayer rights. Beginning on the date of enactment, the IRS Commissioner would be responsible for ensuring that all IRS employees are familiar with and act in accord with taxpayer rights. Additionally, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, as proposed by the National Taxpayer Advocate and subsequently adopted by the IRS, would be codified in the Bill. Further, the legislation would create the ability for a taxpayer who suffered an unauthorized disclosure, unauthorized inspection of returns or return information, or other offense by an officer or employee of the United States, to ascertain whether an investigation occurred, the status of an investigation, its outcome, and whether action was taken against the offending individual. The Bill would also change several items relating to the Tax Court. One of the most significant changes would permit a taxpayer to file a Tax Court case in interest abatement matters where the IRS has failed to issue a final determination within six months. Further, the Bill would permit a taxpayer to elect small case status for interest abatement cases where the abatement does not exceed $50,000. The legislation would also clarify provisions relating to the appeal of innocent spouse relief and collections cases. For petitions filed after the date of enactment, a Tax Court decision in these cases would be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the circuit in which an individual’s legal residence is located or in which a business’ principal place of business or principal office of agency is located. Additionally, when a taxpayer has filed a bankruptcy case and is prohibited from filing a Tax Court petition in innocent spouse relief and collection cases, the period for filing a petition would be suspended during the prohibition period and for an additional amount of time. (Division Q, §421-§441) The Bill would change some of the rules under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) of 1980, §897 and §1445. The rate of withholding from dispositions of U.S. real property interests under 1445 would be increased from 10% to 15%, but would remain at 10% for residences sold for less than $1 million (Division Q, §324). The Bill also would add two new relaxations of FIRPTA. First, §897 would not apply to real property interests that otherwise would be U.S. real property interests (USRPIs) if they are held directly by qualified foreign retirement or pension funds, or if held indirectly by them through one or more partnership (Division Q, §323). Second, the Bill would increase from 5% to 10% the ownership percentage that under §897(c)(3) allows small interests in publicly traded corporations not to be considered to be U.S. real property interests (Division Q, §322). Collaterally, constructive ownership rules under §897(c)(6)(C) would not be applied to attribute ownership of public companies to or from associated persons in making this test unless shares owned by the associated person amounted to “more than 10 percent” (an increase from “more than 5 percent”) (Division Q, §322). A slight tightening of the rule treating companies that had disposed of all USRPIs as having “purged” their own shares of status as USRPIs would be implemented by requiring the company trying to purge itself of that status not to have been regulated investment companies (RICs) or real estate investment trusts (REITs) during the relevant measurement period. (Division Q, §325) The Bill would deny a deduction for the U.S. source portion of dividends derived from RICs and REITs by adding a new paragraph (12) to §245(a). (Division Q, §326) The Bill also includes several international-related extenders: Permanent extension of subpart F exception for active financing income. (Division Q, §128) Extension of RIC qualified investment entity treatment under FIRPTA. (Division Q, §133) Extension through 2019 of look-thru treatment of payments between related controlled foreign corporations under foreign personal holding company rules. (Division Q, §144) Payroll provisions contained in the Bill include: Permanent extension of qualified transportation fringe transit parity becoming permanent (and retroactive—which is not payroll-friendly). (Division Q, §105) Permanent extension of the military active duty wage credit. (Division, Q, §122) Extension and modification through 2019 of the work opportunity tax credit for first year wages paid. (Division Q, §142) Modification of filing dates of returns and statements relating to employee wage information and nonemployee compensation to improve compliance. (Division Q, 201) “Safe harbor” for incorrect information on Forms W-2 and 1099s. (Division Q, §202) This information is derived from a summary provided by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. This entry was posted in Articles, Press Releases by grkbadmin. Bookmark the permalink. ABOUT \| SERVICES \| RESOURCES \| TAX CALENDARS \| STAFF PAGE \| NEWS ROOM \| CONTACT US The information contained in this site is provided as a convenience for our clients, business associates, friends and the general public. While this information is considered dependable, we cannot guarantee its accuracy or its applicability to your circumstances. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from our qualified professionals regarding any accounting, tax or personal finance issues you may have. Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, P.C. \| Certified Public Accountants The Day Building, 306 Main Street, Suite 400, Worcester, MA 01608 \| (508) 791-0901 \| Fax: (508) 799-2059 \| Disclaimer \| Privacy policy \| Copyright © 2016 Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, P.C. All rights reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line321
__label__cc	0.737904	0.262096	Lead Packages Jackson, MS FSBO Report For The Week Ending 01/19/20 New FSBOs This Week 12 Week Avg is 10.33 Avg. Price This Week 12 Week Avg is $220,032 Download chart data 14 cities in this market area Byram, MS Canton, MS Carthage, MS Clinton, MS Crystal Springs, MS Florence, MS Richland, MS Yazoo City, MS View Past Weeks 01/19/20 01/12/20 01/05/20 12/29/19 12/22/19 12/15/19 12/08/19 12/01/19 11/24/19 11/17/19 11/10/19 11/03/19 10/27/19 10/20/19 10/13/19 10/06/19 09/29/19 09/22/19 09/15/19 09/08/19 09/01/19 08/25/19 08/18/19 08/11/19 08/04/19 07/28/19 07/21/19 07/14/19 07/07/19 06/30/19 06/23/19 06/16/19 06/09/19 06/02/19 05/26/19 05/19/19 05/12/19 05/05/19 04/28/19 04/21/19 04/14/19 04/07/19 03/31/19 03/24/19 03/17/19 03/10/19 03/03/19 02/24/19 02/17/19 02/10/19 02/03/19 01/27/19 01/20/19 01/13/19 01/06/19 12/30/18 12/23/18 12/16/18 12/09/18 12/02/18 11/25/18 11/18/18 11/11/18 11/04/18 10/28/18 10/21/18 10/14/18 10/07/18 09/30/18 09/23/18 09/16/18 09/09/18 09/02/18 08/26/18 08/19/18 08/12/18 08/05/18 07/29/18 07/22/18 07/15/18 07/08/18 07/01/18 06/24/18 06/17/18 06/10/18 06/03/18 05/27/18 05/20/18 05/13/18 05/06/18 04/29/18 04/22/18 04/15/18 04/08/18 04/01/18 03/25/18 03/18/18 03/11/18 03/04/18 02/25/18 02/18/18 02/11/18 02/04/18 01/28/18 01/21/18 01/14/18 01/07/18 12/31/17 12/24/17 12/17/17 12/10/17 12/03/17 11/26/17 11/19/17 11/12/17 11/05/17 10/29/17 10/22/17 10/15/17 10/08/17 10/01/17 09/24/17 09/17/17 09/10/17 09/03/17 08/27/17 08/20/17 08/13/17 08/06/17 07/30/17 07/23/17 07/16/17 07/09/17 07/02/17 06/25/17 06/18/17 06/11/17 06/04/17 05/28/17 05/21/17 05/14/17 05/07/17 04/30/17 04/23/17 04/16/17 04/09/17 04/02/17 03/26/17 03/19/17 03/12/17 03/05/17 02/26/17 02/19/17 02/12/17 02/05/17 01/29/17 01/22/17 01/15/17 01/08/17 01/01/17 12/25/16 12/18/16 12/11/16 12/04/16 11/27/16 11/20/16 View Other Markets Abilene, TX Amarillo, TX Austin Metro Area Bakersfield, CA Bowling Green, KY Cedar Rapids, IA Charleston, SC Charlotte, NC Colorado Springs, CO Corpus Christi, TX Dayton, OH Des Moines, IA DFW Metroplex El Paso, TX Fort Collins, CO Fort Myers Metro Area Fort Worth, TX Greensboro, NC Houston Metro Area Huntsville, AL Jackson, MS Las Cruces, NM Las Vegas Metro Area Lexington, KY Lincoln, NE Lubbock, TX Midland-Odessa, TX Mobile, AL Nashville Metro Area OKC Metro Area Omaha, NE Phoenix, AZ Reno, NV San Angelo, TX San Antonio, TX Santa Fe, NM Shreveport, LA Springfield, MO Tulsa, OK Tyler-Longview, TX Area Waco, TX Wichita Falls, TX Winston-Salem, NC FSBO Property Address 01/13/20 176 Rankin Hills Rd, Florence, MS $110,000 01/13/20 906 Mountain Crest Dr, Jackson, MS $175,000 01/14/20 906 Mountain Crest Dr, Byram, MS $175,000 01/15/20 110 Bainbridge Ln, Madison, MS $209,000 01/15/20 30 Dawnview Dr, Brandon, MS $235,000 01/16/20 307 Lake Forest Dr, Vicksburg, MS $180,000 01/18/20 425 Pine Hill Ln, Brandon, MS $68,000 01/18/20 625 Huntington Dr, Madison, MS $213,750 01/19/20 115 Hickory Ln, Clinton, MS $175,000 01/19/20 1026 Briarwood Dr, Jackson, MS $165,000 Need to Contact These Homeowners? FSBO Alerts Get alerted by email or text whenever a new FSBO appears in your market. * Live preview of the alerts! * $15/month afterwards FSBO Pro Get alerts for new FSBOs in your market plus advanced leads! * Preview the advanced leads * FSBO Auction Limited to 10 agents per market area. Hot listing leads are auctioned off as they are received. FSBO Market Reports View trend data on "For Sale By Owner" properties by market area. Abilene, TX +105.48% Amarillo, TX -33.33% Austin Metro Area -18.90% Bakersfield, CA -79.30% Bowling Green, KY +15.79% Cedar Rapids, IA +12.00% Charleston, SC -23.08% Charlotte, NC -27.77% Colorado Springs, CO -4.00% Corpus Christi, TX -33.33% Dayton, OH -81.55% Des Moines, IA -17.23% DFW Metroplex +3.03% El Paso, TX +60.00% Fort Collins, CO -27.27% Fort Myers Metro Area +9.09% Fort Worth, TX +41.78% Greensboro, NC -42.86% Houston Metro Area +41.77% Huntsville, AL +3.70% Jackson, MS -3.19% Las Cruces, NM +89.27% Las Vegas Metro Area -64.70% Lexington, KY +60.43% Lincoln, NE -45.45% Lubbock, TX +56.66% Midland-Odessa, TX +19.90% Mobile, AL +35.40% Nashville Metro Area +6.78% OKC Metro Area -19.07% Omaha, NE +28.30% Phoenix, AZ -13.14% Reno, NV +36.99% San Angelo, TX +140.96% San Antonio, TX +22.92% Santa Fe, NM -100.00% Shreveport, LA +11.58% Springfield, MO +1.93% Tulsa, OK +7.69% Tyler-Longview, TX Area -31.71% Waco, TX +60.00% Wichita Falls, TX +6.01% Winston-Salem, NC +3.70% Don't see your market area? Contact us to request it. Subscribe to the Jackson, MS weekly FSBO report! Try out the alerts risk free for 1 full month! Receive alerts (text or email) when new FSBOs appear in your area. No more wasted time searching multiple sites every day. We do all the work! We provide the FSBO property address, asking price and contact information. Receive alerts by text, email or access on our website anytime! Weekly reports on FSBO trends in your market. Continue monthly or cancel anytime. Start receiving FSBO alerts today! We'll send a confirmation email once you're up and running. Your personal cell phone number capable of texting How to Receive Alerts? * Texts alerts are sent instantly, email alerts are sent once daily. Text (instant) Email (daily) Text & Email FSBO Markets ($2/mo for each additional) * Select State First Alabama Arizona California Colorado Florida Iowa Kentucky Louisiana Missouri Mississippi North Carolina Nebraska New Mexico Nevada Ohio Oklahoma South Carolina Tennessee Texas Try it out risk free for 1 full month! In addition to the alerts, you also receive the following when a local FSBO signs up for a free listing on one of our websites: How much they're willing to pay a buyer's agent Time frame to sell before getting nervous What brokerage services they would ever consider Leads range from FSBOs requesting marketing help to FSBOs ready to list with a top agent. Bidding starts at $1 and lasts for about 30 min Most cities still have open slots, so please apply. Even if all slots are full, we often replace those that don't participate with new applicants! Apply to be on the bidders list for your market. Desired Market Area? * Select Market Abilene, TX Amarillo, TX Austin Metro Area Bakersfield, CA Bowling Green, KY Cedar Rapids, IA Charleston, SC Charlotte, NC Colorado Springs, CO Corpus Christi, TX DFW Metroplex Dayton, OH Des Moines, IA El Paso, TX Fort Collins, CO Fort Myers Metro Area Fort Worth, TX Greensboro, NC Houston Metro Area Huntsville, AL Jackson, MS Las Cruces, NM Las Vegas Metro Area Lexington, KY Lincoln, NE Lubbock, TX Midland-Odessa, TX Mobile, AL Nashville Metro Area OKC Metro Area Omaha, NE Phoenix, AZ Reno, NV San Angelo, TX San Antonio, TX Santa Fe, NM Shreveport, LA Springfield, MO Tulsa, OK Tyler-Longview, TX Area Waco, TX Wichita Falls, TX Winston-Salem, NC © 2020 HotHomeLeads.com	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line322
__label__wiki	0.978142	0.978142	Last Updated :21/01/2020 - 07:51 AM Hiru News Home Last Updated : 21/01/2020 - 07:51 AM Wednesday, 06 March 2013 - 19:19 Jimi Hendrix innovations showcased in new album More than 42 years after his death, Jimi Hendrix is making a comeback with a new album that brings together a dozen innovative studio recordings from 1968 and 1969. Co-producing the project are the musician's sister Janie Hendrix and Eddie Kramer, who served as Hendrix's recording engineer throughout his career, which ended when he died in September 1970 at the age of 27. Hendrix recorded three albums in his lifetime, two of which reached the Top 10 in the United States as the Experience became rock music's largest grossing concert act of its time. Roger Deakins wins his Academy Award Tuesday, 06 March 2018 - 9:46 It's been a long time coming but finally, on his 14th nomination, legendary cinematographer... 'Get Out' wins Spirit Awards best film on eve of Oscars Sunday, 04 March 2018 - 16:57 The movie 'Get Out' has been named best film at the Film Independent Spirit Awards - which... Emma Watson donates £1m to anti-harassment campaign Sunday, 18 February 2018 - 15:29 Harry Potter star Emma Watson has donated 1million pounds to a new campaign aimed at helping... Tom Cruise makes debut Friday, 26 January 2018 - 15:21 Tom Cruise has made his debut on Instagram, posting two photos from the set of the sixth... Meryl Streep 'honoured' by Oscar nomination Wednesday, 24 January 2018 - 11:59 Meryl Streep is ''honoured beyond measure'' at receiving her 21st Oscar nomination.The... "The Real Thing" singer dies at 73 Saturday, 24 February 2018 - 16:43 Eddy Amoo, one of 1970s soul band The Real Thing - who had hits including You To Me Are... Lady Gaga halts tour in 'severe pain' Lady Gaga has cancelled the last 10 dates of the European leg of her world tour due to... Temptations singer Dennis Edwards is no more Saturday, 03 February 2018 - 9:48 Dennis Edwards, who performed as lead singer for the Motown group the ‘Temptations’,... Spice Girls all agree to reunite Friday, 02 February 2018 - 9:39 The Spice Girls are set for a full reunion.It is believed the five members of the girl... Bruno Mars sweeps Grammy awards Bruno Mars swept the board at the 60th Grammy awards, winning song, record and album of... Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan ill Tuesday, 13 March 2018 - 13:40 Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan has taken ill in Jodhpur. The actor has been... Bollywood's Irrfan Khan has 'rare disease' Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan has revealed that he is suffering from a "rare disease". He... Boney Kapoor to immerse Sridevi’s ashes in Rameswaram today Saturday, 03 March 2018 - 11:11 An urn carrying the ashes of Bollywood superstar Sridevi was brought to Chennai on Friday(Marcg... Anushka Sharma's "Pari" banned in Pakistan Friday, 02 March 2018 - 15:28 Anushka Sharma's horror film "Pari" has been banned from releasing in Pakistan. Mobashir... Sridevi Kapoor: India crowds say goodbye to Bollywood star Thursday, 01 March 2018 - 8:20 Bollywood superstar Sridevi has been cremated in the Indian city of Mumbai as thousands... Lewis Gilbert: Director of Alfie and three Bond films dies Copyright © Lotus Technologies (Private) Limited. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line325
__label__wiki	0.854882	0.854882	Fire destroys Thomas Jefferson library On this day in 1851, a fire sweeps through the Library of Congress and destroys two-thirds of Thomas Jefferson’s personal literary collection. Jefferson, who died in 1826, had offered to sell his personal library to Congress after the Congressional library, along with the rest of the Capitol and the White House, was burned by the British in 1814, during the War of 1812. His collection of 6,487 volumes of books and newspapers fetched $23,950 and, in addition to providing an invaluable archive to the nation, the fee helped pay off some of Jefferson’s personal debts. According to the Library of Congress, Jefferson also offered to arrange and number all the books himself. He called his collection, which contained a vast assortment of scientific works, an “interesting treasure” that he hoped would have a “national impact.” Jefferson was a voracious reader who claimed that he could not live without books. His servants often found him sitting on the floor of his library at Monticello surrounded by as many as 20 open books and newspapers at a time. He studied a variety of subjects, including paleontology, mechanics, classical literature, natural history, agriculture, math, chemistry, philosophy and, of course, politics. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fire-destroys-jefferson-library Stephenie Meyer, best-selling author of "Twilight" novels, is born On December 24, 1973, Stephenie Meyer, author of the “Twilight” novels, a vampire romance series for young adults that became a literary phenomenon, is born in Hartford, Connecticut. Meyer, born Stephenie Morgan, was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, the second of six siblings. She ...read more KKK founded In Pulaski, Tennessee, a group of Confederate veterans convenes to form a secret society that they christen the “Ku Klux Klan.” The KKK rapidly grew from a secret social fraternity to a paramilitary force bent on reversing the federal government’s progressive Reconstruction ...read more War of 1812 ends The Treaty of Peace and Amity between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America is signed by British and American representatives at Ghent, Belgium, ending the War of 1812. By terms of the treaty, all conquered territory was to be returned, and commissions were ...read more Fire ravages Library of Congress A devastating fire at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., destroys about two-thirds of its 55,000 volumes, including most of Thomas Jefferson’s personal library, sold to the institution in 1815. The Library of Congress was established in 1800, when President John Adams ...read more Soviet Union invades Afghanistan On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978. As midnight approached, the Soviets organized a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three ...read more Viet Cong bomb Brinks Hotel Two Viet Cong agents disguised as South Vietnamese soldiers leave a car filled with explosives parked at the Brinks Hotel in Saigon. The hotel was housing U.S. officers. Two Americans were killed in the blast and 65 Americans and Vietnamese were injured. Ambassador Maxwell ...read more Bob Hope gives his last show in Vietnam Comedian Bob Hope gives what he says is his last Christmas show to U.S. servicemen in Saigon. Hope was a comedian and star of stage, radio, television and over 50 feature films. Hope was one of many Hollywood stars who followed the tradition of traveling overseas to entertain ...read more President Coolidge lights first national Christmas tree On December 24, 1923, President Calvin Coolidge touches a button and lights up the first national Christmas tree to grace the White House grounds. Not only was this the first White House “community” Christmas tree, but it was the first to be decorated with electric lights–a ...read more Woody Allen marries Soon-Yi Previn On December 24, 1997, Woody Allen, the 62-year-old Academy Award-winning writer-director of such movies as Annie Hall and Hannah and Her Sisters, marries 27-year-old Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former partner Mia Farrow, in a small ceremony in Venice, Italy. When ...read more McCarran-Walter Act goes into effect, revising immigration laws The McCarran-Walter Act takes effect and revises U.S. immigration laws. The law was hailed by supporters as a necessary step in preventing communist subversion in the United States, while opponents decried the legislation as being xenophobic and discriminatory. The act, named ...read more Richard Trevithick introduces his “Puffing Devil” British inventor Richard Trevithick takes seven of his friends for a test ride on his “Puffing Devil,” or “Puffer,” the first steam-powered passenger vehicle, on December 24, 1801. Unlike the steam engine pioneered by the Scotsman James Watt, Trevithick’s used “strong steam”–that ...read more	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line326
__label__wiki	0.982409	0.982409	India Successfully Flight Tests BrahMos Missile Along Odisha Coast Monday, May 21, 2018 by Indian Defence News Bhubaneswar: India on Monday successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile under life extension programme along the Odisha coast. The successful test fire of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was confirmed by officials of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). According to DRDO, the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was test fired from a mobile launcher from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur along the Odisha coast at about 10:44 am. The Indian Army has already inducted three regiments of BrahMos, which are equipped with Block-III version of the missile. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman congratulated DRDO scientists and team BrahMos for the successful launch of BrahMos missile with new technology today. “The successful test will result in huge savings of replacement cost of missiles held in the inventory of the Indian Armed Forces,” her office said in a Twitter post. The two-stage missile – first being solid and the second one, a ramjet liquid propellant – has already been introduced in the Army and Navy, while the Air Force version had witnessed the successful trial, the DRDO scientists said. BrahMos variants can be launched from land, air, sea and underwater. India successfully launched the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi-30MKI combat jet for the first time against a target in the Bay of Bengal in November 2017, they said. The missiles land and naval variants are already in service. At least two Su-30 squadrons with 20 planes each are planned to be equipped with the air-launch variant BrahMos missile, 500 kg lighter than land/naval variants. India has already extended the range of the three-tonne missile from its earlier 290 km to 400 km and successfully test-fired the variant in March 2017. Increasing the missile’s range from 400 km to further 800 km is now possible after India’s induction into the Missile Technology Control Regime in June 2016, they said. Prior to that, India was bound by restrictions that limited the range of the missile, which is an Indo-Russian joint venture product, to less than 300 km. Currently, the Army is equipped with three regiments of Block 111 version of Brahmos missile. Induction of the first version of BrahMos missile system in Indian Navy began with INS Rajput in 2005. It is now fully operational with two regiments of the Army, said the scientists. After two successful test trials of BrahMos missile from INS Kolkata in June 2014 and February 2015, the test firing from INS Kochi on September 30, 2015, had validated the newly commissioned ship’s systems. The air launch version and the submarine launch version of the missile system are in progress. So far, the Army has placed orders for the BrahMos missile which are to be deployed by three regiments. Two of them are already operational. The last land-based trial was conducted from the same base on March 11, 2017, successfully. Labels: Army, Ballistic Defense, Defence Manufacturing, DRDO	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line329
__label__cc	0.62509	0.37491	Tag Archives: Nonito Donaire Nonito Donaire signs with Richard Schaefer’s Ringstar Sports Posted on July 27, 2017 by Robert Morales Nonito Donaire, left, takes a punch from Jessie Magdaleno during their fight in November in Las Vegas/Getty Images photo by Christian Petersen Nonito Donaire, who has won major titles in four weight classes and an interim title in a fifth, this week signed a promotional contract with Richard Schaefer’s Ringstar Sports. “Exploring what was out there in the new landscape of boxing was unnerving and exciting at the same time,” Donaire said. “I have known Richard for many years and have always respected what he has been able to do for the fighters he promotes. At this point in my career, I want the biggest fights possible and Richard’s track record to deliver them speaks for itself.” Donaire, 34, most recently lost his super bantamweight world title to Jessie Magdaleno in November in Las Vegas. “Nonito is one of the modern day legends of our sport,” Schaefer said. “One of these rare fighters that always delivers and always knows how to entertain. I am convinced that he will again become one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world. No doubt about it.” Donaire is 37-4 with 24 knockouts. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged Nonito Donaire, Ringstar Sports \| Leave a reply Oscar Valdez, Jessie Magdaleno tell fans why they should buy Nov. 5 card that includes Pacquiao-Vargas in main event Posted on October 21, 2016 by Robert Morales Jessie Magdaleno/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc. The heck with the naysayers. According to Oscar Valdez and Jessie Magdaleno, there are plenty of reasons why fans should buy their Nov. 5 pay-per-view card that will be headlined by Manny Pacquiao challenging Jessie Vargas for his welterweight title at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Indeed, there is not as much buzz for this Pacquiao fight as usual. Valdez and Magdaleno are in title fights on the undercard, and when asked why fans should fork over the $59.95 for the Top Rank-produced feed, they let everyone know why this is a worthwhile purchase. “Why shouldn’t they?” Magdaleno said Thursday during a workout at Jackrabbit Boxing Club in Long Beach. “They’ve got great, young talent that’s in that ring. They’ve got myself, they’ve got Jessie Vargas, they’ve got Oscar Valdez – two-time Olympian who is now a world champion. They’ve got great upcoming historical guys who are going to make history in the boxing world, and who are going to put on great shows as the years go on. “… We are the future of boxing and we are action-packed guys who want to put on great shows as great Mexican guys. We want to live to that legend. And that’s what we’re doing. That’s why people should continue buying this pay per view card.” Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KOs), of Las Vegas, will challenge Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (37-3, 24 KOs) for his super bantamweight title. Mexico’s Valdez (20-0, 18 KOs) will make the first defense of his featherweight world title when he squares off with Hiroshige Osawa (30-3-4, 19 KOs) of Japan. Valdez put his own colorful spin on why this is a solid purchase. “First of all, you’ve got Jessie Magadaleno,” Valdez said. “Hungry lion, as they say, fighting Nonito Donaire, which, Nonito is still a tough, tough fighter. He’s one of the top fighters out there, so that;s going to be a great, great fight. Me, as a fan, I would love to see that fight. In my case, I’m fighting the WBO ranked No. 1 – Osawa. A lot of people don’t know this guy because he mainly did his career in Japan. But he’s still a tough fighter. I don’t take him lightly at all and I never will take a fighter lightly. “In my case, I’m going to give it my best. … And then, finally, you’ve got this fighter, Pacquiao, fighting Jessie Vargas. Jessie Vargas is not easy. He could beat Pacquiao. Anyone that knows boxing knows that Jessie Vargas could beat Pacquiao. Pacquiao’s still Pacquiao. I still think Pacquiao is going to put up a good fight, he always puts up a good fight. And I think that’s why everyone should buy this fight.” There is a fourth world-title fight on this card. It will match Zou Shiming (8-1, 2 KOs) of China against Prasitsak Papoem (39-1-2, 24 KOs) of Thailand for a vacant flyweight title. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged Hiroshige Osawa, Jessie Magdaleno, Jessie Vargas, Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Top Rank Inc. \| Leave a reply Tickets for Vasyl Lomachenko-Nicholas Walters go on sale Wednesday Vasyl Lomachenko/Photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc. If ever there was a case to use the term “potential Fight of the Year candidate,” it would be regarding the Nov. 26 super featherweight title fight between champion Vasyl Lomachenko and Nicholas Walters at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas (on HBO). Lomachenko, who won gold medals for Ukraine in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, will be making the first defense of the title he won with a fifth-round knockout of Roman “Rocky” Martinez in June at Madison Square Garden. Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs) also has held a world title in the featherweight division. Walters, of Jamaica, is a former featherweight champion who once stopped Nonito Donaire in the sixth round of a title fight in October 2014. Walters is a vicious fighter with a record of 26-0-1 and 21 knockouts. Tickets go on sale Wednesday at 10 a.m. for this Top Rank Inc. card. They are priced at $50, $75, $100, $150 and $200 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 800-745-3000 or by going to www.ticketmaster.com. Another avenue is going to www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged HBO Boxing, Nicholas Walters, Nonito Donaire, Top Rank Inc., Vasyl Lomachenko \| Leave a reply Art Hovhannisyan wants to put on show Friday in main event at Belasco Theater Posted on October 5, 2016 by Robert Morales Art Hovhannisyan addresses reporters at this week’s media workout in Los Angeles/Photo courtesy of Golden Boy Promotions If Art Hovhannisyan of Glendale stays true to his credo, fans could be in for a good time when he takes on Diego Magdaleno in the junior welterweight main event Friday at Belasco Theater in Los Angeles (on Estrella TV). “I started my boxing career when I was 12, and was inspired by my favorite boxer, Mike Tyson,” Hovhannisyan said. “I’m the type of fighter that loves to put on a show in the ring.” Hovhannisyan could have his hands full with Magdaleno, a southpaw out of Las Vegas who is 29-2 with 12 knockouts. “… I have watched him fight a few times,” Hovhannisyan said. “I know what I have to do in the ring to earn the victory.” Magdaleno is the older brother of Jessie Magdaleno, who Nov. 5 will challenge Nonito Donaire for his super bantamweight title on the undercard of the Jessie Vargas-Manny Pacquiao welterweight title fight at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas (on Top Rank pay-per-view, $59.95. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged Art Hovhannisyan, Diego Magdaleno, Golden Boy Promotions, Jessie Magdaleno, Jessie Vargas, Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Top Rank Inc. \| Leave a reply Jessie Magdaleno looks for first title, but will have hands full with Nonito Donaire Posted on September 29, 2016 by Robert Morales World-class boxer Jessie Magdaleno was born in Pomona, but he moved away at age 4 and has since called Las Vegas home. “Vegas, it’s been good to me,” Magdaleno said. “It’s been a great city and I just have so many kid memories from there.” It is therefore appropriate that Magadaleno will fight for his first world title in his backyard. He’ll challenge Nonito Donaire for his super bantamweight belt on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Jessie Vargas welterweight title fight Nov. 5 at Thomas & Mack Center. “It’s a huge opportunity for me,” Magdaleno said this week at an L.A. news conference. That’s for sure. Donaire, of San Leandro via the Philippines, has won world titles in four weight classes. He’s more than likely going to one day be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Nevertheless, the undefeated Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KOs) speaks in undaunted tones about this shot. “It’s a big challenge for me, but like I tell everybody, I have this vision and I feel like my age and my speed and my power is really going to overcome him,” Magdaleno said. “I take nothing from him. He’s a great fighter. He’s accomplished what he’s accomplished in the sport. “But I believe it’s time there’s a new champion and I believe it’s me.” Magdaleno, a southpaw, is just 24. Donaire (37-3, 24 KOs) is 33 and has been in plenty of ring wars. Frank Espinoza, Magdaleno’s West Covina-based manager, intimated his fighter has to go hard all the way through to take full advantage of his youth. “We’ve gotta look to go all 12 rounds and wear him down because we are the younger fighter,” Espinoza said. “I think it’s his time and I believe Jessie Magdaleno is going to become a world champion Nov. 5.” For Donaire, he’s stoked about fighting on the same card as Pacquiao for the first time. He also likes where his head is at, and he figures that’s bad news for Magdaleno. “Most of all, I’m very excited for the mind-set that I have,” he said. “The person that’s within this ring, that’s going to be in that ring is a man who’s a king. And whoever steps in that ring, it’s my ring.” This card will be available on Top Rank pay-per-view for $59.95. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged Bob Arum, Frank Espinoza, Jessie Magdaleno, Jessie Vargas, Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire \| Leave a reply Vasyl Lomachenko, Nicholas Walters set for what could be Nov. 26 barnburner When talk of a fight between super featherweights Vasyl Lomachenko and Nicholas Walters began, the thought of it happening was enticing because these two guys are both mean hombres in the ring. Well, an accord for the fight came to fruition Wednesday and the two will square off Nov. 26 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas (on HBO). Lomachenko (6-1, 4 KOs), of Ukraine, will be looking to make the first defense of the super featherweight world title he won from Roman “Rocky” Martinez via 5th-round knockout in June in New York City. Lomachenko, who has also won a title at featherweight, said he’s stoked to be getting the opportunity “to test myself in the fight with the best.” Walters (26-0-1, 21 KOs), a former featherweight champion who lost his belt on the scales prior to what would have been his fourth defense – against Miguel Marriaga – had a similar reaction. “Any fighter can be knocked out no matter who he is,” said Walters, of Jamiaca. “I like fighting the best and I like fighting against great technical fighter like Lomachenko. Look at what happened when I fought a great technical fighter like Nonito Donaire. Lomachenko is great, he knows what he is doing in the ring. But I always look for a knockout against whomever I fight. If I can do it quick, I will. This is the best fight out there in boxing today. It will be the Fight of the Year.” Walters stopped Donaire in the sixth round of a featherweight title fight in October 2014 at StubHub Center in Carson. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged HBO Boxing, Nicholas Walters, Nonito Donaire, The Cosmopolitan, Top Rank Inc., Vasyl Lomachenko \| Leave a reply Longtime promoter Bob Arum shoots down foolish notion that boxing is dead Bob Arum/Getty Images file photo Longtime promoter Bob Arum on Tuesday played host to a news conference in Los Angeles to formally announce the undercard for the Nov. 5 welterweight title fight between champion Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs) at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas (on Top Rank pay-per-view, $59.95). Not one to miss an opportunity, Arum closed the proceedings by talking about how alive and well boxing is – contrary to what some think. It wasn’t long ago that an L.A.-area columnist (not from this newspaper) who doesn’t even cover boxing said boxing was dead. “Boxing not only isn’t dead, but it’s on the cusp of a great resurgence,” Arum said on the dais at the Conga Room. “You have all of these great, young fighters from the United States, from Mexico and from all around the world who are coming to the world stage.” While pondering that, just think of all the terrific fighters not from the U.S. or Mexico making a big splash here these days. We’re talking the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Vasyl Lomachenko, Sergey Kovalev, Kell Brook and Carl Frampton to name just five. “We are on the cusp of really a time in boxing where people all around the world will join together to watch our great athletes perform,” Arum said. The main undercard fight for Pacqjuiao-Vargas will have Nonito Donaire (37-3, 24 KOs) of San Leandro via the Philippines defending his super bantamweight belt against Jessie Magdaleno (23-0, 17 KOs) of Las Vegas. Also, newly crowned featherweight champion Oscar Valdez (20-0, 18 KOs) of Mexico will defend his title against Hiroshige Osawa (30-3-4, 19 KOs) of Japan. Finally, Zou Shiming (8-1, 2 KOs) of China and Prasitsak Papoem (39-1-2, 24 KOs) of Thailand will duke it out for a vacant flyweight world title. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged Bob Arum, Carl Frampton, Gennady Golovkin, Jessie Magdaleno, Kell Brook, Nonito Donaire, Sergey Kovalev, Vasyl Lomachenko \| Leave a reply Nonito Donaire knocks out Vic Darchinyan again, this time in the ninth Posted on November 9, 2013 by Robert Morales Nonito Donaire, behind on the scorecards, stopped Vic Darchinyan in the ninth round of their fight Saturday at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Donaire (32-2, 21 KOs) was even on one scorecard, but behind 78-74 on the other two. He decked Darchinyan in the ninth. Darchinyan (39-6-1) got up, but was eventually stopped after absorbing more punishment, the win going down as a TKO for Donaire. This was a rematch of their fight in July 2007 won by Donaire via fifth-round knockout. In another fight, Demetrius Andrade (20-0) of Providence, R.I., won a vacant junior middleweight title with a 12-round split-decision over Vanes Martirosyan (33-1-1) of Glendale. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged Nonito Donaire, Vic Darchinyan \| Leave a reply Vic Darchinyan says he won’t make same mistakes against Nonito Donaire When Vic Darchinyan entered his flyweight title defense against Nonito Donaire in July 2007, Darchinyan was expected to defend his belt against a lesser-known Donaire. But Donaire caught Darchinyan with a left hook to the head in the fifth round, stopping Darchinyan via TKO. Darchinyan has waited six years to get a rematch, and it will happen Saturday when they square off at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on the undercard of the Rocky Martinez-Mikey Garcia super featherweight title fight. No belts are on the line for Darchinyan-Donaire, but Darchinyan probably couldn’t care less. He is going to get his shot at redemption, and he says he won’t make the same blunders he made last time. He noted that when he was decked by Donaire, he tried to get up too quickly. When he did get to his feet, he stumbled across the ring, prompting the referee to stop the fight. “In 2007 there was the punch,” Darchinyan recalled this week. “I jumped (in) and Nonito got me with the left hook. It was the only knockdown of my life – amateur or professional. Never been knocked down. I jumped up right away. If I take a couple of seconds on the floor to recover, maybe it would have been a different outcome, you know? I had no experience with a knockdown. Now it is good – I have experience with it. “I want to say to everyone I have been waiting six years. It was my mistake and I have good skills and I have power and I will not make the same mistake again.” Darchinyan, 37, is 39-5-1 with 28 knockouts. Donaire, 30, is 31-2 with 30 knockouts. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged HBO, Nonito Donaire, Vic Darchinyan \| Leave a reply A fight between stablemates Mikey Garcia and Nonito Donaire would be emotional Posted on May 23, 2013 by Robert Morales Robert Garcia trains his brother, featherweight champion Mikey Garcia, as well as former super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire. The two fighters are managed by the same guy – Cameron Dunkin – as well. Heck, they are even promoted by the same guy – Bob Arum. With all that, it’s difficult to imagine Mikey Garcia and Donaire ever fighting. However, since quality opponents for them are limited because Top Rank does not do business with rival Golden Boy Promotions, they may at some point have no choice but to square off. Arum does not like the idea one bit. “It doesn’t seem to me that there is a chance that it can happen,” Arum said. “They are not only trained by the same guy, they’re managed by the same guy.” Arum said that used to be a no-no. “You couldn’t have fighters managed by the same guy, no less guys trained by the same guy, fighting each other,” Arum said. “That never was allowed to happen. Now, apparently, nobody gives a (expletive) anymore. I just think it shouldn’t be allowed. It’s a conflict of interest. Can a lawyer represent both sides in a litigation?” It was suggested to Arum that perhaps Robert Garcia could train his brother for that fight and Donaire could use someone else. “I suppose that would be OK,” he said. “That wouldn’t be the same as two guys being trained by the same person and two guys managed by the same person.” Robert Garcia really wants no part of this. But he said if the respective fighters wanted it, he would not stand in their way. “In that situation, it would have to be Donaire’s and MIkey’s decision,” said Robert Garcia, a former super featherweight champion from Oxnard. Robert Garcia conceded that at some point, the fight may have to happen. “In that case the best thing to do would be for Donaire to be trained by someone else, Mikey trains with my dad (Eduardo) and me, just go and watch the fight,” said Robert Garcia, who said he and Donaire are also like brothers. “It wouldn’t be easy for me or for Cameron Dunkin. Mikey would be in great hands with my dad, so I wouldn’t worry about that. “But I would worry about Donaire. Maybe we’re going to get to a situation where there isn’t anything else out there and that fight is going to be a big favorite and Nonito and Mikey agree. I’m not going to force them to not fight each other.” Mikey Garcia (31-0, 26 KOs) will defend his title against former champion Juan Manuel Lopez (33-2, 30 KOs) on June 15 at American Airlines Center in Dallas (on HBO). Donaire most recently lost a unanimous decision to Guillermo Rigondeaux in a super bantamweight title-unification bout on April 13. Donaire is expected to move up to featherweight. Posted in Inside Boxing blog \| Tagged Bob Arum, Mikey Garcia, Nonito Donaire \| Leave a reply	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line330
__label__wiki	0.820342	0.820342	LifeStyle/Luxury Cars Carving Up the California Coast with Jaguar & Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations Supercars By Jared Paul Stern Nov. 2nd, 2017 Photo Credit: Jaguar Each year, in addition to the actual goings-on during Monterey Car Week, aka Pebble Beach, there’s the whole undertaking of getting around in a style suitable to the posh events themselves. This leads to a form of automotive one-upmanship which we’ve engaged in for several year’s running. The satisfaction of turning heads in a place like Pebble Beach where Ferraris are a dime a dozen can’t be conveyed with mere words. This year our success was assured thanks to Jaguar and Land Rover, and in particular their exclusive Special Vehicle Operations divisions, which build everything from bespoke cars for Bond films to exquisitely enhanced versions of their road cars for clients who crave something even sexier. Starting off at the beautiful Ritz-Carlton, Bacara resort in Santa Barbara, we received our enviable assignment: test out the incredible Jaguar F-Type SVR Convertible, Jaguar’s most powerful series production road car ever, and the Range Rover Sport SVR, the most powerful Land Rover ever, on the scenic 320 mile journey to Monterey, after which the F-Type SVR would be ours for the remainder of the weekend’s festivities. Both designed, engineered and built in Britain, the rip-snorting roadster (starting at $125,000) and ür-SUV (starting at $113,600) can compete with—and handily defeat—any cars in their respective class, with effortless elegance and the sort of well-bred menace that agent 007 is known for. The Bond references are inevitable, but the heritage of Jaguar in particular runs deeper than that. Everyone from Steve McQueen and Humphrey Bogart, to Keith Richards and Brigitte Bardot were devoted Jaguar drivers, most favoring the F-Type’s direct predecessor, the iconic E-Type, though it shares DNA with every beautiful car the storied marque has ever produced. In the F-Type SVR Convertible, it’s hard not to feel like the King of Cool climbing into his famous Jaguar XKSS—and that’s a good a measure of the successful job Jaguar has made of building cars that are utterly contemporary, yet imbued with the brand’s high-octane history. Developed to exploit the lightweight aluminum-bodied F-Type’s full potential while retaining its inherent day-to-day drivability, the F-Type SVR can do 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 3.5 seconds—faster than the Aston Martin V12 Vantage—and can hit the magic 200 mph mark on a suitable track. It packs the latest evolution of the Jaguar’s 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine boasting 575 horsepower and 516-lb.ft. of torque. According to Jag, “everything which contributes to the vehicle’s performance and handling dynamics has been meticulously re-evaluated, re-engineered and optimized” by Special Vehicle Operations, and it shows. The styling cues and aerodynamic enhancements over the stock F-Type are obvious from the exterior, but in all but the brightest paint colors they remain subtler than those on a comparable hairy-chested, Italian two-seater. A new lightweight Inconel titanium exhaust system also enhances performance, but equally importantly it delivers an even more distinctive and harder-edged exhaust note than the base F-Type, which has become renowned for its beautiful sound. The bespoke interior meanwhile also goes the distance with beautiful detailing and the latest Jaguar infotainment system which supports smartphones and even has an Apple Watch companion app. Its 14-way SVR performance seats, finished in Jet leather with a custom Lozenge Quilt pattern, contrast stitching and micro-piping, headrests embossed with the exclusive SVR logo and super-cool anodized aluminum shift paddles, are a heady combination of supercar and Savile Row. Using the InControl Remote app drivers can lock and unlock the doors, check key information such as fuel level or mileage, locate the car on a map, set the climate control system temperature to pre-condition the cabin and even start the engine. Personalization options let you spec body and roof colors, wheels, textures and color combinations, and various accessories and add-ons. You can go stealth or full exotic, draw as much attention as you want or keep a stiff upper lip, so long as it’s compatible with the wide smile that’s going to break out every time you apply your foot to the gas. Photo Credit: Land Rover The supercharged Range Rover Sport SVR is another beautiful beast whose true colors are best known to the lucky fellow in possession of the key fob. SUV’s just don’t have this kind of performance and handling, and traditional thinking is they simply aren’t capable of it. Of course, Land Rover has stood conventional thinking on its head, and the Range Rover Sport SVR is capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds with an (electronically limited) top track speed of 162 mph. Its 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine produces 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque. As John Edwards, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations puts it, “A thorough range of revisions specially developed by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations combine to make [the Range Rover Sport SVR] even more distinctive both inside and out, as well as taking its dynamic capabilities to the next level without impacting on comfort, refinement or all-terrain versatility. The Range Rover Sport SVR is truly the world’s most capable performance SUV.” To drive an SUV that handles better than some sports cars is a truly one-of-a-kind experience, and even if you aren’t piloting one to Pebble Beach, it’s one we can’t recommend highly enough. It may change your thinking about SUVs forever. Photo Credit: Bob's Watches To further assist us on our journey we asked Paul Altieri, founder of online Rolex boutique / exchange Bob’s Watches and one of the world’s top Rolex collectors, to select a watch for our epic excursion to and around Pebble Beach. He had no hesitation in choosing the iconic Rolex Daytona, the most coveted racing-inspired sports watch ever made. “Paul Newman helped make the Daytona famous and few men ever had more natural, easy elegance than he did,” Altieri says. “It’s really a ‘tool’ watch for calculating speed and to be sure many race car drivers—the ones with style—wear it. But it also says you have plenty of money, and are a cut above the Submariner crowd. It says ‘I like fast cars and beautiful women find me attractive.’ It’s actually a hell of a watch.” A hell of a watch, a hell of a car, a hell of an SUV and the heaven that is Pebble Beach for anyone interested in all of the above. Not something we’re likely to forget in this lifetime. Jared Paul Stern, JustLuxe's Editor-at-Large, is the Executive Editor-at-Large at Maxim magazine and has written for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, the New York Times' T magazine, GQ, WWD, Vogue, New York magazine, Details, Hamptons magazine, Playboy, BlackBook, the New York Post, Man of the World, and Bergdorf Goodman magazine among others. The founding editor of the Page Six magazine, ...(Read More) The JustLuxe Interview:Neil Gehani, Founder of The Concours Club, Miami/Opa-locka The Worldwide Power of the Giti Angels and Female Athletes Bentley Motors Celebrates Their 100 Year Anniversary Porsche extends electric sports car model range with the Taycan 4S Aston Martin Wants to Build a Luxury Retreat Around Your Car	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line331
__label__wiki	0.810905	0.810905	Aid, Asia-Pacific, Civil Society, Development & Aid, Editors' Choice, Featured, Gender, Headlines, Health, Regional Categories, Women's Health There’s Life in the AIDS Ribbon By Stella Paul Reprint \| \| Print \| Many women living with HIV earn a living making ribbons to promote AIDS awareness. Credit: Stella Paul/IPS. HYDERABAD, India, Dec 1 2012 (IPS) - Thirty-year old Swapna Raj of Hyderabad is a woman in a hurry: in time for the International AIDS day Swapna, a HIV positive person on anti-retroviral therapy (ART), has received a contract from the state government to deliver 5,000 red ribbons. She bends over the bundles of red silk ribbon spread on a reed mat, swiftly cutting and stitching dozens of upside-down, teardrop-shaped loops, each of them two inches long. On AIDS day these shiny ribbons are being worn by thousands of government staff and social activists in a symbolic show of their fight against the deadly HIV/AIDS. For Swapna, who has been living with HIV for past 11 years, these ribbons are more than a symbol; sold at a rupee (two cents) a piece, they are also an important source of sustenance. “AIDS control in India is still largely limited to providing free counseling and ART,” says Swapna, founder and former president of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in the southern Indian city Hyderabad – a network of HIV positive men and women with 2,00,000 members. “But most of the HIV infected or affected people in the state (of Andhra Pradesh), especially women, are ostracised by society, thrown out of their homes and have no way to support themselves financially. So, besides counseling and medication, what they also need is a way to earn a living.” Swapna’s belief arises from her own decade-long personal struggle to survive as a HIV positive person. At the age of 20, she was infected by her husband. Following her husband’s death two years later, Swapna was on her own, fending for herself and her toddler son. A counseling job in an NGO gave her the chance to interact with thousands of HIV positive people across the state, and she gained deep insight into challenges and possible solutions. The main challenge, she said, was that every woman feared her health would deteriorate to a point when she could not travel out of her home to take up a job. In 2007, Swapna formed the PLHIV network in Hyderabad and started to train HIV positive women in making candles and Christmas trees, beads and paper lanterns, in embroidery, making flower bouquets and garlands and above all, stitching clothes, banners and ribbons. “So far, more than 500 women have been trained in Hyderabad alone. Each of them is a member of a self-help group. The group gave each woman a micro-loan of 2,000 to 3,000 rupees to start a business. Some of them are now earning as much as 10,000 rupees a month.” Nillamma Marakka, a 47-year-old HIV positive woman was a commercial sex worker who migrated from the coastal district West Godavari to Hyderabad in 1999. Three years back her failing health forced her out of sex work, pushing her close to starvation. In 2011, Nilamma joined the PHLIV network and received training in tailoring for three months. Today, she has a comfortable life stitching ribbons of different colours, each symbolising a fight of a certain kind – red (AIDS), purple (domestic violence) pink (breast cancer), orange (leukemia) and white (peace). Nilamma says demand for red ribbons is the highest. Government departments, NGOs, political parties and churches buy thousands of red ribbons around AIDS day, which is observed with growing enthusiasm in the state. According to the National Aids Control Mission, Andhra Pradesh has a quarter of India’s 2.4 million HIV positive patients. “For every thousand ribbons, I spend about 250 rupees (five dollars) on buying silk ribbon, thread and safety pins. So, I can save at least 3,000 rupees (60 dollars) out of every order of 5,000 ribbons. Since these are bought directly by the customers, there is no need to pay a middleman. These are indeed ribbons of life.” K. P. Rangacharylu, a livelihood expert working on several state government HIV/AIDS projects says the recently concluded health programme ‘Bal Shyayoga’ found that most HIV positive women in the state were incapable of laborious jobs. “The programme ran from 2007 to 2012, during which we found that 42 percent of the HIV affected families in the state were headed by women. Of them, nearly half were above 50, unable to work for hours together or travel outside their homes. “The best way to support them was to build ‘soft skills’ like making candles, stitching blouses and banners and making ribbons. As an initial investment, each woman was given 8,000 rupees (160 dollars) by the government.” The programme, he says trained 56,000 people. Encouraged by the success of Bal Sahyoga and NHPLIV, positive women networks in other states of India have started to promote ribbon making as an alternative livelihood. Muthu Kani, a 29-year-old HIV positive woman in Chennai says that making ribbons has not only helped her earn a living, but also overcome to recurring suicidal thoughts. “In 2006 when I first learned that I was HIV positive I wanted to kill myself. I felt very helpless and didn’t how to take care of myself or my two children – one of whom was also HIV positive. Four years ago I met some people from the Positive Women Network who trained me in basic accounting, screen printing, embroidery, and red ribbon making. “Of all these, I find screen printing and ribbon making the least physically exhausting. I get orders all through the year and can earn about 6,000-8000 rupees each month. I feel confident of my own abilities now. I have HIV, but I can still live like a normal person,” she says with a smile. (End) Gabi Mucatta Thank you for sharing with us this simple yet effective idea of using a red ribbon to help earn a living! I run an Yoga center for women undergoing depression in Australia and many of the people I meet are migrant workers who have HIV. I think I can introduce them to this simple way of making some money!	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line334
__label__wiki	0.833843	0.833843	Aid, Caribbean Climate Wire, Climate Change, Development & Aid, Economy & Trade, Environment, Eye on the IFIs, Featured, Headlines, Latin America & the Caribbean, TerraViva United Nations For the Caribbean, a United Front Is Key to Weathering Climate Change By Desmond Brown Reprint \| \| Print \| A seawall in Dominica. A recent report has called for specific measures to protect small islands from sea level rise. Credit: Desmond Brown/IPS PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten, Jul 2 2014 (IPS) - As the costs of climate change continue to mount, officials with the Commonwealth grouping say it is vital that Small Island Developing States (SIDS) stick together on issues such as per capita income classification. Deputy Commonwealth Secretary General (Economic and Social Development) Deodat Maharaj told IPS the classification affects the ability of countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and others to access financing from the international financial institutions. “To my mind, the international system has to take special consideration of countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and others,” he said. “The example I like to use is the example of Grenada. You would recall Hurricane Ivan about 10 years ago. It damaged about 70 percent of the housing stock in Grenada. It cost a billion U.S. dollars in damages, equivalent to two years GDP. “So the countries in the Caribbean can move from high income or middle income to almost zero income with an economic shock or natural disaster,” Maharaj added. Maharaj, whose appointment took effect earlier this year, said the Commonwealth is preparing “an analytical framework based on research, a case, so that countries such as Grenada when there is a natural disaster their international debt obligation for a particular period of time will be suspended so that they don’t have to continue to pay their debt when it is that they have suffered a natural disaster.” On the issue of collaboration, one of only three female prime ministers in the Caribbean has reaffirmed her country’s commitment to dealing with climate change and all the issues associated with the global phenomena. “I would like to reaffirm my strong belief in collaboration with other nations,” Sarah Wescot-Williams, the prime minister of St. Maarten, told IPS. “Economic issues have forced us to look at ways and means of getting together and we are working collaboratively with other Caribbean nations to mitigate the effects of climate change as well as social issues of unemployment, crime and health.” Prime Minister of St. Maarten Sarah Wescot-Williams (left) and Chair of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation Beverly Nicholson-Doty. Credit: Desmond Brown/IPS St. Maarten recently developed and approved its National Energy Policy “and as such we have very specific goals and objectives to reach by 2020 in terms of reduction and promoting alternative, new green ideas, new green products,” Wescot-Williams explained. She reiterated a point made while addressing regional leaders recently. “I told them we should not only look out for the bigger impacts of climate change or look at those developments as something that is far from us, far from our homes, but look at small things like beach erosion, something that St. Maarten is seeing. “A report has been issued not very long ago indicating that unless specific measures are taken, a great part of what is now land will no longer be as far as the smaller islands, including St. Maarten, are concerned.” How they are ranked by financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank is a major issue for Caribbean countries. Camillo Gonsalves, a former ambassador to the United Nations, says it affects these countries’ ability to secure the required funding to effectively deal with climate change. Tiny Barbuda Grapples with Rising Seas Adapting to a Dry Season That Never Seems to End Disaster-Prone Caribbean Looks to Better Financing He noted that most Caribbean countries are ranked as middle-income countries, and using that metric alone makes his country, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with its one-billion-dollar Gross Domestic Product (GDP), “richer than China”. “If that is the metric by which we determine economic health and access to concessionary financing, and our ability to borrow ourselves out of a crisis or to spend ourselves out of a crisis, it is clearly a flawed measure,” he said. He noted that within three hours last Christmas Eve, a trough system left damage and loss in St. Vincent equal to 17 percent of GDP, while the country also suffered natural disasters in 2010, and 2011 – the loss and damage from each of which was in double digits. This, however, is the measure by which the World Bank, the IMF determine the economic strength of Caribbean countries, Gonsalves said, adding that these international institutions do not consider the region’s vulnerabilities. “The Caribbean small island developing states are among the most heavily indebted states in the world,” Gonsalves said, noting that the debt-to-GDP ratio in the region ranges from 20 percent in Haiti – which received significant debt forgiveness after the 2010 earthquake – to 139 percent in Jamaica, with St. Kitts and Nevis and Grenada at 105 and 115 per cent, respectively, even as the European Union has set itself a debt-to-GDP ratio of 65 per cent. “If your debt-to-GDP ratio is 139 percent and you are struck by a natural disaster… how do you borrow yourself out of that crisis? Where do you find money immediately to build your roads, your houses, your bridges, your hospitals that have been damaged? How can you set money aside in preparation for the next climate event if you have a debt to GDP ratio of over 100 per cent or approaching 100 per cent, and your debt servicing charges are that high?” Gonsalves said. Agreeing with Wescot-Williams and Maharaj that there is strength in unity, Gonsalves, who serves as foreign affairs minister for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, said the upcoming Third United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Samoa is an ideal opportunity for regional countries to do more than just talk about collaboration. “The issue of how we are ranked and classified has to be rectified – not addressed, not flagged, not considered. It has to be rectified in Samoa. That has to be one of our prime objectives going into this conference,” he said. The Samoa conference will be held from Sep. 1-4 under the theme “The Sustainable Development of Small Island States Through Genuine and Durable Partnerships”. It will seek to assess progress and remaining gaps; renew political commitment by focusing on practical and pragmatic actions for further implementation; identify new and emerging challenges and opportunities for the sustainable development of SIDS and means of addressing them; and identify priorities for the sustainable development of SIDS to be considered in the elaboration of the post-2015 U.N. development agenda. Maharaj said “one big challenge” for his organisation is the advancement of the interest of small states. “When I think about the Caribbean and I think about development…we need to think about development not only in terms of five years, 10 years or 15 years,” he said. “I would like to think about and imagine what will the Caribbean be in the year 2050 at the time when our grand- and great-grandchildren will be around and many of us won’t be here,” Maharaj added. Follow @BrownBerry2013	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line335
__label__wiki	0.54027	0.54027	Places to see in South Africa – Simon’s Town A holiday to South Africa with Lekker Adventures always includes a trip to the iconic Simon’s Town, home of the South African naval base. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern side of the Cape Peninsula. For more than two centuries it has been an important naval base and harbour – first for the Royal Navy and now the South African Navy. This popular South African tourist destination is also the meeting point of the two great oceans, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. From Simon’s Town you make your way to the tip of the Cape Peninsula which is now a protected nature conservancy. Tourist hotspot in South Africa Simon’s Town sits at the water’s edge with the spectacular mountain range rising high above the village. The streets are lined with quaint shops and world-class restaurants. In summer, the sun only sets after 9pm and there is nothing more spectacular than dining at one of the coastal restaurants while the sun settles over the greater False Bay. The train follows the southern line from the central business district of Cape Town, all the way to the Simon’s Town railway. The tracks hug the edge of the coastline and it’s a stunning way to see the other spectacular tourist towns along the coastal route. Strategic naval point Simon’s Town was a strategic naval point in the early trading days. Two good anchorages, Table Bay and Simon’s Bay, became havens for shipping. Sailing around the peninsula is world-renowned as a perilous journey in the winter months when the Cape storms rage. Table Bay was a relatively safe bay to wait out a violent storm and the crew could treat themselves to the delights of the Cape habour town. Word spread and the number of ships to Table Bay increased but so did the incidence of shipwrecks off the treacherous Cape coastline. False Bay is located a few hundred kilometres from the tip of the Cape Peninsula and was a perfectly safe alternative for ships sailing the Cape waters in those early days. However, often the ship captains took a risk pushing on to Table Bay so they could enjoy the superior amenities of Cape Town. Often this decision had devastating consequences for the unfortunate crew. The False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula is sheltered from the violent northwest gales. The treacherous conditions that sailors experienced during the winter months earned the peninsular its nickname, the Cape of Storms. Slowly Simon’s Bay earned a reputation as a safe alternative, the town grew up around the harbour and more ships came into the bay to seek refuge from storms. How it got its name Simon van der Stel (1639-1712) was the last Commander and first Governor of the Cape Colony, the Dutch settlement at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. He was the son of Adriaan van der Stel, an official of the Dutch East India Company. Van der Stel explored the Cape peninsula and named the bay Simon’s Bay. Naturally, as the town grew up around the harbour activities, it became known as Simon’s Town. The Historical Mile Walk This iconic one-mile walk takes you along St George’s Street, the main road running from the railway station to the East Dockyard Gates. Beautiful old buildings and historical monuments capture the history of the town, from those early days in 1741 when the Dutch East India Company first set anchor in the bay to wait out the fierce winter storms. Very little has changed in the last 100 years from when the trading boats came to town and through the period 1813 to 1957 when Simon’s Town was the home of the Royal Navy in the South Atlantic. Today, life revolves around the naval activities and catering for tourists who descend on the town to soak up its rich history and scenic wonders.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line337
__label__wiki	0.85569	0.85569	HOME CULTURE History What happened before and after the First Sho Dynasty? What happened before and after the First Sho Dynasty? Category: [ History ] Category: [ Ryukyu History ] Date: March 7th, 2016 Ryukyu Kingdom seems to have had several dynasties early in its history, such as Tenson and Shunten dynasties, An old history document called “Chuzan Seikan” (中山世鑑) tells that there had been 25 kings who claimed to be descendants of Amamiyu (阿摩美久), the goddess of creation of the Ryukyu Islands, although these kings’ names are not known. The ruins of Katsuren Castle are now listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The 25th King of the Tenson Dynasty was usurped by Riyu (利勇) in 1186, but Shunten overthrew Riyu and became the king who established the Shunten dynasty of the Ryukyus in 1187. Two kings, Shunbajunki, and Gihon, succeeded Shunten. It is said that at that time pandemics and a great famine prevailed over the kingdom and about a half of the population died. In 1259, King Gihon took responsibility of the grave situation, and gave his throne to his trusted treasurer, Eiso, who established the Eiso dynasty in 1260. Four kings succeeded Eiso — Taisei, Eiji, Tamagusuku, and Seii. At the time of King Tamagusuku, the Kingdom gradually split into three domains — Chuzan (Central Kingdom), Hokuzan (Northern Kingdom), and Nanzan (Southern Kingdom), which lasted from 1322 to 1429. King Satto of Chuzan began sending tribute missions to the Ming Dynasty of China in 1372, and the other two kingdoms also started sending similar envoys. Specifically what kind of items were exchanged between the Ryukyu Kingdom and Ming China? Why did the Ryukyu Kingdom keep sending tribute ships to China? Was it profitable or not? These questions will be discussed in the class. Meanwhile, although Hashi was a small and short Aji (local chief) of Sashiki village in the southeast part of Okinawa Island, he was said to be very clever and wise, and became the King of Chuzan. He succeeded to unify the three kingdoms in 1429. Hashi also sent a tribute mission to Ming China, and the Chinese court bestowed him the royal family name “Sho”. Therefore, he began to be called Sho Hashi, establishing the first Sho dynasty. Five kings formed the Sho dynasty — Sho Chu, Sho Shitatsu, Sho Kinpuku, Sho Taikyu, and Sho Toku. The founder of the first Sho dynasty, Sho Hashi, was engaged in international trade with neighboring East Asian, Southeast Asian, and the Pacific nations through peaceful and friendly diplomatic relations. He sent a memorandum with his envoys to these Asian nations stating that, “Our kingdom and your honorable nation will establish peaceful and friendly diplomacy upon which we will engage in international trade. As soon as the business transactions are over, we request the safe return of our trade ships be granted.” Replica of the Bell of Bridge of Nations at Shuri Castle. The original is in the Okinawa Prefectural Museum. As a result Sho Hashi’s kingdom became filled with foreign treasures. Sho Hashi’s 7th son, Sho Taikyu, was probably the greatest among his successors. In 1458, King Sho Taikyu ordered to cast a Buddhist temple gong, which was named “Bankoku Shinryo-no Kane” meaning “the Bell of International Bridge”. The gong has a description that in summary reads, “The Kingdom of Ryūkyū is a splendid place in the South Seas, with close intimate relations with the three nations of China, Korea, and Japan, between which it is located, and which express much admiration for these islands. Journeying to various countries by ship, the Kingdom forms a bridge between all the nations, filling its land with the precious goods and products of foreign lands; in addition, the hearts of its people emulate the virtuous civilization of Japan and China.” There is a record written by Portuguese traders who met Ryukyuan people in Malacca. “Portuguese buy women, but the Ryukyuans do not. The Ryukyuans are known as being honest, and don’t cheat each other; they do not buy slaves at all.” The first Sho dynasty suddenly encountered crisis when a coup d’etat attempt occurred. The Lord of Katsuren castle, Amawari, attacked the Lord of Nakagusuku castle, Gosamaru, in 1458. Nakagusuku castle was built in order to protect the capital, Shuri, from a possible invasion from the north. Nakagusuku castle was the newest of all 300 castles in the Ryukyu Kingdom, but it was burnt down because of Amawari’s attack. Amawari’s coup d’etat failed when his troops tried to invade Shuri castle. Soon after King Sho Taikyu’s death in 1460, his young ambitious son Sho Toku succeeded his father in 1461. However, eight years later, the young King Sho Toku mysteriously suddenly died, which brought the end of the first Sho dynasty. The registration period for the course of “Ryukyuan History and Culture” at NOP Okinawa Language Center in Mekaru, Naha City is going on. For more information, call OLC office at 098-943-1852, or E-mail OLC@okilc.org « Kotatsu warms whole body from bottom up Akainko made first music to Okinawan sanshin » Top 5 most popular stories in [ History ] Okinawan religion centers on family, based on mix of beliefs Hoshin Nakamura NPO Okinawa Language Center Religion ta […] Events commemorate 70th anniversary of end of Battle of Okinawa A number of exhibitions and events commemorating the 70 […] Tunnel walls document final hours of battle By Bill Charles A careful walk down the narrow winding […] Search for “The Little Girl” is renewed By E. Heinrich-Sanchez This week, the search for Ray Gi […] Weed has long history in Japan but now best avoided By David Higgins Although I am not an advocate or user […]	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line339
__label__cc	0.576303	0.423697	Jireh-Shalom Foundation Resource Help For Domestic Abuse & Domestic Violence Victims But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?' I John 3:17 Jireh-Shalom Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable foundation committed to providing resources for domestic violence intervention and prevention for women and women with children worldwide. Jireh-Shalom provides financial and support resources for intervention to women and women w/children victims in domestic violence, and/or abuse. These services will be provided initially in the state of Washington, Oregon, and will be extended to other states. Services will be initiated upon the request of an community based organization, or 501(c)3 non profit organization. Jireh-Shalom is engaged in the development of community collaborations and partnerships. Community organizations function as sites that house and support abused women and women w/children. Jireh-Shalom provides mentorship development and training. Women will have a mentor. These mentors will be trained, and will provide on-going professional and personal development. They will usually have been victims in domestic violence and/or abuse, and have successfully left the situation of their abusers. Training will be conducted by nationally recognized mentorship organizations and will be offered at the site of the organization. The Jireh-Shalom Foundation was founded as part of the healing process for me and my family. In my book, Genesis: The DC Sniper Story Untold I advocate strongly for domestic abuse/violence awareness, prevention, and intervention. Genesis is the untold story of two American families whose domestic lives become intertwined from a business relationship to friendship; a friendship that culminates as the epicenter of this country's most notorious spree of relentless killings. Starting in Tacoma, Washington, Genesis provides the missing motive, and documents the first murder of murders that precipitated the DC beltway sniper shootings. Jireh-Shalom Foundation is a nonprofit organization in Tacoma, Washington, committed to the domestic and economic InPowerMent of children, families, and their communities. Jireh and Shalom are Hebrew words meaning provision and peace. The need for provision and peace for abused women, and women with children, is overwhelming. Through a collaborative approach and a philosophy of unconditional acceptance, Jireh-Shalom Foundation offers the opportunity for truth and reconciliation to the disenfranchised; to receive forgiveness, help, hope, guidance and encouragement. Our purpose is to help children, families, and our communities with InPowerMent through transformation, and renewing of their minds. As a believer in the Trinity, and a survivor, I embrace the challenge. Something of value must come from the trail of tears and shattered lives. Jireh-Shalom Foundation is that something. This is my passion. This is my legacy to domestic abuse/violence survivors like myself. This may be the last thing I do for healing, education, and domestic InPowerMent of our children, our families, and our community. ISA FARRINGTON-NICHOLS - FOUNDER, CEO Ms. Isa Farrington-Nichols is the founder and CEO of Innovative Sound Advice LLC. Innovative Sound Advice LLC is the sound advice for today's companies. Ms Nichols has provided education and training to business owners and managers in many areas, including tax, accounting, financial management, administration, and marketing for 25 years. Ms. Nichols is the founder of the Jireh-Shalom Foundation, a non-profit charitable foundation providing "InPowerMent" resources for children, families, and communities in domestic violence intervention and prevention worldwide. She is an author and is publishing her first book "Genesis: The Bullet Was Meant For ME, DC Sniper Story Untold", advocating for domestic abuse/violence awareness, prevention, and intervention. "Genesis" is the untold story of two American families whose domestic lives become intertwined - from a business relationship to friendship; a friendship that became the epicenter of this country's most notorious spree of relentless killings. Starting in Tacoma, Washington, Genesis: The Bullet Was Meant For Me is the first murder of murders that precipitated the DC beltway sniper shootings. Currently, Ms. Nichols is the proud mother of two daughters, and three grand daughters. She currently resides in Tacoma, Washington. She is a Servant Leader who continues to provide leadership, economic development, and financial management to her community. She has co-established the Collaboratorium, a collaboration of organizations and professionals committed to the "InPowerMent" of children, families, and their communities. TASHERRA L. MARSHALL - CO-FOUNDER Tasherra L. Marshall is a proud wife, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, and friend. She is a graduate of Saint Augustine's College earning the degree Bachelor of Science in Sociology. During her studies Tasherra worked as a paraprofessional youth counselor and mentor. In 2005 God sent her the man of her dreams Allen Marshall and today she is married with three children and one godchild. Tasherra is the President and Co-Founder of Jireh-Shalom Foundation. She currently works in North Carolina as a United States Army Officer and is working on her masters degree in Public Administration. Tasherra believes that God allows people to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes because He will ultimately use them for his glory. If you just wait on Him he will make it worth your while. The key is to let go and let God. After all you can not tell him what to do anyway. The question is do you really trust Him? Her current endeavors include being the founder of the Your Peace Program of Jireh-Shalom Foundation and Co-founder with her husband of True Lamb LLC. Your Peace Program is a "helps" model that provides gift cards to single working mothers for school clothes and supplies. Home • Contacts • Calendar • Need Help NOW? © 2020 Jireh-Shalom Inc. Web support by Clark Internet Publishing © 1996 - 2020	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line341
__label__cc	0.519377	0.480623	November 23, 2010 News Tweet Quincy Jones: “Madonna had a long career and done a lot” Quincy Jones recently gave an interview to UsMagazine.com about his views on music today, Madonna and Gaga… Us Magazine: What do you think of Lady Gaga? Quincy Jones: She’s great. Some guy misquoted me in some article and said I don’t listen to everybody — meaning her. I’m not listening to everybody, man. Everybody has their own thing, but it’s show business. Gaga is like Madonna Jr. A lot of people follow Madonna. I don’t, but I don’t blame those that do. She’s had a long career and done a lot. There are different strokes for different folks, man, and there is nothing right or wrong. It’s what you like, you know. I’m against categories. If she can do it, do it. If she knows how to do it, just do it. The Madame X Tour: Setlist Madonna collaborates with Too Faced to release make-up sets New Madame X Shows Announced in Chicago and San Francisco Madonna on Social Media – All the pictures and videos! Madonna – The Rebel Heart Tour – Mega Post The Rebel Heart Tour: All the videos, pictures & reviews!	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line345
__label__wiki	0.883403	0.883403	Menu: Home About/Contact Markers Activities Landmarks Bergheim Boerne Comfort Kendalia Sisterdale Waring Welfare Add-Event M Upcoming Activities: Ferdinand Hohenberger Farmstead - Marker in/near Comfort Ferdinand Hohenberger Farmstead Marker #1589 - 1986 Ferdinand Hohenberger (ca. 1813-1895), with his wife Katherine Schultze and their family, left Bremen, Germany in 1855. Arriving in Galveston on November 20 after a 73-day ocean voyage, they first settled in Luckenbach (approx. 10 mi. NE). The family relocated to this area and purchased this property in 1871. Hohenberger and his family engaged in farming, and he also became a freight driver, traveling between San Antonio and Indianola on the Texas coast. In 1882, Ferdinand deeded 160 acres of land to each of his sons, William and Theodor. This property was part of the land deeded to William Hohenberger. He and his family lived here until 1914, and William operated a store and post office from one of the buildings on the homestead. He died in 1932 at age 82. The property remained in the Hohenberger family until 1915. Four undated gravestones on the farmstead mark the burials of family members. In addition to the graves of Ferdinand and Katherine Schultze Hohenberger are the interments of Mrs. Reichenthin and Mrs. Hagelman, believed to be sisters of Katherine Hohenberger. (from Comfort take FM 473 E about 4 miles - turn N on Old No. 9 Highway and continue about 9 miles to house, 1010 Old No. 9 Highway) The homestead is comprised of four rock buildings built between 1871 and 1882 with one addition. Rock was from property; Kiln in rear of property. Location of this marker: Random order Sort by City by Title Otto Brinkmann House - Marker in/near Comfort Photo Credit: Dietert Historical Archives - Patrick Heath Public Library (Boerne) Marker #3882 - 1976 The cottage was built in 1860 by German-born Otto Brinkmann (1832-1915), who lived here with his brothers until he married Marie Johanne Ochse in 1867. The half-timbered walls filled with native stone display the "fachwerk" technique introduced in Texas by German immigrants. The structure was enlarged in 1879, when the owner was Brinkmann's mother-in-law, Mrs. Julius Ochse. The house was purchased in 1973 and restored by Mr. and Mrs. William E. Parrish. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1976 More info and Map Link Karger Building - Marker in/near Comfort Photo Credit: Bryden Moon Marker #15936 - 2009 Ernst Karger (1861-1922), who owned and operated a saloon on the adjoining property, had this building constructed in 1913. Fritz Anderwald�s pool hall was first to occupy the building, and several other businesses have been located here over the years. Fred Koerlin operated a cabinetry business here after 1951, removing the original storefront and installing garage doors; the fa�ade was later restored. The frame building features a recessed storefront with large pane windows. George L. Mesker & Co. of Evansville, Indiana manufactured the building�s decorative pressed metal fa�ade, pediment and siding. (725 High Street) Ye Kendall Inn - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #5925 - 1962 The center section of this vernacular Greek revival structure was built in 1859 as a home for Erastus and Sarah Reed, who had come to Boerne from Georgia. Under later occupants, the home often served as lodging for those traveling through the area. In 1878 owners C. J. Roundtree and W. L. Wadsworth expanded the building, which they named the Boerne Hotel, to accommodate visitors attracted to the area by its healthful climate. A later owner, Dr. H.J. Barnitz, adopted the name "Ye Kendall Inn" in 1909. The inn features a 2-story gallery and a wide symmetrical facade. Situated a block off main street in Boerne is the charming old Kendall Inn that has been visited through the years by stagecoach passengers and twentieth-century celebrities. Its history began April 23, 1859, when John James and Gus Theissen sold the land on which it stands to Erastus and Sarah Reed for the sum of only $200. The Reeds had come to Boerne from Georgia, and with them they brought the Southern Colonial style of architecture and built the center section of the inn. As the town had been founded only ten years previously, there was no regular establishment for the shelter of the traveler. However,the hearts of the few home owners were large and it became the custom for any home owner with a spare room to care for the transient guest, sometimes for pay, sometimes not. Whether or not the Reeds offered their hospitality for pay is not known, but is is believed that they did. Eventually, the place was designated as the Reed House. The Reeds later leased the property to Henry W. Chipman. On a paying basis, he accommodated horsemen and occasional stagecoach passengers. He then opened the grounds as a wagon yard for the convenience of the surrounding ranchers who penned their cattle in what is now the city park, awaiting other cattle for a big drive up the trail. On May 4, 1869, Colonel Henry C. King and his wife Jean Adams King, purchased the inn from the Reeds. Colonel King was a jovial man who made a host of friends. Campaigning successfully for the office of State Senator, he covered his district on horseback. While on these campaign trips, which sometimes lasted for weeks, the operation of the King Place was left to his wife. After serving one term as senator, at which time the present state constitution was written and adopted, he ran for the office of Governor, but was defeated. Later, motivated by the urge to venture into newspaper work, Henry King returned to San Antonio. By 1878, Boerne had become famous as a resort. In that year, C.J.Rountree and W. L. Wadsworth of Dallas purchased the "King Place" and renamed it the Boerne Hotel. As visitors began flocking to the town to take advantage of the hearlthful dry climate, the hotel expanded. So great was the demand for accommodations, two long wings were added on either side of the portion built by the Reeds. It is believed that at this time the present kitchen wing was also added. Six years later, James T. Clarke became the proprietor of the inn. For a while he was the agent for the state line that came through Boerne. It was at this time that the Boerne Hotel was truly an authentic Stagecoach Inn. In 1882, Mr. Edmund King and his wife, Selina L. King, and children came to Boerne from England and leased the Boerne Hotel. Mr. King was killed in a hunting accident in back of the hotel on September 26,1882. In 1909, Dr. H. J. Barnitz, a prominent San Antonio physician, adopted the name "Ye Kendall Inn" [for the hotel]The name was a tribute to George W. Kendall, eminent journalist, who was ressponsible for bringing the first sheep to the Hill Country and for whom Kendall County was named. From 1922 to 1943, Kendall Inn was owned by Robert L. and Maude M.Hickman. It was during their ownership that many steps toward modernization took placed athe famous old inn. One of the most important was the installation of privatebaths. Hickman had learned the hotel business while working for his father at the popular old Southern Hotel in San Antonio. Along with the Prince Solms colonists, he was civic minded; for it was during his term as mayor that the city installed the swimming pool that is immediately adjacent to the dining porch of the inn. Through the years Kendall Inn has served as a gathering place for frontier lawmen, army personnel, cattle drovers, and many celebrities. Mrs. William T. Grinnan purchased Kendall Inn in 1960 and lived there with her three sons. The property was sold to Ed and Vicki Schleyer in April 1982. Two years of extensive restoration brought back the historic beauty of the hardwood floor, original fireplaces,molding mantels and the 200 foot front porch with railing and columns." 1907 Comfort State Bank Building - Marker in/near Comfort Photo Credit: Jay Pennington click to their website Marker #29 - 1988 Constructed in 1907 for Alex Brinkmann, this building housed the Comfort State Bank until 1960. Local stonemason Richard Doebbler is credited with the hand-cut stone craftsmanship of the structure. The Comfort Public Library was located here from 1961 to 1982. Features of the modified Richardsonian Romanesque building include polished red granite columns, a round-headed window, a corner entrance, and a blind arcade in the tower. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1988. (Corner 7th and High Streets, Comfort) Julius A. and Anna Phillip House - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #2888 - 1993 Built about 1900, this was the home of Kendall County Justice of the Peace and County Judge Julius A. Philip (1867-1935), his wife Anna (Meckel) (1867-1961), and their eight children. Originally built as a 4-room house, it was enlarged in the 1920s to accommodate the growing family, and the front porch was added in the 1930s. Prominent features of the house include board-and-batten siding, a gable roof, jigsawn porch brackets and turned wood frieze. The one story house is typical "turn of the century," rural, framed board and batten; original L shaped with a gable at each end of the roof. The roof is composition shingle to the original fron section. The foundation is on cedar post, pier and beam construction. The windows are wood, single hung, 6 x 6 sash. The house began as a four room house with a separate room in rear. Later two rooms and porch were added. The front porch is three sections wide with sawn wood brackets supporting spindles, with a unique gingerbread design of wooden stars framed in wooden hoops. The floor remains wooden. At the time of purchase of the property, many postoak trees were on the land; however, little time was wasted putting in a field and garden. Hackerry trees were planted and still stand, giving lovely shade in the summer. A complete orchard of pear, plum, figs, apricots and grapes was planted and some still bear fruit. This house was the home of Julius Phillip, pioneer and county judge of Kendall County and his wife, Anna (Meckel) Phillip also from a pioneer family. The house has been the residence of family members since it was built in 1900. Ella (Phillip) Massey lived here rearing her four children and until her death, then her grand- daughter, Cary Crea became the owner. James House - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #2726 - This two-story limestone house is believed to have been built about 1880 by Ives Brown for Ichabod and Alice Kingsbury. In 1925 it was purchased by Maria (Williams) James (1859-1940), the pioneer surveyor and early community leader who platted the town of Boerne in 1852. Named `Puccoon` by Maria for her ancestral home in Hanover County, Virginia, the residence remained in her family following her death. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982 Records show that John Small originally owned the land where the house is now located. In 1853 his heir, Martha A. Solomon and her husband Alexander, sold 1280 acres to Dr. W.G Kingsbury for $300.00. Dr. Kingsbury in turn sold a part of the land to William Kernaghan. William Dietert acquired the Dietert Addition acreage in 1874 and town lots No. 3 and 6 were sold to Ichabod and Alice V. Kingsbury in 1879. In 1891 the property was purchased by Bertha Biessner who later married H. H. McFarland. The McFarland heirs sold the house to Mrs. John H. James in 1925. She bought it to replace a summer home in Comfort that she and her late husband previously owned. (Judge John James was the son of John James, a well known land dealer who with Gus Theissen, platted and surveyed the city of Boerne in 1852 and later gave the Main Plaza and courthouse land to boerne and Kendall County) The beautiful old house which was built around 1880 has been known variously as the Kingsbury-Biessner home, the Kingsbury Place, the McFarland Home and now the James House is presently owned by Maria M. Sykes, a great-grand- daughter of John James, the great frontier surveyor and businessman who contributed so much to the early development of Boerne. August Faltin Building - Marker in/near Comfort Marker #237 - 1982 Prussian native Friedrich August Faltin (1830-1905) moved to Comfort in 1856 and purchased the general merchandise business of Theodor Goldbeck, located at this site. Trained in his father's store, which had been established about 1818 in Danzig, Prussia, now Gdansk, Poland, Faltin became a leading merchant of the Texas Hill Country. In addition, his 1869 partnership with Capt. Charles Schreiner of Kerrville became the nucleus of the vast Schreiner enterprises. By the late 1870s Faltin's business, which included banking and post office services, had outgrown the structure at this site and he had architect Alfred Giles of San Antonio design a new building. Constructed by the noted builder J. H. Kampmann, the Victorian Italian edifice was completed in 1879. Later run by Faltin's sons Richard and August S., the business was sold in 1907 to their brother-in-law Dan Holekamp and his sons Otto and Edgar. That same year an addition to the building was completed. Also designed by Giles, it included second floor space for meetings and fraternal and civic groups. In 1968 the property was sold back to the Faltin family. The August Faltin Building remains as a symbol of the area's early commercial growth. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1982 (Main and Seventh, Comfort) Original structure was two stories above a full basement. The main level served as a general store, the basement was the warehouse (with freight elevator), and the family lived on the second floor. A small 3 bay store designed by Alfred Giles in 1879. Tall segmented arched openings on first floor; two story gallery topped by pressed tin cornice & arched parapet. In 1907 Giles designed a long two story addition Prussian native, Frederick August Faltin, moved to Comfort in 1856 and purchased the general merchandise business from Theodore Goldbeck. By the late 1870s Faltin's business, which included banking and post office services, had outgrown the structure and he had architect Alfred Giles of San Antonio design a new building. Constructed by the noted builder J. H. Kampmann, the Victorian Italian edifice was completed in 1879. Later run by Faltin's sons, Richard and August S., the business was sold in 1907 to their brother-in-law, Dan Holekamp, and his sons, Otto and Edgar. That same year an addition to the building was completed. Also designed by Giles, it included second floor space for meetings of fraternal and civic groups, school dances and receptions. In 1968 the property was sold back to the Faltin family. In 1974, great grandson August restored the upstairs area into two aparments. Ray and Jan Weeks moved to Comfort in 1993 and live in one of the apartments and use the other apartment as a Bed and Breakfast. The August Faltin building was designated Texas Historical Landmark in 1982. The Honorable Samuel Boyd Patton - Marker in/near Kendalia Photo Credit: Sue Scruggs Marker #5353 - 1996 Born in South Carolina in 1787, Samuel Boyd Patton moved to Tennessee as a youth. After serving in the war of 1812, he moved to Alabama, where he held public office and served in the state legislature. In 1837 Patton moved to Texas. He was appointed to the Board of Land Commissioners and was a member of Congress of the Republic of Texas. He helped organize Blanco County and served as the first chief justice (county judge) from 1858-60. He was the second chief justice in Kendall County in 1865. He died in 1869 and is buried across the field nearby. (1996) (FM 3351, 2.8 miles west of Kendalia) One marker was placed at the gravesite of Samuel Boyd Patton. Another sign was placed to mark the road on FM 3351 in 1996. Samuel Boyd Patton was born in 1787 in South Carolina. He died in 1869 and was buried in Kendall County on the land he pioneered, fought and settled. His grave site is on his old homestead beneath a huge, oak tree. Patton served in the War of 1812. He moved to Alabama where he held public office and served in the state legislature. In 1837 he moved to Texas where he was appointed to the Board of Land Commissioners and was a member of Congress of the Republic of Texas. He helped organize Blanco County and served as the first County Judge in that county from 1858-1860. He later (1865) served as County Judge in Kendall County. Joseph Dienger Building - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #2857 - 1981 This limestone commercial structure was built for Joseph Dienger (1859-1950) shortly after he purchased the site in 1884. The ground floor housed his grocery and the second floor provided living quarters for his family. A later addition was used for the dry goods store of Dienger`s sisters Lina and Louise. Owned by family members until 1967, the double galleried building features Victorian styling with German influences. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980 The plot of land north of the town plaza was purchased by Joe Dienger, oldest son of Karl Dienger, in 1882 for the purpose of building a general store to meet the needs of a growing community. He began by building the first floor, finishing it and stocking it completely before adding the second story. The second story, which was reached by an enclosed stairway on the west side of the building, was home for the Dienger family. Since it was much too spacious, Mr. Dienger turned half of the area into a meeting room. Most of the lodges and clubs held their meetings here and many times their annual feasts or celebrations or anniversary parties. The one story portion on the north side of the building was added later. That part was used to house a dry goods store that was operated by his sisters, Lina and Louise Dienger. These good ladies never married. They gave their entire life to the operation of the store and to taking care of their widowed mother who lived to be 93 years old. They resided at what is now the corner of Hosack and S. Main. See file: Dienger-Eckert House, 108 Hosack Street In 1967 a group of Boerne business men purchased the building visualizing it as a restaurant/supper club. The Antler's Restaurant was born. They rented the north part of the building to a grocery store owned and operated by the Rodriguez family (the local family managers were Anna and Michael Schoch) In 1982 the building was again sold, this time to Bill and Paige Ramsey-Palmer. They again renovated the building to suit their needs. In 1991 the building became the home of the Boerne Public Library after extensive internal alterations. Alterations were done very carefully to maintain the outside the integrity of the building. The Gass Schmiede - Marker in/near Comfort Marker #5343 - 1986 This limestone-block building was built in 1890 as a blacksmith shop ("schmiede") for Jacob Gass (1845-1913). Rock mason J. Gottlieb Lorbeer worked on the lower level for almost a year, walking to the job each week from Sisterdale (5 mi. E). The upper level was finished quickly with machinery and was used as a residence. Paul Ingenhuett bought the building in 1903, and his family made it available for a museum and public library in 1932. (8th and High Streets, Comfort) The limestone-block building was built by J. Gottlieb Lorbeer as a blacksmith shop in 1890. The rock mason worked on the lower level for almost a year, walking to the job each week from Sisterdale (15 miles). The upper level was finished quickly with machinery and was used by Jacob Gass as a residence. In 1903, Paul Ingenhuett bought the building and used it for storage in connection with his general store next door. The Members of the Literary Social Club, with the able help of Mrs. Paul Ingenhuett, converted the building for use as a private museum in 1933. Her daughter, Paula Ingenhuett, continued to make it available as a museum. For many years it was opened each Saturday by Mr. and Mrs. Guido Ransleben. He is the author of "A Hundred Years of Comfort in Texas". This building was designated as Texas Historical Landmark in 1986. Meyer Hotel Complex - Marker in/near Comfort Marker #3356 - 1981 German native Frederich Christian Meyer (1828-89) came to Comfort in 1862. A wheelwright, Meyer also ran a stage stop and weight station at this site. He later purchased the property, which included a small log cabin he enlarged by adding a second story. In 1869 he constructed a two-story stone residence here for his wife Ernestine (Mueller) (d. 1910), a midwife. A separate wooden structure was built for her work, south of the original log cabin in 1872. The building housed maternity rooms for use by the women of the surrounding area ranches. In 1887, when rail lines were completed through the area, Comfort began showing promise as a resort community. That same year, the Meyers constructed a two-story frame building south of their residence to serve as a hotel. The upper floor of the structure was used for guests and the ground floor housed a large kitchen and a dining room. With the help of their 8 children, Ernestine continued to operate the hotel after her husband's death in 1889, despite a fire which damaged the family home. A second guest house was added east of the first hotel in 1920 by a daughter Julia (Meyer) Ellenberger, who operated the business until her death in 1956. Frederich Christian Meyer, a native of Germany, came to Comfort only three years after the founding of the town. He and his wife bought property along Cypress Creek and on the old road to San Antonio. They enlarged their home in 1869 and this became an obvious place for a stage stop. A second house was built for Mrs. Meyer to use as a maternity hospital as she was a midwife to her neighbors. Yet another building was added to house overnight travelers. In 1887 the railroad came to Comfort. This increased the need for housing. That year the Meyer Hotel was built. This was a two-story frame building south of their residence. The upper floor of the structure was used for guests and the ground floor housed a large kitchen and a dining room. Again in 1920 a second guest house was added east of the first hotel. The hotel was being oprated by Julia Meyer Ellenberger at that time. She operated the business until her death in 1956. This hotel has been called "Das Gast House" in more recent times. This building was designated as Texas Historical Landmark in 1981. Faltin Homestead - Marker in/near Comfort Marker #1564 - 1962 German native Theodor Georg Ludwig Goldbeck constructed the original part of this home in 1854, the same year the town of Comfort was founded. In 1856 he sold the house and his mercantile business to Friedrich August Faltin, a merchant who had recently migrated from Prussia. Additions to the residence, completed during his ownership, reflect German influences of pioneer building techniques. For over 125 years it has remained in the Faltin family. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1981 (Main and Seventh Street, Comfort) Certainly one of the oldest dwellings in its original location in Comfort, this cabin was built by Fritz and Theodore Goldbeck in 1854. The Goldbeck's operated Comfort's first mercantile store. Fritz also wrote poetry about the early life of German pioneers in Texas and published them as "Seit Funfzig Jahren" ("Since Fifty Years"). In 1856 August F. Faltin, with his wife, Clara Below, bought the cabin from the Goldbeck's when the brothers wanted to return to San Antonio. The log portion was extended with the fachwerk addition. The cabin has been restored by August Faltin III, a great- grandson of the 1856 immigrant. The August Faltin House was designated Texas Historical Landmark in 1981. Brownsboro Cemetery - Marker in/near Comfort Photo Credit: Natalie Morgan Marker #14411 - 2008 This cemetery served the community of Brownsboro, which was originally settled by shinglemakers. Later, farmers and then railroad workers resided here. Thomas and Sarah Manning donated land for a burial ground and church in 1870; Levi and Sarah Howell later donated additional property. The first known burial was of Henry Bierschwale in 1877. Other notable burials include five veterans of the Civil War. As Brownsboro�s population declined and floods damaged the area, the cemetery fell into disuse. Today, the Comfort Heritage Foundation cares for the burial ground, which remains as a memorial to the residents of the former Brownsboro community. Historic Texas Cemetery � 2007 Marker is property of the state of Texas Fabra Smokehouse - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #1546 - 1980 A native of Germany, Julius Fabra (1827-1910) migrated to this area in 1854. After working as a freight hauler, he opened a meat market to serve the local farms. His son Ludwig (1858-1929) joined the business at the age of eighteen and constructed this smokehouse for the store in 1887. Originally a one-story structure, it was built of native limestone. A second story was added in 1904. Following Ludwig's death, his son Henry operated the market until he retired in 1962. The smokehouse is all that remains of the Fabra family business which spanned three generations. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1980 (smokehouse on S side of 194 Main Street building - Boerne) Dr. Ferdinand Ludwig Von Herff - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #1268 - 1982 Dr. Ferdinand Ludwig Von Herff, Nov. 29, 1820-May 18, 1912), the son of a prominent German family and a veteran of the Prussian army, physician Ferdinand Ludwig von Herff first came to Texas in 1847. By the 1860s he had set up practice in San Antonio, where he was an active civic leader. His medical innovations made him a prominent physician in the southwest. Dr. Herff and his wife, Mathilde, 1823-1910, owned a ranch at this site and, through their interest in the area, led in the development of Boerne. Local residents honored their many contributions with a monument here on Malakopf Mountain, a site favored by the Herffs. "After seventy years of weather exposure and vandalism, the original rock obelisk had deteriorated to the extent that doctors John B. and Ferdinand Peter Herff, grandsons of Ferdinand Ludwig Von Herff, had it completely rebuilt with limestone blocks in 1952."- [quoted from Garland Perry, "Our Heritage" series] Texas Historical Commission honored Dr. Herff by designating this monument with a Texas Historical Marker in 1982. (on Malakopf Mountain, 1.5 mile NE of Boerne Via FM 474 and Kennon Ranch Road)The monument is on a hill overlooking Boerne across Hwy 474 from Spring Creek Road exit. The trees are too high to see the monument from FM 474 but If one turns right on Spring Creek Road, and then turns around at the first house, and then stops about 50 yards or so down road, now facing FM 474, you can see where it is with the naked eye. Binoculars are helpful. See picture below on the right. Staffel Family and the Staffel Store - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #12546 - 2001 334 S. Main in Boerne German immigrant August Staffel arrived in Texas in 1852 and in due course made his way to Boerne, where he purchased property at this site in 1854. When Boerne was granted a postal station in 1856, Staffel served as first postmaster and housed the post office on his property. Staffel's other businesses included the Staffel store, stagecoach office, saloon, livery stable and wagon yard. After August's death in 1870, his wife, Bertha, operated the post office out of the Staffel store until 1881 and sold the property in 1905. Reminders of early economic development in Boerne, the Staffel store and the Staffel family played a significant role in that heritage. (2001) The Staffel Building stands on Lot #30 of the divisions of the original survey No. 180 in the town of Boerne. On 27 April 1854 Gustav Theisen sold 1/2 interest in Lot #30 to August Staffel. Also on that date John James sold his half interest in Lot #30 to August Staffel. The property was bequeathed to his wife, Kunigunda Bertha Staffel, daughter of Joseph Dienger. This building served as an office for the Staffel livery stable and probably for the postoffice which August Staffel kept. He was appointed Boerne's first postmaster in June 18, 1856 and served for ten years. His wife, Bertha, was postmaster after his death from 1870 until 1881 and sold the property in 1905. This was Boerne's first telegraph office in 1875. In the rear with the stable there was a stagecoach office. Mrs. Edna Miller, a widow, purchased the building in 1916. In 1936 its ownership went to Radcliff Spencer. In the latter half of the twentieth century, the building was occupied by Malner Shumard as a law office and title company. The property passed to the heirs of Mr. Radcliff Spencer. These two, Dorothy Spencer Traylor and George Spencer, obtained the Historical Marker in 2002 for the building known as the Staffel Building. Kuhlmann-King House - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #2977 - This structure was built in the late 1880s as a residence for German native William Kuhlmann (1856-1918), a successful pharmacist and landholder. He sold the home in 1908 to Selina Long King (1831-1910), whose sons operated the local King & King Lumber Co. The Boerne Independent School District owned the house from 1920 to 1951, using it for rental property as well as for school-related purposes. Hill Country artist Harry Anthony DeYoung (1893-1956) leased the house for two years while teaching art in San Antonio. The Kuhlmann-King house has been owned by the city of Boerne since 1951. (on W side of city hall) Two story rubblestone symmetrical with two story gallery across the front (West) side. Originally the house had two upper and two lower rooms. The gallery on both floors extended around to the entire south side. The stairs to the upper floor were on the outside of the house on the East, or back side. As was the custom, there were no closets in the entire house. The house has one central chimney, with the fireplace on the southwest room. The remaining three rooms had openings into this same chimney and wood stoves were used for heating. The walls in the house are approximately 15" thick and the 9 foot ceilings inside are beaded board. The upstairs floors are still the original random width planks varying between 10" and 12" in width. The floors on the first floor have been replaced and are now of 3" narrow pine flooring. The house had a gabled roof and 6x6 sash windows.,br>Today the gallery on the south side of the house is gone. It is believed that the south portion of the porch was removed in the late 1920s when a major change in the house was made.The wooden portion of the house was added to the east side about the same time the south side gallery was removed. This new addition brought the house the newest conveniences. The outside stairs were removed. Traces still show on the rock and the door upstairs is still there. New stairs were built inside the southwest room. Closets were built in this room as well as the room directly above. A gallery and a modern kitchen (to take the place of the separate outdoor kitchen) were added to the first floor. On the second floor, a bathroom was added above the new kitchen and a second floor gallery was added above the new one on the first floor. With this new addition all the plumbing and water pipes were used without having to go through the thick rock walls. The land, out of Lot #9 and #10, on which this house stands was sold by John and Helene Werner to William Kuhlmann on March 26, 1883. Just what year the house was built is not known thus far. It was built by William Kuhlmann between 1885-1890. Mr. Kuhlmann became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. on Feb 5, 1890. He was born July 2, 1856 in Germany. He died in Boerne of pneumonia on Dec. 18 1918. The doctor in attendance was Dr. Wright. Undertaker - Ebensberger & Wendler - buried in Boerne Cemetery. Mr. Kuhlmann returned to Germany to marry his sweetheart, Marie, and brought her back to live in this house. On Dec. 27, 1896 Marie died during childbirth. The child never lived. Marie was born Sept 13, 1854 in Germany. The couple is buried in the same grave in the Boerne Cemetery. Mr. Kuhlmann sold this house with improvements to W.F. Shirer but Mr. Shirer sold it back a year later because of the lack of finances. In 1902 Mr. Kuhlmann sold the house to Selina Long King. The King family lived in the house until 1920 when Mrs. King died. The house was sold to the Boerne School District. The house was used to extend the facilities of the school which was in the adjacent building just south of the house. In 1951 the school system no longer needed the buildings in this location, thus it was sold to the City of Boerne. In 1971 the Boerne Area Historical Preservation Society was given a twenty-five year lease on the house for a museum. Kendall County - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #2920 - 1936 Kendall County; created January 10, 1862; organized February 18, 1862. Named in honor of George Wilkins Kendall, 1809-1867; poet, journalist, author and farmer. One of the founders of the New Orleans Picayune; member of the Santa Fe Expedition; most successful sheep raiser in the Southwest, (San Antonio and Watts, E of Main Street) Cascade Cavern - Marker in/near Boerne Photo Credit: Cascade Caverns click to their website Marker #749 - 1984 Probably formed during the Pleistocene epoch by the underground passage of the Cibolo River, Cascade Cavern presents an interesting mix of geological, archeological, and historical features. It exhibits a combination of the joint and the dip and strike types of caverns, and is the home of a number of unusual animals, including cliff and leopard frogs, Mexican brown bats, and Cascade Cavern salamanders. Archeological evidence uncovered near the cave indicates the presence of two Indian sites. It is probable that the Indians used the cave for shelter, and soot found on the sides of a natural chimney suggests that they had fires. Commercial development of the cave, known earlier as Hester's Cave, began in the 1930s. The current name, taken from the seven waterfalls at the entrance to the cathedral room, officially was adopted in a 1932 ceremony led by State Attorney General, and later Governor of Texas, James V. Allred. Over the years, Cascade Cavern has provided visitors and Boerne area residents with many opportunities for recreation and exploration, and it remains one of the state's important geological sites. (1984) (at main building at Cavern on Cascade Cavern Road, off I-10 exit 543, south of Boerne) Weyrich Building - Marker in/near Boerne Photo Credit: Janis and Ted Maxymof Marker #16468 - 2010 Charles (Carl) Weyrich bought this lot in 1877, shortly after relocating from Gillespie County. Weyrich established himself as a tinsmith and married Sophia Beyer in 1878, commissioning this building around the same time. Weyrich�s business remained here until he divided the lot and sold the building in 1883. A series of businesses, mostly grocery stores, operated here for the next 37 years. The property was later a residence, an office and an art studio. The rectangular-plan vernacular rubble limestone building is one of the oldest commercial structures in Boerne. It features a stone parapet and paired double doors with raised, hood-shaped stone lintels and keystones on the primary fa�ade. (714 South Main Street) Theis House - Marker in/near Boerne Marker #5460 - 1984 This pioneer home was built in 1858 by German immigrant Phillip Jacob Theis (1809-1876), an early Kendall County blacksmith and wheelwright. The original part of the Theis house is a dogtrot plan of palisade construction. Willow branches were woven around cedar support posts to form the walls, which were then packed with clay and rock and finally stuccoed for protection. The Theis house is a rare surviving example of this construction type. (on Newton Alley behind 242 Main Street, Boerne) One story, four room. The structure is supported by hand hewn beams and poles that are held together with wooden pegs. Built in 1858 by Phillip Jacob Theis, a blacksmith and wheelwright who immigrated from Germany in 1855, the Theis House was one of the ten residential structures existing in Boerne in 1958. Newton Street, adjoining the south boundary of the Theis property, was initially surveyed in 1852 as a public access alley to the Cibolo Creek. It was left open for the use of bucket brigades and later fire hoses when there was a fire in town. The Theis property line ran from Main Street to the creek and Mr. Theis operated his blacksmith shop under a mulberry tree in his front yard where the Adler Bakery Building later stood. Jacob Theis and his wife, Margaretha, raised seven children at the old Theis homesite. One son, August Theis, later took over his father's blacksmith shop and he and his wife, Agnes, continued living in the same house where they also raised seven child	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line347
__label__cc	0.622193	0.377807	Kizlyar Brandy Factory « Founded in 1885 » Vintage Brandy Ordinary Brandy Cognac history Cocktail card Factory News Check of FSM Current purchases Behind the high peaks, in the heart of a beautiful country, among the fertile plains is this famous wine-makers Kizlyar - a city that gave Russia a great legendary brandy. Each page of its history is saturated with the aromas of mountain air, the tart breeze of the Terek and the burning sun of the Caucasus. The history of Kizlyar begins in the 17th century. At that time, the Kizlyar translation, which connected the Caucasus and the East, was of great importance. Local residents raised sheep, successfully selling their goods to visiting merchants. The mild climate, fertile land and rich harvest inspired the people of Kizlyar to plant fruit and vineyards. For the first time the status of winemakers identified Peter the Great. He issued a decree on freedom of distillation, allowing people to produce alcohol for themselves and for sale. The emperor was a great connoisseur of strong drinks, so he came to Kizlyar to evaluate the products of local distilleries. “As you drink the chara - you want another, you drink another — for the third soul it burns,” Peter admired in local drinks. The origin of brandy production. Merchants from different countries began to arrive in Kizlyar. Winegrowers from Germany and France brought here rare varieties of grapes, patiently planted and pruned each young vine. Local winemakers used traditional for the region varieties of berries, accumulated technology and opened a private distillery. Glory in the development of new production technologies deservedly belongs to Kizlyar masters. It was we who noticed the unique notes and taste of local grapes and began to skillfully use our knowledge in the distillery industry. A new product was not long in coming. The first strong drink was Kizlyarka vodka. According to visiting Frenchmen, after aging in oak barrels, this vodka resembled cognac. «Kizlyarka (local grape vodka) similar to French vodka and has a high taste», — so wrote about the local drink, Alexander Dumas-father, who visited Kizlyar at the end of the XIX century. Kizlyar brandy becomes famous since 1885, when professional winemaker David Sarajev combined several distilleries. Few people knew then that in a few decades this factory would turn into the largest production - Kizlyar Brandy Factory. Success to David Saradzhevu brought a unique recipe. He was the first to withstand grape alcohol in barrels of Caucasian mountain oak and produce brandy with an amazing taste. Thus began the chronicle of the classic brandy production in Russia. Traditions of ancestors we honor today. Every drop of our brandy is history. Velvety, tart and persistent, bewitching and fascinating, alluring and burning - the success story of this BRANDY. Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health ↑ up To visit the site you need to confirm that you have already reached the age of majority. Year Year 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Joint-stock company "Kizlyar Brandy Factory"	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line348
__label__cc	0.6862	0.3138	Here's the tweetstorm tale of why Google pulled YouTube as a default app for the iPhone Posted on Friday, June 30th, 2017 When the iPhone launched 10 years ago, it came with YouTube as a default app on iOS 1. The pairing of the Google-owned video platform and Apple wasn’t as odd then as it might seem today — the first commercial version of Android didn’t debut until 2008. But that doesn’t mean that the Apple/ Google collaboration was a happy marriage. The YouTube app was created by Apple with little input from the YouTube team, which limited the video viewing experience, much to the chagrin of iOS users resorting to their mobile browser to watch video content on the platform. That changed in 2012 with the introduction of iOS 6, which launched without the Apple-built YouTube app for the first time, after Google didn’t renew its license. This allowed Google to bring its own fully realized version of YouTube to the App Store, but also meant that YouTube was no longer a default app on the phone. Read more… More about Google, Apple, Youtube, Ios, and Tech This entry was posted in Modulates Tech Media on June 30, 2017 by Nouri.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line349
__label__wiki	0.703483	0.703483	Orlando Bloom Is Officially Returning To 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' The captain of the Flying Dutchman is back! ANAHEIM, California -- It's been over eight years since we last saw Will Turner rise from the sea in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," and today (August 15), Disney announced that Turner would rise again in the fifth installment of the popular franchise, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales." Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, announced Orlando Bloom's exciting return at Disney's D23 fan expo. The news was followed by a surprise visit from Johnny Depp, who showed up on stage in character as Captain Jack Sparrow and threw grapes at the crowd. In "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" Captain Jack Sparrow finds himself in quite a precarious spot when ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea... including him (and most likely the handsome captain of the Flying Dutchman). Captain Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that "bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas." Directed by Espen Sandberg and Joachim Rønning, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" hits theaters on July 7, 2017. Pirates of the Caribbean 5	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line352
__label__cc	0.506814	0.493186	Want a front row seat? Subscribe Today to Our Digital Magazine for KES 100/month Search in https://www.nairobibusinessmonthly.com/ Sub-Saharan Africa’s foreign-currency shortages are slowly subsiding 2nd Jun, 2017 Weak oil and commodity prices over the past two years have led to foreign-currency shortages in numerous Sub-Saharan African countries. Oil-exporting nations have been particularly hit, since government foreign-exchange reserves have been severely depleted. In response, countries such as Angola (B1 negative) and Nigeria (B1 stable) have rationed supplies of foreign currency to their economies, causing shortfalls for banks and businesses. Dollar scarcity has also weakened local currencies. A stabilisation in oil and commodity prices over recent months will help to defuse the pressure. We forecast oil prices will remain between $40-$60 a barrel through 2018, compared to lows of $26 in early 2016. A recovery in foreign-currency liquidity, however, will depend upon continued higher oil prices and production and it will take time for sovereigns, banks and corporates to restore their financial health. Managing foreign-currency liquidity will remain a key policy challenge for Sub-Saharan oil exporters. Dollar rationing, currency devaluation and foreign-currency borrowing by governments have stemmed the fall in foreign-exchange reserves in Angola and Nigeria. But this has been to the detriment of the non-oil economy, price stability and government balance sheets. Angola has been hit the hardest. In 2017, the rebound in oil prices and production will help stabilise reserves and allow authorities to provide more foreign currency to the economy. In Gabon (B1 negative) and the Republic of the Congo (ROC, B3 negative), where access to foreign-currency borrowing is limited and foreign exchange reserves have fallen furthest, we expect reserves to continue falling through 2017 but at a much slower rate. Pressures on banks are receding but recovery will take time. Banks in Angola, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose economies are highly dependent on US dollars, are most vulnerable to foreign-currency shortages. Banks’ foreign-currency deposits remain thin and they have limited capacity to source new foreign funding. The shortages – and resultant currency devaluations – have also eroded banks’ loan quality, profitability and capital. In Nigeria and Angola, we expect some easing of pressures over the coming quarters as their central banks are now injecting more dollars into the economy. Foreign-currency shortages are constraining corporate profitability. Non-financial corporates operating in oil-exporting countries like Nigeria and Angola have been most affected by dollar scarcity and local currency weakness. They will continue to face operational challenges during 2017 but these will alleviate in 2018. Managing foreign-currency liquidity will remain a key policy challenge for Sub-Saharan oil exporters Angola, Gabon and ROC are strongly reliant on oil for driving economic activity, exports and government finances and have been most affected by the sharp decline in foreign-currency income due to the decline in oil prices. Nigeria has also been under pressure, but less so thanks to its more diversified economy, large domestic market and smaller government debt in foreign currency. Other commodity exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa such as Cameroon (B2 stable), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, B3 stable), Ghana (B3 stable) or Zambia (B3 negative) have experienced varying degrees of liquidity challenges associated with lower commodity prices. But this cohort is less vulnerable because their economies, exports and government finances are less reliant on a single commodity. Other commodity-exporting countries such as South Africa (Baa2 under review for downgrade), Namibia (Baa3 negative) and Botswana (A2 stable) have not experienced foreign-currency liquidity constraints. We therefore focus on the four oil exporters in this section. Angola and Nigeria – foreign-exchange reserves will gradually recover but not return to the pre-crisis levels For Angola and Nigeria, a rebound in the oil price and in oil production is increasing foreign-currency receipts. Together with continued foreign-currency borrowing by the governments, and further local-currency devaluation relative to the US dollar, this will lead to a stabilisation of foreign-exchange reserves in Angola in 2017. In Nigeria, foreign-exchange reserves will reverse their trend and even start to improve (see Exhibit 2). ANGOLA AND NIGERIA WILL PROGRESSIVELY REVERSE THEIR FOREIGN-CURRENCY RATIONING In order to stem the decline in foreign-exchange reserves, the Angolan and Nigerian governments restricted imports or imposed capital controls to constrain foreign-currency outflows from the country. Foreign-currency rationing by the central banks prioritised sectors deemed important such as necessity goods or the oil sector, but to the detriment of the non-oil economy. In Nigeria, non-oil growth slowed to 0.2% in 2016 from 6.2% in the preceding five years, while in Angola, the non-oil sector contracted by 0.4% in 2016 (IMF data). Foreign-currency rationing has also deterred foreign direct investment. This is because investors fear incapacity or difficulty in importing the goods and services they need for their own operations, or restrictions on repatriating profits. Notwithstanding strong impediments to the ease of doing business, Nigeria remains more attractive because of its large domestic market. In the first quarter of 2017, the National Bank of Angola has supplied more foreign currency to the economy relative to 2016 (Exhibit 4). In Nigeria, too, the central bank has started to increase the availability of foreign currency. We expect this trend to continue through 2017 in both countries, thereby progressively reducing the backlog of foreign-currency demand from banks and corporates. Demand is unlikely to be fully satisfied over 2017, however, and a divergence between the official dollar exchange rate and the parallel (black) market will likely persist. In Angola, the official rate has been AOA165/US$ versus AOA380/US$ on the black market lately, while in Nigeria the spread between the official and black market rate has improved most recently to 21%. FURTHER DEVALUATIONS WILL HELP IMPROVE CURRENT ACCOUNTS, BUT AT A COST Both Angola and Nigeria have devalued their currencies over the last few years (see Exhibit 6). Devaluation has made imports more expensive in local currency, limiting demand for imported goods and services. This encourages local companies to produce substitutes, while improved price competitiveness boosts non-oil exports. Currency devaluation, however, is generally inflationary and makes foreign-currency debt servicing more costly in local currency, putting an extra burden on government finances. Angola is more vulnerable than Nigeria in this respect, with 41% of GDP in government debt (USD42 billion) either indexed to, or denominated in, US dollars. In contrast, Nigeria’s foreign-currency debt represents just 2.5% of GDP (USD10 billion). Comparatively, Nigeria also derives greater benefit from a weakening currency because its more diversified economy better enables it to substitute imported goods with local ones and to boost non-oil exports. Inflation in both countries is already in double-digits (see Exhibit 7), reaching 36% year-on year in Angola and 17% in Nigeria as of April 2017. High inflation risks increasing social pressures and demands on public spending, presenting considerable challenges to fiscal policymakers. Foreign-currency borrowing is still an option In Angola, and to a lesser extent in Nigeria, the authorities have increased their foreign-currency borrowing since 2016, through international debt issuance and/or loans from the official sector (such as the World Bank). This has helped to stem the fall in foreign exchange reserves but at the cost of increased government exposure to foreign-exchange risk. Moody’s Africa foreign exchange report 7th Oct, 2019 By Admin_nlb DT Dobie introduces Mercedes Benz C-Class 1500cc 1st Jul, 2016 By Editor How weak controls and mismanagement have left SACCOs bleeding 2nd Nov, 2016 By Editor OLX digs in for business in potato fields 5th Jul, 2019 By Admin_nlb Review of interest rate cap in THE wake of Treasury’s call to repeal law 16th Sep, 2019 By Admin_nlb Why new law on data is suspect NBK takeover: unmasking the scandal We've got the latest info@nairobibusinessmonthly.com Copyright © 2020 Nairobi Business Monthly. All rights reserved. Hey there! You've reached the limit of your articles. Kindly subscribe.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line353
__label__wiki	0.958637	0.958637	Penn State basketball players go where nobody knows their names STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Walking down Curtin Road on a Penn State campus just beginning to clog with football fans, the proud alum practically spun around on his heel as he grabbed his wife and daughter, and yelled: "Hey, what's your name?'' "Jamelle,'' the student replied. "Right," the alum grinned with knowing satisfaction. "Good luck tomorrow against Illinois.'' Jamelle Cornley shrugged and smiled. If four years in Happy Valley has done anything, it has inured to the anonymity of Penn State men's basketball. Playing literally in the shadows of the nearly 110,000-seat beast that is Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions who play hoops have long suffered as second-class citizens. While powerhouse football and basketball happily coexist on other campuses -- Texas, Oklahoma, Florida to name a few -- State College is all about gridiron gluttony. The tiny town swells to the third-largest metropolis in the state on home football weekends, with fans happily reserving $300-a-night hotel rooms a year in advance. Even in the lean years, from 2000 to 2004, when the Lions suffered four losing seasons in five years and people called for the head of long-deified Joe Paterno, the fans still came. Beaver Stadium's average attendance for the season dipped below capacity in 2003 and 2004 when Penn State was 3-9 and 4-7, respectively. Of course, below capacity meant 105,629 and 103,111 on average, off the sellout mark of 107,282. In four years, Cornley has never played in front of a home sellout crowd. "If we could just get a quarter of what they have -- wow," the forward said, nodding to the stadium in the distance. It would seem easy enough: major university, big-time conference, captive audience, deep-pocketed and rabidly loyal alums. Yet the Lions haven't finished with a winning season since 2001 and have been to the NCAA tournament just twice in the past 17 years. Were it not for the chronic futility of Northwestern hoops, Penn State would own the Big Ten basement. "If I had the answer, we would have fixed it by now," athletic director Tim Curley said. "I can't pinpoint why it hasn't happened. We have all the pieces to be successful. I think we're close -- very, very close.'' But building a basketball program alongside one as firmly entrenched as Penn State football only makes the job more difficult. It's not just about diagramming a decent offense. It's about changing a culture, about convincing outsiders and even insiders that Penn State isn't just a football school. It's a task that on many days seems almost Sisyphusian. In the midst of a football tailgate, a fan asked what brought ESPN.com to town. Told it was for a basketball story, the fan (a card-carrying alum) scrunched up his face and asked, "Why?" Three years ago, a professor giddily accosted Cornley outside of the student center. It was the Monday after a big football game and the professor practically shouted in Cornley's face. "He said, 'I saw that play you made when you ran across the field. I told my son you're my new favorite player. How's the knee?'' Cornley remembered. "I kept thinking, 'Who does he think I am?' That night I got an e-mail. He apologized to me. He thought I was Jerome Hayes. "Sure, it bothers me,'' he continued. "Everyone wants their own identity.'' If Beaver Stadium is the house that Joe built, the Lasch Building is the coach's ivory tower. It is a building in homage to a team that owns a campus, a football-only complex that includes a practice field, a 13,000-square-foot weight room, a video room sweeter than your neighborhood Cineplex, a players' lounge complete with leather sofas and pool tables and, of course, a spacious office for the man whose craggy face long has personified the university. When Ed DeChellis, an alum and former assistant, returned to Penn State as head basketball coach five years ago, he and his coaches shared a 1,600-square-foot space tucked in a nondescript corner of the Bryce Jordan Center. There were no pictures or artwork telling you that this was the basketball section of the building, just prison-cell-cinderblock white walls leading to a space just down the hall from the softball team. With no designated spaces, coaches stuffed envelopes in the hallway and broke down film in a space akin to a small walk-in closet. Without a video room or player lounge, the team watched film in the locker room. The team had its own private practice court, a bright and airy space that looked like it could have been at the local Y. Neither the floor nor the walls were painted with Penn State logos. The whole thing screamed afterthought. "You take them over to see Coach [Paterno] and it was, 'Wow,'" said DeChellis, who frequently bypassed his own office space when giving recruits campus tours. "Then you brought kids here and it cemented the image you knew the other teams were giving kids -- 'Don't go to Penn State. They don't care about basketball.' That's exactly how it looked." DeChellis didn't fault the administration. It wasn't that no one cared. It's simply that before him, no one asked. There was no alumni champion of college basketball arguing that the team needed upgrades, no one on the previous coaching staffs begging for renovations in a building built only in 1996. Heck, the team didn't even have a director of basketball operations or video coordinator on staff. But to DeChellis, the insufficient facilities only compounded what was already an uphill battle. Of the Big 10 schools, five have national championship trophies in their cases. Indiana lays claim to eight Final Four appearances, Michigan State six. Tradition for Nittany Lions basketball begins with its 1954 Final Four appearance, blips through two quick tourney appearances in 1955 and 1965, and endures 26 lean years until a stunning first-round upset of UCLA in 1991, followed by a crash-and-burn first-round loss as a No. 5 seed in 1996, and finally the unexpected Sweet 16 finish in 2001. So when you can't counter tradition with the excesses of modernity, what can you offer? The answer at least partially explains the preponderance of lean years. "It sends a message about the commitment to the program," Curley said. "It's the visual that recruits get to see that shows you're committed and willing to stay up with the changing times, that you're committed to giving your coaches and student-athletes everything they need to maximize themselves and their experience." Three years ago, Penn State redid the locker room, replacing the cheesy, pressed-wood lockers with cherry wood, converting an unused space into a lounge complete with flat-screen TVs, and carving a video room in what was previously a visiting locker room. And the last weekend in September, DeChellis and his staff moved into 4,000 square feet of office spaces that include a kitchenette, mailing/copying/faxing center, private conference room and separate area to host recruits. The office space anchors what is now a Penn State basketball wing (the women's team has the same space in the building). DeChellis believes the upgrades have helped the Lions lure players who otherwise wouldn't have visited, let alone committed. Sophomore point guard Talor Battle was ranked among the top 100 recruits coming out of high school, and Louisville native Jeff Brooks was a Mr. Basketball finalist in Kentucky as well as another top-100 player. "People used to ask me, 'What have you been doing?'" DeChellis said. "This is what I've been doing. I finally feel like we're on an even playing field.'' It's 11:30 a.m. on the Saturday of the Illinois game. Kickoff is still eight-plus hours away. All around Beaver Stadium is bedlam. Fans dressed in everything from Penn State Hawaiian shirts to Joe Paterno masks (which are as frightening as they sound) teeter on the edge of sobriety in the parking lots on the East end of campus. A few wander inside the All-Sports Museum attached to the stadium, where DeChellis is seated at a table for a radio chat. No one gives more than a passing glance toward him. Five hours later, it's much the same inside the Jordan Center when the team plays a pickup game/scrimmage before TailGreat, the pregame tradition featuring the Penn State Blue Band and cheerleaders. There are people in the stands, but outside of a pair of rowdy students in goofy wigs who hoot and holler for big dunks, no one makes much noise. Some read the newspaper while others wander to the end-line area to play putting contests for prizes. The average age is well on the high side of 40, with few young alums or students choosing to abandon their tailgates. It would be insulting were it not for the cold reality of the situation: For there to be juice, there needs to be something to get juiced about, and the Lions simply haven't supplied it. Penn State finished 15-16 last season and 7-11 in the Big Ten, its best conference finish in eight years despite losing its best player, Geary Claxton, to a torn ACL. But aside from an NIT run and 15-15 finish in 2006, there hasn't been much to celebrate. In 2007, the Lions lost 14 of their final 15; in 2005, their last 12. The surprise Sweet 16 run of 2001 was followed up by consecutive 7-21 seasons. "I used to ask myself, 'Would I come? Would I give up my night and come to watch a team lose by 30?' That's no fun," Cornley said. Cornley knew what he was getting into when he signed with Penn State. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, another town that you might say has a decent college football following. He knew his team would be the understudy to a high-voltage star and that he'd swallow a lot of pride before ever getting the chance to puff out his chest. "I ask recruits all the time, 'Do you have the mental toughness for this?'" Cornley said. "There's always the football issue. You've got guys on that team, not many but some, that walk around with the [Superman] 'S' on the chest and they don't even play. But people don't care. They're football players." So why bother? Why did Cornley take all of this on? He came, in part, because the Lions wanted him -- many teams weren't willing to take a flyer on a 6-foot-5 undersized power forward -- but more because he wanted to change things. Cornley wanted to be the guy who turned the team around, who made Penn State basketball resonate as loudly as Penn State football. There are days, of course, when he feels like he's pounding his head against a ceiling that's as hard as the steel that makes up Beaver Stadium. But at the end of each day is the tantalizing dream that keeps him going. Cornley sees himself in the waning seconds of the Big Ten tournament championship as the final clocks tick off and Penn State begins to celebrate. The cameras find him on the court crying tears of joy. A year later, Cornley is playing professionally somewhere. It's Selection Sunday, and once again Penn State's name is on the screen. The Lions are no longer a one-hit wonder. They're rolling, rolling out irrelevance and squeezing into the spotlight. "I'm getting goose bumps thinking about it," Cornley grinned. "Sure, it all can be frustrating. We get up at 6 a.m. We practice just as hard. We work just as hard. You fight through injuries and people say, 'Penn State is a football school.' But we're the only ones who can change that. "I think we're close. Very close." http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?id=3630400&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos2 Midshipmen fall to Pitt 42-21 Two acts playing out in Happy Valley drama Penn State basketball players go where nobody know... Petruzelli cuts through Slice in less than a round...	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line355
__label__cc	0.543124	0.456876	Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s laudation address at the presentation of the Order of the Grand Cross to Sándor Lezsák source: miniszterelnok.hu 31 October 2019, Budapest Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Guests, I welcome the Honourable Deputy Speaker. In presenting the Grand Cross to Sándor Lezsák, today Hungary is repaying an old debt. While he is admirably modest about the fact, it is nonetheless an established historical fact that in 1987 the overthrow of communism in Hungary was launched from his garden. Although this is an important – and indeed fascinating – fact, one that would justify making him the subject of a documentary, it would not be enough to earn him Hungary’s highest honour. Mr. Lezsák is not receiving this decoration for what he started, but for what he has seen through and completed. I remember that in the 1980s many waited for the end of communism, but far fewer dared to do something about it; and only the bravest of them openly linked their names, faces and homes to the emerging uprising. Yes, Mr. Lezsák was the first intellectual from rural national cultural circles to recognise that, after years of covert seething resentment and a series of vain attempts to find allies among the ruling elite, the time had come for open confrontation. He had already seen that there would be a time when anything could happen, and no one could predict the consequences of open speech or words put down in writing. Therefore the time had come to organise ourselves. And in this tense situation, Mr. Lezsák decided to organise a fateful meeting of the opposition. Ladies and Gentlemen, Honourable President, There are people who in their lives are able to create enduring work in a number of areas. Mr. Lezsák is one of those people. At the same time, despite his outstanding political career and important literary oeuvre, we can also clearly see that he is still what he has always been: an advocate and humble servant for the Hungarian nation and Hungarian culture. We marvel at how, even today, he works with the same vigour and determination as he did three decades ago: as many times before, he holds the office of Deputy Speaker of the House, as well as other positions; he manages the Hungarian community college movement; and he arranges the affairs of the Mindszenty Society. Many see him as a mysterious figure, an éminence grise, an inscrutable organiser of Hungarian politics. The reality, however, is far simpler than political puzzle-solvers or modern-day Kremlinologists believe. Behind every decision, every movement, every initiative, there is a single motivation: Sándor Lezsák works to restore the self-esteem of the Hungarian people across the entire Carpathian Basin. According to his Hungarian Bible, without national self-esteem there is no Hungarian future. And the self-esteem of the whole nation is the sum total of the self-esteem of individuals. This leads us to the simple conclusion that our task is no less than imbuing emerging generations of Hungarians with the notion that being Hungarian is the greatest thing that could have happened to them. This is the kind of love that stays with one for life: love that can raise one to unimagined heights, or drag one down to unfathomable depths. Hungarians are fortunate, because their lives can never become empty or devoid of significance. They will never be threatened by “the unbearable lightness of being”, or a sense of futility; and so any doubt about the meaning of existence will remain far from their lives. We thank you for spending decades being a proclaimer and an advocate of that love. Honourable Deputy Speaker, We ask you to accept this decoration as a sign of gratitude from the entire Hungarian nation. God bless you on your seventieth birthday, and may He keep you with us in good strength and health for many more years to come. Viktor Orbáns Laudatio bei der Überreichung der Auszeichnung von Sándor Lezsák Prime Minister Viktor Orbán presents Steven F. Udvar-Hazy with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s commendation speech after presenting Steven F. Udvar-Házy with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary Grand Cross Hungarian culture Hungarian nation Sándor Lezsák © Minden jog fenntartva, 2020. \| archívum \| impresszum	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line356
__label__cc	0.706867	0.293133	Web Site Terms of Use PLEASE READ THESE WEB SITE TERMS OF USE CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEB SITE (THE "WEB SITE"). THESE WEB SITE TERMS OF USE (THE "TERMS OF USE") GOVERN YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE WEB SITE. THE WEB SITE IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR USE ONLY ON THE CONDITION THAT YOU AGREE TO THE TERMS OF USE SET FORTH BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS OF USE, DO NOT ACCESS OR USE THE WEB SITE. BY ACCESSING OR USING THE WEB SITE, YOU AND THE ENTITY YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO REPRESENT ("YOU" OR "YOUR") SIGNIFY YOUR AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF USE. User Eligibility The Web Site is provided by North Star Traffic Service, Inc. and available only to entities and persons over the age of legal majority who can form legally binding agreement(s) under applicable law. If You do not qualify, You are not permitted to use the Web Site. Scope of Terms of Use These Terms of Use govern Your use of the Web Site and all applications, software and services (collectively, "Services") available via the Web Site, except to the extent such Services are the subject of a separate agreement. Specific terms or agreements may apply to the use of certain Services and other items provided to You via the Web Site ("Service Agreement(s)"). Any such Service Agreements accompany or are listed in association with or through a hyperlink associated with the applicable Services. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. may revise and update these Terms of Use at any time. Your continued usage of the Web Site after any changes to these Terms of Use will mean You accept those changes. Any aspect of the Web Site may be changed, supplemented, deleted or updated without notice at the sole discretion of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. may also change or impose fees for products and services provided through the Web Site at any time in its sole discretion. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. may establish or change, at any time, general practices and limits concerning other North Star Traffic Service, Inc. products and services in its sole discretion. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Rate and Service Guide and Tariff In addition to any other terms and conditions that may be applicable to such transaction as provided in these Web Site Terms of Use and the Service Agreement(s), the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Rate and Service Guide applicable to You and the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Tariff (to the extent it is applicable to You) in effect at the time of shipment govern Your use of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. transportation and related services. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Privacy Policy The North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Privacy Policy governs the use of information collected from or provided by You at the Web Site. With respect to any individual whose personal information is provided by You to North Star Traffic Service, Inc., You represent to North Star Traffic Service, Inc. that You have obtained all necessary consents for the processing of such personal information contemplated by the Services You are using and by the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Privacy Policy, including the transfer of such data to the United States or other countries whose laws may not provide the same level of protection for the personal data as the laws of the country of origin f such individual. License and Ownership Any and all intellectual property rights ("Intellectual Property") associated with the Web Site and its contents (the "Content") are the sole property of North Star Traffic Service, Inc., its affiliates or third parties. The Content is protected by copyright and other laws in both the United States and other countries. Elements of the Web Site are also protected by trade dress, trade secret, unfair competition, and other laws and may not be copied or imitated in whole or in part. All custom graphics, icons, and other items that appear on the Web Site are trademarks, service marks or trade dress ("Marks") of North Star Traffic Service, Inc., its affiliates or other entities that have granted North Star Traffic Service, Inc. the right and license to use such Marks and may not be used or interfered with in any manner without the express written consent of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Except as otherwise expressly authorized by these Terms of Use, You may not copy, reproduce, modify, lease, loan, sell, create derivative works from, upload, transmit, or distribute the Intellectual Property of the Web Site in any way without North Star Traffic Service, Inc.'s or the appropriate third party's prior written permission. Except as expressly provided herein, North Star Traffic Service, Inc. does not grant to You any express or implied rights to North Star Traffic Service, Inc.'s or any third party's Intellectual Property. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. grants You a limited, personal, nontransferable, nonsublicensable, revocable license to (a) access and use only the Web Site, Content and Services only in the manner presented by North Star Traffic Service, Inc., and (b) access and use the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. computer and network services offered within the Web Site (the "North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems") only in the manner expressly permitted by North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Except for this limited license, North Star Traffic Service, Inc. does not convey any interest in or to the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems, information or data available via the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems (the "Information"), Content, Services, Web Site or any other North Star Traffic Service, Inc. property by permitting You to access the Web Site. Except to the extent required by law or as expressly provided herein, none of the Content and/or Information may be reverse-engineered, modified, reproduced, republished, translated into any language or computer language, re-transmitted in any form or by any means, resold or redistributed without the prior written consent of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. You may not make, sell, offer for sale, modify, reproduce, display, publicly perform, import, distribute, retransmit or otherwise use the Content in any way, unless expressly permitted to do so by North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Restrictions on Use of the Web Site In addition to other restrictions set forth in these Terms of Use, You agree that: You shall not disguise the origin of information transmitted through the Web Site. You will not place false or misleading information on the Web Site. You will not use or access any service, information, application or software available via the Web Site in a manner not expressly permitted by North Star Traffic Service, Inc. You will not input or upload to the Web Site any information which contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs or other computer programming routines that are intended to damage, interfere with, intercept or expropriate any system, the Web Site or Information or that infringes the Intellectual Property (defined below) rights of another. Certain areas of the Web Site are restricted to customers of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. You may not use or access the Web Site or the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems or Services in any way that, in North Star Traffic Service, Inc.'s judgment, adversely affects the performance or function of the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems, Services or the Web Site or interferes with the ability of authorized parties to access the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems, Services or the Web Site. You may not frame or utilize framing techniques to enclose any portion or aspect of the Content or the Information, without the express written consent of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Access to Shipping Related Systems and Information Through the Web Site Your use and access of the Shipping Related Systems and Information are subject to the following terms: The "Shipping Related Systems" are comprised of the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems which are used to provide tracking, time in transit, drop-off locator, address validation and other functions and information related to the shipment of packages via North Star Traffic Service, Inc. The Shipping Related Systems and Information gained from such systems ("Shipping Information") are to be used by You solely in connection with packages shipped by or to You or on Your behalf and for no other purpose. The Shipping Related Systems and Shipping Information are the private property of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. authorizes You to use tracking functionality within the Shipping Related Systems solely to track shipments tendered by or for You to North Star Traffic Service, Inc. for delivery and for no other purpose. Without limitation, You are not authorized to make the Shipping Information available on any web site or otherwise reproduce, distribute, copy, store, use or sell the Shipping Information for commercial gain without the express written consent of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. This is a personal service, thus Your right to use the Shipping Related Systems and Shipping Information is non-assignable. Any access or use that is inconsistent with these terms is unauthorized and strictly prohibited. Any use in connection with the Shipping Related Systems of automated inquiry devices, robots, or repetitive data gathering and extraction tools, routines, scripts or other mechanisms with similar functionality is expressly prohibited. Outbound Links. The Web Site may contain links to third-party Web Sites and resources (collectively, "Linked Sites"). These Linked Sites are provided solely as a convenience to You and not as an endorsement by North Star Traffic Service, Inc. of the content on such Linked Sites. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. makes no representations or warranties regarding the correctness, accuracy, performance or quality of any content, software, service or application found at any Linked Site. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. is not responsible for the availability of the Linked Sites or the content or activities of such sites. If You decide to access Linked Sites, You do so at Your own risk. In addition, Your use of Linked Sites is subject to any applicable policies and terms and conditions of use, including but not limited to, the Linked Site's privacy policy. Inbound Links. Linking to any page of the Web Site other than to http://www.North Star Traffic Service, Inc.com through a plain text link is strictly prohibited in the absence of a separate linking agreement with North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Any web site or other device that links to http://www.North Star Traffic Service, Inc.com or any page available therein is prohibited from (a) replicating Content, (b) using a browser or border environment around the Content, (c) implying in any fashion that North Star Traffic Service, Inc. or any of its affiliates are endorsing it or its products, (d) misrepresenting any state of facts, including its relationship with North Star Traffic Service, Inc. or any of its affiliates, (e) presenting false information about North Star Traffic Service, Inc. products or services, and (f) using any logo or mark of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. or any of its affiliates without express written permission from North Star Traffic Service, Inc. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. does not accept ideas, concepts, or techniques for new services or products through the Web Site ("Comments"). If such Comments are received, You acknowledge that (a) they will not be considered confidential or proprietary, (b) North Star Traffic Service, Inc. and its affiliates are under no obligation to keep such information confidential, and (c) North Star Traffic Service, Inc. will have an unrestricted, irrevocable, world-wide, royalty free right to use, communicate, reproduce, publish, display, distribute and exploit such Comments in any manner it chooses. You agree that North Star Traffic Service, Inc., in its sole discretion, may terminate or suspend Your use of the Web Site, the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems, Information, Services and Content at any time and for any or no reason in its sole discretion, even if access and use continues to be allowed to others. Upon such suspension or termination, You must immediately (a) discontinue use of the Web Site, and (b) destroy any copies You have made of any portion of the Content. Accessing the Web Site, the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems, Information or Services after such termination, suspension or discontinuation shall constitute an act of trespass. Further, You agree that North Star Traffic Service, Inc. shall not be liable to You or any third party for any termination or suspension of Your access to the Web Site, the North Star Traffic Service, Inc. Systems, Information and/or the Services. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WEB SITE, THE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. SYSTEMS, THE SERVICES, THE INFORMATION OR THE CONTENT. THE USE OF SAME IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE WEB SITE, THE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. SYSTEMS, THE INFORMATION, THE SERVICES AND THE CONTENT ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. North Star Traffic Service, Inc., ITS LICENSORS, AND ITS SUPPLIERS, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTIES' RIGHTS, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. AND ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSORS AND SUPPLIERS MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, SECURITY OR TIMELINESS OF THE CONTENT, INFORMATION OR SERVICES PROVIDED ON OR THROUGH THE USE OF THE WEB SITE OR THE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. SYSTEMS. NO INFORMATION OBTAINED BY YOU FROM THE WEB SITE SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED BY North Star Traffic Service, Inc. IN THESE TERMS OF USE. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON IMPLIED WARRANTY, SO THE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS IN THIS SECTION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF YOU ARE DEALING AS A CONSUMER, YOUR STATUTORY RIGHTS THAT CANNOT BE WAIVED, IF ANY, ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THESE PROVISIONS. YOU AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS OF LIABILITY AND WARRANTY PROVIDED IN THESE TERMS OF USE ARE FAIR AND REASONABLE. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW AND TO THE EXTENT THAT North Star Traffic Service, Inc. IS OTHERWISE FOUND RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, North Star Traffic Service, Inc. IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUAL DAMAGES ONLY. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL North Star Traffic Service, Inc., ITS AFFILIATES, ITS LICENSORS, ITS SUPPLIERS OR ANY THIRD PARTIES MENTIONED AT THE WEB SITE BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE AND CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOST PROFITS, OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOST DATA OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION RESULTING FROM THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE WEB SITE, THE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. SYSTEMS, INFORMATION, SERVICES OR THE CONTENT WHETHER BASED ON WARRANTY, CONTRACT, TORT, DELICT, OR ANY OTHER LEGAL THEORY, AND WHETHER OR NOT North Star Traffic Service, Inc. IS ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE REMEDIES STATED FOR YOU IN THESE TERMS OF USE ARE EXCLUSIVE AND ARE LIMITED TO THOSE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR IN THESE TERMS OF USE. Compliance with Law Including Export Control You agree to use the Web Site in strict compliance with all applicable laws, rulings and regulations and in a fashion that does not, in the sole judgment of North Star Traffic Service, Inc., negatively reflect on the goodwill or reputation of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. and shall take no actions which would cause North Star Traffic Service, Inc. to be in violation of any laws, rulings or regulations applicable to North Star Traffic Service, Inc. North Star Traffic Service, Inc. and the Web Site are based in the United States. The United States and certain other jurisdictions control the export of products and information. You agree to comply with all such applicable restrictions and not to export or re-export the Content (including any software or the Services) to countries or persons prohibited under the United States or other applicable export control laws or regulations. If You access and download the Content (including any software or the Services) or Information, You represent that You are not in a country where such export is prohibited or are not a person or entity to which such export is prohibited. You are solely responsible for compliance with the laws of Your local jurisdiction and any other applicable laws regarding the import, export, or re-export of the Content (including any software or the Services). Forward Looking Statements Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this Web Site constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of North Star Traffic Service, Inc. and its management regarding the company's strategic directions, prospects and future results. Certain factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which we operate, our competitive environment, long-term regulatory, economic and other effects from the events of September 11, 2001, strikes, work stoppages and slowdowns, governmental regulation, increases in aviation and motor fuel prices, cyclical and seasonal fluctuations in our operating results, and other risks discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated herein by reference. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU HEREBY EXPRESSLY AGREE THAT ANY PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR USE OF THE WEB SITE, THE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. SYSTEMS, INFORMATION, SERVICES AND CONTENT SHALL BE INSTITUTED IN A STATE OR FEDERAL COURT SITTING IN THE COUNTY OF FULTON, STATE OF GEORGIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND YOU EXPRESSLY WAIVE ANY OBJECTION THAT YOU MAY HAVE NOW OR HEREAFTER TO THE LAYING OF THE VENUE OR TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY SUCH PROCEEDING. YOU AGREE THAT ANY CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE WEB SITE, THE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. SYSTEMS, INFORMATION, SERVICES AND/OR CONTENT MUST BE FILED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER SUCH CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION AROSE. Governing Law and Language To the fullest extent permitted by law, these Terms of Use are governed by the internal substantive laws of the State of Georgia, U.S.A. excluding (i) Georgia's conflicts of laws principles; (ii) the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods; (iii) the 1974 Convention on the Limitation Period in the International Sale of Goods; and (iv) the Protocol amending the 1974 Convention, done at Vienna April 11, 1980. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the controlling language for these Terms of Use is English. Any translation has been provided for Your convenience, and You may view the English language version by (a) returning to the home page for the country that You have selected, (b) selecting the English link at the top of the page, and (c) then clicking on the link to the Web Site Terms of Use located at the bottom of the page. You may not assign these Terms of Use or any of Your interests, rights or obligations under these Terms of Use. If any provision of these Terms of Use is found to be invalid by any court having competent jurisdiction, the invalidity of such provision shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of these Terms of Use, which shall remain in full force and effect. No waiver of any of these Terms of Use shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or any other term or condition. Written Document You may preserve these Terms of Use in written form by printing them for Your records, and You waive any other requirement that these Terms of Use be evidenced by a written document. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN A SEPARATE LICENSE, SERVICE OR OTHER WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND North Star Traffic Service, Inc. OR IN THE APPLICABLE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. RATE AND SERVICE GUIDE OR North Star Traffic Service, Inc. TARIFF, THESE TERMS OF USE CONSTITUTE THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND North Star Traffic Service, Inc. WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF THE WEB SITE, THE North Star Traffic Service, Inc. SYSTEMS, AND ANY SOFTWARE OR SERVICE, INFORMATION AND CONTENT CONTAINED THEREIN, AND SUPERSEDE ALL DISCUSSIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, CONVERSATIONS AND AGREEMENTS CONCERNING THE SUBJECT MATTER HEREOF. For Residents of Quebec The parties declare that they have required that these Terms of Use and all documents related hereto, either present or future, be drawn up in the English language only. Les parties dÃ©clarent par les prÃ©sentes qu'ils exigent que cette entente et tous les documents y affÃ©rents, soit pour le prÃ©sent ou l'avenir, soient rÃ©digÃ©s en langue anglaise seulement. How to Contact North Star Traffic Service, Inc. By phone or by e-mail, we're always available to you: North Star Traffic Service, Inc. 210 New Road, Suite 16 Linwood, NJ 08221 Email: info@northstartraffic.com	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line360
__label__wiki	0.649127	0.649127	Assessment of cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices in emergency departments for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims in Lebanon Samar Noureddine1, Tamar Avedissian1, Hussain Isma'eel2, Mazen J El Sayed3 1 Department of Nursing, Hariri School of Nursing, American University of Beirut, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon 2 Division of Cardiology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon 3 Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon Date of Submission 19-Dec-2015 Date of Acceptance 27-May-2016 Background: The survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) victims in Lebanon is low. A national policy on resuscitation practice is lacking. This survey explored the practices of emergency physicians related to the resuscitation of OHCA victims in Lebanon. Methods: A sample of 705 physicians working in emergency departments (EDs) was recruited and surveyed using the LimeSurvey software (Carsten Schmitz, Germany). Seventy-five participants responded, yielding 10.64% response rate. Results: The most important factors in the participants' decision to initiate or continue resuscitation were presence of pulse on arrival (93.2%), underlying cardiac rhythm (93.1%), the physician's ethical duty to resuscitate (93.2%), transport time to the ED (89%), and down time (84.9%). The participants were optimistic regarding the survival of OHCA victims (58.1% reporting > 10% survival) and reported frequent resuscitation attempts in medically futile situations. The most frequently reported challenges during resuscitation decisions were related to pressure or presence of victim's family (38.8%) and lack of policy (30%). Conclusion: In our setting, physicians often rely on well-established criteria for initiating/continuing resuscitation; however, their decisions are also influenced by cultural factors such as victim's family wishes. The findings support the need for a national policy on resuscitation of OHCA victims. Keywords: Emergency department, Lebanon, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, practices, resuscitation Noureddine S, Avedissian T, Isma'eel H, El Sayed MJ. Assessment of cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices in emergency departments for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims in Lebanon. J Emerg Trauma Shock 2016;9:115-21 Noureddine S, Avedissian T, Isma'eel H, El Sayed MJ. Assessment of cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices in emergency departments for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims in Lebanon. J Emerg Trauma Shock [serial online] 2016 [cited 2020 Jan 21];9:115-21. Available from: http://www.onlinejets.org/text.asp?2016/9/3/115/185275 Management of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) remains a challenge in many countries, as many factors that relate to the victim, circumstances surrounding the arrest, the treating prehospital agency or emergency department (ED), and the overall system of care in the country influence the success of resuscitation of OHCA victims. Reported overall OHCA survival rates vary globally from 0% to 30.5%,[1] including a 15% rate in the US for overall survival [2] and with Utstein survival rates reaching as high as 50.7%.[3] This variation in rates is due to the different definitions of OHCA (Utstein vs. other definitions), variation in emergency services, presenting rhythm, and presence of comorbidities (obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.).[4],[5] Early bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation are also important factors in improving patient outcomes.[6] The survival rate to hospital discharge was as high as 56% with rapid defibrillation by nonmedical personnel in a study examining OHCA in casinos.[7] In Lebanon, a major tertiary referral center reported a survival rate to hospital discharge of 4.5% for OHCA victims.[1] Several challenges were reported to be contributing to this low-survival rate including lack of standardized training of prehospital providers, delay in emergency medical services (EMS) response, delay in defibrillation, absence of public access defibrillation, low bystander CPR rates, and delay in reaching hospital.[1] The American Heart Association (AHA) has guidelines for initiating and terminating adult basic life support (BLS) on OHCA victims.[8] These guidelines are based on EMS and ethical principles that fit the Western context and may not apply to the health care system, legal, religious, and cultural contexts in Lebanon. Lebanon has a diverse population characterized by 17 religious sects that can be grouped under Muslim (59%) and Christian (39%) religions. Healthcare providers take into consideration the different cultural and religious beliefs of patients while providing care, especially in the end of life situations. Another vital factor is the involvement of the family members while communicating about end-of-life health care concerns. Moreover, interviews with key religious leaders in the country showed that in both Islam and Christianity death is determined by God.[9] Although there have been some changes in the Lebanese law related to the health care system, such as the law established in 2004 related to patient's rights and consent, there remains a need to develop health policies and increase public awareness regarding end-of-life issues.[10] To date, there is no policy that governs resuscitation of OHCA victims in Lebanon. The first step in developing guidelines tailored to the Lebanese context is to understand current CPR practices. A number of investigations had addressed CPR practices by emergency physicians.[11],[12] Initiating and concluding resuscitation attempts were practiced according to ethical and cultural norms, as well as the victim's medical condition. Factors most commonly cited for withholding or withdrawing CPR were: prolonged asystole, time from collapse to BLS, underlying disease, ongoing treatment status or the medical condition that caused the arrest and presence of advance directives. Less commonly reported factors were the wishes of the family and the victim's age. Moreover, the performance of CPR despite judgment of medical futility was reported, with fear of litigation being cited as an important consideration in the US.[10],[13] In Europe, investigators reported victim's age, previous health status, and the context of the arrest, including on-site CPR and initial cardiac rhythm as influential in resuscitation decisions.[14],[15] In the Middle Eastern countries, ethicality of withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment is different from Western countries. Yazigi et al. reported that Lebanese physicians were hesitant to withdraw life-supporting therapy such as intubation and mechanical ventilation, which was practiced in 7% of patients, whereas withholding therapy was reported in 38% of patients in a major tertiary care facility in Beirut.[16] Thus, most investigators emphasized the importance of policy in guiding resuscitation practices. In the absence of a national policy or a national resuscitation council in Lebanon, this study examines the current practices of ED physicians when dealing with resuscitation of OHCA victims. The target population included physicians who work in EDs in Lebanon. There is no national categorization of hospitals by their emergency services; however, there are 174 hospitals that provide emergency care to OHCA victims. Volunteer EMS providers belonging to two main EMS agencies (Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense) provide prehospital care in Lebanon. National curriculum and standards for provider certification and training for EMS providers are lacking.[17] Community or school programs for CPR and BLS are rare and rely on initiatives from the EMS agencies and few NGOs. In Lebanon, there are few physicians who are certified in emergency medicine. The Lebanese Society of Emergency Medicine, founded in 2004, has only 32 members, 16 of whom are board certified in emergency medicine, with only seven working full time in Lebanon. Each hospital therefore designates the physicians of various specialties to work in the ED. The Lebanese Society for Emergency Medicine has a mailing the list of 705 healthcare providers, including physicians, emergency medical technicians, and nurses who work in EDs of hospitals all over Lebanon that is used to communicate issues related to emergency medicine. The sample for this survey included the 705 contacts that were recruited electronically. Considering the expected low-response rate with online surveys,[18] we recruited all the members on the E-mail list. Since the list was anonymous as to the exact position of the members, we stated in the consent form that this survey addresses physicians who work in EDs. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University deemed this survey exempt from review. The questionnaire was adapted from the literature,[12],[13] with few questions added for their relevance to the context in Lebanon. The items addressed the presence of an institutional policy about CPR, the rates of OHCA victims' survival, and declared dead on arrival. Factors that may influence the ED physician's decision to attempt or continue CPR were asked next; these items are rated on a four-point scale (1 = not important to 4 = very important). Attempting resuscitation despite judging the case a medical futility, the criteria used for the termination of resuscitation and the difficulties encountered in making resuscitation decisions were also queried. Participants were also asked what elements a national policy about CPR must include and their recommendations to improve the outcomes of OHCA resuscitation. The last section included demographic questions about gender, age, place of practice, type of hospital, and the estimated total number of ED visits at the place of work. The questionnaire was translated into Arabic and back translated to English; both the original and back-translated English versions demonstrated semantic equivalence. The questionnaire was pilot tested with five physicians in resuscitation medicine for relevance, clarity of items, and ease of administration; no modifications were needed. After securing approval of the IRB and the owner of the electronic list, the survey was administered using the Limesurvey software, which is among the safest for ensuring anonymity of participants. The E-mails were sent with the consent form as the first page, explaining the purpose and procedure of the study, and providing assurance of confidentiality and anonymity. Reminder E-mails were sent at one and 2 weeks after the initial mailing. A total of 75 completed questionnaires were returned out of the 705, with a response rate of 10.64%. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages for categorical variables and means and standard deviations for continuous variables) were used to describe the sample and summarize the results. Bivariate analyses were used to examine practices by age, gender, years of experience in emergency medicine, and estimated patient volume, using ANOVA, Student's t-test, and Fisher exact test. The sample included 75 participants working in EDs across Lebanon. The demographic questions were put at the end of the survey and up to16 participants did not answer them [Table 1]. The majority of the responders were male (79.66%) with a mean age of 46.95 (SD 10.37) years, range 32–75 years. Table 1: Study population characteristics (n=75) Over one-third of the sample have 16–20 years (35.19%) or 6–10 years (33.33%) of work experience, 18.81% worked 11–15 years, 7.41% over 20 years, and the rest <6 years in ED. Regarding medical specialty, 40% were specialized in Emergency medicine/Trauma, and the rest of the participants were from other specialties such as family medicine, critical care, and internal medicine. Over half of the participants (54.35%) reported practicing in Beirut, 15.22% in Mount Lebanon, 13.04% in Bekaa, 10.87% in the South and Nabatieh, and 6.52% in the North. A total of 48.53% of participants reported practicing in teaching hospitals, 30.88% in private hospitals and 20.59% in public hospitals. Around 40% believed that they have more than 40,000 emergency visits per year at their workplace, 34.55% estimated to have 10,000–40,000 emergency visits per year, and the remaining 25.45% had an estimate of <40,000 emergency visits per year. [Table 1] shows the sample characteristics. Factors that influence the decision to start or continue cardiopulmonary resuscitation As shown in [Table 2], 14 of the 18 factors that could influence the decision to initiate or continue CPR were considered quite important and very important by at least 60% of the sample. These include the presence of a pulse on arrival to ED (93.2%), the ethical duty of physicians to resuscitate (93.2%), the initial cardiac rhythm in ED (93.1%), transport time to ED (89%), downtime from arrest till resuscitation (84.9%), the condition that caused the arrest (81.1%), resuscitation by bystander before arrival to ED (80.5%), resuscitation by prehospital provider (78.3%), patient's right to be given the chance of survival (77.4%), delivery of shock before ED (73.2%), age of the victim (71.6%), personal experiences from previous cases (71.6%), presence of a witness (66.2%), and transport by ambulance (60.3%). Around 20% of the sample rated presence or wishes of family members, and the presence of advance directives not important. Table 2: Importance of factors that influence the emergency physician=s decision to start/continue resuscitation (n=75) In addition, the participants listed other factors they considered in making decisions about resuscitation, which they rated as quite important or very important, with each factor stated by only one participant: the availability of places in the ED, the climate, hypothermia, level of the person performing CPR, mental status of the patient, patient's pupillary reaction, proper training of emergency medical technicians, presence or absence of trauma, the victim's respiratory and airway status on transfer, intoxication, presence of sufficient staff in ED, and the medications taken before the arrest. Resuscitation practices Half of the sample (50.70%) reported having an institutional policy, but 21.30% were not sure about the presence of a policy. Many participants (41.90%) estimated survival rate of OHCA victims until hospital admission at up to 10%, 36.50% reported 11–30% survival rates, 13.50% estimated 31–50% survival rates, and the rest over 50%. Moreover, half the sample (55.4%) reported that victims with cardiac arrests arrive dead to the ED only rarely or sometimes, with fewer (44.6%) reporting that victims arrive dead often or very often. Over two-thirds (62.9%) reported having attempted resuscitation in futile situations in the past 3 years up to ten times. The most common reasons (35.56%) of such attempts were patients/family-related reasons, followed by improving the patient's chance of survival (22.22%) then fear of legal implications (17.78%). Other factors reported by 20% of the sample included the lack of policy on resuscitation, the duty of ED residents to resuscitate all victims, and the need for training interns. For terminating resuscitation, most (48.89%) of the participants believed that the opinion of the medical team is mostly valued, 15.56% honored the opinion of the patient's family or the patient's preferences, 13.33% followed the patient's legal guardian, and 6.67% considered all of the above important while making such a decision. The most frequent reported criterion for termination of resuscitation (40%) was having attempted CPR for long duration with no response, followed by signs of irreversible death (33.33%), then asystole or pulseless electric activity (20%), following the patients' preferences when known (17.78%) and the rest considered all these factors. Finally, the difficulties in making decisions about resuscitation-related mostly to the lack of policy (30%), pressure from or presence of family members (25% and 13.79%, respectively), with 27.78% listing other factors such as lack of information about the cases and the Lebanese law about next of kin [Table 3]. Table 3: Resuscitation practices (n=75) Recommendations for policy and practice Finally, the following recommendations were made by the participants when planning a national policy for resuscitation as listed in [Table 4]. Around 30.2% stated the need to have specific criteria for withholding CPR, 28.3% reported the importance of adding criteria for terminating CPR, 15.1% required to have clear guidelines for liability, 15.1% addressed the duty of lay people in resuscitation, and the remaining 11.3% specified other aspects. Moreover, suggestions were made regarding improving current resuscitation practices for OHCA victims. Approximately 26.6% recommended having automated external devices (AEDs) in public places, 25.3% stated providing community training programs in CPR, 21.5% stressed on improving prehospital emergency care management, 20.3% added organizing awareness campaigns for recognition, and management of cardiac arrest. The remaining 6.3% proposed improving the transport time of victims to the ED, clear communication between the EMS agencies and the ED physicians during transfer, promotion of research, and obligatory BLS training sessions to get a driving license. Table 4: Recommendations (n=75) Bivariate analyses There were no gender differences in the responses to any of the survey questions. Older participants accorded more importance to the ethical duty of physicians to do resuscitation (r = 0.27, P = 0.038) than younger ones. The years of experience were significantly associated with the importance of resuscitation by prehospital providers (F = 3.36, P = 0.011), presence of advance directives (F = 3.72, P = 0.006), and the physician's ethical duty to resuscitate (F = 3.82, P = 0.005). Those with less experience considered prehospital CPR more important but advance directives less important than those with more years of experience. Physicians who saw more patient volumes (estimated more ED visits in their work setting) accorded more importance to the victim's age (F = 7.03, P = 0.002) and underlying disease that caused the arrest (F = 6.78, P = 0.002) in making decisions about starting or continuing resuscitation, but less importance to the need to practice CPR (F = 6.78, P = 0.002) compared to those who saw fewer patients in their EDs. Our study is the first to assess resuscitation practices among practicing ED physicians in Lebanon for victims of OHCAs. Important factors affecting the decision to initiate or stop resuscitation in the ED were elicited. In a setting where prehospital emergency services transport all the cardiac arrests to the ED, physicians often have to decide on the management approach when receiving such patients. The main factors considered important for initiation or continuation of resuscitation in the ED in descending frequencies included presence of pulse on arrival (or prehospital return of spontaneous circulation), presence of shockable rhythm on arrival to ED, and downtime (collapse to ED arrival). Witnessed arrest was less important as a factor in our study. A recent study by Goto et al.[19] developed a rule for termination of resuscitation in the ED for patients with OHCA using three elements: no prehospital return of spontaneous circulation, unshockable initial rhythm, and unwitnessed by bystanders. The rule predicted well the 1-month death in a validated group with a specificity of 0.903 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.894–0.911), a positive predictive value of 0.993 (95% CI, 0.992–0.993), and area under the ROC of 0.874 (95% CI, 0.872–0.876).[13] Similarly, in countries with more developed EMS systems, cardiac arrests are often worked on the scene, and only survivors are transported. Validated rules such as the one proposed by Morrison et al.[20] lists the following criteria for prehospital termination of resuscitation: “no return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before transport, no shock delivered, no bystander CPR and the arrest was not witnessed by bystanders or EMS.”[20] The fact that delivery of shock before ED arrival and bystander CPR were considered less important in this study reflects the lack of community training in CPR, the rare prehospital AED usage, and the limited EMS resources in Lebanon. It was interesting to note that wishes of the family/patient were rated least important in deciding to start or continue CPR; this may be explained by the ethical duty expressed by the respondent that compel them to resuscitate no matter what, in addition, to the fact that advance directives in Lebanon are not a common practice. This is also reflected in the low priority accorded to the opinion of the family when deciding to terminate resuscitation in futile situations. Initiating resuscitation on even medically futile cases was reported with substantial frequency. A variety of reasons were elicited. Family presence was the most cited reason for performing CPR on a futile case while this was not as important when considering initiation or stopping resuscitation in general. The reasons behind the lack of transparency about the patient prognosis during the initial phase of the encounter were not elicited; however, family pressure, time needed to establish a rapport with patient's family members, showing concern, and establishing trust may be important factors. Our study identified optimistic expectations of survival rates of patients presenting with OHCA as 58.1% of participants estimated the survival rate of OHCA victims to be more than 10%. This may be related to the reported rates in the literature regarding OHCA survival rates in general in other countries using Utstein reporting guidelines for OHCA and may not be setting related. In a recent study conducted by El Sayed et al., the OHCA survival rate in Lebanon for victims of OHCA from cardiac etiology was only 5.5%.[1] Hence, such optimistic expectations of survival rates may more likely lead physicians to start resuscitation when faced with a cardiac arrest case. The main challenges described by participants when making resuscitation decisions were mostly related to the absence of standardized policies regarding resuscitation, and family member pressure or presence during the resuscitation. Family presence during resuscitation is increasingly discussed and remains controversial.[21],[22] Most studies describe the impact of this presence mainly on family members witnessing the arrest, but not on the behavior and clinical performance of physicians. The pressure to do something even in instances where resuscitation is deemed futile was one impact identified in our study. Policies addressing this issue are therefore recommended. The main recommendations proposed by participants involved interventions targeting the elements of the AHA chain of survival for improving outcomes in OHCA victims.[8] A national policy regarding initiation and termination of resuscitation, in addition to other interventions including public access defibrillation programs, community involvement, and public education were considered important. This highlights that physicians in our setting were familiar with important factors affecting OHCA survival and value a comprehensive approach to addressing this problem in a setting where important predictors of good outcomes in OHCA victims are missing. A previous study described system related limitations affecting survival in OHCA victims in Lebanon: these included low bystander CPR rates, delays in EMS response, in prehospital CPR, and in defibrillation, in addition to other EMS-related factors such as difficult access to EMS and absence of prearrival phone instructions to initiate CPR.[1] The study is limited by the small sample size and low-response rate, thus limiting the representativeness of the sample. With the E-mail list anonymous, we could not ascertain that all respondents were physicians; however, the consent form specified that only physicians were targeted, and only physicians should respond. The survey questions were not mandatory, and some participants elected not to answer demographic questions. Self-selection bias is another limitation that is common to online survey type studies since some individuals are more likely to respond than others to this type of survey. The findings of the study reflect the lack of policy even at the level of health care institutions to guide resuscitation of out of hospital arrest victims. Resuscitation decisions are mostly made by physicians and based on recognized established criteria, but dealing with the family's wishes in initiating or terminating resuscitation efforts remains a challenge. Research is needed on the public's attitudes related to resuscitation to inform the development of a national policy. El Sayed MJ, Tamim H, Nasreddine Z, Dishjekenian M, Kazzi AA. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival in Beirut, Lebanon. Eur J Emerg Med 2014;21:281-3. Meaney PA, Bobrow BJ, Mancini ME, Christenson J, de Caen AR, Bhanji F, et al. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality: [corrected] improving cardiac resuscitation outcomes both inside and outside the hospital: A consensus statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2013;128:417-35. Chesters A, Harris T, Hodgetts TJ, Keefe N. Survival to discharge after cardiac arrest attended by a doctor-paramedic helicopter emergency medical service: An utstein-style multiservice review of 1085 activations. J Emerg Med 2015;49:439-47. Berdowski J, Berg RA, Tijssen JG, Koster RW. Global incidences of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and survival rates: Systematic review of 67 prospective studies. Resuscitation 2010;81:1479-87. Blom MT, Warnier MJ, Bardai A, Berdowski J, Koster RW, Souverein PC, et al. Reduced in-hospital survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims with obstructive pulmonary disease. Resuscitation 2013;84:569-74. Chan PS, McNally B, Tang F, Kellermann A; CARES Surveillance Group. Recent trends in survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States. Circulation 2014;130:1876-82. Valenzuela TD, Roe DJ, Nichol G, Clark LL, Spaite DW, Hardman RG. Outcomes of rapid defibrillation by security officers after cardiac arrest in casinos. N Engl J Med 2000;343:1206-9. Morrison LJ, Kierzek G, Diekema DS, Sayre MR, Silvers SM, Idris AH, et al. Part 3: Ethics: 2010 American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care. Circulation 2010;122 18 Suppl 3:S665-75. Bejjani-Gebara J, Tashjian H, Abu-Saad Huijer H. End-of-life care for Muslims and Christians in Lebanon. Eur J Palliat Care 2008;15:38-43. Gebara J, Tashjian H. End-of-life practices at a Lebanese hospital: Courage or knowledge? J Transcult Nurs 2006;17:381-8. Bae H, Lee S, Jang HY. The ethical attitude of emergency physicians toward resuscitation in Korea. J Emerg Med 2008;34:485-90. Marco CA, Bessman ES, Schoenfeld CN, Kelen GD. Ethical issues of cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Current practice among emergency physicians. Acad Emerg Med 1997;4:898-904. Marco CA, Bessman ES, Kelen GD. Ethical issues of cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Comparison of emergency physician practices from 1995 to 2007. Acad Emerg Med 2009;16:270-3. Horsted TI, Rasmussen LS, Lippert FK, Nielsen SL. Outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – Why do physicians withhold resuscitation attempts? Resuscitation 2004;63:287-93. Duchateau FX, Burnod A, Ricard-Hibon A, Mantz J, Juvin P. Withholding advanced cardiac life support in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A prospective study. Resuscitation 2008;76:134-6. Yazigi A, Riachi M, Dabbar G. Withholding and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in a Lebanese intensive care unit: A prospective observational study. Intensive Care Med 2005;31:562-7. El Sayed MJ, Bayram JD. Prehospital emergency medical services in Lebanon: Overview and prospects. Prehosp Disaster Med 2013;28:163-5. Kaplowitz MD, Hadlock TD, Levine R. A comparison of web and mail survey response rates. Public Opin Q 2004;68:94-101. Goto Y, Maeda T, Goto YN. Termination-of-resuscitation rule for emergency department physicians treating out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients: An observational cohort study. Crit Care 2013;17:R235. Morrison LJ, Verbeek PR, Vermeulen MJ, Kiss A, Allan KS, Nesbitt L, et al. Derivation and evaluation of a termination of resuscitation clinical prediction rule for advanced life support providers. Resuscitation 2007;74:266-75. Compton S, Fernandez R. Presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation is beneficial to family members in the out-of-hospital setting. Evid Based Med 2014;19:13. Jabre P, Belpomme V, Azoulay E, Jacob L, Bertrand L, Lapostolle F, et al. Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. N Engl J Med 2013;368:1008-18. Mazen J El Sayed Department of Emergency Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut 1107 2020 [Table 1], [Table 2], [Table 3], [Table 4] Noureddine S Avedissian T Isma'eel H El Sayed MJ out-of-hospital cardiac arrest	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line361
__label__cc	0.672762	0.327238	What is aurantium? What is it used for? Aurantium is also known as bitter orange - specifically, bitter orange fruit. The fruit of the bitter orange is not to be confused with the peel of the bitter orange. Bitter orange peel is used for other conditions, and discussed elsewhere in Herb Central. The bitter orange is native to eastern Africa and Syria, but is now grown throughout Asia. Bitter oranges are smaller than traditional oranges, and highly acidic, which gives them their bitter taste. The oranges are usually picked before they have yet to ripen, then washed clean, sliced and dried for use. In traditional Chinese medicine, aurantium is considered to have bitter and cool properties, and is associated with the Large Intestine, Spleen and Stomach meridians. Like bitter orange peel, aurantium is a traditional Chinese treatment for heartburn, indigestion, diarrhea and prolapsed uterus. Research conducted in China has also shown that aurantium can improve blood circulation to the heart and brain. Other evidence suggests that the oil in aurantium may be used as an antifungal when applied to the skin. Bitter orange is also believed to increase the metabolism, and as such has been used in some weight loss formulas as a replacement for ephedra. The effects of bitter orange for weight loss remain to be studied scientifically, however. How much aurantium should I take? The typical recommendation for aurantium is 4-5 grams per day. For fluid extracts containing bitter orange oil, 1-2 grams are recommended; for tinctures, 2-3 grams. A bitter orange syrup can also be made, then diluted in water or steeped in tea. What forms of aurantium are available? Whole, fresh (or dried) aurantium is available at many herbal shops and Asian markets. Some stores also sell aurantium tinctures and extracts. What can happen if I take too much aurantium? Are there any interactions I should be aware of? What precautions should I take? Large amounts of aurantium or bitter orange oil may cause skin rashes and photosensitivity, especially in light-skinned persons. It should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. As of this writing, there are no known drug interactions with aurantium. As always, however, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking aurantium or any other herbal remedy or dietary supplement. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J (eds.) Herbal Medicine. Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 2000, pp. 287-289. Cai YP, et al. Volatile oils of herbs of the aurantium family. Journal of Materia Medica 1998;21(11):567-569. Cai YP, et al. Chemical composition and pharmacology of herbs of the aurantium family. Journal of Jiangxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine 1999;11(1):18-19. Feng Y, et al. A preliminary study on the effects of qi-regulating, phlegm-dispelling herbs on blood platelet aggregation, red blood cell deformation, and blood viscosity. Journal of Fujian College of TCM 1998;8(1):24-26, 36. Hu SS, et al. The pharmacological activity of active components of zhi shi. Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 1994;25(8):419-421.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line363
__label__cc	0.594258	0.405742	Comments Off on About 5 Best Free Online Multiplayer unblocked Games If you would like to enjoy a number of PC games, obtaining a highly effective machine is a superb idea. The above-mentioned games are only a glimpse of the very long collection of amazing PC games readily available today. Definitely, among the most challenging games you’ll play for a whilethe secret is to adhere to the middle in the early phases of the game and attempt to work out how best to balance your cavemancoins are important, but mainly you ought to be focussing on bouncing higher and higher into seeming nothingness. You’re able to buy games on the Internet from several sites and begin playing them instantly. You will discover that the game is quite engaging. Some on-line casino games allow completely free play but there are a few games that provide real money betting. The game provides a rich shooting experience as you construct your own clan and recruit different members to take part in deadly matches. Not just that but the forms of games you get to pick from are a wide range of games. With the idea of creating something unique, a few of the games have integrated genre. In fact, they are considered to be the great source of entertainment. With its huge usability there are on-line games out there in the marketplace. All these games are the ones which are regarded as popular in 2010 and even in the next few years. At long last, it’s possible to really profit by playing free super smash flash 2 unblocked games on the internet. The Bad Side of About 5 Best Free Online Multiplayer Games The game starts with a tutorial to help the player become acquainted with the game. Play Online game and you’ll be hooked. On-line games make it possible for players to interact with one another, keep tabs on points, and continue scenarios over a long duration. MMORPG online games also have the exceptional characteristic of the facility of social networking by the way of chat rooms where people from all around the world interact with one another. All totally free on-line games are categorized into several categories. Many evolved from free on-line games and you might locate a larger version for your PC. Sadly you never locate what you are searching for, but you could have been playing a number of the best free on-line games that can be found on the web. A History of About 5 Best Free Online Multiplayer Games Refuted Whether you would like a totally free game, a paid game or a game that demands no download there’s a MapleStory alternative available. If you are searching for quick games that could distract you for a couple of minutes, there are many. There is an immense selection of such games that you can play online. Just consider the wonderful games that you’re able to play. There aren’t many games it’s possible to play in the workplace. tank trouble unblocked Multiplayer game enable you to play with different people on the Internet. So ensure you check also online when you’re seeking to purchase or download games. Samorost If you’ve been looking for a number of the funniest and quirkiest games, we recommend that you give a go to a number of the titles by Amanita Design. You may also search for particular varieties of racing games. Programming your own racing game can supply you with incredible experience and perhaps even a job with one of the huge gaming designers. Comments Off on About Slope Free Online Game Info There are several nice ones readily available online so just pick your favorite, download this, and take pleasure in each time you have the opportunity. So, you should start playing games online in no moment. To download unlimited games online, an excellent online connection must make downloading hassle-free. Any types of games may get frustrating if you become stuck in 1 level or you find yourself playing at the same degree and the very same challenges. On-line games do have certain advantages. The perfect way to go about making money on-line playing online games is to obtain a games site that’s absolutely free to join, and try and select a slope game which you would love to play. Slope Free Online Game The immense selection of games would never let you become bored. It is possible to also utilize video games as a reward whenever your child completes chores around the home. Several new video games are played by utilizing actual movement of your entire body. Top Choices of Slope Free Online Game Info Conventional games generally have a decrease instance of addiction since they don’t feed in the need to be competitive and they don’t fulfill the social factor that multiplayer games do. Excellent war games utilize a productive war simulation program. Free war games are prepared to be accessed anytime you desire. If you’re hooked on playing games, then you have achieved your destination. Therefore it is necessary your kid plays games on sites which don’t supply identity info. The majority of the internet memory games can be played at no cost and possess the capacity to enliven your memory. Variety of online games offered free of charge. Games to play online aren’t costly. Therefore it is worth it to be useful at playing online games! Playing online games is among the best strategies to promote family bonding. Adventure online games are a really good way to devote one hour or two online. The great thing about shooting games like many other on-line games is that players may take pleasure in the games free of charge. Select the game you want to download. Today you can play real-time billiard games with your buddies and other users online. On-court play is equally as critical as what goes on outside the lines, particularly when it comes to a prospect. You may also play games to make money with the assistance of Internet. With the benefits and disadvantages stated above, it’s now for you to choose whether you would love to engage in or practice multiplayer games. The ideal multiplayer games can be an issue of personal selection, nevertheless finding one is an intimidating endeavor. The slope game has the ability to connect four players at exactly the same time no matter location proximity. Moreover, you may also understand the game on the very first trail and the controls of the games aren’t very difficult to comprehend. With its large usability there are several on-line games out there in the marketplace. A web-based game only needs a computer network, that’s the web, through a personal computer or a video game console which can be linked into other players on the net. The games your kids plays online should have content that’s ideal for his age group. Slope Free Online Game Info Games are a great method to relax and relish your leisure. When you believe you’re able to play the game to a high standard, begin to challenge other on-line opponents. Just consider the fantastic games that you’re able to play. Besides being addicting, it’s also a fantastic game for friends or groups. Comments Off on About Reviews of Free Online Games for Kids You can find plenty of games for children online, and several will be available in stores near you. The best thing about the Stardom run 3 unblocked games is the fact that it’s a completely interactive adventure. A wide array of science games are offered on the web. Many sorts of games that would not have worked on older Playstations are at present offered. Well, it’s correct that not all games are appropriate for kids because of extra violence and unhealthy competition they encourage. Made by Supercell, it is among the most-played games on iPhone and iPad. First and foremost, the website is both educational and enjoyable! Below, you will discover several real-time chat sites like Omegle where you’re able to connect with new pals. From the above mentioned list, you can select a site that has lessons about how to code’ as per the time of your children and the platforms of your choiceiOS, Android, Windows, Mac, etc.. When you arrive at a website having games for children, the following thing is to take a look at the sorts of games and see whether any inappropriate content is present that would force you to reject the website. You need to be conscious there are some websites offering games for children that have adult material and are definitely not ideal for kids but are obtainable for visitors. The web site has held strong as one of their favourite areas to play online. You should simply go to the free internet gaming website. Kids like to get in touch with their parents. Again they focus on improving themselves, without any frustration. As a parent, you may be thinking about how to begin teaching your children about money. When kids are alone during quiet time they are given the occasion to address problems by themselves and make their own solutions. If your children are like mine, they’ll adore the completely free locations and put getting access to the rest of earth at the very top of their wishlist. The other kids will relish your child because he’s an excellent sport. There are a lot of great on-line games for kids offered and the majority of them are completely free. Like Total War, the game enables players to benefit from the surroundings. Fun games are so simple they can be played by men and women of all age. On-line tank trouble unblocked games are amazingly popular with students who seek new emotions in the digital reality. There are online games for kids also. There are games for children who are only learning how to identify numbers all of the way up to multiplication. Whatever They Told You About Reviews of Free Online Games for Kids Is Dead Wrong…And Here’s Why Just make sure to ask the Limo service before you plan your games to make certain they allow the materials you must play them. There are lots of business games available right now, but it’s an unforgiving genre, and bad games typically don’t last long. Many older games are provided a new dimension. It is very important to find the hottest games compatible with Move, naturally. If you’re really anticipating letting your child play some terrific games, then you ought to try free on-line mind games that would assist you and your child to come up with the proper sort of mental abilities, that would be convenient in real-life situation. Because it is a completely free game, plenty of people don’t play well. The introductory level money games will let your child to recognize different coins and their values.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line368
__label__cc	0.670409	0.329591	Parvathi Nayar - CV Chennai-based visual artist Parvathi Nayar plays an active role – and is deeply committed to supporting – the emerging renaissance of the contemporary in Chennai. Founder and member of art collective The Hashtag#Collective with architect Biju Kuriakose and Designer Abin Choudhuri. Parvathi is best known for her videos and her complex drawing practices; she also engages with sculpture, painting and photography. Her black-and-white graphite drawings are multifaceted works that look at the internal/intimate spaces within our bodies, and the external/public spaces in which we live, often through the prism of science and technology. She has pioneered the form of “drawn sculpture” – ie three-dimensional sculptural forms that are covered with drawings as in the seminal 20-foot high drawing A Story of Flight that is part of the now world-famous Jai He art programme at the new T2 Terminal, Mumbai international airport. She was part of a select group of some 90+ artists from India and abroad invited to be part of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2014/15 – where she presented an acclaimed installation of drawings and sound titled The Fluidity of Horizons. She was one of 70 artists – and the only one from Chennai – selected to be part of B70, the historical 70th anniversary birthday show of Amitabh Bachchan in Mumbai. In 2008, her painting Firelight was selected to be featured on ABN Amro’s Dil Se platinum card in Singapore. Her works have been collected by institutions such as the Singapore Art Museum, BMW, HCL, The Sotheby’s Art Institute, The Australia India Institute and Deutsche Bank. Parvathi is a creative writer and poet. She writes as a cultural commentator on aspects of contemporary art such as modern dance and film. 2004 – MA Fine Art, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London on a Chevening Scholarship from the British government 1985 – BA Fine Art (Distinction), Stella Maris College, University of Madras, Madras Ranked first in the University, Best Outgoing Student, Dept Of Fine Arts Matriculation (Second State Rank, Tamil Nadu) & Plus2, Good Shepherd Convent, Chennai The Ambiguity of Landscapes curated by Annapurna Garimella, Gallery Veda I Sing the Body Electric, Bombay Art Gallery Win Lose Draw, commissioned by ARTSingapore 2007 OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS Fluid Conversations; with Prajakta Potnis; talk at the Mohile Parikh Centre In Conversation with Eleanor Catton, Lit For Life Literary Festival In Conversation with David Davidar, Lit For Life Literary Festival	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line369
__label__wiki	0.914452	0.914452	Points of Light Award for Newry Musical Feis President Mrs Alma Brown, our Feis President, is the latest recipient of the Points of Light award, which recognises outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. Each day, someone, somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements. In a personal letter to Alma, Prime Minister Theresa May said: "The continuing success of the ‘Newry Musical Feis’ is testament to your long-standing dedication to supporting your local community and enabling young people to flourish through the performing arts. I wish you every success with this year’s event." Alma said: "I am pleased to receive this award not so much for myself but for all the Section Secretaries, Committee members and other volunteers without whom 'Newry Musical Feis' would not be celebrating its 91st anniversary in 2019. Our festival of Music, Dance and Speech includes performances in Irish Traditional Music and Dance, and I am delighted that it has grown to become the largest Festival of its kind in the UK with over 14,000 performances each year. "Over the years it has been gratifying to follow the successful careers of many of our talented young performers. One of my biggest joys was to introduce, for the first time in a Festival, a performance class for children with special needs. It remains a source of great pleasure to meet people who participated in the events at the Feis, and to make contact with the many friends I have made from other Festivals throughout these islands." Alma is the 1146th winner of the Points of Light award, which has been developed in partnership with the hugely successful Points of Light programme in the USA. Over 6,000 Points of Light have been awarded in the USA, and former Presidents have publicly supported the partnership with Points of Light UK. There is a similar cross-party approach to the UK programme and MPs from different parties often present their constituents with their Points of Light awards. Regardless of whether it’s a doctor restoring local monuments in her free time, a father teaching young people life skills, or a local musician giving a voice to lonely people, the Points of Light award honours shining examples of volunteering across the UK. © Newry Musical Feis Address: 14 Windsor Hill, Newry, BT34 1ER, County Down Email: info@newrymusicalfeis.com Web Design Newry by ITS Fill in the form below and we will contact you as soon as possible. How did you hear about us? Google Bing Other Search Engine Link from Another Site One of your Existing Customers Received an Email from you Facebook Twitter Google + Linked In info@newrymusicalfeis.com	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line374
__label__wiki	0.962542	0.962542	Home » HEADLINE, INDYCAR IndyCar To Hit Streets Of Houston John Sturbin \| Senior Writer, RacinToday.com Thursday, March 29 2012 INDYCAR boss Randy Bernard announced that Houston is getting a race. Open-wheel racing will return to Houston on a familiar street course beginning in October 2013. Randy Bernard, INDYCAR’s chief executive officer, announced Wednesday the IZOD IndyCar Series has scheduled the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston on a 1.7-mile circuit at Reliant Park for Oct. 4-6, 2013. Bernard was joined by Mike Lanigan, Mi-Jack Promotions principal, during a news conference capping more than a year of negotiations. Bernard said many factors contributed to the decision to award Houston a spot on the 2013 schedule. “When we look at growing our schedule, one of our top objectives is to showcase our racing in major U.S. cities, which in turn helps our sponsors, team-owners and television package and is key to the success of our sport,” Bernard said in a statement. “As the fourth-largest city in the country, Houston is a great fit for the IZOD IndyCar Series and Reliant Park will be a tremendous venue.” INDYCAR has competed at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth since the track’s inaugural season in 1997. The Firestone 550k on June 9 is the seventh of 16 events on the 2012 schedule, and will mark the 22nd time the series will have competed on TMS’ 1.5-mile quadoval. After experimenting with a dual-race program in 2011, the event will return to its original format in June. Eddie Gossage, TMS’ president and promoter, has been working with Bernard on one-year contracts. “We are thrilled to be returning to Houston,” said Lanigan, chairman/CEO of the Shell and Pennzoil Grand Prix of Houston. “The grand prix was very successful in 2006 and 2007 (Champ Car World Series events won by Sebastien Bourdais), with big crowds at Reliant Park witnessing an exciting three-day festival of speed. In 2013 it will be better than ever.” Brian Barnhart, INDYCAR’s president of operations and strategy, toured the complex Wednesday and was impressed with the infrastructure and venue for racing and spectators. The 1.7-mile, 10-turn concrete circuit figures to challenge drivers and teams. “Aside from the size of the market and what it brings, to be in the Reliant Park complex is just a phenomenal venue that will be great because it’s so convenient and well-packaged,” Bernard said. IndyCar driver Helio Castroneves – winner of last Sunday’s season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – was joined by team-owner Roger Penske for the announcement. Others participating in the news conference were Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, City of Houston Mayor Pro-Tem Ed Gonzalez, Shell Oil Company President Marvin Odum and George DeMontrond, chairman of the Grand Prix Local Organizing Committee. “It’s always fun to put on a great show in front of large crowds,” said Castroneves, driver of the No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Dallara/Chevrolet. “And with Houston being a gateway to Central and South America, it’s important for the series’ Latin America audience to have the opportunity to experience these urban festivals that always have a fun and exciting atmosphere.” Penske added: “It is important for the IZOD IndyCar Series to bring events to major markets to not only grow the series but to expand the audience and create new fans of the sport. With the history of open-wheel racing in downtown Houston and at Reliant Park, this is a great opportunity to bring a vibrant street race to the fourth-largest city in the United States.” Frenchman Bourdais, now driving for Lotus-Dragon Racing, said he’s looking forward to returning to Reliant Park. Dario Franchitti (1998) won the inaugural race in Houston, with the list of winners including Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vasser and Gil de Ferran. “It’s a really hard course,” said Bourdais, a four-time Champ Car champion. “It’s what we call ‘concrete racing’ and it’s not easy. Houston is a good market for INDYCAR and is a very positive thing for the series.” A multi-year title sponsorship agreement between Shell and Pennzoil and Mi-Jack Promotions made the event’s return possible. “Shell has built a long, storied history in motorsports across the world,” said Lisa Davis, president of Shell Commercial Fuels and Lubricants Americas. “Becoming the title sponsor for the IndyCar Series race lets us bring the grand prix home to enjoy with our customers, employees and neighbors.” In 2006-07, the Grand Prix of Houston generated an estimated economic impact of more than $35-million per year to the region and resulted in substantial international exposure for the city and Harris County. With that background, then-Mayor Annise Parker and Emmett founded the Grand Prix Local Organizing Committee in 2010 to identify a title sponsor and make the grand prix’s return possible. “On behalf of all of us involved in the Grand Prix Local Organizing Committee, I would like to thank Randy Bernard and the IZOD IndyCar Series for their confidence in Houston,” DeMontrond said. “We are also very grateful for the leadership of Mayor Parker and Judge Emmett, and for Shell and Pennzoil stepping up and providing the sponsorship support we needed.” Event organizers are planning a “three-day festival of speed,” with a variety of family-friendly activities complementing on-track action. Tickets are not on sale, but fans can visit www.grandprixofhouston.com to join the “Checkered Flag Club” to receive information and pre-sale opportunities. A test of the 2012 Dallara DW12 chassis has been scheduled for April 4 at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 in May. Teams will be limited to one car each at the test. “What was originally scheduled to be a manufacturers’ test has been expanded to provide each team the opportunity to send one car to the test,” said Will Phillips, vice president of technology for INDYCAR. “Dallara has worked hard to make sure all the required parts are available to allow teams to test the new package.” Rookie drivers will not participate in the April 4 test, as the Rookie Orientation Program is slated for May 10 at IMS. – John Sturbin can be reached at jsturbin@racintoday.com	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line375
__label__wiki	0.770594	0.770594	Records seized by DRI are not liable to be disclosed under section 24 of the RTI Act Two appellants sought copies of 21 documents in respect of a show cause notice bearing No. DRI F. No. IV/07/2009 to M/s. Vinayaka Hotel, Bubli and others for the alleged undervaluation of imported goods and consequential short payment of Customs Duties dealt in a particular file from the Office of the Commissioner of Customs. The Public Information Officer (PIO) transferred the application under Section 6 (3) of the RTI Act to the Director General of Revenue Intelligence endorsing a copy of the said letter to the appellants as the records were in the custody of the said office. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) informed the PIO that under the provisions of Section 24 (1) of the RTI Act, 2005 DRI is beyond the purview of RTI Act and is not bound to produce the records sought for by the appellants. On appeal to the First Appellate Authority (FAA) of the Commissioner of Customs, the FAA directed the PIO to provide the available documents which were in his possession or obtain it from his subordinate office, if available. Thereafter, the PIO informed the appellants that the information sought was not held by his office or any of the subordinate offices falling under his purview as PIO. View of CIC The Appellants submitted that the DRI is not correct in holding the view that the Section 24 of the Act could also apply to the documents seized by them under the provisions of the Customs Act as the copies of the documents requested were not the confidential documents of the DRI but documents seized from the noticee. The Commission noted that the respondent DRI is an exempted organization listed under Second Schedule of the RTI Act and, therefore, is not amenable to any provision contained in the RTI Act by virtue of Section 24 of the RTI Act. Furthermore, the information sought by the Appellants does not pertain to any violation of human rights and allegation of corruption, and therefore, does not fall under Proviso (I) to Section 24 of the RTI Act and the information sought by the Appellants is not in the custody of the respondent but in the custody of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, which is an exempted organization by virtue of Section 24 of the RTI Act. Therefore, the appeal was dismissed. It has to be appreciated that “allegation of corruption” does not mean mere conjuncture and surmises. Allegations ought to be supported by cogent and sound evidence which can lead the Commission to frame a prima facie view about corrupt or malpractices being involved in any given case. Evidence or material of such an element has element has to placed by the appellants before the Commission to establish a case of corruption. In this case, the PIO of DRI ought to replied to the appellant rather than writing to the PIO of the Office of the Commissioner of Customs. Citation: Shri G. Sampath & S. Raghu v. Office of the Commissioner of Customs in file no. CIC/SS/A/2011/001729 RTI Citation : RTIFI/2012/CIC/144 Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line383
__label__wiki	0.536365	0.536365	Major Boost for Steamship Shieldhall Written by Editorial Category: From the Lookout Southampton's heritage steamship, SS Shieldhall, has received a Resilience Grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund totaling £85,000. By funding professional help, this will assist its dedicated band of volunteers to explore new revenue streams and ensure the structure of the organisation (Shieldhall is managed by the charity Solent Steam Packet Limited) is best placed to take advantage of future opportunities. Shieldhall’s standing in maritime circles is high – she is currently ranked No 1 Thing to Do on TripAdvisor in Southampton, and in November 2018 was listed as No 5 Attraction in the Country after research conducted by Premier Inn. The project will commence this summer and will conclude at the end of December 2020. Utilising the skills and experience of professionals to critically examine Shieldhall’s current mode of operation and governance, the project will determine if the skills contained within the society’s volunteers are best placed to enable her success story to continue. There will also be an element of training for the ship’s volunteers to increase the capacity to fundraise and ensure that Shieldhall continues to sail and to provide a steamship experience into the future. Education is also reflected, with local school’s participation amongst the initiatives that will derive from the project. The goal is to keep Shieldhall operational for a good number of years yet to provide a satisfying challenge for future volunteers, to give first hand educational opportunities for young people and also, to allow the population at large to experience and enjoy a voyage from the age of steam. Shieldhall was built on the Clyde in 1955 to a classic pre-WW2 design. She had a long first career with Glasgow Corporation – year-round, carrying treated sludge out to sea and, in the summer, taking passengers “doon the watter” on pleasure trips. No, not very glamorous, but she did it well! The steam boilers and engines on Shieldhall are all operational and provide a first-hand experience of the technology that eclipsed the age of sail in the late 1800s/early 1900s and remained the machinery of choice for nearly 100 years. She was bought by Southern Water in 1977, then finally withdrawn from commercial service in 1985 – bound for the breaker’s yard. But, thanks to staff of Southampton City Council and the Southampton University Industrial Archaeology group, she was saved and bought for £20,000 in 1988, by the charity that still operates her today. Assisted by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £1.48 million in 2013, work to the ship’s hull means Shieldhall should be structurally seaworthy for another 25 years. Shieldhall has grown her visitor numbers to over 3,000 in recent years, and stages sell-out Youth Heritage Training Days on board during her sailing season. However, challenges remain to be overcome such as new measures introduced by new legislation and her current out-of-season berthing location, which precludes the use of Shieldhall by 3rd parties. More on this and other news in Sea Breezes Magazine - June 2019 Issue	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line384
__label__cc	0.663673	0.336327	Changeling by Philippa Gregory: Sneak Peek & Get the Widget! Philippa Gregory, author of the beloved The Other Boleyn Girl, will be publishing her first teen novel with Simon Pulse! Changeling, the first book in the Order of Darkness series, goes on sale next Tuesday, May 29th. Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days. Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape. Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon. Simon & Schuster has created a very special widget for this momentous occasion. As a special treat, the Changeling widget has a sneak peek and once the widget is shared 500 times, they'll reveal the next chapter in the book! So help spread the word! You can find the widget & embed code here: http://www.orderofdarkness.com/widget/ and don't forget to follow S&S on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest for the latest updates! at 4:47:00 PM Author Andye	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line386
__label__wiki	0.88667	0.88667	Best of Bloomberg Technology LINKTV World Athletics Sportsday : BBCNEWS : August 13, 2017 6:30pm-6:46pm BST ku scored twice also coming up, new signing rob lui lukaku scored twice to help manchester united go top of the table. —— romelu lukaku. and england score another ten try victory as they defend their world cup title. hello there. it's the final night of these championships. we have had ten pulsating days of competition at the london stadium. we might be hard pushed to match pure theatre of last night's session — usain bolt hamstrung in his final race, as great britain's four by four relay teams raised the roof, silverfor the women and that incredible gold. they are absolutely raised the roof, the british quartet. we will hopefully bring you that medal ceremony live here on bbc news. that will be a fantastic way to start this final evening. i think it is worth looking back at last night. it was a very emotional evening. it was always going to be first sir mo farah. his final tilt at a track gold. he came up short in the 5000 metres. disappointed to miss out on an 11th track title. his six year winning run at major championships ended by ethiopias mukhtar edris. farah has kept hi ku scored twice also coming up, new signing rob lui lukaku scored twice to help manchester united go top of the table. —— romelu lukaku. and england score another ten try victory as they defend their world cup title. hello there. it's the final night of these championships. we have had ten pulsating days of competition at the london stadium. we might be hard pushed to match pure theatre of last night's session — usain bolt hamstrung in his final race, as great britain's four by four... Sport Today : BBCNEWS : August 9, 2017 1:45am-2:01am BST Aug 9, 2017 08/17 cup with a 2—1 win over manchester united. hello there and welcome to the programme. lots to get through. and it's the world athletics championships in london where we start. a real story has been brewing in regards to botswana's issac makwala who was forced to withdraw from the 400 metre final after he was diagnosed with a norovirus bug. we will have more on that shortly. olympic champion wayde van niekerk retained his world title in the olympic stadium, and ben croucher rounds up day five. with the absence making headlines outside the stadium, the south african world recordholder was not at his best in the final. but still more than good enough to breeze through the race. it looked like there was only one winner. the 0lympic there was only one winner. the olympic champion showed his class to become world champion one more time. michaeljohnson was the last. now wayde van niekerk has the chance to do the same. with david rudisha injured, nigel amos was the favourite for the 800 metres. but there was a surprise in store. the frenchman produced the sprint of his life — and looked cup with a 2—1 win over manchester united. hello there and welcome to the programme. lots to get through. and it's the world athletics championships in london where we start. a real story has been brewing in regards to botswana's issac makwala who was forced to withdraw from the 400 metre final after he was diagnosed with a norovirus bug. we will have more on that shortly. olympic champion wayde van niekerk retained his world title in the olympic stadium, and ben croucher rounds up day five.... BBC News : BBCNEWS : August 13, 2017 11:00pm-11:31pm BST manchester united and tottenham hotspur both starting their season with victories. united are top of the table tonight though after a 4—0 win over west ham and a memorable debut for their new striker. ben croucher has more. when it comes to buying strikers from everton, manchester united have a bit of previous lock. wayne rooney turned out 0k. a bit of previous lock. wayne rooney turned out ok. so what about romelu lu ka ku ? the forward turned out ok. so what about romelu lukaku? the forward gave this. just over half an hour to open his account with manchester united. making the most of slack set piece defending to get two thirds of the way here. a spearhead for the united guilt. this signing gave a little warning this would not be a sunday stroll. the woodwork was against him. and another striker in marcus rashford, inches away. could jose mourinho cause problems? yes with this replacement. paul popper did not need to be that close. a strike to send united top of the table. —— pogba. with such firepower already ignited, could this be the season for them? in the earlier kick� Sportsday : BBCNEWS : August 13, 2017 7:30pm-7:46pm BST . welcome to sportsday. the headlines: no premier league shocks today as manchester united beat top of the table —— beat west ham and tottenham beat newcastle. england march on in their women's rugby world cup title defence but wales are out. i'm at the london stadium on the final night of the world athletics championships. great britain's men have received their gold medals for last night's relay. we have seven more finals coming up. can robbie grabarz graba more finals coming up. can robbie grabarz grab a medal? he is in the highjumpfinal grabarz grab a medal? he is in the high jump final right now. lots to get through. we will have the athletics in a moment. after two days of shocks and drama, today's premier league fixtures went pretty much to plan, with manchester united and tottenham both winning their respective matches. we'll have spurs and newcastle in a minute. but first, here's ben croucher with the story of the late kick—off, where united beat west ham 4—0 to go top of the table. when it comes to buying strikers from everton, manchester united have a bit of previous . welcome to sportsday. the headlines: no premier league shocks today as manchester united beat top of the table —— beat west ham and tottenham beat newcastle. england march on in their women's rugby world cup title defence but wales are out. i'm at the london stadium on the final night of the world athletics championships. great britain's men have received their gold medals for last night's relay. we have seven more finals coming up. can robbie grabarz graba more finals coming up. can... teams will be happier than others. if you're a manchester united fan, you could have had trip to portugal, switzerland and russia, q to portugal, switzerland and russia, 0 would have said that sounds 0k, which avoiding the big guns, they've drawn benfica. they have drawn a swiss side and cska moscow. in world cup year, the russians will be trying to put on a show. it would be the intimidating journey as in the past. manchester united fans might let this is an easy draw but in 2011, manchester united were in the same group of benfica and basel, and they didn't qualify. for celtic, it is the group of death? from a celtic point of view, why not play the big they're not going to win it. why not play against huge teams, they've got bayern munich paris saint germain who we now have invested in neymar, and they could be censored again by the time the start in three weeks. and unless the make up the group but celtic have avoided all the english teams, bayern munich paris saint germain and and less. group d comey juventus in barcelona, should be a couple of big games. but look at the othe teams will be happier than others. if you're a manchester united fan, you could have had trip to portugal, switzerland and russia, q to portugal, switzerland and russia, 0 would have said that sounds 0k, which avoiding the big guns, they've drawn benfica. they have drawn a swiss side and cska moscow. in world cup year, the russians will be trying to put on a show. it would be the intimidating journey as in the past. manchester united fans might let this is an easy draw but in 2011, manchester... event. confirmation came on monday that nemanja matic has joined manchester united on a three—year deal from chelsea for over $50 million. the serbian midfielder who celebrates his 29th birthday on tuesday will be reacquainted withjose mourinho who originally brought him to england from benfica when he was in charge at stamford bridge. i feel great. manchester is one of the biggest clubs in the world and i'm very happy because i'm now part of this great club, part of this great group and i'm looking forward to start to train with the team and to start to train with the team and to start to play the games. cristiano ronaldo has appeared in a spanish court accused of tax fraud. the real madrid forward testified at a pre—trial hearing before leaving without speaking to journalists who'd gathered outside the building. one of them was our sports news correspondent richard conway. cristiano ronaldo making it clear today in court he feels he's done nothing wrong when it comes to his tax affairs. now, he stands accused of $17 million of tax evasion dating from 2010 onwards. now, he said when event. confirmation came on monday that nemanja matic has joined manchester united on a three—year deal from chelsea for over $50 million. the serbian midfielder who celebrates his 29th birthday on tuesday will be reacquainted withjose mourinho who originally brought him to england from benfica when he was in charge at stamford bridge. i feel great. manchester is one of the biggest clubs in the world and i'm very happy because i'm now part of this great club, part of this great group and i'm... Sport Today : BBCNEWS : August 14, 2017 1:45am-2:01am BST lukaku scores twice for manchester united as they put four past a hapless west ham at old trafford. hello and welcome to the programme, where we start with the news that justin thomas in the past couple of hours has claimed the uspga championship at quail hollow in north carolina. the american was a two stroke winner on 8—under to win his first major title. some remarkable play on the last nine holes saw the 24—year—old from kentucky fire four birdies in a seven—hole stretch with one on the 10th that hung on the edge of the hole for what seemed like an eternity, before eventually dropping in. like magic. and despite bogeying the last on a day where the lead was held by five players at one stage he held enough of a lead to claim the wannamaker trophy in what was his fourth victory of the season. so confirmation of the thomas win with his good friend jordan spieth who was looking to become the youngest career grand slam winner finishing on 2—over, but for all the latest head to bbc.com/sport. world number four rory mcilroy went into the tournament as one of the favourites b lukaku scores twice for manchester united as they put four past a hapless west ham at old trafford. hello and welcome to the programme, where we start with the news that justin thomas in the past couple of hours has claimed the uspga championship at quail hollow in north carolina. the american was a two stroke winner on 8—under to win his first major title. some remarkable play on the last nine holes saw the 24—year—old from kentucky fire four birdies in a seven—hole stretch with one... World Athletics Sportsday : BBCNEWS : August 8, 2017 6:30pm-6:51pm BST manchester united take on real madrid. jose mourinho‘s side are bidding to win a fourth trophy injust over a year. it is the ee of the women's rugby world cup in ireland and i have been tilting to the english, irish and welsh squad square victoria derbyshire. good evening. they fired at the world athletics championships. we are halfan world athletics championships. we are half an hour away from the start of the action. five medals to be one this evening. the talking point has been away from the stadium and the norovirus that has swept through one of the hotels. it has wiped out some of the hotels. it has wiped out some of the hotels. it has wiped out some of the athletes and support staff. the botswa nan runner of the athletes and support staff. the botswanan runner has been told he cannot ride in the —— you cannot run in the 200 metres and he is not allowed to run in the 400 metres tonight, the main event of the night, the last event on the track. it has been aged magic day. they cannot afford for the virus to spread. we have heard from a former runner, he has treated to see that manchester united take on real madrid. jose mourinho‘s side are bidding to win a fourth trophy injust over a year. it is the ee of the women's rugby world cup in ireland and i have been tilting to the english, irish and welsh squad square victoria derbyshire. good evening. they fired at the world athletics championships. we are halfan world athletics championships. we are half an hour away from the start of the action. five medals to be one this evening. the talking point has been away from... World News Today : BBCNEWS : August 19, 2017 9:00pm-9:31pm BST manchester united fans. this is bbc world news today. i'm alpa patel. the latest headlines... tens of thousands of antiracism protesters have ta ken to the streets of boston. a group of white nationalists have been escorted away by police. spain's government says the terror cell behind last week's attacks has been dismantled as the hunt continues for a key suspect. we will stay with that story. to get a sense of how people are coping. joining me now from barcelona on skype isjim kent — a local radio presenter. a traumatic few days, how people coping? it has been traumatic, nothing that we have experienced before. the sense of shock and loss. we thought spain was not on the radarfor we thought spain was not on the radar for terrorism we thought spain was not on the radarfor terrorism like we thought spain was not on the radar for terrorism like this. we thought spain was not on the radarfor terrorism like this. this has been followed by this outpouring of solidarity with the one—minute silence yesterday. now there is a strange sense of tension in the air. today's rise of many, the manchester united fans. this is bbc world news today. i'm alpa patel. the latest headlines... tens of thousands of antiracism protesters have ta ken to the streets of boston. a group of white nationalists have been escorted away by police. spain's government says the terror cell behind last week's attacks has been dismantled as the hunt continues for a key suspect. we will stay with that story. to get a sense of how people are coping. joining me now from barcelona on skype isjim kent — a... BBC News : BBCNEWS : August 26, 2017 8:00pm-8:31pm BST shone the brightest. adam wild, bbc news. manchester united have maintained their 100% start to the season with a 2—0 win over leicester at old trafford. jose mourinho's side have now scored ten goals this season and have still to concede. hannah lupton reports. manchester united have looked united. perhaps inspired by their fast fan. this goal was offside, just. why matter again denied. the pressure was building. the old trafford crowd a re pressure was building. the old trafford crowd are used as stunning schmeichel saves. goalless at half—time but after the break, handball from a fox in the box. if the decision seemed harsh on danny simpson, the debate was over quickly. romilly lukaku could not ta ke quickly. romilly lukaku could not take advantage. lester's defence remained resolute until they were broken by marcus rashford, the substitute making it crucial contribution. he was not the only one making an impact from the bench. maren fellaini sealed all three points. not a perfect goal, but the start of the season for manchester united remains perfect. in the day's other prem shone the brightest. adam wild, bbc news. manchester united have maintained their 100% start to the season with a 2—0 win over leicester at old trafford. jose mourinho's side have now scored ten goals this season and have still to concede. hannah lupton reports. manchester united have looked united. perhaps inspired by their fast fan. this goal was offside, just. why matter again denied. the pressure was building. the old trafford crowd a re pressure was building. the old trafford crowd are... uefa elite coaches forum, former manchester united manager sir alex ferguson said the forum proposed that in the future the window close before the start of the leagues. the recommendation we look at is to close the window before the season starts, so everyone knows what players they've got and don't wait to see what their first results are going to be like. and also, when they do, they can make other club sport, who maybe start the season not so good either. so it would be a goodidea not so good either. so it would be a good idea to shorten the window and give everyone the same opportunity to sign their players before the season to sign their players before the season starts. colombia's miguel angel lopez overpowered leader chris froome to take stage 11 of the vuelta espana. the astana rider burst away from a breakaway group with two kilometres remaining. the briton, froome, was 1a seconds behind with vincenzo nibali coming in third. so the italian moves to second in the overall standings, while froome, who's attempting to become the first rider since 1978 to do the tour de france� coach at manchester united, rene meulensteen. he was going to be involved in that england squad under gareth southgate, how big a surprise is this for you? i think for a lot of people, because he sort of — southgate are going to speak to him, i thought there was all the right noises that he wanted to be involved, it comes not only as a surprise to me but a lot of people. when you look at his recent form at everton and still only 31, could he still do a job for england?” everton and still only 31, could he still do a job for england? i think he could have. i think definitely he could have. i mean, he has had some really long times to think about what he is going to do beyond manchester united. he made a decision to go and play for everton, coming home as he calls it. everybody can see he plays with energy, plays with a smile on his face. so, that would be very welcome to the england team, as well. i think he has had a chance to think about this decision, as well. he thought it really through. he made a decisionjust to call thought it really through. he made a decision just to coach at manchester united, rene meulensteen. he was going to be involved in that england squad under gareth southgate, how big a surprise is this for you? i think for a lot of people, because he sort of — southgate are going to speak to him, i thought there was all the right noises that he wanted to be involved, it comes not only as a surprise to me but a lot of people. when you look at his recent form at everton and still only 31, could he still do a job for england?” everton and still... drama in the premier league, today went as expected with manchester united and tottenham hotspur both starting their season with victories. manchester united beat west ham 4—0 at old trafford. paul pogba completed this scoring in the final minute. it was a good performance with confidence level is high, with the team coming in the second half, winning1—0 and playing to score goals and to win in a more co mforta ble goals and to win in a more comfortable way and i think it was a very positive performance and a good reflection of the confidence levels we have. newcastle united's return to the premier league ended in a 2—0 defeat at home to spurs. jonjo shelvey was sent off for newcastle and tottenham made the advantage count with goals from dele alli and ben davies. they tried to play deeper and played contact and it was not easy to find the space to create chances with all the space to create chances with all the contact we had, i think we need to be, the conditions were difficult but i think it's massive, the three points for us. in the last half an hour, the leaders have teed o drama in the premier league, today went as expected with manchester united and tottenham hotspur both starting their season with victories. manchester united beat west ham 4—0 at old trafford. paul pogba completed this scoring in the final minute. it was a good performance with confidence level is high, with the team coming in the second half, winning1—0 and playing to score goals and to win in a more co mforta ble goals and to win in a more comfortable way and i think it was a very... Victoria Derbyshire : BBCNEWS : August 11, 2017 9:00am-11:01am BST ? there have beenjokes he will sign for manchester united ? there have beenjokes he will sign for manchester united? he will go to hollywood! do you reckon, kriss? do some films, bust a fewer records, travel the world. he is worth 45 million quid, there is a lot you can do when you are worth that. he does not need the money. what do you reckon, roger? i think not need the money. what do you reckon, roger? ithink he not need the money. what do you reckon, roger? i think he will be some sort of global ambassador. he likes his football. in retirement you see the opportunity to do will be things you could not do as an athlete. he will play loads of football, get involved in the things he could not do and then at some point he will decide what he wants to be, but i think he will have a few years of having a lot more fun, he has had enough phone in the last ten! at some point he will decide. have you both met him? not personally. i have seen him like everybody else but not met him.” met him when he was very young, he is one of these athletes who was breaking records that are very earl ? there have beenjokes he will sign for manchester united ? there have beenjokes he will sign for manchester united? he will go to hollywood! do you reckon, kriss? do some films, bust a fewer records, travel the world. he is worth 45 million quid, there is a lot you can do when you are worth that. he does not need the money. what do you reckon, roger? i think not need the money. what do you reckon, roger? ithink he not need the money. what do you reckon, roger? i think he will be some sort of... BBC News at Five : BBCNEWS : August 24, 2017 5:00pm-6:01pm BST . ibrahimovic will wear number ten for manchester united next season. he scored 28 times last season. and mo farah getting ready for the final farewell on the track in zurich this evening. soon he will be swapping the track for the roads instead. thank you. and we can talk more about the main story, the reduction in net migration and what the statistics have been showing us, it seems to be an outflux of people from eastern and central european countries. it is in that period, the yearup to march, countries. it is in that period, the year up to march, something of an exodus. we can go to salford. 0ne man who has lived here for many yea rs. man who has lived here for many years. but originally from poland. you have lived here for 12 years. you have lived here for 12 years. you have lived here for 12 years. you have your own business. the business networking club as well. when you hear these figures... an apparent surge in people leaving... does not reflect your personal experience? —— does that. does not reflect your personal experience? -- does that. a lot of polish people and immigrants . ibrahimovic will wear number ten for manchester united next season. he scored 28 times last season. and mo farah getting ready for the final farewell on the track in zurich this evening. soon he will be swapping the track for the roads instead. thank you. and we can talk more about the main story, the reduction in net migration and what the statistics have been showing us, it seems to be an outflux of people from eastern and central european countries. it is in that period, the yearup to... BBC News at Five : BBCNEWS : August 3, 2017 5:00pm-6:01pm BST current record fee of £89 million, that manchester united paid juventus for paul pogba. as a result, neymar will also become the world's highest paid player, earning around £a0 million a year. after tax that would see him netting half a million pounds a week. all in all, if neymar signs a five year deal, this one player is going to cost paris st germain around four hundred million pounds. with me in the studio is the football agent, sky andrew. and joining me down the line from salford is the football finance specialist, kieran maguire, from the university of liverpool. gentlemen, good to see you. staggering figures. arsene wenger said, once a country owns a club everything is possible, it's hard to respond to financial fair play. it's a consequence of the ownerships that have changed the landscape com pletely have changed the landscape completely over the last 15 years. if you have a national treasury bankrolling a club you will get these ridiculous amounts. everything is about timing. neymar is one of the best players in the world. under normal circumstances a super team would no current record fee of £89 million, that manchester united paid juventus for paul pogba. as a result, neymar will also become the world's highest paid player, earning around £a0 million a year. after tax that would see him netting half a million pounds a week. all in all, if neymar signs a five year deal, this one player is going to cost paris st germain around four hundred million pounds. with me in the studio is the football agent, sky andrew. and joining me down the line from salford is... The Travel Show : BBCNEWS : August 13, 2017 1:30pm-2:00pm BST for romelu lukaku and nemanja matic for manchester united at old trafford as they take on west ham. a manager in the second season knows the players better. we are in a position to do quality work better than we did in the first season. so iam than we did in the first season. so i am convinced i have that. notjust hope, iam i am convinced i have that. notjust hope, i am convinced that our second season hope, i am convinced that our second season in terms of the quality of oui’ season in terms of the quality of our team is going season in terms of the quality of ourteam is going be season in terms of the quality of our team is going be better. england head coach simon middleton has made ten changes for the women's rugby world cup match with italy in dublin this afternoon. he includes all the players that missed out on their opening victory over spain. emily scarratt captains the side. later, wales look to get the tournament back on track as they take on canada in pool a. and play isjust resuming in the us pga championship at quail hollow. kevin kisner is leading the way with the amer for romelu lukaku and nemanja matic for manchester united at old trafford as they take on west ham. a manager in the second season knows the players better. we are in a position to do quality work better than we did in the first season. so iam than we did in the first season. so i am convinced i have that. notjust hope, iam i am convinced i have that. notjust hope, i am convinced that our second season hope, i am convinced that our second season in terms of the quality of oui’ season in... Click : BBCNEWS : August 13, 2017 12:30pm-1:01pm BST titles as a player and a coach with manchester united thinks the new technology could really help. i think it benefits both amateur, professional and grassroots. you can put pressure into this situation. the technology is part of sport now. football, possibly, have had a reluctance to use it, but it is moving in that direction. but the kit being offered is not cheap. with packages starting at £5,000 and increasing to more than £20,000 a month. but the potential benefits of vr to the football clubs that can afford it are intriguing, coaches want to train and test footballers in the most effective way by recreating the pressure and intensity of performing in a packed stadium. so, what would the manager with the most premier league titles under his belt, sir alex ferguson, think about it? he would have a look at it, yeah. i think he would. he was open to all that sort of stuff. as long as it made a bit of a difference, or sometimes it is what people like, you know, players like it. they like something new and fresh. top clubs are big businesses, and the money in football is only going titles as a player and a coach with manchester united thinks the new technology could really help. i think it benefits both amateur, professional and grassroots. you can put pressure into this situation. the technology is part of sport now. football, possibly, have had a reluctance to use it, but it is moving in that direction. but the kit being offered is not cheap. with packages starting at £5,000 and increasing to more than £20,000 a month. but the potential benefits of vr to the football... France 24 : LINKTV : August 3, 2017 5:30am-6:01am PDT by LINKTV comically manchester united's manager is concerned about the knock on effect. >> i do not think he is expensive. expensive, the fact that now you will have more players at 100 million and you will have more players of 80 million and more players of 60 million. and i think that is the problem. >> the owners of the club hope the investment will when the paris team when their champions league trophy and put them among the elite in european football. the most exceptional excavation of a roman sites in 40 or 50 years is the reaction of the archaeologist leading a dignity friend city, the roman ruins described as a little pompeii. >> remnants of the splendor of an era, this 13 meter square mosaic has been remarkably well preserved. the remains of a bank what hall that dates back to the second half of the first century. in the center, a mosaic, the roman god of wine and intoxication. >> and extraordinary site, the most significant excavation in the last 40 years in france. squared, ands extraordinary because of the wide range of discovers. and the impressive state of preservation. 32 kilomet comically manchester united's manager is concerned about the knock on effect. >> i do not think he is expensive. expensive, the fact that now you will have more players at 100 million and you will have more players of 80 million and more players of 60 million. and i think that is the problem. >> the owners of the club hope the investment will when the paris team when their champions league trophy and put them among the elite in european football. the most exceptional excavation of... Bloomberg BusinessWeek : BLOOMBERG : August 12, 2017 3:00pm-4:00pm EDT by BLOOMBERG , the famous ones, manchester united, manchester city, all of these are coming into the u.s.. supports.ch a vibrant soccer hasn't built up in a way it has for basketball. sport.er is such a huge there really isthat is as ubiquitous. obviously americans are about football and basketball. it looks like there is a growing support for soccer. maybe it is time for globalization. --ll a lot of room to glow room to grow. >> it has double the population of spain in its entirety. , club like our salon a tremendously popular around the world, they are saturated in spain. you look at the united states, which is a place fairly young and its soccer's death fairly young in its lifespan. things like that are just helping push all these european teams to the u.s.. is aboutems like it the population size and number of people. as he points out when you look at a country like spain, at a certain point you can't bring in new fans. what is going to be the recipe for success? >> manchester city, they are emirates owners and that was there play to get their brand in the u.s. soccer fans. the germa , the famous ones, manchester united, manchester city, all of these are coming into the u.s.. supports.ch a vibrant soccer hasn't built up in a way it has for basketball. sport.er is such a huge there really isthat is as ubiquitous. obviously americans are about football and basketball. it looks like there is a growing support for soccer. maybe it is time for globalization. --ll a lot of room to glow room to grow. >> it has double the population of spain in its entirety. , club like our... afternoon, manchester united are likely to give new signings lukaku and matic their league debuts as they take on west ham. before that, newcastle united return to the top flight as they take on tottenham. my commitment is 100% with this team, this club, in terms of trying to win from the first game until the last one. so my ambition is to do well every single game, to get three points, and see where we are in the table. i can't say i'm really pleased with everything because it's not true, but i am not saying i will not do my best. confirmation of those two premier league fixtures. england head coach simon middleton has made ten changes for the women's rugby world cup match with italy in dublin this afternoon. it includes all the players who missed out in their opening victory against spain. wales look to get the tournament back on track as they take on canada. that is all your sport for now. thank you. in nepal, the number of people killed in the floods and landslides caused by the torrential rain over the past two days, has reached 49. elephants and rafts have been sent to rescue nearly afternoon, manchester united are likely to give new signings lukaku and matic their league debuts as they take on west ham. before that, newcastle united return to the top flight as they take on tottenham. my commitment is 100% with this team, this club, in terms of trying to win from the first game until the last one. so my ambition is to do well every single game, to get three points, and see where we are in the table. i can't say i'm really pleased with everything because it's not true, but... manchester united from everton in a british record deal worth up to £90 million. in europe neymar has moved from barcelona to paris st germain for a staggering 200 million. huge sums of money but ahead of the new season the premier league's chief executive richard scudamore says the neymar deal is a one—off. go back to 2002 zidane was transferred for around 14% of the turnover of the premier league at that stage. so i think not saying, not justifying it but that stage. so i think not saying, notjustifying it butjust saying in context, other than the neymar situation which i do not think is the norm, you will not see that again, that was manchester united from everton in a british record deal worth up to £90 million. in europe neymar has moved from barcelona to paris st germain for a staggering 200 million. huge sums of money but ahead of the new season the premier league's chief executive richard scudamore says the neymar deal is a one—off. go back to 2002 zidane was transferred for around 14% of the turnover of the premier league at that stage. so i think not saying, not justifying it but that stage. so i think not... Breakfast : BBCNEWS : August 14, 2017 6:00am-8:31am BST manchester united. the belgian striker had an instant impact at old trafford, scoring twice as united beat west ham 4—0 to go top of the premier league. jonjo shelvey was sent off for this, whatever you want to call it. a red card. paving the way for spurs to beat newcastle. that clearly cost his side. the american, justin thomas, won golf‘s final major of the year, the uspga at quail hollow. look at that. one of the shots of the round. thomas produced a final round 68 to claim his first major title, winning by two shots on a thrilling final day that saw five players level for the lead at one stage and england's women have continued the defence of their rugby world cup title with a thumping 56—13 win over italy, scoring ten tries in all. hosts, ireland, also won, they beat japan, but wales can no longer qualify for the semi—finals after they lost to canada. it is good to see england are going well at the moment in defence of their title. that is nice to see. thank you. justin thomas, 220 on a 7—iron. for anyone who plays golf, thatis 7—iron. for anyone who plays gol manchester united. the belgian striker had an instant impact at old trafford, scoring twice as united beat west ham 4—0 to go top of the premier league. jonjo shelvey was sent off for this, whatever you want to call it. a red card. paving the way for spurs to beat newcastle. that clearly cost his side. the american, justin thomas, won golf‘s final major of the year, the uspga at quail hollow. look at that. one of the shots of the round. thomas produced a final round 68 to claim his first... Victoria Derbyshire : BBCNEWS : August 1, 2017 9:00am-11:01am BST environment, lots of testosterone. but greater manchester police's firearms unit is facing intense criticism. my life is on hold. the police have determined what has happened with anthony's life and they‘ re dictating what is happening in my life. three very different cases have ended up with three people being killed and left three families grieving. i'm tempted to say you try and move on, but you don't move on. you really never can move on. we can now reveal that all of these cases are facing new investigations by the police watchdog. if you have got quite a number of separate fails then that brings out that the big picture of an organisation that is questionable, it looks far from good. we've spoken to more than a dozen former officers, some of whom are speaking out for the very first time. i thought we were getting a little bit too much into the aggressive tactics. the more aggressive you get, the more likely you are to have people shot. so what's going wrong inside greater manchester police? he was a beautiful person inside and out. just a kind heart. i'm not trying to say f environment, lots of testosterone. but greater manchester police's firearms unit is facing intense criticism. my life is on hold. the police have determined what has happened with anthony's life and they‘ re dictating what is happening in my life. three very different cases have ended up with three people being killed and left three families grieving. i'm tempted to say you try and move on, but you don't move on. you really never can move on. we can now reveal that all of these cases are... look away now. manchester united maintained their 100% start to the season. goals from marcus rashford and marrouane fellani making it three league wins from three. a 97th minute winner from raheem sterling saw manchester city beat bournemouth 2—1. while newcastle secured their first win of the season against west ham. in the scottish premiership, callum mcgregor‘s late goal rescued a point for celtic as they came from behind to draw with stjohnstone. meanwhile, aberdeen maintained their winning start to the season thanks to adam rooney's header. lewis hamilton has equalled michael schumacher‘s all—time record of 68 formula 1 pole positions. the mercedes driver produced a sensational lap in qualifying and will start at the front of the grid in tomorrow's race, ahead of title rival sebastian vettel of ferrari. injury‘s forced andy murray to withdraw from next week's us open, the final tennis major of the year. after seeking the advice of several specialists to resolve his hip problem, he said it's "too sore" for him to win the tournament. he says he'll make a decision look away now. manchester united maintained their 100% start to the season. goals from marcus rashford and marrouane fellani making it three league wins from three. a 97th minute winner from raheem sterling saw manchester city beat bournemouth 2—1. while newcastle secured their first win of the season against west ham. in the scottish premiership, callum mcgregor‘s late goal rescued a point for celtic as they came from behind to draw with stjohnstone. meanwhile, aberdeen maintained their... BBC News : BBCNEWS : August 8, 2017 4:00pm-5:01pm BST 800m. could gareth bale be heading back to the premier league? manchester united manager, jose mourinho, says he would fight other coaches to sign the wales forward. england's women's world cup star will miss the start of the super league. she's had a side strain injury. more on those stories just after half past. let's get you more now on that pipe bomb case. a man from bury has been found guilty of trying to smuggle a pipe bomb on to a plane at manchester airport. the device — described as crude and improvised — was found in nadeem muhammad's carry—on luggage as he went through security injanuary — trying to board a flight to italy. let's get more from our correspondent dan whitworth in leeds. you've been following this case. what did you hear in court today? well, effectively as you say this case is about a 43—year—old from bury. what happened in manchester crown court today is that the jury read out its verdict as found him guilty of possession of explosives with intent to endanger life. essentially what happened is he tried to carry a pipe bomb on board a plane 800m. could gareth bale be heading back to the premier league? manchester united manager, jose mourinho, says he would fight other coaches to sign the wales forward. england's women's world cup star will miss the start of the super league. she's had a side strain injury. more on those stories just after half past. let's get you more now on that pipe bomb case. a man from bury has been found guilty of trying to smuggle a pipe bomb on to a plane at manchester airport. the device — described as... n zlatan ibrahimovic will wear the number ten shirt for manchester united next season after signing a new one—year deal. he scored 28 times for united in his debut season before suffering a bad knee injury. serve mo farah is getting ready for a final farewell on the track in zurich tonight where he will run over 5000 metres. he‘s swapping the stadium for roads to run marathon instead. i will be back with more on those stories after half—past. as the latest data immigration figures is released and the government launches an investigation into the impact of international students in the uk, a poll by the independent think tank british future suggests that three quarters of the british public want the number of students coming to study in the uk from abroad to stay the same or even increase. with me is steve ballinger — director of communications at british future. just explain what british future is. we are just explain what british future is. we a re interested just explain what british future is. we are interested in what the public thinks so we do a lot of opinion polling, n zlatan ibrahimovic will wear the number ten shirt for manchester united next season after signing a new one—year deal. he scored 28 times for united in his debut season before suffering a bad knee injury. serve mo farah is getting ready for a final farewell on the track in zurich tonight where he will run over 5000 metres. he‘s swapping the stadium for roads to run marathon instead. i will be back with more on those stories after half—past. as the latest data immigration figures is... england and scotland. manchester united and huddersfield looking to maintain that 100% record. one of the grounds we will be live at today. i fancied team has taken a bit of a battering. any tips? it has been a difficult start for fa ntasy tips? it has been a difficult start for fantasy football. huddersfield have been brilliant, they are taking on manchester united. we havejuan mata on the programme, the fact he is giving 1% of his salary to charity and encouraging others to do that. and we will chat to you —— zlata n that. and we will chat to you —— zlatan ibrahimovic later in the season. we have craig dawson on, from west brom, another great start to the season. jonathan walters. and talking to mick mccarthy this week. a fantastic character. he is manager of ipswich and neil warnock is manager of cardiff and they are first and second in the championship. mick mccarthy has been in football a0 years and neil warnock 50 years. we went to see mick mccarthy and he has been reminiscing on years go by, take a look. if we look back at the ba rnsley look. if we look back at the b england and scotland. manchester united and huddersfield looking to maintain that 100% record. one of the grounds we will be live at today. i fancied team has taken a bit of a battering. any tips? it has been a difficult start for fa ntasy tips? it has been a difficult start for fantasy football. huddersfield have been brilliant, they are taking on manchester united. we havejuan mata on the programme, the fact he is giving 1% of his salary to charity and encouraging others to do that. and we... ibrahimovic will wear the number 10 shirt for manchester united after signing a one—year deal for the club. he has 28 goals for the club in his debut season before suffering injury. and the big—money showdown,, mcgregor and floyd mayweather come face—to—face ahead of their fight this weekend. the american is favourite to win to make it 50 wins in his career. more on those stories after half—past. a woman who made a series of false rape and sexual assault allegations has been sentenced to ten years in prison. let's go to southwark crown court. 25—year—old jemma beale who made a period of accusations over four yea rs. period of accusations over four years. the judge described jemma beale is an attention seeker and one man went to more than —— went to prison for more than two years. the bogus stories began in 2010 and over four years, she falsely accused 15 men of rape and sexual assault. 25—year—old from west london claims she was a lesbian and had no interest in men, but sentencing her today, thejudge said, you are interest in men, but sentencing her today, the judge sai ibrahimovic will wear the number 10 shirt for manchester united after signing a one—year deal for the club. he has 28 goals for the club in his debut season before suffering injury. and the big—money showdown,, mcgregor and floyd mayweather come face—to—face ahead of their fight this weekend. the american is favourite to win to make it 50 wins in his career. more on those stories after half—past. a woman who made a series of false rape and sexual assault allegations has been... BBC News : BBCNEWS : August 19, 2017 10:00am-10:31am BST —off today, manchester united travel to swansea. liverpool are at home to crystal palace, while stoke city host arsenal in the late kick—off. in the solheim cup, team usa made a clean sweep of the four—balls, to take a 5 and a half to 2 and a half lead over europe. not once during the entire afternoon was there blue on the board, withjulie inkster‘s side holding on to any lead they gained, thanks to some fine putting performances. it was a disappointing afternoon for europe, who had led after the morning foursomes. a pretty good start, but the afternoon didn‘t pan out the way we plan. iam proud afternoon didn‘t pan out the way we plan. i am proud of the players, who fought really hard. it was a shame it didn‘t happen. it was mostly on the greens, and you need to make some birdies against this really tough team, and we didn‘t have it this afternoon, so we are going to close the chapter on friday and open the next one for saturday. some tennis news, and great britain‘sjohanna konta is out of the cincinnati open. she was beaten in straight sets by romania‘s simona halep —off today, manchester united travel to swansea. liverpool are at home to crystal palace, while stoke city host arsenal in the late kick—off. in the solheim cup, team usa made a clean sweep of the four—balls, to take a 5 and a half to 2 and a half lead over europe. not once during the entire afternoon was there blue on the board, withjulie inkster‘s side holding on to any lead they gained, thanks to some fine putting performances. it was a disappointing afternoon for europe, who had led... BBC News at Six : BBCNEWS : August 23, 2017 6:00pm-6:31pm BST myself, a lot more to come. for a player that won everything for manchester united, injuries and ill discipline ensured that his england career was not without controversy and, at times, the frustration boiled over. nice to see the home fa ns boiled over. nice to see the home fans booing you! he said one of his few regrets in football was retiring having never been part of a successful england side at a major tournament, but he insists the time has come to put club before country and focus his energies on edison here at goodison. —— everton. a return to form, and a recall beckoned, but the offer was rejected bya beckoned, but the offer was rejected by a player that some believe deserves more credit. it's important to remember that the vast majority of his career, he has only really been the one england world—class player. it is a time when we have struggled, we have had bad sides in the last few competitions and haven‘t had enough world—class players alongside him. he was the last of england‘s feted but ultimately unfulfilled golden generation. but his records and commitm myself, a lot more to come. for a player that won everything for manchester united, injuries and ill discipline ensured that his england career was not without controversy and, at times, the frustration boiled over. nice to see the home fa ns boiled over. nice to see the home fans booing you! he said one of his few regrets in football was retiring having never been part of a successful england side at a major tournament, but he insists the time has come to put club before country and focus his... ibrahimovic says his back to finish what he started at manchester united, he has signed a new one—year deal after his debut season was ended by injury. you'd have thought a ten—minute walk a day is not asking much but you'd be surprised how few of us manage that. officials at public health england have found that over 40% of adults aged between 40 and 60 don't manage even one brisk ten—minute walk in a month. that has a cost — one in six adult deaths are linked to inactivity. and it turns out we are 20% less active then we were in the 1960s. here's our health correspondent dominic hughes. in the derbyshire peak district, these walkers are about to head to these walkers are about to head to the hills. i believe the weather is going to be fine, we hope! the beauty of walking is it's free, you don't need any special training or kit, and there are physical and mental benefits. people like liam quigley whojoined this mental benefits. people like liam quigley who joined this club after putting on weight in his 50s. psychologically it's great, if you feel a bit down and you come to an a ibrahimovic says his back to finish what he started at manchester united, he has signed a new one—year deal after his debut season was ended by injury. you'd have thought a ten—minute walk a day is not asking much but you'd be surprised how few of us manage that. officials at public health england have found that over 40% of adults aged between 40 and 60 don't manage even one brisk ten—minute walk in a month. that has a cost — one in six adult deaths are linked to inactivity. and it... BBC News at Ten : BBCNEWS : August 2, 2017 10:00pm-10:31pm BST £80 million. in 2013, gareth bale made a move also to real for 85 million. then last summer manchester united signed paul pogba for the current record sum. but at £198 million neymar‘s fee would eclipse them all. psg are owned by qatar. the gulf state has a world cup in 2022 to prepare for. but this mega—deal is a sign that despite being subjected to an economic blockade by four other arab countries it will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealings. what we are seeing here is qatar saying we want to be considered to be a serious power in the business of football. we can bring lots and lots of commercial endorsements to the game. we can have a bigger influence on a global scale, notjust on a european scale. there is no finer example of doing that in signing one of the world's best. back on the streets of paris there's a sense of disbelief this deal appears to be finally happening. so too about price tag. i like paris and i think he can make a good thing in this team. it is too expensive but it is neymar. and so the stage is set. paris st germain will likely welcome n £80 million. in 2013, gareth bale made a move also to real for 85 million. then last summer manchester united signed paul pogba for the current record sum. but at £198 million neymar‘s fee would eclipse them all. psg are owned by qatar. the gulf state has a world cup in 2022 to prepare for. but this mega—deal is a sign that despite being subjected to an economic blockade by four other arab countries it will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealings. what we are seeing here... . newcastle united return to the premier league against hotspur, manchester united host west ham at old trafford. yesterday, chelsea we re old trafford. yesterday, chelsea were stunned by burnley in their first game of the season, beaten 3—2 at home. gary cahill was sent off early in the first half. burnley capitalised, getting three goals before the break. stephen ward and sam before the break. stephen ward and sa m vo kes before the break. stephen ward and sam vokes did the damage. they did well, without being expected to. and huddersfield at the same. they are top of the table, in fa ct, same. they are top of the table, in fact, this morning, after their 3—0 victory away to crystal palace. that is all your sport for now. you can keep up—to—date with all of those stories on the bbc sport website. we will have more in the next hour. john, thank you very much for that. 49 people have been killed in floods and landslides in the paul. tourists are being rescued. power supplies have been disrupted. —— in nepal. despite the tensions in the peninsula, some south koreans say that . newcastle united return to the premier league against hotspur, manchester united host west ham at old trafford. yesterday, chelsea we re old trafford. yesterday, chelsea were stunned by burnley in their first game of the season, beaten 3—2 at home. gary cahill was sent off early in the first half. burnley capitalised, getting three goals before the break. stephen ward and sam before the break. stephen ward and sa m vo kes before the break. stephen ward and sam vokes did the damage. they did... men's 1500 metres. romelu lukaku scored a double on his official old trafford debut as manchester united beat west ham 4—0. jose mourinho's team were a constant threat against a poor hammers side, lukaku finishing smartly with a goal in each half. antony martial made it three in the 87th minute, and paul pogba rounded things off with a well taken finish from outside the box in the 90th minute. it was a good performance with confidence level is very high, with a team coming through the second half, winning1—0 and playing to win in their more comfortable way and i think it was a very positive performance with a good reflection of the confidence levels we have. so united move top of the table on goal difference courtesy of their victory while the team who finished second last year, tottenham, were also winners in their opening match as delle ali and ben davies second half goals saw them win 2—0 at newly promoted newcastle united who had jonjo shelvey sent off just after half time. the world's most expensive footballer, neymar, made his ligue un debut for paris saint—germain j men's 1500 metres. romelu lukaku scored a double on his official old trafford debut as manchester united beat west ham 4—0. jose mourinho's team were a constant threat against a poor hammers side, lukaku finishing smartly with a goal in each half. antony martial made it three in the 87th minute, and paul pogba rounded things off with a well taken finish from outside the box in the 90th minute. it was a good performance with confidence level is very high, with a team coming through the second... premier league fixtures — in the late kick—off manchester united managed to keep a one hundred percent start to their season. that‘s after a 2—nil win over leicester at old trafford. goals from marcus rashford and marouane fellaini kept the run going forjose mourinho‘s side. in the day‘s other matches a 97th minute goalfrom raheem sterling earned manchester city a 2—1win at bournemouth. crystal palace are still without a win this season — they were beaten 2—0 at home to swansea. it was goalless between huddersfield and southampton. newcastle secured their first win of the season over west ham — 3—0 the score at st james‘s park. miguel britos was sent off for a terrible tackle in the goalless draw between watford and brighton. in the scottish premiership celtic were held to a surprising one—all draw at home to saintjohnstone. kilmarnock and hamilton shared four goals whilst there were wins for motherwell and aberdeen. injury has forced andy murray to pull out of the us open. the world number two had been struggling with a hip injury since wimbledon. we understand m premier league fixtures — in the late kick—off manchester united managed to keep a one hundred percent start to their season. that‘s after a 2—nil win over leicester at old trafford. goals from marcus rashford and marouane fellaini kept the run going forjose mourinho‘s side. in the day‘s other matches a 97th minute goalfrom raheem sterling earned manchester city a 2—1win at bournemouth. crystal palace are still without a win this season — they were beaten 2—0 at home to... by liverpool at anfield. the win moves them up to second in the table behind manchester united, as arsene wenger‘s side slipped to a second straight league defeat. elsewhere, the champions chelsea beat everton two nil. in the scottish premiership, it finished one all between dundee and hibernian, and rangers won 3—1 at ross county. england captainjoe root helped steer his side to a two run lead over west indies at the end of the third day of the second test at headingley. whether he can steer them to victory remains to be seen. patrick gearey reports. cheap runs. england had not found any offer on wickets. they have spent a long time waiting. sunday morning, by one, get one free. next ball for none. jimmy anderson just three from 500 in test. jermaine blackwood nearly threw himself in. england could not afford mistakes, not with the leading away from them. they were bowled out and held the lead. a figure that england must follow. rather that than the alarm which jolted alistair cooke. he follow. rather that than the alarm whichjolted alistair cooke. he made eight. mark had work by liverpool at anfield. the win moves them up to second in the table behind manchester united, as arsene wenger‘s side slipped to a second straight league defeat. elsewhere, the champions chelsea beat everton two nil. in the scottish premiership, it finished one all between dundee and hibernian, and rangers won 3—1 at ross county. england captainjoe root helped steer his side to a two run lead over west indies at the end of the third day of the second test at headingley. whether he can... news — we'll have the best of the action from the european super cup between manchester united and real madrid. good evening. the south african president jacob zuma has narrowly survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership. the secret ballot in parliament was the eighth vote of no confidence he has faced in less than a decade. it was called amid repeated allegations of corruption and mismanagement. after the ballot, jacob zuma celebrated with his supporters and told them that the vote had confirmed the popularity of the anc party amongst south africans. our south africa correspondent milton nkosi reports from cape town. presidentjacob president jacob zuma lives presidentjacob zuma lives to fight another day. he's managed to hang on after an 8th motion of no confidence in his leadership. he is certainly on his 9th life now. here, in a packed national assembly, opposition mps began by listing a litany of corruption scandals against the president. and urging them to cast a vote for the good of the country.” know what nelson mandela would have donein know what nelson mandela wo news — we'll have the best of the action from the european super cup between manchester united and real madrid. good evening. the south african president jacob zuma has narrowly survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership. the secret ballot in parliament was the eighth vote of no confidence he has faced in less than a decade. it was called amid repeated allegations of corruption and mismanagement. after the ballot, jacob zuma celebrated with his supporters and told them that the vote... premier league back this weekend. this afternoon, manchester united are likely to give new signings lukaku and are likely to give new signings lu ka ku and matic are likely to give new signings lukaku and matic their league debuts as they take on west ham. before that, newcastle united return to the top flight as they take on totte n ha m. my totte n ha m. my commitment is 100% with this team, this club, in terms of trying to win from the first game until the last one. so my ambition is to do well every single game, to get three points, and see where we are in the table. i really —— i'm not british a really pleased with everything because it's not true, but i am not saying i will not do my best. england head coach simon middleton has made ten changes for the women's rugby world cup match with italy in dublin this afternoon. it includes all the players who missed out in their opening victory against spain. emily scott captains the team. wales looked to get the tournament back on track as they take on canada. golf and kevin kisner is leading the the us pga championship going into premier league back this weekend. this afternoon, manchester united are likely to give new signings lukaku and are likely to give new signings lu ka ku and matic are likely to give new signings lukaku and matic their league debuts as they take on west ham. before that, newcastle united return to the top flight as they take on totte n ha m. my totte n ha m. my commitment is 100% with this team, this club, in terms of trying to win from the first game until the last one. so my ambition is to do... best man is about chances for manchester united. he had a gold is allowed as well. because of handball. you can see the replay, he got a touch on his hand into the back of the net. jesus missed a good chance, but for brighton, is good for them to be backin brighton, is good for them to be back in the top flight. at the moment they are holding firm. it is 3-0. show us the rest of the day's results ? show us the rest of the day's results? any others that you want to have a quick mention of? west brom had a poor end to last season. a really good win for them today. and a debutant scored, the egyptian international with a really good header. he will get a few goals this season. meanwhile, southampton will be frustrated. 0—0 draw against swa nsea. swa nsea be frustrated. 0—0 draw against swansea. swansea didn't have a shot on target. i know it is only weak one, but huddersfield fans, this is just for you! one, but huddersfield fans, this is just foryou! huddersfield one, but huddersfield fans, this is just for you! huddersfield town are top of the premier league! notjust for hu best man is about chances for manchester united. he had a gold is allowed as well. because of handball. you can see the replay, he got a touch on his hand into the back of the net. jesus missed a good chance, but for brighton, is good for them to be backin brighton, is good for them to be back in the top flight. at the moment they are holding firm. it is 3-0. show us the rest of the day's results ? show us the rest of the day's results? any others that you want to have a quick mention of? west... not. in yesterday's other premier league games, manchester united fans celebrated a 4—0 win, for the second week running. romelu lukaku among the scorers against swansea. elsewhere watford won 2—0 at bournemouth. west brom beat burnley. and brighton lost 2—0 again, this time to leicester in the scottish premiership, the champions celtic continued their amazing unbeaten domestic run, with a 2—0 win at kilmarnock. brendan rodgers made six changes to the side that won 5—0 in the champions league in midweek, but this was still business as usual for celtic. james forrest getting their first just before half time, while callum mcgregor rounded of the victory. celtic are now 52 domestic matches unbeaten. elsewhere in the scottish premiership, stjohnstone and aberdeen also have a perfect league record, with three wins from three. rangers could only draw 0—0 at home with hearts. england's cricketers took 19 wickets in a day, to beat west indies by a record margin — an innings and 209 runs in the first test, at edgbaston. stuart broad took three for 34 in their second innings, as w not. in yesterday's other premier league games, manchester united fans celebrated a 4—0 win, for the second week running. romelu lukaku among the scorers against swansea. elsewhere watford won 2—0 at bournemouth. west brom beat burnley. and brighton lost 2—0 again, this time to leicester in the scottish premiership, the champions celtic continued their amazing unbeaten domestic run, with a 2—0 win at kilmarnock. brendan rodgers made six changes to the side that won 5—0 in the... the table, two points adrift of leaders manchester united. first half efforts from roberto firmino and sadio mane put the home side in a strong position at half time at a ground that hasn't been kind to arsenal in recent years. mohammad salah compounded the gunners woes when he struck a third and daniel sturridge added a fourth but more importantly for klopp perhaps is that liverpool have kept four clean sheets in a row at anfield in the premier league for the first time since september 2013. we were really good organised. if you give arsenal space and time they will do what they want to do. also you are a loss before the game sta rts you are a loss before the game starts and so i do not think that they did what they wanted today and thatis they did what they wanted today and that is all for the credit to the boys because they worked really hard. the performance was from back to forward was not at the level and they took advantage of it. it raises many questions and i still believe that you have not to think that these parents are not good. they are good players but it was sure to the table, two points adrift of leaders manchester united. first half efforts from roberto firmino and sadio mane put the home side in a strong position at half time at a ground that hasn't been kind to arsenal in recent years. mohammad salah compounded the gunners woes when he struck a third and daniel sturridge added a fourth but more importantly for klopp perhaps is that liverpool have kept four clean sheets in a row at anfield in the premier league for the first time since september 2013.... BBC News at One : BBCNEWS : August 31, 2017 1:00pm-1:31pm BST started with the likes of romelu lukaku joining the manchester united for £75 million. alvaro negredo to chelsea, alexander la cazette to negredo to chelsea, alexander lacazette to arsenal. today, the done deal so far is alex oxlade—chamberlain leaving arsenal for liverpool, the england international, an early deal worth £35 million. what's still to come in the next 9.5 hours, well, alexis sanchez also of arsenal is the key name on every body's blips because he isa name on every body's blips because he is a target for manchester city. he wants to go. manchester city wanting. it's whether arsenal will let him go and find a replacement. nine and a half hours to go, £1.2 billion already spent. david ornstein in salford, thanks. worth every penny, nick miller with the weather. started with the likes of romelu lukaku joining the manchester united for £75 million. alvaro negredo to chelsea, alexander la cazette to negredo to chelsea, alexander lacazette to arsenal. today, the done deal so far is alex oxlade—chamberlain leaving arsenal for liverpool, the england international, an early deal worth £35 million. what's still to come in the next 9.5 hours, well, alexis sanchez also of arsenal is the key name on every body's blips because he isa name on every body's... Newsday : BBCNEWS : August 3, 2017 1:00am-1:31am BST last summer manchester united signed paul pogba four of the current record some, but, at £198 million, neymar‘s fee would eclipse the mail. psg is owned by qatar. this mega seal is a sign that, despite being objected to a blockade by four other arab countries, it will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealings. will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealingslj will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealings. i think what we are seeing is qatar saying, we wa nt what we are seeing is qatar saying, we want to be considered a serious power in the business of football. we can bring lots of commercial endorsements to the game, we can have a much bigger influence on a global scale, and there's no finer example of doing that than signing one of the world's best. back on the streets of paris, there's a sense of disbelief this deal appears to be finally happening. so, too, about the pricetag. i like paris and he can make good things in this team. he's too expensive. but it's neymar. the stage is set. paris st germain will likely name neymar as last summer manchester united signed paul pogba four of the current record some, but, at £198 million, neymar‘s fee would eclipse the mail. psg is owned by qatar. this mega seal is a sign that, despite being objected to a blockade by four other arab countries, it will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealings. will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealingslj will not be cowed or diminished in its international dealings. i think what we are seeing is qatar... BBC News at Six : BBCNEWS : August 8, 2017 6:00pm-6:31pm BST super cup where manchester united take on real madrid. almost 40% of maternity wards in england closed their doors to expectant mothers last year, that's according to a freedom of information request made by the labour party. in england, 136 nhs trusts offer maternity services. last year, 42 of them closed their doors to new admissions at least once. there were 382 separate occasions when units were closed, up by 70% on 2014. the most common reason given were shortages of staff or beds. 0ur health correspondent, dominic hughes, reports. midwives provide specialist care to some of the health service's most vulnerable patients, but a shortage of staff, combined with a rising birth rate, means some maternity units are struggling. what shall we draw? two years ago, rachel hall went into labour, but her local unit was temporarily closed and she faced a 30 mile road trip to an alternative hospital. fortunately, all was well in the end and daughter isabelle is thriving, but for rachel the memories are still vivid. when i was told that the hospital was closed, i was absolutely devastated. i di super cup where manchester united take on real madrid. almost 40% of maternity wards in england closed their doors to expectant mothers last year, that's according to a freedom of information request made by the labour party. in england, 136 nhs trusts offer maternity services. last year, 42 of them closed their doors to new admissions at least once. there were 382 separate occasions when units were closed, up by 70% on 2014. the most common reason given were shortages of staff or beds. 0ur... BBC Newsroom Live : BBCNEWS : August 21, 2017 11:00am-1:01pm BST "which knee?". the 35—year—old suffered knee—ligament damage in his first season at manchester united. he remains out of contract and without a club but is still wanted byjose mourinho if he can get back to full fitness. former england manager steve mclaren has been appointed coaching consultant to israeli club maccabi tel aviv. the 56—year—old's most recentjob was a second ill—fated stint as manager of derby county, from which he was sacked in march after a poor run. stuart broad says he wants to play in the 2019 ashes against australia, after passing sir ian botham on the list of england's all—time test wicket—takers. the 31—year—old bowler moved ahead of botham's 383 wickets in the first—test thrashing of the west indies at edgbaston. he is second only to team—mate james anderson, who has a92 wickets. andy murray's reign at the top of tennis is over, after rafael nadal returned to the world number one spot for the first time in three years today. the spaniard said it was "unbelievable" to be tennis's top ranked rank man again, having first achieved the feat nine years "which knee?". the 35—year—old suffered knee—ligament damage in his first season at manchester united. he remains out of contract and without a club but is still wanted byjose mourinho if he can get back to full fitness. former england manager steve mclaren has been appointed coaching consultant to israeli club maccabi tel aviv. the 56—year—old's most recentjob was a second ill—fated stint as manager of derby county, from which he was sacked in march after a poor run....	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line395
__label__cc	0.723239	0.276761	Surgical Technician Schools in New York City Surgical technicians, sometimes called an operating room technician or surgical scrub technician, have an important role in almost any surgical environment. Surgical techs prepare the room before surgery, arrange surgical equipment, and help doctors and nurses during surgery. Surgical technician schools in New York City can develop students for a long term medical career as a surgical technician. New York City Surgical Tech Training Overview Training across different surgical technician schools in New York City may vary. In many cases, surgical technician programs consist of a short certificate or associate’s degree program and students are usually required to have a high school diploma or GED. Because of the “hands on” nature of the program, surgical technician training is generally delivered on campus and programs can be found at vocational schools and community colleges. Surgical tech training usually contain courses in the following topics: Anatomical studies Biology studies Basic medical terminology Antisepsis Most training at surgical technician schools in New York City will require a practicum or course that teaches students how to work in a real operating room with a mock surgery. This gets students comfortable with handling surgical equipment and working in a surgical environment. Surgical Tech Work Environment The majority of New York City surgical technicians work in medical or surgical hospitals. Local New York City physician offices and outpatient care centers are other common work environments for surgical tech jobs. In rare cases, a surgical technician will work in a dentist’s office. Surgical technicians are generally working on their feet all day and are more often exposed to infectious disease, unpleasant sights,odors, and materials. Surgical Technician Salary in New York City According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average surgical technician salary was $39,920 as of May of 2010. The surgical technician salary in New York City may be lower or higher than the national average depending on varying factors. The most common factors that influence wages are cost of living and education and experience. In some cases surgical technician salary was as high as $57,330. Becoming certified at surgical technician schools in New York City is the first step to qualifying for a well paid surgical tech job. New York City Surgical Technician Future Job Outlook The BLS projects that surgical technician jobs will experience a growth rate of 19% between 2010 and 2020, a rate that is about as fast as most other occupations. This growth rate is projected to create an estimated 17,700 new jobs, including New York City surgical technician jobs over this time period. The training you’ll receive from surgical technician schools in New York City can provide students the knowledge and skills necessary to qualify for these jobs. Surgical tech jobs in New York City can be found on popular online job forums, such as Indeed.com and Monster. Provided by Indeed.com Top Surgical Technician Schools Fortis Institute Fortis Institute can give you the skills you need to train for a career in the healthcare field. * Programs vary by location * Please contact each individual campus for accreditation information Sterile Processing Technician Locations: Orange Park South College At South College we welcome students from all different stages of life and career. Whether you are pursing a degree for the first time, going back to school as an adult learner, or furthering your career with an advanced degree, our faculty and staff will partner with you to give your dreams direction. Certificate in Surgical Technology Locations: Asheville Southern Technical College Southern Technical College provides education and training in a variety of medical and technical areas that enable graduates to obtain entry-level employment. As a student at Southern Technical College, you will have the opportunity learn in several different ways. A.A.S. - Surgical Technician Locations: Port Charlotte McCann School of Business & Technology The Path to Success Starts at McCann! At McCann School of Business & Technology, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to find a career they love. We are dedicated to helping you find yours. Our programs are career-focused and designed to help you get the knowledge and hands-on training to succeed. Medical Assisting/Medical Clinical Assistant Legal & Protective Services Commercial & Industrial Maintenance Technician Surgical Technology - Associate in Specialized Technology Locations: Monroe The Berkeley Advantage® Preparing students for professional and personal success is what Berkeley College is all about. From career-focused degree and certificate programs offered in some of today’s most in-demand professions to extensive support resources, YOU are at the center of everything we do at Berkeley. Our commitment to students begins with their very first inquiries. Certificate , Surgical Processing Tech AAS , Surgical Technology Locations: Woodland Park Miller-Motte Technical College Get Career-Relevant Training with Miller-Motte Tech! At Miller-Motte Technical College, you can find educational programs that can help you launch a new career. Whether it’s in the healthcare field to help the well-being of others or enhancing your business skills, we have programs to match your interests and meet your needs. Our training programs are career-focused and designed to help you gain the knowledge and hands-on training to succeed. Locations: North Charleston Brookline College Get hands-on training with Brookline College. We offer diploma and degree programs in the areas of health care, business, nursing, criminal justice, paralegal, and computer security. We understand that today's student is busy with many responsibilities, so we offer day, evening, and online classes, giving you options to fit school into your schedule. Associate of Science - Surgical Technology Locations: Tucson ECPI University Making the decision to earn your degree and pursue your career goals could be the best decision you ever make. Enroll at ECPI University and you’ll join a collaborative and fostering learning environment, surrounded by faculty and staff who are there to support you through the entire process. What sets ECPI University apart? Just ask the employers who hire our graduates. Since 1966, more than 3,800 employers have looked to ECPI for talented professionals who are capable of entering the workplace and doing the job right on the very first day. That’s because our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of today’s highly-specialized job market. Surgical Technology - Associate's Locations: Richmond About City College Since 1984, City College, a private not-for-profit university, has been dedicated to providing a hands-on, practical and relevant college education to students in Florida and online. Our mission is to educate and train students in their chosen major, in preparation for employment in specific career fields. Whether you are a recent high school graduate, an adult thinking about returning to college, or a military veteran seeking a new civilian career, the City College Office of Admissions will help you make the right choice for your unique situation and begin a rewarding new career. We offer our students an atmosphere of caring and respect. At City College you’re not just a student, you’re family. A.S. - Surgical Technology A.S. - Anesthesia Technology Locations: Miami Branford Hall Career Institute Branford Hall Career Institute offers career-focused education that gives you the job skills you need to make the leap into some of today's hottest careers. Locations: Parsippany	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line397
__label__wiki	0.712426	0.712426	Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research Research and conferences CLHLWR Membership Student Associates For more information and general enquiries about the Centre, please contact: Professor Margaretta Jolly, Director, Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research Room 130, Silverstone Building Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RF EM.Jolly@sussex.ac.uk I am a cultural critic with a particular interest in life writing and life history. My work has focused on auto/biography and oral history, feminist theory and education. I see the life story as a node which focuses questions of agency, desire, art and history that are crucial to cultural studies, and especially intriguing in today's individualisms. Dear Laughing Motorbyke: Letters from Women Welders of the Second World War (Scarlet Press, 1997), presents letters from the Mass-Observation Archive to explore war stories as well as arguments about women's roles. I designed my Encyclopedia of Life Writing (Routledge, 2001) to reflect the field's expansiveness, ranging from Scandinavian life-story competitions to American confessional television, African oral history to Arabic Medieval biographical dictionaries. I explored fictions of war and masculinity in my co-edited Critical Perspectives on Pat Barker (University of South Carolina Press, 2005). My book In Love and Struggle: Letters in Contemporary Feminism (Columbia University Press, 2008) won the Feminist and Women's Studies Association UK Book Prize in 2009. My most recent book is Sisterhood and After: An Oral History of the UK Women's Liberation Movement, 1968-present I am a core member of the International Association for Auto/Biography and on the editorial boards of Auto/biography; Life Writing, and Life Writing Annual. I was Principal Investigator to Sisterhood and After: The Women's Liberation Oral History Project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust and partnered with The British Library, from 2010-2013. Dr Hope Wolf, Associate Director, Centre for Life History and Life Writing Research Dr Hope Wolf Hope Wolf is interested in autobiography and biography as forms of critical and creative practice, and is particularly keen on projects that explore the complexities of the relationship between life and art. She is currently researching the joint-biography of the surrealist and psychoanalytic couple Grace Pailthorpe and Reuben Mednikoff, and is curating with Rosie Cooper an exhibition of their work that exhibited at the De La Warr Pavilion in October 2018. As well as being fascinating visual artists, they are also extraordinary life writers, and Hope is using their autobiographical excavations of their early lives as inspiration for experimenting with biographical form. Hope’s second project is on the theme of Sussex Modernism. It too explores the relationship between life and art, and proceeds from an exhibition she curated at Two Temple Place, London in 2017. Hope is interested in the relationships between modernists and their neighbours (so-called ‘local people’), and particularly in how the two groups constructed and mythologised one another. This extends to an investigation of how art is practiced, commemorated, appreciated and criticised in the region today. Hope has published books and articles on life writing subjects. These include a PhD on anecdotes, an anthology of war writing for Random House (A Broken World, 2014), an edited collection on Life Writing and Space (Routledge 2016), a chapter on David Jones's attempts to calibrate experience in his autobiographical poetry (in The First World War: Literature, Culture and Modernity, OUP, 2017), and an article on Tweets written by a teenager during the bombing of Gaza in 2014 (Textual Practice, 2015). CLHLWR's research associate Dr Alexandra Loske Dr Alexandra Loske is an art historian, oral historian, editor and curator with a particular interest in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century European art and architecture. She has been working at the University of Sussex since 1999, where she now teaches in the department of Art History and in 2014 fiinished an AHRC-funded PhD. Her research was based at the Royal Pavilion, Brighton, where she has been investigating the use of colour in early nineteenth century interiors. She now holds a part-time curator post there. Loske is particularly interested in the lives and work of women writers on colour and colour theory, such Mary Gartside, Carry van Biema and Mary Philadelphia Merrifield. She is currently working on an oral history project of the Art History Department of the University of Sussex. Alexandra is also the Communications Manager of the CLHLWR. Prof Lyn Thomas, Professor Emerita of Cultural Studies New autobiographical writing - Clothes Pegs: A Woman's Life in 30 Outfits - published at : http://www.clothespegs.net/ https://twitter.com/lynjthomas_lyn I joined Sussex as part-time Professor of Cultural Studies in 2013, after 23 years teaching French and Media and Cultural Studies at London Metropolitan University. My interest in life writing and life histories is longstanding and underpins my two decades of work on French writer Annie Ernaux. In 2016 I published my own memoir – Clothes Pegs: A Woman’s Life in 30 Outfits at: http://www.clothespegs.net/. Other creative pieces have been published in the Frogmore Press collection – True Tales from the Old Hill, and in the CLHLWR/ Reframe collaboration New Pathways: A Psychogeography of Lewes (2015) http://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/newpathways/essays/nostalgic-drifting/ Other academic publications have included work on the audiences of British radio soap opera The Archers, lifestyle television and ‘religious reality’ television, and on ‘suspect’ communities in Britain. I was a member of the Feminist Review Editorial Collective from 1998-2011.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line398
__label__wiki	0.536502	0.536502	"Indiana Jones 5" Updates Lucasfilm's "Indiana Jones 5" has now been rescheduled for a July 9, 2021 release: "It’s always worth the trip when I get to work with this deep bench of talent coming out of the UK," promised director Steven Spielberg. "The actors, and the crew...everybody who has helped me make my movies here will continue helping me make my movies here when I come back to make the fifth Indiana Jones movie..." "There is only going to be one actor playing 'Indiana Jones' and that’s Harrison Ford. The one thing I will tell you is I’m not killing off Harrison at the end..." Asked if he sees his studio creating many more 'Indiana Jones' features, Disney CEO Bob Iger, said "Yes, I do. I don’t think it reaches the scale of the universe of 'Star Wars', but I see making more. It won't be just a one-off..." "I didn't want to do it without Steven," said Ford about reprising his role in the new film as 'Indiana Jones'. "And I didn't want to do it without a really good script. And happily we're working on both. "Steven is developing a script now that I think we're going to be very happy with." Archaeologist, explorer, (killer) 'Indiana Jones' debuted in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981), followed by "Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom" (1984), "Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade" (1989) and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008). The four films have earned $2 billion at the global box office. Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Indiana Jones"... FIND "INDIANA JONES" COMIC BOOKS HERE Posted by Michael Stevens on Tuesday, July 10, 2018	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line400
__label__wiki	0.693475	0.693475	Spotlight Musical Theatre Academy Little Stars Ages 4-6 Center Stage Ages 6-16 Conservatory Ages 14-18 Register/Inquire Travel Troupe ENHANCE performance skills in this advanced training for highly committed teens. Courses are taught by some of Portland's top theatre professionals, and include in-depth training in a plethora of skills required for a career in the performing arts. 2019/20 Term Dates and Tuition Fall Term: September 7 - November 16 Winter Term: January 11 - March 14 Spring Term: April 4 - June 6 Times: Saturdays ~ 9:00 am - 12:15 pm Tuition: Each term is $480.00 "Wow! Our huge 15-year old athlete grudgingly agreed to take theatre camp this summer, as a part of his "I don't want to get a summer job" negotiation. He groused about it right up until we dropped him off. He got home that night totally engaged. He worked his tail off all week - singing, dancing & acting. He voluntarily put his social life on hold and completely focused on the numbers. We were in complete shock (& were thrilled!). He and the other participants knocked our socks off at the final performance. It was like watching a Broadway troupe. I was literally in tears most of the time." ~ Parent Singing Teacher BRYCE BRITTON received his Master of Fine Arts degree in theater direction from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in directing from the University of Puget Sound. He is a Theatre Generalist with a specialty of Musical Theatre at Ohio University, Shepherd University, Penn State University and most recently created the BFA of Musical Theatre at West Virginia University. His extensive professional credits include Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT, Village Theatre, Lyric Theatre and Contemporary American Theatre Festival. With a passion for Original Theatre, he has worked on numerous new works with the Village Originals Festival and the Seaberry Quinn Playwriting Festival. He is an active member of Actor's Equity Association, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, was the recipient of the Milo Cline Award and was Volunteer of the Year at Hazelton Federal Penitentiary for his work with lifetime inmates creating a re-imagining rock opera version of Macbeth. Some of his favorite directorial credits include West Side Story, Pippin, Into the Woods, Extremities, Sleuth, The Dumb Waiter, The Grapes of Wrath, Humperdinck’s opera version of Hansel and Gretel, An Actor’s Nightmare, Sweet Charity, Spamalot, Kiss Me Kate, Eurydice, and Kurt Weil's opera Street Scene. KRISTEN PAIGE has been teaching, performing, and choreographing for over 20 years. Raised in the Midwest, she obtained her Bachelor’s in Theatre from Truman State University in Missouri before heading to New York City where she performed Off-Broadway. She followed this up with a move to Los Angeles where she acted professionally, was a motion-capture artist for several animated television series, and taught theatre and dance. It was at this point Kristen fell in love with arts education - leading to 10 years as a high school drama instructor in LA. Kristen now brings that same energy and passion to Portland where she teaches theatre, music, and dance at several studios and choreographs for Oregon Children’s Theatre. She is honored and excited to be teaching at Spotlight Musical Theatre Academy. KRISTIN HELLER received her Bachelor of Arts and Communications in Theater Arts from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Kristin then moved to Chicago, IL where she was Artistic Director of a non-profit theater company that focused on new play development. In 2009, she moved to Portland to pursue her Master in Theatre, graduating in 2011. Kristin has apprenticed under world renowned directors such as Tito Capobianco, David Edwards and Elizabeth Bachman. She has worked as Acting and Dance faculty for the Tyrolean Opera Program in Maurach Austria and the Napa Music Festival in California. Recently, Kristin has worked with Portland Actors Ensembles as State Director for the touring production of The Winters Tale, Stage Director & Co-Choreographer for Anything Goes, and Music Director & Choreographer for The Phantom Tollbooth. At Sherwood Foundation of the Arts, she directed The Odd Couple and as the Choreographer for Oklahoma in the 2017/18 Season. Currently she privately coaches voice, flute, acting, acting for singers, public speaking, and tap dance as well as instructs larger Master classes on Auditioning, Acting, Voice, and Movement. You can also find her instructing group classes at Vision8 studios in Portland. CANCELLATION POLICY: Once accepted by Spotlight, thirty (30) days notice must be given of intention to cancel, prior to the camp or term start date. If no notice is given, camp or term fees will be due in full.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line401
__label__wiki	0.84198	0.84198	HOTELS FLIGHTS RENTAL CARS VACATIONS Cabin Class Economy/Coach Premium Economy Business First - Remove Flight + Add Flight - Remove Flight Swakopmund Information About Swakopmund History of Swakopmund Climate in Swakopmund Map of Swakopmund Swakopmund (German for "Mouth of the Swakop") is a city on the coast of northwestern Namibia, 280 km (170 mi) west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. As a seaside resort, the weather is cooler here in December to January (Namibia's summer months) so the territorial administration moves to Swakopmund for these months. The town has 42,000 inhabitants and covers193 square kilometres (75 sq mi) of land. The city is situated in the Namib desert. Swakopmund is a beach resort and an example of German colonial architecture. It was founded in 1892 as the main harbour for German South-West Africa, and a sizable part of its population is still German-speaking today. The city lies on the B2 road and the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Walvis Bay. It is also home to Swakopmund Airport. Buildings in the city include the Altes Gef�ngnis prison, designed by Heinrich Bause in 1909. The Woermannhaus, built in 1906 with a prominent tower, is now a public library. Attractions in Swakopmund include a Swakopmund Museum, the National Marine Aquarium, a crystal gallery and spectacular sand dunes near Langstrand south of the Swakop River. Outside of the city, the Rossmund Desert Golf Course is one of only 5 all-grass desert golf courses in the world. The city is known for extreme sports. Nearby lies a camel farm and the Martin Luther steam locomotive, dating from 1896 and abandoned in the desert. The Herero called the place Otjozondjii. The name of the town is derived from the Nama word Tsoakhaub ("excrement opening") describing the Swakop River in flood carrying items in its riverbed, including dead animals, into the Atlantic Ocean. The German settlers changed it to Swachaub, and when in 1896 the district was officially proclaimed, the version Swakopmund (German: Mouth of the Swakop) was introduced Get to know more about Swakopmund Location of Swakopmund When to Visit Swakopmund Travel to Swakopmund Economy of Swakopmund Culture of Swakopmund Religions of Swakopmund Education in Swakopmund Attractions in Swakopmund Tell the world what you think about Swakopmund Other Travel Destinations in Namibia Ai-Ais Fish River Canyon Gross Barmen Hammerstein Kamanjab Karibib Katima Mulilo Keetmanshoop Kongola Mahango Mariental Namib-Naukluft Park Namutoni Gate Noordoewer Omaruru Otjimbingwe Otjiwarongo Rundu Seeheim Skeleton Coast Park Solitaire Uis Usakos Walvisbaai Windhoek Embassy Locator \| Contact Us \| Privacy Policy \| Terms of Use \| My Bookings © 2012-2018 Traveltill.com. All rights reserved.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line403
__label__cc	0.517477	0.482523	"The State of the Parks" Program Thursday, April 12, 2018 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm Stephen Clark, Superintendent of the five Western Pennsylvania National Park Service sites, invites the public to attend the second annual State of the Parks program. The program will be held on Thursday, April 12, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the park theater at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial, South Fork, PA. The five National Park Service sites that will be featured during the program are: Flight 93 National Memorial, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Friendship Hill National Historic Site, Fort Necessity National Battlefield and Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site. These parks are vital and relevant contributors to both the communities in which they are located and the region at large. In addition to strengthening partnerships with community agencies in 2018, these parks look to create new partnerships. Clark plans to provide an update on various projects including: · The Flight 93 National Memorial Tower of Voices project. · The Johnstown Flood National Memorial Lakebed Clearing project. · The Allegheny Portage Railroad Visitor Center Updating project. · Fort Necessity National Battlefield Meadow Restoration. · Friendship Hill National Historic Site Repair of Thomas Claire Trails. Clark will also provide information on the visitation trends at the five parks. National Park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Parks, and it’s a big factor in the regional economy. During this two hour program, Superintendent Clark will also share information on special events, educational programs planned for 2018, and then conclude by taking questions from the audience. http://www.nps.gov Stephen_M_Clark@nps.gov	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line409
__label__cc	0.675945	0.324055	Archive for the ‘Transportation’ Category Twice Spurned, Capital Metro Wary – Let’s Show Them Austin is Ready for Mass Transit Posted in Transportation, tagged Austin light rail, bus rapid transit, Capital Metro, Project Connect, Texas on December 1, 2018 \| Capital Metro’s Project Connect system plan is heading for a vote with the board of directors on December 17. The idea is to adopt a system plan and identify routes to submit for funding to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and put through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process. All of that would then lead to an Austin bond election in November 2020 to fund the first phase of the system. Vision Plan Needs Work The map (called the Vision Plan) that the board will be asked to vote on shows a number of new routes in various parts of Austin, but a closer look reveals that all but two of those routes – the orange and blue lines – are designated for BRT-light. “BRT” is bus rapid transit and “light” means that those buses would be driving in the same lanes as the rest of traffic. Here’s the problem – a bus slogging through traffic takes longer to get from one place to another than a car because it has to stop along the way to pick passengers up. And, depending on how fuel efficient your car is and whether or not you have to pay for parking at your destination, the bus could cost more than driving your personal vehicle too. That is not a recipe for luring in choice riders – those who could use some other form of transportation. It’s also not good for the transit dependent population – those who need the bus to get to work, school, doctor appointments, the grocery store and everything else. A longer commute for those who can’t afford a car says “your time isn’t as valuable.” Capital Metro staff and their consultants are well aware that dedicated lanes are the key to a successful mass transit system, but the Vision Plan doesn’t reflect that fact. The Blue and Orange lines are designated for high capacity transit in dedicated pathways on Austin’s busiest corridors and those where population growth is coming. The Orange Line would run down North Lamar to Guadalupe, across the river and down South Congress. The Blue Line would run from the airport, along Riverside, across the river, into downtown and up to the UT campus. These routes could have light rail or bus rapid transit – Cap Metro isn’t saying which yet. Either way, those trains or buses will be moving faster because they won’t be stuck in the traffic jam. Bus rapid transit is the cheaper of these options, but light rail can move more people, so could end up being cheaper per passenger. Because light rail can move more people, it would be better suited than bus rapid transit to serve the busiest routes as Austin continues to grow. The other significant deficit we see with the proposed system plan is high capacity transit service or BRT-light isn’t envisioned for some of the areas with significant numbers of residents who depend on transit. The new north-south routes would end right around 183. A high capacity route along East MLK Blvd that was shown in previous drafts has been removed. Many lower-income residents in north and east Austin rely on transit and would stand to benefit from access to more efficient mass transit. Why the Limited Vision? So, why isn’t Capital Metro planning for designated lanes for the whole system? Why are important routes into north and east Austin being shortened or removed from the plan? And why isn’t light rail identified as the mode of choice on routes where the largest numbers of people could be moved? Part of the reason seems to be that the agency is using current bus ridership numbers to project future ridership on high capacity transit routes. This may be common industry practice, but it doesn’t result in a very ambitious plan. If Capital Metro and the City of Austin worked together to make transit a more attractive and more affordable option than driving or taking a ride share, it stands to reason that more Austinites would use it. And we need a lot more Austinites to start using transit if we’re going to meet our community-wide goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and stop wasting so much of our lives sitting in traffic. The more overarching reason for the less than visionary Vision Plan that Capital Metro rolled out in October seems to be a lack of confidence. Specifically, a lack of confidence that Austinites are willing to fund a more costly and ambitious transit plan. Capital Metro has good reason to be warry of Austin voters. Twice now – once in 2000 and again in 2014 – Austin voters have rejected the transit agency’s requests for bond money for the development of light rail in the city. One could – and many do – argue that the voters’ rejection of those bond requests were at least partially because Capital Metro failed to listen to voters during the planning process, but what seems to have stuck with the agency (and other city leaders) is simply the fact that voters rejected those bonds. Inspiring Voters, Increasing Ridership While funding the development of light rail and bus rapid transit in all parts of the city at once isn’t practical, it stands to reason that people all across the city will be more enthusiastic about supporting a bond for the first route or two if they can see that the rapid transit system will eventually be expanded to their area. If this is a vision plan, let’s make sure that it reflects a vision that would truly address the scope of Austin’s transportation challenges. A system relying primarily on buses stuck in traffic (BRT-light) won’t result in the mass shift from riding in cars to public transit that we need to reach our climate goals. So, what do we do? We need to show the Capital Metro board of directors – which includes Austin City Council Members Ann Kitchen (D5), Delia Garza (D2), and Pio Renteria (D3) – that Austinites are ready to go big on mass transit. There are several ways to weigh in and now is the time to do so. Whether in person or in writing, we encourage you to ask for dedicated lanes for high capacity transit on all routes and ask that routes be extended into north Austin (north of 183) and into east Austin along MLK. Asking for light rail for the orange and blue lines would also be helpful, although that final decision won’t be made for over a year. Email the Capital Metro board of directors to ask that they strengthen the Project Connect system plan before adopting it on Dec. 17 (sample email provided). Attend one of the Capital Metro Project Connect public events and ask for improvements to the plan. If you can, plan to attend the Capital Metro board meeting on December 17. The time and location will be posted here. Drive Electric Posted in Electric Vehicle, Global Warming, Transportation, tagged #NDEW2018, #TxETRA, Drive Electric, EV, Texas on September 7, 2018 \| UPDATE: Yes the Austin Drive Electric Event is still happening on Saturday 9/15/2018 (as of 9/14/2018 3:30 PM) Guest submission by Michael Osborne, founding member and current Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance (TxETRA) board Chair. There is something to driving electric that is more than the sum of its parts. Sure, they are faster (generally), they are quieter, you don’t have to breath dangerous chemicals to make them go, and there is some comfort in the fact that if you accidentally fall asleep in your car while parked in the garage, you actually will wake up. Most electric cars are smarter than their smoking hillbilly cousins and they are definitely cheaper to drive. Want to pay a dollar for gas… drive electric. Want to never spend $129.00 dollars on an oil change, oil filter, and air filter again… drive electric. Tired of waiting for your car as your mechanic finishes that brake job on your 3 year old car…drive electric. Plus, you might experience what I experienced several months ago. I was driving east on Hwy 290, a little faster than the speed limit, when this huge “dually” truck (four tires on the rear axel) comes roaring around me. It’s a real fancy black truck with shiny dual vertical chrome exhaust pipes running up on both sides of the cabin. There was probably some stickers that I didn’t read but I suspect that the long haired driver was a member of a political class that rhymes with bumper. So this guy passes me, then abruptly slows down in front of me. Then, with the flick of some switch, he zooms off leaving a huge noxious black cloud of smoke in his tracks, with me in those tracks; I mean thick black smoke like a locomotive in a western movie. I had been “smoked”. And yes, that is a thing. Surely, I deserved it in his eyes, I was driving the fastest, smartest car on the road in my judgment, and he needed to communicate his unhappiness with that. It was a first amendment thing. So watch out for those smokers. Personally, I’m on my second electric car. The one I have now is all electric, and the one I had before was a plug-in hybrid. The plug-in hybrid went about 40 miles on electric fuel, and then if I needed to travel, the on-board generator would kick in. There was zero range anxiety and as a cultural transition vehicle, it is pretty smart. A plug-in hybrid embodies the 80/20 rule quite nicely. With 80% of trips under 40 miles, then make those emission free trips. When you drive to Memphis, do that with gas. I don’t have that option with my “S”. If I’m traveling out of town, I need to do a little planning. Fortunately, the computer makes that easy. One night I got down to about 25 miles before I pulled into the high-speed charger behind the discount mall at mile 202. Within a few minutes, I had 120 miles again, and Austin was only 30 miles away. Most of the time I charge overnight and wake up to a car that is almost always full and ready to go. But electric driving is different. You don’t think of getting a fill-up. You think of getting home. Because, unlike a gas car, you get most of your “go” at home. Electric Car sales are gearing up so to speak. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, “cumulative passenger EV sales worldwide are set to hit 4 million this week. Including electric buses, the 4 million threshold has already been reached. At the end of June, there were more than 3.5 million passenger EVs sold globally and about 421,000 electric buses, bringing the total number of EVs sold to 3.97 million. Sales were driven in large part by China, which is responsible for around 37 percent of passenger EVs sold around the world since 2011 and around 99 percent of e-buses.” Bloomberg goes on: Setting e-buses aside, we expect cumulative passenger EV sales to reach 4 million units before the start of September 2018. There are several new EV models that we expect to come to the market before the end of 2018, which should help increase sales numbers globally. The next million EVs will take just over 6 months. We expect the five-millionth EV to be sold in March 2019. There is a professor at Texas A & M who considers himself an electric car expert. He doesn’t believe that we will ever replace the advanced gasoline cars of today because they are just so good. He also doesn’t drive an electric car. He also doesn’t believe that climate change is a transcendent problem. That in order to get the carbon out of our world, we will need to run our cars on wind and solar. And with enough electric cars, we will have enough stored energy to do it. Driving Electric is more than the sum of its parts, because electric transportation is the building block to a carbon-free world. September is a good a time to start because it’s Drive Electric Week from the 8th to the 16th. Here in Texas, there will be events in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, San Antonio, and Austin. The Dallas event is in Grapevine on Sept 8th, and the Austin event is on the 15th. Join us in Austin on Electric Drive Saturday, September 15th, and climb into the driver’s seat of the newest electric vehicles available. There will also be the latest scooters, motorcycles, mopeds, buses, skateboards and bikes. Grab lunch from one of our food trucks and enjoy the live music, workshops and activities for kids! Sponsored locally by Public Citizen, the Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance (TxETRA), Austin Energy, and SmartCharge America, it might be your opportunity to become part of the solution. Hopefully, it will help keep us all from getting “smoked”. Michael Osborne led the Plug-in Partners effort to develop the 10,000-plus soft orders that led to the production of GM’s Chevy Volt. In the 1980s, Osborne saw the potential of Texas’ vast wind and solar energy resources. He co-founded the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Alliance (TREIA) and The Wind Coalition, both of which successfully advocated policies that helped make Texas the No. 1 wind energy producer in the nation and fifth in the world for wind energy production. The Texas Electric Transportation Resources Alliance (TxETRA) is a nonprofit organization composed of electric energy vehicle manufacturers, industry leaders, developers, distributors, producers, utilities, and environmental and transportation equity groups. Their mission is to guide and accelerate the adoption of electrical transportation in all its forms, in the most cost-effective way, providing maximum benefit to the citizens of Texas. A Visit to Houston and the Healthy Port Communities Coalition Posted in Air Quality, Climate Change, Gulf Coast Ports, Houston, Transportation, tagged Texas on May 15, 2018 \| Six years ago, Public Citizen and our partners founded the Healthy Port Communities Coalition (HPCC), which advocates for the health and well-being of residents of communities on the Houston Ship Channel. The coalition also includes Air Alliance Houston, the Coalition of Community Organizations, and Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services. Recently, we had an opportunity to convene the HPCC in Houston to discuss our work. One purpose for the trip was to introduce our new Press Office, Angel Amaya, to Port Houston. Port Houston is the largest exporting port in the nation and the center of Houston’s petrochemical industry. We started at Morgan’s Point Cemetery, the oldest continually operated cemetery in Harris County. It is the small green square in the middle of the photo above. Surrounding the cemetery is the Barbours Cut terminal and turning basin. This is one of two container terminals at Port Houston. Goods from all over the world come into Barbours Cut on very large vessels packed with shipping containers. One ship can carry as many as 4,500 containers. (There are even larger ships, the so-called “Post-Panamax” ships, that can carry as many as 9,000 containers, but they are too large to enter Barbours Cut.) The containers are offloaded by cranes (top of photo) and moved on to trucks and trains to be shipped around the country. Many of the engines that operate at a terminal like Barbours Cut–including marine vessels, cranes, short-haul equipment, drayage trucks, and locomotives–use polluting fossil fuels such as diesel. The Healthy Port Communities coalition advocates for replacement of these polluting vehicles with newer, clean technologies. Many funding opportunities are available for these replacements, including the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act and the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan. A container terminal like Barbours Cut is probably what most people think of when they think of what goes on at a port. There is plenty of container traffic at Port Houston, but in fact this represents only about 15% of the total traffic. The rest of the traffic consists of bulk products, most of them petrochemical. We visited many of the industrial facilities that produce these petrochemical products. One of the most infamous petrochemical facilities on the Houston Ship Channel is the Pasadena Refinery, owned by the Brazilian national oil company Petrobras. Pasadena Refinery is notoriously troubled. In recent years, its woes have included explosions with injury, protests by environmental groups and concerned neighbors, lawsuits by environmental groups, and international bribery scandals. It was recently announced that Petrobras is trying to sell the refinery, although it is unclear who would want to buy such a dangerous liability. We also visited Hartman Park in the community of Manchester, sometimes referred to as “Houston’s most polluted neighborhood.” Our friends at t.e.j.a.s. have advocated for years for the people of Manchester. When our new Press Officer Angel visited Hartman Park, she was struck by this mural: Created by children living in Manchester, the mural perhaps unintentionally shows how intrusive polluting facilities are in the lives of people living on the Houston Ship Channel. An idyllic scene of children playing in a park is flanked by industrial stacks spewing pollution into the air. The mural is a stark reminder of what life is like for some of our most vulnerable neighbors in certain parts of Texas. The Healthy Port Communities Coalition is advocating on the behalf of those neighbors who live in Houston. We finished our trip to Houston with a meeting of HPCC member groups. One topic of discussion was the Chairman’s Citizens Advisory Council (CCAC). The CCAC was created after the Port of Houston Authority Sunset Review in 2013. Public health advocates had asked for representation on the Port Commission itself, with the addition of a new seat representing community interests. That recommendation was rejected by the state legislature, although certain other reforms were implemented. After the sunset review was complete, some advocates continued to call for more representation of community interests at the port. Longtime port community advocate Sen. John Whitmire joined this call, asking the new Port of Houston Authority Chairman Janice Longoria to act. Chairman Longoria responded by creating the Chairman’s Citizens Advisory Council. The Healthy Port Communities Coalition has had members and allies on the CCAC since it was created. Although we appreciated the move, in the years following we have not seen the CCAC be an effective body advocating for public health protections. This is in part due to the manner in which it was created and operates. In order to improve the CCAC, we have compiled a list of recommendations: The existence of the Chairman’s Citizens Advisory Council (CCAC) should be codified in statute, regulation, or by memorandum. The chairs on the CCAC should be designated for particular constituencies or neighborhoods, including the chair already designated for the Healthy Port Communities Coalition. The representative for each chair should be selected by each corresponding constituency, via a process of their choosing. The CCAC should have the authority to set agenda items for CCAC meetings. CCAC members should be given time to make presentations at CCAC meetings. Port Houston should be required to formally respond to any presentations and answer any questions posed. The CCAC should have the authority to make information requests and pose questions to Port Houston. The Port Commission should be required to respond. The CCAC should be given monthly opportunities to report on its work to the Port Commission. The CCAC should be able to recommend studies to be conducted by Port Houston. If Port Houston declines to undertake a recommended study, it should clearly state its rationale for doing so. To her credit, Chairman Longoria did implement #7 above at the request of one of the CCAC members (a t.e.j.a.s. employee). But for the most part, the CCAC still functions as an isolated body whose members serve at the pleasure of the chairman. We believe that the above reforms would make the body a more effective advocate for portside community residents. This would lead to a port that took better care of its neighbors and served as a better steward of public health and the environment. Support A Healthier Houston Through Improved Air Quality Posted in Air Quality, Gulf Coast Ports, Pollution, Transportation, tagged Texas on February 6, 2018 \| This year, Public Citizen was proud to be a sponsor of Air Alliance Houston’s State of the Air Gala. A partner in Public Citizen’s Healthy Ports Community Coalition, Air Alliance Houston (AAH) focuses on creating a healthier Houston by preventing pollution before it happens. Right now, Houston currently has 24,000 lane-miles of roadways which carry more than 465 million tons of goods each year. With the expansion of the Panama Canal, freight traffic is expected to increase by 56% over the next 20 years. And if we don’t do anything about it now, pollution is going to get a whole lot worse. Despite improvements over the past few decades, Harris County still receives an “F” from the American Lung Association for ozone pollution! We thank all of you who joined us in celebrating the work of Air Alliance Houston at the State of the Air Gala. Funds raised through this event will support AAH’s programs, allowing them to continue their research, education, and advocacy work to advance the public health of Houston area communities by improving air quality. Volkswagen settlement funds from polluting Texans air should be used to purchase cleanest electric vehicles and create jobs. Posted in Air Quality, Pollution, Transportation, tagged Texas on December 4, 2017 \| Note: Today Governor Greg Abbott designated the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as the lead agency to administer $209 million of funding from the Volkswagen (VW) settlement. The money is intended to remedy harm caused by illegal emissions from VWs by reducing air pollution through purchase of clean vehicles. The Healthy Port Communities Coalition and its members are asking for that money to be spent on electric vehicles and infrastructure. TCEQ’s press release: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/news/releases/gov-abbott-selects-tceq-to-distribute-209-million Statement of Adrian Shelley, Director, Public Citizen’s Texas Office Governor Greg Abbott has a chance for a trifecta here: create jobs, reduce pollution, and lower operating costs for local governments. The Volkswagen settlement can make this possible. Because Volkswagen polluted Texas with illegal emissions from diesel vehicles, the top priority for using settlement funds is to remove old, dirty diesel vehicles from the road. These vehicles should be replaced with all-electric vehicles (EVs) in order to save lives and help Texas meet federal air pollution standards. The Volkswagen settlement funds also provide an economic opportunity for Texas. Texans build trucks, heavy duty equipment, and batteries. Texans have the technical know-how to build electric vehicle infrastructure. Electric vehicles built and sold in Texas will consume energy produced in Texas. Furthermore, these vehicles will get cleaner as electricity production in Texas gets greener. Compressed natural gas vehicles aren’t going to get any cleaner over time—they will still continue to produce the carbon dioxide and methane emissions responsible for climate change. EVs also save money over the life of the vehicles because their fuel and maintenance costs are much lower. There is no comparison: Electric Vehicles are the best option for Texas. Investing in electric vehicles and infrastructure now will reduce costs in the long term. Government fleets will pay less for fuel. EVs can be charged with clean, renewable energy produced right here in Texas. This is the future, and Governor Abbott has an opportunity to seize it now. Statement of Rev. James Caldwell, founder and executive director of Coalition of Community Organizations: The Healthy Port Communities Coalition implores the Governor and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to leverage funds from the Volkswagen penalties to purchase electric vehicles, which are the cleanest vehicles available today, to reduce emissions and to help provide relief to communities breathing in toxic air every day. Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., with an office in Austin, Texas. The Healthy Port Communities Coalition advocates for the health and welfare of Houston Ship Channel communities, and includes Air Alliance Houston, the Coalition of Community Organizations, Public Citizen, and Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services. The Volkswagen Settlement and What It Means For Texas Posted in Air Quality, Diesel, Health, Ozone, Transportation, tagged Diesel, emissions, emissions reductions, freight, heavy duty trucks, nox, school buses, Texas, Volkswagen, VW Settlement on August 2, 2017 \| Texas Director Adrian Shelley speaking at a VW Settlement community engagement meeting in Fort Worth. Volkswagen’s emissions cheating scandal led to a $14.7 billion dollar settlement. Basically, what Volkswagen did was install what are called “defeat devices” which were programmed to run differently during emissions tests so that they appeared to be much less polluting than they actually are. In some cases, NOx (nitrogen oxides), which is not only harmful but is also a precursor to ground-level ozone, was up to 40 times higher than what the cheating emissions tests revealed! By cheating on emissions tests, Volkswagen harmed public health, causing at least 59 premature deaths and over $450 million in health and social costs (Barrett, 2015). The settlement provides Volkswagen with a chance to compensate owners of vehicles impacted by the defeat devices, mitigate some of the harm done, and reduce future harm using zero emissions technology. Details of the Settlement The Volkswagen Settlement is essentially divided into three parts: a personal vehicle buyback program, an environmental mitigation program to reduce the harm done, and a zero emissions vehicle investment commitment to prevent more harm and promote zero emissions technology. More information on the personal vehicle buyback program can be found at VW’s settlement website http://www.VWCourtSettlement.com. If you have an eligible vehicle, you may also be eligible for additional funds through the Bosch VW Settlement (https://www.boschvwsettlement.com/en/Home/FAQ). The Environmental Mitigation Trust will be administered at the state level and will fund projects to upgrade and replace dirty diesel engines. Texas will receive $209 million dollars. Once a beneficiary is designated, projects will be determined. We are collecting feedback on these projects, discussed below. The third fund is the Zero Emissions Vehicle Investment Commitment, also known as Electrify America. VW will be allocating $2 billion dollars toward zero emissions infrastructure and educational campaigns to promote their use. The City of Houston is among the first round of cities to be supported by this fund. Public Citizen, alongside Houston coalition partners Coalition of Community Organizations, t.e.j.a.s., and Air Alliance Houston hosted informational meetings regarding the Volkswagen Settlement at Austin High School in Houston and at the Houston Area Research Center in the Woodlands in May and June. Given that both the Houston area and the Dallas-Fort Worth area are in non-attainment for ozone and that this settlement could help improve air quality in both regions, we hosted additional informational meetings last week in Dallas and Fort Worth with our co-sponsors Tarrant Coalition for Environmental Awareness Group, Liveable Arlington, and Arlington Conservation Council, Fort Worth Sierra Club Group and the Dallas Sierra Club Group. While some other states have had a formal community engagement process, an agency of the State of Texas has yet to hold public meetings regarding the settlement. That’s where Public Citizen and other organizations have stepped in to gather important feedback from community members in regards to what sorts of projects hold the most interest. These projects are limited to those that reduce NOx emissions through engine upgrades or replacements, such as replacing old freight trucks, school buses, dump trucks, etc. A portion of the funds will be available for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. If your group, city, or region is interested in learning more about the Volkswagen Settlement, please contact Stephanie Thomas at [email protected] to learn about upcoming community meetings. Public Citizen Honors Tom “Smitty” Smith Posted in Air Quality, Campaign Finance, Climate Change, Consumers, Diesel, Efficiency, Ethics, Global Warming, Good Government, Nuclear, Pollution, Radioactive Waste, renewable portfolio standard, Renewables, Right to know, solar, Sunset, Texas Legislature, Transportation, tagged Texas on February 2, 2017 \| After more than three decades of extraordinary work running Public Citizen’s Texas office, “Smitty,” formally known as Thomas Smith, is hanging up his spurs. Smitty is a Texas institution and a national treasure, and on February 1st, we celebrated him right. Over 200 people attended a retirement dinner for Smitty at the Barr Mansion in Austin, TX on Wednesday evening. Friends and colleagues from around the state who had work with Smitty on issues over his career that included clean energy, ethics reform, pollution mitigation, nuclear waste disposal, etc came to pay homage to a man who had dedicated his life to fighting for a healthier and more equitable world by making government work for the people and by defending democracy from corporate greed. Mayor Adler and Council members Leslie Pool and Ann Kitchens Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea and Smitty Dallas County Commissioner Dr. Theresa Daniel and Smitty During the evening, Austin Mayor – Steve Adler, Travis County Commissioner – Brigid Shea, and Dallas County Commissioner – Dr. Theresa Daniel presented Smitty with resolutions passed by the City of Austin, Travis County Commissioners Court and Dallas County Commissioners Court all of which acknowledge Smitty’s contributions to their communities and the state of Texas. Adrian Shelley (front left) and Rob Weissman (front right) at Tom “Smitty” Smith’s retirement event. Public Citizen’s President, Robert Weissman, thanked Smitty for his service to Public Citizen for the past 31 years and introduced the new director for the Texas office, Adrian Shelley, the current Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston. Smitty’ impending departure fromPublic Citizen will leave a big hole in advocacy for progressive issues here in Texas, but both Smitty and Robert Weissman expressed confidence that Adrian would lead the Texas office forward into a new era of progressive advocacy. Adrian is a native Texan from the City of Houston. He has served as the Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston since 2013. He first worked with Air Alliance Houston as a legal fellow in 2010, then as a Community Outreach Coordinator in 2012. In that time, Public Citizen has worked closely with Air Alliance Houston through the Healthy Port Communities Coalition (HPCC), a coalition of nonprofits and community groups which advocates policies to improve public health and safety while encouraging economic growth. So be assured that Adrian and the Texas staff of Public Citizen are committed to carrying on the battle for justice, for democracy, for air clean and energy and for clean politics. We can and will protect our children and the generations to come. For this, we can still use your help. You can make a tax deductible donation to the Texas office of Public Citizen to help us continue his vital work on climate, transportation, civil justice, consumer protection, ethics, campaign finance reform and more Can the Freight Shuttle Reduce Congestion and Clean Houston’s Air? Posted in Energy, Gulf Coast Ports, Renewables, Transportation, tagged Air Quality, Clean Energy, Energy, green jobs, Public Citizen, public citizen texas, renewable energy, Renewables, Texas on September 28, 2016 \| On September 9th, Adrian Shelley and I went to Bryan, Texas, to watch the unveiling of the Freight Shuttle System (FSS), a technology currently being built and tested by Freight Shuttle International. Dr. Stephen Roop, chief scientist at Freight Shuttle International and and professor at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, opened the unveiling with a press briefing sharing his vision. The FSS is an electric, autonomous shuttle powered by a linear induction motor, providing low friction to the steel wheels running on steel lines, similar to train tracks. The FSS combines elements of truck and train transport – single shuttles run on a track similar to a train track, and according to Dr. Roop’s vision, those tracks would be elevated from other modes of transportation to reduce congestion, provide a strong level of predictability and non-stop service, and reduce infrastructure damage often associated with truck transportation. Dr. Roop noted the emissions of the FSS are tied to the source of power. What that means is that the FSS itself would generate no point-of-source pollution like the cancer-causing pollution created by diesel engines currently on the road. Furthermore, because the FSS would operate under DC voltage, it could be tied easily to renewable energy. In that way, the FSS could take advantage of the increasing access to renewable energy in Texas and potentially be net zero in terms of carbon pollution. Adrian and Stephanie with Freight Shuttle The FSS is not designed to transport hazardous or toxic materials, and although it could possibly be used to transport people, it is intended now to be separate from people – that is to be contained within a separate line so that the roads and highways can be used for people, not cargo. The Port of Houston Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Freight Shuttle International and is planning to use the FSS to transport cargo between its container terminals, Bayport and Barbour’s Cut. Freight Shuttle International stated that the FSS line could be operational within 3 years. HPCC Says “No!” to Bomb Trains Posted in Energy, Gulf Coast Ports, Oil by Rail, Transportation, tagged goods movement, Healthy Port Communities Coalition, houston, HPCC, No More Toxic Trains, oil, oil trains, rail transport, Stop Oil Trains week of action, Texas, toxic trains, train collision, Train Derailment, train explosions on July 18, 2016 \| Dee Arellano (t.e.j.a.s.) shows the oil train blast zone for East Houston. The news of the fiery explosion of two trains in Panhandle, Texas broke as organizers in Houston were discussing how to reduce the high risks of accidents involving toxic trains in Houston. That day, June 28th, two trains collided, resulting in a fiery explosion, the presumed death of three workers and the hospitalization of another. The trains in Panhandle, TX, were fortunately not carrying crude. However, the collision and explosion reminded us of the importance of standing up for safety in rail transport during the Stop Oil Trains Week of Action, July 6th – 12th. The Healthy Port Communities Coalition (HPCC) kicked off the week of action on July 6th with a press conference and a community meeting to discuss the risks that we Houstonians face as a result of rail traffic within our communities. This was especially poignant as less than a week earlier, on June 28th, two trains collided near Panhandle, TX, leaving 1 employee injured and 3 employees presumed dead. Fiery and fatal incidents over the past few years have increased concerns around rail, public safety, and chemical security, and we shared our concerns with media (“Exigen a autoridades frenar la contaminación por el transporte de combustible” and “Crude-by-Rail Plummeting In Texas But Critics Insist Risk Of Accidents Remains“) and with community members. From our discussion, community members wanted to find out more information about exactly what kind of chemicals are transported through their neighborhoods to better understand the risks. The HPCC is taking a stand against oil trains because we are concerned with hazardous, flammable materials coming into the Houston area. Toxic trains put Houstonians at risk through the possibility of explosion and by polluting the air with cancer-causing diesel and other toxic gases, through collisions, and by trapping folks behind stalled trains. One person reported being trapped behind a train for 90 minutes! (more…) Former NTSB chair says carrying crude oil by rail is just not a good idea. Posted in Oil by Rail, Safety, tagged Texas on June 9, 2016 \| Following last week’s derailment in the Colombia River Gorge of a 96-car train carrying crude oil from the Bakken shale formation in North Dakota, former National Transportation Safety Board chair, Jim Hall, said, “carrying crude oil by rail is just not a good idea.” Read his piece in the Oregonian here. Austin Uber and Lyft Vote – Breakdown of Proposition 1 Posted in Consumers, Ethics, Good Government, Local Control, Safety, Transportation, tagged Texas on April 18, 2016 \| The Uber/Lyft debate has been raging in Austin for months, but do you know what you’ll actually be voting on? Voting is a right, but being an informed voter is a responsibility. Proposition 1 is a vote on rules and regulations in Austin for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. If you vote AGAINST Prop. 1, you’re voting for the City of Austin’s proposed safety rules. If you vote FOR Prop. 1, you’re voting for Uber and Lyft’s proposed regulations that they personally drafted in retaliation to the Austin City Council’s ordinance. While a lot of the rules in the two ordinances are the same, there are some very important differences as well. To make it easier for voters to understand, we’ve highlighted the differences in the ordinances, and therefore what Austin residents are really voting on at the polls on May 7. AGAINST PROP 1 – City of Austin’s regulations FOR PROP 1 – Uber and Lyft’s regulations TNC (Transportation Network Company) – an organization, whether a corporation, partnership, sole proprietor, or other form, which provides on-demand transportation services for compensation using an online-enabled application or platform to connect passengers with drivers. ATD (Austin Transportation Department) – section of the Austin government that addresses transportation needs and challenges, as well as public safety. The regulations the City Council passed in December requiring stricter rules than currently in place for Uber and Lyft are not absurd. People who operate pedicabs or horse carriages in the city already have to get fingerprinted. Make no mistake; this is not an issue of keeping Uber and Lyft in Austin. That’s not what the vote is for on May 7. The City Council isn’t kicking anyone out; they’re just leveling the playing field for all TNCs by making sure they follow the same rules. And if these particular companies choose not to do business here, Austin Uber and Lyft drivers will soon be provided with new transportation companies to drive for. Uber and Lyft have already pumped $2.2 million into this campaign, which is evident in their abundant advertising. This is supposed to be a local issue, but it’s quickly becoming a perfect example of why Citizens United should be repealed. Vote “No” for Prop. 1 and show corporations that they can’t write their own rules and buy local politics in Austin. Climate Change Challenge: Reducing Aviation Emissions Posted in Climate Change, Global Warming, Transportation, tagged Texas on March 8, 2016 \| As a global industry, aviation produces 2% of the planet’s total carbon dioxide emissions. Its outlook isn’t good either, because it’s projected to grow by 3-4% each year as the industry expands. While air travel has become 70% more efficient per seat-mile than when jets first began operating in the 1960s, the industry’s growth has resulted in higher overall CO2 emissions. NASA’s project LeapTech is in the process of testing a new approach to powering flight. The concept is called distributed propulsion, and it’s the future of low-carbon aviation. The project features a 30-foot airplane wing – the kind found on a small plane. The new wing design has 18 electric motors with small propellers along its leading edge. Engineers attached the wing to steel supports on a Peterbilt truck, and have been simulating takeoff and landings at the Edwards Air Force Base in California. They have driven the wing-truck contraption down the runway at more than 70 miles-per-hour. The idea behind distributed propulsion is to take the engines from their usual position hanging below the wings and put them elsewhere. Because jet engines are complex, heavy devices, distributed propulsion designs almost always involve simpler and smaller electric motors. Distributing the motors around the plane (instead of in just one spot) has aerodynamic advantages. The position of the motors on the leading (front) edge of the LeapTech wing results in accelerated airflow over it, which increases lift at takeoff and landing. Because of this, the wing can be made narrower, which reduces drag and improves efficiency at cruising speeds. In terms of reducing an airplane’s carbon footprint, the key is cutting down on the plane’s weight and drag, and reducing the engine’s excess fuel burn. Some planes have been partly redesigned. In the coming years, Boeing will introduce the 777x, a variant of their 777 model. However, the new design of the 777x features composite wings and more efficient engines than the traditional 777. But the basic design of airplanes still remains the same – a tube and wings. Besides NASA’s LeapTech project, there have been other innovations in airplane technology. Engineers have made planes lighter by using composite materials, jet engines have become more efficient, and alternative biofuels are increasingly being used. Better management of airplane traffic at airports and in the air has also reduced emissions. Many of the aviation industry’s improvements involve changes to existing planes though – like replacing older engines with more efficient models, or adding winglets to wings to reduce drag and improve efficiency. In the future, NASA thinks that planes could be powered by hybrid gas-electric systems or by batteries. Potential designs could have lighter wings that can quickly shape to handle turbulent air. Other concepts could eliminate the conventional tube and wing design for one that blends the two elements. For NASA, the next step is modifying an actual aircraft to operate with batteries and wing motors. NASA’s LeapTech project uses batteries, but the modified aircraft will only be able to make short flights because of the current limitations of batteries. All-electric planes may never be a practical option, but a hybrid turbine-battery design could be a reality. Despite these scientific advancements, emissions from the aviation industry are still growing at a rapid pace. The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency, projects that the worldwide commercial fleet will double to 40,000 airliners in the next 15 years. A recent report from the European Parliament revealed that international aviation could be responsible for more than 20% of global CO2 emissions in the near future. Aviation emissions impact cloud formation, ozone generation, and methane reduction, so the report’s projection isn’t a good sign. In order to deal with the rising growth of the aviation industry, we must make drastic changes to airplane design to protect the environment. NASA’s LeapTech project is a step in the right direction towards making airplanes more eco-friendly, and more airplane engineering companies should take note. Uber and Lyft Inject Corporate Money into Austin Politics Posted in Consumers, Good Government, Safety, Transportation, tagged Texas on February 28, 2016 \| If you’ve used a taxi or similar transportation service in a major U.S. city recently, you’ve probably heard of Uber or Lyft. Uber and Lyft are two mobile ride hailing companies that were both founded in San Francisco, California. Uber was founded in March 2009 and Lyft was founded in summer 2012. They facilitate peer-to-peer ridesharing and operate under the transportation network company (TNC) label. By summer 2015, Uber’s net worth was valued at $50 billion and Lyft’s net value was $2.5 billion. Council Member Ann Kitchen Getting Fingerprinted – Photo by Jay Janner, Austin American Statesman Uber and Lyft are great options for carpooling, for not having to deal with parking your car downtown, or for worrying about drinking and driving. They also provide convenience by simply using your smartphone to order and pay for a ride. So what’s all the fuss with them about? This past December, the Austin City Council passed an ordinance that, among other things, required all transportation network companies (TNCs), which includes Lyft and Uber, to fingerprint their drivers for background checks. The December ordinance set benchmark goals of having 25% of drivers fingerprinted by May 2016, with gradual increases, and then 99% compliance by February 2017. South Congress Capitol View – Photo from Wikimedia Public safety officials support of the fingerprinting ordinance as necessary for safety. Without fingerprinting, drivers could slip through the background check using false identities. Lyft and Uber are opposed to fingerprinting their “contractors” because they think their background checks are sufficient and that the ordinance opens the door to future regulation that they believe hampers innovation. Taxi drivers, pedicab operators and horse carriage operators are already subject to the same regulations though. City Council Committee Meeting – Photo by Laura Skelding, Austin American Statesman Lyft and Uber say that if fingerprinting happens, they’re leaving town. They don’t want to be subjected to regulations they think might stifle future business decisions or that defines them as taxi-like companies. If they’re associated with taxi services, they’ll be subjected to an array of additional rules. This is ironic because Uber and Lyft are in fact very similar to taxis: they provide transportation for passengers and receive payment in exchange. They are “taxi-like” and thus should be subjected to the additional regulations they want to avoid. What about who the actual drivers are? According to Ben Wear (Austin American Statesman February 15, 2016, pg. B3): At least ten Austin women filed complaints last year about sexual assaults – seven against ride-hailing drivers, three involving taxis. While the two companies use background checks that look at all 50 states, and they bar applicants with crimes of violence or theft, those background checks only look back seven years. So, someone could have committed a rape or even a homicide 10 or 20 years ago, even in Texas, and the ride-hailing companies likely would not find out about it. In an undercover investigation, NBC Chicago hired several drivers and ran their own personal background checks on them. They found numerous tickets and questionable driving history. One driver had 26 tickets and one driver was an ex-con who had priors going back two decades including burglary, drugs, and assault. There are clearly people getting through their background check system that shouldn’t be driving for hire. Having the fingerprint submissions that the City Council proposed would make it easier for law enforcement to identify lawbreakers. A political action committee (PAC) called Ridesharing Works for Austin formed in response to the fingerprinting mandate. The PAC made a petition to fight back against the City Council’s new TNC rules, and they gathered three times more signatures than they needed. The City Council could then either overturn the fingerprinting ordinance passed in December, or place it on the ballot of the next available election for the voters to decide. They went with the latter, so it’s up to Austin voters to decide on May 7. The Uber and Lyft situation in Austin is a local example of a problem America is experiencing at a federal level – big money in government. The reason Uber and Lyft were able to gather so much support for their petition is because they contributed at least $50,000 in cash and services to the Ridesharing Works PAC. The PAC had canvassers go out, knock on Austin residents’ doors, and gather signatures. Many rideshare drivers also had the petition available in their vehicles for passengers to sign during their rides. Many inaccurately explained the issue to Austin residents as simply “Uber/Lyft vs. the city of Austin”. They told residents that the City Council is forcing Uber and Lyft to leave town, when in reality, if the two companies do leave, it’ll be on their own accord. The money behind the petition against the fingerprinting ordinance is from big corporations. And those corporations are essentially funding Lyft and Uber’s campaign against safety regulations in Austin. This is exactly what we want to avoid in politics, and it’s happening right here in our city. Corporations coming up with their own rules and going to city hall to demand them is not the way government is supposed to work. It’s a government by the people and for the people, not by corporations and for corporations. If Uber and Lyft succeed in getting the fingerprint mandate overturned, it sets a dangerous precedent for the future. As citizens of the United States of America, we need to question how money from big corporations like Uber and Lyft is influencing our local legislation. Austin voters should consider this when they head to the polls on May 7th. As The Number of Bomb On Rails To Houston Increase, Texas Firefighters Prepare For The Worst Posted in Oil by Rail, Safety, Transportation, tagged Texas on August 7, 2015 \| Firefighters training for oil train disaster at A&M facility Rural Texas communities are having to consider preparing for a first responder nightmare scenario, a train derailment involving the ever increasing number of trains carrying crude oil (or bombs on rails). As the amount of crude oil being shipped by rail increases, it is only a matter of time before Texas experiences an accident involving exploding rail cars. This could take place in a rural area on the way to Houston, or right in the midst of the city of Houston. Read about the firefighter training facility located on the outskirts of the Texas A & M campus. Known as “Disaster City”, firefighters from around Texas and other states are learning techniques for fighting fires and rescuing people when this scenario happens. See Forest Ethics interactive map at http://explosive-crude-by-rail.org/ Where oil trains travel into Houston. From Forest Ethics Resident Explains How Oil and Chemical Trains Endanger Houston Posted in Oil by Rail, Pollution, tagged Texas on July 20, 2015 \| HOUSTON – Public Citizen, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, the Texas Campaign for the Environment and the Healthy Port Communities Coalition co-hosted a neighborhood meeting in Houston’s East End on June 27 to discuss the dangers posed by oil trains passing through the community and call for stronger safeguards. Between two and six million gallons of highly volatile crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken Shale pass through the Houston metropolitan area every week in fundamentally unsafe rail cars. A U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) report found than an oil train explosion in a major population center like Houston could cost billions of dollars in property damage and injure or kill thousands of people. About 30 people attended the June 27 meeting including Texas state Sen. Sylvia Garcia, state Rep. Maria Delgado, a representative from state Rep. Carol Alvorado’s office and several public affairs representatives from the rail industry. The meeting was held at the Immaculate Conception Church on Harrisburg Street. To gain deeper insight into the problems oil and chemical trains pose to East End residents, Public Citizen interviewed Bridgette Murray, a local resident who attended the meeting. PC: Start by telling us a little about yourself and your community. BM: I am a registered nurse, spending my adult life taking care of other individuals, and I am now the primary caretaker for my elderly mother. My family has had a presence in the Pleasantville area since 1957. I returned to the community 20 years ago because I felt safe returning to the neighborhood surrounded by individuals that were like my family in many regards. I chose to live in a community that contributed to my upbringing and support, and I remain active in my community to ensure a better quality of life. Pleasantville continues to be a community with 78 percent occupancy by actual home owners. In spite of the industrial build up on our periphery, we have easy access to both I-10 and 610 freeways. This is a landlocked community with three rail line entrances (two of them Union Pacific). PC: Why are you worried about trains in your neighborhood? How do these trains put your community at risk? BM: The trains have been with us from the beginning. But we recently experienced an incident of a Union Pacific train that blocked all three entrance and exit points to the community for nearly one hour, and the other exit was under construction. If we encounter a train derailment in our community, over 3,000 individuals will not be able to safely evacuate. In addition, a significant percentage of our community is within one mile of the blast zone. My own home is within half a mile. Not only are we concerned about the oil trains, but the use of rail for other hazardous materials left unattended on the rail line without notification is a growing concern. PC: What changes would you like to see to fix these problems? BM: Let’s start with improved safety. How often are rail lines inspected and serviced? I am aware that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending changes to the cars used for transporting oil, but this is after the fact. In the agency’s own words, “Accidents demonstrate that the DOT-111 tank cars moving these flammable liquids are not up to the task.” It is my understanding from prior events, allowing the trains to burn out is the standard approach. In our community that will mean death for many. Implementation of NTSB’s recommended preventative measures should be considered critical. The community successfully petitioned and partnered with The Metropolitan Organization of Houston for another entrance without rail to improve access for emergency vehicles. But much more needs to be done. Again, in NTSB’s own words: “Preventing tragedies similar to Lac-Mégantic and Cherry Valley will require a systems approach that keeps trains from derailing, especially in sensitive areas, and preserves tank car integrity if a derailment occurs. Adequate emergency preparedness is also crucial. One of the first steps industry can take is to appropriately plan and select routes to minimize the amount of hazardous materials that travel through highly populated areas.” PC: If you could send a message to the train, oil and chemical companies, what would you tell them? BM: Safety always seems to follow the profit margin. Lives do matter and residents living near rail lines should be protected. The increase in oil trains should also come with increased safety in how, where and when oil is transported. There should be more community outreach to high-risk areas regarding emergency evacuation training and education. Living near the Port of Houston, I accept the risk that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security speaks of regarding terrorist threats, but I do not accept as reasonable a sanctioned domestic threat of oil train cars when there is something that can be done to improve the situation. My only request is that industry demonstrates some respect for middle and lower income America. PC: Thank you for sharing your story. BM: Thank you for keeping the public informed about this major issue.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line412
__label__wiki	0.889185	0.889185	Home Biafra Featured UCHE NWOSU AN EXTENSION OF ATROCITIES UCHE NWOSU AN EXTENSION OF ATROCITIES By Chidi Aloysius Nwosu (Abia writers) Rochas Okorocha is the governor of Imo state in Nigeria. He belongs to All progressive Congress ( A.P.C). He has been the governor of Imo state for seven years, which means by 2019 he will be completing his second tenure. Since there is no room for him to contest again, he wants his son in law, uche Nwosu, who married his first daughter, Uloma, to be the next governor of Imo state by all means to continue their atrocities in Imo state and against the of Imo people. Uche, who was Rocha’s former commissioner of lands, is currently his chief of staff. Uche joined the Rochas foundation as a domestic staff going on errands like driving Rochas's children to and from school .Uche impregnated the first daughter of Rochas, Uloma and to avoid shame the governor gave the daughter's hand in marriage to Uche. From that moment Uche started his journey to sudden riches. In this current government of Imo state, Rochas ,his wife, his brothers ,his sisters, and Uche nwosu have acquired over one thousand properties in and outside Imo state since 2011 WODDI wellness center is owned by Nkechi okoroch , and it's located at the State’s Secretariat annex which was taken by uche when he was the commissioner for lands; the other parts of the land are shared amongst the relatives of Rochas. West Brook Hotel at new Owerri, a multi million Naira hotel is owned by Uche Nwosu, who acquired the land by revoking its ownership from the previous owners. Farmers market is owned by Geraldine ,the governor's elder sister and the lands were acquired through Uche Nwosu, A filling station beside Farmers market which is under construction is owned by Gerald, the brother to the governor and it is a land acquired by Uche Nwosu,. Another filling station under construction located along MCC Road, is owned by Uche Nwosu. There is also a school under construction, which is in over 20 plots of land, acquired by Uche Nwosu for his private school. There is an Event center, owned by the wife of the governor, Nkechi okorocha and it’s located opposite Uche's private school. The land was acquired through Uche. A mansion under construction which is located opposite ISOPADEC building is owned, by Gerald, brother to the governor, and the land was acquired through Uche. El- creeds foundation is built on 25 plots of land and it is owned by Uche. Esteria Mega supermarket located opposite Civic Center estate is owned by Ogechi Ololo, the governor’s younger sister and commissioner for happiness. Municipal plaza located along MCC road is owned by Nkechi, the wife of the governor and it was acquired through Uche from a civil servant. Alex Home is owned by Nkechi, wife of the governor. It is located along MCC also acquired through Uche. Akachi estate is owned by Nkechi. It has seven duplexes and ten bungalows. Two were furnished as service apartment on eighty plots of land and was acquired through Uche and valued at over 6 billion naira. A storey building still under construction near New Castle Hotel is owned by Geraldine, the governor's elder sister. Twitter Bite, the former Mr FANS building whose owner was frustrated out of business by Rochas government is presently owned by Geraldine and, is located at Mbari Road. Spibat Estate was acquired by Rochas before 2011 and after becoming governor, he illegally acquired the rest of the lands from Mbieri people and it's over ten plots of land with dual drive way and have about sixty four buildings and a lawn tennis court. Former IBC Orji, belonging to Imo Broadcasting Cooperation at orji was stolen by Rochas in collaboration with one Eze Innocent, who shared the land with Rochas and its now the new site for Rochas' private school. Uche's private mansion at High brow Civic centre Estate and another acquired three plots of land which cost over two hundred and fifty million naira are also there. House of Freeda is a multimillion Mall that has branches in Lagos and Abuja and it’s owned by Uche and his wife. Uche also has a large poultry which is located beside Shoprite, Owerri. The former Disney Hotel and Resorts was frustrated out of business by the governor and the hotel is now owned by Rochas and has been remodeled with money collected under the disguised of catering for flood victims in 2017. Beside the above mentioned ones, there abound many others that are owned by these people all in the name of governing Imo state. The purpose of Roachas is to cover all these atrocities at least for the next years to come if possible, and the only way to do it is to impose his son in law on Imo people. Chiukwu Okike save Imo people.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line413
__label__wiki	0.571169	0.571169	Introduction to Performance Art (17) Glass, Philip (1) Bruckner, Anton (1) Bach, J. S. (31) Berlioz, Hector (3) Borodin, Alexander (1) Chopin, Frederic (5) Copland, Aaron (1) Corelli, Arcangelo (2) Delibes, Leo (0) Dvořák, Antonín (0) Elgar, Edward (0) Handel, George Frideric (4) Haydn, Franz Joseph (2) Mozart, W. A. (19) Rachmaninoff, Sergei (5) Rimsky-Korsakov (1) Shostakovich, Dimitri (1) Strauss, Johann II (1) Sousa, John (1) Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Ilyich (4) Music for Younger Learners (58) Music Instruction (247) Music History (77) Musical Genres and Styles (156) Music Theory (79) Exploring the Global Perspective of Music - series (12) Music History (1) Song and Opera (34) Rachmaninoff, Sergei Ages: 11 - 18 3195 Views: Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 - II Adagio sostenuto (1/2) In this video (in color) pianist, Georgi Chrkin, plays Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 - II Adagio sostenuto with the Classic FM Radio Orchestra conducted by Georgi Dimitrov. They are on stage in a concert hall. The picture quality and stage lighting i...s good and the sound quality is excellent. [more] Found by musictcher71 in Rachmaninoff, Sergei Rachmaninoff Concerto N. 2 - I. Moderato (2/2) Pianist, Georgi Chrkin, plays Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 - I Moderato with the Classic FM Radio Orchestra conducted by Georgi Dimitrov. The picture quality and stage lighting is good. The sound quality is excellent. (05:04) In this video (in color) pianist, Georgi Chrkin, plays Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 - I Moderato with the Classic FM Radio Orchestra conducted by Georgi Dimitrov. They are on stage in a concert hall. The picture quality and stage lighting is good an...d the sound quality is excellent. [more] Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Part 2 From awesomestories.com In this interpretation of Rachmaninov's Piano Concert No. 2 in C Minor, Alexis Weissenberg is the pianist and the late Herbert von Karajan is the conductor. Strains of the popular song, "All By Myself," are clearly recognizable in this movement. Er...ic Carmen has acknowledged that he was greatly influenced by it. [more] Found by Donna_Strobel in Rachmaninoff, Sergei Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor From awesomestories.com, produced by BBC Rachmaninov composed this concerto following a period of deep depression, during which he questioned whether he could ever compose again. Response to his First Symphony - after it was initially performed in St. Petersburg - was extremely negative, s...ending Sergei Vasilievich into a tailspin. A brilliant pianist with a famously wide hand span, he began to think performing in concert (or conducting) might be a better career path for him. Deeply unsettled, he began drinking too much alcohol. By the end of 1899, he was drinking so much that his hands shook - preventing him from playing the piano. Recognizing he needed help, Rachmaninov visited a Moscow specialist in "neuro-psychotherapy," named Nikolai Dahl, whom he regularly saw between January and April of 1900. Dr. Dahl stated he should compose a new piano concerto which had been commissioned by a London patron. [more]	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line414
__label__cc	0.595362	0.404638	Certified Hudson Valley What is Certified Hudson Valley? The "Certified Hudson Valley" designation is given to businesses listed here on our website that are members of the Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance. What is the Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance? The Hudson Valley Food & Beverage Alliance brings organizations within the food and beverage industries together, helping businesses in the seven-county region of Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Ulster, and Sullivan forge strong partnerships. Founded by Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp. (HVEDC), the alliance provides access to economic guidance and marketing resources to businesses throughout the region. For more information on the Food & Beverage Alliance, please call HVEDC's CEO Laurence P. Gottlieb at (845) 220-2244. Pawelski Farms Map736 Pulaski Hwy. A small, family-owned farm in Goshen whose owner, Chris Pawelski, actively lobbies politicians in Washington, D.C. for fairness for farmers. County: Orange Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pawelsk...	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line415
__label__wiki	0.777131	0.777131	Archive - Aug 9, 2010 Mosque Of The Inbred Death Memo to America: STOP MAINSTREAMING THE FAKE MOSQUE CONTROVERSY. Two fucking months ago, at the beginning of June, I discussed the fake controversy of the Ground Zero Mosque, which is two blocks from Ground Zero and isn't even really a mosque. It's the Joe the Plumber of Islamophobia, or it would be, if Joe The Plumber wasn't already the Joe The Plumber of Islamophobia. Two months later, and not only are we still arguing about the ability of a private religious organization using private funds to put up a religious/cultural center on land they own, the debate has moved from crazy people like known moron Peter King, semi-discredited racist Mark Williams, and insane New York radio talk show hosts, all the way to the Jewish Anti-Defamation League. And in case you were wondering, when it came right down to brass tacks, whether one of the premier opponents of religious bigotry in America would side with religious freedom, or sticking it to those damn Muslims, let's find out, shall we? ACTUAL QUOTE TIME! "We regard freedom of religion as a cornerstone of the American democracy, and that freedom must include the right of all Americans – Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths – to build community centers and houses of worship. We categorically reject appeals to bigotry on the basis of religion, and condemn those whose opposition to this proposed Islamic Center is a manifestation of such bigotry." Oh, excellent. Thank goodness. I was worried for a while there, because I'd written that whole intro, and it really sounded like I was going to have to slam the ADL for being bigots, and that would have been weird. Good thing there isn't any more to their statement than that. "However, there are understandably strong passions and keen sensitivities surrounding the World Trade Center site. We are ever mindful of the tragedy which befell our nation there, the pain we all still feel – and especially the anguish of the families and friends of those who were killed on September 11, 2001. The controversy which has emerged regarding the building of an Islamic Center at this location is counterproductive to the healing process. Therefore, under these unique circumstances, we believe the City of New York would be better served if an alternative location could be found." Motherfuckers. Jews are not usually known for having big buts, but this one's so huge it's got a yarmulke on each cheek. If the controversy is counterproductive, then you penalize the people who created the counterproductive controversy in the first place - INSANE BIGOTS. Just because a bunch of morons are finding it politically expedient to be upset doesn't mean the target of the manufactured outrage needs to suffer. Well, except that those seem to be the ground rules these days. Ground rules so entrenched that even the ADL falls for them. Also, can we get the fuck over 9/11 already? It's nine years later. The number of people who should have strong passions and keen sensibilities at this point is small enough that they shouldn't be granted carte blanche to run roughshod over the lives of the hundreds of millions of us who have moved on. You don't hear the Pearl Harbor Families and Newt Fucking Gingrich raising a ruckus every time someone opens a sushi restaurant near Pearl Harbor. Hell, it's not even all the families who are feeling anguish over 9/11 that are in play here. There are a few, sure, but they've been shamelessly co-opted by Newt and Sarah and Fox and everyone else who thinks it's excellent for the 2010 elections if they can demonize some brown people that are outside Arizona for a change. And that demonizing has become so prevalent that not only are hardly any Democrats willing to go to bat for the Cordoba House (site of the proposed community center), but it's given Joystick Joe cover to throw a little of his patented gentle Arab-hate into the mix. "Well, I guess I'd say I'm troubled by it. But I don't know enough to say it ought to be prohibited. But frankly I've heard enough about it, and read enough about it, that I wish someone in New York would just put the brakes on it for a while and take a look at this." - Joe Lieberman. So you don't know enough to say it ought to be prohibited, but you've heard enough to wish that New York had prohibited it. Makes sense to me. Or at least as much sense as condemning the bigotry of people opposing the community center then blaming the community center for inciting it. And in case there was any doubt in your mind that the right was just using this bullshit to position themselves for future political runs, Tim Pawlenty weighed in on it. Tim Pawlenty. Barely even governor anymore of a state so geographically and culturally distant from NYC that we wonder why delis put sesame seeds on donuts. And Timmeh was his usual loquacious self. "I'm strongly opposed to the idea of putting a mosque anywhere near ground zero -- I think it's inappropriate. I believe that 3,000 of our fellow innocent citizens were killed in that area, and some ways from a patriotic standpoint, it's hallowed ground, it's sacred ground, and we should respect that. We shouldn't have images or activities that degrade or disrespect that in any way." - Timmeh, delicately fluffing the cock of wingnut site RealClearPolitics. It must be pretty hallowed ground. That's why they haven't actually built anything there. But how far does hallowed ground extend? Do we kick the existing mosque near Ground Zero out? Who gets to decide what images or activities degrade or disrespect our patriotic hallowed ground? Tim Pawlenty? He's running for President, which is about as disrespectful to America as you can get. So the Republicans are picking on a minority to score political points, the Democrats are unwilling to spend the political capital to defend the minority because they don't want to lose the votes of fiscally liberal bigots, and the media keeps it all going for the sake of ratings. Business as usual, in other words.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line416
__label__cc	0.697773	0.302227	Board index » KJ's Movie Corner » Box Office Bash Japan Box Office: Weekend Actuals; Charts Updated! (01/19) [ 12819 posts ] Go to page Previous 1 ... 461, 462, 463, 464, 465, 466, 467 ... 513 Next Don't Dream It, Be It Location: The Graveyard Re: Japan Box Office: Avengers: Endgame Tracking Usual Locations (~70% of Market) - Sunday Ticket Sales 10AM > 11AM > 12PM > 1PM > 2PM > 3PM > 4PM > 5PM > 7PM > 9PM > FINAL 38,344 > x49,944 > x63,544 > x94,764 > 106,232 > 119,366 > 141,586 > 164,820 > 175,477 > 224,737 > 228,840 - Avengers: Endgame Previous Major Openers (Sunday Results) [2015-]: 63,218 > 100,404 > 146,337 > 189,450 > 244,143 > 286,739 > 328,954 > 352,722 > 390,334 > 410,796 > 415,451 - Detective Conan 23 47,152 > x77,663 > 117,569 > 150,789 > 196,456 > 222,491 > 257,516 > 290,708 > 332,949 > 357,826 > 357,985 - Detective Conan 22 43,544 > x56,945 > x94,864 > 121,147 > 137,712 > 176,895 > 211,513 > 233,287 > 266,175 > 310,627 > 316,396 - Jurassic World 2 68,068 > 121,410 > 140,214 > 175,159 > 212,303 > 239,912 > 275,001 > 284,050 > 301,372 > 303,414 > 303,414 - Yo-Kai Watch 2 48,646 > x66,915 > 109,572 > 132,453 > 146,053 > 201,672 > 223,094 > 237,267 > 266,239 > 285,738 > 288,800 - Code Blue 41,505 > x60,776 > x92,279 > 118,040 > 147,909 > 183,527 > 203,203 > 226,105 > 255,277 > 282,340 > 282,386 - Detective Conan 20 58,188 > x70,602 > x85,503 > 130,437 > 138,471 > 165,576 > 206,251 > 215,799 > 245,092 > 274,998 > 275,491 - Star Wars VII 44,544 > x61,806 > x95,031 > 115,926 > 135,456 > 172,663 > 187,607 > 203,548 > 251,431 > 263,949 > 264,078 - Star Wars VIII 45,987 > x56,944 > x75,411 > x89,067 > 121,228 > 135,686 > 165,877 > 198,605 > 234,747 > 261,046 > 263,634 - Beauty and the Beast 49,893 > x78,100 > 116,613 > 140,025 > 177,042 > 206,882 > 224,334 > 232,932 > 239,489 > 240,630 > 240,717 - Doraemon 39 21,456 > x37,966 > x56,039 > x67,503 > 100,630 > 112,355 > 135,806 > 160,605 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 234,075 - Your Name. 34,327 > x45,706 > x65,083 > x88,540 > 103,380 > 132,669 > 151,634 > 161,136 > 194,354 > 217,019 > 219,122 - Pirates of the Caribbean 5 34,674 > x58,364 > x83,804 > 103,559 > 134,266 > 153,207 > 172,514 > 189,625 > 203,933 > 212,672 > 214,354 - Dragon Ball Super: Broly 40,053 > x62,171 > x96,820 > 111,334 > 153,971 > 173,958 > 192,034 > 203,992 > 209,324 > 210,285 > 210,322 - Doraemon 37 36,072 > x57,885 > x76,836 > x95,227 > 114,580 > 143,048 > 163,262 > 169,357 > 189,252 > 207,335 > 207,464 - One Piece Film Gold 00,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 115,537 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 188,552 > 000,000 > 205,221 - Finding Dory 25,102 > x34,335 > x58,977 > x81,932 > x96,106 > 139,004 > 153,796 > 159,983 > 185,950 > 200,159 > 203,669 - Fantastic Beasts 00,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 201,580 - Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F 31,050 > x37,548 > x63,803 > x85,248 > x98,650 > 133,943 > 146,623 > 158,823 > 178,463 > 194,057 > 196,225 - Fantastic Beasts 2 00,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 000,000 > 175,504 - Jurassic World Japan Box Office “Gods are great ... but the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.” "Paper is dead without words / Ink idle without a poem / All the world dead without stories." “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” Location: Augsburg (2,034 years young) Re: Japan Box Office: Endgame WKND Tracking (Sun. Updates) Disney says $13m... That'd be the 3-day, but it seems a bit low to me. There haven't been any studio numbers being too far off in recent months/years to my knowledge though, so we'll see. Even using the lowest multipliers and a below average avg. ticket price, it still should have at least hit (or nearly hit) ¥1.5 billion ($13.5 million) for the 3-day. Some charts coming up. Re: Japan Box Office: Biggest Openers Since 2015 Usual Locations (~70% of Market) - Weekend Admissions Biggest Openers Since 2015: Saturday Results (~70% of Market): Tickets Sold/Available Tickets (% Capacity), [Theaters/Showings], Film Title 348,024/605,267 (57.4% capacity), [239/1,676] - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (Apr., 2017) 345,143/655,976 (52.6% capacity), [249/1,832] - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (Apr., 2018) 332,987/725,315 (45.9% capacity), [258/2,202] - Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (Apr., 2019) 330,349/701,865 (47.1% capacity), [247/2,864] - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (July, 2017) 317,709/530,456 (59.9% capacity), [231/1,727] - Yo-Kai Watch: Great King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! (Dec., 2015) 293,246/714,702 (41.0% capacity), [236/2,789] - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec., 2015) 289,656/530,905 (54.5% capacity), [230/1,502] - Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare (Apr., 2016) 286,726/658,842 (43.5% capacity), [231/2,256] - One Piece Film Gold (July, 2016) 283,482/670,255 (42.3% capacity), [254/2,527] - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Dec., 2017) 266,911/816,498 (32.7% capacity), [251/3,196] - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (July, 2018) 262,671/667,610 (39.3% capacity), [245/2,327] - Beauty and the Beast (Apr., 2017) 248,613/533,783 (46.6% capacity), [258/2,293] - Avengers: Endgame (Apr., 2019) 241,332/608,132 (39.7% capacity), [250/1,979] - Code Blue (July, 2018) 227,517/473,967 (48.0% capacity), [221/1,582] - Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (Apr., 2015) 217,221/919,956 (23.6% capacity), [258/3,250] - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Nov., 2018) 209,804/462,825 (45.3% capacity), [229/1,366] - Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno (Apr., 2015) 202,075/451,836 (44.7% capacity), [218/1,257] - Your Name. (Aug., 2016) 196,491/520,369 (37.8% capacity), [237/1,744] - Jurassic World (Aug., 2015) 193,053/648,160 (29.8% capacity), [252/2,037] - Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Dec., 2018) 187,901/485,825 (38.7% capacity), [235/1,574] - Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Mar., 2018) 174,797/501,322 (34.8% capacity), [240/1,487] - Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure in the Antarctic (Mar., 2017) 166,650/766,440 (21.7% capacity), [241/2,556] - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Nov., 2016) 157,910/547,894 (28.8% capacity), [252/1,655] - Doraemon: Nobita's Chronicle of Moon Exploration (Mar., 2019) 157,739/484,007 (32.6% capacity), [247/1,422] - Masquerade Hotel (Jan., 2019) 139,061/668,663 (20.8% capacity), [236/2,346] - Finding Dory (July, 2016) 136,031/515,406 (26.4% capacity), [233/1,460] - Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (Mar., 2016) Sunday Results (~70% of Market): Weekend Results (~70% of Market): 748,438/1,436,072 (52.1% capacity), [258/4,368] - Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (Apr., 2019) 703,128/1,299,917 (54.1% capacity), [249/3,625] - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (Apr., 2018) 676,886/1,200,412 (56.4% capacity), [240/3,324] - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (Apr., 2017) 621,123/1,051,181 (59.1% capacity), [231/3,415] - Yo-Kai Watch: Great King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! (Dec., 2015) 583,307/1,626,823 (35.9% capacity), [251/6,355] - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (July, 2018) 572,042/1,043,666 (54.8% capacity), [230/2,936] - Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare (Apr., 2016) 569,497/1,392,147 (40.9% capacity), [236/5,431] - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec., 2015) 549,579/1,389,766 (39.6% capacity), [247/5,670] - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (July, 2017) 547,821/1,330,179 (41.2% capacity), [254/5,015] - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Dec., 2017) 530,132/1,116,138 (47.5% capacity), [250/3,838] - Code Blue (July, 2018) 526,470/1,302,175 (40.4% capacity), [245/4,570] - Beauty and the Beast (Apr., 2017) 494,190/1,298,579 (38.1% capacity), [231/4,461] - One Piece Film Gold (July, 2016) 477,529/1,048,231 (45.6% capacity), [261/4,552] - Avengers: Endgame (Apr., 2019) 436,267/x,908,420 (48.0% capacity), [218/2,520] - Your Name. (Aug., 2016) 429,097/x,903,746 (47.5% capacity), [221/3,049] - Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (Apr., 2015) 427,077/x,913,713 (46.8% capacity), [229/2,643] - Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno (Apr., 2015) 413,446/1,823,898 (22.7% capacity), [258/6,439] - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (Nov., 2018) 408,053/x,969,280 (42.1% capacity), [235/3,141] - Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Mar., 2018) 407,419/1,271,559 (32.0% capacity), [252/4,010] - Dragon Ball Super: Broly (Dec., 2018) 398,627/1,101,595 (36.2% capacity), [257/3,337] - Doraemon: Nobita's Chronicle of Moon Exploration (Mar., 2019) 385,119/x,998,768 (38.6% capacity), [240/2,966] - Doraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure in the Antarctic (Mar., 2017) 371,995/1,021,926 (36.4% capacity), [237/3,331] - Jurassic World (Aug., 2015) 370,390/1,515,394 (24.4% capacity), [243/5,111] - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Nov., 2016) 344,292/1,394,229 (24.7% capacity), [236/4,683] - Finding Dory (July, 2016) 336,993/x,969,600 (34.8% capacity), [247/2,836] - Masquerade Hotel (Jan., 2019) 327,709/1,025,446 (31.9% capacity), [233/2,903] - Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan (Mar., 2016) Re: Japan Box-Office: Biggest April Opening Weekends Biggest April Opening Weekends (1998-) 01. ¥1.464 billion ($13.1 million) / 1,144,539 - Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (2019) 02. ¥1.316 billion ($14.0 million) / 828,149 - Alice in Wonderland (2010) 03. ¥1.296 billion ($12.1 million) / 1,012,000 - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (2018) 04. ¥1.287 billion ($11.9 million) / 987,568 - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (2017) 05. ¥1.209 billion ($11.1 million) / 933,781 - Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare (2016) 06. ¥1.065 billion ($9.7 million) / 729,114 - Beauty and the Beast (2017) 07. ¥1.050 billion ($9.4 million) / 675,000 - Avengers: Endgame (2019) Estimate 08. ¥960.6 million ($8.1 million) / 715,727 - Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (2015) 09. ¥874.8 million ($7.4 million) / 688,623 - Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno (2015) 10. ¥789.3 million ($7.8 million) / 649,865 - Detective Conan: Dimensional Sniper (2014) 11. ¥672.4 million ($6.2 million) / 437,209 - Avengers: Infinity War (2018) 12. ¥671.9 million ($6.8 million) / 531,987 - Red Cliff - Part II (2009) 13. ¥671.5 million ($6.9 million) / 565,914 - Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea (2013) 14. ¥629.7 million ($7.7 million) / 540,975 - Detective Conan: The Eleventh Striker (2012) 15. ¥593.2 million ($6.0 million) / 501,700 - Detective Conan: The Raven Chaser (2009) 16. ¥570.7 million ($5.8 million) / 420,958 - Crowz Zero II (2009) 17. ¥563.1 million ($6.0 million) / 437,613 - Nodable Cantabile: The Final Score - Part 2 (2010) 18. ¥561.9 million ($6.0 million) / 431,527 - Detective Conan: The Lost Ship in the Sky (2010) 19. ¥556.1 million ($4.7 million) / 419,796 - Cinderella (2015) 20. ¥551.6 million ($6.6 million) / 423,675 - Gantz: Perfect Answer (2011) 21. ¥550.1 million ($6.5 million) / 453,619 - Detective Conan: Quarter of Silence (2011) 22. ¥548.3 million ($4.6 million) / 385,428 - Furious 7 (2015) 23. ¥543.5 million ($4.7 million) / 449,917 - Detective Conan: The Private Eyes' Requiem (2005) 24. ¥526.0 million ($4.7 million) / 382,000 - Kingdom (2019) 25. ¥504.1 million ($4.6 million) / 394,231 - The Haunted Mansion (2004) Re: Japan Box Office: Marvel/DC Box Office History Marvel & DC Box Office History (1980-) Opening Weekends: ¥1.226 billion ($9.6 million) - Spider-Man (2002) ¥1.207 billion ($10.1 million) - Spider-Man 3 (2007) ¥1.050 billion ($9.4 million) - Avengers: Endgame (2019) Estimate ¥793.9 million ($6.5 million) - Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) ¥672.4 million ($6.2 million) - Avengers: Infinity War (2018) ¥580.9 million ($7.4 million) - The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) ¥500.9 million ($6.3 million) - The Avengers (2012) ¥448.8 million ($4.2 million) - Captain America: Civil War (2016) ¥448.5 million ($4.1 million) - Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) ¥439.0 million ($3.9 million) - Venom (2018) ¥426.6 million ($3.8 million) - Captain Marvel (2019) ¥420.3 million ($4.1 million) - The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) ¥414.7 million ($4.3 million) - Iron Man 3 (2013) ¥394.1 million ($3.4 million) - Doctor Strange (2017) ¥390.1 million ($3.8 million) - Suicide Squad (2016) ¥383.3 million ($3.6 million) - Deadpool (2016) ¥375.1 million ($3.4 million) - Deadpool 2 (2018) ¥372.0 million ($4.6 million) - The Dark Knight Rises (2012) ¥371.3 million ($3.3 million) - Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) ¥368.9 million ($3.4 million) - Superman Returns (2006) ¥361.9 million ($3.1 million) - X2: X-Men United (2003) ¥333.2 million ($3.1 million) - The Dark Knight (2008) ¥322.2 million ($2.9 million) - Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) ¥314.3 million ($2.8 million) - Aquaman (2019) ¥309.7 million ($2.9 million) - Black Panther (2018) ¥290.2 million ($2.7 million) - Batman Begins (2005) ¥276.6 million ($2.4 million) - X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) ¥272.5 million ($2.7 million) - X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) ¥268.3 million ($2.8 million) - Man of Steel (2013) ¥266.5 million ($2.4 million) - Wonder Woman (2017) ¥249.4 million ($2.2 million) - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) ¥247.5 million ($2.1 million) - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) ¥230.6 million ($2.0 million) - Thor: Ragnarok (2017) ¥224.1 million ($2.1 million) - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) ¥211.7 million ($2.0 million) - Iron Man (2008) ¥204.7 million ($1.9 million) - Fantastic Four (2005) ¥204.4 million ($1.8 million) - Justice League (2017) ¥200.4 million ($1.7 million) - Ant-Man (2015) ¥198.4 million ($1.9 million) - Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) ¥194.3 million ($1.6 million) - Daredevil (2003) ¥187.1 million ($1.8 million) - Thor: The Dark World (2014) ¥184.3 million ($1.9 million) - The Wolverine (2013) ¥176.8 million ($1.9 million) - X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) ¥167.0 million ($1.5 million) - Shazam! (2019) ¥163.3 million ($1.4 million) - Logan (2017) ¥160.9 million ($1.4 million) - Hulk (2003) ¥158.5 million ($1.9 million) - X-Men: First Class (2011) ¥153.1 million ($1.5 million) - X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) ¥129.9 million ($1.6 million) - Thor (2011) ¥109.7 million ($1.2 million) - Watchmen (2009) ¥88.3 million ($1.1 million) - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) ¥65.1 million ($0.6 million) - Catwoman (2004) ¥42.6 million ($0.6 million) - The Green Lantern (2011) ¥41.5 million ($0.4 million) - The Incredible Hulk (2008) Marvel/DC Re: Japan Box Office: Biggest Opening Weekends Biggest Modern Opening Weekends (2008-) [REVENUE] Modern Rank (All-Time Rank) 01 (09) ¥1,628,893,000 - Yo-Kai Watch: It's the Secret of Birth, Nyan! (Dec., 2014) 02 (16) ¥1,463,827,700 - Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (Apr., 2019) 03 (18) ¥1,372,054,050 - One Piece Film Z (Dec., 2012) 04 (20) ¥1,316,539,200 - Alice in Wonderland (Apr., 2010) 05 (21) ¥1,301,851,375 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (July, 2011) 06 (22) ¥1,295,834,500 - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (Apr., 2018) 07 (23) ¥1,286,928,000 - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (Apr., 2017) 08 (25) ¥1,245,023,900 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec., 2015) 09 (26) ¥1,225,913,932 - Rookies (May, 2009) 10 (27) ¥1,216,654,000 - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (July, 2018) 11 (28) ¥1,209,158,900 - Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare (Apr., 2016) 12 (29) ¥1,205,116,126 - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May, 2011) 13 (31) ¥1,155,771,000 - One Piece Film Gold (July, 2016) 14 (32) ¥1,133,513,323 - Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo (Nov., 2012) 15 (33) ¥1,125,800,000 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Dec., 2017) 16 (34) ¥1,096,150,000 - Code Blue (July, 2018) 17 (35) ¥1,065,362,800 - Beauty and the Beast (Apr., 2017) 18 (36) ¥1,057,808,800 - Yo-Kai Watch: Great King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! (Dec., 2015) 19 (37) ¥1,050,000,000 - Avengers: Endgame (Apr., 2019) Estimate 20 (38) ¥1,048,271,900 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (July, 2017) 21 (39) ¥1,038,295,232 - One Piece Film Strong World (Dec., 2009) 22 (41) ¥1,034,459,534 - Ponyo (July, 2008) 23 (43) ¥1,005,428,333 - Boys Over Flowers: Final (June, 2008) Biggest Modern Opening Weekends (2008-) [ADMISSIONS] 01 (02) 1,484,916 - Yo-Kai Watch: It's the Secret of Birth, Nyan! (Dec., 2014) 02 (13) 1,144,539 - Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (Apr., 2019) 03 (14) 1,140,081 - One Piece Film Z (Dec., 2012) 04 (19) 1,012,000 - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer (Apr., 2018) 05 (20) 987,568 - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (Apr., 2017) 06 (22) 987,387 - Rookies (May, 2009) 07 (23) 974,577 - Yo-Kai Watch: Great King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! (Dec., 2015) 08 (24) 933,781 - Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare (Apr., 2016) 09 (28) 880,697 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (July, 2011) 10 (29) 833,190 - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (July, 2018) 11 (30) 828,149 - Alice in Wonderland (Apr., 2010) 12 (31) 820,830 - One Piece Film Gold (July, 2016) 13 (32) 819,738 - One Piece Film Strong World (Dec., 2009) 14 (33) 812,557 - Ponyo (July, 2008) 15 (34) 810,918 - Code Blue (July, 2018) 16 (35) 805,350 - Boys Over Flowers: Final (June, 2008) 17 (36) 805,297 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (July, 2009) 18 (37) 800,258 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Dec., 2015) 19 (38) 773,184 - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May, 2011) 20 (39) 771,764 - Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo (Nov., 2012) 21 (40) 771,516 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (July, 2017) 22 (41) 766,633 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (Nov., 2010) 23 (43) 747,451 - The Wind Rises (July, 2013) 24 (45) 737,467 - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Dec., 2017) 25 (46) 729,114 - Beauty and the Beast (Apr., 2017) 26 (48) 717,958 - Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (Sept., 2014) 27 (49) 716,629 - Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Mar., 2018) 28 (51) 715,727 - Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (Apr., 2015) 29 (52) 707,339 - Bayside Shakedown: Set the Guys Loose! (July, 2010) *Modern = Post-Previews/Early Showings Era. I highly doubt it hit 700,000 admissions, so it'll miss making that chart. And remember, this is an estimate. I believe it'll come in above ¥1 billion, barely, but a slight decrease with actuals would bump it off the revenue chart. Re: Japan Box Office: Endgame Weekend Estimate & Charts The first ever Super Golden Week began today, with every day until next Monday is a national holiday, which gives the market an unprecedented consecutive 8-day holiday frame with no school and most workplaces being closed. Here is the Super Golden Week schedule again: April 29th - Showa Day (National Holiday) April 30th - National Holiday (Emperor Abdicates, Heisei Era Ends) May 1st - National Holiday (New Emperor Ascends, Reiwa Era Begins) May 2nd - Declared National Holiday (falls between holidays) May 3rd - Constitution Day (National Holiday) May 4th - Greenery Day (National Holiday) May 5th - Children's Day (National Holiday) May 6th - Declared National Holiday (Monday after a holiday) Each day will be about as big as any Saturday or Sunday, so expect some humongous numbers, and very likely the biggest week of all-time in the market for the box-office (at least in the past 50 years). I'll be posting daily estimates. And remember, as a result of this, no actuals from this past weekend will be available until sometime next week. So my daily estimates for the week will be based on weekend estimates, so while they shouldn't be significantly off, there's a wider margin of error than usual. Re: Japan Box Office: Super Golden Week (Dailies Ests.) Super Golden Week, Daily Estimates (04/29-05/06) Monday, 04/29 (Showa Day) ¥475,000,000 ($4.3 million), 0, ¥2,025,000,000 ($18.2 million), Avengers: Endgame (Disney) Day 04 ¥450,000,000 ($4.0 million), +291%, ¥5,060,000,000 ($45.5 million), Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire (Toho) Day 18 ¥280,000,000 ($2.5 million), +165%, ¥1,805,000,000 ($16.2 million), Kingdom (Toho/Sony) Day 11 ¥160,000,000 ($1.4 million), +408%, ¥755,000,000 ($6.7 million), Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane, The Lost Hiroshi (Toho) Day 11 ¥x45,000,000 ($405,000), +41%, ¥445,000,000 ($3.9 million), Shazam! (Warner Bros.) Day 11 ¥x25,000,000 ($225,000), +437%, ¥4,775,000,000 ($43.3 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Chronicle of Moon Exploration (Toho) Day 60 ¥x20,000,000 ($180,000), +244%, ¥3,480,000,000 ($31.6 million), Tonde Saitama (Toei) Day 67 ¥x20,000,000 ($180,000), 0, ¥x60,000,000 ($535,000), Birthday Wonderland (Warner Bros.) Day 04 ¥x15,000,000 ($135,000), 0, ¥x40,000,000 ($360,000), Toei Anime Festival (Toei) Day 03 Note: Daily Estimates based on Weekend Estimates (actuals won't be out for over a week); margin-of-error is higher than usual. % changes versus same day last week. Last edited by Corpse on Mon Apr 29, 2019 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total. Re: Japan Box Office: Super Golden Week Begins What's your weekend estimate for DETECTIVE CONAN and KINGDOM? ¥620 million ($5.6 million) for Detective Conan; ¥395 million ($3.5 million) for Kingdom. pookpooi Disney's initial international estimate is too low ($859 M) and now it's pushing to $866 M so Japan is likely to be higher than $13 M too Darth Indiana Bond Location: Wouldn't you like to know Feels pretty low for Japan Why is the rum gone??? Corpse I am not sure if you have added that but can you please add the Weekend estimates for last weekend? Just so to compare weekend numbers to the HUGE days we are expected to see this week. $4m for one day seems pretty huge to me. feasby007 Corpse wrote: Disney reporting $17m through Monday. Are they just estimating or is it not doing quite as well as projected? (Despite being huge relatively) Uemarasan Re: Japan Box Office: Endgame WKND Tracking (Sat. Updates) Uemarasan wrote: Hi Corpse! Thank you for all your hard work on this thread. This is definitely one of the, if not THE, best thread on the forums. I was just hoping to ask: do you have any final box office numbers for Koreeda's Shoplifters? I know the film was re-released to celebrate its Oscar nomination, so I was wondering if there were any shifts with regard to box office and tickets sold? Eiren typically doesn't update their yearly results, including individual film totals, once they reveal them at the end of January until the following year. Its last available total is ¥4.55 billion ($41.1 million) on 3.69 million admissions. It was still playing at the time Eiren released their numbers though, so it'll probably see a slight increase. If I see anything about an updated total before next January, I'll let you know. Welcome to the forums, and thanks for the kind words. Thank you for the welcome! And thank you very much for the updated data. Yes, please let me know! I'd be very interested. Darth Indiana Bond wrote: It's not, trust me. It looks low compared to many other markets, I'm sure, especially when it's breaking all sorts of records in many markets, but this is a major achievement in Japan. And I know it'll be mentioned in this thread here in a bit, after I post the Tuesday Estimates, but Endgame has dropped to second place (behind Conan), and that's not a sign of poor reception or disappointing box-office results. It's going to become the highest-grossing superhero film in the market, after the original Spider-Man trilogy, after just 8 or 9 days. It's just not setting any records outside of the superhero genre, a genre that isn't very big in Japan. Last edited by Corpse on Tue Apr 30, 2019 4:01 pm, edited 1 time in total. Jack Sparrow wrote: Yeah, I can post them, but they won't be neat or anything like the usual Weekend Estimates/Actuals posts. I'll just post the weekend estimate with the film's title. feasby007 wrote: I don't know if they're estimating or not. I would assume not(?) since they probably(?) have access to the numbers for their own films, but maybe not if they get them from a third party source? I'm at $18 million after four days, and they're saying $17 million. It's still quite close either way. Monday, 04/29 (National Holiday - Showa Day) Tuesday, 04/30 (National Holiday - Emperor Abdicates; Heisei Era Ends) ¥190,000,000 ($1.7 million), +1,861%, ¥945,000,000 ($8.4 million), Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane, The Lost Hiroshi (Toho) Day 12 ¥x30,000,000 ($270,000), +3,020%, ¥4,805,000,000 ($43.6 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Chronicle of Moon Exploration (Toho) Day 61 I guess if they're estimating then it'll be fixed and aligned by the time actuals come out after all the holidays. Also, with tomorrow being national discount day on top of the ascension day, just how big can the day itself go? (Not to mention the fact Wednesday is usually biggest weekday anyway) Thinking of it, do you have any stats on the biggest day ever in the market? (or perhaps just from the usual 2/3) Wow at those weekdays. I'll be interested to look at the biggest weekdays ever stat in Japan as well if you have it Corpse. Wednesday should be the biggest day of the week. It's a National Holiday this year due to the New Emperor ascending, it's a national discount day (1st of the month), and it's Ladies' Day. And to answer your and Jack Sparrow's similar question: I do not have any charts or lists on biggest weekdays/individual days. If the bottom half of the Top 10 right now was stronger, then today (Wednesday) probably would be in the conversation. I can do a little research into it. Thanks Corpse AfnanAcchan Hello, Im newbie. I want to ask some question. Is there any reason why Sam Raimi Spiderman doing so well ? Im asking this because Homecoming is the lowest grossing Spiderman live action although this time it is part of MCU. Spiderverse also flop in market where animation usually doing very well. I know it is too early but how do you think Monster Hunter movie will do in Japan ? It is one of the biggest gaming franchise in Japan .	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line417
__label__wiki	0.652081	0.652081	Interferenze By Luigi Ametta General fiction \| Paperback, eBook Luigi Ametta Paolo Maugeri is a lonely man, refugee in a small town in the Highlands in an attempt to leave behind failures and disappointments. An inheritance received from an uncle take him away from his exile, but the blessed event don’t give relief to the inner discomfort of Paolo, which in fact remain with much more time available to overthink on his failures, slowly outwearing himself day after day. Wandering around the world, Paolo drag himself toward the end tormented by memories, trying to fully understand human nature, which prove herself to him in clashing contrast with his early illusions. Luigi Ametta is born in Cassino in 1964 and from 1969 he lives in Turin. Graduated in 1984, currently he is employed as Manufacturing Engineering Specialist in a firm of industrial vehicles. Nonprofessional musician between 1983 and 1997, in 1995 he has realized the album As The Years Go By with his band Circle of Fairies. Between 1990 and 1999 has collaborated as freelancer with the music fanzines Paperlate, Freak Out, Progress and Book of Saturday, therefore from 1999 to 2008 has published on the net the webzine of alternative music No Warning! in which he also occasionally covered cinema and literature. He desultorily collaborated in the column of publishing news with the local monthly magazine La Bussola. In 2011 his first novel Quello Che Scegli Di Essere (What You Choose to Be) has been published by 0111 Edizioni, which in 2012 released (as e-book only) the short story I Punti Verdi, a companion for the subsequent novel Interferenze published on March 2013 by 0111 Edizioni again. His first short story in English language, A Bitter Awakening, has been self-published on Kindle in 2014. Luigi Ametta is born in Cassino in 1964 and from 1969 he lives in Turin. Graduated in 1984, currently he is employed as Manufacturing Engineering Specialist in a firm of industrial vehicles. Nonprofessional musician between 1983 and 1997, in 1995 he has realized the album As The Years Go By with his band Circle of Fairies. Between 1990 and 1999 has collaborated as freelancer with the mu...	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line420
__label__wiki	0.763656	0.763656	Home » HASA Archive HASA Archive Soap Houses of the Karoo In the article below, James Walton tells the story of the soap houses of the Karoo and their importance to the local economy for many years. The article was first published in the 1983 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. Some early Piquetberg farms illustrated by Johannes Cornelius Poortermans In the wonderful article below, James Walton traces the journey of Johannes Cornelius Poortermans through the Piquetberg. The piece first appeared in the October 1982 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish). Old clock returns home (in 1978) after 80 years In the article below, Dr J. Pringle tells the inspiring story of the preservation of the St Johns Presbyterian Church clock in Pietermaritzburg. The piece was first published in the 1980 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. The Architectural and Historical Significance of the Markhams Building It has been about four decades since the people of Johannesburg rallied to put pressure on the Johannesburg City Council and the Foschini Group to save the Markhams Building from demolition. The article below, written by J Campbell-Pitt representing the then Transvaal Institute of Arhitects, reveals the architectural and historical significance of the building. The piece was published in the August 1979 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation. The Old Synagogue in the Gardens In the article below, Frank R Barlow looks at the architectural and historical significance of the Old Synagogue in Cape Town. The piece first appeared in the 1980 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria for giving us permission to publish. They wanted to demolish the Durban Railway Station The old Durban Railway Station is a much-loved landmark that plays a key role in Durban's tourism offering. It is hard to imagine there was a time when the powers that be planned to demolish the structure and redevelop the site. The article below which appeared in the Sunday Tribune on 10 October 1976, begins by describing the threat to the building and then highlights its architectural and historical significance. Thankfully the façade of the building was saved with a new office building built behind. Restoring Pietermaritzburg's Old Ireland Building in the late 1970s The short article below, written by an unknown author, tells the story of the restoration of the Old Ireland Building (Edgars) on Church Street, Pietermaritzburg. The piece appeared in the 1979 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. Commemorating Sir Herbert Baker's last building in South Africa In the short article below, an unknown author explores a few blue plaques in Cape Town including one commemorating Herbert Baker's last building in South Africa. The piece appeared in the 1978 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation. today the Heritage Association of South Africa (HASA). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. A short history of the whaling industry in South Africa Below is a short but fascinating history of the whaling industry in South Africa. It was compiled by C De Jong and first published in the 1976 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. George Rex - Remarkable but not Royal In this article, first published in 1976, Patricia Storrar does a masterly job debunking the myth that George Rex, the founder of Knysna, was the illegitimate son of King George III. She also reveals fascinating biographical information on Rex and provides details of the spaces and places associated with him. The article was published in Restorica, the old journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the Univerity of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. Mariendahl Brewery - One of South Africa's finest industrial monuments In the article below, James Walton reveals some early Cape brewing history and emphasises the significance of the Mariendahl Brewery in Newlands. The article was published in the 1976 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). In the mid 1990s, the complex was transformed into a visitors centre (click here for an overview of the project). Remembering Old Claremont Cape Town In the article below, Norah Henshilwood traces the early history of Claremont and reveals some of her memories of the suburb. The piece first appeared in the 1976 edition of Restorica, the old journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation, today the Heritage Association of South Africa. Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. Johannesburg's Early Markets The following history of Johannesburg's early markets formed part of a much larger piece on the Market Theatre which appeared in the 1976 edition of Restorica, the old journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). The name of the author does not appear which is a huge shame for such a well researched article. Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. A Bit of Old Barberton In the article below, Esme Lownds uncovers some interesting snippets about James Stopworth and Barberton during its early days. The article first appeared in the 1975 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. Schroder House - The oldest documented dwelling in South Africa In the article below, originally published in 1975, Gwen and Gawie Fagan look at the history and restoration of Schroder House in Stellenbosch. The article appeared in Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holder) for giving us permission to reproduce here. Gordon Verhoef & Krause - Adverts over the years If you page through archive copies of Restorica, the old journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation, one company has a regular presence as an advertiser: Gordon Verhoef & Krause. Below are adverts from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s showing significant restoration projects from around the country that the firm was proud to be involved in. Look closely for details. Thank you to the Heritage Association of South Africa (HASA) and the University of Pretoria for giving us permission to publish. The Father of East London's House The last few years have not been kind to the Gately House Museum in East London. Due to ongoing security problems the museum is no longer open to the public and artefacts have been relocated for safekeeping (click here for details). Despite the depressing current situation it is fascinating to look at some of the history of the house and the battle to save it a half a century ago. 19th Century lettering on buildings Below is an absorbing and practical article looking at lettering on buildings. It was compiled by Dennis Radford for the October 1988 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. Uitenhage's Evolution 1804-1910 We are honoured to publish this wonderful archive piece on the early history of Uitenhage. It was compiled by well known heritage practitioner Albrecht Herholdt and apperared in the 1988 edition of Restorica, the journal of the Simon van der Stel Foundation (today the Heritage Association of South Africa). Thank you to the University of Pretoria (copyright holders) for giving us permission to publish. Civic Spine 1989-1991 - The voice of the architects In the 1991 edition of Restorica, significant space was dedicated to the debate over the Civic Spine project. The overview of the controversy has already been published on The Heritage Portal (click here to view). In this piece, the voice of the architects is brought to the fore. Thank you to the University of Pretoria and the Heritage Association of South Africa for giving us permission to publish.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line421
__label__wiki	0.690506	0.690506	On Tigers, Cats, Hawks and Expectation. 08/09/2017 By Lauren Cameron 2 Comments A funny thing happened on the way to September 2017. A little background first, if I may indulge. I’m a fourth-generation tiger, going back to my great-grandparents and their home on Richmond Terrace, just across the road from Punt Road Oval and the MCG. I go to the footy most weeks with Dad, my 80 y.o Nan, my great-uncle and cousins, as I always have. I am also the daughter of a loud and proud card-carrying Hawk, who waves a flogger in the cheersquad and has missed only one Hawthorn Grand Final in her lifetime: 1989, where she stayed home with her 5-month-old daughter (me) and has never let me forget it. I’ve watched from the sidelines as my Mum and younger sister have revelled in Hawthorn’s success over the last 9 years, I’ve even gone as far as driving Mum to the G on Grand Final day, a strange, empty feeling it has to be said. I’ve been invited along too, after the third flag I think, but I declined politely. I can’t go without the Tigers there, it wouldn’t feel right. Mum has always been kind about Richmond, she watches when we’re at games, until it gets too close, she cheers for us and gets frustrated along with us, but at times I’ve marvelled at how she doesn’t quite get it. “We’ve had lean patches too,” she’d say, and I’d roll my eyes. It’s not the same pain. “Come on! We need the percentage!” she’ll shout, and I wonder what that’s like, to feel so comfortable winning, that you can be thinking about percentages and ladder positions. Like Sam Mitchell’s kids, not quite understanding that Daddy doesn’t just go up and get a medal every year, that going on the ground with the streamers isn’t just a regular part of a footballer’s year. So, it came to our clash against the Hawks a few weeks ago, full of run and tackles and forward pressure, and another strange feeling came over me. I felt like we would win. I can honestly say, that even when we seemed to be a bit of a bogey team for Hawthorn, I had never expected us to win. Obviously 2017 wasn’t a great season for Hawthorn, but this felt significant, this year feels significant. 2017 has been so vastly different to last year. In 2016 we languished, put in poor performances and suffered some shocking defeats. Our leadership, on and off, was questioned relentlessly (and at times, unfairly) Our football is better, our attitude seems better. The players speak with more confidence, about family and friendship, and breaking down barriers between teammates. So much seems to have changed. Now I confess, I wrote this next part a few weeks ago, in the lead-up to the Geelong game in Geelong. I was nervous, enough that I could barely sleep, and I began thinking about expectations. Richmond and expectations, Geelong and Hawthorn and expectations. I didn’t want to jinx anything, so I didn’t post it. I’m not ready to expect a victory against Geelong. I was in year 11 last time we beat them, year 12 when we were destroyed by 157 points. My best friend, raised in a non-traditional (non-football) family was genuinely excited for ‘the other team’ she’s now engaged to a passionate Geelong fan. I still think I can swing her, she does still have a Brandon Ellis badge. Geelong has for so long felt out of our reach. Even though we beat Hawthorn in premiership years, there has always been something about the slickness of the cats. I’m trying to keep my head. I don’t want to talk about finals or ladder positions, though I’ve run optimistically through the predictor multiple times. I don’t want to hear about sure things or certainties, because in my time as a Tiger, there has never been such a thing. I don’t want to think about Dusty’s contract (He’ll stay, he’s grown up with this club, and he couldn’t disappoint Harper Cotchin) because the more people talk, the more I begin to waver in my conviction. “Were you stressed when we came back a bit in the last?” Mum asked, on the way home from the ground. “Of course,” I replied, “We go for Richmond. Stressed is our default setting.” Expectations haven’t been our friend. There’s no denying this, in the past, we have stumbled. Our Centenary game, the elimination finals, Tom Hafey’s tribute match, most of 2016. But I say in the past because there’s that strange feeling again, the feeling that things might be changing. We have truly exceeded expectations already this year, and who’s to say where that will end. Now it’s 3 weeks later and I’m ready to beat Geelong. I’m not calling it expectation, let’s call it confidence. I feel confident in our game-plan, in our pressure, in our attitude. I feel confident that on the MCG we can play some damn good football. We can do this. I went to Catland, with my best friend (in a Cats Ugly Jumper, shame) her fiancé and his Dad. Sidenote, fiancé’s Dad heckled Jack in the warmup as Jack took a shot from the pocket. Jack slotted it, grinned and gave Old Mate a thumbs-up. Best part of the day. I left feeling ok. As I tweeted: Tigers ’17 so far: – 5 more wins than ’16 – In the 8 all year – 2x 10+ goal losses (1 to top team) vs 5x last yr #Improving #Breathe #GoTiges We have come so far. This time last year we’d been smashed by the Swans and played a terrible, demoralising last round against the Saints. This year we finished the season by winning 2 games we should have won, one of them by 104 points! We played with swagger against Freo. Honest-to-goodness swagger. Expectations might be high, but we’ve so far exceeded them. I was wrong a few weeks ago. Not about Dusty, thankfully. There is a certainty at Tigerland, The Tiger Army will be there, in any weather. 2017 has been a strange season, a season of growth and learning according to Mum, who has handled Hawthorn’s journey this year quite well considering. Close finishes, moments of great joy and agony in defeat, Jarryd Roughead (because really, he is the story of 2017) and farewells to retiring greats – the players I’ve grown up watching, really. What’s one more strange happenstance? Why not Richmond, rising to further exceed expectations? In any weather. Lauren Cameron 08/09/2017 Filed Under: fan, front Verran Fehlberg 05/09/2014 By Chris Leave a Comment Verran Fehlberg with one of his famous signs that have punctuated the streak (held upside down on this occasion). He says he has enough yellow cardboard to keep going for 4 more games. Where born? Adelaide Where do you live: Fitzroy North How did you come to barrack for Richmond: I grew up in SA, so was in to the SANFL as a kid, and liked the South Aussie teams when they came into the AFL. I moved to Melbourne in my 20’s, and never really found my groove with support for a Melbourne club. Then we lived overseas for 5 years, and I got into the Tiges during that time. It was sort of a fun thing to share with friends at the start, and the passion grew from there. One of my best mates is a big Tiges fan, and another is a Power fan – and we would plan weekends where I would come home for a Tiges v Power game. There’s a big one of those this weekend! Favourite all-time player? Gotta be Richo! Pretty hard to go past Richo. He’s a card, alright. How can you not say Richo? Favourite current player? Big Ivan feels like he’s become the heart and soul – love his work. Rance too – he’s as solid as they come. Cotch, Lids, Ellis, Dusty – I want to say them all! What do you most like about Richmond? I’ve never had as much fun following the footy as I have since I started following the Tiges. Winning, losing – the Tiges always give you a good show. We’ve got a great playing group at the minute. And the fans are just awesome. Do you have a match-day superstition? Well, lately, it’s to take a sign that stipulates how many games the Tiges have won in a row! Yeah, I’m getting pretty superstitious about my signs… But be careful not to hold it up too early – don’t wanna jinx it! When will we next win a premiership? Four games time. Chris 05/09/2014 Filed Under: fan Andy Nguyen Tiger team: Andy Nguyen and girlfriend Elaine Ho, photographed at the GWS game in Sydney that we won by 113 points (we’re taking this as a lucky omen) Where born? Melbourne at the Royal Women’s Hospital. Mum and dad are from Vietnam, in the south. Where do you live: Mascot, in Sydney. I’ve been up here a couple of years. I grew up in Hoppers Crossing. How did you come to barrack for Richmond: In primary school we had a footy day and I didn’t really have a team but I liked the Tigers so I started barracking for them. I think it was grade one or two at St James Primary School in Hoppers Crossing. Most of the other kids were either Carlton or Essendon. Favourite all-time player? Probably have to be Richo. He used to take those big grabs and kick a bunch of goals. He was great to watch. Favourite current player? Lids. He’s just got the pace. He burns off other players and kicks goals on the run from outside 50. It’s good to watch him all day. What do you most like about Richmond? Probably the noise the supporters make. There’s rarely a dull game at the G when the Tiges are playing. When I was down there I used to go to most of the home games. I’ve still been three or four times this year, and to the GWS game up here. All the family’s in Melbourne so when I go down in winter I usually tee up a game as well. Do you have a match-day superstition? I used to have a pair of boxer shorts I would wear on game days because of the colours, but they’ve fallen apart now. When will we next win a premiership? It depends how we go on Saturday. If we get over the Swannies, maybe this year. Why not? David Ward David, a cheer squad cheer leader, and occasional pastry chef, and seller of watches, and all-round good guy, in his sartorial splendour at last year’s Elimination Final. Where born? Ferntree Gully Where do you live: Somerville. It’s down past Frankston, in between Baxter and Tyabb. How did you come to barrack for Richmond: Because of the colours. The black and yellow. I guess I would have been about six or seven when I first started barracking. At school at Boronia Primary our home colours for Ward house were black and yellow, too, so maybe it was meant to be. Favourite all-time player? Probably David Cloke. He was just a great team player. If he couldn’t get the ball himself he’d make sure he could feed it off to a rover, a smaller bloke like Weightman or Bartlett. Favourite current player? Trent Cotchin. Just because of his consistency. And he’s the captain, and he’s always shown great leadership. What do you most like about Richmond? The passion. The passion of the supporters. It’s been 32 years or so since we were in a Grand Final, and there are some groups of people I’ve been watching the football with all that time. It’s the passion we’ve got for the club. Do you have a match-day superstition? Not really. I usually arrive about four or five hours before a game and help get all the cheer squad equipment out of the container at Punt Road, and into the van that we bring over here. And then I help set up. This morning I left home at about 7.30 to get to the ground and get everything ready, and it’ll probably be about 7 tonight by the time we take everything back and put it away. There’s a band of us that do it week in, week out. When will we next win a premiership? [TTBB: I interviewed David at the Fremantle game. Like the rest of us, his views may have changed in the past few weeks] I think we might be ready for a new five year plan. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later. The important thing is that we’ll be here week in, week out, showing the same passion. There’s a group of us who’ve been here since our last premiership. We’ve never given up on the club, on the players. We’ve been here 34 years and we’re not going anywhere. Cassandra Hall Cassandra, a loyal member of the Capital Tigers Supporter Group, waiting for their bus to Sydney, to watch the GWS game (and yes, she’s booked a seat for their road trip to the Sydney Swans game). Where born? Heyfield, Victoria, in a bush nursing hospital. It was a logging town. I don’t know how many mills there were then, maybe ten, but certainly more than there are now. That was one of the main industries in town, the other was dairy. It’s good dairy country. Age: 51. It’s my birthday today! [TTBB: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASSANDRA! – and congratulations on another lap around the sun!] Where do you live: Narrabundah, Canberra. It’s an inner south suburb. In Aboriginal language it means ‘a small bird of prey’. There’s a bit of an Aboriginal community around here. It’s an older part of Canberra. It’s lovely. How did you come to barrack for Richmond: My dad played for the Richmond reserves. It wasn’t for very long, just one season in the late 1950s. He went to school at Melbourne High which was in the Richmond area. Mum and dad barracked for Richmond and Kirsten and I fell into line. I think it was pretty early on. We were friends with the kids over the road and they were Blues, Carlton supporters, and there was always rivalry. Favourite all-time player? I just have to say Wayne Campbell. I did go and see the 80s teams with Francis Bourke and all those players, but it wasn’t until I grew older that I could relate to what was going on. For some reason I feel very connected to Wayne Campbell, so I was a bit disappointed when he left to be the umpire’s boss. I was hoping he would be around to help us to the next premiership. I thought on the field he was really quick and clever with the ball. He wasn’t a charismatic captain, but I think he did his best with what was going on at Richmond at the time. Favourite current player? Seeing I’m a Cotch Crew member, it would have to be Cotchy. He’s gorgeous. He’s quick as well, and he’s always thinking about what he’s doing. He seems a lot more at easy than Wayne was. I just think he’s a really nice guy. What do you most like about Richmond? The roller-coaster ride. You just get so low and you get so high. It’s the passion. We’re all absolutely bonkers, the fans. Facebook after last week’s win was just magic. But we also get so down when we lose. Do you have a match-day superstition? No, not really. I think I grew up on that kind of stuff. I’ve tried different variations of things, of wearing my scarf in a particular way, but nothing seemed to be a constant. I’ve got a little toy tiger that sits on my bed. That’s the only Richmond thing I have, now. When will we next win a premiership? Oh my god, there’s a never-ending question. Far out, I don’t know. When? I think when we field a team that’s stable, that’s been playing together for two or three years. We need to have a continuity of players. That’s when it will happen. When we’ve got a good group of players that have all been playing for each other for two or three years, that’s my answer. Jayden Taylor Where born? Sale Hospital Where do you live: Sale How did you come to barrack for Richmond: I’m not sure. I just picked it. I like the colours. Favourite all-time player? Matthew Richardson. The funny thing was he had a hammy and he had to come from the ground but he said to the trainers, ‘I want to stay on the ground for one more quarter’. I heard that that story on the telly. Favourite current player? Lids. Brett Deledio. He’s a very good Richmond player because he can kick lots of goals and he’s a good midfielder. What do you most like about Richmond? The players and the song, I think. I really like the song when we win and I like to sing it. Do you have a match-day superstition? I wear the same clothes to the game. We go by train or sometimes mum drives us. We get to see ten or 11 games a year. When will we next win a premiership? Four years. In four years time. Joe and William Crawford Name Joe Crawford Where born? Queenstown Where do you live: Invermay, Tasmania How did you come to barrack for Richmond: Local team was the Tigers. Favourite all-time player? Richo. Received more half-volleys than John Newcombe but never stopped trying. Favourite current player? Ivan Maric. Has a dip, a mullet and is surprisingly agile for a big bloke. What do you most like about Richmond? Supporters…we are a loyal, hardy bunch. Do you have a match-day superstition? Tell anyone who will listen that we are ‘no chance’. When will we next win a premiership? Hopefully, before I die. I’m not holding my breath. Name William Crawford Where born? Launceston, Tasmania How did you come to barrack for Richmond: My dad barracks for them. Favourite all-time player? Jamie Elliot. [I know, I know…I’ve tried to change his mind but it’s very hard keeping him focused on the Tiges when other teams seem more glamorous/successful – Joe] Favourite current player? Jamie Elliot. [see comment above] What do you most like about Richmond? They are the Tigers and my dad goes for them. Do you have a match-day superstition? No. When will we next win a premiership? Not for along time. Melanie Castleman 24/06/2014 By Dugald Leave a Comment Where born? Women’s Hospital, Carlton Where do you live: Melton West How did you come to barrack for Richmond: My dad barracks for Richmond. I actually started following the Sydney Swans and one of my sisters went for the Bears. I think it’s that we had a choice. I would have been about five when I switched, because of dad. Mum barracked for Richmond when we were kids, but she barracks for Collingwood now. Favourite all-time player? Matty Knights. It was just the way he played, and he sent me a birthday card, once. He was the best. Favourite current player? Brett Deledio. I have three, actually. Griggs and Morris and Deledio. I love the way Brett plays, his speed, he’s fast and he kicks goals from outside 50. And he’s good-looking, although not the beard, no. Don’t like the beard. But I like the long sleeves. He used to wear them when he was younger. What do you most like about Richmond? The fans. I have all my friends in the one place at the football. It’s a good atmosphere when we get up and going. It’s good to be a part of it when we get winning. I’ve been part of the cheer squad for five years, now. I met Lyn at training once and she told me to come down and I’ve been here ever since. It’s the fans that make it special. And I like being able to make the banner and go out onto the ground and hold that banner up for the players to run through. Do you have a match-day superstition? Not really, but if somebody’s not here at the football and we win, we tell them they’re not allowed to come next week. I guess I put face paint on each week. I’ve been coming to the football with face paint ever since I was a child. And I like to wear the jumper as well. I always wear it to the games. When will we next win a premiership? Next few years, hopefully. Before I die! I hope it is soon. They’ve just got to work on a few things, but they can do it. Dugald 24/06/2014 Filed Under: fan Darby Higgs 17/06/2014 By Chris 1 Comment Darby Higgs, on the terraces at Western Oval watching Richmond’s VFL team. Where born? Brunswick Age: Too old, 64 Where do you live: Williamstown How did you come to barrack for Richmond: Not really sure. When I was a kid I barracked for Essendon because my mother did. She had a cousin who played for them in the late 40s. His name was ‘Bluey’ McLean. He might have been a redhead. But dad barracked for Richmond, and in the late 60s I suddenly changed over. I’ve gone for them ever since. Favourite all-time player? That’s a hard one. Tuck, I reckon. Shane Tuck. He was always having a go. I think he was an underrated player. He was a scrapper, he was always at the contest. We’ve missed him this year. Favourite current player? Cotch. He gets difficult ball. And he’s got more skills than most of the others. Unfortunately he gets tagged out of it a bit, especially this year, but that’s more a problem on the coaching side. I think a lot of the coaching has been poor this year. We’d better have a better second half of the season. What do you most like about Richmond? The passion and the loyalty of the supporters who’ve been through thick and thin. And there’s been a lot of thin lately. I’ve been a member for 18 years now. I didn’t start going to the football until the early 90s. Before that I was living up in the country, at Malmsbury on the road to Bendigo, where I worked as a school teacher. I enjoy going to the games and seeing the game live. It’s so much better than watching it on the idiot box. Do you have a match-day superstition? No, not really. I do like to get to the game early, and I like to move around where I sit. I usually get there about an hour before the game starts. I’ve got a reserved seat but I don’t always use it. I usually like to be in the Olympic Stand, especially on a wet day. I usually find a seat under cover up on the top level. When will we next win a premiership? I would have said 2015 but I think that’s a bit out of reach now. I’ll say 2016. I think we have the cattle, although we could do with another good forward. Maybe that’s optimistic but you’ve gotta be optimistic. I’m an optimist. Imogen Bowman Imogen Bowman, by the boundary at Western Oval watching Richmond’s VFL team Where born? At Royal Melbourne Hospital, I think. Where do you live: Newport. They used to call it Newport West but we’ve dropped the west bit. How did you come to barrack for Richmond: My dad. My mum was South Melbourne but she wasn’t as keen on the game as dad. My grandfather on her side was Carlton, and all my cousins were Melbourne. I went with my dad. Favourite all-time player? I don’t know. I guess I’ve got to go for Royce. It was around that era I started watching and I loved all the players. Bourkey, and Dick Clay. But I think Royce was the one. He was great. He was just a beautiful player to watch. He was cat-like, he was graceful. He moved like how a lot of the Indigenous players move now. You know how they kind of float, he was like that. He was not only an aerialist, but on the ground he was clean below the knees. He was flawless, practically. You’d be listening on the radio if you couldn’t get to the game, and every time the ball went forward and they called out ‘Royce Hart’, you knew the ball was in safe hands. Favourite current player? There’s a lot of good, young kids coming through. Trent’s a star, and Lids. Alex down the back, I’ve never seen him give up. And Morris. And big Ivvy, we all love him. And Jack of course, even after last week. And Dusty. Oh, gosh. But I guess Trent would be the respectable face of Richmond, so I’ll choose him. I really admire him, he’s growing as a young captain. I just love everybody who pulls on a Richmond jumper and plays for them. What do you most like about Richmond? I love the colours, I love the song, and I love the fact that we’re Tigers. It’s also the kind of people who barrack for Richmond. They’re a type. The numbers never fall. They always hold onto hope. We’re eternal optimists. We just never give up. Not the team, but the people. Richmond people just keep turning up. Do you have a match-day superstition? I wear certain socks and then we’ll just start losing so I’ll give them up. I’ll even not wear underwear that’s the colour of the opposition side. I don’t know if that works, or not. I used to have a crystal that I wore, and I’ve had scarves and badges. But then we start losing. None of it works. They just don’t work, so why bother? When will we next win a premiership? I’m not counting the days. I’m not holding my breath. Not in the foreseeable future, not with the team we have now. We have some good young players, but we’ve just got too many holes. And with the way the draft is, and free agency, it’s really hard for the middle clubs to come up. You can’t buy a premiership but you can maintain one, because all the good players want to play for the top clubs. It’s going to take a miracle, but I’m not going to drop-off. You never know. Dugald 28/05/2014 Filed Under: fan, Uncategorized	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line423
__label__cc	0.590433	0.409567	Zacc Rogers performs using the latest looping technology to create a sound scape which includes beat boxing, harmonica and guitar. All this is done live in front of the audience (no prerecording). Zacc also likes to perform songs which are as traditional and as far away from modern technology as you can get. At the heart of Zacc’s music is a strong Blues sound but he also blends and brings to the mix elements of Soul, Jazz, Yee-Haa, Rock & Roll, Gospel, Folk and Reggae.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> Since settling in Manchester Zacc has established himself as a strong solo performer gigging frequently up and down the country and in venues across the North West.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line426
__label__cc	0.579762	0.420238	2Culture Associates Ltd. The company was formed in 2008 by Kate Fernie and became a limited company in 2013; the company changed its name to 2Culture Associates Ltd in 2014. Kate Fernie is an experienced professional with a background in Archaeology, museums and of information management, standards and digitization projects in the cultural heritage sector. From 2004-2006 Kate was ICT Adviser at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council where she gained experience of the policy area, European funded ICT initiatives, digital libraries and service developments to promote and widen access, and was project manager for the CALIMERA, MINERVA, BRICKS and MICHAEL projects. She joined MLA from English Heritage where she was responsible for promoting standards and systems for heritage information management to over 100 local authorities in the UK. During a 3-year secondment to the Archaeology Data Service she produced on-line learning resources, was editor to a series of best practice guidelines and was coordinator to the Historic Environment Information Resources Network. Since 2008 she has worked as an independent project manager, specialist adviser and editor working for the Italian Ministry of Culture, the European Digital Library Foundation, as Digital Preservation Specialist at the UK’s Parliamentary Archives and as a project manager for MDR Partners. Her professional experience includes building networks and partnerships, promoting standards in creating and using digital resources, digital preservation, the online digital cultural heritage and uses of digital cultural resources in education and research. Her qualifications include a B.A. in Archaeology and Anthropology from Cambridge University, an M.A. in Museum Studies from Leicester University and an M.Sc. in Applied Landscape Archaeology from Oxford University, and qualification as a Prince2 practitioner. Sheena Bassett has been involved in European Research projects for over twenty years covering a range of research topics from IT metrics and evaluation methodologies (at GEC-Marconi), rights management (with the Frankfurt Book Fair), quality labels for digital content and most recently with digital content and metadata for the cultural heritage sector (for MDR Partners). After starting out as a scientific programmer and then progressing into research, Sheena worked as a Senior Consultant at Pira International for many years where she provided consultancy and market research for financial institutions, the Europeana Commission and blue chip companies mainly in the areas of paper, printing, packaging and publishing and nanotechnology. She was also responsible for procurement and management of public funded research projects. Sheena’s professional experience includes project management, development of IT applications and services along with the provision of industry research and statistical analysis. She has a BSc. In General Science from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, H.C. Opto-electronics from Northumbria University and an MBA (specialising in information technology management) from City University. Europeana Archaeology Safeguarding heritage data Seeing the light of day – archaeological archives Summer school – archaeological datasets 2Culture content in Europeana	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line429
__label__cc	0.630931	0.369069	Tag Archives: Staples by Ben Spielberg \| February 14, 2015 · 2:46 pm It’s Not What Employers Are Doing, But What They Can Do, That Matters A few days ago, Buzzfeed reported that Staples, the large office supply chain, had stepped up its enforcement of a cap on hours worked for part-time employees. Despite the company’s unconvincing claim* that the policy is longstanding, it appears that Staples implemented the 25-hour-per-week cap in January of 2014 “to skirt impending rules requiring companies to provide health insurance” to employees who work at least 30 hours a week. Staples’ original memo to store managers, as published by Buzzfeed. Staples’ decision will undoubtedly renew arguments that the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) employer mandate – the provision that requires companies with more than 50 full-time workers to insure employees who work at least 30 hours each week – has led to harmful effects on work. These arguments, like parallel narratives about minimum wage laws and paid sick leave ordinances, are largely inaccurate, and advocates of evidence-based, power-balancing policy are absolutely right to debunk them. However, we cede too much when, as is often the case, we default to a defensive stance. “Yes, the negative incentive is there, but the data show such effects to be small or non-existent” should not be the full scope of our response. Instead, it’s imperative that we change the nature of these conversations. As Thomas Pynchon astutely observed: “If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers.” Opponents of an employer mandate, minimum wage, and paid sick leave want people to focus on what employers will do in response to each policy’s enactment. The more relevant question, however, is about what employers can do. First, it’s important to remember that businesses can deduct employer-provided benefits from their tax bills, and that the employer contribution to health benefits is widely viewed as coming out of worker salaries. Providing employees with health coverage, decent wages, and paid sick leave costs less money than a lot of people think, though it’s certainly more expensive than offering meager wages and no benefits. More importantly, providing such benefits is the right thing to do. And it is undeniable that a typical business, when confronted with the prospect of labor cost increases, has numerous options. The business can explore ways to improve its productivity. It can raise its prices. It can reduce the salaries of affluent executives, or maybe make a little bit less in profits.** In the most recent quarter for which financial information is available, August through October of 2014, Staples made $216 million in after-tax profits. Their CEO, Ronald Sargeant, made over $10 million in total compensation in 2013, while other top executives raked in well over $2 million apiece. Barack Obama didn’t have those numbers when he was asked about Staples’ policy a few days ago, but his suspicion “that [Staples] could well afford to treat their workers favorably and give them some basic financial security” was clearly right on the money. The ACA didn’t make Staples cut its employees’ part-time hours; instead, Staples management consciously chose to prioritize a fifth car or third house for a few wealthy individuals over its part-time workers’ ability to put food on the table. Other large companies, from Starbucks to McDonald’s to Walmart, make similar callous choices on a range of issues all the time. There are two ways to address this problem. The main mechanism currently at our disposal is to loudly call such decision-making what it is – greedy and unethical – and vote with our dollars for companies that treat their workers fairly. Opponents of labor standards focus on what businesses will do rather than what they can do in part because we let them avoid moral reckoning. We won’t win everyone over, but we must not underestimate the power that moral authority has to shape behavior. The second mechanism is policy that addresses firms’ decision-making. Some recent legislative proposals, in fact, like Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s CEO-Employee Fairness Act, have the potential to begin to wade into these sorts of waters. If we’re worried that companies will choose to lay people off in response to a minimum wage increase, for example, we could raise taxes on the executives of companies that make this choice. No matter the policy outcomes, it’s essential that we ask the right questions in these debates. It’s worthwhile and important to document the evidence that policies like the employer mandate, minimum wage, and paid sick leave have minimal consequences on work. But it’s also essential to point out that any consequences these policies do have aren’t inevitable. As Buzzfeed’s original coverage explained, Staples claims that their part-time hours policy has been in effect for over ten years, and that the memo Buzzfeed obtained only “reiterated the policy.” Yet the memo contained phrases like, “Beginning with the week ending 1/4/2014,” and “Staples is implementing a policy.” A Staples spokesperson did not respond to follow-up questions about the memo’s language. *It’s possible, though I’ve never seen a study to prove it, that some businesses actually can’t afford to adequately compensate their workers, that they’re barely squeaking by as is with low executive salaries, non-existent profits, and the highest level of productivity they can possibly attain. To the extent these businesses exist – and I’m skeptical that many of them do – it’s worth asking whether a business’s right to keep its doors open should trump its workers’ right to make enough to provide for their families. I don’t believe it should. Note: A version of this post appeared in The Huffington Post on February 16. Filed under Business Tagged as ACA, Affordable Care Act, CEO-Employee Fairness Act, incentives, minimum wage, Obama, Obamacare, paid sick leave, Staples	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line430
__label__wiki	0.60805	0.60805	Alexander J. Wayne Chairman, Founder Email: alwayne@ajwayne.com \| Phone: 773-305-7680 After graduating from DePaul University in 1965, Al worked at Employers Commercial Union Insurance Co. as a casualty underwriter. He moved to Stewart Smith Mid America in 1967 where he started as a broker and completed his tenure as Senior Vice President and Director. From 1984 to 1989 Al became the regional head of Swett & Crawford (a surplus lines brokerage firm) with responsibilities for six offices. In 1989, Al left Swett & Crawford to start his own company in association with C.E. Heath Plc, London. In 1993 the principals bought out Heath’s interest and operated independently. Alex E. Wayne President & CEO, CPCU, RPLU, ARe, ASLI Email: alexwayne@ajwayne.com \| Phone: 773-305-7686 After graduating from DePaul University in 1991, Alex worked for Intere Intermediaries, a national reinsurance broker. Alex has obtained an Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI) and Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU). He built a book of professional liability to over $35M and manages a staff of nine brokers and six support staff. Alex served as the Chairperson and is a long standing board member of the Association of Lloyd’s Brokers. He is also a frequent presenter on professional liability at conferences.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line433
__label__cc	0.714563	0.285437	J. B. Harkin’s Marriage J. B. Harkin is a key figure in Acts of Occupation, yet one about whom there is little biographical information. We were able to put together a picture of his career from government files, but since he left no personal papers, his private, emotional life remained somewhat of a mystery. (Harkin’s biographer E. J. Hart also had little to say about the private side in his recent book, J. B. Harkin: Father of Canada’s National Parks). There seemed to us to be hints of some private frustration that made Harkin especially determined, even unrelenting, in pursuit of his career goals, but we had only guesses in place of conclusive facts. We knew that Harkin had not married until December 1924, the month before his forty-ninth birthday. We knew, too, that the marriage ceremony was carried out at home, by a Presbyterian minister, even though Harkin himself was Roman Catholic. The bride, Jean McCuaig, had worked in the same government department as Harkin for many years. The likelihood was that they had known each other a long time. Harkin’s mother, Eliza, to whom he was devoted, had died of influenza a few years before. Was the difference in religion, which might have upset a devout mother, the reason for his long bachelorhood? This is the kind of question that often teases historians but seldom gets a clear-cut answer. We were therefore delighted to hear from a reader who was also a relative of the Harkins. She told us that her mother had often recounted the story of how “Uncle Bun” (Harkin’s nickname was Bunny) and Jean McCuaig had been in love for years, but waited until after his mother’s death to marry. “This tale of sorrow and romance was piquant enough to be passed on to me after three generations,” she comments. She also provided this beautiful photo of Jean (far right) with her two sisters, Jessie and Anna Isobel. The second photo, taken by Jeff, shows the Harkins’ grave in Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa. Our thanks to Margot McPherson! James Bernard Harkin and Anna Jean McCuaig’s names on the family grave marker at Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa. Anna Isobel, Jessie, and Anna Jean McCuaig Posted in Book, Resources Tagged James Bernard Harkin, Jean McCuaig, Personalities	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line435
__label__wiki	0.934852	0.934852	AaronGleeman.com Old friends in new places: Catching up with former Twins pitchers I've been getting lots of e-mails, comments, and tweets about seven former Twins being named All-Stars and ex-Twins in general thriving for other teams, so let's examine that notion. Like all teams the Twins cycle through tons of players every season, making it impossible to keep close tabs on everyone, but I've tried to narrow things down a bit by focusing on relatively prominent and/or oft-discussed players who departed the organization within the past handful of seasons. Even then the list is a very long one, so today let's stick to the ex-Twins pitchers ... • Joe Nathan: By declining a $12.5 million option the Twins made Nathan a free agent after 2011 and he signed a two-year, $14.5 million contract with the Rangers. At the time it would have been tough to justify a big two-year deal for a 37-year-old reliever still rounding back into shape after elbow surgery and his departure led to Glen Perkins emerging as closer, but Nathan has been amazing in Texas with a 2.25 ERA and 120/23 K/BB ratio in 104 innings. • Francisco Liriano: Traded to the White Sox in mid-2012 for Eduardo Escobar and Pedro Hernandez as an impending free agent, Liriano wasn't much good down the stretch and then signed a two-year deal with the Pirates that was later reworked due to an offseason injury. He's been brilliant for the Pirates with a 2.20 ERA and 74/27 K/BB ratio in 70 innings, relying on his fastball less than ever before. • R.A. Dickey: Dickey spent a thoroughly unmemorable 2009 season in Minnesota, serving as a mop-up reliever for 64 innings before refusing an assignment to the minors and leaving as a free agent. There was nothing promising about his performance, which included a 4.62 ERA and 40/32 K/BB ratio, and the Twins were hesitant to even use the knuckleballer with men on base. He inked a minor-league deal with the Mets at age 35 ... and turned into a Cy Young winner. • Matt Guerrier: Guerrier exited as a free agent following the 2010 season for a three-year $12 million deal with the Dodgers after seven seasons in Minnesota. At the time Guerrier was 32 years old and showing obvious signs of decline, so the decision to let him walk was a sound one. He's struggled with injuries while posting a 4.20 ERA and was recently designated for assignment with a half-season left on the three-year deal, going to the Cubs in a swap of unwanted contracts. • Jesse Crain: Crain followed Guerrier out the door after 2010, signing a three-year, $13 million deal with the White Sox. Despite a modest strikeout rate of 6.2 per nine innings he threw 382 innings with a 3.42 ERA in seven seasons in Minnesota, but Crain has racked up 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings while posting a 2.10 ERA in 150 innings for the White Sox. At the time I'd have re-signed Crain over Guerrier, but didn't blame the Twins for avoiding a three-year deal. • Scott Baker: Baker missed all of 2012 following elbow surgery and then became a free agent when the Twins declined his $9.25 million option. They wanted to re-sign him to a cheaper deal, but balked when Baker refused to include a team option for 2014. He ended up signing with the Cubs for $5.5 million plus some incentives and has yet to pitch. Meanwhile, the Twins spent $4 million on a different pitcher coming off elbow surgery and Mike Pelfrey has a 5.63 ERA. • Matt Capps: Capps went from making a combined $12 million as the Twins' closer in 2011 and 2012 to not even being able to get an MLB contract this offseason, settling for a minor-league deal with the Indians. Overall in two-and-a-half seasons in Minnesota he threw 122 innings with a 3.61 ERA and 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings, for which the Twins parted with the Nationals' starting catcher, Wilson Ramos, and $14 million while also forfeiting a compensatory draft pick. • Kevin Slowey: Slowey's status a solid mid-rotation starter from 2007-2010 unraveled when he got pushed out of the rotation in 2011. Slowey didn't want to be in the bullpen, pitching horribly and getting injured, and the Twins did their best to tear him down while the local media was all too willing to lend a hand. He was traded to the Rockies for a non-prospect, missed most of 2012, and has returned the majors with a 3.99 ERA and 72/18 K/BB ratio for the Marlins. • Jose Mijares: Cut loose after 2011 because the Twins decided a 27-year-old reliever with a 3.16 career ERA wasn't worth paying $750,000 via arbitration, Mijares wound up signing with the Royals for more money and then moved on to the Giants. Since leaving the Twins he has a 2.51 ERA and 88/30 K/BB ratio in 86 innings and still hasn't made more than $1.8 million in a season. Dropping him made little sense to me then and is certainly even more regrettable now. • Jason Marquis: Marquis was as awful as a pitcher can be after signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the Twins last offseason, starting seven games with an 8.47 ERA and more walks than strikeouts while allowing opponents to hit .371 before they released him in late May. He quickly latched on with San Diego, where he pitched well and then re-signed for this season at $3 million. Overall for the Padres he's thrown 201 innings with a 3.90 ERA. • Carl Pavano: Pavano had a good two-and-a-half season run for the Twins, but fell apart last year while unsuccessfully trying to pitch through a shoulder injury. He was finally shut down in June with a 6.00 ERA and didn't throw another pitch, leaving as a free agent. Pavano was looking for work as a back-of-the-rotation starter this offseason when he fell while shoveling snow and ruptured his spleen. He won't pitch this season and at age 37 might be done. • Pat Neshek: Waived by the Twins in the spring of 2011 after struggling to come back from elbow surgery, Neshek was claimed by the Padres and split that season between Triple-A and San Diego with mediocre results. Last year he toiled away at Triple-A for Baltimore before a trade to Oakland, where Neshek has thrived again with a 1.91 ERA in 47 innings. There was really no good reason for the Twins to cut bait on Neshek, who now has a 2.91 career ERA in seven seasons. • Craig Breslow: Breslow was a shrewd waiver wire pickup by the Twins in mid-2008, but after pitching well for 39 innings that season he struggled in early 2009 and they waived him. Not only was it an overreaction to a small sample of bad work, Breslow was cut loose so the Twins could call up a different left-handed reliever, Sean Henn, who lasted all of 11 innings for them. Since being lost on waivers Breslow has thrown 280 innings with a 2.93 ERA. • Jon Rauch: Rauch was briefly the Twins' closer in 2010, filling in fairly well for a rehabbing Nathan by converting 21 of 25 saves with a 3.05 ERA. He lost the job when the Twins decided they had to overpay for a so-called "proven closer" in Capps and then left as a free agent that offseason, signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal. Rauch was decent in 2011 and 2012, posting a 4.12 ERA in 110 innings, but struggled this season and was recently released by two teams. • Billy Bullock: Back in 2011 the Twins picked Scott Diamond in the Rule 5 draft, didn't want to keep him in the majors all year, and traded Bullock to the Braves for the right to send Diamond to the minors. I hated the deal at the time, because Bullock was a hard-throwing second-round pick and the Twins could have just kept Diamond as a mop-up man for nothing in return, but Bullock never harnessed his raw stuff and got released this month. Diamond has a 4.32 career ERA. • Alex Burnett: For three seasons the Twins stuck with Burnett in their bullpen despite an increasingly poor performance, only to waive him this spring for no pressing reason. In the four months since then Burnett has been claimed three times off waivers, going from the Twins to the Blue Jays to the Orioles to the Cubs. Most recently he passed through waivers unclaimed and is now at Triple-A for the Cubs. • Philip Humber: Acquired from the Mets as part of the Johan Santana trade, Humber never made a start for the Twins and appeared in just 13 total games before leaving as a minor league free agent. He had a good run for the White Sox in 2011 and threw a perfect game in April of 2012, but overall since leaving the Twins he has a 5.28 ERA in 322 innings. Humber is currently at Triple-A for the Astros after passing through waivers unclaimed. • Jeff Gray: Gray won a spot in the Opening Day bullpen last year despite a lengthy track record of mediocrity and remained there for most of the season despite a 5.71 ERA and 26/22 K/BB ratio in 52 innings. When the Twins finally came to their senses and waived Gray he went unclaimed by the other 29 teams, became a free agent, and signed a minor-league deal with the White Sox. He's spent all of this season at Triple-A. • Jim Hoey: Back in 2010 the Twins traded Carlos Gomez for J.J. Hardy and then a year later they traded Hardy for Hoey and Brett Jacobson. Whatever you thought of the Gomez-for-Hardy swap the Hardy-for-Hoey trade was a terrible, misguided idea that looks even worse now. Hoey threw 25 awful innings for the Twins, who lost him for nothing on waivers a year after the trade, and Jacobson was released from Double-A. Hoey is now playing independent ball. This week's blog content is sponsored by Curt's Salsa, a locally owned salsa company that believes in fresh ingredients and rooting for the little guy. Please support them for supporting AG.com. Comments (11) ∞ Permalink ∞ @AaronGleeman on Twitter ∞ "Gleeman and The Geek" Podcast Alex Burnett Billy Bullock Jason Marquis Jeff Gray Jim Hoey Jon Rauch Jose Mijares Matt Capps Matt Guerrier Philip Humber R.A. Dickey Twins Notes: Comings, goings, returns, and engagements • Arbitration-eligible players Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins, and Alexi Casilla were tendered contracts, but the Twins non-tendered Jose Mijares and made him a free agent. Terry Ryan's explanation for the move was odd, as he said the decision "gets up to how much he's going to make" and "we decided we didn't want to go there." Ryan also indicated that the Twins tried to work out a pre-deadline contract with Mijares to avoid non-tendering him, but he declined. Non-tendering players rather than paying them undeserved arbitration raises is common, but that doesn't really apply in Mijares' case. He was paid $445,000 in 2011 and would've been in line for a raise to at most $750,000, which is only $270,000 more than the new MLB minimum salary and represents 0.75 percent of the payroll. If the Twins thought he was worth keeping around cutting Mijares loose over money when "money" is only $270,000 makes little sense. Clearly they lost all faith in Mijares as his velocity dipped and he totaled as many walks (30) as strikeouts (30) in 49 innings, but he's still just 27 years old and prior to falling apart in 2011 he had a 2.49 ERA in 105 career innings. His secondary numbers have never been as good as his ERA, but given that the Twins aren't exactly overflowing with quality relievers and the cost to keep the hefty lefty around was little more than the minimum salary the move surprised me. • Along with non-tendering Mijares the Twins also sliced Jim Hoey and Pedro Florimon from the 40-man roster. Hoey was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays, leaving only marginal relief prospect Brett Jacobson to show for last winter's misguided J.J. Hardy trade with the Orioles. Florimon, whom the Twins claimed off waivers from the Orioles last week, cleared waivers this time around and was assigned to Triple-A. Claiming and waiving a player within the span of a week might seem silly, but Florimon has the potential to be a decent utility infielder and now the Twins can stash him in the minors without using up a 40-man roster spot. I've long felt the Twins should be more willing to shuffle guys through the fringes of the 40-man roster, so while Florimon is hardly a high-upside player the maneuvering surrounding him was nice to see. Hoey perhaps deserved a longer opportunity based on his minor-league numbers and mid-90s fastball, but his complete lack of control and quality off-speed pitches weren't encouraging and at 29 years old he's far from a prospect. Hoey wasn't totally without potential when the Twins acquired him and he's exactly the type of reliever teams should take fliers on in minor trades, but the problem is that trading Hardy was anything but a minor mistake, then and now. • Signing veteran minor leaguers to help Rochester be competitive after back-to-back 90-loss seasons is clearly a priority for the Twins and the latest batch is Rene Rivera, P.J. Walters, and Sean Burroughs. Rivera split this year between Rochester and Minnesota, helping to fill in for Joe Mauer behind the plate, but was trimmed from the 40-man roster in October. He's the epitome of a replacement-level catcher and handy enough to have around at Triple-A. Walters was traded from the Cardinals to the Blue Jays in the seven-player swap headlined by Colby Rasmus and Edwin Jackson on July 27, but Toronto let him become a free agent three months later and his track record is pretty underwhelming. Walters briefly looked like a decent prospect back in 2007 and his strikeout rates are solid, but the 26-year-old right-hander has a high-80s fastball, mediocre control, and a 4.63 ERA in 484 innings at Triple-A. Burroughs was the ninth overall pick in the 1998 draft and Baseball America ranked him as one of the game's top 10 prospects in 2000, 2001, and 2002. His big-league career started off well enough, as Burroughs debuted for the Padres as a 21-year-old and hit .289/.345/364 through his first 339 games, but he never developed any power, regressed in other areas, struggled with substance abuse, and was finished at age 25. Or so it seemed. After three seasons out of baseball Burroughs signed a minor-league deal with Arizona, whose general manager Kevin Towers was the GM in San Diego who drafted him. He worked his way back to the majors by hitting .412 in 34 games at Triple-A and then struggled in 78 games as a bench bat, hitting .273/.289/.336 with an ugly strikeout-to-walk ratio. Burroughs is one of the biggest prospect busts of the 2000s, but at age 30 still qualifies as intriguing Triple-A depth. • Just five weeks after Bill Smith was fired as general manager Phil Mackey of 1500ESPN.com reports that he's close to returning to the organization in a "special assistant" role that would involve running the Twins' efforts in Latin America and their spring training complex in Florida. Smith was overmatched and then some as a GM, but handled the firing amazingly well publicly and has been with the Twins since the mid-1980s, so their showing him loyalty isn't surprising. • Nick Punto signed a two-year, $3 million deal with the Red Sox to replace Jed Lowrie, who was traded to the Astros for Mark Melancon. As always, in a bench role with a modest salary Punto is an excellent fit on just about any team. Unfortunately the Twins played him too much and paid him $4 million in both 2009 and 2010 (plus a $500,000 buyout to avoid paying him $5 million in 2011). He'll now be paid a total of $4 million for his first three post-Twins seasons. • Kevin Slowey avoided arbitration with the Rockies, agreeing to a one-year, $2.7 million deal. • Jacque Jones, whom I rated as the 30th-best player in Twins history, has been hired by his hometown Padres as a Single-A hitting coach. He last played at Triple-A for the Twins in 2010. • Mauer got engaged to fellow Cretin-Derham Hall graduate Maddie Bisanz. Jacque Jones Maddie Bisanz Nick Punto P.J. Walters Pedro Florimon Rene Rivera Sean Burroughs Twins Notes: Bad news, good news, call-ups, vetoes, and symptoms • Unfortunately in a season ruined by injuries not even the Twins' minor leaguers are safe, as Kyle Gibson will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. On the Twins' advice Gibson tried to avoid surgery with rest and rehab, but the odds were always in favor of his eventually going under the knife. In the past telling pitchers to put off surgery hasn't worked well for the Twins, but in this case the delay likely won't matter. Because the typical recovery timetable for Tommy John surgery is 12-18 months Gibson would have missed most and perhaps all of 2012 whether he had the operation now or a month ago when the partially torn ligament was identified. All things being equal sooner is better, but there are some examples of pitchers with similar injuries avoiding Tommy John surgery and the chance of that, however slim, was probably worth the month-long delay for a 23-year-old. Stephen Strasburg is back in the majors and throwing mid-90s fastballs again almost exactly 12 months after his Tommy John surgery, so it's possible that Gibson could see game action by late next year. Either way, his timetable for joining the Twins' rotation has now been pushed back until at least mid-2013 and the 2009 first-round pick has gone from the organization's top prospect to a major question mark. What a shame. • Alex Wimmers walked the first six hitters he faced this year, was immediately removed from the rotation at high Single-A, and spent three months trying to avoid going further down the scary Steve Blass/Rick Ankiel path. He rejoined Fort Myers as a reliever and then moved back into the rotation last month, pitching very well while avoiding any serious control issues. And on Saturday night he threw a seven-inning no-hitter in his final outing of the season. Perhaps more importantly than not allowing any hits Wimmers issued just two walks and faced the minimum 21 batters in a 1-0 victory, with Aaron Hicks knocking in the lone run. Since his disastrous season debut and lengthy stay in extended spring training Wimmers has thrown 41 innings with a 3.32 ERA and 39-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio while limiting opponents to a .189 batting average. He's not out of the woods yet, but the 2010 first-round pick is back on track. • Rosters expanded from 25 to 40 players on September 1 and the Twins called up Jim Hoey, Kyle Waldrop, and Brian Dinkelman as their first batch of reinforcements. Hoey was acquired from the Orioles in the J.J. Hardy deal and flopped earlier this season, allowing 18 runs in 15 innings. He still has high-90s velocity, but Hoey is 28 years old and didn't even fare particularly well at Triple-A with a 3.83 ERA and 38-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 42 innings. Waldrop was similarly underwhelming in Rochester's bullpen, striking out just 44 batters in 79 innings while opponents to hit .276 with seven homers. He was far better in 2010, tossing 88 innings with a 2.57 ERA and 25 percent more strikeouts, but the Twins left him off the 40-man roster during the offseason and Waldrop went unpicked in the Rule 5 draft. Finally adding him now is odd timing, but Waldrop gets enough ground balls to possibly be a useful reliever. When the Twins called up Dinkelman in June it was surprising, but two weeks later they put him through waivers unclaimed and sent the 27-year-old career minor leaguer back to Triple-A, removing him from the 40-man roster in the process. All of which makes it even more surprising that they've now re-added Dinkelman to the 40-man roster and called him up again. He must be one hell of a guy, because he hit .243/.316/.324 in 127 games at Triple-A. UPDATE: Fittingly the Twins spelled Dinkelman's name wrong on the official lineup card today. • Liam Hendriks is also slated to come up from Triple-A tomorrow and make his debut against the White Sox. Hendriks ranked No. 8 on my preseason list of Twins prospects and has upped his stock since then by throwing 139 innings with a 3.36 ERA and 111-to-21 strikeout-to-walk ratio between Double-A and Triple-A. He projects as a mid-rotation starter, but with Gibson out and Wimmers a worry the 22-year-old Australian is arguably the Twins' top pitching prospect. Jim Thome's departure opened one spot on the 40-man roster and the Twins created another opening by transferring Nick Blackburn to the 60-day disabled list, ruling him out for the rest of the year because of a forearm injury. They'll need to clear one more space for Hendriks and Ron Gardenhire indicated that shifting Francisco Liriano to the 60-day DL could be the move despite his wanting to "throw at least a couple innings" before the end of the season. • Leading up to the August 31 waiver trade deadline Joe Nathan told reporters that he "would consider" waiving his no-trade clause for a Thome-like deal to a contender, but when it came time to actually make a decision he vetoed any potential deals. In order to move Nathan the Twins would have had to eat his remaining $2 million salary for this season plus a $2 million buyout for 2012, and even then the best they might have hoped for was a marginal prospect. Still, considering the Twins paid him $11.25 million not to pitch in 2010 and $11.25 million for a 5.02 ERA this year giving them a shot to swing a deal would have been nice. Nathan told Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that next year's $12.5 million option played a part in the decision, but there's virtually zero chance of the Twins bringing him back at that price and even after being traded he could have returned next season a la Rick Aguilera in 1996. • Justin Morneau going on the disabled list with a wrist problem and then having neck surgery took the focus off last year's concussion, but now he's sidelined again with further symptoms stemming from the initial injury 14 months ago. His current symptoms were deemed "mild," but it's tough to think of anything concussion-related as "mild" given Morneau's ongoing struggles and Denard Span's similarly troubling attempts to come back from his own concussion. Even after missing two months Span mistakenly came back before he was ready and Morneau still has headaches, dizziness, and fogginess 14 months later, making them both big question marks heading into 2012. Morneau has played just 150 of the past 327 games dating back to late 2009, undergoing back and neck surgeries in addition to the concussion, and was nothing like his usual self in 69 games this season. Scary times for two of the Twins' building blocks. • Perception versus reality: Joe Mauer has driven in 16.1 percent of all runners on base for his plate appearances this season. Michael Cuddyer has driven in 13.8 percent. Mauer also had a higher RBI percentage than Cuddyer in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, and 2005. • Jim Mandelaro, who covers the Triple-A team for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, notes that they've lost 90 games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1903 and 1904. Advertise your product, service, local business, or website directly to thousands of people each day by becoming an AG.com "Sponsor of the Week." Comments (5) ∞ Permalink ∞ @AaronGleeman on Twitter ∞ "Gleeman and The Geek" Podcast Alex Wimmers Brian Dinkelman Kyle Waldrop Liam Hendriks Michael Cuddyer Twins Notes: Closer changes, monster homers, regrets, and somersaults • Matt Capps blew a 1-0 lead and took the loss Friday, serving up a mammoth two-run homer to Royals rookie Eric Hosmer for his league-leading seventh blown save of the year, at which point Ron Gardenhire finally made a change at closer. Gardenhire turned back to former closer Joe Nathan rather than give the bullpen's most effective reliever, Glen Perkins, his first shot in the role, which I agreed last week makes the most sense as a short-term solution. Perkins may eventually prove to be an elite closer, but he's been so valuable in part because of Gardenhire's willingness to use him in crucial spots whenever the need arises, whereas the manager's closer usage has always been far more rigid. For now at least I'd rather see Perkins throw 80 innings in a variety of tight situations than 65 innings with a lead of 1-3 runs in the ninth inning and Nathan's past closer experience makes the move even more of a no-brainer. Nathan hasn't looked quite like his pre-surgery self, but he's still been impressive since coming off the disabled list in mid-June. His velocity is up compared to earlier this season, he pitched on three straight days over the weekend for the first time since 2009, and Nathan has allowed just one run in 9.1 innings since the month-long DL trip, with seven strikeouts versus one walk and a .125 opponents' batting average. As for Capps, there isn't much left to say at this point. By focusing on save totals and supposed "proven closer" status the Twins overvalued a setup-caliber pitcher, paying a premium in players and money. It was a huge mistake then and looks even bigger now, but Capps has also fallen apart. He's managed just 4.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which is 30 percent below his career rate, and command issues have hitters teeing off on what's always been a nearly all-fastball repertoire. Bad process, bad decision, bad result. • Fortunately even with Capps turning a 1-0 lead into a 2-1 loss Friday night the Twins began the 18-day, 19-game stretch that figures to define the season by taking three of four from the Royals. They're now just five games below .500 for the first time since April and sit five games back in the AL Central with the first-place Indians and second-place Tigers coming to town for back-to-back four-game series. Giddy up. • Scott Baker was scheduled to start Game 1 of today's doubleheader versus the Indians, but was scratched from that outing yesterday and placed on the disabled list with the elbow injury that prematurely ended his last start on July 5. Scott Diamond will start in Baker's spot, as the Twins bypassed No. 1 prospect and Triple-A rotation-mate Kyle Gibson. Kevin Slowey wasn't an option because he last started Friday at Rochester. Diamond hasn't impressed at Triple-A, posting a 4.70 ERA and 68-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 92 innings while allowing opponents to hit .291 off him, but he's fared better of late and the Twins clearly think very highly of him. They picked Diamond in the Rule 5 draft and then, when it was clear there wouldn't be an Opening Day spot for him on the pitching staff, they overpaid to keep him by giving the Braves hard-throwing reliever prospect Billy Bullock. Under normal circumstances the Twins likely would've replaced the injured Baker with Anthony Swarzak and avoided calling up Diamond (or even adding him to the 40-man roster), but with Swarzak already set to start Game 2 of the doubleheader they needed another stretched-out arm and promoting Gibson for a one-and-done start didn't make sense. And instead of taking Baker's spot tomorrow Gibson started yesterday at Triple-A, coughing up nine runs. • In addition to sticking Baker on the DL and calling up Diamond the Twins also optioned Matt Tolbert to Triple-A so they could add another pitcher for the doubleheader, increasing the staff to a ridiculous 13 arms. Chuck James never should have been sent back to Triple-A in the first place when the Twins chose to keep Phil Dumatrait over him last month and has continued to dominate with a 2.25 ERA, .197 opponents' batting average, and 48 strikeouts in 40 innings. • Jim Thome's monstrous three-run homer yesterday was the 596th of his Hall of Fame career and came in his 150th game for the Twins. Thome, who earned around $2 million last season and will make about $3 million this year, has hit .264/.392/.573 in those 150 games, with 31 homers and 82 walks in 476 plate appearances. That works out to a .965 OPS, which is by far the best OPS and adjusted OPS+ in Twins history among all hitters with 150 or more games: G OPS G OPS+ JIM THOME 150 .965 JIM THOME 150 160 Harmon Killebrew 1939 .901 Harmon Killebrew 1939 148 Joe Mauer 871 .878 Rod Carew 1635 137 Chili Davis 291 .862 Chili Davis 291 135 Justin Morneau 1003 .855 Joe Mauer 871 134 Thome is also the only hitter in Twins history with a slugging percentage above .550 (.573) or an Isolated Power above .300 (.309), topping Harmon Killebrew in each category. My favorite part of Thome's homer may have been Delmon Young's reaction to it from the on-deck circle: Thome has 31 home runs and 82 walks in 476 plate appearances for the Twins. Young has 45 home runs and 83 walks in 1,884 plate appearances for the Twins. • Joe Christensen of the Minneapolis Star Tribune talked to a source who says "the Twins have no plans to trade Michael Cuddyer even if they fall from contention" and in fact "an effort will be made to re-sign Cuddyer this fall." Among impending free agents Cuddyer would bring back the most in a trade, but considering his extreme popularity it's certainly not surprising that the Twins aren't shopping him despite various reported interest from contending teams. As a good but not great 32-year-old making $10.5 million on the verge of free agency Cuddyer is exactly the type of player most sub-.500 teams should be looking to cash in for future value at the trade deadline, but because the division is so weak the Twins aren't like most sub-.500 teams. With that said, not trading Cuddyer for long-term help could be a missed opportunity if they fall out of contention and re-signing him for similar money would be very dangerous. • Trading away J.J. Hardy, much like trading for Capps, was a poor move at the time that now looks considerably worse. Hardy has hit .278/.335/.490 through 65 games for the Orioles after hitting .302/.356/.436 in his final 65 games for the Twins, and passed up free agency by inking a three-year, $22.5 million extension over the weekend. He surely would have been cheaper for the Twins to sign, but instead they spent $15 million for three years of Tsuyoshi Nishioka. Meanwhile, neither player acquired for Hardy has impressed. Jim Hoey is faring well enough at Triple-A to think he may still provide some value, but he flopped with the Twins by allowing 17 runs in 12 innings as opponents hit .344 with nearly as many walks (8) as strikeouts (9). Brett Jacobson has split time between the rotation and bullpen at Double-A, posting a 4.24 ERA and ugly 60-to-48 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 74 innings. From the Baltimore Sun extension story: Hardy, who came over this offseason in a trade with the Minnesota Twins for two minor-league pitchers, is a free agent at season's end and was looking for more stability after being with three teams since 2009. The Orioles have been pleased with his offense, defense, and leadership in the clubhouse. Funny how that works. Bad process, bad decision, bad result. • I've already written plenty about Slowey, so I won't delve back into that situation other than to say for as much harsh criticism as he's taken from fans, media members, and the Twins their handling of him fits on the same list of terrible decisions as the Capps and Hardy trades. He's currently in the rotation at Triple-A, trying to build back arm strength, and Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that the Pirates and Rockies have expressed interest in Slowey. Slowey's value has likely never been lower and he's under team control for 2012, so there's no major urgency to move him. On the other hand, that 2012 team control would come with a salary of around $3 million and he's deep enough in the doghouse that it's awfully difficult to imagine digging out, in which case salvaging some kind of value for Slowey might make sense. He's the most likely player to be traded by July 31 whether the Twins are buyers or sellers. • One offseason move that definitely worked out was not bringing back Nick Punto. Declining his $5 million option and instead giving him a $500,000 buyout was a no-brainer, but given the Twins' lack of quality middle infield depth I thought re-signing him for $1 million would've made sense. He ended up signing a one-year, $750,000 deal with the Cardinals, but missed much of April following hernia surgery and now may need season-ending elbow surgery. • After taking three months off from game action following his disastrous season debut 2010 first-round pick Alex Wimmers has finally taken a big step in his recovery from extreme control problems. He returned to the mound last week at rookie-ball with just one walk in a scoreless inning, after which the Twins assigned him back to high Single-A. He's nowhere near out of the woods yet, but hopefully Wimmers can get somewhat back on track heading into 2012. • I've written a few times that Ben Revere runs so fast that it often looks like his feet almost can't keep up as he flies around the bases. He took that to another level Friday night, losing his balance rounding second base and falling into a somersault before ending up on third base with a triple. Revere's long-term upside is still very much in question, but there's no doubt that he's been as fun to watch as a player could possibly be while hitting just .278/.314/.320. This week's content is sponsored by Wholesale Gold and Diamond Distributors in Minneapolis, so please help support AG.com by considering them for your jewelry needs. Brett Jacobson Chuck James J.J. Hardy Matt Tolbert Scott Diamond Twins Notes: Nathan, James, Plouffe, Liriano, Swarzak, and Slama • Joe Nathan's comeback from Tommy John surgery went from bad to worse, as the Twins put him on the disabled list with more elbow pain. The good news is that an MRI exam revealed only inflammation. The bad news is that there's no return timetable and Nathan is "prepared" to be out as long as a month. Tommy John surgery recovery is often said to be 12 months, but as we've seen with Francisco Liriano and now Nathan unfortunately that often isn't the case. Nathan gradually added velocity after arriving at spring training throwing in the mid-80s, but never approached his pre-surgery stuff and the missing miles per hour also came attached to far worse command. Along with his ERA rising from 2.10 in 2009 to 7.63 this season, Nathan's strikeouts are down 38 percent, his walks are up 50 percent, and his average fastball fell from 93.6 to 91.4 mph. He hasn't been as bad as the 7.63 ERA, but he hasn't been Joe Nathan. • To replace Nathan in the bullpen the Twins called up Chuck James, for whom the bloggers I read and tweeters I follow have been pining. I'm far from convinced that James can make a big impact, but unlike Dusty Hughes or Phil Dumatrait or Eric Hacker there's at least a chance of James proving to be more than just the latest replacement-level bullpen stopgap. James, like Nathan, is an example of how long the road back from arm surgery can be. Once upon a time James was a top prospect in the Braves' system, posting great numbers in the minors before debuting in September of 2005. He joined Atlanta's rotation the next season at age 24 and posted a 4.05 ERA with a 207-to-105 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 280 innings over two years before blowing out his shoulder. He missed most of 2008 and all of 2009 following rotator cuff and labrum surgery, returning as a Triple-A reliever for the Nationals last season. He pitched well with a 2.32 ERA and 69/11 K/BB ratio in 66 innings, signed with the Twins this winter, and forced them to call him up by throwing 29 innings with a 1.57 ERA and 37/9 K/BB ratio out of Rochester's bullpen. James' raw stuff doesn't match those numbers, but even while succeeding as a mid-rotation starter in Atlanta his average fastball was just 88 mph and with 106 strikeouts in 95 innings since returning he's missed bats without overpowering hitters. Sad as it may be, at this point the Twins' main goals should be to get healthy, play respectable baseball, make some smart trades, and sort out who can help them in 2012. Cycling through more guys like Hughes or Dumatrait accomplishes none of that, but James may still have some upside at age 29. Before surgery he was a young mid-rotation starter with a 4.00 ERA and in coming back he's been a very effective Double-A and Triple-A reliever with great K/BB ratios. • Trevor Plouffe got off to a fantastic start after being called up from Triple-A to replace Alexi Casilla at shortstop, but the flaws that made him just the 32nd-best Twins prospect heading into the season have since been exposed. Plouffe has 15-homer power and a very strong arm, but that's about it. Or as I wrote in ranking him No. 32 back in February: "A career as a utility man looks like his most realistic upside." Unfortunately the other options aren't any better. • Liriano's no-hitter got everyone's hopes up and he's sprinkled in a couple of strong outings, but his overall struggles along with decreased velocity suggested something wasn't quite right physically and yesterday the Twins placed him on the DL with shoulder inflammation. For now the official word is that the Twins are hopeful he can return when eligible next week, but then again they initially hoped he'd miss just one start and avoid the DL in the first place. Compared to last year Liriano's strikeouts are down 36 percent, his walks are up 107 percent, and he's missing 1.7 mph on his average fastball, which is how his ERA has gone from 3.62 to 5.73 and his xFIP has gone from 2.95 to 5.01. Even while posting an impressive-looking 2.52 ERA in four starts this month Liriano also had a sub par 16-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 25 innings, succeeding because of a ridiculously fortunate .154 batting average on balls in play. • Anthony Swarzak took a no-hitter into the eighth inning Saturday while starting in Liriano's place against the Angels, so naturally he'll stay in the rotation during the DL stint. However, much like Plouffe the longer Swarzak remains in a prominent role the more obvious his faults will become. He also started very strong as a rookie in 2009, tossing seven shutout innings in his debut and sporting a 3.90 ERA after five starts, only to finish with a 6.25 ERA in 59 innings. And since then Swarzak has a 5.67 ERA and 94-to-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 144 innings at Triple-A, although he was pitching reasonably well prior to the latest call-up. Swarzak may do a nice job filling in for Liriano and may even prove to be a capable back-of-the-rotation starter or middle reliever, but don't let the great first impressions fool you into thinking he's more than a marginal prospect at age 25. • To replace Liriano on the roster the Twins called up reliever Anthony Slama, who's similar to James this year in that his outstanding minor-league numbers have always screamed out for an extended opportunity. Slama has a 2.11 ERA and 369 strikeouts in 273 total innings in the minors, including a 2.73 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 105 innings at Triple-A, yet he's 27 years old and has just five appearances in the big leagues. Slama isn't destined to become an elite reliever, but like James there's at least some reason to think he could be useful to the Twins this year and beyond. Obviously having the worst record in baseball at the end of May is a nightmare scenario for the Twins, but hopefully they can find small positives within the huge negative by giving legitimate opportunities to guys like Slama, who deserves 50 innings to sink or swim even if they've never trusted his minor-league stats. • Danny Valencia batting around .350 for much of his half-season debut last year had many people willing to dismiss his underwhelming minor-league numbers, but he's now played 136 games in the big leagues while hitting .280/.329/.412. He played 120 games at Triple-A and hit .289/.322/.421. Funny how that tends to work. Valencia's defense, however, has been much better than advertised and makes him a solid regular despite a mediocre bat. • For a while the Twins kept saying Tsuyoshi Nishioka was ahead of schedule in his recovery from a fractured fibula, but he was initially given a 4-6 week timetable on April 7. Monday will be two months since the injury and Nishioka hasn't even started a minor-league rehab stint. When it comes to the Twins and injuries, there's no such thing as "ahead of schedule." • Orioles manager Buck Showalter was full of praise for Wilson Ramos after an interleague series versus the Nationals, saying: "I love that Ramos kid. He's about as good a young player as I've seen this year. The kid they got from Minnesota. He's really impressive." Ramos has slumped recently, but the 23-year-old's .731 OPS still ranks 14th among the 32 catchers with at least 100 plate appearances and he's the youngest starting catcher in baseball. • Old friend Brian Fuentes hasn't made many new friends in Oakland, although in fairness it sounds like he's not the first late-inning reliever to have a problem with manager Bob Geren's communication methods. • Speaking of old friends in Oakland, the A's dealt former Twins minor leaguer Steven Tolleson to the Padres for a player to be named later. Tolleson was never a particularly good prospect, but he looked like a potentially useful role player and ranked 37th on my list last year only to be claimed off waivers by the A's literally the day the rankings were posted in January. • Dusty Hughes has been a horrendous pickup, but at least Rob Delaney hasn't thrived for the Rays after being waived to make room for Hughes on the Twins' roster. Tampa Bay designated Delaney for assignment, meaning the Twins could potentially use their No. 1 waiver priority to claim him back. Don't count on it, though. He's still my second-favorite Rob Delaney. • Martire Garcia ranked 31st on my list of the Twins' top prospects after throwing 73 innings with a 3.31 ERA and 93-to-38 strikeout-to-walk ratio between rookie-ball and low Single-A as a 20-year-old. Sent back to Beloit to begin this season, Garcia posted a 5.57 ERA and 22/25 K/BB ratio in 21 innings ... and the Twins released him. Those are ugly numbers, for sure, but there must be a little more to the story too. • As a team the Twins have an adjusted ERA+ of 84 through 52 games. Among all the pitchers in team history with at least 300 innings Pat Mahomes is the only one with a worse adjusted ERA+ at 81. In other words, after about one-third of the season the Twins have pitched like an entire staff full of Pat Mahomes. And their hitting has been even worse. • Jim Hoey has a 10.45 ERA in 10 innings. The last Twins pitcher with a higher ERA than Hoey in at least 10 innings was Mike Lincoln, who had a 10.89 ERA in 21 innings in 2000. He went on to post a 2.96 ERA in 113 innings for the Pirates in 2001 and 2002, so perhaps there's still some hope for Hoey yet. • Last season the Twins allowed 67 runs in the eighth inning. This season they've allowed 51 runs in the eighth inning. And there are still 112 games to go. Anthony Slama Danny Valencia Martire Garcia Mike Lincoln Pat Mahomes Steven Tolleson Trevor Plouffe Tsuyoshi Nishioka E-mail: aarongleeman@gmail.com Twitter: @aarongleeman The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the Minnesota Twins Get my first solo book, The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the Minnesota Twins, a full-color, essay-driven countdown of the top 50 players and moments in Minnesota Twins history. "Gleeman and The Geek" podcast "Gleeman and The Geek" archives "Gleeman and The Geek" on iTunes Visit the AG.com Archives See Me Elsewhere MinnesotaTwins.com 1500ESPN.com LaVelle E. Neal III Mike Berardino Rhett Bollinger John Bonnes Parker Hageman Edward Thoma Twinkie Town Tweets by @AaronGleeman Aaron Hicks Alexi Casilla Ben Revere Brian Dozier Brian Duensing Byron Buxton Carl Pavano Chelsea Peretti Chris Parmelee Delmon Young Denard Span Drew Butera Francisco Liriano Gleeman and The Geek Glen Perkins Jason Kubel Jim Thome Joe Mauer Joe Nathan John Bonnes Josh Willingham Justin Morneau Kevin Slowey KFAN Kyle Gibson Link-O-Rama Marc Maron Matt Capps Michael Cuddyer Miguel Sano Mila Kunis Nick Blackburn Oswaldo Arcia Parker Hageman Pat Neshek Paul Allen podcasts prospects radio Ron Gardenhire Terry Ryan Top 40 Twins Prospects Trevor Plouffe Tsuyoshi Nishioka Twins © 2002-2020 Aaron Gleeman	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line437
__label__wiki	0.723267	0.723267	NEIGHBOR-LOVE Course Intro (0:42) Lecture 1: The Crisis and Hope of Humanity Section 1: The Idea We Need Today (6:12) Section 2: Bonhoeffer’s Question (2:30) Section 3: The Ethics of Neighbor-Love (5:27) Section 4: The Crisis of Humanity: Ancient Mythology (4:14) Section 5: The Crisis of Humanity: Classical Philosophy (7:08) Section 6: The Crisis of Humanity: Classical Culture (3:35) Section 7: Contemporary Crises of Humanity (4:03) Section 8: Eyob: The Crisis of Indifference and Dead Dogma (6:19) Section 9: An Idea that Could Save the World (4:37) Lecture 2: Origins of Neighbor-Love: The Hebrew Bible Section 1: Progress and Problems (1:44) Section 2: The Creation of Humanity in Genesis 1 (3:27) Section 3: Original Human Community and the Violence of the Fall (4:25) Section 4: Abraham and the Blessing for All People (2:29) Section 5: The Curse of Ethnocentrism (5:04) Section 6: The Hebrew Command of Neighbor-Love (6:13) Section 7: The Moral Neighborhood in Ancient Israel (4:36) Section 8: Israel’s Treatment of Non-Israelite Neighbors or “Aliens” (5:38) Section 9: Israel’s Enemies (4:57) Section 10: Boaz’s Enemy-Love (3:58) Section 11: The Future of Non-Israelite Neighbors (3:44) Section 12: Conclusion: A Mirror for Us Today (2:36) Lecture 3: Jesus: The Revolution of Neighbor-Love Section 1: Jesus’s Breakthrough (2:06) Section 2: The Sermon on the Mount (2:13) Section 3: Creative Nonviolence (3:52) Section 4: Love Your Enemies (4:41) Section 5: The Reason of Love (4:33) Section 6: The Golden Rule (3:34) Section 7: What God Really Wants (3:29) Section 8: Matthew 19 and the Question of What Is Truly Valuable in Life (5:08) Section 9: Matthew 22 and the Command of Neighbor-Love (2:35) Section 10: Globalizing Neighbor-Love (2:10) Section 11: Mark 12 and the Greatest Commandment (3:55) Section 12: Luke 6 and the Extravagant Generosity of God (3:49) Section 13: The Parable of the Good Samaritan and Luke 10 (7:42) Section 14: Insights from the Enemy (3:10) Section 15: John’s Ethics of Love: The Superpower Washes Feet (6:56) Section 16: The Death of Jesus and Divine Love (4:11) Section 17: Conclusion: Jesus’s Answer to the Crisis of Humanity (2:50) Lecture 4: The Revolution Continues: Neighbor-Love in the New Testament Section 1: The Early Christian Counter-Culture of Love (4:45) Section 2: Paul: From Terrorist to Apostle of Love (3:37) Section 3: Romans 12 and Paul’s Ethics of Enemy-Love (3:28) Section 4: Romans 13 and Neighbor-Love (3:23) Section 5: Romans 13 and the Politics of Love (3:10) Section 6: Love and the End of History (2:01) Section 7: The Brilliant Irony of Romans 15 (4:24) Section 8: Galatians: A Reunited Humanity (3:02) Section 9: Galatians: Freedom, Love, and Service (4:52) Section 10: Ephesians 4 and a New Way of Being Human (4:55) Section 11: Paul's Love-Saturated Letters (4:35) Section 12: James and True Religion (3:20) Section 13: James and the Law that Gives Freedom (3:05) Section 14: Conclusion: The New Beginning of the Christian Revolution (2:35) Lecture 5: 20 Centuries: The Red Thread of Neighbor-Love Section 1: The Moral Belief that Changed the World (8:40) Section 2: The Didache: Neighbor-Love as the Way of Life (5:14) Section 3: The Epistle to Diognetus and Early Christian Cosmopolitanism (6:38) Section 4: Augustine’s Love and Pursuit of Happiness (6:11) Section 5: Augustine’s Universal Love against the Death Penalty (5:29) Section 6: Aquinas: Neighbor-Love, Crusades, and Capital Punishment (8:37) Section 7: Martin Bucer’s Universe of Love (7:56) Section 8: Martin Luther’s Radical Contradiction (9:11) Section 9: Nietzsche, the Will to Power, and the Lie of Neighbor-Love (6:46) Section 10: Freud, Sex, and the Madness of Loving Your Neighbor (6:25) Section 11: Kierkegaard’s Works of Love (11:24) Section 12: Conclusion: The Globalization of Neighbor-Love (3:20) Lecture 6: Modern Masters of Neighbor-Love Section 1: Five Paradigms of a Plausible Future (1:47) Section 2: The Life and Love of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) (3:51) Section 3: Bonhoeffer’s Christological Vision (4:14) Section 4: Bonhoeffer’s Community Service (5:59) Section 5: The Life and Love of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) (3:41) Section 6: King’s Neighbor-Love (4:02) Section 7: King’s Enemy-Love (6:30) Section 8: The Life and love of Oscar Romero (1917-1980) (6:12) Section 9: The Prophetic Preaching of Oscar Romero (8:10) Section 10: The Life and Love of Mother Teresa (1910-1997) (5:24) Section 11: Mother Teresa’s Way of Love (7:25) Section 12: The Life and Love of Jean Vanier (b. 1928) (4:04) Section 13: Vanier’s Wisdom of Tenderness (8:36) Section 14: Conclusion: Stars in the Darkness (3:27) Lecture 7: Neighbor-Love Now: A Humble/Dangerous/Hopeful New Beginning for Humanity Section 1: Exemplars, Insights, Questions, and Commission (1:15) Section 2: Exemplary Church: Coach Wayne Gordon and Lawndale Christian Community Church (6:13) Section 3: Exemplary NGO: Gary Haugen and the International Justice Mission (5:06) Section 4: Exemplary Business: Eden Gelan and Chiban Leather (5:06) Section 5: Neighbor-Love DNA: Who Is My Neighbor? (3:25) Section 6: Neighbor-Love DNA: What Does It Mean to Love? (2:49) Section 7: Neighbor-Love DNA: As Ourselves? (2:50) Section 8: A Summary: “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” (5:25) Section 9: Fifteen Questions for Neighbor-Love (49:23) Section 10: Christ’s Final Commission (3:32) Section 9: Fifteen Questions for Neighbor-Love	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line449
__label__wiki	0.837468	0.837468	← ‘New Facebook Guidelines’ Chain Letter About Copyright Laws Still A Hoax Nietzsche & Buddhism → New York State Celebrates First Same-sex Marriages Posted on May 6, 2016 by antilogicalism under 2012, Ethics, History, Politics By Basil Katz and Neale Gulley \| Reuters – 3 hrs ago NEW YORK/NIAGARA FALLS, New York (Reuters) – Wedding fever hit New York on Sunday, as hundreds of gay and lesbian couples lined up to be married on the first day that same-sex marriage was legal in the state. In western New York, two grandmothers became the state’s first legally wed same-sex couple, one month after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law making New York the nation’s sixth, and largest, state to allow gay marriage. Kitty Lambert, 54, and Cheryle Rudd, 53, from Buffalo, New York, were married just after midnight at Niagara Falls’ State Park’s Luna Island, with the traditional honeymoon capital Niagara Falls as a backdrop. Lambert, an art gallery manager, choked up during the religious service, answering “Yes, yes, yes!” when asked if she was making the choice of her own free will. “We’re achieving that real American dream to be treated like everybody else and be protected under all those laws,” Lambert said later. The women danced on stage after being married to pop star Lady Gaga’s “The Edge of Glory.” In New York City, couples and their families and friends formed a line around the block to be married at Manhattan’s marriage bureau. The first to be wed were Phyllis Siegel, 77, and Connie Kopelov, 85. The couple, who have been together for 23 years, emerged triumphant from the city clerk’s office, and Kopelov, in a wheelchair, brandished their marriage certificate as a crowd of supporters cheered. “I am breathless,” Siegel said. “I am happy.” Officials, expecting a rush of gay couples wanting to get married, initially set a lottery capping the number of marriages on Sunday to 764 couples but later accepted all 823 couples across all five city boroughs. Douglas Robinson, 60, and Michael Elsasser, 56, said they were particularly happy because their two adopted sons, Zachary and Justin, were there to support them as they got married. “The state recognizes us as a real family now,” Robinson, who works at a bank, said, adding “even though we’ve always known we were a family. “The next step is to get full equal rights with the federal government,” Robinson said. New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn told reporters she is planning her own wedding with longtime partner Kim Catullo but not before next year. Quinn, who is widely expected to run for mayor, said the marriages were a triumph for human rights. “Marriage equality is alive and well in every borough in New York City,” she said. DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE Speaking on ABC television’s “This Week with Christiane Amanpour” program, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he saw the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York as boosting momentum for its passage in other states. New York is the sixth and largest U.S. state to allow gay marriage. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia also do so. “It’s going to grow very rapidly, partially because New York is such a bellwether and so visible and so when we do something a lot of people, they don’t necessarily copy it, but they look to see whether it would be appropriate for them as well,” he said. Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois and New Jersey have approved gay civil unions, and gay marriage is specifically banned in 39 states. Civil liberties activists say New York’s legalization of same-sex marriage sends a message to Congress that it must repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act defining marriage as between a man and a woman. “New York is sending a powerful message to the rest of the nation today as we once again lead the way for equal rights,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in 1996 by Democratic President Bill Clinton. President Barack Obama has said he would support a bill meant to repeal the law. The law prohibits same-sex couples from receiving marriage-based federal benefits such as Social Security survivor benefits, health benefits and the right to file taxes jointly. Officials estimate legalizing gay marriage would add some $400 million to New York’s strained economy over the next three years. Bloomberg, who had pushed for same-sex marriage, is set to officiate at the marriage of two men who belong to his City Hall inner circle at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, later on Sunday. (Reporting by Basil Katz in New York and Neale Gulley in Niagara Falls; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Paul Simao) How language and society mistranslated the Bible over time: Leviticus uses the word “abomination” 16 times, with the Hebrew word “sheqets” being used in describing dietary prohibitions (for example prohibiting shellfish and pork), mostly in Leviticus 11, and once for physical uncleanness (Levitcus 7:21), while “tô‛êbah” is used often for idolatry (Dt. 32:16) and specific other sins (Deuteronomy 24:4), for people who disobey God (Deuteronomy 25:16), and collectively for lists of sins ( Leviticus 18:27–30; Proverbs 6:16-19). “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination”. (Leviticus 18:22, KJV) Living Bible: “Homosexuality is absolutely forbidden, for it is an enormous sin.” (Leviticus 18:22, LB) New Living Translation: “Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin.” (Leviticus 18:22, NLT) “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” (Leviticus 18:22, NIV) “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” (Leviticus 20:13) “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” (Romans 1:26-27) “Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old-surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (Genesis 19:4-5) “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) “Knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine.” (1 Timothy 1:9-10) “If thou think thyself to be Christian, thou shalt read Kierkegaard and work out thy own salvation with fear and trembling. If thou think thyself to be Atheist, thou shalt work out thy own salvation with fear and trembling. If thou thinketh not, thou shalt be free.” (Testament III 3:12, JSV) thou shalt. thou shalt not. thou, thou! thou thou! Mr. Thou! You angry… me? Thou shalt teach morality in history class (and/or at home). This entry was tagged Politics, Same-sex Marriage. Bookmark the permalink.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line450
__label__wiki	0.642057	0.642057	Learnmore Jim Hart, Executive Director – Jim Hart is the Executive Director for the AIA. He is passionate about building great companies. As the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of World Marketing Company, he developed a startup company into a best in class partner to Fortune 500 consumer food product manufacturers. As an shareholder, officer and member of the Board of Directors the company grew to over $250 million in sales under management. His experience creating sales strategies, supply chain solutions, data management systems and financial modeling in a high growth environment are leveraged in his management consulting business. Whether serving as the Vice President of Operations for a venture investment company or project manager performing supply chain optimization for a distribution company in Western Europe, his goal is to always develop creative, cost efficient systems and processes designed to deliver outcomes that exceed customer expectations. Jim holds a BS in Logistics & Transportation and Master of Business Administration from University of Tennessee. He has traveled and done business in over 25 countries. He is an early stage investor and mentor to startup companies and believes entrepreneurship drives the economic diversity that creates sustainable communities. Eric Dobson, Chief Business Development Officer – Dr. Dobson has spent the last 25 years working in a variety of venues from government to private sector, the last 17 on start-up technology ventures. He plays a critical role in developing and implementing the deal sourcing, screening, and due diligence processes that ensure our members are considering only high quality deals. He has expertise in entrepreneurship, startup technology venture investing, business planning and development, intellectual property, sales, and marketing. He was the founder of several companies, has served on numerous boards both for and not-for profit, and has received several awards for entrepreneurship and innovation. In his career as an entrepreneur, he raised over $12M from investors from leading angel and venture capital groups. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tennessee along with both Masters and Doctoral degrees from the University of South Carolina. He remains a Lecturer at the University of Tennessee in the Department of Management in the School of Business. Scott Ewing, COO – Scott is the Chief Operating Officer and is in charge of deal flow management. He has an extensive operations and financial services background, and brings key skills in intellectual asset management, technology licensing, and executive leadership. He is a former US naval aviation commander and space operations specialist with two decades of government and industry experience in international programs and technology transfer. Scott also brings seven years’ post-Navy experience as a FINRA-registered investment professional. Scott was most recently the CEO of Venture Incite (VI), which was formed to create a new public-private partnership model for migrating high-potential technology out of research laboratories to develop commercially valuable companies and products. VI fostered start-up businesses that apply science and technology derived from potentially groundbreaking university and government research. The firm’s hybrid model combined elements from traditional venture capital investing and technology transfer, while leveraging government funding to achieve technology maturation. VI’s model aligned the objectives of capital sponsors, research institutions and researchers, entrepreneurs, and third-party stakeholders to a primary goal of launching promising technologies and creating valuable new companies. Steve Mercil, CFDO – Steve is the Chief Fund Development Officer and is in charge of creating new chapter/funds for the network. Steve is the most prolific angel group founder in the nation. Steve was most recently the founder and CEO of RAIN Source Capital RSC. ACG and RSC merged in 2014 to create a new model of angel network. RSC created 25 angel capital funds, from $1M – $3M in size, across 8 states with 450 members over the last 10 years. These RAIN Funds and their members have invested over $40M in 106 companies and have an additional $5M in committed capital for future investment. RSC’s portfolio has created over 4500 jobs and $750M in follow-on investment by other funds. Also, RSC is a principal of the InvestAmerica NW, LLC, and the General Partner of Invest Northwest, LP, which is a venture capital fund focused on middle market and later-stage companies. InvestAmerica has invested $15M in 20 companies. RSC empowers angel investors using a proprietary process to create, capitalize, and ignite angel member managed funds. Steve is a former Board member of the Angel Capital Association, has extensive experience in angel and venture capital as well as other areas of private equity. Jim Hart serves as a Board of Directors member as the Executive Director. Donald J. Perry currently serves as Sr. Vice President and Investments Manager for Kentucky Farmers Bank. Perry is responsible for investing the Bank’s assets, Pension Plan and Wealth Management Assets. He is also part of KFB’s Executive Management team which sets the Bank’s strategic direction and addresses high level issues. Born and raised in Florence, KY., Perry graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1986 with a B.S degree in Industrial Technology and immediately went to work for Ashland Petroleum as a Computer Analyst. While working as Project Manager in the Information Technology Dept., Perry earned a Masters in Business Administration from EKU in 1995 and began working in a financial capacity as a Sr. Financial Analyst. The last three years of his 17 year career with Ashland was spent in an entrepreneurial capacity developing new business opportunities for Valvoline. In 2004, Perry left Ashland Inc. and began working for Kentucky Farmers Bank. This new role required the Perry family to move from Lexington to Ashland, KY in 2007. Since the move, Perry has become very involved with various community activities and was instrumental in the startup of the BankOn program in NE KY. Perry currently serves as the Chairman for the Tri-State Angels Investment Group (TSAIG) and just began serving on the board of the Appalachian Angel Investor Alliance (AAIA). Perry is still involved with his alma mater as he currently serves on EKU’s Business Advisory Council. Phil Ostwalt is an experienced senior business advisor and investor in both real estate and early stage, private equity businesses. he retired from KPMG with US and Global Practice responsibilities. His specializations include forensic accounting, corporate internal investigations, disputes, ethics, and compliance. He worked with law firms and multinational corporate compliance and finance executives, as well as general counsels. Phil has extensive work on complex financial and regulatory investigations, liaising with audit committees, attorneys, and auditors to address allegations of fraud, executive misconduct, and regulatory compliance issues. He served as Expert Witness and Arbiter in commercial disputes. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Appalachian State University as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Georgetown University. Mike Green is an advisor, investor and board member for several privately-held technology companies. He dedicates much of his time to working with early-stage companies, angel investment groups, and coaching entrepreneurs. In addition to serving on the High Technology Foundation Board, Mike also served on several Boards at West Virginia University and was the former President of the West Virginia State Board of Education. He also chairs the West Virginia Growth Investment Fund, an Angel Fund providing funding and mentorship to entrepreneurs and early-stage companies. Mr. Green began his career in 1969 as a mathematician, cryptanalyst, and software developer at the National Security Agency. In 2979, he left the federal government and entered the private sector where he held multiple executive roles in several start-up technology ventures. In early 1992, he joined FORE Systems (a manufacturer of high-speed networking equipment headquartered in Pittsburgh) and served as senior vice president and general manager of global sales. After FORE, he was lured out of retirement and served as president of field operations for Loudcloud, Inc. (a web cloud services venture, later renamed Opsware, then sold to HP), founded by Internet legend Marc Andreessen. Mr. Green earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Boston University and a Masters degree in numerical science from Johns Hopkins. Investor Alliance Investing in the Heartland SHOULD YOU JOIN THE ALLIANCE? The Appalachian Angel Investor Alliance brings together individual and institutional accredited investors that are committed to helping new and small businesses succeed. If your net worth exceeds $1,000,000; if your single or joint annual incomes exceeds $200,000 or $300,000 (respectively); or if you are an entity defined under US law as being an “accredited investor,” we invite you to download our free angel investing e-book by clicking on the “JOIN US” button below. APPALACHIAN INVESTORS ALLIANCE 234 MORRELL ROAD, SUITE 328, KNOXVILLE, TN 37919 AIA Facebook AIA Twitter MADE WITH LOVE IN KNOXVILLE, TN BY RIGHT CLICK DESIGN, LLC	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line454
__label__cc	0.512131	0.487869	Home News US Government Releases National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Plan US Government Releases National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Plan Posted by Guy Pirro 06/24/2018 01:53AM This image of a vapor trail was captured about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from the Chelyabinsk meteor event, about one minute after the house-sized asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere. The asteroid entered the atmosphere over Chelyabinsk at over eleven miles per second and blew apart 14 miles above the ground. The explosion released the energy equivalent of around 440,000 tons of TNT and generated a shock wave that blew out windows over 200 square miles and damaged some buildings. Over 1,600 people were injured in the blast, mostly due to broken glass. (Image Credit: NASA, Alex Alishevskikh) A new multiagency report outlines how the U.S. could become better prepared for near-Earth objects—asteroids and comets whose orbits come within 30 million miles of Earth—otherwise known as NEOs. While no known NEOs currently pose significant risks of impact, the report is a key step to addressing a nationwide response to any future risks. NASA, along with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and several other governmental agencies collaborated on this federal planning document for NEOs. The 20-page document is titled “The National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan,” and organizes and coordinates efforts related to the NEO efforts within the federal government during the next 10 years to ensure the nation can more effectively respond in case this type of very low-probability but very high-consequence natural disaster should occur. NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observation Program funds asteroid detection and tracking efforts at observatories across the U.S. and in space, and collaborates with other observatories around the world. The NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, maps and publishes the orbits of all detected objects so that everyone can understand the potential risk. NASA also is studying approaches for deflecting (turning aside) or disrupting (breaking up) asteroids. By completing the action plan, NASA and several other departments and agencies will evaluate and begin development of various approaches and technologies for defending Earth from a significant impact. “The nation already has significant scientific, technical and operation capabilities that are relevant to asteroid impact prevention,” said Lindley Johnson, NASA’s planetary defense officer, at NASA Headquarters, Washington. “Implementing the National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan will greatly increase our nation’s readiness and work with international partners to effectively respond should a new potential asteroid impact be detected.” The plan establishes five overarching strategic goals to reduce the risk of NEO impacts through improved understanding, forecasting, prevention, and emergency preparedness. The plan will: Enhance NEO detection, tracking, and characterization capabilities Improve NEO modeling prediction, and information integration Develop technologies for NEO deflection and disruption missions Increase international cooperation on NEO preparation, and Establish NEO impact emergency procedures and action protocols Achieving these five goals will, for a very modest government endeavor, dramatically increase the nation’s preparedness for addressing the NEO hazard and mitigating any threat. The National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan is available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/National-Near-Earth-Object-Preparedness-Strategy-and-Action-Plan-23-pages-1MB.pdf NASA has been studying NEOs since the 1970s. The agency initiated its impact hazard mitigation efforts with a project commonly called “Spaceguard” in the late 1990s to begin to search for them. NASA now participates as a key member in both the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the asteroid Space Mission Planning and Advisory Group, endorsed by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS) as the combined response for all space-capable nations to address the NEO impact hazard. To better organize US efforts, NASA established the Planetary Defense Coordination Office in 2016. To date, NASA-sponsored NEO surveys have provided over 95 percent of all NEO discoveries. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/federal-government-releases-national-near-earth-object-preparedness-plan https://www.nasa.gov/feature/five-years-after-the-chelyabinsk-meteor-nasa-leads-efforts-in-planetary-defense https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense https://www.astromart.com/news/show/asteroid-the-size-of-the-tunguska-impactor-of-1908-just-missed-the-earth-yesterday https://www.astromart.com/news/show/100th-anniversary-of-the-tunguska-event-are-we-any-better-prepared-today https://www.astromart.com/news/show/looking-for-near-earth-objects-neos-natural-hazards-of-global-proportions https://www.astromart.com/news/show/it-came-from-outer-space-astronomers-find-first-interstellar-asteroid https://www.astromart.com/news/show/the-mysterious-centaurs-are-they-asteroids-or-comets https://www.astromart.com/news/show/talk-about-a-close-shave-asteroid-to-pass-very-close-to-the-earth https://www.astromart.com/news/show/most-potentially-hazardous-asteroids-are-still-not-known https://www.astromart.com/news/show/asteroids-very-close-pass-to-earth-tomorrow-night-should-be-observable-by-amateur-astronomers https://www.astromart.com/news/show/asteroid-tracked-from-space-to-earth-entry-for-the-first-time Astromart News Archives: https://www.astromart.com/news/search?category_id=3&q=. Do you enjoy reading these News Items? Then click here and buy the Astromart staff a cup of coffee (and maybe even some donuts): https://www.astromart.com/support-options Anacortes Telescope Web Guy	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line459
__label__wiki	0.548118	0.548118	1970’s Architecture 1970’s decade Architecture built and unbuilt projects (1970 – 1979) Post-Modernism \| Brutalism \| Arcology \| High-Tech Architecture Raventos House in Calella / Antonio Bonet Castellana The iconographic Raventos house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Bonet Castellana, perhaps best known for designing the iconic B.K.F butterfly chair with Juan Kurchan and Jorge Ferrari Hardoy, was built between 1973 and 1974 and is one of the latest domestic proposals of the architect. Architecture, Residential Fisac House in Ciudad Real / Miguel Fisac The Fisac House designed by the Spanish architect Miguel Fisac in 1978, is located in Almagro, Ciudad Real. The project turned an old oil mill into the architect’s home with exquisite care for popular architecture. In the facade, Fisac introduced elements of its flexible formwork in the large entrance gate and on the balcony of the upper floor. Arango Marbrisa House / John Lautner The design of John Lautner’s Arango House, also called Marbrisa House, is inspired by the natural features of the site: the ocean and the sky. The house was commissioned in 1970 by Jeronimo Arango as a weekend home for his family and in 1973 the architect built a 25,000-square-foot home that seemed to float above the water. The client had… Family House at the Emporda / Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura Located at the Emporda in Giron well-known Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill designed a summer house for his parents. Built on the ruins of an old country home, the Family House is organized around a brightly red central courtyard that captures different views of the surroundings. Louis Kahn’s Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, better known as IIM Ahmedabad or simply IIMA, is a management institute located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The old campus was designed by Louis Kahn who was an exponent of exposed-brick architecture, with the help of B.V. Doshi & Anant Raje. The most distinctive features of the plan are the numerous arches and square… Gardens of the Ministry of the Army in Brasília / Roberto Burle Max The Gardens of the Ministry of the Army in Brasilia was a collaborations between Roberto Burle Max and Oscar Niemeyer. The garden was meticulously color-coded: The finished gardens reproduced, in plots of vegetation and crushed stone, or painted pavement, the precise colors, as well as shapes, of his high-color gouache plan studies. Princesa Apartments / Fernando Higueras + Antonio Miró The Princesa building was completed in 1975 by Fernando Higueras and Antonio Miró. Originally built for military retirees, it is now the inner-city home of many design-oriented entrepreneurs and young families. Religious Architecture San Cataldo Cemetery / Aldo Rossi The San Cataldo Metropolitan Cemetery designed by Aldo Rossi integrates a designed built by the architect Cesare Costa between 1858 and 1876 with a very modern building designed by the architect in 1971. Rossi was a man appreciated internationally for his Architecture theories and his desire was to make a building that reflected his social perspective and theories. Bagsvaerd Church / Jørn Utzon Bagsvaerd Churchis a Lutheran church designed by Jørn Utzon completed in 1976. The project is a masterpiece of contemporary church architecture, characterized by a white concrete ceiling straddled with softly rounded vaulting that modulates the bright interior lighting. Cultural Architecture, Japanese Architecture Olivetti Technical Center and Warehouse / Kenzo Tange In 1970, Kenzo Tange designed the Olivetti Technical Centre and Warehouse in Yokohama, Tokyo. An example of Japanese Brutalist Architecture.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line461
__label__cc	0.596708	0.403292	University Archives Holdings Engineering Industrial and Enterprise S... Industrial and Enterprise S... Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Photograph File, 1961-2007 \| University of Illinois Archives Title: Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Photograph File, 1961-2007 Acquired: 10/20/2014. 2/9/15 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of General Engineering In 1904, the College of Engineering requested the establishment of a General Engineering Drawing Department, but the President decided to not approve the request at that time.1 In 1921, a formalized four-year curriculum was established, the completion of which awarded a B.S. in General Engineering, though GED was still only an informal service department.2 The Department offered a non-specialized general engineering curriculum leading to the degree of B.S. in General Engineering intended for students who might not wish to undertake a program for more specialized fields of engineering practice, but who, however, might wish to secure fundamental training in the principles of engineering theory in order to ally themselves with industrial and commercial developments in the fields of management, operation and construction.3 In 1953, its name changed to the Department of General Engineering from General Engineering Drawing in order to "give instruction and conduct research in graphics, but also operate the general engineering curriculum."4 In 2006, General Engineering merged with the Industrial Engineering Program to form the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, in order to better reflect the integrated nature of its interdisciplinary technical and business training and research.5 1. Board of Trustees Transactions, 23rd Report, November 9, 1904, January 17, 1905, pp. 19, 38. 2. University of Illinois Annual Register, 1922-1923, p. 137. 3. Undergraduate Course Catalogs, 1973-75, p. 226. 4. College of Engineering Annual Reports, 1952-53, p. 5. 5. Newsletters, "The Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering," 2006, Record Series 11/7/809. Engineering, College of General Engineering Department Room 146 Main Library, Prior Request Preferred 1-3 Room 146 Main Library OS-32 Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Photograph File (1961-2007), includes photographs, slides, and publications concerning research in laboratories, awards ceremonies, and special events. Also includes portraits of faculty, students, teaching assistants, staff, and alumni. Includes photography request forms from the Engineering Publications Office and the subsequent publications in which the requested photographs appeared, in addition to photos used for brochures and annual reports. Also included are negatives of tornados and an undated graph pertaining to mining engineering. Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering Photograph File (Born Digital Records)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line463
__label__wiki	0.988075	0.988075	University Archives Holdings Public Information Director's Office Faculty and Staff Press Rel... Faculty and Staff Press Release File, 1951- \| University of Illinois Archives Title: Faculty and Staff Press Release File, 1951- Acquired: 8/18/1966; 9/25/1968; 5/22/1970; 9/27/1973; 7/14/1976; 1/21/1980; 1/11/1984; 10/13/1994; 12/19/1997; 2007 Volume: 57.0 cubic feet In 1919, a special committee of the Board of Trustees "recommended establishing a 'Bureau of Publicity' whose duties would be along 'University publicity and propaganda lines'1. On August 15, 1919 the Board of Trustees appointed Joseph F. Wright as Director of Publicity, effective September 1, 19202. On July 25, 1956 the Board of Trustees approved a change of title to Director of Public Information3.The Office of Public Information is charged with the responsibility "for interpreting the University to the public" and with "the task of collecting University news and making it available to the communications media"4. The Director of Public Information advises the President on University matters "in which the public is interested" and assists "in interpreting University policies and activities" through the media5. In September 1967, the Director became University Director of Public Information and Assistant to the President for institutional relations and development6. On January 17, 1980 the Board of Trustees authorized the position of Special Assistant to the President and university director of public information and communication activities7. 1. Jerome Rodnitzky, "A History of Public Relations at the University of Illinois, 1904-1930" (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Illinois, 1967), p. 193. 2. Board of Trustees Transactions, 30th Report, August 15, 1919, p. 505. 3. Ibid., 49th Report, July 25, 1956, p. 20. 4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Academic Staff Handbook, p. 33. 5. University of Illinois Statutes, Section 50(b), June 1958. 6. President's Faculty Letter, No. 174, April 7, 1969, p. 5. 7. Board of Trustees Transactions, 60th Report, January 17, 1980, p. 506-07. Room 146 Main Library 1954-2013 begins at the end of Morgue Files (26/4/1) and ends to the right of Internal Dept. Files. Room 146 Main Library Boxes 1-28 Room 146 Main Library Boxes 29-64 Room 146 Main Library Boxes 65-100 Online: See links above or contact us for help. e-records Faculty and Staff Press Release File including vitas, clippings, photographs, workpapers, and press releases on activities of university faculty and staff. Organized into two groups: first, 1951-2002 and 2011-2012; and second, 1954-2013, located in filing cabinets. Faculty and Staff Press Releases File (Digital Surrogates)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line464
__label__wiki	0.900239	0.900239	Beer, Beer myths, Brewery history, History of beer Did Michael Collins drink a pint of Clonakilty Wrestler the day he died? 22nd August 2018 Martyn Cornell 4 Comments Today is the 96th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins, the Irish revolutionary who played a major part in the Irish War of Independence, which saw the establishment of what was known as the Irish Free State, and who was then killed in an ambush during the civil war between those that accepted the treaty which divided Ireland into an independent south and a north that was still part of the United Kingdom, and those who would not accept that settlement. He is still an important figure in Ireland, where whichever of the major Irish political parties you support still, basically, depends on whether your great-grandfather supported Liam Neeson or Severus Snape – sorry, Michael Collins, whose pro-treaty wing of Sinn Féin developed into Fine Gael, currently the governing party in the republic, or Éamon de Valera, whose anti-treaty wing eventually spawned Fianna Fáil, currently the largest opposition party in the Dáil, the Irish parliament. Deasy’s brewery in Clonakilty circa 2010 None of the very many accounts of the events that led up to Michael Collins’s death on August 22 agree on all the details, with multiple and contradictory variations in the narrative: from why, as Commander-in-Chief of the Irish National Army, he had travelled to County Cork, heartland of the anti-Treaty rebellion, with only a small number of soldiers, and what he was hoping to achieve, to the details of his last day, from the route taken by Collins and his convoy west out of Cork to the towns of Clonakilty and Skibbereen to how many vehicles – and soldiers – travelled with him, to who fired the fatal shot (or shots) – at least seven possible candidates among the ambushers – and even to the name of the place where the ambush took place: Béalnabláth, pronounced “Bale-nu-blaw”, and probably best translated from Irish as “mouth of the ravine”, is frequently, and mistakenly, given as Béal na mBláth, which would mean “mouth of the flowers”. Much of what has been written about the day is demonstrably wrong, and much is now unprovable. Of greater interest to the beer historian, however, is another contentious question: on the day he died, did Michael Collins drink a pint of Clonakilty Wrestler, the now legendary porter brewed by Deasy’s of Clonakilty, easily the best known of several small West Cork porter brewers. The brewery was founded some time around the start of the 19th century, and was certainly running by 1810, when it was recorded that at “Cloghnikilty” [sic] “A porter brewery, the plan of which is remarkable and convenient arrangement, and upon a scale of considerable magnitude, was built by Rickard Deasy, Esq, and Co. The business, carried on with spirit, and conducted with care and prudence, fully answers the expectations of the proprietors.” Deasy’s Prize Stout ad, Southern Star newspaper, Skibbereen, Cork, 1936 Deasy’s porter was nicknamed “The Wrestler” (or “Wrassler”, in a West Cork accent) at least as early as 1890, when the Irish journalist John Augustus O’Shea eulogised it, declaring: ‘In every district there is some show pot, some natural curiosity, some distinguished or erratic character in the community pointed out to the stranger. The great local wrestler is the big pot of Clonakilty. The fame of Milo of Crotona pales beside his, for he has no fear of the clutch of wood. A full-bodied, swarthy fellow, with a white head, he is stronger than most human beings, and seems to get stronger the oftener he is tackled. He is usually cool, fluent, and even tempered, but can be roused to a ferment at times, and when he is doesn’t he just froth? His main struggles are with that proverbially robust class brewers’ draymen, but he has taken many a fall out of the finest peasants, and hardiest seamen of Ross and Cloyne, and it is mysteriously bruited that he once laid by the heels a whole station of the RIC. He is a descendant of John Barley Corn, and is addicted to hops. Far be it from me to act as an intermediary in a prize fight, but not to spoil sport I may say he has a standing challenge with one Guinness of Dublin. Like most men of his call he has his price. His price is two pence a pint.” O’Shea appears to have been wrong about the price: Deasy’s porter was popular at last in part because of its cheapness compared to rivals. A commentator in 1892 said that “the western man”, “though on pleasure bent, was of a frugal mind, and preferred to pay three half-pence rather than two pence for a pint of porter.” Deasy’s harvest porter and stout ad, 1938, less than two years before the company stopped brewing beer (it continued making soft drinks for another 70 years). The typeface top and centre is Cooper Blasck, which was being used by the Brewers’ Society in Britain for its series of ‘Beer is Best’ ads. Michael Collins was born in 1890 at Woodfield, the family farm, some four miles west of Clonakilty. Between 1903 and 1905 he lived with his sister Margaret and her husband, Patrick O’Driscoll in a house in Shannon Square, just a few yards from Deasy’s brewery, (today Emmet Square). The claim has been made by several writers that Collins’s favourite drink was “Clonakilty Wrestler”, and one Irish craft brewery produces today a stout called “Wrasslers XXXX” with a picture of Collins in his general’s uniform on the pumpclip (based on the iconic photograph taken at the funeral of Arthur Griffith, founder of Sinn Féin, six days before Collins himself was killed). One source says that Collins actually “loathed the sight of porter”. However, he certainly did drink Deasy’s most famous beer on occasions. When he came home to Cork from Frongoch prison camp in North Wales in December 1916, after the British government released the surviving prisoners taken at the end of the Easter Rising, “the Big Fellow” spent three weeks, in his own words, “drinking Clonakilty wrastler [sic] on a Frongoch stomach,” before returning to Dublin. But Collins’s preferred drink actually appears to have been whiskey: “‘a ball of malt’ was his usual,” according to one biographer, and another named Jameson’s as his favourite. Collins apparently went to West Cork in August 1922 in the hope of meeting republican leaders and persuading them to end the civil war, as well as to inspect the pro-treaty forces on the ground and boost the morale of the commanders and soldiers now fighting men who, in many cases, had been their friends and colleagues against the British only months earlier. After his arrival in Cork, he left on August 22 to travel west in a convoy that included Collins himself, being driven in a Leyland 8 four-seater tourer, a Crossley troop carrier and a Rolls-Royce armoured car. The route taken was a circuitous one, to avoid bridges blown up by annti-treaty forces. On its way out from Cork to Clonakilty, Collins’s convoy had passed Long’s pub in Béalnabláth village alerting a group of anti-treaty ‘Irregulars’ holding a conference nearby to his presence in the area, and they decided to lay an ambush on the assumption that the convoy was likely to return the same way later on. It is certain, since Emmet Dalton, who was with Collins on his final journey, recorded it in the account of that day he wrote just three months later, “The death of Micheal O’Coileain”, that Collins’s party lunched in Clonakilty, and shortly after leaving, that is, between two and three in the afternoon, they arrived at the hamlet of Sam’s Cross, about two thirds of a mile from where Collins was born, (though even here one writer insists, against all the evidence, that the convoy arrived at Sam’s Cross early in the evening, departing at 6.15pm. There Collins met and spoke with his brother John/Séan and other family members, including his cousin Michael O’Brien, who had a house at Sam’s Cross. According to O’Brien’s son Jimmy, Collins and some officers in the convoy had a cup of tea while sitting in the O’Brien’s kitchen, waiting for John Collins to arrive, after which the two brothers went into the parlour and talked by themselves for 20 minutes. Michael Collins then got into his car, and the little convey left, after a warning from John Collins: ‘You’d better put up that hood –you could be shot before night!” The Four Alls, Sam’s Cross, near Clonakilty, Cork Dalton’s report from November 1922 does not mention any beer drinking (though he is alleged to have told an RTE film crew recording a programme about his life, decades later, that “We were all arseholes!”, that is, drunk) and neither did Jimmy O’Brien. But at least five other accounts say that during the stop at Sam’s Cross, Collins and his escort, which included 12 soldiers in the Crossley tender, a motorcycle outrider, and the armoured car with a crew of four – 20 men in total – went into the pub across from the O’Briens’ house, now, if not then, called the Four Alls. (The pub was run by a man called Jeremiah Collins, whom several authors mistakenly identify as “a cousin” or “a kinsman”. Someone who was a kinsman, Brother Jerome Collins of the Hospitaller Order of St John of God, whose father shared a grandfather with the Big Fellow, emphatically denied that the pub landlord was a relative – “He just wished he was.”) In the pub, several authors assert, Michael Collins treated his escort to “a pint”, or “two pints” of the Clonakilty Wrestler, and, according to at least two writers, he had a pint of the Wrestler himself. Deasy’s Stout and Porter, advertised in the Southern Star, Skibbereen in 1925, with an emphasis on the firm’s localism Another investigator, John Feehan, reported that rather than pints at Sam’s Cross, “the convoy had drinks in White’s pub,” White’s being at the Pike Cross, a mile away to the south at Lisavaird, on the main road between Clonakilty and Rosscarbery. Drinks would have probably been welcome for men driving around dusty Irish roads in August in open-top vehicles. But this was an armed venture into potentially hostile territory. Certainly the idea of serving 20 men, plus, supposedly, relatives of Michael Collins also gathered at the Sam’s Cross pub, with two pints each in the sort of time allowable in the convoy’s journey around West Cork seems unlikely. It was in Skibbereen by “mid-afternoon”, having gone by Rosscarbery, where Collins had talked to the commander of the garrison there and visited the mother of an old friend who had just died. In Skibbereen there was time for more talk with the officers of the local garrison “for a considerable length of time”, a meeting in the Eldon Hotel with the editor of the local Eagle newspaper and a local schoolmaster, a quick talk with Cameron Somerville, brother of Edith, co-author of the Irish RM novels, who was a member of the local Protestant aristocracy, and a speech to the people of the town, including 150 horsemen who had ridden in to see him. By then it was “around 5pm”, and the decision was made not to continue to Bantry, as originally planned, but to return to Cork. All that activity suggests Collins arrived in Skibbereen no later than 4pm. The total distance from Sam’s Cross to Skibbereen is 16 miles: say a journey of 40 minutes under early 1920s conditions, plus 40 minutes spent in Rosscarbery, as a minimum. Collins spent at least 30 minutes in Sam’s Cross taking tea with his mother’s nephew, and waiting for and then talking to his brother. If he arrived in Sam’s Cross as early as 2pm – and it may well have been later – that only leaves a few minutes unaccounted for. It is possible the rest of the convoy had time for a pint of porter in Sam’s Cross while the family reunion in the O’Briens’ house was happening: Michael Collins, not so much. Deasy’s Stout ad, Southern Star, Skibbereen, Cork, 1937 Another brewery also played a bit-part in Collins’s last day. Back at Béalnabláth village it was a Tuesday, the day a one-horse brewery dray came over from Beamish & Crawford’s depot seven miles away in Bandon, formerly (until 1913) Allman Dowden & Co’s Bandon brewery, founded 1785, to take away the empties from Long’s. The Irregulars commandeered the dray to use as a barrier, and took it a little up the road out of the village to a likely spot for an ambush, removing the wheels and standing them in front against the dray. Around 7 or 8pm in the evening, the convoy did indeed come back down the road. In the gunfight that followed, Michael Collins, just 31 years old, was the only person killed. ClonakiltyDeasy’sFour AllsMichael ColliinsporterSam’s CrossstoutThe WrasslerThe Wrestler Previous PostHow Michael Jackson drank a beer that inspired a Yorkshire delicacy and never realised itNext PostThe Tipperary, Fleet Street: It’s a Long, Long Way from Accurate History 4 thoughts on “Did Michael Collins drink a pint of Clonakilty Wrestler the day he died?” The Beer Nut says: 22nd August 2018 at 9:28 am It would be great to have footnotes for all this. I know of one biography which states it was a Deasy’s dray in the ambush barricade, but then I can see why a writer would just assume that. Martyn Cornell says: 24th August 2018 at 8:42 am This is an extract from the great porter book, currently still a work in progress, but which is referenced to hell: I thought of putting in all the references here, but then decided ‘Feck yez, if you want the references you’re going to have to buy the book and pay for them.’ However, I can tell you that most of the details come from Patrick Twohig’s The Dark Secret of Béalnabláth, which is easily the best book on the death of Michael Collins, since it takes all the other books on the subject and rigorously critiques them, finding most in some way faulty, and Twohig seems to have spoken to most or all of the surviving witnesses tothe day’s events. It is Twohig who identifies where the dray used in the ambush came from. He’s not perfect, though: he makes The Wrestler an official name for the beer and claims that Deasy’s used an image of a wrestler in its advertising, which appears to be a confusion with either Murphy’s use of the image of the strongman Eugen Sandow or Beamish & Crawford’s use in adverts of the West Cork wrestler Danno O’Mahony, or both. Reuben Gray (www.taleofale.com) says: If only history class in school was as interesting. Pingback: Escorte Piker I Roros Four IPA myths that need to be stamped out for #IPAday	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line468
__label__wiki	0.753991	0.753991	Microsoft and NSF Announce Client + Cloud Computing Project to Accelerate Scientific Discovery and Foster Collaborative Research Today, February 4, Microsoft and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a collaborative project where Microsoft will offer individual researchers and research groups (selected through NSF's merit review process) free access to advanced client-plus-cloud computing including Windows Azure. By extending the capabilities of powerful, easy-to-use PC applications via Microsoft cloud services, this project aims to shift the focus from infrastructure to empowerment to broaden researcher capabilities, foster collaborative research communities, and accelerate scientific discovery. You can read the press release here: Today, scientists are operating in a world dominated by data, thanks to increasingly inexpensive sensors and a growing trend toward collaborative data projects, yet analyzing and synthesizing this mass of data has remained a challenge. Massive, highly efficient cloud infrastructures, such as those possible with Windows Azure Platform, can transform how research is conducted and accelerate scientific exploration and discovery by making simple yet powerful tools available that any researcher can use to extract insights by mining and combining diverse data sets. Under the terms of the project, Microsoft will provide NSF grant recipients with access to Windows Azure for a three-year period, along with a support team to help researchers quickly integrate cloud technology into their research. Microsoft researchers and developers will work with grant recipients to equip them with a set of common tools, applications and data collections that can be shared with the broad academic community, and also provide its expertise in research, science, and cloud computing. To learn more about this project, read the related feature story, "Democratizing Research: How "Client Plus Cloud" Computing Can Amplify What's Possible for Scientists." Grants will be awarded through a program managed by the NSF. More details about funding opportunities are available at https://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=CISE.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line471
__label__wiki	0.938507	0.938507	Tony Bennett with Frank De Vol And His Orchestra - It's Magic Musik/Text: Sammy Cahn Coverversion von: Doris Day - It's Magic 3:17 Alone Together Columbia CS 8262 Album Frank De Vol Discographie / Fan werden A Tisket A Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald with Frank De Vol And His Orchestra) A Tisket A Tasket (Ella Fitzgerald with Frank DeVol And His Ochestra) All Yours (Tua) (Jo Stafford With Frank De Vol And His Orchestra) Anyway The Wind Blows (Doris Day With Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Blues In The Night (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Cuttin' Capers (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Fit As A Fiddle (And Ready For Love) (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Get Out And Get Under The Moon (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) He's So Married (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) How Long Has This Been Going On? (Ella Fitzgerald with Frank De Vol And His Orchestra) I Feel Like A Feather In The Breeze (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) I Had The Craziest Dream (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) I'll Remember April (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) I'm Sitting On Top Of The World (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) In The Still Of The Night (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) It's Easy To Remember (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Just What I Wanted For Christmas (Bing Crosby with Frank DeVol & His Orchestra) Let's Fly Away (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Let's Take A Walk Around The Black (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Me Too (Ho-Ho! Ha-Ha!) (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) My Three Sons (Frank De Vol) Nice Work If You Can Get It (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) No (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Oh! What A Lover You'll Be (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Oh, But I Do (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Our Love Is Here To Stay (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Pine Top's Boogie (Jo Stafford With Frank De Vol And His Orchestra) Soft As The Starlight (Doris Day With Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Soon (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Steppin' Out With My Baby (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) The Lady's In Love With You (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) The Secret Of Christmas (Bing Crosby with Frank DeVol & His Orchestra) The Way You Look Tonight (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) Why Don't We Do This More Often (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) You'll Never Know (Doris Day with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) You're Starting To Get To Me (Jo Stafford With Frank De Vol And His Orchestra) The Frank De Vol Collection 1945-60 (Frank De Vol)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line481
__label__wiki	0.673607	0.673607	Homepage > Who We Are Meet the BCW Sport team Lars Haue-Pedersen, Managing Director Lars leads the BCW Sports practice. With over twenty years of experience in the international sports world, Lars has distinguished himself as a master strategist and specialist in sports management and international sports events bids. He has a proven track record of success with bidding teams, including Los Angeles’ bid for 2028 Olympic Games, Doha’s bid for the IAAF World Championships in 2019, and Poland and Ukraine’s UEFA EURO 2012 bid. Furthermore, he advises key sport leaders in achieving their goals, and those of their sport. Lars is a graduate of Odense University (DK) and has an Executive Education at Harvard Business School. He is also a lecturer on sports events/bidding strategies at several universities across Europe. Greg Curchod, Director Greg is a director at the BCW Sports practice, he is a specialist in international sporting events. He has proven himself by leading several bid committees to success. Among them, Lausanne for the IOC Winter Youth Olympic Games, Doha for the IAAF World Championships in 2019 and Poland and Ukraine for UEFA EURO 2012. Greg holds a degree in International Hospitality (Lausanne, SUI) and executive training at Harvard Business School. He is also a lecturer on the organisation of sporting events in various academic institutions. He is fluent in French and English. Tanya Heimlich-Ng Yuen, Director Tanya is a Director of the BCW Sports practice. In this role, she works with a broad range of international clients in developing and implementing international sports communications & PR campaigns and event bidding strategies. Tanya has led several bidding teams and individuals to success, including the LA 2028 Summer Olympic Games, China 2019 FIBA Basketball World Championships, the Pan-American Games in Lima 2019 and Denmark and Germany’s bid for the IHF World Men’s Handball Championship 2019. Tanya has a Master in International Sports Management and a Diploma in Advocacy and International Relations from the Graduate Institute of Geneva. Dale Neuburger, Director (North America) As Director of BCW sports practice - North America - based in Indianapolis, Dale brings thirty years of professional experience in soliciting and managing major sporting events as well as experience as an administrator of highly successful sport-related organizations. As a consultant since 2005, his clients have included important cities like Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, as well as significant organizations like the United States Olympic Committee (including 22 of its NGBs) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Mr. Neuburger has broad experience in international sports, currently serving as Vice President of FINA (International Federation for swimming), and formerly serving as Assistant Chef de Mission for the US Olympic delegation in Athens. He was President of Indiana Sports Corporation for 12 years, helping Indianapolis to host more than 200 events that created $2 billion in incremental economic development. Mr. Neuburger also led the successful $50 million fundraising effort to relocate the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to Indianapolis. Héloise Signe, Senior Consultant As a senior consultant, Heloise works closely with several cities from around the world on event strategy development and evaluation; including the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the city of Lausanne (Switzerland) and the city of Gothenburg (Sweden). She has also been involved in successful bid campaigns for major international events; including Lausanne 2020. Finally, Heloise advises sports organisations in the development of successful strategy for the growth of their sport; including the International Swimming Federation (FINA), World Archery (WA), the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV). She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montréal, Canada and a Master of Science in Economics from the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Michelle Perry, Senior Consultant (North America) Since joining in 2012, Michelle has provided expertise and guidance to sport-related organizations focusing on strategic and business performance planning; event bidding and hosting strategies; and, sports facility analysis for concurrent competitive and recreational use. Michelle brings over 25 years of major event management experience and has a broad background in organizational bidding processes, facility management, and strategic and business development. Michelle comes to BCW Sport practice from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) where she spent 12 years overseeing the NCAA Women’s Final Four – the highest profile and most important women’s collegiate sporting event in the United States. Her responsibilities included the oversight of tournament operations, financial management and external business development, facility operations, security protocols, game management operations, and participating team coordination. Cameron Angus, Consultant Cameron is a Project Manager at the BCW Sports practice. He advises many international sports organisations on the design and development of their strategies. He also works actively with host cities and countries bidding for events and establishing themselves within the international sports world. In his role, he has worked closely alongside a number of sports organisations and cities, such as International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Ski Federation (FIS) and the City of Lausanne. Cameron is a graduate of University of Durham, where he studied Politics, and has an International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport (FIFA Master). Steve Roush, Director - Sport Performance (North America) Steve joined the BCW Sport practice in 2009 after serving as the Chief of Sport Performance for the United States Olympic Committee including the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where Team USA enjoyed a record medal haul for the organization. As the head of the BCW Sports practice’s Sports Performance activities, Steve provides coordination and assistance to sports organizations and governmental agencies in improving elite athlete performance by providing strategic advice, as well as tailored consulting and training programs in areas such as: Athlete Development Pipeline, High Performance Planning, Olympic Games preparation consultation, Sport Organization Development and Evaluation of sports performance systems. Steve is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin, from which he received a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1985 and his MBA in Finance, Investment and Banking in 1989. Maria Riah, Project Manager Maria has a strong cross-cultural communication skills thanks to her international background, she speaks five different languages: French, Russian, English, Spanish and Arabic. As Project Manager at the BCW Sports practice, she supports various project and closely works with the City of Lausanne in giving strategic advice related to the development and implementation of strategy for the Olympic Capital, including development of communication material and platforms. Maria holds a Master’s degree in Management and Corporate Strategy, she graduated from the Faculty of Business and Economics of Lausanne. Johanna Massuyeau, Project Manager As project manager at the BCW sport practice, Johanna collaborates on various projects related to strategic communications, event host support and events activation. She works closely with the Organising Committees of the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympic Games and the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships, as well as the International Association of Athletics Federations. Johanna holds a BSc in Economics, Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick and an MSc in Management and Strategy from the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Lausanne. Meryl Blank, Project Manager Meryl is a Project Manager at the BCW Sports Practice team in Lausanne. She works cross-functionally on a variety of strategy and communications projects for international sports federations, sport events and host cities. With an international academic background rooting in business and culture, Meryl is a strong cross-functional communicator with a profound commercial and analytical understanding. Besides her interest in the world of sports, she has a passion for languages – she speaks German (mother tongue), English, Danish, Italian and French. Meryl holds an international BSc. in Business, Language and Culture from Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Denmark. During her Double Master Degree program (MSc. Economics and Business Administration) at CBS and Università Bocconi, Meryl specialized in the field of strategic marketing and innovation management. Sandra Sun, Consultant - International Projects and Initiatives Sandra Sun joined the BCW Sport Practice in 2016, after serving 10 years as international programs manager at the General Sport Administration of China, Chinese Olympic Committee, and China Swimming Association. Sandra Sun is bilingual in Mandarin Chinese and English, and her clients various Chinese sport governmental bodies, Olympic teams, and commercial entities in organizational strategies and business connections. Sandra Sun holds a Master of Science degree in Sports Management and Policy from the University of Georgia. Bob Gambardella, Senior Consultant (North America) Bob Gambardella joined the BCW Sports practice in 2017 after serving as the Chief, Singapore Sport Institute (2009-2016) where he led a team of 124 sport administrators/sport scientists and managed an operating budget of $S73m. His areas of leadership included High Performance Sports, Athlete Services, Sport Science, Sports Medicine, Sport Analytics, Coaching Academy, Strategy Planning, NSA Partnerships & Grant Administration/Finance. Gambardella earned two Masters’ Degrees in Sport Management: International Olympic Committee (IOC) MEMOS Program- Executive Masters in Sports Organization Management, 2004 and University of Northern Colorado, Master of Arts in Physical Education/Sport Management, 1997. Michelle (Dusserre) Farrell, M.B.S., R.D., Consultant– Sport Performance (North America) Michelle joined the team in 2009 following an extensive career in the sports industry. Farrell brings over 30 years of involvement in sport starting as a 1984 Olympic Silver Medalist in the sport of gymnastics. Michelle was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2006. Beyond her career as an athlete, Michelle has served in assistant coaching roles at Arizona State University, SCATS Gymnastics in Diamond Bar, Colorado Aerials Gymnastics in Colorado Springs and the U.S. Air Force Academy. Michelle also served on the board of directors as an athlete representative for USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Michelle has expertise in the field of sport programs, working with the USOC Sport Partnership division from 2000-2006, Michelle was manager of a large portfolio of NGB’s in the U.S. advising on athlete development, coach development, sport development and organisational development. Michelle has also worked in the sports television field, working three Olympic Games for NBC Sports (1992, 1996, 2000) in the research division. Michelle earned the following degrees: Bachelor of Science, Human Nutrition, Arizona State University, Master of Basic Science, Exercise Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and is a Registered Dietitian, American Dietetic Association.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line483
__label__wiki	0.634062	0.634062	If you’ve got nothing nice to say… Say it anyway? The Australian Federal Government’s decision to pull the plug on their proposed amendments to racial discrimination laws has been slammed by liberal-leaning Australians. Earlier this year, the Government publicised plans to fulfil their election promise of abolishing 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and this announcement was met with severe backlash from minority groups around the country. Throw in Brandis’ famous utterance proclaiming that we all should have ‘the right to be a bigot,’ Australia’s media fast became a backdrop for hot debate about free speech and the rights of minority groups. Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to “offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people” because of their race or ethnicity. Minorities argued that repealing 18C would strip them of protection against hate speech and other negative action. Australian Jewry was among the minorities to speak out against the reforms, due to reports showcasing a 21% increase of racist violence against Jewish individuals and facilities. Since the Government backed down from the laws, the backlash of minority groups has subsided. However, the debate has persisted with added focus on the fractured and undefined nature of free speech in Australia. 18C’s purpose has also come under question. Graeme Orr, Professor of Law at The University of Queensland believes that the debate surrounding the 18C reforms has been blown out of proportion, and suggests that it may represent Australia’s ongoing struggle with xenophobia. “The 18C debate is largely symbolic. A lot of it is motivated by deeper or wider concerns about multiculturalism.” In his article for Inside Story, Professor Orr claims that selective outrage is a key issue with the 18C debate. He compared publicity generated by the Bolt Case and the Monis Case, where Muslim Australians wrote ‘offensive’ letters to families of Australian soldiers. “Neither Millian liberals, or the tabloids, invoked the principles of free speech to defend a Muslim Australian.” Professor Orr purports racism is behind the uproar for 18C. Professor James Allan of The University of Queensland denies that 18C does anything to stop racism, or that 18C and the idea of the law trying to stop people offending others is unacceptable in a liberal democracy. In his comments to The Australian, Professor Allan said “the idea that this little law is going to do anything is garbage, to be totally honest.” “They want to say we are a seething cesspool of racism and yet this little civil liability provision that gets the odd Bolt case once in a while is going to fix it – it’s palpable nonsense,” Professor Allan said. Professor Orr urges the debate to be redirected to harder-hitting free speech laws. “If liberals are serious about free speech, they’d be doing more jumping up and down about defamation laws which can cost hundreds and thousands of dollars as well as criminal laws against offensive speech generally.” Though the law may not punish every “offensive” example of communication, Professor Orr believes the law does have some responsibility in fostering positive speech. “There is certainly room for the laws to encourage respectful and informed speech… There can be complaints against the press or shock-jock, and there might be conciliation processes and apologies,” he said. Free speech isn’t a helpful buzzword, rather promoting “interests in respectful, informed debate,” is Professor Orr’s outlook. He believes “the law shouldn’t be imposing costs or criminal sanctions on speech generally speaking.” Professor Allan presents a stronger view for free speech laws – simply that the Government should not curtail hate speech. “Apparently the Government now implicitly agrees that you can’t trust your average Australian to see through the rantings of Neo-Nazi Holocaust deniers,” he said. Both Professors denounce 18C’s relevance to the free speech debate, yet the popularisation of this issue has led to a thoughtful analysis of free speech in Australia, and its relevance to the protection of racial minorities. Breaking Borders: From Pacific Islands to PhD Rules of War	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line485
__label__cc	0.637097	0.362903	Walter Mosley – John Woman Walter Mosley is one of the most versatile and admired writers in America today. He is the author of more than 43 critically acclaimed books, including the major bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins. His work has been translated into 23 languages and includes literary fiction, science fiction, political monographs, and a young adult novel. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and The Nation, among other publications. He is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, a Grammy and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City. Source: Dale Dowdie Arts Facts Diahann Carroll, actress, born Left of Black with Shola Lynch Vicky A. Bailey Dobbs, Mattiwilda (1925- ) Waldron, Frank (1890-1955) Princess Cruises Presents New Web Video Series to Guide First-Time Cruisers Documentary Films on Blackpast.org - Global African LGBTQ History - Director The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower (Official Audio) Education Facts Former Owners of Channel 7 FIRST REPUBLIC SET UP BY FREED SLAVES A beginner’s guide to the NPHC ‘Divine Nine’ Holland, Jerome Heartwell (1916-1985) Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity Thomas, Constance Allen Pitter (1917-2006) Young, Cecil (c. 1920-c. 1975) Debbie Allen, dancer/producer born Scarborough, Danny (1947-1989) - Death	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line500
__label__wiki	0.558289	0.558289	best. halloween. costume. ever. Hands down, the award for Halloween costume of the year goes to MetroDad's daughter who is roaming the neighborhood as Underage Chinese Gymnast. I've been laughing my ass off looking at the photo all week. Absolutely freaking brilliant. Peanut, you get the gold medal. hate crime victim forced to say "I love america" We get news of a vicious hate crime in Colorado... Police in Boulder are investigating a case of bias-motivated assault and felony menacing involving a suspect who held a knife to the throat of an Asian American man and forced him to say "I love America" early Friday morning: Asian-American Assaulted, Forced to Say 'I Love America' The 22-year-old victim was apparently walking down the street with friends, singing a song from the movie Team America(?), when they were confronted by four men. One of the suspects came up to the victim and began challenging him, asking "Do you think you are an American?" and calling the victim a "Chinaman." According to the police press release, the main suspect punched the victim in the face. Then while holding a knife to the victim's throat, he punched him again and forced him to say "I love America." Then the suspect and his friends ran away. More here: Asian-American Assaulted, Forced to Say 'I Love America' What the hell? This Asian guy can't just walk the street like everyone else without getting harassed, assaulted and humiliated in a completely unprovoked hate attack. Make no mistake—this guy was singled out and attacked for just being himself. An Asian man. That's racist! The suspect was described as a 5-10 white male, about 19 or 20, with short blond hair. He was wearing a white tank-top T-shirt and black pants. Another assailant was described as a white male with a "very long goatee," wearing a long-sleeved gray sweatshirt. Anonymous tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. ninjas for the asian american vote This is freaking awesome. This week at the University of Georgia, ninjas snuck their way into a campus area with a swift and stealthy mission to pass out voting flyers to students—ninja style: Ninjas urge to vote, cover key issues. The "covert" operation was carried out by members of various Asian-oriented organizations on campus to promote an upcoming seminar, "Don't Vote - You Don't Matter." Because Asian American voters are often perceived as unseen and unheard... just like ninjas! Get it? Clever. And it's a funny way to illustrate an important point. My fellow Asian Americans, I love ninjas. Ninjas are awesome. But let us not be ninjas on Election Day. Let us be seen and heard. And counted. That's power. seriously, could obama be the first asian american president? Earlier this year, SFGate "Asian Pop" columnist Jeff Yang made the compelling case that, in many ways, Barack Obama could be the the first Asian American president. Yeah, I know, not really. Not literally. But in spirit, culture and experience... yeah, kind of. I can believe it. This week, Jeff appeared on NPR's Tell Me More as part of the show's ongoing "What If" series to talk about his column and this interesting possibility: Asian Writer Ponders First Asian President Too. It's a really good, lengthy interview that actually covers a lot of ground, so check it out. Props, Jeff. yes we can, bruce In my book, this is perhaps the greatest endorsement a presidential candidate could ask for. If only. Check it out: Lee votes Obama. I'm ordering my t-shirt right now. (Thanks, Simon.) watch ryuhei kitamura's midnight meat train online You might have missed Ryuhei Kitamura's Midnight Meat Train when it was in theaters a few months back. It's horror flick from a story by Clive Barker, starring Vinnie Jones, about a dude who kills people on the train. At midnight. Lionsgate kind of gave it a crappy limited release, so barely anyone really saw it. Also, it has a really awful title. To be honest, I don't know if it's any good. But guess what? You can watch it online now over FEARnet. For free! Something scary for your Halloween. insurance fraud ring targeted asian drivers In New York, authorities have busted a massive insurance fraud ring that staged dozens of car crashes targeting Asian American drivers in Queens: NYPD slams brakes on insurance fraud ring targeting Asians. The 19 month-long, multi-agency investigation, dubbed "Operation Direct Hit," charged 61 people and two businesses with orchestrating fender benders in Flushing to swindle insurance companies out of more than $1.6 million dollars since 2005. The scammers apparently targeted Asian drivers because they thought they were "bad drivers who would be blamed for the accidents." I'm not kidding. That's racist! And because of that, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown charged at least one defendant with a hate crime. Damn right. According to authorities, ringleaders paid their henchmen to wait for unsuspecting drivers to back out of parking lots or driveways along Northern Blvd. from Parsons Blvd. to 105th St. and then crash into them with a car full of passengers. The bogus "victims" would then rack up huge fake medical bills at the Bronx Park Medical clinic in Manhattan, where the ringleaders operated the scheme. The plot unraveled when claims investigators at Nationwide found three suspiciously similar "accidents" in Queens and reported them to the NYPD. I swear, there was a Law and Order episode with this exact same plot. The defendants—seven of whom are still on the lam—face up to 25 years, if convicted of enterprise corruption, insurance fraud, grand larceny and fraud charges. danny boyle's slumdog millionaire A movie I've really been looking forward to seeing this fall is Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. I'm a huge fan of Boyle's work, and the premise is really intriguing. The film tells the story of an illiterate street kid from Mumbai who makes it onto India's version of Who Whats to Be a Millionaire? in order to reconnect with his lost love, who he knows watches the show religiously. The movie's been getting some great, rave reviews and has been a big hit at a number of film festivals, including Telluride and Toronto (it was awarded the People's Choice Award at TIFF). Watch the trailer here. You can also view a clip from the film here. It looks fantastic, and I can't wait to see it. The movie opens in theaters on November 12. korean students, american education This is an interesting story about the trend of increasingly large numbers of South Korean youths being sent to English-speaking countries to study: More Korean families make sacrifice to send kids to study in the U.S. Academic competition in Korea is crazy fierce, and many parents feel their kids can get an edge in places like the United States, where they can become fluent in English—an extremely valuable factor for success in today's globalized economy. I have witnessed this phenomenon myself. I come from an extremely large extended family, with many relatives coming from Korea over the years to study here and learn English. I have many memories of cousins struggling over their new American homework. I'm talking about you, Jejong and Hyunhee! student jumps to her death to escape rapist This is a really awful, horrifying story out of Australia... A Chinese student died and her boyfriend suffered serious injuries when they fell naked from their third-floor balcony in a desperate attempt to escape a knife-wielding rapist: Young Liao Wei killed for $200 after hour-long rape ordeal. After following a female visitor into the building, the man forced four terrified apartment occupants to strip at knifepoint in their living room before holding them for an hour, repeatedly sexually assaulting two of them as the others were forced to watch. He then stole their money. Then 18-year-old Liao "Elva" Wei and her boyfriend Tae Wook "Chris" Han made their decision to flee their captor by jumping off the balcony, falling 25m on to concrete. Liao died. Han landed feet first, shattering his legs, pelvis and suffering spinal injuries. What a nightmare. Sickening, humiliating and tragic. All that, and the attacker apparently made off with less than $200. Police have described the attacker as 175cm tall, of solid build, with dark complexion. He was casually dressed, had short dark hair and aged in his 30s. This man needs to be caught and punished. UPDATE: A 26-year-old man, Brendan Denison, has been remanded in custody and charged with a total of 21 offenses, including murder, in connection with the horrific death of Liao Wei: Brendan Dennison in custody over Sydney apartment balcony death. angry asians for obama shirt This is really last minute, but every little bit helps... I've partnered up with Blacklava again to produce a new t-shirt in support of Barack Obama. I threw the design together pretty quickly, but it's available for order now. Check it out: angry asians for obama. Are you Angry? Are you Asian? Are you for Obama? Then this shirt is for you! Wear it with pride. There's also women's size shirt (note: the photo is temporary and doesn't exactly reflect what the shirt looks like, but you get the general idea). Rush order yours now to wear on Election Day. rock the vote! event at uc berkeley, november 3 If you're at UC Berkeley next week, be sure to check out the Asian Political Association's Rock the Vote!, a concert to encourage political activity amongst young Asian Americans. The event will feature performances from Julie Chow, Valerie Mih, Song of the Siren, Bento and Mud, as well as words from student leader, professors and political leaders. It's a rally, my friends. It's all going down on the eve before Election Day, on Monday, November 3, 7:00pm at Heller Lounge, UC Berkeley's Multicultural Center. They'll be giving out free stuff. Like t-shirts. And everybody loves a free t-shirt. Come on out and show everybody that young Asian Americans can and will indeed rock the vote this Tuesday. For more information about the event, go here. the wisdom of guy kawasaki The New York Times recently ran an interview, conducted over email, with prolific entrepreneurial guru Guy Kawasaki, the bestselling author of seven books, a founding partner at Garage Technology Ventures, the co-founder of Alltop.com, and a popular public speaker and blogger: The Care and Feeding of Entrepreneurs. Kawasaki's latest book, Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition , is a compilation of his advice, interviews and musings on all aspects of entrepreneurship. He's a really interesting guy with some pretty sound advice. I follow his blog from time to time. I'll always remember this post from a few years back outlining twelve tips on being an Effective Emailer. I receive a lot of email, and there are a lot of people out there who could benefit from reading that post. I'm just saying. power of the swing vote Maybe you've heard, but there's an election going on. Yeah, it's on the news and stuff. I'm asking you all, as friends and readers of this website, to vote. Vote your ass off. Need more convincing? My friends at Projekt NewSpeak have created this entertaining and informative short documentary on the importance of the Asian American vote: Power of the Swing Vote. The piece features folks like Bobby Lee, Tia Carrere, Russell Peters, Jabbawockeez, Kaba Modern, Carrie Ann Inaba, Cheryl Burke, B.D. Wong, Rex Lee, Michelle Krusiec, Congressman Mike Honda, and more. We've all heard that Asian Americans are among the least likely to vote. That sucks. That sucks. But as this video illustrates, Asian Americans can make a significant impact on a political race... just look at the now-infamous "macaca" incident. We helped take that racist fool George Allen down! And baby, we can do it again. greg pak endorses barack obama I recently heard from filmmaker/comic books scribe Greg Pak, a guy who I respect immensely as an artist, a thinker, and a generally cool guy. He's posted a few words on his site explaining why he's supporting Barack Obama for President: Why I'm voting for Barack Obama. Here's an excerpt: In February 2008, Koream Magazine asked me for a statement about whom I supported for President. Here's what I submitted: "Call me old fashioned, but I want a president who believes in the rule of law and Constitution of the United States. That means defending the Bill of Rights, restoring habeas corpus, rejecting the use of presidential signing statements as an unconstitutional line item veto, and repudiating torture, warrantless wiretaps, and wars of aggression. I give bonus points for rejecting anti-immigrant rhetoric and for confronting the challenges of poverty, global warming, the health care crisis, and the coming recession." For all of the above reasons, I'm voting for Senator Barack Obama on November 4. But since I wrote those words, Senator Obama has further sealed the deal by... ... writing and delivering the most intelligent, honest, and moving speech about race in America that I've ever heard... ... running his campaign with a steady hand and inclusive vision that demonstrates a commitment to reaching out to Americans in every part of the country... ... winning all three Presidential debates by demonstrating a total command of the issues of the day and an abiding empathy for the struggles of the American people... ... presenting solutions for the financial crisis that include tax cuts for 95 percent of Americans and a common-sense health care plan that reaches out to those who desperately need help while leaving alone those whose current arrangements are already working... ... and dealing with outrageous and childish misrepresentations of his religion and political philosophy with good humor and measured firmness. In short, Barack Obama has the temperament, strength, and vision to lead this diverse nation back towards prosperity while reaffirming our core values as embodied in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. If you share our support for Obama and the future of this nation, please be sure to vote this Tuesday, November 4. And encourage all your friends and family to do the same. I've actually voted already. I sent my ballot in the mail yesterday. It felt good. the great fake shoe bust Asians Behaving Badly... knockoff Nike edition! This week in New Jersey, police busted four guys who were apparently trying to move 15,000 pairs of counterfeit Nike sneakers into a storage facility: 15,000 pairs of Nikes were counterfeit, cops say. That's a lot of fake shoes. A police patrol came across Xian Liu, Hai Zhou, Xiao Chen and Quian Geng unloading a cargo container into a storage unit. Upon investigation, they discover lots and lots and lots of fake Nike brand sneakers in large boxes shipped from China. Police also seized $13,000 from Chen. The estimated street value of the sneakers is about $1.4 million. My question is, what are they going to do with all the shoes after they no longer need them for evidence? Don't be surprised if a few pairs go missing from evidence room. After all, Christmas is just around the corner. ten questions for wayne wang Did you see Wayne Wang's The Princess of Nebraska? It online, streaming free at YouTube's Screening Room. That's right. Free! A full feature length from a legitimate veteran director. Free: A YouTube Opening for Wayne Wang's New Film. You can also probably catch its companion film A Thousand Years of Good Prayers playing in limited release... um, somewhere in America. TIME's Ling Liu has 10 Questions for Wayne Wang. The questions were all submitted by online users. It's short, but there are some really interesting tidbits of insight in there about his background, his career and his intentions as a filmmaker. You can also download and listen to Ling's more in-depth podcast interview with Wayne here. do you know this woman? Who is this woman? Does anyone out there know her or recognize her? Who is this random Asian woman supporter who popped up in tonight's prime time Barack Obama infomercial? Oh, it may have been just a split second, but I saw her. It's what I do. Watch it here, at the 25:44 mark: American Stories, American Solutions. Alas. It would have been nice if the Obama campaign, in its portrait of regular, everyday America, had chosen to include more Asian Americans somewhere in there. The commercial was just under half an hour long, and while inspirational, was almost devoid of Asian faces... except this woman. Who are you? Step forward and be recognized! call for entries: northwest asian american film festival Attention, Asian American filmmakers. The Northwest Asian American Film Festival in Seattle is now accepting entries for next year's festival, happening February 26-March 1, 2009. Mark your calendars. Short, experimental, documentary, narrative—they want it all. Details below: Northwest Asian American Film Festival is now accepting entries for films on subjects related to the Asian Pacific American experience. Along with screenings of curated and selected works from the Pacific Northwest and North America, the four-day film festival will offer a variety of social events and programs relating to Asian American media. Submission Format: DVD or URL link (to YouTube, Google Video etc.) Genres: Short; Experimental; Documentary; Narrative Screening Format: 35mm; 16mm; mini DV; DVD Deadline: December 5, 2008 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION: 1) Complete and send the entry form to NWAAFF 2009 (form is available on our web site www.nwaaff.org) By email to info@nwaaff.org By mail to 1463 E. Republican St. #106, Seattle, WA 98112 2) Send your film to NWAAFF 2009: DVD sent by mail to NWAAFF, 1463 E. Republican St. #106, Seattle, WA 98112. Please indicate the film's title and contact information on the tape/disc. As a URL where your film can be viewed online (e.g. YouTube, Google Video, etc.). Please do not include additional promotional materials. DEADLINES: Mailed entries must be postmarked and electronic entries must be sent no later than December 5, 2008. Receipt of entries will be confirmed via email. Final selections will be announced in late December/early January. ENTRY FEE: There is no entry fee for this year's festival. Questions? Email info@nwaaff.org For more information about the festival and how to submit your film, visit the NWAAFF website here. You can also check out the festival's MySpace page here and Facebook page here. The submission deadline is December 5. desktop vr displays for dummies The New York Times has an interesting story on Johnny Chung Lee, who became the web's most famous innovator when his instructional Wiimote/Desktop VR Display YouTube video became an online sensation: If No One Sees It, Is It an Invention? Posted last September, the five-minute video showed how, in a few easy steps, the Nintendo Wii remote controller could transform a normal video screen into an eye-popping virtual reality display. So far, the video has been viewed more than six million times. The video turned him into something of a geek celebrity. Video game companies have contacted him, and in September, M.I.T.'s Technology Review named him as one of its top innovators under 35. He was eventually recruited to work in the applied sciences group of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division. That's the power of YouTube, baby. He could've kept the idea to himself. Or maybe posted instructions for his invention on a Wii mod or hobby site. Instead, he posts it on YouTube and the whole world gets a share of his idea, as well as all his other do-it-yourself innovations. That's awesome. You can view the video that started it all here: Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemote. And watch the rest of Johnny Chung Lee's instructional videos here. Watch the video, and it immediately becomes clear that this guy is a badass. eat at la cochinita This is an actual fast food chain restaurant spotted by a sharp-eyed reader during a recent trip to Mexico. Come on down to Ensenada and eat at La Cochinita Japanese Food Factory, where their logo is a slant-eyed, spectacled, buck-toothed, um, red sun... or something. I think somebody has seen Breakfast at Tiffany's a few too many times. That's racist! (Thanks, Darius.) dr. samuel lin endorses barack obama Here's one fellow Asian American, Dr. Samuel Lin—a longtime Republican who served as Assistant Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush—on why he is voting in this election for Barack Obama for President: Samuel Lin, MD, PhD, MBA, MPA, MS Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General (Retired), USPHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (Retired), USDHHS As a longtime Asian American Republican, it is after careful deliberation that I have made my decision to support Senator Barack Obama for President. It was not easy to separate from my party's nominee for president. Nor is it an easy decision for me, as I have had the great honor of serving in appointed senior positions under two Republican presidents: Assistant Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. But I have concluded that it is necessary for me to openly state my support for the Presidential candidate of the opposing party. I have become very dissatisfied and distrustful of our reigning national Republican leadership these past eight years because of its continued missteps. Having retired from Federal service after twenty years, I have some idea of what makes a good leader of the Federal Executive Branch. And for a time, beginning at the age of 36, I was the most senior-ranked Asian Pacific American career official in the Executive Branch. But today, my hope for a better America cannot be predicated simply on blind party loyalty to support either a status quo or a very bad parody. Over the past eight years, very experienced senior persons in this administration have allowed us to fall into an economic morass, partly due to the home mortgage debacle and partly due to the incredulous expenditures for a mistaken war in Iraq. This war, as we finally learned, was declared for causes misled, misdirected and misguided by my Republican leadership who misread Iraq's people and politics and who now have misshackled America with an unnecessary legacy of nearly 5000 lost lives of her next greatest generation. And let's not forget the thousands of young Americans who will now live permanently disabled because of these needless battlefields. So, missteps and mistakes have lead me to conclude, "Enough, I want real change." I want a president who is truly committed to the good of this country. And that is one who shows this commitment through the selection of his best qualified successor in the event of his demise or incapacitation. I cannot believe one has the welfare of the country in mind by selecting anyone less than this highest standard. Of the two potential successor nominees, "best qualified" goes hands down to Senator Joe Biden. I want a president who seeks my vote by telling how he will equitably approach and creatively solve domestic and international problems and how America will regain her esteem in the world. On the other hand, I abhor a candidate who tries to gain my vote by constantly bashing the other candidate and perhaps even unconsciously plies subliminal denigrations of race or persona. Senator Obama is the epitome of the smart thinker and the diplomatic gentleman. I want someone who looks presidential, acts presidential, thinks presidentially, speaks presidentially and leads presidentially. The rest of THE job will follow through because of this kind of a person and the quality of the people he draws upon as his counsel. Senator Obama again wins all around here. I want a president who believes primary healthcare is a fundamental right for all persons and seeks to meet the healthcare needs of all Americans, including the 47 million uninsured persons. I want a president who believes those with pre-existing health conditions should be treated equitably in their health coverage and not penalized for their God-given challenges. I want a president who understands that employees are the lifeblood of small businesses and will ensure their health-based tax benefits, including catastrophic coverage. I want a president who is committed to public and preventive health services, to improving access and quality care and to promoting electronic medical records and electronic prescribing as means to saving lives early, to reducing healthcare costs, to reducing medical errors and to raising the quality of life and well-being for all Americans. I want a president who believes that comprehensive family planning programs reduce unwanted pregnancies and controversial sequelae. Senator Obama believes these matters are at the heart of advancing healthcare for all and has committed to transforming these ideas into realities for all Americans. Lastly, I want a president whose accomplishments and the respect of colleagues are premised upon a consistency of person and temper, a consideration of community totality, a cooperative reflex to negotiate first, a compromise in procedure but not principle and, always, a clarity of mind, vision and speech. Senator Obama has all these attributes. I say, give America a President who unequivocally emulates these qualities and this country will come together and will work together with him. I challenge you – Republican, Democrat or Independent - to quietly search your heart and see to whom you would entrust the lifeblood of this country. I have searched my heart and find it more trusting of Senator Barack Obama. God Bless America. Samuel Lin Wise words from an individual who was once, at a time, the most senior-ranked Asian Pacific American career official in the Executive Branch of the United States. Now here he is, coming over to the other side, as is well-known conservative Francis Fukuyama. Join us. This Tuesday, November 4, vote for change that's not just a slogan. how to spend $150,000 We recently learned that the Republican National Committee spent a ridiculous $150,000 on clothes for Sarah Palin. Whoa. That's a six-figure budget—from public campaign money—to clothe and accessorize the Republican vice presidential nominee and her family. But hey, whatever. The woman's got to look good, even if it costs the RNC the price of a Porsche. Just don't tell that to her pal Joe Sixpack as the bank forecloses on his house. By the way, how much is that red leather jacket she's been recently rocking? That's straight-up Michael Jackson Thriller-era, and I love it. Honestly though, how much clothing and accessories does $150,000 actually get you? What does it take to be a fashionable vice presidential candidate? To find out, Slate writer Nina Shen Rastogi (who happens to be an old friend from my high school days), took a virtual shopping trip to Saks Fifth Avenue to put together a $150,000 Palin-esque fantasy wardrobe: My Saks Shopping Spree. Nina's shopping trip got her featured last week on NPR's Day to Day: Who Requested Sarah Palin's $150,000 Makeover? The verdict? $150,000 buys you a lot of nice shit, but it's apparently much harder to spend than you think. That money buys you a lot of blazers. Of course, I doubt it was Governor Palin doing any of the actual shopping. At least, I really hope it wasn't... "first asian boy" Thought this was pretty amusing... You say you've never dated an Asian guy before? Well here's one Asian guy, Timothy DeLaGhetto, telling you about all the fine things you're missing out on: "First Asian Boy". To the tune of that Estelle/ Kanye track. Sure, it's a little silly, and it looks like they shot it in somebody's garage, but I've got to admit, it made me smile. I like the verse about pho. (Thanks, Taz.) yellow apparel: when the coolie becomes cool Several friends sent me this link to yellow apparel: when the coolie becomes cool, a student documentary project by Anmol Chaddha, Naomi Iwasaki, Sonya Zehra Mehta, Muang Saechao and Sheng Wang examining the cultural commodification/ appropriation of Asian items in the context of social position and historical experiences of Asian Americans. Think Madonna's "Nothing Really Matters" video and Gwen Stefani's whole Harajuku obsession. This film was actually put together way back in 2001, but was only recently digitized and uploaded to YouTube. It was originally created for a class project, shot on Hi-8, and was never really intended to be shown elsewhere, but ended up screening at a handful of film festivals. Here's the synopsis: In examining the recent trendiness of Asian cultural elements, such as bindis, Buddhist beads, and Chinese character tattoos, 'yellow apparel: when the coolie becomes cool' (2000) asks whether this commodification of Asian culture signals the acceptance of Asian Americans into the cultural fabric of America. Produced by a group of undergraduates at UC-Berkeley, the video forces the viewer to consider the contradictions between the current fashionability of Asian symbols and the history of oppression suffered by Asian Americans. For example, what does it mean that many white folks like to dress up as Asians while, at the same time, scientist Wen Ho Lee is systematically mistreated because of his Asian appearance? Combining commentary and spoken word poetry, 'yellow apparel' presents the material with humor, pride, and passion. The documentary also draws connections between these issues as they concern Asian Americans and the ways in which Black culture is appropriated while Black communities are marginalized throughout society. While explaining the appropriation of an exotic Asia as an attempt to fill the void created by a bureaucratized suburban lifestyle in America, 'yellow apparel' does not attempt to provide a clear-cut solution but rather a critical and informed examination of the commodification of Asian culture. Watch yellow apparel on YouTube in three parts: I've never seen this before. I'd never heard of it. It's kind of rough, and drags in a lot of spots. But it's a pretty interesting look at a lot of different issues that have never really gone away, and are still really relevant today. In fact, there have been quite a few incidents and flare-ups (as well as victories) that have happened in the last seven years that easily could've been included in this documentary. (The Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt debacle immediately comes to mind.) Take a look, and learn a thing or two. sonny lee's pilot broke friends goes to fox I just heard from Sonny Lee, a writer on the FX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which, by the way, is freaking hilarious), who tells me that he and his writing partner Patrick Walsh just sold their sitcom pilot Broke Friends to Fox. According to Variety, the project came to the network after a competitive bidding situation with NBC. The show centers on an innocent Midwestern kid who relocates to New York, where he moves in with two scam artists. The show will be directed and executive produced by Luke Greenfield, whose credits include directing the critically acclaimed pilot Aliens in America. I was happy to hear about Sonny getting the It's Always Sunny gig, and even happier now to hear about this. Very cool to see Asian Americans making strides both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Check out Sonny's blog here. john cho against prop 8 This is a brief, but really moving video of John Cho voicing his concern and speaking out against Proposition 8 during a press conference last week at the Democracy Forum in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles: No on Proposition 8 John Cho - Actor, Young Father. More videos of others speaking out on the issue, including George Takei and other California state politicians, here. obama volunteer attacked in wisconsin I'm a little late posting about this, because I actually didn't hear about it until recently... I read over on the Asian Americans for Obama blog that last week, a Barack Obama volunteer, 58-year-old Nancy Takehara of Chicago, was physically assaulted by a homeowner while canvassing in Caledonia, Wisconsin: Obama campaign worker allegedly assaulted at Caledonia home. According the Takehara, the man grabbed her by the back of her neck, pounded on her head and screamed at her, yelling things about ACORN and not being "his people." What the hell? We're talking about a 58-year-old woman! Fortunately, she wasn't seriously injured: Obama Campaign Worker Allegedly Attacked. The attacker has been identified as 71-year-old Ronald Goetsch, a McCain supporter and Marine veteran who has donated to the McCain campaign. He admits that he did in fact attack Takehara: Caledonia man says he regrets his actions with Obama canvasser. Why is this man not in jail? As of last week, police were saying their report on the incident would be forwarded to the Racine County District Attorney's office when it was complete. It's getting ugly. It's gotten ugly. It's been a long road, and man, I cannot wait for next Tuesday to finally get here. UPDATE: It should be noted that the woman who was attacked, Nancy Takehara, is actually not Asian American herself—she's a Caucasian, and married to a Japanese American man. This, of course, does not make Goetsch's actions any more or less despicable. food network: yes asian food... no asian people? As someone who watches a fair amount of the Food Network, I found this video kind of amusing, though also kind of annoying. It does ask a rather interesting question: Where are Food Network's Asian Girls and Boys? Seriously, what gives? There's an awful lot programming about different Asian dishes and cuisines... and yet there's rarely an Asian face on the actual programming. They seem to love Asian cooking... as long as it's prepared by Caucasians. Come on! At least give us some Ming Tsai! response to a racist This is an amazing, powerful piece by Jeannie Choi on the Sojourners blog, about a brief but shocking, racist encounter she recently had with a stranger on the street: Letter to the Man Who Yelled at Me. I just think it's really well-written, so I'm reprinting it here: Letter to the Man Who Yelled at Me by Jeannie Choi I am writing you this letter after much internal debate to inform you of the many realizations that erupted within me after our very brief encounter yesterday. I am writing you this letter because there is a lot I have to say to you. I am writing you this letter because after a great deal of thought, I've decided that you might like to know what you did, what I should have done, and what I hope can happen between you and me in the future. First, what you did. Yesterday, as I was walking down Columbia Road, you saw me from a distance. I did not see you, because I was on the phone. But you certainly saw me. You saw me in my summer dress, walking quickly because I was late for dinner with my cousins, chattering away on my cell phone, laughing at something my friend said. You saw me. You saw my black hair, my sloped forehead, brown eyes, and undoubtedly in your mind you thought something along the lines of chink, gook, oriental, Chinese chick who doesn't speak English. And for some reason, for a reason that I can't understand, you proceeded to get right in my face and yell at me. And if you can't remember what it is you yelled—Well, I do and I probably will forever:"Ching chong ching chong f*ing CHINK!" Maybe I should introduce myself. I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1982. I have since lived in Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and now Washington DC, where you also live. I studied English literature and professional writing in college. I have a graduate degree in church history. I am an editor at a magazine. I am not a good drinker and have been known to pass out after one midori sour. I like to play racquet sports. I have a younger sister. My grandfather died of pancreatic cancer when I was a freshman in college. My dad and I cried on the phone together for the first time when he told me granddad was gone, and I cry every time I think of him to this day, seven years later. I like to listen to Talib Kweli, Bon Iver, and Ella Fitzgerald. I love love love steak. I am miserable at mental math. I'm a dog person, though I live with seven cats. I believe there's nothing more comforting than nestling a steaming cup of hazelnut dark roast between your clasped hands. All of these things, I wish you knew. I wish you knew me. I wish we were friends. I wish I had turned around, instead of walking away, walking faster, tears of fury streaming down my face. I wish I had run and caught up with you so I could have introduced myself in person and told you my story, and heard your own. I wish we could have apologized to each other. For one, I am sorry that my people have cordoned ourselves off into a cushy upper-middle class existence. I am sorry not enough of us, my Asian brothers and sisters and me, care to interact with people from other backgrounds. I'm sorry that we stay in our safe, Asian American Christian fellowship groups on campuses. I'm sorry that we carry generations of racism in our bones. I'm sorry that once we enter professional life, we ignore the travails of those minorities not as fortunate as ourselves. I'm sorry that sometimes I forget that I am a minority. I'm sorry that our people have never really met or fellowshipped together. It's a damn shame too, because I'm sure we could get along if we just stopped to say hello. I'm sorry that in the year 2008, you still haven't met me, and by me, I mean, the archetypal me. You have never met me, an Asian American who speaks English as her first language. As a result, you felt as though you could mock me and get away with it. And to a certain extent you did. But the truth is, I realized that it's partly my fault that you had never met me because I kept myself in a safe bubble and stayed comfortable in my element. I am sorry for that. I'm so sorry. Finally, I write to make you a pledge. I pledge to introduce myself to you. I pledge to immerse myself in my community … in this neighborhood of Columbia Heights, where blacks, latinos, whites, and Asians run into one another on the streets, at the grocery store, in restaurants. What you did yesterday made me realize that the only way for you to know better is for you to know me. So I hope we meet. I hope we become friends. I look forward to it. I think she speaks for a lot of us who have been through similar situations—"Ching chong ching chong fing CHINK!"—and have had it haunt us, without ever having the chance to confront the haters. I can count off a number of racist encounters in my life when I've felt helpless, and wished I could go back and tell off and/or inflict violence on the perpetrators. But what Jeannie has written here is done with such grace and eloquence, it's truly inspiring. download goh nakamura's ulysses... free! After four years in the making, Bay Area singer/songwriter Goh Nakamura recently released his second album Ulysses. I've listened to it, and you should too. It's great stuff. Goh's trying to get the word out about the album, and has issued this call to arms: Ulysses: A Call To Arms After four years in the making, my second album, Ulysses, has officially launched! Whereas Daylight Savings, my first album, was written and recorded in solitude, Ulysses is a reaction to that; a celebration and collaboration with artists and people whom I've had the good fortune to meet through the first album. The call to arms here is helping me cross the toughest threshold; getting my music out to the masses. As an independent musician, this is the bafflingly difficult part, and it's nearly impossible to do alone. For that reason, I'm writing today to ask for your help. After much deliberation, I've decided to release this album as a free download. Specifically, what I'm asking you to do is: Download the album. Listen to it. Tell your friends on Facebook about it. Twitter it. Blog about it. I really believe there's something for everybody on this album. Ultimately, if it moves you, please purchase the limited edition CD - the beautiful packaging/artwork is worth the price alone. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for joining me in this exciting, and scary part of the journey. Something tells me it's just the beginning. gohnakamura.com/ulysses p.s. As a companion piece to my album, I've curated a mix of songs from some of my favorite musicians that you'll get with every download. In addition to wishing that the songs on Ulysses find a welcoming home, my hope is that you discover something new along with the new album that you might enjoy equally well. Did you read that? Free. The entire album is available as a free download. The idea is, you'll like it so much, you'll be compelled to purchase the full package (which, b the way, is really nice), but more importantly, tell everybody about it. What's also cool is that Goh is partnering with sixteen of his favorite bands, who are also helping to promote the release. With every download of Ulysses, you'll receive a bonus track from each of these artists, including Odessa Chen, The Invisible Cities, Scrabble, Michelle Amador and more. That's a lot of freaking good music. Get started by downloading Ulysses here. usc screening of valarie kaur's divided we fall For those of you in Southern California, here's information about a special screening happening this week at the University of Southern California. My pal Sumi informs me that they'll be screening and discussing Valarie Kaur's Divided We Fall: Americans in the Aftermath this Tuesday, October 28, 6:00pm in Taper Hall 101 at USC. The documentary follows Kaur's journey across America to tell the stories of hate violence against Sikhs and Muslims in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, confronting the forces unleashed in a time of national crisis and examining the larger question of "who counts" as American. Valarie Kaur will be present for a Q&A after the screening. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the screening, refer to the flyer above, or go here. For more information about the Divided We Fall, including upcoming screenings, visit the film's website here. young vietnamese americans are voting democrat On Friday, I posted about the strong support for John McCain in the Vietnamese American community. That's not to suggest that there aren't also vocal Vietnamese American voters out there for Barack Obama. In fact, many young Vietnamese Americans are apparently abandoning the Republican Party in droves: Young Vietnamese-Americans turn away from GOP. According to a San Jose Mercury News computer analysis of nearly 30,000 new Santa Clara County voters, Vietnamese Americans age 30 and under are registering Democratic over Republican nearly 4 to 1. (The analysis was done by plugging Vietnamese surnames into a database.) And they're voting for Obama. Unlike many in the previous generation—emigres from war-torn Vietnam—who believe Democrats are too soft on communism and weak on defense, this new generation of young Vietnamese American voters aren't quite as quick to be buddies with John McCain. Yes, my friends. Come over to our side. While I'm at it, here's yet another article on the impact of changing Asian American voting patterns in this election: Growing Asian-American vote sheds passive past. It's time to stand up and be counted, Asian America. Power in numbers. akinori iwamura is number one Here's a profile on Akinori Iwamura, second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays, who are currently facing off against the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series: From Japan to Tampa, Iwamura Lives Up to the No. 1 on His Back. Iwamura was a power-hitting third baseman in Japan, but he has adjusted his game and become a slap-hitting second baseman for the Rays. This season, he hit .274 and led the team with 172 hits and 91 runs. His post-season performance has been decent... except for Game 3 on Saturday, with no hits and no runs scored and strikeouts in several critical at-bats . The Phillies won, 5-4, grabbing a 2-1 lead in the series. On a side note, Iwamura is apparently obsessed with the number 1. In addition to wearing the number on his jersey, he has a silver chain with a one around his neck. And when he started training for the 2007 season, he began in Japan on January 11 at precisely 11:11:11 am. Weird. 5th annual chicago filipino american film festival This is for my people in Chicago... Heads up. The 5th annual Chicago Filipino American Film Festival is happening next week, November 7-9 at the Portage Theater. It's a celebration of Filipinos in film and media! Good times. Here are some details: The Chicago Filipino American Film Festival's 5th Annual event is around the corner! WHEN: November 7th to 9th, 2008 WHERE: Portage Theater - 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60641 Please mark your calendars and continue to check the website for further information - www.cfaff.org. This year's Film Festival line-up is as follows: 6:30 pm - CFAFF 5th Anniversary Reception (Open to Public) 8:00 pm - Opening Night Presentation SANTA MESA 10:30 pm - Music video awards, with performances by BAGWIS and Paolo Escobar & the Prescription 1:00 pm - THAT ASIAN THING (documentary, with panel discussion) 3:30 pm - SANTA MESA 6:00 pm - FLOAT 8:30 pm - BROWN SOUP THING 1:00 pm - JACK en JILL (Dolphy's 1954 classic) 4:00 pm - Short film program 7:00 pm - NEO LOUNGE (2008 CineManila award-winning documentary) Here's the cool part.. thanks to the festival's generous sponsors, the festival is providing free day passes to students and seniors. But advanced registration is required. For more information about the festival, go here. "the reminder" Saw this over at the Asian American for Obama website... Check out this cool video by Brian Redondo and Corinne Manabat: The Reminder. It's a call out to the hip hop generation, young people of color and the Filipino American community to stand up and take part in one of the most important moments of our generation. Cool video, hot track, important message. Recognize your right to push back. Vote! henry chang's year of the dog The New York Times has a cool feature on author Henry Chang and his new novel Year of the Dog , the second book in his Detective Jack Yu series (the follow-up to 2006's Chinatown Beat ) set in NYC's Chinatown: Murder on Mott Street. The book will be out in stores on November 1. Chang has apparently been called "the Dashiell Hammett of Chinatown," which is a pretty cool comparison, though the author says his books are less conventional mysteries than studies in Chinese American culture. I'm a fan of both crime fiction and Asian American literature, so I'm looking forward to reading this either way. I'd love to see more Asian American detective novels out there (Leonard Chang's Over the Shoulder and Naomi Hirahara's Summer of the Big Bachi come to mind) and a story set in New York's Chinatown sounds rife with possibilities. Certainly beats the hell out of Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto, right? Entertainment Weekly's review of Year of the Dog describes it as "a richly atmospheric panorama of New York's immigrant demimonde" and "an Asian-flavored The Wire"—a huge compliment, in my book. For more information, visit the publishers website here. kaffny 2009 call for submissions The Korean American Film Festival New York, back for its third year, is currently accepting entries for its 2009 festival. The festival is a one-day New York showcase of works by emerging and established Korean filmmakers and performers. In previous years, they've screen films like Benson Lee's Planet B-Boy and Juwan Chung's Baby. Interested in submitting your film? Read on: We are now accepting short film submissions from filmmakers / performers of ethnic Korean descent, of any nationality. We welcome all genres: narrative, animation, music video, documentary, experimental etc. There is no entry fee. The submission deadline is November 30. Please send DVD submissions, NTSC Region 0 or 1, to the address below: KAFFNY c/o Barrel 23 W 36th Street, Suite 401 For other inquires, email kaffny@gmail.com. Also, visit us at www.kaffny.com. KAFFNY is co-sponsored by New York University Tisch School of the Arts and The Korea Times. The festival is scheduled for February 2009. It looks like they're really emphasizing a desire for works from across the Korean diaspora, throughout all parts of the world. For more information, I'd point you to the KAFFNY website, but there doesn't appear to be anything there at the moment. So... um, keeping checking back. And submit your film! feds take down mongols motorcycle gang Thought this was kind of weird... Earlier this week, authorities arrested 61 members of the Mongols biker gang on federal racketeering charges. The crackdown was part of a multi-agency investigation involving more than a thousand federal agents and police in Southern California, Nevada, Oregon, Colorado, Washington and Ohio: Raid targets Mongols motorcycle gang. In addition to racketeering, the Mongols are charged with committing violent crimes—including murder—drug trafficking, weapons offenses and money laundering. They used guns, knives, brass knuckles, lead pipes and steel-toed boots to impose their will, often on such rivals as the Hells Angels, but also on unsuspecting members of the public who happened to cross their paths. The interesting part is that the U.S. Attorney is seeking to take control of the Mongols' name, which the gang has apparently trademarked, through a restraining order barring them from wearing it. Essentially, the move is meant to be a blow to the organization's identity, and thus, its criminal power. Oddly enough, this bust actually has little to do with Asians... I mention it here mainly because of the organization's name. Dude, they're called the Mongols. And they rock a rather racist caricature ("a pony-tailed, Genghis Khan-like figure riding a chopper") as their logo. However, according to the story, the gang is mostly made up of Latinos. I just found that kind of interesting. trailer for clint eastwod's gran torino The trailer for Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino hit the web today. We first heard about this project earlier in the year when they were casting for the movie, and it looks like it's actually shaped up to be a halfway decent movie. Here's a recent USA Today article previewing the movie: First look: Eastwood puts his scowl in high gear for 'Gran Torino'. Eastwood stars as a grouchy, racist Korean War vet who reluctantly befriends the Hmong family next door, and ends up in a fight to protect the neighborhood from a vicious street gang. Here's the official synopsis: Walt Kowalski is a widower, grumpy, tough-minded, borderline-hateful, unhappy old man who can't get along with either his kids or his neighbors, a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1973 Gran Torino he keeps in cherry condition. When his neighbor Tao, a young Hmong teenager, tries to steal his Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Tao's family, Kowalski is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that foul their neighborhood. Watch the trailer here. Like I said before, I'm generally a fan of Clint Eastwood's movies, but I'm just a little wary of the whole white-dude-saving-the-Asians thing. And based on the trailer, there seems to be a lot of that. But I'm all for interesting, three-dimensional Hmong American characters—something you rarely see in Hollywood movies. I'll admit I'm intrigued, and I'm willing to give Eastwood, both as a director and an actor, the benefit of the doubt. He is, after all, the guy had the guts to make a really interesting, complex and sympathetic movies about the Battle for Iwo Jima... from both the American and Japanese perspectives. And dude, is it just me, or does Clint Eastwood look more badass than ever at age 78? strong vietnamese american support for mccain As recent data from the National Asian American Survey indicated, roughly 51% of Vietnamese Americans nationwide support McCain—overwhelmingly more than any other Asian ethnic group. Here's a Los Angeles Times story on the strong support for McCain in Vietnamese American communities: John McCain enjoys wide support in Vietnamese communities. My personal disdain for John McCain is no secret. I cannot, in good conscience, vote for someone who would deem it appropriate to refer to someone as a "gook," in any context —especially as a candidate running for President of the United States. But the article does illuminate some of reasons why the Senator is such a compelling choice for so many Vietnamese voters. For one thing, many Vietnamese Americans are drawn to McCain's support of Vietnamese refugees. As a senator, McCain led efforts to pass legislation in 1996 that would allow the children of Vietnamese political prisoners to reunite with parents who'd already been allowed to immigrate to the U.S. That's a big one. And of course, there's McCain's harrowing experience as a P.O.W. and the torture he endured as a captive Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. Many of his supporters served in the South Vietnamese military and went through similar suffering at the hands of the North Vietnamese. A staunch anti-communist sentiment still runs deep in the Vietnamese community, and McCain's war record is a stamp of credibility. Like I said, I can't agree with this, but then again, I'm coming from a completely different perspective. There are obviously Asian Americans who are extremely passionate about John McCain for President, and this is where we'll have to agree to disagree. At this point, we have to show that the Asian American community will come out in full force to vote on November 4. Vote! redress remembered at janm For those of you in Los Angeles, check out this interesting event happening this weekend at the Japanese American National Museum. JANM presents a public program on Japanese Latin Americans who were kidnapped from Peru and held by the United States in Texas during World War II. Here are the event details: Redress Remembered: WWII Rendition of Japanese Latin Americans Saturday, October 25, 2008 2-4pm followed by a light reception* During WWII, over 2200 men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry were kidnapped from 13 Latin American countries and interned in Department of Justice camps and Army facilities in the U.S. for the purpose of hostage exchange. Learn more about what they endured during WWII, their ongoing redress struggle to hold the U.S. government accountable for war crimes, and lessons for present day challenges. FREE! RSVP required to 213.625.0414 ext. 2222, or rsvp@janm.org (subject: JLA Redress). For more info: http://www.discovernikkei.org/forum/en/node/2798 A short overview of the Japanese Latin American story: http://www.discovernikkei.org/forum/en/node/2882 We all know about the Japanese American internment. But not too many are aware of what happened to Japanese Latin Americans during World War II... and what happened to them was ridiculous. Learn more at the event this Saturday in Little Tokyo. (There will be free food provided by local Peruvian restaurants!) For more information, follow the link here. watada won't get a second court martial Citing the constitutional protections against being tried twice for the same crime, a federal judge ruled this week that 1st Lt. Ehren Watada cannot face a second court martial on three of five counts resulting from his refusal to deploy to Iraq in 2006: Watada won't be retried on 3 of 5 counts. However, the ruling does leave open the possibility of a second prosecution on two other counts involving conduct unbecoming an officer. The judge abstained from ruling on the constitutionality of these charges, saying it was up to a military court to consider the possible "constitutional defects" of a second court-martial. The Army had sought a second court-martial trial on the five counts against Watada, which could have carried a sentence of up to six years in prison. We'll have to see if the Army chooses to dismiss the remaining two charges. Unfortunately, the ruling keeps Watada, who has been assigned to a desk job since his refusal to deploy, in kind of legal limbo. He's still not going anywhere. More on the ruling here: Judge rules for officer who refused Iraq duty. lost season five promo Ohhhhh man. This promo for the fifth season of Lost just popped up on the web. Gaaaaah. After that last crazy season-ender, the wait is killing me. Will we see a more badass Sun? Will we ever see Jin again? (Yes.) And where the hell did the island go? Man, 2009 can't come fast enough. We want answers! banya busted This week in New York, eleven members of the Banya Organization, a powerful Asian organized crime gang, were arrested by a task force of FBI, NYPD, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators on federal racketeering charges: Feds Bust Alleged Asian Organized Crime Ring. According to prosecutors, the ten-count indictment charged 13 members of the gang with extortion, kidnaping, running an illegal gambling business and narcotic distribution. The gang is also accused of trafficking in ketamine, a horse tranquilizer and hallucinogen known as the club drug "Special K." The Banya Organization, which apparently raked in at least $10 million in illegal profits, is based in Chinatown in Manhattan and Flushing, but operates throughout the city. Members of the organization originally came from the Banya Village in the Fuchow region of China. More on the bust here: FEDS' KUNG POW! 8 bloggers raise $8,000 against prop 8 I heard from Grace Chu today, who points to this very interesting piece of news over at 8Asians... A couple of days ago, Grace and seven of her lesbian blogger friends launched the 8 Against 8 campaign, with the goal to raise $8,000 in eight days to help defeat Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that seeks to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California. So what happened? Some crazy-ass donating, baby. Donations started rolling in by the thousands of dollars per day. Within 8 hours, they had raised $2,000. In 2 days, $4,000. And less than three full days into the campaign, the eight bloggers against Prop 8 reached their initial goal of $8,000. Read all about it here, and on Grace's blog here. They've reached their goal, but they're not stopping there. They're going for the full eight days, raising money through Monday, October 27. Donations can be made at 8against8.com. All donations made through "8 Against 8" go directly to Equality California's No on Prop 8 campaign. cats' 8th annual asian comedy night Bay Area, represent! For my people in the South Bay, check out CATS - Contemporary Asian Theater Scene's 8th Annual Asian Comedy Night this Saturday, October 25 for two shows—at 7:00pm and 9:00pm—at Le Petit Trianon Theater in San Jose. Yes, friends. Asian Americans can be quite funny. Headlining the show is Kevin Shea of the Kims of Comedy tour, who is freaking hilarious; the evening also features up-and-coming comics Hasan Minhaj, a former Mr. India California who won Wild 94.9 FM Comedy Jam's Best New Comic Competition, and Joe Nguyen, making a local mark with his unique blend of "Jewish-Vietnamese" humor. Tickets are $20: general, $30: VIP seating, $40: on-stage seating. To purchase tickets, go to brownpapertickets.com or call 1-800-838-3006. You can also get a discount on groups of 10 or more. For more information about the event, go here. the return of the $54 million pants It's one crazy man's battle for his pants. The infamous Roy Pearson was back in court this week, trying to revive his ridiculous $54 million lawsuit against the Chungs, the owners of Custom Cleaners, over an allegedly lost pair of pants: Ex-Judge Back in Court Over His Truant Trousers. This guy just won't quit. He continues to make a fool out of himself and the legal system, and torment this hard-working family that has had to deal with the nonsense for the last three years. Recycling the same legal arguments he's presented before, Pearson appeared before a packed courtroom of curious onlookers. The entire case mainly hinges on Pearson's interpretation that a "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign hanging inside the cleaners meant that he was entitled to the money. Pearson, you're not entitled to shit. And even if that were true, can anyone honestly justify $54 million for your Hickey Freeman brand trousers? Christopher Manning, the attorney for the Chungs, again challenged the notion that Custom Cleaners ever even lost Pearson's pants, saying the store has offered him the pants time and again. But Pearson says the pants aren't his. Pearson is also a loser. More here: The Pants Watch Never Stops. The appeals court, the District's highest, must consider all appeals of D.C. Superior Court decisions. The judges are expected to return a decision in two to four months. Depending on the outcome, either side could ask the entire nine-judge appellate court to review the case. And then, the parties could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in. Good Lord, let's hope it doesn't go that far. vote jerry chan's dj:la into slamdance My man Jerry Chan's kickass short film DJ:LA is trying to get into Slamdance (the other Park City, Utah film festival), and needs your online votes. You can view and vote for the film here. You can vote until the end of this month. The film with the most votes at the end of the month will move on to compete at the end of the year against all other monthly winners. If he wins, he'll get to screen the film at Slamdance. And that would be very cool. Vote for DJ:LA! kim ng is not the mariners' new general manager Aw man. Man! After all the hope and hype, it looks like Kim Ng will not be the Seattle Mariners' new general manager. On Wednesday, Jack Zduriencik was named the team's new GM: M's hire Brewers' Jack Zduriencik as GM. Who the heck is Jack Zduriencik? And how the hell do you pronounce his name? Zduriencik has been with the Milwaukee Brewers organization for nine years, most recently serving as their vice president and spec.... zzzzzz. Sorry. I've lost interest. My level of curiosity concerning upper management hiring in Major League Baseball just took a massive nosedive. I guess we'll have to wait a little longer to see baseball's first female, Asian American general manager. hanging out with barack's sister Here's another article, from Salon.com, on Maya Soetoro-Ng—Senator Barack Obama's sister, who happens to be Asian American: Tea with Barack Obama's sister. It's a pretty good interview. Maya, as you probably know by now, is half-Indonesian. She and Barack were both raised by the same mother and grandparents. It's funny. Maya admits that, like so many of us, the first time she began to seriously consider the possibly of her brother becoming President of the United States was after he made that now-famous speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. That was definitely a huge turning point in his career. I don't know about you, but from day one I've been excited about the prospect of a President who has Asian Americans so prominently part of his background and heritage (among many other qualifications, of course). Let's keep fighting the good fight towards November 4th and beyond... street fighter japanese teaser poster This Japanese poster for the upcoming Street Fighter movie recently popped on the web. We get a soft-focus glimpse of Kristin Kreuk donning the signature blue high-collar outfit. Based on the popular video game with about a zillion characters, this movie is obviously focusing on Chun-Li. When in doubt, Hollywood always goes with the hot Asian girl, I guess. While I'm mildly curious about it, I have a pretty strong feeling that this is movie, directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, is going to be fairly disastrous. View the Japanese website (with nothing currently on it) here. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li is scheduled to open in theaters in February 2009. justice for saigon grill workers Whoa. Looks like it's time for Saigon Grill to pay up. A federal judge has awarded $4.6 million in back pay and damages to 36 delivery workers at two Saigon Grill restaurants in Manhattan, finding blatant and systematic violations of minimum wage and overtime laws: For $2-an-Hour Restaurant Deliverymen, a $4.6 Million Judgment. In a decision dated Monday and released on Tuesday, Magistrate Judge Michael H. Dolinger of United States District Court in Manhattan found violations of federal and state wage laws in awarding up to $328,000 to some of the deliverymen. On issue after issue, Judge Dolinger ruled against Saigon Grill and its owners, Simon and Michelle Nget, saying they paid $520 a month to many deliverymen who worked more than 260 hours each month. This meant their pay came to less than $2 an hour, far less than the federal and state minimum wage. Two bucks an hour! That's downright criminal. The deliverymen, all immigrants from Fujian Province in China, testified that they were required to work 11 to 13 hours a day, usually six days a week. But their employers testified that the deliverymen had to work only at peak delivery times: 11:30am to 2:30pm, and 5:30 to 9:30pm. They lied. The judge found that the company had often illegally deducted pay—from $20 to $200—when deliverymen committed infractions like letting the restaurant door slam on their way out (wtf?) or failing to log in a delivery. The judge also ruled that the company had improperly made the deliverymen buy and maintain the bicycles and motorbikes they used to make deliveries, concluding that Saigon Grill should've paid for those as required tools of the trade. Justice. This has to be pretty awesome news for these workers, who have been fighting this for a really long time. It could have been time and money that they might never have gotten back. And it's not like they were asking for a lot. They just wanted what they were owed. Now Saigon Grill has to fork over the money and deal with the bad press. Big victory props to the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, who represented the deliverymen. UPDATE: Here's a good follow-up op-ed piece in New York Times on this week's ruling for the Saigon Grill workers: Pork Fried Abuse. Awful headline though. it's good to be the queen 17-year-od Courtney Chou Lee has been named queen of the 2009 Tournament of Roses: Arcadia teen is queen of 120th Rose Parade. The Arcadia High School teen will reign over activities culminating in the historic, world-famous Rose Parade and Rose Bowl game on New Year's Day. Basically, it will be her duty to look pretty, ride the float, and wave. Courtney was chosen queen from among seven Tournament of Roses princesses who were chosen last week. More than 1,100 young Pasadena-area women and teens applied for a spot on the Royal Court. But there can be only one Queen, suckas! More here: Tournament of Roses names queen. for sale: big-ass video collection In New York, the owner of the East Village's famed Kim's Video store is putting his vast movie collection up for sale: VID KING READY TO UNWIND. Facing declining revenues, Yongman Kim is making all his 55,000 films available to a worthy buyer... but there are some strict conditions. The buyer has to purchase the collection in its entirety, house it in 3,000 square feet of space and allow access to those who used to rent films at the store, "charging a minimum membership fee." Kim has spent over 20 years amassing the 55,000 films, so it's no wonder he's got a bit of an attachment to this collection. Kim's situation actually strikes me with a little nostalgia. Once upon a time, during the better of the 1980s, my parents owned a video store. It was a small, modest operation, and we had nowhere near as many titles as this guy, but it had a huge role developing my love of cinema. I was kind of sad when we sold it off, so in a way, I understand where this guy is coming from. who's got the power? Asian Americans, are you feeling the power? Are you feeling it?! According to this Washington Post article, Asian Americans voters in Virginia, highly organized and registered in record numbers, see themselves poised to play a pivotal role in the outcome of the presidential race in this highly contested state: Asian Americans Feeling the Power. According to leaders of the large, affluent communities of Korean Americans, Vietnamese Americans and Indian Americans in Northern Virginia, sentiment among those groups favors Barack Obama, although John McCain enjoys a core of loyal support among older Asian refugees who suffered at the hands of communist regimes. Remember, these are the voters who played a huge role in the 2006 Senate race in Virginia, helping Democrat Jim Webb edge out and defeat incumbent George "Macaca" Allen... and effectively shifting the balance of power in Congress. It seems they could do it again. Anyway, read the article. It's pretty interesting. parry shen in the tivo Checking out this funny/creepy Halloween short, The Tivo, starring Parry Shen. It's directed by Adam Green, who did the acclaimed indie horror film Hatchet. He's apparently shot a film like this for his fans/family/friends for the past 10 years, every Halloween. Parry's pretty funny in it. Watch the short here. You'll never look at your Tivo the same way again. revisiting "dear john mccain" Did I mention that John McCain hates gooks? He will hate them as long as he lives. I might've mentioned it recently. I just think it's rather important than you know. And Raymond Leon Roker in the Huffington Post agrees with me: How Come McCain's "Gook" Slur Isn't Bigger News? But what I really want to share is this kickass blog entry by Michelle Myers of spoken word duo Yellow Rage, which revisits Bao Phi's poem "Dear Senator McCain," and so eloquently express the anger that I feel over this issue, and this man who could be President. I'm reprinting it here, with Michelle's permission: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Revisiting "Dear Senator McCain" "I hate the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." -John McCain, February 17, 2000 "I will call any interrogator that tortured me, a gook. I can't believe that anybody doesn't believe these interrogators and prison guards were cruel and sadistic people who deserve the worst appellations possible. Gook is the kindest appellation I can give." 'Cause we soft spoken, doesn't mean that we've forgotten Your bootie smells rotten and one day you will be gotten -Lauryn Hill, "Family Business," The Fugees' The Score John McCain's people have deftly flippt the script on Barack Obama over the last 2 weeks. They've told us that The Maverick is back in full effect--the original straight talker. Behold our very own Greatest American Hero--the true agent of change for the American people. After all, they reminded us as McCain was introduced at the RNC before giving his acceptance speech, "When you've lived in a box, you put your people first." And so it began: the narrative being sold to us about McCain--a narrative dominated almost exclusively by his time as a POW during the Vietnam War. It's been shoved in our faces so much we can recite the story by heart: McCain shot down on a bombing mission over North Vietnam. McCain pulled from his wrecked plane by North Vietnamese soldiers, both arms broken. McCain taken to "Hanoi Hilton" where he and other POWs were interrogated and tortured. Etc. Etc. Etc. I read somewhere on the internet that McCain's acceptance speech contained 43 sentences about his POW experience while only 8 recounted his 25 years on Capitol Hill. And so, for me, if McCain wants us to swallow this War Hero narrative as the fodder for his character and his qualification for the Presidency, then let us really open it up to scrutiny. And that means us gooks are coming back to haunt him. I don't care that he made his gook reference 8 years ago and that he claimed he meant it specifically for his interrogators. I don't care that he apologized for it under political pressure and a concern for a potential APIA swing vote in the CA primary while running for President in 2000. If currently he is continuously going to invoke his POW years and thrust before us images of his and America's enemy, and in doing so transplant Vietnamese faces to embody the word "enemy," then he is opening himself up to a resuscitated examination of his use of the word gook in referring to this enemy. Because what we should care about in helping us decide if this experience indeed makes him fit to be President is his initial, honest, straight-talker response when reporters first called him on it back in 2000: "I hate the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." I could rehash the criticisms from the APIA community at the time about McCain's blatant insensitivity and ignorance in his use/defense of a broadly racist term for Asian Americans; I could compare it to the word "nigger" and other racial epithets and complain that he wouldn't have been let off so easy if he had offended black people or other racial minority groups--all of these points are still valid (and can be readily found on the internet), and the whole incident still pisses me off. But in revisiting this word gook, what I really want to do is put McCain's statements in a context with current political issues and consider what it may reveal about how he would handle foreign affairs, military operations, and the war in Iraq. It bothers me that McCain's POW years have become so commodified by his campaign. If you visit his website, the homepage opens up with 2 back-to-back videos chronicling his POW experience and lauding his heroism. The narrative highlights his sacrifices and dedication to his country, fighting for American freedom, and having a brave heart "to never surrender." Military images abound. Pictures of Vietnamese people situate them in no uncertain terms as the enemy--both John McCain's enemy and America's enemy. The forgotten narrative of the Vietnam War is that of innocent Vietnamese civilians--their suffering, their loss. It is convenient that America's nostalgia for war, especially those that involve Asian people and countries, becomes one that forgets the desperate, pained Asian faces that the U.S. military/government purported to protect and save but actually ended up being complicitous in harming whether, in Vietnam specifically, through directly executed or coordinated napalm attacks, mass murders of civilians (My Lai), gang rapes of young Vietnamese girls, or the abandonment of thousands of babies fathered by U.S. military personnel. And as U.S. soldiers torture and humiliate prisoners at Abu Ghraib, kill innocent Iraqi civilians including women and children, bomb civilians in Afghanistan, fail to locate and catch Osama bin Laden, and become exhausted and bitter through several tours of duty away from family and friends, I am not reassured that these neglected narratives can be revised under John McCain. who finds such personal/political meaning and comfort in his "Look-at-Me-the Tortured-War-Hero" story. I cannot trust a man who has proudly insisted "I hate the gooks" to lead us out of Iraq to peace when he's ready to stay there for 100 years or however long it takes to "win." I cannot trust this man, John McCain, to responsibly address the U.S. government's oversight of CIA interrogation techniques, i.e. torture, or prevent another Abu Ghraib when in February 2008 he voted against an anti-torture bill and supported Bush's veto of the bill after it was passed by the Senate. I cannot trust John McCain not to take Western/American, fundamentalist Christian-Judeo war-mongering to Iran, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, or North Korea. Precisely because of his personal Tortured-War-Hero-POW narrative, I do not trust John McCain. Most troubling to me about McCain's declaration and defense of his using the word gook is his unapologetic insensitivity to how it both completely conflates and demonizes all Vietnamese people--which can very easily be extended to all people of Asian descent. His vehement hatred towards "the gooks" bothers me too. In using such a hatefully racist term to talk about his North Vietnamese captors, I cannot believe this is a man who would work successfully with the diverse peoples and cultures of the Middle East or will make the effort to bridge the divide between Christianity, Islam, and other religious beliefs practiced around the world. War and hatred; fear and loathing; fighting and survival; Gook and Terrorist/Muslim/Other; America vs. Vietnam/Iraq; Hero vs. Enemy--how can the dominant personal/political narrative of such a man give us confidence that he can take us in a direction of progress and change and, ultimately, peace both at home and abroad as President of the United States? But then again, isn't that the point--to keep us at war indefinitely until all America's real and imagined enemies are crushed? In his poem "Dear Senator McCain," Bao Phi seizes McCain's POW/gook narrative and spits it back in his face, holding him accountable for his hypocrisy and insensitivity. Bao is a Vietnamese American spoken word poet from Minneapolis, and he wrote this poem after the gook-word incident 8 years ago, but it is relevant to our present political discussion for all the ways that I have already outlined. Full of irony and sarcasm, "Dear Senator McCain" exposes the inherent racism of McCain's statement, situates McCain's comments in the contentious American militarist discourse that surrounds the Vietnam War and all of America's war narratives from Asia, and demands that he take responsibility for his wholesale demonization of a group of people that crosses generations, continents, soldiers, civilians, refugees, immigrants, citizens. What hope are we to have with such a man representing the American people to the rest of the world? How can we read Bao's poem and not think about the current war narrative being constructed of Muslims--the conflation of "Muslim" and "Arab" and "Middle Eastern" with "enemy" and "terrorist" and "evil"? We cannot let such narratives dictate history and determine our lives. We must reclaim our narratives, humanizing them so that the fuller story is told and calling out those which demonize. And we can set off this corrected retelling with Bao Phi's scathing "Dear Senator McCain." Many thanks to Bao Phi for giving me permission to reprint his poem on our blog. Thanks to all of you who have read my long-winded set up of Bao's poem. Always love and peace, DEAR SENATOR McCAIN By Bao Phi I write this letter on jungle leaves and the skin of a white man. I am a gook, a jungle spook, a steamed apparition of piss and foot rot building torture devices from old rotary phones and the rusted hulks of American cars I am that gook, when you turn on the light I scramble away and if you see me you know there's ten more where I came from catching tracer bullets like fireflies in my teeth my language like malaria sweating itself into your brain I am a gook, riding on top of water buffaloes, waving welfare checks like a white flag of surrender but shot in the back by your finest when they thought I was standing in a martial arts stance I am a gook, miscellaneous bomb bait, agent orange evolved primate creeping thru cashmoney colored jungles and masturbating neon onto Wall Street slit eyes fixed on white women fingers like 10 long drips of grease I am that villain in a white lab coat trading bomb secrets for red cash stashing code in surgery folded eyelids I am gook, no speak no Engleesh too much headache, tell me go back to my country, motherfuck you eh? I am indeed a gook, polished gold yellow at Yale, driving my Ferrari horse-powered dick deep into your spread-legged streets while Miss America screams out an orgasmic "There goes the neighborhood!" I am gook that gook waiting in that nightmare jungle that gook in front of you with 17 items in the 10 items or less lane at the supermarket that gook born with a grenade in his head that gook that got a better grade in your shop class that gook uppity enuf to stand with his brothers and sisters and demand an apology that gook who patted you on the back and said "That's okay--I hate gooks too." I am that gook who stole your bomb secrets, that gook that held you hostage, that gook whose culture your daughter robbed for her tattoos, trinkets and t-shirts that gook whose language your son attempts to speak so he can crack some nookie from the fortune cookie I am the gook who blazed you the gook who saved you I am gook, chink, slope, slanteye, victor, charlie, chan, suzie wong, dickless rice picker, model minority, binder of feet, your favorite sushi waitress, piss colored devil, nip, jap, snow falling on cedars, miss saigon, memoir of a geisha, joy luck club, ally mcbeal, I am gook, I ate your motherfuckin cat I am that gook who will hang himself on Nike shoelaces so your sons and daughters can play pickup or NCdoubleA final four, I am that 14 cents an hour gook whose ghosts paint those Gap commercials white, I am that gook that took over your pool hall and your roller skating rink, I am this gook, I am that gook, I am your gook, I am my gook I am that gook, popping out of a motherfuckin bowl of rice to ask: between an Asian and a gook You see, to John McCain, we're all gooks.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line503
__label__cc	0.573439	0.426561	Books Books 91 - 100 of 174 on All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common.... All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the united states in congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states... The Southern literary messenger - Page 448 A History of the United States: For Families and Libraries Benson John Lossing - United States - 1857 - 672 pages ...be incurred for the common defense or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several States in proportion to the value of all land within each State granted to or surveyed for any person,... The Life and Times of Alexander Hamilton Samuel Mosheim Smucker - United States - 1857 - 408 pages ...public charges and expenses should be defrayed out of a common, treasury, to be supplied by the States, in proportion to the number of inhabitants of every age, sex, and condition, excepting Indiana not paying taxes in each State, according to the laws of each State. These... Debow's Review: Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial Progress and ..., Volume 25 Industries - 1858 ...expenses that ehall be incurred fofr the common defence, and allowed by the United States assembled, ehall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall...to the number of inhabitants of every age, sex, and <l\tality, except Indians not paying taxes, in each Colony." The proposition was opposed by Mr. Samuel... DeBow's Review, Volume 25 James Dunwoody Brownson De Bow, Edwin Bell - Southern States - 1858 ...and allowed by the United States assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shnll be supplied by the several Colonies, in proportion...inhabitants of every age, sex, and quality, except Indians not paying taxes, in each Colony." The proposition was opposed by Mr. Samuel Chase, of Maryland, on... History of the republic of the United States of America: as traced in the ... John Church Hamilton - 1858 ...which exists in the state department, No. 26, " Report of Committee on Finance." plied by the states in proportion to the number of inhabitants of every age, sex, and condition, excepting Indians not paying taxes in each state, according to the laws of each state, except... History of the Republic of the United States of America: As Traced ..., Volume 2 John Church Hamilton - United States - 1858 ...should be defrayed out of a common treasury to be sup• Flsb, beef, and pork. plied by the states in proportion to the number of inhabitants of every age, sex, and condition, excepting Indians not paying taxes in each state, according to the laws of each state, except... Dreiser: Sister Carrie; Jennie Gerhardt; Twelve Men Theodore Dreiser - Fiction - 1987 - 1168 pages ...be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the united states in congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states, in proportion to the value of all land within each state, granted to or surveyed for any Person,... Indian Fishing Rights: Hearing Before the Select Committee on Indian Affairs ... United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee on Indian Affairs - Indians of North America - 1987 - 191 pages ...taxation, and to substitute an article providing that the common treasury be supplied by the several states in proportion to the number of inhabitants of every age, sex, and condition, except Indians not paying taxes in each state, which number shall be triennially taken,... Iroquois Confederacy of Nations: Hearing Before the Select Committee on ... United States. Congress. Senate. Select Committee on Indian Affairs - Constitutional law - 1988 - 392 pages Roots of the Republic: American Founding Documents Interpreted Stephen L. Schechter - History - 1990 - 464 pages	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line506
__label__cc	0.540224	0.459776	A Contrary Perspective on the AAAS Board Statement Against Labeling of Engineered Foods Doug Gurian-Sherman, former senior scientist, Food and Environment \| November 2, 2012, 5:27 pm EST As a long-time member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and as a scientist, I was disappointed at the inaccurate information in the statement by the Board against labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods. Apparently, so are other scientists. A group of 21 scientists from academia have strenuously objected to the AAAS Board Statement, making important points about why people may want to know whether they are eating GE foods, including broad issues about the lack of sustainability of GE crops, harm from resistant weeds, and herbicide use. I will leave to others speculation on the Board’s reasons for commenting on this labeling initiative, and stick to some of the science-related points that the Board addresses. For example, in the first paragraph, the Board’s statement declares: “Indeed, the science is quite clear: crop improvement by the modern molecular techniques of biotechnology is safe.” This pronouncement ignores the the findings of major science organizations over the past 10 or 15 years, that some GE crops could be harmful to eat or harmful to the environment. Given these findings, a blanket statement that GE crops are “safe” is misleading. Scientists that have carefully considered the safety of GE foods recognize that it depends, in large part, on the particular genes involved. There is no doubt that some genes code for harmful or potentially harmful substances, while some do not. We already have one clear example of a harmful engineered gene (though not commercialized). Because the safety of an engineered food depends on the properties of the particular gene, it is misleading to suggest that we can generalize about the safety of all GE foods from the GE foods currently available. Likewise, studies of particular GE crops, even many of them, say little or nothing about the safety of other crops with other genes that can have very different properties. So the cited European research, while useful, does not settle this question. For example. the National Academy of Sciences through its National Research Council (NRC) wrote in its 2000 report, Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants, that transgenic crops, like classically bred crops, could pose “…high or low risks…” (p. 6). The report went on to support regulation of GE crops, writing: “There is an urgency to complete the regulatory framework for transgenic pest-protected plant products because of the potential diversity of novel traits that could be introduced by transgenic methods…” (p.12). Similarly, a 2002 NRC report, Environmental Effects of Transgenic Plants: The Scope and Adequacy of Regulation, notes that both conventional methods of crop improvement and GE can introduce traits that “…can pose unique risks.” (p. 5). And Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants says on page 14 that: “FDA should put a high priority on finalizing and releasing preliminary guidance on the assessment of potential food allergens, while cautioning that further research is needed in this area.” Perhaps in response, FDA set up an advisory committee in 2002 whose first assigned task was to evaluate FDA’s allergy testing guidelines for GE foods. I was one of the ten or so scientists on that committee. We made recommendations to FDA to improve its process. These recommendations were ignored, despite assurances to us that our concerns would be addressed. Relatively little further research, needed to develop more reliable allergenicity tests, has been conducted, and the tests that are often used have the same limitations as when the NRC report was written. Another statement by the AAAS Board, that “In order to receive regulatory approval in the United States, each new GM crop must be subjected to rigorous analysis and testing,” and that the food must be shown to be non-allergenic and non-toxic, is simply false. As I noted in a previous post, and as the 21 scientists above point out, the FDA review process for GE foods is voluntary, and provides no detailed guidance on how to test GE foods to ensure their safety. No “must” involved! At the end of its cursory review, the agency does not approve the safety of these foods, but reminds the company that FDA is relying on the company’s assessment of safety. And there is also the question of whether the approval process for pesticidal GE crops at EPA can legitimately be called rigorous. Compared to the testing required for chemical pesticides, the answer is unequivocally “no.” There are extensive testing guidelines for chemical pesticides required by U.S. EPA, for example, that include long-term animal testing, mutation testing, carcinogenicity testing and so on. Even these tests are imperfect. For GE foods, EPA requires only short term animal testing, for about a month, with a single high dose of the engineered substance, and some allergenicity testing. There are no long-term tests required, no mutation testing, and so on. Some would question whether these more thorough tests are needed, but trying to pass off testing of GE in the U.S. as rigorous is dubious. Finally, the Board tries to dispel what has become perhaps the most persistent criticism of GE food safety testing: That no long-term testing in animals is required, which is usually needed to have any confidence that slowly-developing maladies will not be caused. They cite a recent review of several long-term studies that concludes that the GE and non-GE counterparts are nutritionally equivalent. This study has been widely cited to argue that long-term testing of GE has been conducted, shows that GE is safe, and that short-term or 90 day animal safety tests are sufficient. Close examination of that research, however, reveals several serious flaws that invalidate these conclusions. I will look at this paper in detail in my next post. Posted in: Food and Agriculture Tags: AAAS, food labeling, food safety, genetically engineered foods, GMO As a member of the AAAS I was repelled by the arrogance implicit in the statement on GMO’s by the Board. By the latter part of his comment reply, Doug does return to the core issue of consumer choice, comparing it to the choice of clothing, but for much of his discussion he succumbs to the device that the Board employs to change the discussion from consumer information to their own estimate of safety. The Board has no right to shift the discussion in this way and by so doing they reveal an arrogance that does a terrible disservice to the reputation of Science and scientists. I regret this stain on my favorite activity. I also regret that this arrogance plays right into the anti-science bias so prevalent in the United States. It is important, as Doug points out, that we not try to substitute health issues for an information issue. After reading dozens of intricately framed, convoluted discussions of bioethics in the pages of Science, I am horrified to see that informed consent is so easily dismissed by the Board. The American consumer is the experimental subject, whether the Board wants to express its opinion of safety or not. Informed consent starts with information and then leads to consent. Information in this case comes on a label. It is not up to the experimenter to decide for his sentient subject that consent is already decided. The details of the label may change with time, but for the moment, all that is asked is whether or not GMO foods are present. Without the desired information, there is no consent. The Board should be at the forefront of demanding informed consent, instead of substituting its own version of what will serve the profits of major corporate members of the scientific community. Julie MacCartee Hi Doug! Thanks for another thoughtful post. I have been struggling with this issue because I feel that GE crops are taking the blame for broader issues that are not specific to GE. As you state above, “both conventional methods of crop improvement and GE can introduce traits that ‘…can pose unique risks.'” Chemical mutagenesis and other conventional techniques can alter plant genomes in myriad ways that could introduce new allergens/toxins or pose unexpected risks, but we do not talk about labeling foods produced with these techniques. When it comes to the environmental argument, clearly herbicide-resistant GE crops are often mismanaged, leading to to herbicide-resistant weeds. And as you describe, there is evidence that Roundup causes environmental harm. But if a particular GE crop were engineered for drought tolerance (and nothing else), why should it be labeled over, say, strawberries that are doused in methyl bromide? It seems that the process of genetic engineering itself is taking the blame for a whole host of industrial agriculture problems. Labeling GE makes it seem like we are letting all non-GE crops off the hook, regardless of whether their production is actually worse for the environment in some cases. I generally agree that consumers have a right to know as many details as possible about what they are consuming. But the things that I want to know about my food are simply not encompassed in the black-and-white concept of whether or not that food is genetically engineered. In the present, a GE label would tell me that the food is most likely herbicide resistant or a Bt crop. But in the future, as greater variety of less-harmful traits are inserted into crop genomes, it won’t tell me much. (Or am I naive that GE will ever be a successful method for enhancing nutrient concentrations, salt-tolerance, or drought-tolerance without pesticide-related traits as well?) I dream of a world in which each new commercial crop is thoroughly tested, based on some sort of risk likelihood, regardless of it’s method of development. 🙂 Keep up the good work, UCS! Doug Gurian-Sherman Good questions Julie. The point of this blog post is to address some of what I think are misleading statements about the science behind GE made in the AAAS statement. But as I and others have said elsewhere, I think labeling is mainly an issue of consumer choice. For whatever reasons, consumers consistently, and by large majorities, say that want GE to be labeled. The NRC, at least the 2000 report that I cited, suggested that we should consider better regulation of other genetics methods. I think that may make some sense for some methods like mutation breeding. But if we wait for completely comprehensive regulation or labeling, nothing would ever get done. To some extent, an incremental approach is often the the only practical one. You are also assuming that labeling would be a mark against GE, when you say that GE is or would be “taking the blame” for the problems with industrial agriculture. I think whether labeling is perceived to be a black mark largely depends on how the labeling is done. Clearly, ingredients in the ingredient list are often healthful, and not perceived as harmful. So how labeling is done is important. I favor neutral labeling that is informational, and does not single out genetically engineered ingredients on the label in a way that suggests that they are necessarily risky. That is for citizens to decide. UCS wants to see change in agriculture toward sustainable methods. As it is predominantly developed and used now, GE is one important part of conventional monoculture, external-input intensive agriculture that is not sustainable. It also diverts attention and resources from better and cheaper methods. So we do see it as mainly part of the problem at this point rather than the solution. Some have argued that GE could be developed in ways that fit sustainable agriculture systems. That may be possible, but right now it is primarily controlled by large companies that are mostly not developing it in a way that is best for society as a whole. As for for possible negative environmental impacts, I do see some applications as being possibly riskier than conventional breeding. For example, if a drought tolerance traits through GE are developed that are more potent than can be done though conventional breeding (something I am skeptical of, however),transfer to wild relatives through gene flow (which can happen for many U.S. crops such as wheat, grapes, lettuce, timber trees,grasses, and so on) may have implications that could not occur to the same extent through conventional breeding. There is are also similar issues with pest-resistant traits, both for gene flow, and harm within the cropping environment. But labeling is a rather blunt instrument for getting at possible distinctions between different GE traits. It is imperfect for that purpose. But I do think it would be a step in the right direction, and could be refined, e.g. with bar codes that provide additional on-line information. One of the problems with the AAAS statement is that it assumes that the desire for choice is based on perceived health risks alone. Health risks, which I think have been sometimes exaggerated, are undoubtedly a significant reason for many consumers. But I also think it extremely presumptuous on the part of the AAAS Board to substitute its judgment about the large range of motivations that guide consumers on this issue. We do not question why consumers prefer certain styles of clothes over others. There, and for most things, choice is understood to be an important part of the “free market” system. But when it comes to what we put in our bodies, there is a huge amount of pushback. I suspect that if there was not the narrow interests of a powerful industry lining up against labeling, it would happen without a lot of angst. Read Doug's posts >	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line509
__label__cc	0.601063	0.398937	Hipstermania in London In effect, whatever’s hipster today becomes a trend tomorrow. Or at least that’s how it’s been so far. This alternative craze is spreading so fast is risks going mainstream, becoming a mass, commercial phenomenon. But, for as long as it endures, they’re still calling the shots. In London districts such as Hackney you can see larger communities of long-bearded – but well-groomed – men wearing lumberjack plaid jackets and vintage hairstyles than in other districts in the city. Here are some of their currently favourite haunts. Be warned – some of them feature new forms of leisure! F. Cooke / Peters & Co. Gin Palace At no. 9 Broadway Market in Hackney we find a bar that seems to have emerged from days long gone. During the day, F. Cooke serve pies, eel and delicatessen galore, many dishes based on recipes over a century old. By night, the locale concept transforms completely. In fact, its name changes to Peters & Co. Gin Palace, as it turns into a veritable gin palace, like those that existed in London in Victorian times. You can savour this marvellous elixir by choosing from over twenty brands on their list. Nights of Drink and Draw – On the Cutting Edge Londoners are well aware that the best way to be a good hipster is to be an aesthetics and leisure innovator. A trend that has become popular lately involves combining drink and drawing. These are the so-called Drink and Drawspots, where you paint or draw in the company of other art enthusiasts, artists or just amateurs eager to have some fun. The fad hails from the arty Brooklyn district where people meet at specific local nightspots to have a drink while they scribble away. These gatherings are usually chaired by an art teacher, who decides on the various poses (about 6) adopted by a model. After a 45-minute session of drawing and painting, there is a break to have a drink and chat with the other participants. This is the ideal moment to socialise. Then follows another painting session. At the end, the teacher critiques the artworks with the whole class. The session typically lasts about 3 hours and costs £18, which includes a drink. The places where you can drink and draw are: Doodle-le-do, led by Natalia Talkowska, holds regular gatherings in London, Dublin, Poland and Holland. People come to meet, chat, draw, eat sandwiches and drink. Ditto Press, however, offers classes soused in home-brewed beer. Their bent is illustration and printing, which is hosted in their studio on Benyon Road, N1. Drink, Shop, Do, for its part, is a bar, pastry shop and craft workshop at King’s Cross where afternoon tea is set against craftwork classes. Doodle Bar, in Battersea, and The Book Club, in Shoreditch, both stage drawing events on their premises. Lastly, The Idler Academy offers art classes while savouring gin-tonics based on Hendricks. For over four years it has opened on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on premises at nearby Westgate Street. It comprises a cluster of craft shops, bric-a-brac and barbershops and, of course, food stalls. Clearly the perfect spot for pro hipsters. The market belongs to Netil House, a creative community based on Westgate Street. The terrace cafe affords panoramic views of the whole city. The atmosphere becomes vibrant from spring onwards. One faction of hipsters are advocating rural life in the heart of the city. No wonder, then, that you can find pastry shops offering homemade cakes. Yeast Bakery, also in the market, provides Breton butter-bakes made in a wood-fired oven. At Brawn (open Tuesday to Saturday) you can taste an endless array of organic wines, while at Jones Diary you can buy all kinds of homemade cheeses, and Lee’s Seafood specialises in fried fish. At nightfall, where better to go than Mare Street. There, Cock Tavern has become all the rage. This pub specialises in home-brewed beer and was last year named Beard Friendly Pub of the Year, a title awarded by the Beard Liberation Front, a group which campaigns in support of beards. You can also sip a coffee while your bicycle gets a looking over at Look Mum No Hands! Now for a secret which only a few people know about – the supper clubs, a number of restaurants half-concealed inside other establishments. Also in this area is Printers & Stationers, housed in a warehouse area at the back of a would-be print shop on Ezra Street. We shall tell no more – no point in revealing all the secrets at once. So, hurry before these fabulous spots go out of fashion or get overrun. Check out our prices here! Text by Isabel y Luis Comunicación Image by Printers & Stationers, Ben Brannan, Thomas Wootton	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line511
__label__wiki	0.693893	0.693893	Steve Mackin ’98 named COO of Cancer Treatment Centers of America December 16, 2013 Alumni RelationsPosted in News Steve Mackin ’98 has been named chief operating officer of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. He is the former president and CEO of CTCA in Tulsa, OK. Click here to read about Steve’s career with CTCA, which has six locations in the United States. CTAC was founded by Richard J Stephenson ’62. Congratulations, Steve!	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line512
__label__wiki	0.972692	0.972692	Leveson inquiry: Seminar dates announced as publishers express concern over panel The make-up of the panel of the Leveson inquiry, the public inquiry which will examine press standards, media regulations and the phone-hacking scandal, has come under criticism for lacking in tabloid and regional press representation. In July prime minister David Cameron announced the line-up for the panel of experts who would assist with the public inquiry: civil liberties campaigner and director of Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti; former chief constable of the West Midlands, Sir Paul Scott-Lee; former chairman of Ofcom, Lord David Currie; former political editor of Channel 4 news, Elinor Goodman; former political editor of the Daily Telegraph, and former special correspondent of the press association, George Jones; former chairman of the Financial Times, Sir David Bell. The Guardian reports that Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail, as well as Trinity Mirror, the Newspaper Publishers’ Association and Guardian News & Media, raised some concerns about the panel during a hearing today (Wednesday, 28 September). Leveson indicated that he would consider whether to appoint extra advisers in response to Associated’s complaint. The judge said that he would reserve his decision, noting that the “pressures on the Liverpool Echo will be different to the pressures affecting the Mirror and the Sun; different to the pressures affecting the Observer”. Today the inquiry also announced the dates for two seminars in connection with the inquiry, to be held on 6 and 12 October, which will explore some of the key public policy issues raised by its terms of reference and to hear expert and public opinion on those. More details on content and participants will be announced on the inquiry website shortly. This entry was posted in Investigative journalism, Legal and tagged associated newspapers, guardian, inquiry, Legal, leveson inquiry, Lord Leveson, panel, phone hacking, regional press, tabloid on September 28, 2011 by Rachel Bartlett. ← Journalisted Weekly: Debt Crisis, Palestine and Dale Farm Five tips from a radio journalist who reports solely from an iPhone and iPad →	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line516
__label__cc	0.591963	0.408037	Coast Guard rescues Arctic Bay, Nunavut, narwhal hunters: Hunters sent ‘help’ and SOS messages via SPOT device Upon receiving a SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger SOS alert, a Canadian Coast Guard ship went to the tracked location. Once there crew members found five narwhal hunters. "The hunting party had been hunting for quite a while and due to weather they were delayed for at least three days, so they were running out of heating fuel," said Christian Cafiti, with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ont. Read more at http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2012/09/06/north-coast-guard-rescue-arctic-bay-hunters.html	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line521
__label__wiki	0.551428	0.551428	Opinion: Who will step up to end gun insanity in the U.S.? A makeshift memorial stands outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in the aftermath of a deadly shooting at the in Pittsburgh, Monday, Oct. 29, 2018. AP O, wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as others see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us, An’ foolish notion. The insight of Scottish poet Robbie Burns into the hubris that beguiles both individuals and nations is particularly applicable to the pervasive gun culture that defines the United States of America. Where else in the developed world is to be found such a protracted litany of massacres of innocent citizens perpetrated by fellow citizens; where else is such a ubiquitous bearing of arms by civilians sanctioned and celebrated even in the face of such barbarity and suffering of its own citizens? Aside from the shattering of loving families and communities, and knowing of the relentless personal grief that too many must carry for a lifetime, the major casualty here is the U.S. itself. From the perspective of a friendly neighbour and ally who appreciates the potential nobility of this uniquely remarkable nation, it’s a great tragedy that the culture of gun violence debases the country, robs it of its moral authority, and inhibits its citizens. It is this that is at the root of our deep concern and sadness as we witness a U.S. that is seemingly incapable of protecting its own citizens from gun violence on the part of others, this time in a synagogue in Pittsburgh, earlier in Santa Fe, Texas, in Florida and Las Vegas, etc., each only the latest in a seemingly endless series (hundreds already this year!) in too many other communities throughout the U.S. With the obvious support of President Donald Trump, the powerful gun lobby continues to intimidate to the point of silence a majority of politicians. Ironically, it is some of these same politicians, reaping great political advantage by virtue of their celebrated commitment to safeguarding the security of their fellow citizens, especially from any foreign threats both real and imagined, are seemingly oblivious to the demonstrated certainty that the real threat to everyday citizen security in the U.S. is from within. The absurdity here is equal to that of the hysterical claims of gun advocates that proponents of even anemic forms of gun control are coming to confiscate all guns, that only by arming everyone will everyone be safe, that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution actually sanctions the bunkum spouted by the NRA. In its periods of greatness, the U.S. has in each instance summoned the vision and the courage to overcome powerful internal factions, narrow partisanship and the cynical, opportunistic bottom-feeding politicians who thrive on divisions. It is this that has at times inspired its citizens and the nation itself to levels of individual and national achievement that have rightly earned the admiration and respect of the global community. Canada and other nations looked on in awe during the post-Second World War period onward as the U.S. used its military might, economic dominance and, yes, moral authority to lead post-war reconstruction in other lands, inspire brilliant scientific and technological innovations at home, provide massive foreign aid abroad, and broker complex international peace initiatives. The uncertain world of 2018 urgently needs a healthy U.S. and the inspired leadership it once provided both internally and internationally, but a nation incapable of addressing its devastating addiction to guns is in no position to lead in any meaningful or sustained way. In the wake of yet another mass slaughter of innocent citizens, what more will it take for thoughtful men and women in the U.S., particularly the apparently indifferent majority that has been bullied into quiescence, to summon the courage to challenge the prevailing gun culture? What more will it take to inspire a coming together to form a mass movement for some measure of gun sanity that will reignite confidence in the enormous capabilities of the nation that is so evident to those of us looking in? Terrence J. Downey is a political scientist and president emeritus, St. Mary’s University, Calgary, and president emeritus, St. Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan. Opinion: China offers to lead international free trade Opinion: Finally, a win for the West	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line522
__label__cc	0.641918	0.358082	NextWhy only 12 percent of Family Owned Businesses Make it to a 3rd Generation Using Conative Strengths for ‘Space Travel’ Can you teach people about conation in any location – even in outer space? One Kolbe Consultant decided to find out by taking a group of executives into the “Final Frontier” – or at least, a close facsimile. Kolbe Corp on January 27, 2017 John Barr, president and co-founder of Transformation Through Leadership, has been associated with Kolbe Corp for more than two decades. “I first became Kolbe CertifiedTM in 1995 when I was working for Xerox as the Manager of Management and Quality Consulting” John says. At that time, he was working closely with Kathy Kolbe, and he “was responsible for designing and implementing management and quality workshops and providing consulting services to 39,000 employees. During my career with Xerox and in the years since I started our consulting business, I have probably introduced over 5000 people to conation and the Kolbe Theory.” “I’ve used Kolbe Theory to introduce senior executives to the emotional, intellectual, and conative areas of the mind and to explain how those areas work together to help determine how well an individual will perform in a specific job or as a member of a specific team.” When developing teaching strategies for his clients, John likes to get people out of their “comfort zone” and invite them to view things from a new perspective. So, in one challenging situation, he decided to take a group of executives out of their offices, and launch part of the team into outer space! John was working with a large pharmaceutical company that had recently gone through a merger involving employees from three different countries. In order to be successful, these employees needed to understand one another and appreciate each other’s strengths. “These were individuals from different cultures with very different world views,” John says. “How could I get them to understand and appreciate one another so they could work together?” John had established a relationship with The U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp as part of his working relationships with Idea Connection Systems, where he also provided consulting services to their clients. “At that time, they had a two-day camp where groups of business executives could participate in simulated space missions,” John says. “So, I took 11 managers from the pharmaceutical company down to Huntsville and put them into a very challenging situation where they could experience both the feeling of working against their conative grain and the feeling of leveraging their instinctive strengths.” At Huntsville, the executives were placed in three groups: the “Space Shuttle” team, the “Mission Control” team, and the “Space Lab” team. “On Day One, I placed all of them in roles where they were forced to work against their natural conative strengths. When a person is under stress or a threat, their body produces more of the cortisol hormone, which tends to impair their decision-making ability. It’s a survival response. “I wanted these executives to experience how placing someone into a job or situation that does not match up well with their conative strengths might impair their thinking and could lead to disaster,” John says. “While the group included an array of conative talents, it was dominated by individuals who initiated in Fact Finder.” The day began with an orientation program to introduce the participants to proper launch procedures, appropriate responses to various kinds of alarms, etc. “We started stressing them out right away,” John says. “The person assigned to lead the Mission Control team was a ‘9’ in Quick Start and resistant in Follow Thru. So, going through all of the pre-launch procedures that were listed in the launch manual was very difficult for him. I’m sure he just wanted to launch the rocket and get the mission started.” Finally, it was time for take-off. The executives on the Space Shuttle team were taken to a simulator where they were seated back at a 90 degree angle and experienced many of the shakes and jolts of an actual launch. Then the “fun” began. “The alarms started going off right away. Once they solved one problem, I’d throw another one at them. This went on for two-and-a-half hours. When it was over they were all beat, physically and emotionally.” “After the simulation was completed and the team had time to decompress, we shared their Kolbe A™ Index results with them and had a rich dialogue about what they learned about themselves and others.” On the second day of the camp, the executives participated in another mission, but this time, they were each assigned roles that matched up well with their conative strengths. “We still had tension, but now we had creative tension as opposed to debilitative tension,” John says. “As I threw challenges at them, you could see that they were almost enjoying what they were doing. They still had to deal with alarms, but we didn’t come to a point where they just burned out and could not go any further.” The Strategic Planners (who initiate in Fact Finder and Follow Thru) were in control of both the shuttle and Mission Control. “They were in the zone, following procedures, step-by-step, using the manuals to their fullest extent. The Quick Starts were responsible for the experiments, and they were very creative. We kept the innovation in check by assigning Follow Thru’s to help document the experiments.” Another debriefing session was held after the second mission, and the executives had an opportunity to compare the experiences of dealing with conative stress and having the opportunity to rely on their conative strengths. John encouraged them to keep these experiences in mind when they returned to work. “The simulation and the debriefing sessions made their Kolbe results real for them,” John says. Not surprisingly, when John conducted a follow-up meeting with his client a few months later, it was clear that the Corporate Space Camp experience had made a significant impact on the managers, their teammates, and their company. “All of the employees in the office were now wearing their Kolbe MO badges attached to their business badges. During team meetings, as specific projects were assigned, people would look around the room and ask, ‘OK who has that instinctive talent?’” John also noted that, soon after the “Corporate Space Camp” exercise, some of those pharmaceutical managers had restructured the process for introducing new medicines to the marketplace. Their team reviewed 23 different core processes. Those that did not add value were eliminated. Those that did add value were assigned to individuals with the appropriate conative strengths. This resulted in a six-month reduction in the development of protocols for new drugs. “That translated into some major revenue for the company,” John says, “and it was accomplished by putting the right people in the right positions and giving them the freedom to rely on their instinctive strengths.” Sometimes the best way to help people understand their instinctive strengths involves taking them far away from their comfort zone … even if it means launching them into outer space! Why only 12 percent of Family Owned Businesses Make it to a 3rd Generation Hiring to Eliminate Risk Stifles Innovation and Kills the Economy	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line531
__label__wiki	0.659517	0.659517	Tag: mid week mix-down Caleb’s Mid-Week Mixdown Featuring: Freedom Fry, Galapaghost, William Fitzsimmons, and Freddy and Francine This is a grab bag of all of my favorite artists from the week to carry you through those Mid-week blues. No genres, no themes, nothing. I mean, I guess the theme is that I love these songs. We try to group artists with similar artists, but the fact of the matter is that most music fans don’t solely like one genre. If you’re like me, there are very few genres that you don’t get into in some capacity. What I’ve found is that a lot of people cross paths with the same people in their musical taste. Seth and I have a lot of crossover, but one distinct difference right out of the gate is that Seth gets more into the folk scene, and I get way more experimental with what he likes. Some of what he listens to sounds like Elvish chants in the woods to me, and some of what I listen to probably sounds to him like what Michael Caine listened to in Children of Men. You’ll probably start to notice a trend in these posts at some point. We have a lot of crossover, especially when it comes to hip-hop and emotive indie rock, but there’s a lot of music that Seth and I don’t necessarily agree on. We both know that objectively they’re good tracks, we just don’t subjectively like it as much as some other stuff. Without further ado, here are my favorite tracks of the week. Freedom Fry – “Classic (Acoustic)” This song is the epitome of nostalgia, albeit with a slight twist. There is the obvious examples like sipping on a glass bottle Coca-Cola, but it seems like it’s actually about how someone can give you that nostalgic “classic” feeling. Just their presence gives you that good feeling that feels like the world is as simple as enjoying each other’s company. To me there’s really nothing better than that feeling, and this song captures the vibe perfectly. You hear this structure in the chorus when it mentions “living in the past with you”, but then is followed with “jumping in the bed with you.” Maybe they are doing nostalgic activities together, but any act has that glow to it because they are doing it together. When you realize that Freedom Fry is a married French/American duo (hilarious name for that mixture by the way), the chemistry apparent in the presentation of this song makes a lot of sense. They are just sharing their love with us, and hoping we can relate, and on my best days this summer, I know I absolutely can. Bio: Freedom Fry are Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll, a married French & American musical duo. They write and record everything themselves and usually direct and edit their own music videos too. If you like what you see & hear, subscribe and say “hi.” Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat: @freedomfrymusic. They released their debut album, “Classic,” on June 1, 2018. Galapaghost – “Jellyfish” Any of you who have followed us for a while should be familiar with this guy. He was featured on our very first podcast episode (Hope). I am very happy to share some more music with you guys today. Galapaghost is the solo project of a very prolific songwriter, Casey Chandler. He’s released 5 albums so far, and seems to be ramping up some new music earlier this year already. The unique thing about “Jellyfish” and the album, Sootie, is that it is Casey’s first electronic album. I love the spacey atmosphere of this song, and given its place on the album, which is primarily about childhood, I can’t help but feel a sense of innocence from this song. The lyrics though, paint a different picture: “When you told me you might need something more exciting Well I guess I should get dressed Cause I guess I got some expenses Spending all the hours of the day Working until you don’t recognize your face” So as an adult reflecting on this innocence, it can’t help but feel but lost, when you are working all day, “until you don’t recognize your face.” Bio: Casey has no label, manager or band, so he produces all of his music himself. When he can afford it, he flies to Italy to record with his Italian brother from another mother, Federico. He hails from the small hippie town of Woodstock, NY. He toured Europe and North America with John Grant for 6 months in 2010, which included a prestigious slot on Later…With Jools Holland. He has released five albums. His first two albums were released on a small Italian label called Lady Lovely. He self-released his 3rd album I Never Arrived in 2016 and it already has over 2 million streams on Spotify and many rave reviews from Paste Magazine, Substream Magazine, The Big Takeover, AXS and many others. His 4th album ‘Pulse’ was self-released in January 2018. It received rave reviews from Alternative Nation, Huffington Post, Your EDM and many others. His 5th album ‘Sootie’ was released in August 2018. William Fitzsimmons – “Distant Lovers” This song is so haunting. Taken off his album, Mission Bell, Fitzsimmons breaks down a rough year marked by a decade-long marriage falling apart. This song in particular, questions monogamy, and how to forgive (or not) infidelity. As someone who had a marriage fall apart for similar (out of my control) reasons, I can’t help but ache in empathy with the content of this entire album. This is for anyone who has dealt with loss, and needs that bittersweet reminder of how deeply humans can love, hurt, forgive, and hopefully begin to heal. Bio: Singer-songwriter and music producer William Fitzsimmons’ latest record Mission Bell is a chronicling of the tumultuous last year of his life, particularly of the separation from his second wife. An initial version of the album was originally recorded in Fitzsimmons’ home studio in the summer of 2017 but was subsequently abandoned during the course of, and as a result of, the separation. In 2018 Fitzsimmons moved to Nashville and spent a month’s time rebuilding the lost record with producer Adam Landry (Deer Tick, Los Lobos, k.d. Lang, Vanessa Carlton). The resulting 11-song album tells the story of a decade-long marriage destroyed and eventually rebuilt from the ground up. Mission Bell includes songs about betrayal, but also reconciliation and forgiveness. Choosing to go deeper than mere absolutism and fate, these are stories of people doing their best, but still managing to destroy each other in the process. Freddy and Francine – “Half a Mind” “Everyday I’m waging war On who I am and what I was before But all I want is to forget But these memories open doors And I want you all the more Well if I don’t say it Well then I’ll go crazy I am paralyzed by the thought of you just passing by Oh honey if I don’t say it What’s the price I’m paying I got half a mind to make you all mine” I like putting this song right after the previous song because it shows the other side of the coin, the risk involved in not saying yes to love, even if there’s a risk of it eventually not working out. This song seems to be about that moment when you get absolutely overwhelmed by someone, and you just to have to let them know how you feel, regardless of the potential outcomes. The way this duo mixes their vocals with a twangy blues sound keeps me coming back to this song over and over. I got “half a mind” to add it to every playlist in my rotation as soon as I finish writing this. Bio: “We’re performers. We’re not just folk musicians who play and sing mellow songs with little voices … there’s screaming,” Caruso said. Don’t call it Americana either. They don’t wear hats. Besides, Caruso says, “The minute you think one of our songs is an Americana song, it can turn into a retro pop song.” Despite the reaction of most roots music fans to the dreaded “P” word, Caruso says she doesn’t mind Freddy & Francine being labeled a pop band. “Pop music gets a bad rap, but it comes from the word ‘popular.’ I’d love to be popular,” she said. “I never discriminate against a song because it’s popular if it stays in your head … every Beatles song is a pop song.” But mostly, Freddy & Francine sounds like Freddy & Francine. It ain’t the easiest thing to explain, but it makes sense when you hear it, and finally, it makes sense to the two people who matter most. “I’m really happy with who I am and I’m happy with the life I have,” Ferris said.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line533
__label__wiki	0.999679	0.999679	Browse Cities and Towns of District of Columbia (DC) for building Jobs Pentagon: building jobs in Pentagon, District of Columbia (20301) Washington: building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20001) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20002) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20003) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20004) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20005) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20006) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20007) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20008) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20009) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20010) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20011) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20012) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20013) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20015) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20016) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20017) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20018) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20019) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20020) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20024) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20026) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20029) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20030) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20032) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20033) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20035) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20036) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20037) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20038) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20039) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20040) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20041) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20042) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20044) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20045) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20046) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20047) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20048) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20049) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20050) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20051) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20052) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20053) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20055) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20056) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20057) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20058) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20059) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20060) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20061) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20062) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20063) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20064) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20065) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20066) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20067) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20068) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20069) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20070) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20071) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20073) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20074) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20075) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20076) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20080) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20081) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20082) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20084) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20088) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20090) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20097) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20098) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20201) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20202) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20203) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20204) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20206) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20207) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20208) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20210) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20211) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20212) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20213) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20214) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20215) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20216) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20217) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20218) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20219) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20220) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20221) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20222) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20223) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20224) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20225) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20226) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20227) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20228) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20229) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20230) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20231) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20233) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20235) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20239) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20240) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20241) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20242) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20244) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20245) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20250) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20251) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20260) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20261) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20265) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20266) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20268) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20289) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20299) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20305) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20306) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20307) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20310) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20314) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20315) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20317) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20318) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20319) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20324) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20330) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20332) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20333) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20334) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20335) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20336) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20337) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20338) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20340) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20350) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20360) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20361) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20362) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20363) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20370) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20371) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20372) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20373) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20374) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20375) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20376) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20380) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20388) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20389) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20390) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20391) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20392) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20393) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20394) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20395) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20396) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20397) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20398) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20401) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20402) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20403) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20404) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20405) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20406) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20407) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20408) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20409) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20410) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20411) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20412) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20413) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20414) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20415) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20416) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20418) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20419) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20420) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20421) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20422) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20423) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20424) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20425) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20427) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20428) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20429) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20430) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20431) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20433) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20435) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20436) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20439) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20440) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20441) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20442) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20444) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20451) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20453) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20456) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20460) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20463) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20468) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20469) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20470) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20472) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20501) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20502) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20503) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20504) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20505) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20506) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20507) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20510) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20515) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20520) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20521) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20523) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20524) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20525) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20526) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20527) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20530) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20531) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20532) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20533) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20534) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20535) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20536) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20537) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20538) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20539) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20540) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20541) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20542) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20543) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20544) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20546) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20547) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20548) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20549) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20550) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20551) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20552) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20553) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20554) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20555) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20557) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20558) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20559) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20560) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20565) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20566) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20570) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20571) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20572) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20573) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20575) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20576) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20577) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20579) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20580) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20581) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20585) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20586) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20590) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20591) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20593) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20594) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20595) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20597) building jobs in Washington, District of Columbia (20599)	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line534
__label__wiki	0.736876	0.736876	Does the Stockholm Syndrome affect female sex workers? The case for a “Sonagachi Syndrome” Abraar Karan1 & Nathan Hansen2 Female sex workers are subjected to intense physical, sexual, and mental abuses that are well documented in the medical and public health literature. However, less well-studied are the mental coping mechanisms that are employed by women in this population to survive. The Stockholm Syndrome has been discussed in the news media as a potential phenomenon in this vulnerable population, but has not been formally studied. From a previous retrospective qualitative analysis reviewing interviews with women in sex work throughout India, we found that the four main criteria for Stockholm Syndrome (perceived threat to survival; showing of kindness from a captor; isolation from other perspectives; perceived inability to escape) are present in narrative accounts from this population. Thus, we propose that Stockholm Syndrome should be considered as a contributing phenomenon with regard to the psychological challenges faced by female sex workers, and can likely help guide interventions accordingly. An unusual phenomenon has been observed in female sex workers (FSW) around the world, many of whom have been kidnapped, trafficked, emotionally abused, sexually violated, physically exploited, and isolated from their families and the public. When rescued by law enforcement and supported by non-governmental organizations, they refuse to testify in court against their traffickers. This has been reported in both the United States and England, and was a prevalent concern with leading anti-trafficking NGO staff in India, who author AK had interviewed [1, 2]. Currently, the closest psychiatric descriptors of trauma endured by female sex workers are Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS), but neither of these have been included in the DSM IV due to debate over whether they are distinctly different from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as it currently is defined [3,4,5]. We propose that a further explanation of this behavior is the Stockholm Syndrome, a phenomenon in which those held captive develop bonds with their captors in what is thought to be a survival and coping strategy [6, 7]. Of note, the condition also has not been accepted as a true medical syndrome by the medical or psychiatric community, in part because of its rarity and the very specific vulnerable groups among which it has been documented. The Stockholm Syndrome has emerged as a pattern of behavior exhibited by those in situations of captivity, including hostage situations (bank robberies; plane hijackings), abusive domestic relationships, and sexual abuse in children [8, 9]. The specific conditions to which female sex workers are subjected have not been studied in relation to the Stockholm Syndrome. In this debate piece, we propose that the Stockholm Syndrome as it is currently understood may be a real contributor to the psychological challenges that plague female sex workers, particularly with regard to attempts at rehabilitation and ending dependency from captors. In our research with Indian female sex workers (FSWs), we retrospectively studied narrative accounts of interviews with women in this population who were part of empowerment groups organized by the nonprofit Apne Aap Women Worldwide (AAWW). AAWW operates in several states in Northern India with a variety of communities in brothel, street, and home-based sex work. We analyzed interviews conducted between June 2010 and April 2012 by AAWW with female sex workers in Delhi, Bihar, Kolkata, Mumbai and Rajasthan, India. The interviews were conducted by staff members of Apne Aap as part of a monthly newsletter known as the Red Light Dispatch. Apne Aap received informed consent from all women as part of their organizational protocol to publish these interviews in their monthly newsletter, which is distributed widely to donors, volunteers, and other supporters of the organization. We used NVivo coding software and a grounded theory approach to highlight themes related to mental health and trauma. The full methods and analysis of these interviews are reported in a separate research paper [8]. In our qualitative analysis, we were struck by patterns of abuse that were consistent with the pre-conditions for Stockholm Syndrome that have been described by Graham et al. [9] (Table 1) The components of initiation and continuation of sex work involved physical and sexual violence, physical isolation, psychological demoralization; and perhaps most notably, the presence of a love relationship with the trafficker. Table 1 Pre-conditions for Stockholm Syndrome in female sex workers The first precondition of Stockholm Syndrome has been described as a perceived threat to survival and the belief that a captor would carry such threat to completion. For many women who are trafficked, physical violence and torture are central aspects of their experience. (Table 1) The threat to survival is perpetrated by both brothel workers (pimps, traffickers, brothel madams), as well as clients. In many narratives, women discussed that death was a plausible result of starvation, physical violence, and sexual violence. The second precondition is the showing of love or kindness to the victim by the captor. This is particularly notable in that many women who are trafficked continue to have a relationship with their trafficker, or others develop relationships with clients. (Table 1) Some women, for instance, described having hope that they would be able to start a family with their trafficker or a client. However, within the context of Stockholm Syndrome, this criterion essentially refers to any action which might help the woman to survive. As the FSW’s survival is essential to the running of the sex market, pimps and brothel owners naturally must provide the woman with enough food and shelter for her to be healthy enough to work. Thus, the nature of the pimp-prostitute relationship is in some ways inherently designed to allow for kindness or demonstrations of positive interactions. Moreover, abuses from pimps and brothel madams are lessened as the woman accepts her position in the brothel and it is likely that her treatment improves over time. A third precondition is that victims are isolated from the outside world. Many women described that their first several months in the brothel were completely isolated aside from seeing a brothel madam or trafficker. (Table 1) There was no contact with the outside world, creating a sense of depersonalization and demoralization. The final precondition for Stockholm Syndrome is the perceived inability to escape. Female sex workers who tried to escape from the brothel were physically beaten in front of other women to dissuade them from trying to escape (Table 1). For many trafficked women, entry into sex work was through false promises of marriage or of a well-paying job in a different city. Once in sex work, many women felt that the stigma of their circumstance would prevent their families from ever taking them back, or allowing them to have a normal role in public society. Furthermore, corruption and sexual abuse from law enforcement officials (who are often also clients) further convinced women that there was no outside help available. We believe that these extreme circumstances compel women to focus on survival rather than escape, which is essentially the crux of the Stockholm Syndrome—a psychological attempt to physically survive in captivity. This pattern of behavior is not only restricted to brothel-based prostitution as similar relationships are also present in street, home, and caste-based prostitution scenarios. This has been noted as a point of difficulty for anti-trafficking rehabilitation programs around the world [1]. The understanding of female sex workers’ psychological state as it relates to the Stockholm Syndrome must be further studied in this population. Understanding the proposed psychology of Stockholm Syndrome in this population is essential because it will inform rehabilitation efforts and windows for intervention that can disrupt the emotional dependencies that are being described. For instance, psychotherapy specific to traumatic psycho-dependence may be an integral part of FSW rehabilitation, and the presence of Stockholm Syndrome preconditions should be considered in each individual victim’s case. Furthermore, if the Stockholm Syndrome is indeed significant, it would have substantial implications for legal cases in which rescued women refuse to testify against captors. For instance, requiring women to participate in legal proceedings that could be influenced by positive feelings toward captors that are rooted in trauma would need to considered with special exception. We propose a differentiation of the Stockholm Syndrome in female sex workers, more specifically to be referred to as the “Sonagachi Syndrome” (Sonagachi is the largest Red Light District in India, located in the city of Kolkata). Bradley M. Human trafficking: why do so many victims refuse help? The BBC; 2013. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24548143. Buettner R. Prostitutes testify in defense of pimps at sex trafficking trial: The New York Times; 2013. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/nyregion/prostitutes-testify-in-defense-of-pimps-at-sex-trafficking-trial.html. Sar V. Developmental trauma, complex PTSD, and the current proposal of DSM-5. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2011;2:10.3402/ejpt.v2i0.5622. https://doi.org/10.3402/ejpt.v2i0.5622. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. PTSD: National Center for PTSD. February 2016. Available at: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/PTSD-overview/complex-ptsd.asp. Accessed 20 Jan 2018. Herman JL. Complex PTSD: a syndrome in survivors of prolonged and repeated trauma. J Trauma Stress. 1992;5(3):377–91. Kitroeff N. Stockholm syndrome in the pimp-victim relationship: The New York Times; 2012. Available at: https://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/stockholm-syndrome-in-the-pimp-victim-relationship/. Julich S. Stockholm syndrome and sex trafficking: why Don’t they do something? Fair Observer; 2013. Available at: http://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/stockholm-syndrome-sex-trafficking-why-dont-they-do-something/. Graham DLR, Rawlings EI, Ihms K, Latimer D, Foliano J, Thompson A, Suttman K, Farrington M, Hacker R. A scale for identifying “Stockholm syndrome” reactions in young dating women: factor structure, reliability, and validity. Violence Vict. 1995;10(1):3–22. Julich S. Stockholm syndrome and child sexual abuse. J Child Sex Abus. 2005;14(3):107–29. We would like to acknowledge the Apne Aap Women Worldwide NGO which cares for women in sex trafficking. The data is openly accessible through the website of the Apne Aap Women Worldwide organization. The web link is: http://apneaap.org/our-stories/red-light-despatch/ Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Abraar Karan Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, University of Georgia College of Public Health, Athens, Georgia, USA Nathan Hansen Search for Abraar Karan in: Search for Nathan Hansen in: Both authors contributed equally to the writing of this manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript. Correspondence to Abraar Karan. The research that is presented here was through a non-profit organization (Apne Aap Women Worldwide) which collected the data and has their own IRB approval process for their interactions with research subjects. We looked at their data second-hand, which is presented in the table in our manuscript. Karan, A., Hansen, N. Does the Stockholm Syndrome affect female sex workers? The case for a “Sonagachi Syndrome”. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 18, 10 (2018) doi:10.1186/s12914-018-0148-4	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line545
__label__wiki	0.677545	0.677545	← The excellent good news of No Dakar through Bolivia! The cuisine of Bolivia and its good taste → Freedom of the Press under peril in Bolivia! It is a total shame that prestigious journalists like Amalia Pando, Raul Penaranda, Carlos Valverde, Andres Gomez, Humberto Vacaflor had suffered political persecution, and their right to work had been curtailed by the coca caudillo government! Bolivia is experiencing political persecution, blackmail and extortion! The above is the opinion of Bolivian Thoughts. El Diario reports: Financial suffocation: Journalist and a newspaper ask readers for help • The independent media is going through an unprecedented situation, according to the National Press Association, which months ago filed a complaint against the Government before the IACHR for violating freedom of expression and the press A state of financial suffocation this week pushed a journalist and an independent press to request the support of its readers, in an emergency that the National Association of the Press of Bolivia (ANP) attributes to a systematic campaign aimed at weakening the independent media. The entity that groups the written media of the country referred to the journalist Amalia Pando, in principle, and now the newspaper Pagina Siete, which launched emergency plans aimed at mitigating the difficulties generated by the lack of advertising revenue, both private as well as public. Pando said that government agencies do not publicize in her “lobbying” radio program and her social networks, but the fear of tax reprisals also scares off private announcers, who detracted from the work of the journalist and her team of journalists. EL DIARIO also denounced the double pressure. The Government does not place publicity in the centenary newspaper and, by the testimony of private advertisers, tax service agents warn that the purchase of spaces in this independent newspaper will imply an economic sanction. “The income with which Pagina Siete operates is the product of our work; We do not have perks of any kind,” says a message, addressed to the readers of the virtual page of the printed media. “To develop serious and independent journalism, essential in democracy, which you appreciate in Pagina Siete, we have a team of first-rate reporters, editors, photographers, administrative and commercial,” reads the end of each news item offered through its page http://www.paginasiete.bo. “If you want to support the effort we made, subscribe to P7 VIP, to receive an informative letter by email from Monday to Friday, which will contain a summary of the most interesting news and opinions of Pagina Siete, at a cost of only Bs15 per month (a little more than two dollars),” reads the invitation to readers. The situation of journalism in Bolivia is very difficult and reflects the denunciations made by the president of the ANP, Marcelo Miralles Iporre, during the hearing on the Situation of the Right to Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Press in the Andean Region in the framework of the 167 Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), held on February 28, in Bogotá. Miralles described to the members of the IACHR the set of rules and policies of the ruling party aimed at silencing the work of journalists and independent media. A total of 12 decrees and laws impose the publication of notices and government campaigns for free, and subtract 30 percent of income from private media, according to data generated by the affected newspaper companies. EMPLOYMENT STABILITY In that line, days ago the ANP also warned that the policies applied by the central government, of economic suffocation to the independent media, put at risk the job stability not only of journalists, but of all those who work in the field of information. “The National Association of the Press of Bolivia expresses a deep recognition to the hard work of women and men journalists, and warns that the policies of asphyxia to the mass media are pushing to a situation of labor instability in the sector”, affirmed the entity. http://www.eldiario.net/noticias/2018/2018_05/nt180518/politica.php?n=32&-periodista-y-un-diario-piden-ayuda-a-lectores This entry was posted in Bolivia, Business, Politics, Social Unrest and tagged corruption in public office, demagogue, democracy in peril, freedom of choice, freedom of the press, government failures. Bookmark the permalink.	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line547
__label__cc	0.724346	0.275654	Board Member Review Committee Board Member Review Committee (BMRC) The purpose of the Board Member Review Committee is to encourage citizens to apply to serve on the city’s boards and committees including requesting applicants to consider other boards or committees than those that they originally applied for, to review and consider available applications when vacancies occur, to consider recommending existing board and committee members to an additional term and to make recommendations to the Mayor as to which applicants to appoint to fill those vacancies. There will be a total of five (5) members on this Committee. The first member will be one of the sitting City Commissioners, who shall serve as chairman of the Committee, shall serve a one-year term and will be eligible for additional terms. Each one-year term for the Commissioner shall begin on December 1st. This member shall be appointed by the Mayor and be subject to the approval of the commission. The second and third members shall be citizens of Atlantic Beach. They will be appointed by the Mayor subject to approval of the commission. The citizen members shall have backgrounds or experience in committee work or human resources. The citizen appointments shall serve three-year terms which will be staggered and be eligible to serve three (3) consecutive terms. The fifth member will be the chairman of the board or committee for which vacancy or re-appointment is currently being considered. They shall serve only for those meetings where membership on their board or committee is being considered. The City Clerk shall serve as the Committee Liaison and perform all necessary administrative duties. The Board Member Review Committee meets when needed. BMRC minutes and agendas can be accessed by clicking the following link. BMRC Minutes and Agendas Board/Committee Member Application Community Development Board Cultural Arts & Recreation Advisory Committee Environmental Stewardship Committee	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line548
__label__cc	0.680849	0.319151	Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is seeking an experienced pediatric neurologist to lead the pediatric neurology division based in Wellington, FL. The selected physician will work out of the newly constructed Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Pediatric Specialty Center – Wellington, which recently opened in February 2019. All candidates should be board certified in neurology with special qualification in child neurology and have a minimum three years’ post-training experience. Though not required, those with additional sub-specialty fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology, epilepsy, movement disorders or stroke are encouraged to apply. Research initiatives will be fully and actively supported through the Office of Human Research, though this is not a requirement of the position. The physician will join seven other employed pediatric neurologists. The opportunity to rotate through Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital’s main campus in Hollywood, FL is a possibility. The 30,000-square-foot Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Pediatric Specialty Center - Wellington is home to offices for a variety of pediatric specialists offering services to local patients in need of additional specialists. Services offered include, but are not limited to, orthopaedics (sports medicine and surgery), neurology, otolaryngology, general surgery, endocrinology and pulmonology. Physicians are part of the hospital-employed Memorial Physician Group at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. This is a full-time employed position with the multispecialty Memorial Physician Group. The position offers competitive benefits and a compensation package that is commensurate with training and experience. Professional malpractice and medical liability are covered under sovereign immunity. About Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital opened in 1992 and has grown to be the leading children’s hospital in Broward and Palm Beach counties. With 226 beds, an 84-bed Level II and III NICU, 30-bed PICU and 12-bed intermediate care unit, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital combines leading-edge clinical excellence with a child- and family-friendly environment that emphasizes the Power of Play. Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital offers a comprehensive range of healthcare services – delivered with kindness, dedication and compassion. About South Florida South Florida offers a dynamic urban/suburban lifestyle with an abundance of cultural and recreational amenities, miles of beautiful beaches, top-rated golf courses, zoos and wildlife refuges, a vibrant arts community, museums and world-class dining. South Florida’s high quality of life – including year-round summer weather, exciting multiculturalism and no state income tax – attracts new residents from all over the country and around the world. FY20-01 Internal Number: FY20-01 About Memorial Healthcare System Memorial Healthcare System is one of the largest public healthcare systems in the United States. A national leader in quality care and patient satisfaction, Memorial has ranked 11 times since 2008 on nationally recognized lists of great places to work – in Modern Healthcare magazine, Florida Trend magazine and Becker’s Hospital Review, just to name a few. Memorial’s facilities include its flagship, Memorial Regional Hospital, one of the largest in Florida; Memorial Regional Hospital South; Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, the only freestanding children's hospital in Broward and Palm Beach counties; Memorial Hospital West; Memorial Hospital Miramar; Memorial Hospital Pembroke; and Memorial Manor, a US News five-star-rated nursing home. Memorial’s work environment has been rated by employees and physicians alike as an open-door, inclusive culture that is committed to safety, transparency and, above all, outstanding service to patients and families. RN Full Time Nights 5 Sinatra Med Surg Palm Springs, California Desert Regional Medical Center Yesterday RN Full Time Days Observation Unit Palm Springs, California Desert Regional Medical Center 3 Days Ago RN Per Diem Days Med Surg 5 Sinatra Palm Springs, California	cc/2020-05/en_head_0055.json.gz/line549

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.