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‘Gang Matrix’ brought in after London riots slammed as ‘racially discriminatory’ by Amnesty
Published time: 9 May, 2018 09:38 Edited time: 10 May, 2018 07:27
© l94/ Global Look Press
A Metropolitan police database introduced by the Tories and containing the name of thousands of suspected gang members has been slammed by Amnesty International as “racially discriminatory” and a breach of human rights.
The database was set up by the Conservative government in the aftermath of the 2011 London riots in a bid to better tackle gang crime in the country. It contains the names of up to 3,806 people, some of whom are as young as 12, 87 percent of whom are black, and nine percent from other ethnic minorities. That despite London’s black population accounting for just 13 percent, and up to 1,500 of those listed being assessed as posing no risk of violence.
In a report on the police’s suspect list, Amnesty called on the system to be overhauled. Known as the ‘Gang Matrix,’ the system is understood to be used by forces in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands as well as the Met. Amnesty’s censure comes as new measures are sought to tackle the rise in violent gun and knife crime hitting major cities across the UK.
Amnesty expressed concern over the criteria used by the Met to list people as suspects, which includes unwarranted monitoring of social media profiles and the association of cultural preferences, such as liking grime music, to criminality.
Kate Allen, Amnesty International’s UK director, said: “The entire system is racially discriminatory, stigmatising young black men for the type of music they listen to or their social media behaviour, and perpetuating racial bias with potential impacts in all sorts of areas of their lives.
“Some police officers have been acting like they’re in the wild west, making the false assumptions that they can set up fake profiles and covertly befriend people online to monitor them without needing the appropriate search warrants.
READ MORE: Private police force will hit streets of Britain to fill void created by austerity
“The mayor of London needs to dismantle the matrix unless he can bring it in line with international human rights standards.”
UK gun and knife crime soared a record 22 percent in 2017, according to the Office for National Statistics. London’s murder rate has grown by almost 40 percent in the past three years, with the death toll overtaking that of New York in February and March.
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Step into Putin’s shoes: RT goes on 360 tour of inauguration route inside Kremlin (VIDEO)
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Tajikistan: Media See Gains, Setbacks
Authorities in Tajikistan are offering their version of the "carrot and stick" approach in dealing with the country's media. Government officials announced this week they will launch investigations into the murders of journalists committed during the Tajik civil war, something international press organizations have for years been calling for. They also said they would review tax legislation with the possible aim of easing media outlets' tax burdens. But at the same time -- and with much less publicity -- the government is moving ahead with plans to close four of the country's independent newspapers.
Tajikistan: Public Transport Users In Dushanbe Feel They're Being Taken For A Ride
After three years of unchanged tariffs, those who use public transport in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, now have to pay twice what they used to to get around the city. RFE/RL looks at the reasons behind the move, which is sparking criticism among the capital's population.
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“Reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting”: a cautionary tale about VAT fraud
Missing trader fraud
An HMRC study on the 2014-15 tax year estimates that there was a gap of £12.7 billion between the VAT theoretically due and the amount actually collected. Up to £1 billion of the missing money is thought to have been lost to so-called ‘missing trader’ fraud. This is an improvement on years gone by: a study on the 2005-06 tax year estimates the UK’s annual losses in tax revenue to missing trader fraud at £2-3 billion.
Missing trader fraud relies on the fact that no VAT is due on goods imported into the UK from overseas. Its most basic form is Acquisition fraud:
The ‘missing trader’ purchases goods from an overseas supplier. No VAT is due
The trader resells the goods in the UK, charging buyers VAT
The VAT received from buyers is owed to HMRC but the trader does not pass it on
Carousel fraud is an extrapolation of the same principle:
The ‘missing trader’ buys goods from an overseas supplier. The transaction is VAT exempt
The trader resells the goods in the UK, adding VAT to the price
The goods are sold between businesses in a chain of legitimate transactions. Any excess VAT resulting from a mark up in price is, as it should be, passed on to HMRC
The final buyer in the chain, known as the broker, exports the goods back overseas. Because the transaction is VAT exempt, the broker can recoup the VAT she paid on the goods from HMRC. In doing so she effectively claims back the VAT that the missing trader never paid
The fraud is a ‘carousel’ because the same goods can be sold repeatedly round the chain.
The Proceeds of Crime Act: a cautionary tale
Not everyone involved in the fraud is a trader: legal professionals and corporate service providers are required to set up and administer the carousel, and profits are laundered in any number of ways. Anyone who counsels, aids or abets is liable for a money laundering offence under the Proceeds Of Crime Act 2002. In addition, under 5.4.3 Section 328 of the act, a person commits an offence if he enters into or becomes concerned in an arrangement which he knows or suspects facilitates the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person.
A recent case saw a solicitor convicted of suspecting the facilitation of something illegal when his clients turned out to be involved in a carousel fraud. Graham (not his real name) is an experienced music lawyer with a City background who, at the time of his conviction, had a client list that included some of the biggest names in the industry.
The music business has more than its share of quirks: well-known artists often travel under aliases to avoid attention, tour the world over, and use innovative structures, including import-export arrangements, to circumvent foreign exchange controls when earning royalties in far-flung places. According to The Guardian, Abba’s outrageous outfits in the 70s and 80s were due in part to exemptions in the Swedish tax code for clothing that ‘could not possibly be worn on the street’. On top of this, work comes and goes and even established artists sometimes find themselves needing to set up side-businesses to supplement intermittent income.
It was a problem with such a side-business led one of Graham’s longstanding clients to get in touch with him. The client had been making a reasonable profit importing recording equipment into the UK until, out of the blue and with no explanation offered, his bank shut down his account.
Graham looked into the matter and found that the client’s business appeared somewhat fly-by-night, with no permanent presence on the ground in Asia. Graham flew out, met with banks and accountants and filed the paperwork to establish a company locally. The firms with which the client was trading were happier to receive funds from an account linked to an Asian company than from a personal UK account, and business picked up again.
Over the next few months the client introduced Graham to a number of associates who were also keen to formalise business with Asian companies. Graham put them in touch with local accountants and helped them establish the corporate structure used frequently in the music industry: a UK company with a UK bank account, linked to an offshore company and bank account in the same name. His list of clients for company formation services kept growing, to the extent that, after six months or so, it seemed like a good idea to set up a permanent office in the region.
Graham benchmarked his business practices against other successful company formation service providers and, in accordance with the anti-money laundering regulation at the time, met every customer in person and verified their passport and address. Proxy directors and board members were offered but the beneficial ownership of the companies was a matter of public record. Graham kept careful paper records too—three filing cabinets worth—with copies in Asia and London. He went together with customers to banks, who duplicated his due diligence before opening accounts.
And then one morning, about a year after he opened the Asian office, Customs officers turned up at Graham’s house at half seven in the morning and took him to the police station. They put him in a cell, called a lawyer and, eventually, granted bail at £100,000.
Graham was charged with involvement in a carousel fraud claimed to total, by the time he was convicted, more than £200 million. About a fifth of this was said to have been laundered through companies Graham helped to set up, although Graham himself was charged with less than £100,000 in above-board client fees.
The criminal group behind the fraud, in which neither Graham nor his client were accused of playing a pivotal role, submitted fake invoices in the names of existing British companies. Buyers were told to make payments to the bank accounts of clone firms in Asia. This, it was held, allowed goods to be bought and sold repeatedly between the UK and VAT-free jurisdictions, with the VAT fraudulently claimed back from the government each time.
Graham spent a month in a cell before the £100,000 bail, which had to be paid in cash, could be gathered from family and friends. During the several months of trial and in the year leading up to it, Graham’s bank accounts were frozen and he and his family were reliant on benefits. His children were taken into the protection of family and friends.
To convict Graham of money laundering under the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Crown had to show that the relevant act—helping set up companies in Asia—was committed despite the defendant knowing or suspecting that the property involved was derived from criminal conduct. At the start of the trial Graham was depicted as a kingpin of the whole carousel. This didn’t stick, although Graham is still angered by the accusation, joking that if he were a master criminal he would, he likes to think, have been doing better for his family than a two bedroom house and an M-reg car.
As the trial progressed it was established that Graham had been running a legitimate business that was abused by criminals. No money went through his personal accounts and his only profit was legitimate fees for services. So the Crown’s case hinged on that key provision, unusually stringent in the UK legal system: knowing, or merely suspecting, the criminal origins of the property involved.
The prosecution claimed that a number of things—companies in two jurisdictions with the same name, clients with alias passports, and bank accounts closed at short notice—were red flags. Graham doesn’t deny this, although he points out that the first two are not unusual in the music industry. He wonders whether his client, who pleaded guilty and was given an eight year sentence, recognised and exploited this blind spot.
I asked Graham if there was ever a point during the trial when something clicked, when he thought: “how did I miss it?”. He says not. He never had an inkling before police turned up at his door that anything approaching criminal was going on.
The prosecution ultimately accepted that Graham didn’t have direct knowledge of the criminal origins of the money, but not that he didn’t suspect foul play. ‘Suspicion’ became the keyword of the trial. In his closing speech, the QC for the prosecution said that while Graham had not acted illegally for profit, he had turned a blind eye to criminal activity in order to provide for his family—and that that was no excuse.
Graham was given a six year sentence, and his house was seized and sold off against his fine. He appealed immediately but served 18 months while he waited for the case to be heard. The appeal package consisted only of character statements and brought no new evidence, but it saw his sentence reduced, for the benefit of his children, such that he was let out on tag a few weeks after the completion of the appeal.
Although Graham can still practise law, he now only acts as a consultant. If clients Google him and find press coverage of the conviction, the best spin he can offer is: “I know things that no other lawyers or consultants know”—but he’s not really comfortable with the line. He still feels keenly in such circumstances that he has to defend himself again, to try to convince the client of his innocence. And in doing so, everyone he tells becomes a new jury, judging on something—the presence or lack of suspicion—that is more or less unknowable.
Amos Wittenberg, Editor, KYC360
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Categories: Asia-Pacific, Featured, Fraud, Latest Press, Law & Accountancy, Money Laundering, Money Transfer, Must Read, Trading, Trust & Corp Svcs, UK
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Keynote speakers for the 2017 North American IPv6 Summit confirmed!
Tuesday, April 25, 2017 Schedule
Keynote: Tony Scott, TonyScott Group
An innovative leader in information technology for global brands and the federal government, Tony Scott has spent his distinguished career developing leading-edge approaches to enterprise cybersecurity and advocating for the transformational power of digital modernization.
Over a 40-year career, Scott has shaped groundbreaking information technology solutions at some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Microsoft, General Motors, VMware, and The Walt Disney Company. A cybersecurity and cloud computing pioneer, Scott has championed and executed strategies driving modernization and efficiency with results extending from the corporate boardroom to the consumer’s living room, changing the way we think about modern data management and open-source advancements.
In 2015, Scott was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the third Federal Chief Information Officer of the United States. During his tenure, he improved federal cybersecurity, initiating a 30-day Cybersecurity Sprint and leading the government response to a series of cyber intrusions, eventually successfully launching the President’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan. Scott implemented a 21st-century approach to digital governance, opening up the federal source code and promoting transparency and innovation via effective partnerships between the public and private sectors. Along the way, he had to navigate net neutrality policy, manage privacy issues arising from the Apple vs. the FBI legal case, and oversee federal technology spending, including management of an $85 billion budget.
Today, Scott leads the TonyScottGroup, offering cutting-edge enterprise strategy and solutions in cybersecurity, cloud services, and technology management. He provides audiences with actionable takeaways to lead change and address common challenges, including the rising costs and complexity of infrastructure, how to efficiently implement new technologies, and the value in adopting cloud-based management.
Keynote: John Curran, ARIN
John Curran is the President and CEO of ARIN. His Internet industry experience includes serving as CTO and COO for ServerVault, which provides highly secure, fully managed infrastructure solutions for sensitive federal government and commercial applications. Prior to this, he was CTO for XO Communications, where he was integral in leading the organization’s technical initiatives, network architecture, and design of leading-edge capabilities built into the company’s nationwide network. Mr. Curran also served as CTO for BBN/GTE Internetworking, where he was responsible for the organization’s strategic technology direction. He led BBN’s technical evolution from one of the earliest Internet Service Providers through its growth and eventual acquisition by GTE. He has also been an active participant in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), having both co-chaired the IETF Operations and Network Management Area and served as a member of the IPng (IPv6) Directorate.
John is a founding member of the ARIN Board of Trustees, having served since August 1997. He was re-elected in 2000, 2003, and again in October 2006. As President and CEO of ARIN John is a non-elected, full-voting member of the Board.
8:00 am 9:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am 10:00 am Keynote 1 Tony Scott, Tony Scott Group IT Modernization - A path forward leveraging IPv6.
10:00 am 10:10 am Break
10:10 am 11:00 am Keynote 2 John Curran, ARIN How far are we in IPv6 adoption? Hear John Curran, President and CEO of ARIN, speak about why you should move to IPv6 now and how you can get an IPv6 block from ARIN. Explore current IPv6 adoption trends by taking a look at how many networks have an IPv6 block, how many networks are routing IPv6, and how much traffic is using IPv6. And last but not least, find out how you can get a reserved IPv4 block from ARIN to help in your transition to IPv6.
11:10 am 12:00 pm Presentation 1 Tom Coffeen, InfoBlox An Enterprise IPv6 Address Planning Case-Study This presentation will focus on real-world examples from an enterprise IPv6 address plan, taking time to review the principles of proper address planning for the existing corporate IT network as well as exploring options for addressing emerging network technologies like IoT, containerization/microservices, and cloud.
12:00 pm 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm 1:50 pm Presentation 2 Stephan Langerholm, T-Mobile T-Mobile's path to IPv6 Only For the past 10 years T-Mobile have worked towards creating an IPv6 environment and we are now getting very close to our goal. Stephan will present some learning on how to successfully enable IPv6-only using DNS64 with or without 464XLAT. He will do a live demo of the different IP interfaces on an Android handset. Finally, he will discuss and give some best practices on how to handle DNS, applications and websites that are having issues with DNS64.
1:50 pm 2:00 pm Break
2:00 pm 2:50 pm Presentation 3 Dani Grant, CloudFlare IPv6 - A View From The Edge Cloudflare serves 1.4 trillion web pages across its network every month to 2.5 billion Internet visitors. This talk will give a view of IPv6 stats from Cloudflare's edge to answer the question who and what is pushing IPv6.
3:20 pm 4:10 pm Presentation 4 Loghashankar Srinivasan, Mei Fan & Travais Norling, Cicso We Didn’t Just Build the Internet—We Constantly Reimagine It - An IPV6 Campus of the future Cisco’s Enterprise engineering team, in collaboration with the Cisco IT team (Known within Cisco as the IPV6 transformers), took the lead in converting one of Cisco’s buildings, building 23 (known internally as "The v6 Island") in San Jose to an IPv6-only network. Building 23 houses more than 500 employees with at least two devices per person. This translates into more than 120 access points and 20 network devices (Wireless/Switching/Routing). The Cisco IPV6 transformers are here to share this exhilarating journey to roll out the first IPv6-only building in the industry servicing the typical daily business traffic of a large enterprise. Beyond the excitement, it had been a Herculean effort to make sure that critical services were migrated with minimal disruption.
4:10 pm 5:00 pm Presentation 5 Rob Barton, Cisco IPv6 and IoT IPv6 plays a foundational role in the rapidly maturing world of IoT and digital transformation. This presentation will examine IPv6 use case examples in IoT environments and the unique challenges posed by constrained networks. We will examine the core IPv6 building blocks for IoT, including 6LoWPAN, RPL, and network management protocols, as well as applications of the various IPv6 address management strategies. We will look at how to overcome some of the most common IPv4 to v6 NAT issues by utilizing MAP-T, as well security best practices for IPv6 IoT endpoints. Finally, we will examine how Cisco has deployed some of the largest industrial IoT networks in the world using IPv6.
5:00 pm 6:30 pm Reception Stay for our Beer & Gear reception
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 Schedule
Keynote: Franck Martin, LinkedIn
Franck Martin has been postmaster at LinkedIn from 2011 till 2017. He spent nearly 20 years in Fiji where he worked extensively with 20 or so Pacific Island countries. He was trustee at the Internet Society 2006-2009, members of the Pacific Islands and San Francisco Chapters. He has deployed a few ISPs in Tuvalu, Fiji and Samoa as well as established two ccTLDs dot KI (Kiribati) and dot NR (Nauru). He has worked on the DMARC.org specification, deployed it at LinkedIn, and he is promoting email authentication technologies and policies. He is currently working towards building an IPv6-only data center at LinkedIn. He is also active in the alternative electronic music scene in San Francisco. He has released several electronica albums under his name.
9:00 am 10:00 am Keynote 3 Franck Martin, LinkedIn IPv6 @ LinkedIn LinkedIn has been following the depletion of IPv4. It put its first application - mail - on IPv6 in 2013, followed by the website and API in 2014. We then looked internally and saw we would also run out of IPv4 there. Yes, really! It was time to act. Since 2015, we have been on a long journey to convert our data centers to IPv6. This journey is not finished, but we will show you the milestones achieved and what it really means to deploy IPv6 @ scale, everywhere on everything.
10:10 am 11:00 am Presentation 6 Veronika McKillop, Microsoft Microsoft IT: Journey to IPv6 – are we there yet and what’s next? This presentation will cover the journey that Networking team in Microsoft IT took from an IPv4-only to Dual-Stack network. However, the team is not stopping there as this Dual-Stack is only IPv6 half-done. Our team aims to go IPv6-Only and I will share some details of this new exciting direction. I will also include differences in challenges that Enterprises face versus Service Providers.
11:10 am 12:00 pm Presentation 7 David Holder, Erion LTD CGN: A driver for IPv6 adoption "The IPv4 address space is exhausted and the scarcity of addresses is leading to the deployment of techniques to preserve and better utilize currently allocated addresses. Amongst these techniques, Carrier Grade NAT (CGN) is one which service providers are increasingly deploying in their access networks.
The long-term solution to address exhaustion is IPv6 with its enormous address space. However, the existing and widespread deployment of IPv4 networks and systems make it necessary to continue to support IPv4 into the near future.
The deployment of CGN is not without its challenges. CGN in the data path affects all players; end users, application developers, service providers, carriers and content providers. CGNs can impact banking applications, internet advertising, internet analytics, legal Intercept, computer forensics, privacy, voice and messaging applications, games consoles applications, AJAX applications and much more.
This presentation reviews the implications of CGN, how it affects all parties, the actions that can mitigate CGN issues and why the increasing deployment of CGN is an important driver for the adoption of IPv6."
1:00 pm 1:50 pm Presentation 8 Shannon McFarland, Cisco IPV6 in Cloud Deployments "More and more enterprise and service provider environments are deploying IPv6 within their Clouds due to extreme IPv4 address exhaustion. IPv6 support in various private and public Cloud platforms range from zero-to-hero.
This session will discuss:
- High-level view of IPv6 support across private cloud to include popular stacks such as OpenStack and Docker
- High-level view of IPv6 support across a few popular public cloud providers
- Top considerations for IPv6 addressing in Cloud designs
- Technical overview of OpenStack deployment with IPv6"
2:00 pm 2:50 pm Presentation 9 Kevin Jones, NASA NASA & Federal IPv6 Updates An overview of the NASA IPv6 effort will be provided that includes status, accomplishments, and challenges. Additionally, an overview of the Federal IPv6 effort will be provided that includes successes, approaches and next steps.
3:20 pm 4:10 pm Presentation 10 John Brzozowski - Comcast 6 @ Comcast – Changing the Game:
Infrastructure (network, back office, provisioning), cloud, content and more all required support for IPv6 (only) to support next generation entertainment, applications, and services.
4:10 pm 5:00 pm Presentation 11 Owen DeLong, Akamai IPv6 is Here: The Future is Now "Owen DeLong from Akamai Technologies will summarize the current state of progress on global IPv6 adoption
and discuss practical measures for further progress."
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Vols Among Top Teams for Four-Star Guard
by Nathanael Rutherford - Sep 27, 2018
(Photo via @TurboRell on Twitter)
Tennessee has a commitment from a five-star point guard in their 2019 class already in Josiah James. But on Thursday, another highly-rated guard in the 2019 class included the Vols in his list of top teams.
Tyrell Jones is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound guard out of Orlando, Florida. His recruitment blew up over the summer, and he received a slew of offers from some top programs in college basketball. Tennessee was one of those programs to offer him, and the Vols made his list of top teams he tweeted out on Thursday.
At this time I wanna thank all the colleges that recruited me but at this time here are the schools that have been recruiting me the hardest and I will decide from. #DECISIONS pic.twitter.com/WsRKA895OX
— Tyrell Jones (@TurboRell) September 27, 2018
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Jones is the No. 87 overall player in the country and the No. 11 combo guard in the 2019 class. Though he’s listed as a combo guard, he’ll be playing point guard in college.
Tennessee offered Jones back in mid-July, and he wasn’t even ranked by recruiting services when the Vols sent him an offer. He caught the attention of several teams for his play in summer leagues, and his explosive scoring ability as well as his ball-handling enticed several teams. He now holds over 35 offers,
The talented guard has already used three official visits this month, and he’ll be taking another one this weekend. Two of his three official visits so far have been to SEC schools, and his upcoming one is also to an SEC school. So far he’s taken official visits to Louisville, Auburn, and Ole Miss. He’ll take an official visit to Georgia this weekend, and he unofficially visited Florida in early August as well.
Jones’ highlight film shows off his incredible ball-handling talent and his confidence in his game. He carries himself with a swagger that most players don’t have, and he’s not afraid to shoot from anywhere on the court. But he’s not a selfish player by any means; he dishes off to his teammates plenty and can be seen directing traffic on the court as well. He plays with passion and isn’t afraid to drive inside either.
As a junior for West Oaks Academy, Jones averaged 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor and 39.5 percent from three according to MaxPreps. He made a school-record 12 three-pointers during a game in late February in a 114-72 win.
Unless someone in Tennessee’s current 2019 class decommits, the Vols are likely done for the fall in this cycle. They only have room for three scholarship players to add to their roster for the 2019-20 class as of now, but if Jones waits to sign with a team till the spring signing period, then the Vols might still have room for him or another player. If someone off Tennessee’s current roster transfers or declares early for the NBA, that will free up another spot.
But as it stands, Jones may not have room in Tennessee’s 2019 class unless he waits for the second signing period. Regardless, the Vols are one of his top teams, and they were one of the teams to get in early on him this summer.
Opponent Preview: No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs
Prediction Panel: Tennessee at No. 2 Georgia
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Michael Lynche gets eliminated from "American Idol"
"American Idol" recap: So long, Big Mike!
Michael Lynche gets the boot, but as a performance from Chris Daughtry reminds us: Coming in fourth ain't all bad
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2010/05/13/american_idol_elimination_big_mike_open2010/
Mary T. Kelly
May 13, 2010 5:13PM (UTC)
Wednesday night’s "American Idol Elimination Show" reduced the contestant field from a dismal four to a dismal three. The suspense was (not) palpable.
For all those naysayers who criticized those of us who, despite reason, logic or sanity, have continued to watch this disaster of a season, they should know that we are not alone. 37 million votes were cast Tuesday night, the highest number of votes cast this season in one night. Millions of people can’t be that stupid, can they? Never mind. It was a rhetorical question.
Fantasia, the "American Idol" winner of Season 3 in 2004, started off the show. Fantasia has enjoyed a highly successful career in the music industry, as well as performing on Broadway ("The Color Purple"). In other words, Fantasia has done good!
After her performance, all four contestants sat in stools in the middle of the stage. This was a new look. The contestants and us were told that the stakes were really really really big this week. The really really really big carrot being dangled in front of their faces was that the three remaining contestants would get to go to their home towns this coming week for a type of "hero’s welcome," replete with home town parades, praise, glory and adoration where fans and family members who won’t have a choice will come to bow down at their feet.
Ugh, it was just so wrong, but hey, it's America and we love our celebrities, even if they're only celebrities for 15 minutes.
Seacrest asked the contestants how they would feel about being able to go to their hometowns with "American Idol" camera crews in tow. Geez, you would think that they hadn’t seen their friends or families for at least ten years. Lee, Big Mike and Crystal's answers were horribly predictable and I wanted to scream at the TV, "Yes we know it would mean the world to you, you would feel so happy, you would die a happy person, you couldn’t imagine anything better than that home town parade." Casey wasn’t as ambitious as the other three. He just wanted to go home to hear people say "y'all." That Casey was one simple country boy. I had no idea.
Another new look was that to the right of the stage were seated members of the contestants' families. They were divided into: Team Crystal, Team Casey, Team Lee, and Team Big Mike. "American Idol" suddenly turned into "Amazing Race." I was getting so confused.
The results were presented "in no particular order" and Ryan became a drill sergeant as he barked, "Stand up all four of you."
Continuing in a serious and dramatic tone, Ryan said, "Mike and Casey, you sang, 'Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman.'" He went on to give them a summary of the judges’ feedback from Tuesday night’s show and checked in with Big Mike and Y’all to ask how they felt and the guys responded with the usual blah blah blahs.
It was then Crystal and Lee’s turn. "You two sang 'Falling Slowly.' After the nation-wide vote, Casey, you are safe and in the top 3!!!"
Casey looked shocked and his family, tweens, cougars, y’alls and Kara were ecstatic!!! Casey and his hair will be back next week.
Chris Daughtry was next to perform. Lest we forget, Daughtry is now the third most successful "American Idol" contestant in terms of record sales, behind Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood (who won their respective seasons). The nation was shocked the night Daughtry was voted off. He was the fourth-place finalist on the fifth season of "American Idol." That’s the year that Taylor Hicks won. "Taylor who?" you ask? Exactly! Daughtry’s appearance on Wednesday night was a good reminder that the good don’t always come in first but can win in the long run.
After his performance, it was time for more space fillers and faux suspense building. Left standing were Big Mike, Crystal and Lee. After even more fakey suspense building moments and music, Ryan finally said, "After the nation wide vote, Mike, hang tight for a second. Lee, friends, Lee is headed back to Chicago."
Translation: Lee was safe.
Results were put on the "back burner for a second" as Bon Jovi took the stage. One thing about "American Idol," they don’t mess around when it comes to getting uber big name performers to appear on the show.
Back to Mike and Crystal. After a few more minutes of torture, Crystal was declared safe.
Talk about anti-climatic. The camera shot to Lynche’s crying wife and Big Mike was stoic, taking it like a Big Man.
Big Mike said in a small voice, "It’s been unbelievable. I just sit here right now and I wasn’t even supposed to be here. I thank God the judges saved me and I got to spend more time here and be with the people, perform for my wife. You know it’s all good man."
It was then time to look at Big Mike’s journey. Oh I’m a sucker for these journeys to the past. Especially with the inevitable tear jerking goodbye song. This year’s song is "Leave Right Now" written by Eg White (is this a real name?) and sung by Will Young, the inaugural winner of "Pop Idol" in 2002 (the British version of "American Idol"). You couldn’t say goodbye to Big Mike without seeing pictures of his newborn baby, the baby girl who was born when he was first auditioning and the clip of when the judges saved Michael. Did you see that show? Oh, that was one emotional ending when those judges saved Michael.
Big Mike sang one more time with his still-crying wife and baby daughter in the audience. Damn it all, I’m always a sucker for this sentimental stuff. These goodbyes are sappier than a Hallmark commercial but I fall for it every time. With tears streaming down my face and Kleenex in hand, I suddenly felt guilty about any mean thing or criticism I had leveled at Big Mike. I suddenly loved Big Mike (even though he really did have to go).
Big Mike, a personal trainer, new father and possessor of a huge heart and voice was gracious and grateful as he left the stage. And I remembered, if just for a moment, why it is I've always loved this show. Everyone loves to see the common man succeed. And for Big Mike, coming in fourth wasn’t anything to be ashamed of. If you don't believe me, ask Chris Daughtry.
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Ohio Priest Convicted In Nun's Death Loses Appeal
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2012/01/09/ohio_priest_convicted_in_nuns_death_loses_appeal/
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest convicted of killing a nun in a hospital chapel in Ohio has lost his bid for a new trial.
A judge in Toledo turned down the priest's appeal Monday.
Attorneys for the Rev. Gerald Robinson had argued that police reports discovered after his trial could have changed the outcome. But the judge ruled that the reports didn't contain any relevant information.
It has been more than five years since jurors convicted Robinson of killing Sister Margaret Ann Pahl in 1980 at Mercy Hospital in Toledo, where both worked.
Robinson was the hospital chaplain and presided at the nun's funeral. He wasn't charged until 24 years later after investigators reopened the case.
Church historians say it's the only documented case of a Catholic priest killing a nun.
"The Hot Zone" has viral potential
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The gold-medal winning American gymnastics team listens to the U.S. national anthem (AP/Matt Dunham)
Blood, gore, melody
The Olympics remind us that most national anthems celebrate war-like behavior -- and we all just sing along
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2012/08/03/blood_gore_melody/
Kyrie O'Connor
August 3, 2012 6:54PM (UTC)
When NBC lets us see victorious athletes from other countries, the Olympics medal ceremonies are one of the rare times -- state visits, international athletic contests and a visit from the Toronto Blue Jays excepted -- that we get to consider the national anthems of other nations.
Chances are you even have your favorites: "O Canada," maybe, or "La Marseillaise." But how much time have you spent thinking about them?
Sure, for "La Marseillaise," you think of the stirring scene in "Casablanca" in which the patrons of Rick's Cafe Americain rise up to drown out the hated Germans' singing. But those lyrics -- do you know they are singing, amid other sanguine images, about letting impure blood water the fields' furrows? (Fortunately, the stanza about sons and women having their throats slit is no longer sung.)
The song emerged from the bloody French Revolution, so the lyrics make some sense in context. Or, as the Massachusetts musician and educator Nat Needle observes, "I would guess you'd have to be invaded and occupied a lot (and doing your share of invading and occupying) to come up with stuff like that and have it be appealing to people."
National anthems came into vogue in the late 18th and 19th centuries. While some, like Japan's, are based on songs or poems that are much older, that period was when most were adopted.
And here's the thing: They all sound pretty much the same, when you think about it: Martial and often, like "The Star-Spangled Banner," battle-born.
Robin Moore, a professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Texas, cites the work of scholar Thomas Turino on national anthems. "Turino's argument is that nations are not trying to sound their differences but prove they have the proper trappings of European nations." In other words, if you're trying to prove you're a nation of stature, you take the model of other nations of stature.
"I can't think of a single place that has adopted their more unique local qualities into their national anthem," says Moore. Thus no shakuhachi in the Japanese anthem, no sitar in the Indian one, no jazz in the American anthem.
Steven Greene, an associate professor of political science at North Carolina State University, is a bit of a national-anthem buff. "They're a jingoistic vestige of a former era, but I love them anyway," he says. So much so that when he goes to Carolina Hurricanes hockey games, he often picks games against Canadian teams so that he'll get to sing along with "O Canada."
His favorite is the stirring and stately Russian national anthem, which is a reworking of the old Soviet anthem. (Greene even remembers a bit of trivia from the '92 Olympics, in which the newly minted former Soviet republics, lacking an official anthem, used the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth as their official song.)
The Russian anthem is an interesting case. It replaced the Communist theme "The Internationale" in 1944. (I have a memory from college of a professor, nearly in tears, regaling the class with a rendition of "The Internationale." I bet that doesn't happen anymore.) In 1956, their former leader being out of vogue, lyrics mentioning Stalin were excised, and it was revised again in 1977. When the Soviet Union was dissolved, a new and unloved anthem was introduced, but it was such a bust that the old anthem, revised yet again, was reinstated.
Greene thinks there's a cultural reason why all anthems have pretty much the same elements. "People have a schema, a mental idea of what a national anthem should be." It ought to be martial, and sound good when played by a military band.
Even the English version of "O Canada," the anthem of our pacific brethren to the north, officially adopted in 1980, hints at militarism, pledging that the citizens will "stand on guard." But in general, recent revisions and adoptions of anthems tend to tone down the bloody-mindedness a bit and lean a little harder on brotherhood. (Greene, for one, is no fan of "The Star-Spangled Banner": too hard to sing, too war-like. He much prefers "America the Beautiful.")
Still, it's nearly impossible to resist the heart-tug of a good national anthem. Says Greene: "It's part of belonging to a modern community of nations. This is what a nation does."
Kyrie O'Connor is an editor and columnist at the Houston Chronicle
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YouTube launches pay channels with B movies
Roger Corman horror films are among the offerings in the site's new monthly subscription package
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2013/05/09/youtube_launches_pay_channels_with_b_movies_ap/
Ryan Nakashima
May 10, 2013 12:32AM (UTC)
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Roger Corman's campy B movies, children's shows like "Sesame Street" and "Inspector Gadget," and inspirational monologues by celebrities - these are among the offerings on 30 channels that will soon require a paid monthly subscription on YouTube.
Although the world's largest video site has rented and sold movies and TV shows from major studios since late 2008, most people watch videos on YouTube for free.
It's the first time YouTube is introducing all-you-can-watch channels that require a monthly fee. The least expensive of the channels at will cost 99 cents a month but the average price is around $2.99.
In the field of paid video content online, YouTube is playing catch up to services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon, all of which have millions of paying customers.
But with a billion monthly visitors from around the globe, the Google-owned video service hopes to quickly add subscribers and add to the money it already makes from online advertising.
"This is just the beginning," said Malik Ducard, YouTube's director of content partnerships. The site plans to roll out a way for a broad number of partners to also launch pay channels on their own soon.
Corman, a producer and director whose influential cult classics like "Deathrace 2000" and "Piranha" earned him an honorary Oscar in 2009, said he's kept his 400-film library off of video streaming sites until now.
In an interview with The Associated Press, he said he turned down an offer from Hulu for about $5,000 to $6,000 per film several years ago, but sees promise in the YouTube offering. His channel, "Corman's Drive-in," will cost subscribers $3.99 per month for a rotating selection of 30 movies, refreshed with new interviews and clips from films that are in production. It is set to launch in June.
"I believed for many years that the future of motion picture distribution, particularly for the independents, is on the Internet," said the 87-year-old director. "I think the time is now."
YouTube will keep slightly less than half of the revenue generated by the subscriptions.
Corman's wife and producing partner Julie Corman said they were taken aback at YouTube's potential after a clip of their 2010 movie "Sharktopus" went viral with 11 million views.
If even 1 percent of those viewers signed up for a subscription, it would amount to a healthy revenue stream, she said.
"The numbers are astonishing. We're waiting for the fireworks display," she said.
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HOME / AREA GUIDES / Shirley Hills
Living in Shirley Hills
Shirley Hills is Croydon’s premier residential address, with both Addington hills and Croham hurst as close neighbours, these historic and popular open spaces offer a truly country feel, with varied seasonal changes of colourful heather, birch, oak and pine, a variety of birds and other wildlife, with excellent walks and a spectacular view of London from the viewpoint outside the Royal Garden Chinese restaurant.
Shirley Hills is part of the historic town of Croydon, situated to the south of London. Croydon is of course a very popular location for those who commute into central London and has a huge amount to offer in the way of history, entertainment and the arts, with institutions such as the major arts and entertainment centre, Fairfield Halls, adding to the vibrancy of the borough. The area is currently going through a large regeneration project to include the Westfield shopping centre, due for completion by 2018.
Properties in Shirley Hills
Approached from Shirley Hills road, Shirley Hills is a truly unique and exclusive area with just four private roads, the most famous being Bishops Walk, with some houses offering spectacular views across Addington Palace golf course. Other roads include Birch Hill, Pine Coombe and Sprucedale gardens. Properties are rarely available to purchase in the area, with prices ranging between around £1,250,000 and £3,000,000 depending on size and condition.
BOOK A FREE VALUATIONVIEW ALL shirley hills PROPERTIES
The surrounding area is well known for many excellent state and private schools including Parkhill Infant and Junior School, St Peter’s Primary School, Archbishop Tenison’s C of E High School, Coloma Convent Girls School to name but a few. In the private sector there is Elmhurst School for Boys, Royal Russell Independent co-educational school for pupils aged 3 to 18 years, Old Palace, an Independent day school for girls aged 4 to 18 years, Trinity School, an independent school for boys aged from 10 years and welcomes girls in the 6th form and Whitgift School, an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 10 to 18 years.
Croydon town centre offers a huge selection of shops and restaurants and coming very soon to Croydon is a brand new Westfield Shopping Centre. South Croydon is famous for the quantity and variety of restaurants it offers and the Popular Surrey Street Market situated in the heart of the old town is a market open 6 days a week with a variety of stalls selling a range of produce and products.
If its arts and culture that interests you look no further than the Fairfield Halls within which the Ashcroft Theatre, Concert Hall, Arnhem Gallery and the New Studio offers a fabulous selection of Plays, Ballet, concerts, music, Art and much more. The tram service stops at nearby Lloyd Park, route 3.
The Addington golf club was designed in 1912 by John Frederick Abercromby, Addington Palace, an 18th century grade 2 listed mansion offers excellent conference and banqueting facilities, a health and country club and is used as a popular wedding venue. Addington Palace and the Addington Golf Club are ranked in Golf world’s top 100 courses in Great Britain and Ireland.
Shirley Hills is well placed for accessing Gatwick and Heathrow Airports and the South Coast. East Croydon main line station provides excellent services to London main line stations in 18 and 21 minutes and Gatwick Airport between 15 and 32 minutes. There is also a main line station at South Croydon.
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Schindler Holding AG, Hergiswil: Approval of higher daily volumes within the limits of the ongoing repurchase program of own registered shares and bearer participation certificates.
Schindler Holding AG has applied for an exemption from the rules of art. 55b Abs. 1 lit. c of the Stock Exchange Ordinance (permitted daily volume) with respect to its ongoing repurchase program (see announcement of 3 January 2013) from the Takeover Board.
The Takeover Board partially approved Schindler's request with its decision 525/02 dated 19 March 2015 and authorized an increase of the daily volumes from a current maximum of 6 031 to a new maximum of 10 088 registered shares (Schindler shares) as well as from a current maximum of 19 833 to a new maximum of 30 170 bearer participation certificates (Schindler BPC). The decision can be viewed on the website of the Takeover Board (www.takeover.ch).
Order of the Takeover Board:
Schindler Holding AG may repurchase a maximum of 10 088 Schindler shares and 30 170 Schindler BPC per trading day within the limits of the ongoing repurchase program after a waiting period of 10 trading days after publication of this decision.
Schindler Holding AG is required to publish an announcement to inform the market about the approval of the higher daily volumes within the limits of the ongoing repurchase program, this order and the right to appeal of a qualified shareholder.
This decision will be made public on the Swiss Takeover Board’s website on the date of publication by Schindler Holding AG of the announcement as per sec. 2 of this decision.
The fee payable by Schindler Holding AG amounts to CHF 25 000.
Right to appeal
Objection (Article 58 of the Swiss Takeover Board Ordinance SR 954.195.1):
A shareholder holding at least 3 percent of the voting rights in the target company, irrespective of whether they are exercisable or not (a qualified shareholder, article 56 of the Swiss Takeover Board Ordinance) and who has not yet participated in the proceedings, may file an objection against this decision.
The objection must be filed with the Swiss Takeover Board (Selnaustrasse 30, Postfach, CH-8021 Zürich, counsel@takeover.ch, telefax: +41 58 499 22 91) within 5 trading days after the publication of the above order in the newspapers. The period starts on the first trading day after the publication. The objection must contain a request, a summary justification and evidence regarding the shareholding pursuant to Article 56 of the Swiss Takeover Board Ordinance.
This announcement does not constitute an issuing prospectus within the meaning of Article 652a and 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations.
This offer is not being and will not be made, directly or indirectly, in the United States of America and/or to US persons and may be accepted only by Non-US persons and outside the United States of America. Accordingly, copies of this document and any related materials are not being, and may not be, sent or otherwise distributed in or into or from the United States of America, and persons receiving any such documents (including custodians, nominees and trustees) may not distribute or send them in, into or from the United States of America.
Further information is available on www.schindler.com and the transactions in own shares in particular are published under www.schindler.com – Investor Relations – Share Information (see link below).
Hergiswil, 25 March 2015
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The Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2017
The geopolitical is personal: India, Britain, and American Foreign Correspondents in the 1930s and 1940s
Deborah Anne Cohen
This lecture explores the shared terrain between the new international history and the history of emotions. In the summer and fall of 1942, American foreign correspondents played a key role in sparking a furore over British rule in India. Drawing on their own first-hand reporting from India, they depicted the British Empire as retrograde and abusive, a dangerous, destabilizing force and a threat to the post-war peace. Diagnosing what it called 'a new landslide of anti-British feeling', the British Ministry of Information spearheaded the formation of highlevel, interdepartmental, secret committee charged with the task of figuring out how to reconcile Americans to the British Empire. What they found was that the job itself was impossible: a significant proportion of Americans 'whose views, they concluded, were driven in large measure by emotion' would not under any circumstances soften their opinions about the British Empire.
https://doi.org/10.1093/TCBH/HWY009
Published - Jan 1 2018
Foreign Correspondents
History of Emotions
British Rule
Cohen, D. A. (2018). The Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2017: The geopolitical is personal: India, Britain, and American Foreign Correspondents in the 1930s and 1940s. Twentieth Century British History, 29(3), 388-410. https://doi.org/10.1093/TCBH/HWY009
Cohen, Deborah Anne. / The Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2017 : The geopolitical is personal: India, Britain, and American Foreign Correspondents in the 1930s and 1940s. In: Twentieth Century British History. 2018 ; Vol. 29, No. 3. pp. 388-410.
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Cohen, DA 2018, 'The Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2017: The geopolitical is personal: India, Britain, and American Foreign Correspondents in the 1930s and 1940s', Twentieth Century British History, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 388-410. https://doi.org/10.1093/TCBH/HWY009
The Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2017 : The geopolitical is personal: India, Britain, and American Foreign Correspondents in the 1930s and 1940s. / Cohen, Deborah Anne.
In: Twentieth Century British History, Vol. 29, No. 3, 01.01.2018, p. 388-410.
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N2 - This lecture explores the shared terrain between the new international history and the history of emotions. In the summer and fall of 1942, American foreign correspondents played a key role in sparking a furore over British rule in India. Drawing on their own first-hand reporting from India, they depicted the British Empire as retrograde and abusive, a dangerous, destabilizing force and a threat to the post-war peace. Diagnosing what it called 'a new landslide of anti-British feeling', the British Ministry of Information spearheaded the formation of highlevel, interdepartmental, secret committee charged with the task of figuring out how to reconcile Americans to the British Empire. What they found was that the job itself was impossible: a significant proportion of Americans 'whose views, they concluded, were driven in large measure by emotion' would not under any circumstances soften their opinions about the British Empire.
AB - This lecture explores the shared terrain between the new international history and the history of emotions. In the summer and fall of 1942, American foreign correspondents played a key role in sparking a furore over British rule in India. Drawing on their own first-hand reporting from India, they depicted the British Empire as retrograde and abusive, a dangerous, destabilizing force and a threat to the post-war peace. Diagnosing what it called 'a new landslide of anti-British feeling', the British Ministry of Information spearheaded the formation of highlevel, interdepartmental, secret committee charged with the task of figuring out how to reconcile Americans to the British Empire. What they found was that the job itself was impossible: a significant proportion of Americans 'whose views, they concluded, were driven in large measure by emotion' would not under any circumstances soften their opinions about the British Empire.
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Cohen DA. The Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2017: The geopolitical is personal: India, Britain, and American Foreign Correspondents in the 1930s and 1940s. Twentieth Century British History. 2018 Jan 1;29(3):388-410. https://doi.org/10.1093/TCBH/HWY009
10.1093/TCBH/HWY009
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West Ham: Rice not for sale
Harry Kettle in English Premier League, Transfer News & Rumours 19 Jun 2019
According to a recent report from Sky Sports News, Premier League side West Ham United have made it clear to Manchester United and Manchester City that Declan Rice is not for sale. The 20 year old had a phenomenal season in 2018/19, making 34 appearances and even making the step up to the England senior squad. Rice is widely considered to be one of the best youngsters in English football today, which is why City and United were said to be so interested. They both made contact with the Hammers regarding the possibility of getting a deal done, but right now, it seems as if the London-based club are going to be holding firm. Manuel Pellegrini reportedly sees him as a vital part of the operation at London Stadium, as West Ham go in search of European football once again.
The belief was that City were going for Rice on the off chance that their deal for Rodri falls through, whereas Manchester United are still trying to figure out what their priorities are in the summer transfer window.
Categories English Premier League Transfer News & Rumours
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Burns to show he can be Qantas Socceroos regular
New Perth Glory recruit Jacob Burns is determined to show Hyundai A-League players they still can be Qantas Socceroos regulars when he returns to Australia next season.
DUBAI, June 2 AAP - New Perth Glory recruit Jacob Burns is determined to show Hyundai A-League players they still can be Qantas Socceroos regulars when he returns to Australia next season.
The 31-year-old midfielder decided recently he would come home after 10 years in Europe which included stints in England, Poland and most recently Romania.
Burns' decision followed that of Jason Culina's to join Gold Coast, sparking suggestions both players could be jeopardising their national team hopes with coach Pim Verbeek seemingly preferring players to be based overseas.
But Burns said he had spoken to Verbeek before making the decision and was certain he was not putting his international career at risk.
"I'm not coming back and surrendering a position in any way," said Burns at the Qantas Socceroos camp in Dubai ahead of Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Qatar.
"If anything, I want to come back and put the Hyundai A-League boys on the map.
"Making the World Cup its still a definite goal and a definite dream and I'll be pushing to stake my claim."
"I think the telling factor is going to be is if you're fit and you're in form."
While Burns has not made an appearance for Australia since last September's win over Uzbekistan, he has earned selection in almost all of Verbeek's recent squads as backup for Vince Grella, Carl Valeri and Culina.
"I think I've been in the squad for the last year-and-a-half and Pim knows what I'm capable of," he said.
"When needed, I've been there and done the job."
Burns admitted it was hard to leave his Romanian club Unirea Urzicini, particularly as they were likely to qualify for next season's European Champions League.
"It is a little bitter-sweet but what can you do," Burns said.
"It's not something I thought of overnight, I tossed around for quite some time over it.
"I've enjoyed every minute over there but I just felt like the time was right to get back at my age and put something back into the game."
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David Letterman struggles with love of racing after Justin Wilson's death
SONOMA, Calif. (AP) This kind of list makes David Letterman sick to his stomach and question his love of auto racing.
The retired late-night comedian and IndyCar team co-owner rattled off a number racing deaths - Justin Wilson, Dan Wheldon, Paul Dana, Dale Earnhardt, Ayrton Senna, sprint car driver Kevin Ward Jr. - and wondered if ''maybe we've reached diminishing returns at making this sport safer.''
Letterman expressed his grief in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from his Montana ranch. He spoke just two days after Wilson died from a head injury suffered Sunday when he was struck by a piece of debris at Pocono Raceway.
''It's just like, `Whoa, is this really the sport that you can embrace entirely?' I don't know. It's a real self-examination,'' Letterman said.
Letterman is part owner of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and the team goes into Sunday's season finale at Sonoma Raceway thick in the championship hunt. Graham Rahal trails leader Juan Pablo Montoya by 34 points in an event that will count for double points in the standings.
Rahal was just nine points out headed into last weekend's race at Pocono, but he was wrecked by Tristan Vautier midway through the race. The incident with Wilson occurred long after Rahal had exited the race, when debris from Sage Karam's single-car spin flew into Wilson's open cockpit and struck him in the head. In a coma and critical condition, the 37-year-old Wilson died little more than 24 hours later. He leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.
''I talked to a lot of people about this: Racing is fun, but people are not supposed to get killed,'' Letterman said. ''I am brokenhearted for his family, for his kids, and everybody says, `Well, this is what the guy wanted to do.' And of course, that's the case.
''But we're not supposed to have people die in the middle of this competition. I think he has two children, and that just breaks my heart, that dad loves driving race cars.''
Letterman's voice was emotional and it was clear he's put much thought into justifying his love of racing against his personal struggles with the risks involved.. Improvements were made following Dan Wheldon's death in the 2011 season finale in Las Vegas. The two-time Indianapolis 500 champion died almost instantly when his car went airborne and his head slammed into a post in the fence.
The car driven now in IndyCar was introduced immediately after Wheldon's death and Dallara called it the DW12 for the development work Wheldon had provided.
Wilson's death was the first fatality in IndyCar since then, and it was almost a fluke accident in that the nosecone from Karam's car bounced down the track and into Wilson's cockpit as he was the 12th driver to pass through the crash scene.
''I've done quite a lot of thought, and statistically, I suppose people will tell us racing has never been safer, and maybe that's the case,'' Letterman said. ''And it seems like always enough time goes by between episodes, tragedies like this, where you are lulled into thinking that, `OK, well, that's not going to happen again.'
''And then it happens again. It just makes you sick to your stomach.''
IndyCar is honoring Wilson this weekend, beginning Thursday when Marco Andretti was scheduled to drive Wilson's car across the Golden Gate Bridge. James Hinchcliffe, who has been sidelined since his own life-threatening accident in May during preparations for the Indianapolis 500, was scheduled to drive IndyCar's two-seater with the championship trophy in the car.
Letterman remains excited for Rahal's prospects on Sunday, but his emotions are tempered by the loss of another driver. He said he struggled this week reconciling the good and the bad of auto racing.
''What other sport do you have these two diametric circumstances: One, the possibility of this kid winning his first championship, and then also in the same week you have a guy who dies. I don't know how to reconcile it, I just don't,'' he said.
''When you see a race and you see people drive these cars with such precision, what they are able to achieve and what they are able to control, it's like watching ballet. What they are able to do with these high-horsepower automobiles, it's like watching the Blue Angels or something,'' Letterman said. ''That's the thrill of it. So when you see a kid get killed doing this, it's a tap on the shoulder of, `I don't know. I don't know if we are supposed to be enjoying this or not.' Not many people are getting killed in volleyball.''
This story has been corrected to show Wilson was 37
SI Now remembers Justin Wilson
by DT Slouffman
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by Andrew Lawrence
Helio Castroneves: Slim margin for error at IndyCar, NASCAR speeds
by Helio Castroneves
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Mark Gagnon, United States Military Academy, USA
mark.gagnon@usma.edu
Mark Gagnon is an Academy Professor of German at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, he received a MA in German from the University of California, Irvine, and a PhD from Harvard University in Germanic Languages and Literatures. He also earned a Masters of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. At West Point, he currently teaches courses on literature, film, and culture, as well as German language courses.
Cinematic Conversion in Frank Wisbar’s Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever? Broj 2 / Godina 8 Književnost i kultura
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Undergraduate Interest
DPReP
Middle School Follow Up
The Language Grant
Current Lab Publications
Caughy, M. O., Mills, B., Brinkley, D., & Owen, M. T. (2018). Behavioral Self‐Regulation, Early Academic Achievement, and the Effectiveness of Urban Schools for Low‐Income Ethnic Minority Children. American journal of community psychology
Caughy, M.O., Mills, B., Owen, M.T., Dyer, N., & Oshri, A. (2017). Ethnic differences in mothering qualities and relations to academic achievement. Journal of Family Psychology, 31, 855-866. doi:10.1037/fam0000334.
Caughy, M. O., Owen, M. T., & Hurst, J. R. (2016). Assessing developmental trajectories of executive functions in low income ethnic minority preschoolers: Challenges and opportunities. In J. A. Griffin, L. S. Freund & P. McCardle (Eds.), Executive function in preschool age children: Integrating measurement, neurodevelopment, and translational research. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Caughy, M. O., & Owen, M. T. (2015). Cultural socialization and school readiness of African American and Latino preschoolers. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 21(3), 391-399. doi:10.1037/a0037928 [PMCID PMC4476942]
Caughy, M. O., Owen, M. T., Mills, B. A., & Hurst, J. R. (2013). Emergent self-regulation skills among very young ethnic minority children: A confirmatory factor model. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 116(4), 839-855. doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2013.07.017 [PMCID PMC3839096]
Dyer, N., Owen, M. T., & Caughy, M. O. (2014). Ethnic differences in profiles of mother-child interactions and relations to emerging school readiness in African American and Latin American children. Parenting: Science and Practice, 14(3-4), 175-194. doi:10.1080/15295192.2014.972756 [PMCID PMC4477830]
Loria, H., & Caughy, M. (2018). Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Low-Income Latino Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Children. The Journal of pediatrics, 192, 209-215.
Mills, B., Dyer, N., Pacheco, D., Brinkley, D., Owen, M. T., & Caughy, M. O. (2017). Developmental transactions between self-regulation and academic achievement among low income African American and Latino children. Child Development, 1-18. doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13091
Owen, M. T., Caughy, M. O., Hurst, J. R., Amos, M. L., & Hasanizadeh, N. (2013). Unique contributions of fathering to emerging self-regulation in low-income ethnic minority preschoolers. Early Child Development & Care, 183(3-4), 464-482. doi:10.1080/03004430.2012.711594
Pacheco, D., Owen, M. T., & Caughy, M. O. (2017). Growth in inhibitory control among low-income ethnic minority preschoolers: A group-based trajectory modeling approach. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 42, 247-255. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2017.10.010
Peredo, T. N., Owen, M. T., Rojas, R., & Caughy, M. O. (2015). Child vocabulary, maternal behavior, and inhibitory control development among Spanish-speaking children. Early Education & Development 26 (5-6), 749-769. [PMCID PMC4543291]
In-Press Publications
None pending
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The cyber resilience solution for all industries
Supporting all major OT protocols and vendors, SecurityMatters’ SilentDefense is the ideal cyber resilience solution for all industries. The knowledge and expertise of SecurityMatters and its partners ensure that SilentDefense is best tailored to tackle threats specific to our customers’ industry and environment.
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution are carried out using different processes, vendors and technologies, but are all subject to a large number of common threats. These include network misconfiguration, device malfunction or misbehavior, insider threats and cyber attacks, such as the ones that affected the Ukrainian power grid in 2015 and 2016.
The distributed architecture of electric power transmission and distribution networks, and electric power generation based on renewable sources (hydroelectric, solar and wind) adds additional complexity, as both central and remote sites as well as their communications need to be protected.
With numerous projects in this industry, SecurityMatters has a proven track record of delivering value to electric power companies, providing visibility into their complex heterogeneous environments and detection of all the threats they are subject to. Our solution SilentDefense has successfully identified various networking and operational problems affecting grid operation, as well as intrusions by external attackers.
In recent years, the oil industry has been the target of many cyber attacks. Oil extraction (upstream), transportation (midstream) and refining (downstream) are carried out in large and complex infrastructures. With the current lack of visibility into network communications, it is almost impossible for oil industry operators to prevent the propagation of cyber threats.
By using SecurityMatters’ SilentDefense, oil companies have an instrument to detect cyber attacks at an early stage and prevent their propagation. Furthermore, in previous projects in the oil industry SilentDefense has proven valuable in identifying several operational problems and misconfigurations, boosting the network’s cyber resilience.
SecurityMatters has supported gas infrastructure operators in maintaining a cyber resilient industrial environment since 2013. In these years, our solution SilentDefense has reported several threats to the operational continuity of these companies. For example, it has identified device misconfigurations which required prompt vendor intervention, as well as insecure communications to remote stations that harmed the environment’s security.
SilentDefense is currently deployed at gas storage and pipeline monitoring facilities, protecting them both from internal and external threats and cyber attacks.
Protecting drinking and waste water management facilities is fundamental in guaranteeing the safety and well-being of the civilian population. Accidental or deliberate pollution of drinking and waste water may result in severe intoxication of cities and regions as well as environmental pollution. As this has happened in the past,[1] it is vital to limit the possibilities of it reoccurring.
SecurityMatters has customers managing the entire waste-to-drinking water cycle. Monitoring these critical environments with SilentDefense helps our customers make their security perimeter stronger and identify any possible system misuse or attempt to tamper with the process. In addition, it provides a means of identifying other threats to the network’s cyber resilience, such as device malfunction and operational errors.
[1] The cyber attack to Maroochy Water Services, Australia
Incidents to the manufacturing of chemical products can have serious consequences to personnel safety and the environment. For example, production errors and mishandling of chemicals can lead to fire, explosions and other hazards to human life, as well as polluting the surrounding environment. Incidents can originate from multiple causes, some of which being malfunctioning equipment, operational errors and device misbehavior.
SecurityMatters’ platform SilentDefense is employed at large chemical plants to monitor the production network and provide operators with real-time visibility of network activity and threats, enabling early response and remediation.
The production of pharmaceutical drugs is subject to numerous insider threats. For example, uncontrolled configuration changes and mistakes in the production process may result in an incorrect dosage and therefore ineffective or even harmful drugs; production lines can stop due to device malfunction that is not identified and handled in time.
Additionally, key intellectual property such as drug recipes are stored in production equipment (servers and PLCs) that can become targets of external attackers. Industrial espionage operations are increasingly more common in the OT world, and production networks are often poorly protected.
SecurityMatters works with pharmaceutical companies to monitor the production of drugs and ensure the safe manufacturing of quality products. Utilizing SilentDefense makes production networks more secure and cyber resilient by identifying security breaches and intrusion attempts at a preliminary stage.
The manufacturing industry includes the heavy industry (e.g. metals and steel), food and feed, automotive and the production of other soft and hard goods. Several manufacturing facilities feature tight integration between production floors and back-office networks, in order to enable real-time processing and analysis of data for business purposes. Despite having clear business advantages, this tight integration facilitates the spread of external threats from server networks to production networks, potentially leading to incidents as occurred to a German steel factory in 2014.[1]
Other production networks consist of isolated cells with limited connectivity to external networks. This isolation protects production networks from external threats, but cannot guarantee protection from common operational incidents. In particular, equipment malfunction or failure often results in unexpected process disruptions, whose investigation and resolution requires a huge amount of time and effort.
SecurityMatters’ SilentDefense supports manufacturing companies by enabling them to quickly identify external threats to the production network, as well as the source and extent of internal threats and operational incidents, saving operators substantial time and effort for remediation.
[1] Read more about the German steel mill cyber attack
A country’s infrastructure, such as roads, railways, tunnels, bridges, dams and buildings, are all controlled by industrial control systems that guarantee their correct functioning. Hacks into road sign systems and public transport have occurred in the past,[1] exploiting the fragile or non-existent cyber security countermeasures protecting them.
External and insider threat actors can exploit remote connectivity between central control systems and remote sites to perform undesired operations, such as opening dams and bridges, or controlling road signs and signaling systems. Building automation components such as air conditioning in server rooms or hospital equipment can be easily shut down by system misuse or malfunctions.
SecurityMatters’ customers operating in this industry employ the SilentDefense platform to enhance their infrastructure’s cyber resilience and protect it from both external threats and operational problems. SilentDefense’s early warnings enable the identification and mitigation of flaws before they affect the infrastructure’s correct operation.
[1] Read more about the traffic-sign hack in the U.S.
Please click on the envelope and we will contact you.
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SNS Offers Free iSCSI Initiator for Mac OS X
– Download Available Now –
St. Louis, Missouri, March 13, 2007 – Studio Network Solutions (SNS), a premier developer and worldwide solutions provider of optimized audio/video shared storage products, today announced that it has advanced the state of the storage industry by making an iSCSI initiator for Mac OS X available at no cost to the user.
iSCSI is a network protocol standard that enables the transport of block-level I/O over TCP/IP. When deployed over a Gigabit or 10-Gigabit Ethernet network, an iSCSI-based storage area network (SAN) can rival the performance of a Fibre Channel SAN, while costing far less to implement.
In an iSCSI SAN, an initiator is needed for each computer that requires access to the networked storage. Although an initiator is freely available for most major operating systems, an iSCSI initiator is not shipped with Apple’s Mac OS X. Studio Network Solutions is pleased to announce that version 3.0 of its globalSAN™ iSCSI initiator for Mac OS X is now available for download from the company’s website.
“We’ve been shipping our Mac initiator with our SANmp® sharing software and globalSAN line of shared storage systems since 2004,” stated Eric Newbauer, Director of Operations for Studio Network Solutions. “We’ve focused on optimizing our iSCSI products so that they perform very well under conditions where you’d normally expect to need a Fibre Channel SAN. For example, our customers are using our products with professional audio and video editing software like Avid, Pro Tools and Final Cut Pro – these applications are extremely dependent on high throughput and low latency.”
Version 3.0 of the globalSAN iSCSI initiator for OS X is a Universal Application, for Intel- and PowerPC-based Mac computers. The initiator supports CHAP, persistent targets, SLPv2 and Multiple Connections per Session. This publicly available version is not a timed evaluation or feature-locked – it is being offered for download to any end-user who would like to take advantage of iSCSI in an OS X-only, or a mixed operating system SAN environment.
SNS will be demonstrating its latest iSCSI and Fibre Channel products at the upcoming NAB tradeshow in Las Vegas, April 14-19, location SL4830. To learn more and to download the initiator, visit www.studionetworksolutions.com.
By Jon Jannaway| 2013-04-03T17:41:03-05:00 March 13th, 2007|
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Don’t try and mansplain Martin Luther King Jr’s teachings to his daughter
Kayleigh Dray
Bernice King knew exactly how to respond when a right-wing blogger attempted to mansplain her father’s teachings to her.
Mansplaining can and does occur across all parts of life; some men, upon seeing or hearing a woman in possession of opinions or information, are apparently unable to resist explaining slowly and carefully exactly why she has no idea what she’s talking about.
We’ve seen it written into HBO’s Game of Thrones as a vital plot point, we’ve witnessed it on Masterchef UK and we’ve even seen a man try to explain the inspiration behind Indiana Jones’ iconic costume to the very same woman who actually designed the costume in the first place. All in all, it’s so boringly prevalent that we barely bat an eyelid anymore.
However, when one right-wing blogger accused Bernice King – who has continued Martin Luther King Jr’s work as a minister and an activist – of misinterpreting her late father’s words, his mansplaining/whitesplaining tactics triggered a wave of shock and outrage online.
The exchange began when King responded to comedian Josh Denny’s claim that “straight white male” is “this century’s N-word”.
“My father was working to eradicate the Triple Evils of Racism (prejudice + power = oppression/destruction of a race deemed inferior), Poverty (Materialism) & Militarism,” she wrote, underlining the fact that ‘straight white male’ is used to acknowledge an enormous amount of privilege, whereas the N-word is used to belittle and dehumanise black people.
“Pointing out the group that most commonly benefits from all three is not ‘labelling’,” she added. “Truth before reconciliation.”
The majority of social media users were moved by King’s response, praising her for her “grace”, “patience” and “compassion”.
However, Lucian Wintrich – who used to work as a correspondent for the pro-Donald Trump blog, Gateway Pundit – decided to take a slightly different approach.
“Hmmm,” he began. “I don’t think you actually listened to your father.”
Read more: A man tried to mansplain mansplaining - but this writer had the best response
Wintrich went on to quote that iconic ‘I have a dream’ speech, drawing attention to Luther King Jr’s hope that, one day, “this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed”.
“I’m pretty sure he never said, ‘I have a dream we will make continuous references to people’s sexuality and whether they’re white or not,” added Wintrich.
Naturally, Wintrich’s comments triggered a wave of fury on Twitter, with many suggesting that they might just “be the worst thing” they have ever seen posted on to social media.
King, however, refused to be rattled by Wintrich’s ridiculous mansplaining attempt – nor by the fact that he had taken a single line of Luther King Jr’s speech and used it wildly out of context.
Instead, she decided to make a point of educating the ignorant blogger, and recommended that he check out her father’s 1967 book, Where Do We Go From Here.
“Start your study here,” she said coolly.
The exchange comes just weeks after King was asked how she sees the threat to her father’s legacy emanating from the current White House and from Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country.
“I guess I don’t look at it the way other people do,” she told The Guardian. “I look at it as a wonderful moment. Here we have people being galvanised all over this nation, and even the world, who are speaking up in ways perhaps they never have.
“Sure, our country is faced with some serious issues, but that makes protest and free speech all the more critical now. Now you see people standing in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr and saying this is an injustice, enough is enough, we are going to resist.”
King added powerfully: “This nation is awoke, there is a new, different kind of vigilance that we haven’t seen in the past 25 years.
“In the end I still have the same hope as my father – that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the last word.”
Bernice King
Racisim
Kayleigh Dray is editor of Stylist.co.uk, where she chases after rogue apostrophes and specialises in films, comic books, feminism and television. On a weekend, you can usually find her drinking copious amounts of tea and playing boardgames with her friends.
More from People
More from Kayleigh Dray
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New Partner for Old Skater
By Jason Franchuk | Sept. 19, 2012, 5 p.m. (ET)
Lindsay Davis and Mark Ladwig of the United States compete in the pairs free skating at the 2012 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic September 16, 2012.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Mark Ladwig loves lifts. The 32-year-old, still yearning for more ice time, cherishes the skill that helped him to a 10th-place finish at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
One of those moves, from his Vancouver free skate, was awarded the highest score of any element in the pairs competition in those Winter Games.
His latest lift, accomplished last spring, is his shot at attending the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
“I would love to make the Games, but it’s not the end-all be-all goal... that’s not the immediate goal,” Ladwig said at the 2012 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, held this past weekend.
His current thoughts are tracked to getting in better routine with his new partner, Lindsay Davis, who was about to walk away from pairs competition at 20 years old. Until, that is, she heard that Ladwig was looking for someone.
Ladwig’s previous partner, Amanda Evora, retired. So did Davis’. Now the new pair is figuring each other out. That path essentially started at the Salt Lake Sports Complex in an early-season event that would allow them to compete in a relatively casual atmosphere in front of a crowd.
Ladwig said he went through six tryouts before easily recognizing Davis was the right fit. Both skaters insist that age and height difference (he has nearly a foot on her) are not issues.
“I think it partners up really well,” Ladwig said. “We’re both looking for the same types of things. Amanda retired, and I totally respect that situation, and I looked at my own. I still feel like I have a lot left to give.
“In the pair field, very few had qualifications I was looking for. ... It was a really quick search. Our tryout was so stellar, right off the bat, it just was in sync.”
Evora decided to retire after a decade-long teamwork with Ladwig, a friendly North Dakotan who playfully jokes that Davis is “very unique” — but admitted he otherwise “doesn’t know many Californians.”
He’s the kind of guy who is known for a cutting sense of humor and an easygoing way. Ladwig has done a variety of moonlighting careers to keep alive his own Olympic torch, including time as a wee-hours radio jockey in his native North Dakota.
Strictly guarding his own routines and expectations, Ladwig said he is leading most of the practice routines with his new partner. There are high expectations for Davis, though Ladwig downplayed the pressure on her.
Before their breakthrough when Evora and Ladwig claimed the silver medal at nationals in 2010, they had come close-but-not-quite to the podium at the U.S. championships. The pair finished fourth in 2007, fifth in 2008 and fourth in 2009.
In 2011, Evora and Ladwig placed second again and then dropped to third in 2012. Then Evora announced her retirement and now Ladwig is embarking on a new journey.
Ladwig spent the weekend of Sept. 14-16 at the newly created U.S. International Challenge in the first official meet with his new partner. They laugh easily, though their differences in life experience are obvious.
Ladwig loves to travel for the sake of training and competing. This is basically Davis’ longest time spent away from her native southern California for the sake of competition. They needed to be in Utah to get ready for more important meets in Canada and Japan.
After the Salt Lake City meet, Ladwig — who is married and has a toddler son — would return to Florida and continue training, while Davis would return to the Los Angeles area to see family. Ladwig is already concerned about early burnout.
“I just love competing, love being on the ice,” Ladwig said.
His son, 3-year-old Holden, has become a fan of Davis already. The feelings in return are so far mutual from Davis to the new teammate who kept her career alive.
“Everybody loves Mark; I knew that,” Davis said. “He has a great reputation for treating his partners well, and this has been exactly what I expected. I was really excited to get to work with him. I think it translates onto the ice, that partnership, so it’s really nice.”
Ladwig agreed that finding a skating partner is much like finding a spouse. There is give-and-take, blending strengths and weaknesses, and, ultimately, trying to turn those mutual weaknesses into strengths.
“You’re going to get together, hammer it out,” he said.
Right now, though, the issue — to neither skater’s surprise — is getting to know each other ASAP. Ladwig loves lifts. Davis is developing that trait. He appreciates the energy and youthful positivity that comes with a valued fresh start.
With that, however, comes unstated challenges. Namely, the lines of communication need to be improved — as some seemingly innocuous situations proved in Utah.
“It’s keeping on top of communication,” Ladwig said. “You might be thinking blue, she might be thinking green. Finding that common communication is what takes the longest, but you expect that in this situation.”
Though for Ladwig, there’s more. He said he always will put more pressure on himself than he would Davis or any other partner.
“I just want to see how far I can still go,” he said.
Their performance in Salt Lake City showed there’s room for growth. Of all things, in the free skate, Ladwig and Davis omitted one lift and reduced the difficulty of another.
Still, if anyone knows how to lift himself up, it’s Ladwig.
Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc. Jason Franchuk is a freelance contributor for TeamUSA.org. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies.
Sanya Richards-Ross Helps out “Every Step of the Way” Sept. 18, 2012
It's in the Name: Gracie Gold Sept. 18, 2012
Fast Company Sept. 17, 2012
USOC Announces 2011-12 Athletes, Teams of Year Sept. 17, 2012
Reuniting Feels So Good Sept. 16, 2012
Mark Ladwig
Amanda Evora
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Poetry? What for?
June 13, 2017 By Takingonissues
A decline in English majors at universities demonstrates that the field is losing popularity amongst students. This decline might be the result of a perceived impracticality of literature, but it should be considered whether it’s the field itself that is erring. An example that illustrates how the teaching of literature is failing short comes from one of its most important constituents— poetry.
Poetry is a paradox. It is the most complex and inimitable expression of thought and consciousness, but it is also the most natural and ancient. Although a form of oral and written tradition that has persisted throughout the years, poetry is dismissed as unnecessary and impractical in literary education. The problem with teaching poetry is not that the language is too difficult; it is that the questions that poetry explores are no longer considered valid. Literary critic Harold Bloom described poetry as “the crown of literature” because it is a “prophetic mode.” To be prophetic, however, poetry needs to contain a wise understanding of truths about man in order to provide a glimpse into the future. Perhaps a decline in the popularity of poetry in classrooms is related to an increasing rejection of universal truths as a guiding principle for undertaking studies in literature.
Whenever an English teacher or student is asked to defend the value of their (seemingly) leisurely field, the argument tends to turn into a defense of literature as a way to teach effective communication. “Effect,” however, is synonymous with persuasion rather than formation. Literature, then, is a means for a tactic acquired rather than an exercise of thought and inquiry, and all that poetry is within the field of literature is merely complicated and flowery language for what could otherwise be stated directly. Instead of teaching students that, through poetry, they can inquire about the world and their place in it, they are taught that through poetry they can convince others about their individualized truths and feelings. These feelings become the authority in a classroom that denies objective truth and universal human experience as a product of poetry.
In 1833, John Stuart Mill stated that the object of poetry is “to act upon the emotions,” which is what distinguishes it from fact and science. While math and science does its work by “convincing or persuading,” poetry does so by “moving.” But students are no longer being moved by poetry because its aim in classrooms seems to be more in line with Mill’s understanding of science. In other words, poetry no longer moves the soul, it persuades the mind. The postmodern rendering of literary analysis has made poetry a practice in understanding subjectivity, and now poetry is dismissed because we no longer view it as a serious mode of study: we use it either as a test for our level of literary comprehension, or as a medium for our own exaltation. Yet the inquiring nature of poetry geared towards understanding life is what results in the “moving” of our soul because it is what allows us to connect with a stranger’s sentiments on a personal level. Poetry acts upon our emotions, but it achieves this in no small part by searching for a truth and understanding that we all share that truth.
Still, Mill was right to mark the distinction between poetry and science. Poetry is a form of inquiry and corroboration for what we call true beyond what can be scientifically proven. But much like math and science, good inquiry ought to lead us to gaze outwards, not inwards. While we do not use poetry to question the chemical composition of a flower and the seasonal changes that affect its growth and withering, we do use it to contemplate beauty and death. To say that there are universal truths to humans is to say that forms of art and self-expression are ultimately attempts at discovering and understanding what we cannot unveil through epistemological means. By believing that there is a right and a real that we can discern, forms of art such as poetry become a universal language to relate commonalities in our experiences. But when right and real are rendered subjective, so is poetry. Poetry, then, loses its legitimacy as a form of philosophical inquiry about the soul to which all of us can relate, and instead becomes an amateur form of life sharing to which only some of us can relate.
Now that truth has been declared a myth in education, the methods for teaching the liberal arts—of which poetry is a part—have naturally been pulled towards two ends: either a scientific method form of explanation of human phenomena, or an inane outpouring of sentiments to express how we feel regardless of facts or reality. Neither of these ends, however, makes for a proper reading and creation of poetry. The rationalist, who thinks that we can know everything through reason alone, and therefore do not need tradition, invalidates art as a serious form of inquisition for knowledge about the world. The post-modern absurdist, who thinks there is nothing that can be known universally, renders poetry and art at large into a subjective form of expression where anything goes and nothing is true because its contents are swayed by irrevocable culture, class, race, and gender politics.
Needless to say, literature has moved more towards the postmodern end, which is why it is being taken less and less seriously as a field of study. If or when poetry is taught for emotional effect, it is taught in a form that makes the reading and writing of poetry seem like a sentimental exercise, the academic equivalent of a visit to a therapist for which you didn’t sign up: A poem is displayed on paper as one would place a strange lab animal on a tray, ready to be dissected with a knife until it is broken up and broken down into analyzed, rationalized bits and pieces about the author and his intention for writing the poem rather than what the work is actually saying. At least Derrida gave the process an honest name.
It cannot be overstated that the use of poetry is collective, not individualist, which is why its use is vital for the preservation and understanding of our human history. Neither poetry nor its readers are apt to tear down the towers that humans have been building from a foundation of literary tradition as old as our very existence. If taught as a form of inquiry, poetry inculcates the importance of humility and tradition in knowledge: its verses invoke nature, mythology, history, literature, and other important facets of our human experience because we cannot know anything alone. We rely on our past to form an understanding of who we are, so although poetry is an individual practice, it becomes part of a communal form of inquiry directed towards discovering universal truths. Reading poetry can add another level to our tower of what has been said before. Poetry, then, should not be used against itself to throw spears at what we’ve built as a collective understanding, fortified throughout ages, of what it means to be human.
We are teaching poetry upside down by making students break down poems before they can appreciate them and grow with them. As a result, students become critics for a realm they have not yet explored to its fullest, because they have not yet lived long enough to do so. The use of poetry in a classroom should be neither overly practical nor overly sentimental. As poetry is a form of expression that is inquisitive and formative, it ought to be used for that very purpose: to form the minds of people who will likely ponder about the same things that people before them did. An appreciation for poetry is found—and it really requires seeking and effort—in the space between the rationalism and postmodernism that is prevalent in our lives. If we continue to teach poetry from a utilitarian angle geared towards persuasion and analysis of our own subjectivity rather than as an inquisition for truth, it will lose its true effect as a medium that inspires us to look beyond ourselves—what poet Dana Gioia accurately called “poetry as enchantment.”
Poetry appreciation is a nobler task than poetry analysis of criticism, and it is a seed that can be planted in our early years of education. Successful teaching of poetry where students walk away having their interests piqued and with a sense of inquiry about the nature of being is possible insofar as they understand that through reading someone else, they are reading themselves; through reading about another time, they are reading about their time. Students will only find a purpose in poetry if poetry is directed towards a sense of “truth” about existence that outweighs other forms of subjectivity. A proper teaching of poetry will motivate students to read and re-read poetry, since reading poetry over and over allows us to get something new every time: Truth reveals itself gradually through experience, after all. When we learn to read a poem for the questions that it raises and its effort at seeking a form of truth about the obscurities of life, we gain the virtue of patience to learn about the world and ourselves.
Nayeli Riano is a freelance writer, poet, and essayist from New Jersey. Her work has been featured on National Review Online and the blogs of the National Association of Scholars (NAS) and the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA).
What this election season has accomplished
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AFP reports on the U.S. decision to block a Security […]
The Green New Deal would cost between $52 and $94 trillion dollars over ten years
The American Action Forum is a think tank run by […]
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New Director of Development appointed
Doug Thomson rejoins the Sutton Trust as Director of Development.
The Sutton Trust has appointed Doug Thomson as Director of Development. This is a key position in the senior leadership team given the part that philanthropy plays in underpinning all that we do. Doug brings 25 years of experience as a major gift fundraiser and philanthropy consultant and has worked for and with the Trust in a number of ways since 2005.
Doug Thomson began his career in development roles at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, University of Oxford and at the Royal National Institute for the Blind, where he established and successfully implemented new major gift programmes. He has extensive experience of working with donors from the USA and Asia and in managing relationships between international donors and grantees.
Doug served as the first Development Director at the Sutton Trust from 2005 to 2009. He established major funding partnerships with donors such as the Goldman Sachs Foundation, JP Morgan, HBOS Foundation and the College of Law. Under Doug’s guidance the Trust more than doubled its grant making capacity and established an innovative Strategic Philanthropy Fund, a precursor to the current Sutton Trust board.
From 2009 Doug worked as an independent consultant with institutional clients in the education and charity sectors and with individuals and families, helping to inform their philanthropy. Since 2013 Doug has worked in-house at the University of Nottingham as Director of the £242m Impact Campaign, which completed in September 2017 having exceeded its original goal of £150m.
Doug read History at the University of Nottingham. He has served as a trustee of First Give and the education charity Into University. He volunteers as a rugby coach and, time permitting, participates in endurance cycling challenges.
On rejoining the Sutton Trust, Doug commented: –
“I’m looking forward to working with old and new colleagues and donors at the Sutton Trust on our shared interest in promoting social mobility. We have an exciting opportunity to build an ever more diverse pool of donors and volunteers so that the Trust can have a lasting impact.
I’m also looking forward to helping steer alumni relations activities at the Trust. We have such a brilliant, hard-working and talented pool of 22,000 alumni across the world and I’m delighted to have an opportunity to learn more about their many successes, and to help to develop more post-programme support for this group.”
Grace Veenman2018-03-29T14:59:52+01:00March 26th, 2018|Categories: Featured news, Our news|
Disadvantaged schools struggling most with teacher recruitment
Teachers in the most deprived state schools are less likely to report that their school department was well-staffed with qualified teachers, according to new research by Professor Becky Allen and Laura McInerney for the Sutton Trust.
US Programme send-off
Last week, the Sutton Trust held its US Programme pre-departure event to celebrate the achievements of the US Programme students.
Most successful year yet for Sutton Trust US Programme
75 British state school students from across the UK have been offered places to study at top US universities through the Sutton Trust US Programme, it was announced today.
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Search - Giovanni Battista Viotti, Franco Mezzena, Symphonia Perusina Orchestra :: Giovanni Battista Viotti: Complete Violin Concertos, Vol. 9
Giovanni Battista Viotti, Franco Mezzena, Symphonia Perusina Orchestra
Giovanni Battista Viotti: Complete Violin Concertos, Vol. 9
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 22 in A minor, G97: Moderato
Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 22 in A minor, G97: Adagio
Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 22 in A minor, G97: Agitato assai
Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 24 in B minor, G105: Maestoso
Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 24 in B minor, G105: Andante sostenuto
Concerto for violin & orchestra No. 24 in B minor, G105: Allegretto
Violin Concerto No. 28 in A minor, G143 (W28): Moderato
Violin Concerto No. 28 in A minor, G143 (W28): Andante sostenuto
Violin Concerto No. 28 in A minor, G143 (W28): Allegretto vivo
All Artists: Giovanni Battista Viotti, Franco Mezzena, Symphonia Perusina Orchestra
Title: Giovanni Battista Viotti: Complete Violin Concertos, Vol. 9
Label: Dynamic Italy
Original Release Date: 1/1/2003
Re-Release Date: 5/27/2003
Styles: Chamber Music, Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830), Instruments, Strings
UPCs: 675754612023, 8007144604257
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What's the meaning of the Arsenal F.C. Logo »
Arsenal F.C. Logo
This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Arsenal F.C. Logo.
Arsenal Football Club is an English professional football club based in Holloway, London, that plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 12 FA Cups, a joint-record, 13 League titles, two League Cups, 14 FA Community Shields, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
Arsenal was the first club from the South of England to join The Football League, in 1893. They entered the First Division in 1904, and have since accumulated the second most points. Relegated only once, in 1913, they continue the longest streak in the top division. In the 1930s, Arsenal won five League Championships and two FA Cups, and another FA Cup and two Championships after the war. In 1970–71, they won their first League and FA Cup Double. Between 1989 and 2005, they won five League titles and five FA Cups, including two more Doubles. They completed the 20th century with the highest average league position.
Until the 1960s, a badge was worn on the playing shirt only for high-profile matches such as FA Cup finals, usually in the form of a monogram of the club's initials in red on a white background.
The monogram theme was developed into an Art Deco-style badge on which the letters A and C framed a football rather than the letter F, the whole set within a hexagonal border. This early example of a corporate logo, introduced as part of Herbert Chapman's rebranding of the club in the 1930s, was used not only on Cup Final shirts but as a design feature throughout Highbury Stadium, including above the main entrance and inlaid in the floors.From 1967, a white cannon was regularly worn on the shirts, until replaced by the club crest, sometimes with the addition of the nickname "The Gunners", in the 1990s.
In the 2011–12 season, Arsenal celebrated their 125th year anniversary. The celebrations included a modified version of the current crest worn on their jerseys for the season. The crest was all white, surrounded by 15 oak leaves to the right and 15 laurel leaves to the left. The oak leaves represent the 15 founding members of the club who met at the Royal Oak pub. The 15 laurel leaves represent the design detail on the six pence pieces paid by the founding fathers to establish the club. The laurel leaves also represent strength. To complete the crest, 1886 and 2011 are shown on either sides of the motto "Forward" at the bottom of the crest.
Asymmetric, Closed shape, Colorful, Contains curved lines, Has crossing lines.
Category: Sports Symbols.
Arsenal F.C. Logo is part of the Major League Soccer, Premier League groups.
More symbols in Major League Soccer:
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league, sanctioned by U.S. Soccer, that represents the sport's highest level in both the United States and Canada. MLS constitutes o… read more »
A.F.C. Bournemouth Logo
Atlanta United FC Logo
Burnley F.C. Logo
Chelsea F.C. Logo
Chicago Fire Soccer Club Logo
More symbols in Premier League:
The Premier League is an English professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition… read more »
Aston Villa F.C. Logo
Barnsley F.C. Logo
Birmingham City F.C. Logo
Blackburn Rovers F.C. Logo
More symbols in Sports Symbols:
Symbols team logos and popular crests used in sports. read more »
AD Almería Logo
Anaheim Ducks Logo
Arenas Club de Getxo Logo
Albacete Balompié Logo
Have a discussion about Arsenal F.C. Logo with the community:
"Arsenal F.C. Logo." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2019. Web. 18 Jul 2019. <https://www.symbols.com/symbol/arsenal-f.c.-logo>.
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Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen: the love affair of a lifetime
The pair met on the rocky Greek island of Hydra in 1960. Their romance inspired countless Cohen songs – and now a poignant documentary by Nick Broomfield
Andrew Anthony
Sun 30 Jun 2019 04.00 EDT Last modified on Mon 1 Jul 2019 07.26 EDT
Norwegian expatriate Marianne Ihlen, right, with Leonard Cohen and friends on a donkey trek on Hydra, 1960. Photograph: James Burke/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
In November 2016, the singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, renowned for his plaintive ballads, died a few months after the woman who inspired many of them, his Norwegian lover and muse, Marianne Ihlen. Theirs had been a large and chaotic romance that was in many respects a product of the particular times (the 1960s) and the specific place (the Greek island of Hydra) in which they met. The relationship’s legacy was a catalogue of classic songs – So Long Marianne, Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye, Bird on the Wire – a great deal of heartache, but also a lasting sense of the creative power of love.
All of this the documentary maker Nick Broomfield explores in his tender, funny and hauntingly moving new film Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love. Broomfield is not a disinterested observer. He knew Ihlen well. They too were lovers for a while during one of the long breaks in Ihlen’s relationship with Cohen. And her effect on the film-maker was almost as influential as her part in the Canadian poet-musician’s career.
In 1968, when Broomfield was 20, he’d just finished his first year at Cardiff University, where he was reading law. His heart was not really in becoming a barrister and, on a Hellenic cruise with his parents, Rosalind Runcie, the wife of the future archbishop of Canterbury, gave him some advice. “She was the life and soul of the party,” he recalls, “and she made me promise to go to Hydra when I got off the boat.”
He kept the promise and encountered a captivating new world. “There was this incredible community of artists and painters and a whole very wild attitude to life,” he says in his trademark languorous drawl, located somewhere between the home counties and southern California.
Leonard Cohen (holding the guitar) with Marianne (looking at him) and friends in Hydra, Greece, October 1960. Photograph: James Burke/The Life Picture Collection/Getty Images
At the heart of this liberating idyll was a beautiful woman 13 years his senior, the mother of an eight-year-old boy. Marianne Ihlen had first come to Hydra in early 1958, when the living conditions were primitive and the expat artists could be counted on one hand. She was with a young, avant-garde Norwegian novelist called Axel Jensen. The couple had a tempestuous relationship, with the writer determined to reject bourgeois conventions in ways that conveniently coincided with his interest in other women. It was a common preoccupation among the expat community and not always restricted to the men. After one long split, Jensen and Ihlen got back together, married and had a baby (Axel Jnr), only for Jensen to meet another woman and leave shortly after the child was born. Ihlen felt lost and abandoned, but reluctant to return home.
Around that time, in the spring of 1960, a handsome, chivalrously polite Canadian poet joined the growing Hydra artistic community. He had fled the grey and damp of London to work on his first novel. In the film, the magical sense of possibility this brightly coloured jewel of the Saronic Gulf offered up to visitors is captured in glittering footage from the period.
As Cohen later recalled: “It was as if everyone was young and beautiful and full of talent – covered with a kind of gold dust. Everybody had special and unique qualities. This is, of course, the feeling of youth, but in the glorious setting of Hydra, all these qualities were magnified.”
Watch a trailer for Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love.
It wasn’t long before Cohen and Marianne began seeing each other, first as friends and then romantically. This infancy of their affair was blissfully untroubled by the external world. Cohen was disciplined in his work. Rising early, he would sit on the terrace in the sun and religiously bash out his three pages a day on an old typewriter. In the evening, he played his guitar and sang lullabies to Ihlen’s little boy. At that time, he had no thought of becoming a musician.
Ihlen, still only just 25, was deeply in love. She sent her son back to Norway to live with his grandmother, then moved in with Cohen who, on turning 26, bought himself a house on Hydra. But, pretty and alluring as the island was, it required labour to live there. Even getting drinking water was an effort. Ihlen took care of Cohen, as he in turn provided for her. Without making any conscious decision, she effectively became his muse.
By today’s standards of gender equality, and the #MeToo awareness of male abuse of power, the very idea of a muse seems a dubious anachronism. Broomfield is alive to changing mores but feels it would be wrong to “judge the past by today’s morality”.
“I suppose being a muse feels like an 18th-century concept because it’s not monetised,” he says. “But I think Leonard always gave her the credit that was her due.”
He draws a comparison with the record producer Rick Rubin, who tries to become close friends with the artists he produces before reinventing them by fostering a particular quality he’s identified. “I think that’s kind of what Marianne did. She was somebody who had this incredible instinct to know the strength of people.”
It was out of a desire to rebalance the image of the couple, he says, that he put Ihlen’s name first in the title. Nonetheless, the film also picks up on her discomfort at her role as facilitator rather than creator.
Helle Goldman, the translator of Ihlen’s biography, So Long Marianne, grew up on Hydra and her parents knew Cohen and Ihlen. She mentions an anecdote from the film. Ihlen recalled that, on being introduced to a group of artists and not knowing how to describe what she did, she said that her life was her art.
“It’s a silly thing to say, but the fact that she was from a very early age defined as a male artist’s muse did handicap her for a while,” says Goldman. “Yet she enjoyed creating a pleasant home, tending to her loved ones, cooking and so forth. Leonard remarked on how appealing this was.”
Marianne, left, with her baby son, Axel Jensen Jr, with Cohen (second left) and friends, Hydra, 1960. Photograph: James Burke/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Cohen used to wish for a matriarchy, though not necessarily in his own private life. Goldman doesn’t believe that Ihlen ever saw her situation through any kind of feminist lens. “It wasn’t a sexist issue, but a human one, of how to define herself.”
One definition that weighed on her was that of single mother. Ihlen had to return to Norway and her son, while Cohen needed to get back to Canada to earn some money. They drove to Norway together, then the aspiring novelist flew to Montreal. It was the first of many estrangements to come. This was a time, of course, when phones were a rarity and communication was by handwritten letters. That sweet agony of separation, intolerable yet full of poetic longing, is one that is unimaginable in the age of text and Snapchat.
In the film, there is footage of Cohen in concert, introducing a song by talking about his relationship with Marianne. At first, he says, he lived with her for most of the year, then two months, then two weeks, until, he says in a wry delivery, he lives with her two days a year. It’s delivered with warmth and irony, but it also speaks of a painful truth.
There were stints together on Hydra, in Montreal and, most unhappily, in New York. For the next decade, Cohen came and went. Two long stays on Hydra produced two novels, The Favourite Game and Beautiful Losers, a strange, mystical fiction I recall reading as a hungry-for-experience teenager travelling around the Greek islands. Cohen had a breakdown when it was completed and, realising that he would never fully support himself, let alone anyone else, by writing literature, he turned his attentions to music. In 1966, Judy Collins recorded a song Cohen played her called Suzanne, along with the much later Hallelujah, his best-known hit. Thereafter, he took up songwriting, recording and performing and became an international star.
To be a tortured singer-songwriter in the mid-1960s with Cohen’s saturnine good looks and quietly penetrating personality was not a set of circumstances to advance the cause of fidelity. Joni Mitchell once called Cohen a “boudoir poet” and for all his manners and sensitivity, he was incapable of turning down the wealth of opportunities that came his way. That a later album, produced by a demented Phil Spector, was entitled Death of a Ladies’ Man was not entirely ironic.
There is a revealing scene in the film in which a stunningly beautiful young woman comes on to him, seemingly in the company of her boyfriend. It’s all Cohen can do not to seduce her in front of the watching cameras. As Goldman comments: “He was quite a womaniser. He was very romantic and also I guess really horny. That’s an interesting combination.”
It was around this time that the young Broomfield turned up in Hydra. The incursion is subtly handled in the film, with the Englishman deliberately minimising his part so as not to distract from the romance at the centre of the film. Initially, he wrote himself out of the narrative, but it’s an interlude that deserves its place in the story. He was smitten by Ihlen and she followed him back to England, then came to visit him at university in Cardiff.
Film-maker Nick Broomfield. Photograph: Erik Tanner/Getty Images
“There was a big age gap between us,” he says. “I was really out of my depth. It was quite hard for me to embrace this enormous world. She was very close to Julie Felix, whom she encouraged as a songwriter and who was on The Frost Report and friends with David Frost.”
A year earlier, on Hydra, Ihlen had met the great documentary-maker DA Pennebaker, who made the classic film of Bob Dylan’s 1965 English concert tour Don’t Look Back, and she suggested that Broomfield should consider film-making. “She just showed me this world of possibilities that I’d never even imagined,” he says.
Remarkably, Pennebaker’s son managed to dig out the film he shot on Hydra in 1967 and send it to Broomfield during the editing process. It shows Marianne at 32, an attractive and proud woman who carried no air of entitlement.
She and Broomfield were together for almost a year. He says she was instrumental in pushing him to make his first film, Who Cares?, in 1971, about slum clearance. He has since made more than 30 films, winning countless awards. Among them have been several first-rate films about musicians, although for my money Marianne and Leonard is the best of these.
Broomfield, whom I’ve known for a couple of decades, says Ihlen remained in love with Cohen. At the end of their year together, she went to New York to try to restart the relationship with him. Cohen was living at the famously louche Chelsea hotel in Manhattan and hanging out with people such as Janis Joplin (about whom he wrote Chelsea Hotel), Joni Mitchell and Nico from the Velvet Underground. With her son, Marianne moved into a run-down apartment in Clinton Street. One night, she was mugged on the doorstep. Cohen kept her at a distance, informing her that the Chelsea hotel wasn’t “her scene”.
“I think it was a very harrowing experience for her,” says Broomfield.
Few of those who gathered on Hydra emerged with their art enhanced or lives more sorted
It marked the end of the affair and equally, as the 1960s came to a close, the end of an era. The shining promise that Hydra represented at the beginning of that decade gradually darkened until Ihlen’s great love seemed to disappear into a fug of dissolution in downtown New York. As Cohen used to say: “When you’ve lived on Hydra, you can’t live anywhere else, including Hydra.”
A generation of artists had set out in search of themselves, a journey that, in Ihlen’s case, took in Jungian psychology, the I Ching, LSD and various other fads. Following Cohen’s lead, she also dabbled in Scientology. As Broomfield shows in his film, very few of those who gathered on Hydra emerged with either their art enhanced or their lives more sorted. Divorce, suicide and madness were some of the endings that the journey had in store. The self, it turned out, could be selfish and destructive.
While paying tribute to its beauty and simplicity, Broomfield says that Hydra was “a very tough island” that, for artists, required “an iron will” to succeed or else the lure of cheap alcohol and ready affairs would prove too great. Cohen had that will. It was the success that his efforts brought him that did for his romance with Ihlen.
There were other factors too. According to Broomfield, who met Cohen several times, the singer wanted to have Jewish children, something that Ihlen accepted, though he thinks it was an enormous disappointment to her that they didn’t have a child. But, he says, she “wasn’t someone to feel sorry for herself”.
Indeed, while her experience in New York left a bitter taste, Ihlen said later of her time with Cohen: “This relationship was a gift to me. And a gift for Leonard, I might also add, not to underestimate myself completely.”
The person who most struggled with the dislocation and uncertainty that their life together brought was Ihlen’s son, Axel Jnr. He was sent to board at Summerhill, the experimental school in Suffolk. There were other children of Hydra expats there, and, in keeping with the wisdom of the times, Ihlen believed that its unstructured regime, where lessons were optional, would suit her son. In fact he was unmoored and desperate for his mother. As he grew older, he developed psychiatric problems and has subsequently spent a large part of his life in and out of institutions. Ihlen would look back on Summerhill and the periods that her son spent in Norway without her with deep regret.
Goldman believes that if Axel’s difficulties were environmental, they probably had more to do with Hydra: “You have to understand that the kids that stayed on the island became very messed up later. I know some of them. It did not turn out well for them.”
A letter from Cohen to Ihlen. Photograph: Christies New York
Though Ihlen retained a connection to Hydra, returning each year, her residency came to an abrupt end in 1972 when a young woman carrying a baby knocked on the door of the house she had shared with Cohen. She asked Ihlen when she would be moving out. This was Suzanne Elrod, who, depending on which account you believe, met Cohen in the Chelsea hotel lift or at a Scientology meeting in 1969. In any case, they had two children together before splitting up, acrimoniously, in 1978.
Cohen would go on to discover Zen Buddhism and live for several years in a retreat, lose all his money to a manager he trusted, and make a fortune late in life touring the world. He continued to send money to Ihlen and her son long after they broke up. He was particularly concerned about Axel, to whom he’d been close, and spoke to Broomfield about the boy when they met up.
Ihlen returned to Norway to live and found employment working in a secretarial capacity for a company building oil platforms. It was about as far from being a folk singer’s muse as it’s possible to conceive. She married an engineer with three daughters from a previous marriage and they remained together, though in separate apartments in the same building, until she died.
Just before her death in July 2016 of leukaemia, a friend of hers, Jan Christian Mollestad, contacted Cohen, who sent an email to his former lover, which Mollestad read out to Ihlen. It said:
Dearest Marianne,
I’m just a little behind you, close enough to take your hand. This old body has given up, just as yours has too, and the eviction notice is on its way any day now.
“I’ve never forgotten your love and your beauty. But you know that. I don’t have to say any more. Safe travels old friend. See you down the road. Love and gratitude. Leonard
Four months later, Cohen died after a fall at his home in Los Angeles.
Owing to a radio interview with Mollestad, in which he paraphrased the deathbed message at longer length, a different version of the email was initially reported. It was hailed as a romantic classic of eternal love. The real version is a little more economical but no less touching. Earlier this month, a cache of more than 50 love letters between Ihlen and Cohen sold for $870,000 at auction – the money will help secure Axel Jnr’s future.
The scene of Ihlen hearing the letter read out is shown in Broomfield’s film. It’s clear that, as she confronts death with grace and humour, the words are a kind of completion, mortality’s ultimate balm.
There have been many thousands of travellers who have fallen in love on the Greek islands since Ihlen and Cohen first met. The shimmering Mediterranean gently lapping at the sun-bleached shore of a gorgeous fishing village: it’s a scene that creates a timeless sense of the world in which feelings, intensified by the heat and light, can seem as if they will last for ever. Most often, they burn out and remain only as embers in the memory. But with Marianne and Leonard they had a long and meaningful afterlife in their own thoughts, in his songs and now in Broomfield’s richly poignant elegy.
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love is released on 26 July
Nick Broomfield
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7.8-magnitude earthquake hits near Iran-Pakistan border
Many feared dead as tremors felt as far as north India and Gulf states after quake strikes near Iranian city of Khash
Jason Burke in Delhi and Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Tue 16 Apr 2013 09.39 EDT First published on Tue 16 Apr 2013 09.39 EDT
People are evacuated from buildings following tremors in Karachi, after a huge earthquake struck near the Iran-Pakistan border. Photograph: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images
A powerful earthquake has hit the border regions between Iran and Pakistan, with reports of casualties currently confused.
Communications to the region near the epicentre, in a remote corner of the south-east of Iran, appear to be cut off.
Tremors were felt across the Gulf region, across Pakistan and well into north-west India on Tuesday, when the quake happened at 10.44am GMT.
The US Geological Survey said it had measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.8 and gave its location at 50 miles east-south-east of the town of Khash, in Iran. It is the biggest earthquake in Iran for 40 years.
Though the area is largely desert and mountains, there are several major cities, including Zahedan, 125 miles away, which has more than half a million inhabitants.
One Iranian told the Guardian that the small town of Hiduj, which had a population of around 1,000 according to a 2006 census, had been badly damaged.
The Iranian semi-official news agency Fars quoted Tehran University's geophysics centre as saying the quake had hit the south-eastern city of Saravan in Sistan and Baluchistan province, at 3.14pm local time and reported that it had killed at least 40 people, according to some of their sources. At least seven villages near the city had been affected, the agency said.
But Fars also quoted Fariborz Rashedi, the head of medical emergencies for Sistan and Baluchistan, as saying the situation in his province was "normal", with only three people injured.
On the Pakistan side, the situation seemed just as confused. "We have reports of three deaths near the Pakistan-Iran border in MashKhel area of Panjgore district," said a local government official, requesting anonymity.
The official added that around 40 people had been injured when wooden roofs and mud walls collapsed. The sparsely populated district is one of Pakistan's most underdeveloped, with minimal telecommunication and infrastructure.
There is no official announcement of a death toll by Pakistan's disaster management authority. However, a police officer in the Kalat district, near the provincial capital of Quetta, said they are assessing the damage in towns along to the Iranian border.
Iran earthquake location. Graphic: The Guardian
There are reports of panic in Karachi where residential buildings and government offices have developed cracks.
Saleh Mangi, from the NGO Plan International, said he was in a meeting with staff in their office in Thatta, around 65 miles from the port city, when they felt the ground shake. "It was horrible – we felt the movement in the chairs and even the cupboards were shaking. This is the strongest quake I have felt since the 1980s. And this is an area prone to earthquakes and cyclones."
"We sounded our emergency alarm and emergency alarms were going off in the houses around us. Everyone was pouring out of their homes and offices. People were afraid and didn't know what was happening. People are afraid to go back to their homes and the government is telling fishing communities [on the coast] not to go into the sea as that would be very dangerous."
Close to 8 magnitude means an extremely powerful quake, on a level with the one that killed an estimated 68,000 people in Sichuan province, China, in 2008.
An Iranian citizen in the southern city of Shiraz, about 650 miles from the epicentre, said the quake was felt there.
There was concern that facilities associated with Iran's controversial nuclear programme might have been affected.
A witness in Saravan told BBC's Persian service: "The earthquake was felt gravely across the city and the old part of the city as well as its main sport centre have been destroyed but thanks God because it could be worse."
Ahmad-Reza Shajiee, the deputy head of Iran's Red Crescent, told the state Irna news agency that there was a complicated emergency situation in affected areas in Sistan and Baluchistan.
"Soon after we received the news about the quake, a crisis meeting was held and a group of rescuers from the Red Crescent society were dispatched to Sistan and Baluchistan province," he said.
But the Bushehr nuclear power plant was not damaged, said an official at the Russian firm that built the plant. The official at Atomstroyexport, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he had spoken to a colleague at the plant after the quake and that no damage was reported.
Bushehr, Iran's sole nuclear power plant, is near the Gulf coast in western Iran. There was no immediate independent confirmation of his statement.
In Delhi, India, more than 1,500 miles from the suspected epicentre, office workers evacuated buildings as fittings shook and windows rattled. Tremors lasted for around 30 seconds.
"It was very frightening. Everything started moving. I ran into the street," said Ghautam Menon, an office worker in the south of the Indian capital.
In 2003, a major quake near the Iranian city of Bam, not far from Tuesday's epicentre, killed 30,000.
Iran experiences earthquakes frequently. A week ago, a 6.1-magnitude quake hit near Bushehr, on the Persian Gulf coast, killing at least 37 people.
Natural disasters and extreme weather
US soldier sentenced to 16 years for selling secrets to 'Russian spy'
William Colton Millay given 16 years and dishonourable discharge after selling secrets to undercover FBI agent
Boston explosions: three dead, no arrests, no claims of responsibility
FBI search apartment block in nearby Revere and remove evidence from scene
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AKA: 人狼 (Jinrou), Man-Wolf
Genre: Action / drama
Length: Movie, 105 minutes
Distributor: Currently licensed by Discotek Media.
Content Rating: R (violence, gore)
Also Recommended: Akira, Ghost in the Shell
Notes: Prior to this film, a manga, "Kenrou Densetsu (Kerberos Panzer Cop)", was released by Oshii Mamoru and Fujiwara Kamui. It was formerly available from Dark Horse Comics under the name "Hellhounds: Panzer Cops", though it is now out of print.
There are also two live-action films set in this universe, "Jigoku no Banken: Kerberos" (Stray Dogs), and "Jigoku no Banken: Akai Megane" (The Scarlet Spectacles).
Elements of this film allude to the Grimm fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood".
Note (07-23-2007): Bandai Visual is currently releasing a high-definition upgrade of this movie.
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
(taken from the back of the DVD case)
In a very different Tokyo from the one we know today, the totalitarian government rules with an iron fist. But a group called "the Sect" is staging demonstrations and challenging the government's martial law. Constable Fuse of the Capital Police's Special Unit is on a mission to stop a Sect demonstration when he encounters a girl in the sewers under Tokyo. When he fails to shoot as ordered, he is put on trial, questioned, and "re-conditioned" as a soldier. But the dead girl haunts him, both in his dreams and in the face of her sister, whom Fuse has befriended. But Fuse has made himself a target for some very powerful men. And as his world comes crashing down around him, Fuse is continually challenged to decide what is real and what is right.
A long time ago I asked when this title would be reviewed, and now here I am reviewing it. Rather amusing, I'd say, and now it's time to fulfill my own request.
First off, it looks great. Absolutely great. The animation is fluid, the backgrounds are well drawn, the weapons are detailed and the characters are very detailed, with even such small details as a clothespin holding shut a hooded cloak being visible. Everyone looks normal, no outrageous hair or physical proportions, they are all perfectly normal looking people. And the body armor is very cool, I must mention that.
The characters are very well done, and they all interact very well. Fuse is passive, and, although he is troubled, he is still a strong character whom I find very interesting. The other characters, such as Henmi, a friend of Fuse, all have personalities that aid the story. The DVD also comes with a small chart/tree which shows how the different branches of the government(and the people within them) relate to each other, so that is relatively helpful (despite the limited number of people shown on the chart).
The music fits perfectly with everything, it never clashes with or drowns out the scene that it accompanies, and strengthens the atmosphere nicely. But, while nice and fitting, it won't be continually on your tongue, being great with the movie, but not too well suited for absently humming, for instance.
The story is complex, having a couple of hidden agendas throughout, but it still makes sense, and won't leave the viewer staring at the screen in confusion as the credits roll. The very beginning of the movie is a small documentary of sorts, and helps to acquaint the viewer with the world where all of this is going on (why on Earth Germany would have occupied Japan after WWII isn't explained, but it does provide a reason for the pistols, cars, and automatic weapons to be there, so I won't complain), and with the state of affairs in Tokyo at the time. I will add, though, that although the Capital Police's Special Unit is supposed to be brutally violent, I have trouble seeing them as such, due mostly to the fact that I extremely dislike guerrilla tactics, and consider the method in which the Special Unit deals with the Sect as fitting with their crimes.
And now, to put it bluntly, Jin-Roh looks great, sounds great (sound effects being excellent as well), has great characters, and a wonderful story, combining to make an awesome package which I heartily recommend to anyone and everyone who likes good - nay - GREAT movies.
This film is not a non-stop action film, so those expecting the Special Unit to be shooting at anything that moves may be disappointed and should remove one or two stars. Also, those who dislike thinking when they watch something should also drop one star. — Samuel Arbogast
Recommended Audience: Definitely not for children; when the Special Unit does use its guns, people die, and they do so in a very, very bloody manner. There is also a very violent nightmare which could disgust those with a weak stomach, so I label it older teens and up.
Version(s) Viewed: R1 DVD
Review Status: Full (1/1)
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade © 1999 Mamoru Oshii / Bandai Visual • Production I.G
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Wasif Nagi
Diabetics’ number to double in Pakistan by 2040
LAHORE: In every six second, one person dies due to diabetes in world and this number is greater than the number of people dying due to malaria, hepatitis and many other diseases.
This was stated by Lars Rebien Sorenson, the president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, with Jang. He said every third person on dialysis is diabetic and the total number of people suffering from diabetes in world was likely to grow from current 4.15 million to 642 million in 2040, while in Pakistan from 7.1 million to 14.4 million in 2040.
Lars said 50 percent of people don’t know that they diabetic. Type one diabetes is common in children and young people and it is treated with insulin, while type two diabetes is found in older people and insulin is given to them according to doctor recommendation.
He said that since diabetes incidence was alarming in Pakistan, his company has started a program — NOVO CARE — in which 60 diabetes educators enlighten people about diabetes, under supervision of expert doctors. These educators visit medical stores and clinics to create awareness about diabetes and insulin. He envisaged establishing a research centre in Pakistan and his firm is actively involved in research. The company is working on a project to make insulin from yeast which is very effective. His company would continue to invest in Pakistan, he added.
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Steven Seagal Net Worth
TheRichest
Richest Actors
Source of Wealth:
Film, Television, Martial Arts, Music, Writing, Law Enforcement, Business
Lansing, Michigan, United States
Married (Erdenetuya Seagal)
Steven Frederic Seagal
Ashkenazi Jewish, English, German, distant Dutch
Actor, Producer, Screenwriter, Director, Martial Artist
Buena Park High School
7 (Ayako Fujitani, Kentaro Seagal, Arissa Seagal, Dominic Seagal, Kunzang Seagal, Annaliza Seagal, Savannah Seagal)
More Stats View More
About Steven Frederic Seagal
American film actor, producer, writer, martial artist, guitarist, and reserve deputy sheriff Steven Frederic Seagal has an estimated net worth of $16 million. A master of several Japanese martial arts, he is a popular action movie hero whose films combine spiritual concepts and social/environmental consciousness with high-voltage violence.
Born in Lansing, MI, on April 10, 1951, Seagal traveled to Japan at the age of 17. There, he taught English, studied Zen, and perfected his martial arts, earning black belts in Aikido, karate, judo, and kendo. Afterwards, he became the first Westerner to open a martial arts school in Japan.
Seagal spent about 15 years in Asia before returning to the States, where he opened a new martial arts academy and also worked as a celebrity bodyguard. His clients included his ex-wife Kelly LeBrock and Hollywood agent Michael Ovitz. With help from Ovitz, Seagal contracted to make martial arts films for Warner Bros.
For his first film, he and cinematographer-turned-director Andrew Davis carefully refashioned an average police drama into Above the Law (1988). It was well received and Seagal found himself an instant star among action aficionados. Seagal attracted mainstream appeal in 1992 when he starred in the Davis-directed hit Under Siege, his most popular movie. In 1994, he made his directorial debut with the environmentally conscious but critically panned On Deadly Ground.
In addition to acting and material arts, Segal is also a guitarist. He has released two albums which have featured songs with artist such as Stevie Wonder and Tony Rebel. He also made it on television with Steven Seagal: Lawman, the A&E Network premiered the reality television series focusing on him as a deputy in Louisiana.
Earnings & Financial Data ?
The below financial data is gathered and compiled by TheRichest analysts team to give you a better understanding of Steven Seagal Net Worth by breaking down the most relevant financial events such as yearly salaries, contracts, earn outs, endorsements, stock ownership and much more.
Earnings 2010
Asset 2010
Value of his home in Scottsdale, Arizona
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How Will Marijuana Legalization Impact Heroin Users?
April 29, 2014 theriversourceRehab Info
Marijuana has been illegal in the United States for nearly 80 years, but the times are certainly a-changing as music legend Bob Dylan once sang. Statistics show that marijuana use has been increasing in the United States in recent years. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, respondents who reported using marijuana rose from 6.2 percent in 2002 to 7.3 percent in 2012.
As more states consider decriminalizing marijuana, the impact on heroin users needs to be considered. Socio-economic effects of legalizing marijuana are already evident in Colorado where residents legally were able to purchase marijuana as of Jan. 1, 2014. This summer, Washington will open legal pot shops. And across the United States, about 20 states have approved the use of medical marijuana with numerous other states introducing legislation to make pot available.
No one is sure, but there are fears that legalization will lead to an increase in other drug use, including heroin, in these states. Perhaps state governments will be able to pay more attention and dedicate more resources to educate the public about heroin dangers. Maybe there will be more of an effort to treat addiction than what currently takes place. One thing is for certain. There is a strong financial benefit to decriminalizing marijuana, which is already evident in Colorado. Jobs have been created and the tax revenue from pot sales has added more than $6 million to the state coffers in just a few months.
Some believe decriminalization will lead to less crime. In the book “Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know” the author Beau Kilmer counters those claims. The author says this is not true since most drug-related crime stems from black markets involving heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. With more resources dedicated to heroin education and treatment, states could see a decrease in crime.
While there is little doubt that legalizing marijuana has profound socio-economic benefits, the debate rages on about marijuana’s impact as a “gateway” drug. Does marijuana lead to heroin use? For years, those against marijuana use perpetuated that idea. But a 2003 government study, “The Road to Ruin?” concluded that marijuana does not lead to heroin use. Yet many remain steadfast in their belief that legalized pot will lead to an increase in heroin use. Supporters on both sides have compelling arguments and cite a litany of research to state their ardent beliefs. It will take years of research after marijuana is decriminalized across the board before conclusions can be reached about legal pot’s effects on heroin use. Proponents of decriminalization can point to myriad studies that show a decrease in the use of “hard” drugs, such as heroin, in states where medical marijuana is prescribed.
NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, cites numerous studies dating to the 1970s. The consensus discovered in these studies: In states where pot has been decriminalized, the use of other drugs did not increase and the absence of marijuana reform actually might have encouraged the use of drugs even more dangerous than marijuana. (http://norml.org/aboutmarijuana/item/marijuana-decriminalization-its-impact-on-use-2).
Various studies indicate there are many who believe the decriminalization of marijuana will have a negligible effect on heroin use. The main reason disputes marijuana’s long-held distinction as a gateway drug. In fact, most marijuana users do not use any other illicit drug, according to the Drug Policy Alliance, which is a broad coalition of businessmen, politicians, and entertainers who advance drug policies based on “science, compassion, health and human rights.” (www.drugpolicy.org). Another study, cited by the Library of Economics and Liberty website (http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2014/03/will_legalizing.html) pointed to a 20 percent drop in the number of people being treated for heroin in states when medical marijuana has been made available.
Despite these studies, there is plenty of research, including another study conducted by the U.S. government that maintains marijuana’s role as a gateway drug. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency casts doubt on research showing legalized marijuana’s effects on heroin use. The DEA points to statistics from The Netherlands, where “coffee shops” have been selling pot legally for years. Despite legalization, heroin addiction levels tripled, the DEA claims, adding that marijuana is not as harmless as some believe.
Another study gives rise to worries about heroin use among pot smokers. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) surveyed 70,000 Americans aged 12 and older about their drug use during 2012. The result showed marijuana and heroin use was on the rise. But increased heroin use also was linked to increases in addiction to opiate-based painkillers.
But because the movement to make marijuana legal, whether for recreational or medical use, remains in its infant stages, the effects on heroin use remain uncertain. Conflicting opinions are based on years’ old research, and while both sides of the legal marijuana argument have plenty of ammunition to debunk the other side’s beliefs, many believe it will be years before solid conclusions can be made in regard to heroin users.
Welcome to The River Source, the place where new beginnings are created. We commend you for taking the first step in your recovery, and we want you to know that we are here for you.
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Carnage at migrant centre in Libya highlights peril for those turned back by Europe
By Sudarsan RaghavanThe Washington Post
TRIPOLI, LIBYA—Thousands of African migrants who have endured deprivation and even torture in a bid to reach Europe are now facing even greater peril, trapped in the middle of the renewed warfare that has gripped this capital city for three months.
More than 10,000 migrants who have set out across the Mediterranean over the past year have been returned to Libyan detention centres after stringent European anti-migration policies took effect, aid officials say, while many others have been blocked from even setting sail.
On Tuesday night, an airstrike shattered a detention camp near Tripoli, killing at least 53 migrants. The strike, which also left more than 130 wounded at the Tajoura detention facility, inflicted the most civilian casualties in a single day since combat erupted between a renegade Libyan commander, Khalifa Hifter, and militias aligned with the UN-backed government in Tripoli.
It was the latest horror, perhaps among the worst, visited upon tens of thousands of mostly African migrants and refugees who have streamed into Libya in recent years. Many have escaped conflicts, political repression, ethnic pogroms and poverty in their homelands only to be caught up in someone else’s war.
Thousands remain in detention centres run by Libyan militias or in homes near front-line fighting, exposed to airstrikes and mortar and rocket fire. Indiscriminate gunfire has wounded some of them, while the militias have tried to forcibly recruit young migrants, according to migrants and humanitarian officials. Food is running short inside detention centres, and some migrants locked inside have died by suicide, aid workers said.
On Friday, there were at least 359 detainees still inside the pulverized Tajoura detention centre, which housed 600 migrants and refugees before the attack, a spokeswoman for Doctors Without Borders, Karin Ekholm, said in an email.
The Tajoura facility had been targeted previously, the group said. An earlier attack on the compound struck about 80 yards from a cell holding women and children, sending a large piece of shrapnel crashing through the roof.
After that assault, new migrants continued to be housed in the facility, aid workers said.
“What horrible thing has to happen next before these people who remain locked in cells, without any ability to flee from the fighting, are evacuated out of the country to safety?” asked Craig Kenzie, the Tripoli project co-ordinator for Doctors Without Borders.
Since the conflict began in early April, more than 1,000 migrants and refugees have been returned to Libya after trying to reach Italy and other European countries, according to the group.
UN officials say more than 6,000 migrants and refugees remain in the country’s 34 detention centres, including 3,300 held in facilities in and around Tripoli. Some centres are run by militias involved in human smuggling, and migrants in interviews have described torture and slavery-like conditions. Other migrants are in schools that have become displacement centres, dependent on charities for survival.
For months before the airstrike Tuesday, UN and other aid groups had been calling for more refugees to be evacuated to other countries. These groups also demanded that Libya’s coast guard, partly trained and funded by the European Union, halt the return of migrants and refugees stopped at sea. Italy and other European countries have refused entry to humanitarian ships carrying rescued migrants.
“People should not be disembarked in Libya,” said Jean Paul Cavalieri, the head of the United Nations’ refugee agency in Libya.
Now, the calls to change Europe’s anti-migration policies have grown louder, with senior UN officials describing Tuesday’s attack as a possible war crime and demanding an investigation.
EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said the union’s assistance to the Libyan coast guard is designed to prevent migrants from drowning at sea. “We are not turning a blind eye to the situation of migrants in Libya,” Kocijancic said.
But while the EU condemned Tuesday’s attack in a pair of statements and called for a probe, it did not address the growing chorus of demands that European countries change their migration policies.
Fleeing repression in his native Eritrea, Munir Abdallah and his family had turned to smugglers for help escaping. With his wife and two children, now 2 and 7, they first went to Sudan, then crossing into Libya last year, he said. By then, the lawlessness that followed the downfall of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 had turned the country into a human-trafficking gateway to Europe.
When they reached the southwestern Libyan town of Zella, his family was sold to another trafficker, who Abdallah said tortured him and raped his wife. Every morning, he said, he was handed a cellphone to call relatives and beg for money. Their abusers beat him or gave him electric shocks so his relatives could hear his screams, he said, and sometimes his jailers would wrap him up in chains, point a gun to his head and snap a picture. Then, they would send it to his relatives, he said.
Women were often taken to rooms without their husbands. “Every time a woman goes in there, she would not leave without something happening to her,” said Abdallah, 27, as his wife stared blankly at the floor.
By the time Abdallah and his family arrived in Tripoli in December, they had run out of money and ended up at an overcrowded detention centre in the Qasr Ben Ghashir enclave.
Then, in late April, Libya’s civil war reached them.
Every morning, they woke up to the sound of mortars and gunfire. “At night, we went to sleep fearing airstrikes,” Abdallah recalled.
“It was getting too dangerous,” he said. “But where could we go? There was gunfire and shelling outside. We could hear jets flying above. One shell landed close to the ladies’ compound.”
Within days, stocks of food were depleted. “Some people were drinking water mixed with sugar,” Abdallah said.
On April 23, a group of fighters in camouflage attire arrived in tanks and pickup trucks mounted with large machine guns. The men stormed into the centre, firing guns in the air, confiscating cellphones and beating migrants. “Then they shot one guy and everyone started to scream,” Abdallah said.
Abdallah’s account is corroborated by UN officials, human rights groups and videos posted by survivors on social media of distressed refugees and migrants, some with visible gunshot wounds. By the time the fighters left an hour later, a dozen migrants had been wounded by bullets and were hospitalized, according to the UN refugee agency.
The Tripoli government accused Hifter’s forces of staging the attack. Abdallah said he could not determine which side was responsible.
Two days later, the United Nations sent buses to evacuate the centre. Abdallah and his family went to a displacement facility inside a school in downtown Tripoli. There, Libyan charities provided food, medicine and other care. It was the first time Abdallah felt secure in Libya.
“We feel like we are dealing with human beings,” he said.
Rawiya Youssef had fled war in Sudan’s Darfur region, arriving in Libya last year. A few months later, she hopped into an overcrowded smuggler’s boat bound for Europe. But it was stopped by the Libyan coast guard.
She and scores of other migrants were brought back to a detention centre in Tripoli’s Ain Zara enclave. “The guards beat us with sticks and rubber hoses and called us racist names,” recalled Youssef, wearing a red headscarf that framed her solemn face as she told the story. “We were given only one meal a day.”
Earlier this year, Youssef managed to escape by bribing a guard, she said. She went to stay with Asya Ibrahim Adam, 48, a mother of three who fled Sudan in the mid-1990s and found a life cleaning homes in Tripoli. In early May, a group of fighters arrived at Adam’s door, demanding to know whether her two sons, ages 23 and 21, were inside.
She told her sons to hide.
“They were trying to get Asya’s kids to join their militia,” Youssef said.
The fighters left but returned the next night and knocked on more doors.
“Other Sudanese families with fighting-age kids were also targeted,” Adam said.
As the fighting entered the enclave of Al Swani, Daoud Adam and his family fled their home to a nearby school. But within days, shells began to rain down, and they fled back to their home, he said.
A shell nearly hit their residence, and gunfire is a constant worry. “We’re still on a front line,” said Adam, 37, also from Sudan but unrelated to Asya. “But at least we know this area. We know where to hide.”
He remains anxious. There have been widespread rumours that non-Libyans had joined the fighting. “We are afraid that some people may see us as mercenaries,” Daoud Adam said. “Both sides accuse us in this way.”
As the war continues, and summer brings calmer waters on the Mediterranean, aid agencies and Libyan coast guard officials expect more migrants to try to escape the war.
The migrants’ deteriorating plight has sparked concerns that more will risk their lives to cross the Mediterranean, often in rickety, unsafe vessels. At least 1,151 have died at sea this year, nearly four times the death rate of last year, according to the International Organization for Migration.
But Youssef and Abdallah are already plotting their escape.
“If I find money, I will try again to reach Europe,” Youssef said.
“What other choice do we have?” Abdallah said. “I was hoping to find a better life than what I left at home. But I found worse than that.”
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In order to evaluate, and if appropriate enter into and complete, one or more business transactions from time to time (the “Purpose”), SE1Media Limited - Digital Tourism Think Tank (“#DTTT”) and the other party identified below (“You”) agree this NDA as follows.
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The Swiss Alps is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled parts of the world, and a haven for those who relish picturesque scenery in particular. However, among the traditional skiing resorts and popular holiday destinations also reside some of the worlds most remote places.
One such hamlet is a tiny place by the name of Obermutten. This almost completely anonymous Swiss town has not been known by many people throughout most of its history, and with good reason. Obermutten houses less than 80 residents, making it one of the smallest recognisable towns in Europe in population terms.
But the people of Obermutten decided a couple of years ago that they weren't going to let their lack of size and prominence detract from their attempts to attract tourists. They decided that in order to put their diminutive town on the map, some innovative marketing would be required. So the local people got their collective thinking caps on, and came up with a scheme which been hugely successful for Obermutten.
Obermutten is based in the Graubünden area of Switzerland, which is no stranger to tourism, but even some of the more hardened destinations in the region have been impressed with what Obermutten has achieved. The locals decided that a good way to market the town was via Facebook, and that this social media site provided an ideal opportunity to engage with travellers and tourists, and gain a new prominence and reputation.
What was particularly novel about the Facebook campaign launched by Obermutten was the personal nature of it. The small Swiss town announced that it would print out the picture of everyone who liked its Facebook page, and pin them on a noticeboard in the centre of the town. Those involved in the Facebook campaign also pledged to answer every single question which was posed by those visiting the Facebook page. They could surely only have imagined how involved this would become!
Early videos related to the campaign depict the Mayor of Obermutten pinning up the first ten likes of the Facebook page to the noticeboard in question. This began as what they believed would be a logistically simple task, but the personalised, innovative and community-focused approach that the Swiss town has taken has led to the Facebook page going viral beyond their wildest dreams.
Because the people involved in the Facebook campaign kept the initial promise by responding to all questions and hanging up the pictures of every single person that likes the page, Facebook users became increasingly engaged with the Obermutten campaign. The commitment of those involved to truly engage with the audience and create a real community feel was spectacularly rewarded.
Obermutten goes viral
Within no time it was necessary for the town to invest in a much larger bulletin board, and soon it was an equal necessity to print smaller pictures. Within a matter of months, even the walls of houses in Obermutten were plastered with Facebook pictures of fans. The Facebook page not only became a success, it in fact became the most liked page in Switzerland; an achievement that was scarcely believable for a town consisting of a few dozen people that virtually no one outside of Switzerland had ever heard of.
Not only did Obermutten attract a huge amount of tourists to the small, picturesque town as a result of their efforts, but the Facebook campaign was eventually widely picked up by international media. This elevated the profile of the Facebook page and the campaign itself. Overall, putting the magnitude of success that this campaign achieved into words is extremely difficult, but it would be reasonable to describe it as stratospheric.
To put this campaign into perspective and give some solid data on what was involved, Obermutten spent only 10,000 Swiss francs (€8,300, £7,000 or $11,000) on their innovative Facebook campaign. By comparison, their return on investment was pretty staggering. Obermutten earned around 2.4 million Swiss francs (€2 million, £1.6 million or $2.5 million) from a combination of increased tourism and media attention. Some basic mathematics would tell you that this was 240 times what they spent on the campaign!
Obermutten has now attracted over 60 million fans from 32 countries spread across every continent. It has attracted more Facebook fans than such notorious holiday destinations as Saint Moritz, Helsinki and Florence. For a period of time it had the most active Facebook page in Switzerland, and received interactions from such notable sources as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Coca-Cola.
This was obviously an extremely notable campaign given the vast success that was achieved by such a tiny town with a relatively small budget. It was also unique in that no specialist marketing experts were involved.
The Obermutten campaign succinctly illustrates some key aspects of digital marketing that the Digital Tourism Think Tank has reiterated several times previously. Personalising a campaign, making it interactive, and engaging directly with your audience to create a genuine communal vibe to a marketing campaign can reap rich rewards. The phenomenal success of Obermutten should make this abundantly clear.
The social media site Instagram has grown hugely in its short four year existence. It’s not that long ago that few people had heard of the photo and video-sharing platform, but Instagram has rapidly become a household name, popular with both everyday users and commerce alike. It is this growing user base which has enabled Instagram to recently achieve a milestone for its community.
300 million user community
Instagram has recently announced that it has over 300 million monthly active users. This is obviously a very large figure in itself, roughly equal to the population of the United States, but it is further put into perspective by comparison with other social media sites. The much more established Twitter, which one would assume to be bigger than Instagram, only boasts 284 million monthly active users. Given that Twitter is eight years-old, this is a pretty massive achievement for a social media site only half its age.
Thus, there is evidence to suggest that when we talk about the big two social media sites from now on, instead of mentioning Facebook and Twitter, increasingly we could possibly instead referred to Facebook and Instagram. This is more good news for the former, given that it is the parent company of Instagram. Facebook has moved into profitability recently with an outstanding marketing and monetisation strategy, and now it can boast that Instagram is clearly the fastest growing of the social media sites.
Aside from its obvious popularity, and the exponential growth of its user base, Instagram also makes an ideal site for those involved in tourism, either at the commercial or destination level. The photo and video-based nature of the site makes it ideal for holiday-related companies to share absorbing media, and it is certainly a source of potential customers and revenue that should not be overlooked.
Skift Trends Report
With this in mind it is extremely valuable for tourism-related businesses to understand the latest trends on Instagram. Thus, the Skift Trends Report, which provides the latest intelligence on travel trends, has some interesting insights into the way that Instagram is developing as a social media site which tourism businesses would do well to pay heed to.
One of the most notable aspects of Instagram which has been documented by Skift is the fact that it has an extremely engaged community as well as a fast-growing one. According to the research organisation Forrester, 4.21 percent of brands’ total followers on Instagram have engaged with their content in comparison to 0.03 percent and 0.07 percent of brands’ total followers on Twitter and Facebook, respectively. It hardly need be said then that it is absolutely in the interest of any business to create a strong brand on Instagram.
While this is already an impressive figure that offers companies are huge opportunity, it is expected to grow further still in 2015. This is because Instagram has recently announced that it will eliminate spambots forever during the next calendar year, which will vastly decrease the total follower count on the photo-sharing site. Instagram has shown itself to be keen to create an entirely human network of users which is particularly tuned to brand awareness.
Instagram is now attracting vast figures with regard to daily uploads and downloads and this is something else that shrewd businesses can tap into. According to figures in the Skift report, 70 million photos are uploaded to Instagram every day, and this is only expected to increase as the popularity of Instagram escalates and diversifies in the coming years.
Instagram shifts to the mainstream
When Instagram started out it was very much viewed as a niche channel, and certainly didn't have a particularly corporate-focused flavour. If anything it was associated with fashion and young people sharing photographs of one another, but with its move to the mainstream and shifting emphasis toward being an ad-supporting platform, Instagram has in fact because the ideal site for travel-related marketing. The social sharing site combines the most intense audience for commercial content with a young and fashionable user base, and an image which has not yet become corporatised or dowdy in any way.
One of the useful features provided by Skift with regard to Instagram is its SkiftIQ service. This tracks the social media efforts of over 2,700 travel brands to ascertain which particular topics, companies, brands and destinations are currently trending on the photo-sharing site. Currently, Disney has made great usage of the Instagram platform, achieving thousands of followers per day, while the National Geographic Instagram site is currently the largest among travel-related pages. Additionally, Australia has done a great job of appealing to the Instagram community, and has already racked up over 60 million likes.
Engaging with customers in the contemporary era is increasingly a task best achieved by visual means, and in this respect Instagram provides the ideal communal platform for all travel companies and destinations to explore. As the reputation of the site continues to increase, it would make obvious commercial sense for tourism-related organisations to investigate the potential that it offers them.
Amazon has come an awful long way since Jeff Bezos launched the company out of his garage mainly as a seller of obscure academic books. The company celebrated its twentieth anniversary this year, and now boasts an operating income of over $74 billion per annum. Needless to say, Amazon has become the world's largest retailer, and is continually branching out into new niches and industries in an attempt to grow its revenue and satisfy investors.
Despite the massive success and diverse product range of Amazon, the company has hitherto shown little interest in participating in the tourism industry. But recent reports indicate that Amazon.com is poised to launch its own travel service, which will centre around the booking of independent hotels and resorts near some of the world’s premier cities.
Amazon Travel to go live
Amazon Travel will go live sooner than many people might have expected, with reports indicating the first bookings will be available from 1st January next year. The service will apparently feature a carefully curated selection of hotels initially, which will be situated within a few hours' drive of the US cities of New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
According to interviews conducted with hoteliers that have signed up for the Amazon Travel scheme, the retailer is intending to utilise the merchant model that Expedia and Hotels.com have implemented with great success. This new site will apparently attract commission for Amazon of a standard 15 percent for prepaid bookings; thus Amazon is effectively undercutting Expedia, for example, which currently charges 25 percent commission.
According to interviews with hotels that are initially involved with the project, Amazon has used TripAdvisor ratings as part of the criteria for selecting properties to participate. At this point in time, Amazon is clearly being very selective about the hotels that it allows to participate in this fledgling site, as it will include only a few properties per destination for the time being, all of which must have achieved a star rating of four and above.
In addition to the basic hotel booking facility, Amazon will also be providing editorial content regarding tourist attractions, and activities which tourists can participate in within the supported destinations. It has been emphasised that Amazon will be initially focusing merely on hotels, and not flights or other travel-related products. However, given that its obvious rivals in this field all offer flights and other tourist-related offers, it seems inevitable that if this initial Amazon Travel site is a success that the company will expand into other arenas as its tourism venture develops.
Despite the fact that this is launching in a matter of weeks, Amazon has remained pretty quiet on the matter thus far. When contacted to comment on the creation of Amazon Travel, the corporation has declined to comment. This is very much in line with the low-key launch of Amazon Travel, and it is evident that this is a venture which the retail giant is handling carefully and cautiously.
However, Amazon has been recruiting pretty aggressively with the intention of filling positions related to travel on a permanent basis. Amazon has posted employment ads for travel market managers for Amazon Local in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Dallas, and it will be interesting to see in what direction this business develops in the future.
Amazon to target independents
Evidently, Amazon is attempting to create a marketplace for retailers in the hotel industry who might otherwise find it difficult to attract customers. A high-profile listing in a massive retailer such as Amazon.com could offer a significant marketplace for independent and boutique hotels, who typically have a struggle to compete with the established chains that now dominate the hotel industry.
While Amazon has not explicitly run a travel business before, it is nonetheless worth pointing out that it has dabbled with collaborations in the industry. Amazon established partnerships with Expedia in 2001 and SideStep in 2006, and these experiences have perhaps emboldened the hierarchy of the company to investigate opportunities in the travel niche.
Future European focus?
It is thought that Amazon’s attempt to target the independent niche could pay particular dividends in Europe, even though the service is launching in the United States. The US hotel market is almost completely dominated by powerful chains, but independent hotels enjoy greater commercial success in the European continent, and this could eventually lead to a widespread launch of the service in Europe.
Competing with dedicated tourism and hotel booking services will not be easy for Amazon. A major company such as hotels.com has achieved its success by focusing on that one singular market. But the ability of Amazon to excel in numerous industries - for example, Amazon Web Service remains by far the dominant player in cloud computing - suggests that its attempts to establish a position in hotel booking shouldn't be underestimated.
One of the most intriguing technological developments of recent years has been the Internet of Things. This concept is very much based in the present, but also one that will become increasingly significant in the future. Yet although many people have heard the hype related to this coming phenomenon, most people are as of yet unfamiliar with what the Internet of Things actually entails.
Defining the Internet of Things
Even supposed layman’s definitions of the Internet of Things can be somewhat confusing for the uninitiated. Wikipedia defines the technology as “the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.” To elaborate on this rather impenetrable definition, the Internet of Things will most obviously impact the general public via its ability to connect everyday items to the Internet, effectively making them smart devices.
This technology has hitherto been most associated with domestic homes, with the possibility of connecting appliances such as washing machines and fridge freezers to the Internet. While the benefits of this may not be immediately obvious, the theory behind Internet of Things is that people will be able to remain connected to their appliances whether or not they are at home. This is already being implemented with regard to such technology as electricity systems which enable consumers to alter thermostats while outside of their homes.
But it is not merely in the home where the Internet of Things can have a serious impact. Already airports are looking at the possibilities offered by this technology as part of the constant battle to improve the departure and arrival experience for customers. While both airports and airlines have attempted to differentiate themselves from one another in terms of price and value for money, promoting innovation and enhanced customer experience can be another way of attracting consumers.
London City Airport Piloting Internet of Things
And one airport is already dipping its toes into the water of opportunities offered by the Internet of Things. London City Airport faces a huge amount of competition from iconic competitors such as Heathrow and Gatwick, but it does benefit from a unique location adjacent to the financial centre of the city of London. As a consequence of this, London City Airport targets corporate travellers primarily, with this group representing 63 percent of the passengers that go through the airport on a daily basis.
Eighteen months ago, London City Airport became the first in the UK to test drive the Internet of Things, utilising the technology to pilot cross-technology networking around the airport. What it actually enabled was security lines to have the ability to communicate with each other, and then ping the mobile devices of travellers with up-to-date waiting times.
This potentially offers several benefits. For example, drivers will know the moment that customers are making their way through terminals, and food and beverage outlets can take pre-orders for customers and automatically begin preparing food as soon as customers go through security. Auto-bookings can also be easily enabled for travellers who are unable to make flights, as determined through their GPS-enabled devices.
There are many other potential applications and benefits of this technology for businesses related to airports and tourism, and it seems possible that this hi-tech project can be a precursor to widespread adoption by airports across the UK and indeed the world.
The development of the customer experience and the face of airports in the future were examined and discussed in-depth at the recent FTE Global 2014 event in Las Vegas. A raft of industry experts offered their thoughts at the event on what the airport sector should be preparing for over the next 15 to 20 years.
The 'Generation Y Traveller'
In particular, the event looked at the importance of the so-called 'Generation Y Traveller'. This was defined as a traveller of the future; an individual with less patience and greater requirements from airports than travellers of the past. These are people who are very technologically savvy, and also to some degree reliant on tech (and some might suggest even addicted to some degree). It is also suggested that this group expects superb customer service, has little tolerance for delays, and adapts quickly to new innovations that become available.
While one should be wary of generalisations, the picture of the future traveller was pieced together by looking at existing trends. And Dubai airport, which participated in the forum, is already developing the sort of flexible infrastructure required to handle the demands of the future. Mike Hardaker, Head of Business Improvement at Dubai Airport, explains that it is currently examining all of its procedures, in an attempt to improve the customer experience which the Dubai airport believes has stood still for around 30 years.
The Internet of Things can play a significant part in the re-shaping of customer experience related to airports, and both airports themselves and travel-related businesses likely to operate out of airports can benefit from paying heed to this technology as it develops.
With the tourism industry becoming ever more competitive, the onus is on destinations to market themselves more effectively to potential travellers. With this in mind, the French tourism development agency, Atout France, has recently run a Facebook campaign aimed at engaging potential visitors to France with the nation.
Testing the Francophile
The basis of this particular campaign is to test what kind of ‘Francophile’ a visitor to the Facebook page is. To explain this expression briefly, a Francophile is simply someone who has a certain passion for, or predilection toward, the culture of France.
In order to establish the category of Francophile that visitors may fit into, visitors to the Atout France Facebook page are encouraged to answer seven different questions on a variety of France-related topics. The questions touch upon such subjects as users' perception of French people as a nation, the ability of users to speak French, various cultural aspects of France as a country, and opinions on French geography, landscape and motivations for visiting the nation.
The personality test is intended more as an entertaining exercise than an intense examination of people's reasons for visiting France. But it is a way of encouraging people to engage with France as a destination in a fun way. It is also worth noting that at the end of the campaign there is a message encouraging people to share test results on Facebook, and to encourage friends or peers to participate in the test themselves. This has the intention of ensuring that the test goes viral, and additionally helps create a communal aspect to the personality exercise.
Utilising Facebook
The decision of Atout France to work with Facebook applications is an interesting one, as this has not been witnessed in the tourist industry too much of late. One of the last notable Facebook campaigns was the “Send your Facebook profile to Cape Town” app, which achieved massive success for South Africa as a destination.
What should be borne in mind and taken out of the Francophile campaign being run by Atout France is that intense engagement with an app is not necessarily important. Actually, the more complex and convoluted an app is, the less chance there is that the general public will really engage with it. Limited engagement and interactivity is in fact preferable, and it is also advisable to have a call to action at the end of a campaign. Attempting to direct people to either a website, campaign site, or social media platform in order to enable DMOs to continue engaging and interacting with potential visitors to a nation is also to be recommended.
Creating demographics
This may not have been the goal in the case of the Atout France campaign, but it does seem something of a missed opportunity for them not to attempt this. It would surely have been invaluable for this Facebook campaign to direct participants to other websites or social media campaigns. From this point, Atout France would have been able to gather further information from people who have taken the personality test, and perhaps ascertain to what extent the data can be utilised in future campaigns and marketing activities.
All data related to marketing can come in useful, but creating nuanced and intersected data which categorises people based on demographics can be extremely valuable. While it is worthwhile to make marketing campaigns as simple and as fun as possible in order to ensure that a large number of people participate, it is also worth bearing in mind that the data gleaned from such campaigns will be limited by its simplistic nature. Atout France has gained an impression of what attracts people to France from its campaign, but this information could become even more valuable if the organisation was able to acquire follow-up data to strengthen its impression of the people participating in the campaign.
Nonetheless, these light-hearted and community-based feel of the campaign is the sort of vibe and approach that destinations should generally seek to imitate in their marketing.
The significance of tourism as an economic factor is sometimes underestimated. It is in fact one of the most dynamic industries in the world, and responsible for nearly 10 percent of the world’s GDP. Other figures related to tourism are even more significant, with the industry responsible for 30 percent of service exports and one in every 11 jobs worldwide.
Travel abroad expanding rapidly
This is only set to become more prominent in the future as the ability to travel abroad becomes more socio-economically feasible for millions more people every year. Just over half a century ago, in 1950, only 25 million people travelled the globe, and the overwhelming majority of these were drawn from the European and North American continents. Last year, the annual number of international tourist topped 1 billion; a forty fold increase in just 60 years. And these travellers are being drawn from an ever diverse range of emerging economies.
In conjunction with this growth of tourism, the unchecked rise of digital and mobile marketing methods has resulted in t the way consumers book and research travel evolving rapidly. The proliferation of online tourism-related content has ensured that companies in a wide variety of tourism niches have had to alter the way that they market and sell in order to attract customers.
A recent report produced by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) entitled “Online Guest Reviews and Hotel Classification Systems: An Integrated Approach” takes a particularly close look at the hotel industry, and provides a wealth of useful information for organisations in this line of trade. The report was prepared with the collaboration of the Norwegian Accreditation; an agency of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of Norway.
Traditional versus new wave
Those in the hotel industry will be aware that there are two primary ways that hotels can be assessed; hotel classification systems and guest reviews. The former of these is perhaps the more traditional way of grading a hotel's worth, with almost everyone on the planet familiar with the star system. But the latter has become increasingly important in recent years, especially as vast numbers of people are now using the Internet as their primary way of researching, planning and ultimately booking trips and hotels.
The UNWTO report assesses both of these key areas of information and attempts to draw conclusions based on the latest trends in the industry. This is really a critical report for anyone in the hotel industry to peruse in depth, but it is possible to sum up some of the most important assertions and trends recognised in the UNWTO report in this article.
Firstly, it is important that before making an online hotel reservation, the average consumer will visit 14 travel-related sites, roughly using each site about three times. They'll also carry out nine travel-related searches via Google and other search engines. This indicates that research is an important part of the online hotel booking experience.
However, as much as consumers carry out their own research before booking a hotel, reference to traditional ranking systems remains prevalent. Official hotel classifications are frequently used by consumers as a filter mechanism during their booking process, with the guest reviews then utilised in order to make a definitive selection. Thus, aiming for good reviews from customers is incredibly important, but hotels should not underestimate the importance of where they fit into the star rating system.
Star rating demographics
The report also indicates that the potential quality of guest reviews upon hotel classification increases with decreasing star levels. While three and four star hotels are more likely to attract excellent reviews and deliver what is perceived to be outstanding value for customer service, five-star hotels tend to find it more difficult to exceed, or even match, the expectations of consumers.
In order to measure the impact of customer reviews, the UNWTO reports carried out a complex research matrix which assessed the impact of reviews on revenue. Those who compiled the report acquired online reputation data from ReviewPro and hotel performance data from SmithTravel Research in order to draw the most accurate conclusions possible.
They found that a 1 percent improvement in review scores tends to translate directly into a 1 percent gain in revenue per available room. This information is displayed in a table contained within the report, and also broken down into various demographics. Again it should be noted that the more luxurious hotel is in terms of classification, the smaller this effect will be. The UNWTO report found that there was nearly a 1.5 percent gain for mid-scale hotels, while luxury hotels experienced a mere 0.49 percent increase.
Overall, the research collated in this extremely informative report indicates that both the traditional elements of hotel assessment as well as contemporary reviewing systems are important to consumers. But both customers and the hotel industry itself are interested in seeing a closer fit and collaboration between the two elements in the future, as well as the establishment of a common framework for guest reviews.
Meet…Heili Klandorf-Järvsoo from Estonia Tourist Board
Meet…Kevin Wright from Travel Oregon
Meet…Gloria Loree from Destination Canada
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#DTTTCampus is here again and we are live from the ground in Oslo, Norway. We are so excited to be welcoming a range of speakers from around the world, from DMOs to travel film directors and industry content powerhouses. We are all set up in the newly transformed Høymagasinet and ready to get started! Stay […]
Heili Klandorf-Järvsoo is the Head of Tourism Marketing at Visit Estonia, and she will be joining us at #DTTTCampus alongside a panel of other DMOs to share insights on the in’s and out’s of Visit Estonia’s ‘Storytellers Nest’.
In a world of always-on content, information overload and the ever-changing digital consumer, how do you stand out from the competition and most importantly, reach your audience? Kevin Wright, Vice President of Global Marketing for Travel Oregon will be joining us at #DTTTCampus in June to talk about Reflecting on the Role of Content to […]
We caught up with Gloria from Destination Canada ahead of #DTTTCampus to get a sneak peek into what we can expect from her talk on Designing Signature Experiences to Build Brand and Narrative.
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Meet…Daniel Bury VR Filmmaker
Daniel Bury is one of the youngest & most up and coming creators in the world of VR film-making, travelling the world to create immersive experiences through unique 360 and VR storytelling.
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5 Reasons Why to Visit #DTTTCampus 2019
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Lucie joined the Digital Tourism Think Tank heading up our digital marketing activities and our extensive programme of events. With her previous experience at the Dunkirk Tourist Office promoting the destination in the UK market, Lucie has brought her own French flair to the team.
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Michael Noonan, PhD
Michael Noonan, Ph.D., is at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY where he is Professor in the Department of Biology, Founder and Chair of the Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation undergraduate major, Founder and Director of the Institute for the Study of Human-Animal Relations and Founder and Director of the Canisius Ambassadors for Conservation.
As an scholar, his research focuses on the welfare and behavior of animals held in zoological institutions. Most recently, his projects have investigated social-cognition in captive killer whales.
With his students he wrote, produced and directed an award-winning produced a DVD, Elephas Maximus: The biology and conservation of the Asian elephant, which won the Animal Behavior Society Film of the Year (non-commercial) in 2005.
Eagles, Pigeons, Swine and Puppies: What people think about animal thinking
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Escape artist will defy death during Thompson’s Canada Day celebration
Kyle Darbyson / Thompson Citizen
For several decades now, Winnipeg-based escape artist Dean Gunnarson has been performing death defying stunts all over the globe, including in China, Thailand, Egypt and Iceland.
Photograph By Dean Gunnarson.
Dean Gunnarson cites this Hoover Dam stunt from 1998 as one of his most dangerous exploits to date. The escape artist was hanging upside down 726 feet above the ground from a trapeze and had to wriggle out of a straight jacket before losing his grip.
Dean Gunnarson performing on stage at Nickel Days back in 1985. Thompson Citizen file photo.
Throughout his lengthy career, professional daredevil Dean Gunnarson has travelled the world in the hopes of finding new and inventive ways to put his body on the line for people’s enjoyment.
On July 1, the Winnipeg-based escape artist will bring his unique brand of entertainment to Thompson’s Canada Day festivities by performing a pair of high-risk stunts that could potentially end in disaster.
“They want to hang me upside down and lock me up in a straight jacket and chains and hopefully a burning rope,” said Gunnarson. “The other [stunt] they want is to lock me up in a big tank of water in handcuffs, chains and locks and see if I can get out.”
Gunnarson’s been obsessed with this kind of public spectacle ever since he was around 10 years old and his mother bought him a book on famous magician Harry Houdini.
“Houdini travelled around the world and he got out of handcuffs and straight jackets. He did the impossible and as a kid he was like a comic book hero, but he was real.”
Over the next 45 years or so, Gunnarson tried to emulate his hero through mastering the same techniques and replicating the kinds of stunts Houdini made famous a few decades earlier.
“My first escape was from the old Winnipeg Free Press building back in 1982,” he said. “They locked me up and hanged me from my ankles to the building. It was the same place that Houdini escaped from when he was in Winnipeg back in 1923.”
While Gunnarson found a lot of success in his early career, he’s experienced his fair share of setbacks as well.
On top of breaking pretty much every bone in his body, Gunnarson nearly suffocated to death in November 1983 after failing to escape from a wooden coffin that was submerged in the Red River.
“I went four minutes without oxygen, I turned blue, I was unconscious,” he said. “They had to rush me to the Health Sciences Centre and bring me back to life. So these things do have an element of risk and danger and that’s just one incident.”
While any other aspiring performer might have thought about switching careers at that point, Gunnarson just kept on refining his technique in subsequent years. This involves a unique training regimen where Gunnarson prepares his body for every possible scenario that could take place in an upcoming stunt.
“It’s a lot like an athlete, a hockey player or football player,” he said. “You practise the fundamentals bit by bit, and then hopefully by game time everything that you’ve practised in bits and pieces will come together.”
All of this training was really put to the test in 1998, when Gunnarson performed what he considers to be his biggest stunt to date at the Hoover Dam.
As chronicled in NBC’s The World’s Most Dangerous Magic TV special, Gunnarson hung himself upside down from a trapeze and had to wriggle out of a straight jacket before losing his grip and plummeting 726 feet to the concrete below.
“It was a feat beyond anything that I had ever done or attempted before,” he said. “So that’s the one I’m most proud of.”
While he doesn’t have anything that extreme planned for Canada Day, Gunnarson said he is still looking forward to his trip up north, since he hasn’t performed in Thompson like this since doing some Nickel Days shows back in the mid-80s.
While the 55-year-old escapologist wouldn’t recommend that anybody follow in his footsteps directly, Gunnarson hopes that these death-defying stunts will, at the very least, inspire people to overcome their fears and try something that they once thought was impossible.
“We all have challenges and obstacles in our lives and it’s about trying to figure out how to solve them,” he said. “And as an escape artist that’s what I’ve done all my life.”
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Mercury General - Get News & Ratings Daily
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Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 11,400 Shares of Mercury General Co. (MCY)
Crawford Investment Counsel Inc. trimmed its position in Mercury General Co. (NYSE:MCY) by 5.2% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 206,079 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 11,400 shares during the period. Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Mercury General were worth $10,318,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCY. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Mercury General by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,524,258 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $130,528,000 after acquiring an additional 39,641 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Mercury General during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,116,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Mercury General by 37.4% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 568,705 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $29,408,000 after purchasing an additional 154,775 shares in the last quarter. MERIAN GLOBAL INVESTORS UK Ltd increased its position in Mercury General by 18.4% during the 1st quarter. MERIAN GLOBAL INVESTORS UK Ltd now owns 489,454 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $24,506,000 after purchasing an additional 76,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Frontier Investment Mgmt Co. increased its position in Mercury General by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Frontier Investment Mgmt Co. now owns 288,212 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $14,903,000 after purchasing an additional 5,173 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 47.89% of the company’s stock.
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A number of analysts recently issued reports on MCY shares. Zacks Investment Research raised shares of Mercury General from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. ValuEngine raised shares of Mercury General from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 13th. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Mercury General from a “c” rating to a “b” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 30th.
Shares of NYSE:MCY opened at $57.01 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.43 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Mercury General Co. has a 52-week low of $43.46 and a 52-week high of $61.83. The company has a market capitalization of $3.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.67, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.26.
Mercury General (NYSE:MCY) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 29th. The insurance provider reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.77 by $0.10. Mercury General had a net margin of 4.78% and a return on equity of 8.50%. The company had revenue of $919.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $917.25 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.07 earnings per share. Mercury General’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Mercury General Co. will post 3.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 27th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 13th will be given a $0.6275 dividend. This is an increase from Mercury General’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 12th. This represents a $2.51 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.40%. Mercury General’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 139.44%.
In other Mercury General news, Director George Gwyer Braunegg bought 500 shares of Mercury General stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $50.86 per share, for a total transaction of $25,430.00. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 34.20% of the company’s stock.
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Mercury General Profile
Mercury General Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in writing personal automobile insurance in the United States. The company also writes homeowners, commercial automobile, commercial property, mechanical protection, fire, and umbrella insurance. Its automobile insurance products cover collision, property damage, bodily injury, comprehensive, personal injury protection, underinsured and uninsured motorist, and other hazards; and homeowners' insurance products cover dwelling, liability, personal property, fire, and other hazards.
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Metlife Inc (MET) Shares Bought by Crawford Investment Counsel Inc.
Fraport AG Frankfurt Arprt Svcs Wrldwde (FRA) PT Set at €65.00 by Royal Bank of Canada
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LUDWIG POLZER-HODITZ
A European
A Biography by T.H. Meyer
6 October 2014;
728 pp (64 plates);
23.5 x 15.5 cm;
paperback;
Finally available in English, Thomas Meyer’s major biography of Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz (1869-1945) offers a panoramic view of an exceptional life. One of Rudolf Steiner’s most valued and independent-minded colleagues, Polzer-Hoditz was born in Prague – in the midst of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – to an aristocratic family with royal connections. Leaving behind the traditions of his background, he was to become a key actor in Steiner’s regenerative ‘threefold’ social impulses, working tirelessly for a genuinely unified and free Europe. Polzer-Hoditz also fought to protect Rudolf Steiner’s esoteric legacy and the integrity of the Anthroposophical Society that had been founded to further his work.
Following Steiner’s untimely death, Polzer-Hoditz fostered a broad range of friendships and alliances with key figures such as D.N. Dunlop, Walter Johannes Stein and Ita Wegman. In a bid to avoid further division and conflict, he made significant interventions to alter the tragic course of events that consumed the Anthroposophical Society, although he was unable to stop the major split within the membership that was to follow. In the final decade of his life he concentrated his energies on world issues, seeking to influence events in Europe in particular, lecturing widely and writing a number of books and memoranda. In contrast to the destructive ‘special interests’ of the national and religious groups that craved dominion and power, Polzer-Hoditz sought to build a true understanding between Central and Eastern Europe and to cultivate a spiritual connection with the West.Steiner's untimely death, Polzer-Hoditz fostered a broad range of friendships and alliances with key figures such as D.N. Dunlop, Walter Johannes Stein and Ita Wegman. In a bid to avoid further division and conflict, he made significant interventions to alter the tragic course of events that consumed the Anthroposophical Society, although he was unable to stop the major split within the membership that was to follow. In the final decade of his life he concentrated his energies on world issues, seeking to influence events in Europe in particular, lecturing widely and writing a number of books and memoranda. In contrast to the destructive "special interests" of the national and religious groups that craved dominion and power, Polzer-Hoditz sought to build a true understanding between Central and Eastern Europe and to cultivate a spiritual connection with the West.
Meyer’s book is a pioneering work in biographical literature, structured in four main sections that reflect the stages of an individual’s personal development. In the concluding section he studies world events up to the present day, practising a method referred to as a ‘symptomatological observation of history’, which Polzer-Hoditz himself sought to develop. Much more than a standard biography, Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz presents a vibrantly living picture of how a spiritual individuality can work in human culture and history – in past, present and future.
This first English edition is based on the latest German version and features additional material.
T.H. MEYER was born in Switzerland in 1950. He is the founder and publisher of Perseus Verlag, Basel, and editor of the monthly journal Der Europaer. He is the author of several books including D.N. Dunlop, A Biography; Rudolf Steiner’s Core Mission; The Bodhisattva Question; Clairvoyance and Consciousness and Reality, Truth and Evil, and editor of Light for the New Millennium. He has written numerous articles and gives seminars and lectures around the world.
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Interesting facts about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
May 13, 2019 May 14, 2019 Team Tentaran 0
Ravi Shankar, born on 13 May 1956 in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, to Visalakshi Ratnam and R. S. Venkat Ratnam is an Indian spiritual and humanitarian leader. He is also known as Sri Sri, Guruji or Gurudev. Here are Interesting facts about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
He was named “Ravi” which means the sun, as he was born on a Sunday. When he was four, he could recite Bhagavad Gita and would often go into meditation.
Sudhakar Chaturvedi was his first teacher who was an Indian Vedic Scholar and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi.
Must read: Aruna Roy: A Political and Social activist
Sri Sri completed his Bachelor of Science from St Joseph’s College of Bangalore.
After graduation, he started travelling with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, giving talks on Vedic science, and setting up Transcendental Meditation and Ayurveda centers.
In 1981, he founded the Art of Living Foundation, a volunteer-based international non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization. ‘Art of Living’ is one of the largest NGOs in the world which is working in over 156 countries.
He has a sister, Smt. Bhanumathi Narasimhan, who is the Director of Women Empowerment & Child Care Programs of The Art of Living Foundation. She has also authored a book Gurudev: On the Plateau of the Peak which is the biography of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Also read: Dr Tessy Thomas: The Missile woman of India
He entered into a 10-day period of silence process on the banks of the River Bhadra in Shimoga, Karnataka in 1982. From there, “Sudarshan Kriya” which is a very powerful breathing technique, was born. With time, the Sudarshan Kriya has become the center-piece of all the courses of Art of Living.
The first course of Art of Living in Switzerland was held in 1983 and in 1986 in California, USA.
In 1997, he established the International Association for Human Values, a Geneva-based charity, an NGO that works for relief and rural development and aims to promote shared global values.
More Interesting facts about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
He believes that spirituality enhances human values such as love, humanity and compassion. It is not limited to any one religion or culture and open for all. He describes the spiritual bond as a part of the human family which is more important than nationality, gender, religion and profession, that differentiates us.
Also read: Srinivasa Ramanujan: India’s Mathematical Guru
He tells that breath is the link between body and mind, and a tool to relax the mind. His teachings tell the importance of both meditation/spiritual practice and service to others. According to him, “Truth is spherical and it has to be conflicting.
Presence of Art of Living and the International Association for Human Values has been rapidly growing, having reached across 156 countries. Through these, Sri Sri has reached more than 450 million people all over the world.
Under the guidance of Sri Sri, the Art of Living Foundation has done a lot for River Rejuvenation across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha, which has benefitted more than 49 lakh people.
More than 1 million people in 22 states have been trained in Natural Farming through the Art of Living foundation.
Around 71 million trees in 36 countries and 26 Indian states have been planted under the guidance of Sri Sri.
Under the project, Light A Home, more than 90000 people have benefited from various solar projects undertaken.
Must read: Raja Ravi Varma: The Pioneer of Indian Modern Art
Sri Sri has a long list of Awards and recognition. Some of them include Padma Vibhushan (January 2016), “Medalla de la Integración en el Grado de Gran Oficial” – Highest Award of Peru, Colombia’s highest civilian award, “Orden de la Democracia Simón Bolívar”, Highest civilian award of Paraguay “National Order of Mérito de Comuneros”, Tiradentes Medal, the highest honour from Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, The Sivananda World Peace award, Sivananda Foundation, South Africa, and many more.
Sri Sri has started around 618 schools providing free education to underprivileged children in the remotest of areas. More than 67,000 children have benefitted from this initiative.
The Art of Living Prison program, aimed to help prisoners in rehabilitating, has reached more than 7 Lakhs prisoners globally.
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Texarkana, on the Rocks
The Arkansas side of town is flush with booze. The Texas side is not. Are voters ready to get their drink on?
https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/texarkana-on-the-rocks/
From the October 2014 Issue Subscribe
Photograph by O. Rufus Lovett
The Sabbath is coming to a close in Bowie County, and in the glow of a lavender late-summer Sunday evening, Pastor Dave Seifert, of Wake Village’s Twin Cities’ Baptist Temple, is watching his flock depart. Almost twenty years ago, Seifert came to this county in the northeast corner of the state to get away from the rest of the world. But the world’s evils have followed him here, and now they’re nipping at the heels of the faithful. “There’s too many people that aren’t standing for what’s right,” Seifert says. Bowie County, one of Texas’s most steadfast redoubts of prohibition, is prepping for a showdown this November. Booze is coming.
Bowie County, best known as home to the Texas half of the city of Texarkana, is saturated with churches—not the megachurches of Houston or Dallas, but the little brick churches of the old-time religion, like Seifert’s. Bowie County is a very good place to find the Lord but, until recently, a pretty bad place to find a drink. Ten years ago, there was no way to legally purchase alcohol in the county—despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that spirits could be easily purchased just across the state line, in Arkansas. Lately, though, cracks have begun to form in the regime.
Five of Bowie County’s seven cities remain dry today, but the Texas side of Texarkana, with a population of some 36,000 people, voted in 2006 to allow the sale of alcohol in restaurants. Nash, a small town fifteen minutes west of Texarkana, is the real rebel. Last year, it became the first place in the county to allow the sale of beer and wine in convenience stores.
Next month’s elections will see three more referenda go up for a vote in Bowie County. In both Texarkana and Wake Village, voters will decide whether they want to follow Nash’s example and allow beer and wine in stores. In Nash, by contrast, churches desperate to stem the tide of alcohol have helped place on the ballot a rare prohibition referendum to make the city dry again. Seifert, who has been sober since he was saved, in 1986, says the arrival of alcohol in the county is part of a broader social deterioration. “I hate to see it coming in to Bowie County,” he says. “It breaks my heart. Because I know the destruction it can do to families and futures. Nothing good comes out of alcohol. Nothing.” The stakes are high: If the wets win in all three towns, the rest of the county may well follow. If the drys win, it could be a long time before alcohol returns to the ballot.
Prohibition may have drawn its last breath nationally in 1933, but in Texas it has staggered on. The right of Texans to restrict or ban alcohol sales in their communities was enshrined in the constitution of 1876, and the process for changing those laws was fairly restrictive. When national prohibition ended, many counties—predominantly rural ones in the state’s north and central regions—kept their pre–Eighteenth Amendment ban on the sale of alcohol. As recently as 1995, more than a fifth of the state’s counties were completely dry. Today, just 11 out of 254 are.
But most places in the state are neither fully dry nor fully wet. Towns can go wet—or damp—by holding what’s known as a local-option election. There are ten kinds of local alcohol restrictions outlined in the 1876 constitution. A local jurisdiction can, for instance, authorize the sale of beer and wine, but not liquor, for off-premise consumption. Or it can authorize liquor for sale in stores but not in restaurants. Or it can authorize the sale of alcohol in restaurants but not in bars. In many of the fifty or so localities where alcohol laws are on the ballot this November, there’s already someone in town, or nearby, supplying the goods.
“People think that the way these laws get passed is that it’s a battle between those who are for alcohol sales versus the people who are against,” says John Hatch, of Texas Petition Strategies, a political consulting firm that specializes in making dry communities wet. In fact, explains Hatch, it’s usually the liquor salesmen in the next city over—or, in the case of Bowie County, the next state—who are looking to keep a town dry in order to protect their business. “It’s alcohol versus alcohol,” he says.
If you’ve recently acquired the right to tipple in your town, you have Hatch to thank. A veteran of Texas Democratic politics who worked for Governor Ann Richards, Hatch found himself adrift when the party entered its long decline. One day in 1998, he was approached by a city council member in Buda, just south of Austin. The city wanted to lure H-E-B to town, but the store would need to sell beer and wine to make the numbers work. At the time, Buda was dry.
Hatch agreed to organize a local-option election and quickly realized that it was unlike any kind of politics he’d practiced; Texas law placed unusual strictures on alcohol election drives, such as requiring people who signed a petition to provide their voter registration numbers. Still, Hatch managed to get a measure to legalize beer and wine sales on the Buda ballot, and voters passed it. H-E-B came, and in one year Buda’s sales-tax bounty more than doubled.
Afterward, Hatch brought a lawsuit against the state challenging the constitutionality of the petition process, which seemed designed to stifle elections. A federal court, finding in his favor, told the Lege to rewrite the laws, and it did. Now petition drives have twice the time to run and require a fraction of the signatures they once did. Nearly every corner of the state has become a viable candidate for turning wet. In the decade before the Lege changed the rules, there were 99 local-option elections. In the decade since, there have been more than 900.
Hatch has turned his niche knowledge into a profitable trade, organizing local-option elections on behalf of retailers, businesspeople, and, occasionally, ordinary citizens who just want beer. He and his business partner, Sissy Day, are the king and queen of wet-dry elections; between them, they’ve transformed the character of much of rural Texas, running more than three hundred campaigns and winning 83 percent of them.
Day handles the Metroplex, where many of these elections take place, and Hatch takes everywhere else—and specializes in what he calls the “problem children.” Chief among them this cycle is Bowie County, which has proved a particularly tough nut to crack. Hatch prides himself on the finesse and skill of his campaigns—his office, otherwise filled with A&M memorabilia, has shelves that hold eight Pollie Awards, the Oscars of political ads. But for years, Texarkana has wriggled out of his grasp.
True, he got alcohol into restaurants in 2006. But when he came back in 2011 to put beer and wine in stores, he was outmaneuvered by the liquor merchants in Arkansas, who wanted to protect their businesses from competition. “Our whole budget was, like, one hundred and thirty thousand dollars,” he says ruefully. “The [Arkansas] liquor boys spent one hundred thousand just in the last two weeks.”
E. N. Kim, the co-owner of the Fast-Low convenience store on the Texas side of Texarkana, was one minor casualty of that defeat. In anticipation of a wet victory, she cleared out a section of her store to make room for beer coolers. Today, she hawks shirts and trinkets from that spot and waits for the results of this go-round. She’s sick of watching her neighborhood customers take their business to the other side of town. “Everybody wants this,” she says.
Bowie County is a vivid example of the arbitrary nature of Texas alcohol laws. For one thing, no Texas law can change the fact that alcohol is readily available nearby. The Arkansas side of State Line Avenue, the dividing line between the two Texarkanas, is teeming with bars, gas stations loaded with beer, and warehouse-style liquor stores with names like Chubby Cheeks Liquor.
Arkansas has long supplied alcohol to Bowie County residents and reaped a fortune in tax receipts. Look at the disclosure forms for the anti-beer campaigns from past years and you’ll see the undisguised hand of the Arkansas alcohol monopoly. The Party Factory, an enormous liquor store that stocks everything from champagne to grain alcohol, donated more than $50,000 to the anti-wet effort in 2011. On August 11 Party Factory co-owner Alan Avard and another liquor store owner filed suit in district court to block Texarkana’s local-option election, though the judge rejected their arguments and dismissed the suit.
The Arkansas liquor stores may provide the financial resources, but there’s plenty of good-faith opposition to alcohol in Bowie County itself. Though Pastor Seifert often feels like a bystander in a battle between monied interests in Austin and Arkansas, he talks to members of his congregation about the evils of alcohol and the importance of abstaining. Congregants at other nearby churches, such as Wake Village’s Centre West Baptist, have become foot soldiers in the effort to turn Nash dry again.
George Dodson, a Texas-side resident of Texarkana who co-owns Hopkins Ice House, a hip bar and restaurant on the other side of the state line, would like to see his side of town reap the sales-tax receipts that alcohol brings, and he doesn’t think a change would hurt him much. But he also knows that such a shift would harm other long-established businesses on the Arkansas side of town. “I understand the angst,” Dodson says. “I wish no business ill will.” For that reason, he doesn’t know how he’ll vote in November.
Still, Dodson says, it’s only a matter of time before the county goes wet—or at least damper. “It’s coming,” he says. Like death and taxes and the setting of the sun, booze, even in Bowie County, is inevitable.
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This Isn’t America
The late great Art Carney, who rose to fame for his comedic portrayal of Ed Norton in Jackie Gleason’s The Honeymooners television show, also had a flare for drama. I recall one role in which he played a character being told by the police that they they had a right to search his house without a warrant. His response has always stayed with me: “Not unless I made a mistake this morning and woke up in Russia instead of the US. !” That is precisely my reaction to this story that Ed Morrissey at Hot Air reports on:
The city of Houston has fought a pitched battle to enforce its equal-rights ordinance, but in an ironic twist, they may find themselves afoul of the First Amendment for doing so. The ordinance has come under fire from a number of quarters, but perhaps none more determined than Christian pastors who see the law as a threat to their ability to preach. They have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the law, and city attorneys in turn demonstrated exactly why they feared this in the first place:
Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance took another legal turn this week when it surfaced that city attorneys, in an unusual step, subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who oppose the law and are tied to the conservative Christian activists that have sued the city.
Opponents of the equal rights ordinance are hoping to force a repeal referendum when they get their day in court in January, claiming City Attorney David Feldman wrongly determined they had not gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. City attorneys issued subpoenas last month during the case’s discovery phase, seeking, among other communications, “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.”
Pastor Hernan Castano received a subpoena and believes his sermons are protected by the First Amendment.
“For a city government to step into churches and ask pastors to turn in sermons, it’s gone too far. This is not what America, the nation is about,” he told Eyewitness News. …
Some signatures were acquired at churches which make the sermons fair game, according to City Attorney Dave Feldman.
“If they choose to do this inside the church, choose to do this from the pulpit, then they open the door to the questions being asked,” Feldman said.
Again, that argument might work for issues about the petitions, and possibly even the mayor, if it was tied to their tax status and electoral activities, assuming the city could assert jurisdiction on those points. Those topics might be defensible in a discovery demand, too, although that would come from a court motion rather than a subpoena from the city attorneys. But when it comes to their positions on LGBT issues and “gender identity,” that’s a different kettle of fish.
Go here to read the rest. The forces of tolerance will have us all tolerant of them, and only them, if they have to make a police state and enslave us all to do it.
Wednesday, October 15, AD 2014
Paul W Primavera
I do NOT judge the sinner for I am a sinner too. I do not discriminate against nor persecute anyone due to sexual orientation or other reasons, nor do I exhort for the same. In fact, I have worked with many persons of same sex attraction without one single instance of an issue or problem, and I once even lived with such a person (we shared an apartment many years ago, and no, I was never homosexual). I would be aghast and angry if anyone ever hurt my friend for any reason, whether because of his sexual orientation or not. I do not have to agree with his behavior in order to respect him as a human being created in the image and likeness of God.
However, adultery, fornication and sodomy are all sins. Having been an unmarried submarine sailor on liberty in the brothels of the Caribbean some 25 years ago, I committed one of those three sins in my misspent youth. That behavior was sinful, so I cannot excuse myself. If I am unrepentant in any such behavior, then I prevent myself from going to Heaven. That is what the Bible says. That is what the Catechism says. All that had to come out at Confession. The other two sins are no different. Perhaps I should have been more explicit with my homosexual friend instead of being afraid to hurt his feelings. Perhaps the City Council of Houston ought to be given a Bible to read.
Again, I do NOT hate or discriminate against same-sex persons. I just want them to leave the Sanctity of Marriage alone. I do not deny them the right to make contracts between themselves, or share health and life insurance, or to live in a place of their own purchase or rent, or to have the same job that I have. And if any of them asked for help in the normal things of life (e.g., to change a tire or move some furniture or whatever), then I would gladly do so. Nevertheless, I simply am unwilling to renege on what Sacred Scripture says. I may fail that Scripture, and often do. But my failure does not nullify its truth.
“We have buried the putrid corpse of liberty.” Mussolini 1937.
Guess I need to go out and buy more ammunition.
Subpoenaed sermons!
Pastor Castano is right, it’s gone too far.
Cristeros war was not long ago or far away. Just southwest of Huston Texas about ninety years ago. The ruthless government hell bent on crushing religious freedom did meet with resistance.
Deer hunters are preparing for another harvest. They can shoot straight. They still have their weapons Thank God!
E.J. D.
@Paul W. Primavera
Steve D.
One of the downfalls of living in a city with a robust economy like Houston, is that it attracts job seekers from all over the country including blue states. Harris County has historically been a conservative stronghold in a very conservative state, but sadly this is no longer the case. Hence, we’ve had to deal with an incompetent, out of the closet lesbian mayor now for six years. I knew it would only be a matter of time before Mayor Porker and our flaming liberal city council went too far. Let us hope and pray these lawsuits are successful.
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HOLY CENSORSHIP!!! BATMAN
Galloping ignorance, Robin, the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse. Ghost writers in the sky…unratifying the Fifth Amendment.
The woman is ignorant of her peoples’ desire to worship God by sharing the word of God, hearing the sermons prepared about God and God’s design for his people. Conflating the act of sodomy with the person, any person, is really stupid, the expressed deed of a nincompoop or an imbecile, up one from the idiot.
Hatred of sodomy is normal for a nation who will have their legacy of freedom handed down to their posterity and a nation of people, “We, the people” who will profess their gratitude for having been brought into existence by their ancestors, grateful for having been begotten in freedom and liberty.
Speaking of God, writing of God, public and peaceable assembly for God, is the freedom and liberty “We, the people…” hand up to our yet to be conceived posterity.
Free speech and free press, the writing of thoughts onto paper, for the intent to; first: worship God and secondly: to edify and inspire the worshippers to worship God and exercise their First Amendment civil rights is the finest expression of good will and patriotism. Condemning no person, the sermons are given to save the persons’ souls from addiction to evil and immoral acts. The priests’ sermons are delivered to the assembly in church and are public domain only through the assembly. In other words, If Mayor Annise Parker wants to censor somebody for hate speech, it has to be her constituency who attended the church services… IF she can prove that they exercised their free will hating.
Also, there is the Fifth Amendment that frees any person from testifying against him/her inclusive self. The principle of separation of church and state so loved by Thomas Jefferson and John Henry Cardinal Newman is being trashed and trampled by the hooves of galloping ignorance.
Mussolini, Mr. and Mrs., were dragged through the streets by their feet and hung upside down in the public square where everyone whom they had injured took a bat their putrid corpse of fascism, communism, tyranny and subjugation of citizens and free men.
Fulton J. Sheen has chosen the better part and it shall not be taken from him…as truth is eternal.
Those topics might be defensible in a discovery demand, too, although that would come from a court motion rather than a subpoena from the city attorneys.
Technically, that’s wrong – discovery demands would at least initially come from subpoenas from City attorneys. The court would only get involved if the persons subpoenaed objected to the discovery requests, and the City attorneys filed a motion to compel responses.
Yeah, likewise in Illinois the Courts do not get involved in either discovery or the issuance of civil subpoenas unless one side has an objection or seeks to compel compliance. I can’t even imagine the arrogance of the city attorneys thinking they can subpoena sermons and that there would not be fallout from an effort to do so.
Well, the Relatio did say that homosexuals had gifts and qualities
to offer the Christian community. This fiasco appears to be one of them…
What do you want to bet that at some point, an attorney trying to gain access to conservative pastors’ sermons say that because churches are nonprofit, thereby keeping their tax monies, that churches are subsidized by the tax payer and therefore must abide by federal, state, and city laws.
These are fascists. This is what AmeriKa has become. When are the stupid people of this country going to wake up; when they start loading us into boxcars and tractor trailers to be taken to the crematoriums?
William P. Walsh
Karl is right. These are fascists. Joshua Goldberg’s “Liberal Fascists” makes a credible association between the progressives, fascists and even the communists and Nazis. They are all variants of a species of secular humanists with utopian aspirations or pretensions. And now this despicable political correctness has brought us to the brink of multiple disasters. Perhaps I’ll reread The Apocalypse again, more closely and slowly. Maranatha.
Thursday, October 16, AD 2014
I have just read that the city’s subpoenas also included the pastor’s emails,
including emails exchanged between the pastors and their attorneys. If that
is in fact true, the city’s lawyers responsible should be forced to write the words
“attorney-client privilege” 100,000 times on a blackboard before being disbarred.
Indeed. It looks like they adopted a “kitchen sink” approach to discovery. Bad lawyering and I hope that the trial court imposes personal sanctions against each one of the city attorneys involved.
Looks like they are backpedaling now: http://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Parker-calls-ERO-sermon-supboeana-overly-broad-5824816.php?cmpid=rrpolitics
Trial balloon.
As religious liberties continue to be attacked by government oppression, as well as oppression from homosexual and liberal groups, I cannot help but draw a correlation to the Crusades. What the Crusades boil down to is this: They were defensive actions fought to preserve the spiritual and temporal survival of Catholics. It occurs to me that if a man and his wife are somewhere, and she, or even he, is being stabbed by one or more assailants, that they have the right to draw firearms and use deadly force on those who are trying to murder them. The government, homosexuals and liberals are trying to spiritually murder Catholics in America today. If Catholics accept this spiritual murder, and capitulate, or just “go along to get along”, they may be allowing their immortal souls to be placed in danger of damnation. It seems to me that perhaps a “Crusade” in America is in order. Catholics must resist these forces of evil which seek the destruction of the Church and the souls entrusted to her care.
Anzlyne
Has DiNardo made any kind of response? I can’t find one.
TomD
I just sent an email to the Archdiocese of Houston-Galveston asking that they publicly support these pastors in their battle with the city. Might I ask that we all do the same?
Good idee Tom. I just did it so now there are at least two of us!
Friday, October 17, AD 2014
TomD.
Three of us. I just e-mailed my plea.
Prayers are on the way as well.
Leo H.
…”Russia will spread her errors throughout the world”…
Saturday, October 18, AD 2014
Barbara: “What do you want to bet that at some point, an attorney trying to gain access to conservative pastors’ sermons say that because churches are nonprofit, thereby keeping their tax monies, that churches are subsidized by the tax payer and therefore must abide by federal, state, and city laws.”
Churches, parishes, and diocese are held in trust for all future generations. Churches, parishes and diocese are handed down from our ancestors to our posterity. Parishioners have paid their taxes as citizens. Our ancestors have paid their taxes. Our posterity have yet to pay their taxes. The Catholic Church in America was established before taxation was imposed.
The church cannot vote. Only individuals vote. Two taxes, one vote is taxation without representation.
Gifts, donations and behests are non-taxable. If as you say, Barbara, the state will tax churches because they have made laws to do so, the state will then tax your spouse for your Christmas gifts, birthday presents and wedding ring…and the tar and feathers needed to impress upon politicians the inviolability of “or prohibit the free, very, very free exercise thereof”…religion.
Clinton: “I have just read that the city’s subpoenas also included the pastor’s emails,
“…before being disbarred.” and run out of town on a rail.
Laws have been passed that make the medical and legal papers of patients and clients the property of the physician and/or attorney. This makes the privacy of the patients, clients, non-existent and violates the Fifth Amendment that states that a person does not have to testify against himself.
Mayor Annise Parker ought to be impeached for embarrassing the city.
This has nothing to do with this post except that it has been opened to comment.
“I recall one role in which he played a character being told by the police that they they had a right to search his house without a warrant.”
Another human being, a sovereign person, murdered or kidnapped and murdered and hidden is warrant to search for them in the hope that they are still alive and may be helped and freed. The rule of thumb is that any law may be broken to save a life. The Sabbath was made for man.
Monday, October 20, AD 2014
Donald Link
Many, not all, gays have a deep desire to be regarded as “:normal” and will go to almost any length to force others, if they can, to adopt this belief. It goes by several different names, justification being one of the more common lay terms. A fuller treatment can be found near the middle portion of most Psych 101 textbooks and, yes, it comes with a diagnostic code.
Rosemarie kury
on Huckabees program on Fox during this weekend he urged pastors throughout the country to send her all of their sermons and also urged his viewers to send their Bibles. Now I believe, they’ve changed the sermons to speeches. I think this is a terrible thing, but also believe that the petitions shouldn’t have been in the churches. It gives the IRS to claim “politics” at the churches, and sure as heck will be after them. We’re now treading a fine line in this country. Any little thing like inserts in the bulletin and maybe even religion classes could be attacked if they’re not following the secularists way of thinking. I’m also afraid now that priests and Bishops won’t be speaking out as much in fear of retaliation. We need another Bishop sheen now who’s not afraid to speak out, and bless those Protestant ministers who had this courage.
Tuesday, October 21, AD 2014
Does the government have the legal authority and or competence to define and redefine what is sermons and what is political speech. The only way the sermon can be political speech is if there are political persons named for their politics. It may be that the issue of co-ed toilets has very moral and ethical implications for the souls of the parishioners. Unless the petition named people, instead of issues, the petition is innocent.
The First Amendment protects religious speech as well as political speech, anywhere and anytime. Who gave the IRS power and authority to prohibit the free exercise thereof?…or to burden the free exercise thereof? Nobody.
Atheists do not believe in the immortal human soul and therefore have no problem with separating the human body from the human soul and bringing about human death.
Let Annise Parker be criminally liable for any criminal assault in co-ed toilets. That must be written into the legislation.
p bokulich
Lawyers for the ministers should subpoena every record of the city officials’ meetings. conferences,conversations,phone calls, emails, thoughts and plans,whether in written form or from memory, whether just considered or carried out, which relate to this issue. After all.”turn about is fair play”- per Abe Lincoln. Also. they are PUBLIC officials.
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The American Futures Notebook
Show Description +
On this page you’ll find notes arising from American Futures project that Deborah and James Fallows have had underway, with some appearances on Marketplace radio, since 2013. Their full archive is here.
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8:36 PM / May 21, 2017
Rules for Engagement, From the University of Vermont
The scene this morning in Burlington (Josh Brown, UVM).
This morning I had the privilege of giving the commencement address at the University of Vermont—UVM, home of the Catamounts, in Burlington. My wife Deb and I, and our colleague John Tierney, visited UVM several years ago and wrote about it in our American Futures series, notably with John’s piece about the school’s emergence as a “public Ivy.”
Seven Days, the financially-and-journalistically successful weekly based in Burlington (which I’ve also written about), has a story about today’s commencement, here. The University’s story is here. Since the talk drew on various themes that recur in this “American Futures” thread, I’m attaching the text, below.
Go Catamounts!
Commencement remarks
President Sullivan, Governor Scott, honorary degree recipients, faculty and staff, friends and family, people of Vermont and beyond, and above all members of the class of 2017 — greetings, and congratulations!
On behalf of your parents and grandparents, your brothers and sisters, and all the known and unknown supporters who have cheered and aided your journey to this glorious day, I salute you on your achievement. And I am glad as well to use the words I heard at my own college commencement many years ago, and officially “welcome you to the company of educated men and women.”
Every one of you realizes that not a one of you made this journey entirely on your own. Thus I’d like you to take a moment to stand and turn around, and look for a face of one of those crucial supporters in the crowd —or to envision an absent one in your mind—and express with cheers and applause your gratitude for what they have done.
I’ve just completed the first part of my job, which is to celebrate this moment. I turn now to the second part, which is to be brief.
In these next few minutes I’m going to try to convince you to feel good—energized, confident, important—about this very uncertain-seeming world onto which you’re about to make your mark. I’m going to argue that the generations ahead of you, including people like your parents and grandparents, and me, and those that will follow you, like the children and grandchildren you will someday have, need you to feel as if you can change the world, and to get busy doing so by putting your UVM training to maximum use.
Let’s go into that case. What’s most worth noticing about the circumstances in which we meet — right here, right now, as you begin your post-college life?
One answer would obviously be the splendor of the environment, natural and cultural alike, in which you have spent these years of study — and where, if past evidence is any guide, many of you will do your best to stay, as you start your families and build your lives. Vermonters think theirs is an exceptional place, and they are right.
Another might be the nature of this institution — supportive and adaptive, both innovative and traditional, strong in the liberal arts and the sciences — to which you should always feel indebted in more than the obvious ways, and that you, and I, should always feel proud to call alma mater.
But what I hope you’ll focus on are the times in which we meet. The times of our 45th president. Of challenges to liberal democracies and open societies all around the world. Of contested news, and siloed news, “fake news,” and ever-emergent real news. Times of imperiled science—when science matters more than ever. Of social and economic divisions, as technology unites us and drives us apart. Of increasingly urgent global threats, starting with sustainability in all forms and extending to disease and disorder and terrorism and forced migration, at a time of increasingly frayed global ability to focus on what matters and cooperate.
And the message I have about this era, your era, is that it is a terrible time—and a wonderful time, and that only by keeping that dual reality constantly in mind will you be prepared to contain what’s worst and foster what’s best. I even have specific suggestions of steps you can take toward that end.
The idea of good and bad coexisting — of triumph and tragedy, of hope and despair — is as old as American history, as old as the Bible, as old as human beings grappling with our own fallibility.
The most famous opening lines in English literature may be “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” which as all UVM grads know is from A Tale of Two Cities. When I was attending my own commencement ceremony, a young historian named Michael Kammen was about to win the Pulitzer Prize for a book called People of Paradox. It was about the coexistence at every moment of U.S. history of the very best and the near-worst of the human enterprise: America as arena for unprecedented opportunity, but also of slavery and attacks on a native population and centuries of excess and strife. What I consider the most important essay about American self-governance, “The Moral Equivalent of War” by William James in 1910, explores why the greatest American disaster, the Civil War, brought forth its greatest presidential leadership and countless acts of selfless behavior.
Because we know that the United States has survived its past eras of turmoil and failure, we are naturally tempted to think it was destined to do so, and that the previous eras’ challenges could not have been, or felt, as serious as our own.
But I think back to my own graduation, in 1970, in what we now consider a stylistically embarrassing era but a time of middle class prosperity. Yet I remember that in those times hundreds of Americans and thousands of Vietnamese were dying each week in combat; and that the world environmental crisis was dawning; and that discrimination of kinds you would find incredible was still enshrined by custom and law; and that many American cities were literally in flames.
It was a terrible time, which felt more on-the-edge even than the world does to you now; yet because of the social and environmental reforms, and the scientific and technical breakthroughs, that flowed from it, was a wonderful time as well.
I could think back to my father’s graduation from college, in the era we now revere for the “Greatest Generation” coherence of American society. Except, he never had a graduation, since he was rushed through college in two years for training as a Navy doctor as part of the all-out effort to save the world from Nazism and fascism. A terrible time, which brought out wonderful traits in people.
Or I could go back a generation more to my grandfather’s graduation, during the early-1900s flowering of American innovation and expansion that laid down much of the physical look of the country today. Except that he, like 99 per cent of the American population at the time, never went to college — and was unusual even for finishing high school, which barely a tenth of Americans did.
My point is not that things used to be tougher – this is not a “kids today!”
speech -- but that they have always been challenging, even in this overall most favored of lands. And that in the moment our forebears felt as troubled and uncertain about national prospects as many of you do now.
More fundamentally I am suggesting that remembering the travails of the past helps us be precise about what is distinctively challenging in this time, which will be your time. To me the precise statement of America’s problem in your times involves national level politics, which are in stark contrast to most of the rest of American life.
Let me explain. National policy and politics matters, obviously — this is how the United States won its wars, expanded its frontiers, invested in technologies, supported universities and advanced social equality. But national politics and policy — the ability to address collective problems in a reasonable, compromise-minded, fact-based, and future-oriented way — are the major failure of national life right now. It’s not as bad as during the Civil War, but by any other standard we’re at a low ebb.
Each of you has an illustration of what you like, and don’t, in the national politics of the moment. For me, personally, the main point of pain is the rejection of the thing I most love about my country. My wife Deb – who one year ago was an honorary-degree recipient (at the University of Redlands) -- and I have spent many years of our life outside the United States. And the experience of living elsewhere has reinforced the idea that what is noblest and more powerful about this country is precisely its openness to talent from around the world. My America is a place that gives immigrants and “the wretched refuse” of the world — the words on the Statue of Liberty — a chance to make this arena for their dreams and ambitions, despite all the difficulties of adjustment. My America is not the one that builds a wall. Many of you have seen that process of absorption underway here in Burlington; some of you have lived it in your own lives.
I’m sure some of you see this differently from me. Some may be pleased with the national direction; some are more concerned about other questions, from climate to health care to criminal justice or drug abuse to a dozen others within the United States and worldwide. But whatever your views, whatever your loyalties, I am here to say that this is as promising a time as it is challenging, and we need you to stay engaged where the promise exists — which for the foreseeable future is not at the national but the local level of American life.
How can I say this about local possibilities? I’ll try with a test. How many of you think of UVM and Burlington and Vermont as special places? As places that are exceptions to the national trend? That are moving forward?
I bet many of you do. And you have better grounds than most. But having spent several years traveling around parts of the country less obviously special than this, I can tell you that in much of the country people feel just the same way about where they are from. They feel that they are doing better, in the part of the country within their own experience, than what they hear about the country as a whole. They say that in Mississippi, with all its burdens. They say it in South Dakota. They say it in Arizona and Oregon and South Carolina and rustbelt Michigan and Pennsylvania. Everyone in this country is aware of the nation’s problems. But most places, most people feel that the greatest possibilities are through local involvement, and that they are moving ahead rather than falling behind.
They’re local in their emphasis on new manufacturing models. New models of conservation and sustainability. New ways of matching underemployed talent with decently paying opportunities. New accommodation for refugees and immigrants. New practicality in politics and health care and education and law enforcement— which is what Deb and I have been chronicling in our travels around today’s United States.
Local solutions can never fully substitute for national or global approaches. But for now they are what’s possible, and for the long run they are the fabric from which larger solutions are woven.
At the time of my graduation, the saying was: think global, act local. That’s one of the few 1970s mottos that has held up well. Local economics, local politics, local schools, local communities — that’s what the world, and the country, needs from you. Historians tell the story of America’s great post-Gilded Age reform through the tale of presidents, from Teddy Roosevelt at the beginning to his distant cousin Franklin at the end. But what those presidents did would never have been possible without labor activists in the midwest and far west, women’s rights activists, environmental activists, black activists, muckrakers and civic reformers and community organizers and a thousand illustrations more. Theirs is the example we need you to follow.
Which means, in particular, what? Here are some illustrations.
First and always, vote. It sounds simple and stupid and pointless, but you have to do it every time, and crucially for every office. School boards have a tremendous say over our nation’s future. Vote for them. Mayors have more control over local environment and livability than most US Senators. Vote for them. After the next census state legislatures will determine whether our politics continue in a dysfunctionally gerrymandered system. Vote for ones who will fix that. Control of the House and Senate next year will have ramifications for decades. Vote.
Second, run for office. No joke—as soon as you’re old enough, of course. We need you. In the late 1800s, the aristocratic Theodore Roosevelt shocked his social set by deciding to join the squalid hurly-burly of asking the public’s support. You may not all be aristocrats. But you can make a difference as he did then. Someone will hold these offices. Let it be you — at the city and county and state and congressional level. If you don’t run, work for and give money to people who do.
Third, subscribe — to a newspaper, a magazine (like the Atlantic!), to the sources of news that will keep us free. Independent information has never been more important, and it’s rarely been under more serious economic challenge. Even if you don’t think you have time for a given publication, even if you disagree with parts of its outlook, even if you can get it for free, vote with your dollars, for your future, and subscribe.
Fourth, engage — in anything. Join. Participate. Meet. Go out of your way not to cocoon but to build and maintain face-to-face connections wherever you end up. Join the library board, a dance group, sports leagues, the YMCA, a church or synagogue or mosque. To put it differently, serve. The United States will not again have mandatory conscription, and today’s military is so small that barely one percent of the population has served during all of our current long wars. But consider joining the reserves or going on active duty; make a point of knowing people who have served.
When public life is going well, we have the luxury of not thinking about it. It’s like going to a restaurant, rather than having to shop and make dinner yourself. We’re all needed in the kitchen now— starting with the freshest and brightest and most idealistic among us, by which I mean you.
There are other lessons-of-life I would love to give you, but for which there is no time. I will say that when in doubt, please call your parents to say hi, especially your mom. In your own role as mothers or fathers, spend more time with your children than you think reasonable. You will never regret it, and you will regret doing anything else.
Your habits become your life, so pay attention to them. Get in the habit of sports and exercise Get in the habit of being happy. Get in the habit of being excited. It’s a big world, with no excuse for being bored.
And get in the habit of engagement. We are counting on you, and on this day we celebrate what the University of Vermont has done to prepare you, for the service we need from you, starting right now.#
11:30 PM / July 1, 2017
Easing Back Online
Nearly six months ago, I announced a hiatus from online life (except for Twitter), while my wife Deb and I decamped to my original hometown of Redlands, California and a house we rented on the campus of the University of Redlands, to finish a book on what we’d discovered in traveling around the country over the past four years.
The book is now (nearly) done; we’ve been occupied wall-to-wall over the past week-plus at the 2017 installment of the Aspen Ideas Festival; and tomorrow we begin the small-plane journey back to the East Coast, where we’ll rejoin the Atlantic staff, actually finish off the book, and get ready for our upcoming relocation to England.
This is a placeholder note with an aviation angle, on the way you deal with the Rocky Mountains if you’re flying a small, piston-powered, single-engine airplane.
Usually we have had to approach Aspen from the east, coming from Washington. Twice I’ve flown our propeller plane into the Aspen airport, and — having survived — I choose never to do that again. Instead we’ve landed at some flatland airport in the Denver area, either Centennial to the south of Denver or Boulder to the north, and then rented a car for the three-to-four hour drive into Aspen.
This year we were coming from the west, from our early-2017 base at the San Bernardino airport in California, with its elegant facility called Luxivair. A week ago we flew from there to the airport in Rifle, Colorado, on the relative flatlands of the Colorado River valley on the western slope of the Rockies, and rented a car for the hour-plus drive into Aspen.
Tomorrow, we start the route back east, in placid weather and with a comparatively benign course plotted to get past the Rockies and out onto the long descent eastward — across Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and then over the Appalachians to the eastern seaboard. Here are the waypoint for the lowland route out of Rifle, through a series of valleys and passes, until we escape from the really challenging terrain around Laramie, Wyoming:
The Rifle, Colorado airport, where our airplane has been for the past week, is the orange dot on the lower left; our current location in Aspen is the light blue dot at the bottom; and the path our plane will take through a series of valleys and passes, until the end of the Rockies near Laramie, Wyoming, is shown in darker blue. The metropolis of Denver is in the white box at lower right. (From the Foreflight flight-planning program.)
Then we’ll spend tomorrow night somewhere in Iowa or Illinois — maybe Red Oak, maybe Ottumwa, maybe Peoria, all dots on the map below, and all depending on how we feel, and the weather — and then onward to the DC area in time for festivities on the Fourth of July.
Various waypoints for gas and possible overnight stays.
I’ve sort of missed, sort of not, having an online outlet. But ready to re-enter the fray. More to come — and if you’re in Nebraska or Iowa tomorrow, look up and wave.
Greetings From Red Oak
I mentioned last night that we’d devised a plan to pick our way through passes and valleys in the Rockies, to get from the western slope — at Rifle airport in Colorado, a little more than an hour’s drive west of Aspen — to the other side of the continental divide. Here, from yesterday’s installment, was the plan:
The Rifle, Colorado airport is the orange dot at lower left. The blue path shows the planned route through valleys and passes to the other side of the Rockies, just beyond the Medicine Bow mountains in the vicinity of Laramie, Wyoming. The path we didn’t want to take was straight across the highest peaks, just west of Denver.
Today things went more or less as forecast. We climbed out of Rifle and headed in the “wrong” direction, down the Colorado River valley toward the west, until we’d gained enough altitude to turn back eastward through the passes. (For the aviation crowd: we did the first part of this trip at 11,500 feet, and then 12,500 feet for the highest 45 minutes or so — and, yes, as is both required by rules and advisable for safety, I had a supplemental-oxygen can that I took hits from.)
Here is how the “actual” route looked today, via Flight Aware — “actual” in quotes, because of the odd mis-readings the Flight Aware recaps occasionally give. The green line is our path, according to air-traffic control radar as rendered by Flight Aware. This version picks up our radar track about 20 minutes into the flight, somewhere around the Kremling waypoint (the RLG VOR, for the aviation crowd). The path we took resembled what we’d planned:
The air-traffic control radar picked up our path as we were going through the passes on the western slop of the Rockies. IBM is the fueling stop in Kimball, Nebraska, and RDK is our overnight stay in Red Oak, Iowa. (FlightAware)
Also as foreseen, we made an early refueling stop in Kimball, Nebraska, which is just past Cheyenne and the Wyoming-Nebraska border and is marked as IBM on the map. I hadn’t wanted the plane to be any heavier than necessary for the high-altitude Rockies portion of the journey, so once we got beyond the mountains, and into Nebraska, we took on more fuel. (There are people who enjoy mountain flying. I am not one of them.) Then onward across Nebraska, at a comfortable distance south of a static line of thunderstorms, to an overnight stay in the familiar town of Red Oak, Iowa, which is not far across the Missouri River from Omaha and is shown as RDK on the map.
An early-ish end to the day’s travels, in a familiar locale (Red Oak, Iowa).
We decided to stop and stay in Red Oak, rather than pushing on across Iowa or into Illinois, because it is in a way responsible for all of the travels and reports Deb and I have done over the past few years. Back in the summer of 2012, when we were headed westward from Washington to that year’s Aspen Ideas Festival, by chance we happened to stop for the night in Red Oak. We were amazed by the intensity of civic activity at the airport itself, as we’ll describe in our forthcoming book — and then spent an evening talking with a family from Jalisco, in Mexico, who had opened a very popular restaurant called Casa de Oro on the main drag in Red Oak. We spent the next few days saying to each other: if so much is going on, by such a variety of people, in a little place we had not paid attention to, what must be happening elsewhere?
This afternoon we came back to Red Oak, in the dead-calm wind conditions that make an approach to landing feel like swimming through the sky. In the evening we returned to Case de Oro, which appeared to be thriving. Tomorrow, on to the east coast.
This evening on Senate Street, in Red Oak. I recommend the carne asada.
8:49 PM / July 3, 2017
And Back Where We Started
The picture below is how it looked six months ago, when we were headed westward from Gaithersburg airport, outside Washington, to Redlands, California, where we’ve spent the intervening months. (This note follows up on two previous cross-country flying reports, here and here.)
It was below freezing back then; the wind was howling; we had an electric heater (the yellow cord) plugged into the plane overnight to keep its engine block warm enough to have a chance of actually starting. The second before this picture was taken I was saying, “I cannot believe it is this cold!” And the stuff around our feet is more or less what we’ve lived off in the past few book-writing months.
That was then: in the 30-knot, 20-degree F weather at Gaithersburg, Maryland, outside DC, in early January.
This afternoon, we arrived back in Gaithersburg, on what will probably (sigh!) be our final cross-country trip in this airplane. As we did with its predecessor when we moved to China 11 years ago, we must (sadly) sell this plane before heading to England late this summer. It has served us well. And we’ll hope to rent planes while overseas, and to buy back into the used-plane market on our return.
This is now: afternoon of July 3, 2017.
In closing the loop from the previous reports, here was FlightAware’s version of the route from Red Oak, Iowa, to the DC area today, with a stop for gas in Muncie, Indiana.
The pre-Independence Day trek, via FlightAware.
Long-term advice for your Fourth of July enjoyment: Nearly twenty years ago, when we were living in Berkeley, California, we happened to be flying in our earlier-model Cirrus airplane from southern California, where my parents lived, back to our home in Berkeley (really, the nearest airport, in Concord) on the evening of July 4. Going up through the Central Valley, in twilight, we saw from above the fireworks celebrations in Bakersfield, in Fresno, in Hanford, in Merced, in Modesto, in Stockton. Highly recommended if you ever have or make the chance.
1:10 PM / July 25, 2018
Talent Dispersal: The Story of Epic and Erie
David Hunter (left) and Shaun Rajewski, founders of Epic Web Studios in Erie, Pennsylvania Epic Web Studios
Two years ago at this time, when my wife, Deb, and I were in our fourth year of travel across the country to report on smaller towns, we found ourselves increasingly drawn to the lakefront city of Erie, Pennsylvania.
The initial attraction was a primal sense of topophilia on Deb’s part, or fondness for a particular landscape. She had grown up in a small town on the shores of Lake Erie, 150 miles to the west on the other side of Cleveland. The summer-evening sky, air, and sound of Erie’s lake walks were as familiar for her as they were exotic to me.
Summer sky, lakefront Erie, July 2016. (James Fallows)
As we made return trips (even in colder weather) and learned more about the layers of modern Erie, we became more absorbed by it, and connected to it, on both intellectual and emotional levels.
The intellectual appeal is one I set out two years ago in a post called “Erie and America.” It was based on the area’s role as a collision-point and real-time arena for almost every significant trend in modern American society, negative and positive alike. The way this balance plays out in Erie, and in similarly-situated places we visited like San Bernardino and Fresno and Allentown and Charleston, West Virginia, will help determine which will be the dominant tone in the next stage of American life. Will it be the poison, dysfunction, polarization, and mistrust of national-level politics? Or the widespread, dispersed signs of renewal that Deb and I have argued, in our Atlantic articles and our new book Our Towns, can be the proving-grounds and momentum-builders for the next era of national renewal?
That drama is fully on display in Erie.
At first glance the city can seem a shorthand for America’s heavy-industrial distress—a huge vacant downtown factory with broken-out skylights, amid smaller also-abandoned workshops; local news accounts about the latest in the long, sad string of layoffs at GE’s mainstay locomotive plant. (Whose production lines, by the way, are being moved not to Mexico or China but to Texas.) Every social ill of contemporary America has left its mark on Erie: racial polarization and tension (including a recent calculation that Erie was “the worst city for black Americans,” in terms of income gap relative to whites), the abuse of opioids and other drugs, homelessness, job loss, and a cruelly unfair state school-funding system whose consequences were so dire that a few years back city threatened simply to close its public high schools.
Yet on second glance—and fifth, and 10th—this same, battered Erie became even more remarkable to us as the locus of countervailing, creative forces.
I won’t go through the whole list again, which we discussed in articles you can find here (and in our book). But the elements include an ambitious higher-ed establishment, with several liberal-arts universities plus Penn State’s Behrend campus, where I spent an afternoon looking at advanced-manufacturing initiatives (like successful ones I’d seen from South Carolina to Michigan to Kentucky to California). We also witnessed an accelerated version of a formula we had seen in a number of other midwest and northeastern “Rust Belt” cities trying to turn themselves into a “Chrome Belt”: The hope of offsetting the loss of native-born young families by recruiting, welcoming, and integrating immigrants and refugees (as Deb explained here and here). Erie also boasts a downtown revival movement, led simultaneously by the city’s home-grown and downtown-based Fortune 500 company, Erie Insurance, whose longtime CEO and now chairman, Tom Hagen, is in his 80s; by successful tech entrepreneurs like Joel Deuterman, now in his 50s; and by a 20s-and-30s generation of artists, activists, technologists, and business people (who you can see in a great video here).
Erie has an active performing-arts and music scene. Its Jefferson Educational Society runs ambitious live events and research programs, in a model that is a rough counterpart to California’s Commonwealth Club or the 92nd Street Y in New York. We became fans of the alt-weekly Erie Reader. In the same downtown building as the Reader’s offices is a tech startup space, called Radius CoWork, similar to what you’d find in any hip town. (See for yourself.)
These conflicting trends—so discouraging, potentially so positive—have made the city intellectually compelling. Over our months of exposure, the people, of all ages and a wide range of backgrounds, who have thrown themselves into this renewal effort have won our emotional support.
And one small group of them has won our business support as well.
A cumulative surprise of our travels since 2013 was what I thought of as talent-dispersion, or the “reverse talent flow.” There are more and more opportunities, for a larger range of businesses, in more places away from the big cities, than there were a decade or two ago. A detectable flow of people are taking advantage of them.
Through modern history, ambitious people from the hinterland have sought their fortune in the biggest, most vibrant metropolises. Englanders and Scots going to London, French provincials to Paris, Chinese to Shanghai and now Shenzhen, and Americans to the metropolises mainly on the coasts. For as long as American literature has existed, it has chronicled the movement of people from farm, to village, to each era’s booming urban centers. (Pick your American classic novel, from Sister Carrie to Invisible Man, and you’re likely to find elements of this theme.)
That concentrating flow will of course continue, as one glance at construction cranes in Seattle or housing prices in the Bay Area will confirm. But a combination of those same hyper-inflated real-estate costs, and the rise of location-specific high-value industries (like “precision agriculture” startups in farming areas ) plus ever-improving tools for remote work, have powered what tech entrepreneur Steve Case calls the “rise of the rest.” By that he means increased opportunities for talented people who might have moved to Chicago or Boston or LA, but who decide that the overall prospects are more promising in Birmingham or Columbus or Omaha.
In our travels we have met some of these people, and we’ve written about the new business niches they had found, with: agriculture-related technology, in South Dakota and Central Valley California; aerospace technology, in Minnesota and Oregon; logistics and advanced retail systems in Ohio; high-value manufacturing in Kansas and South Carolina and Kentucky; plus other opportunities elsewhere.
And, in the case of Erie, web-design work from Epic Web Studios.
Epic’s headquarters, on French street in downtown Erie. (Epic)
Epic’s co-founders are David Hunter, now age 34 and CEO, and Shaun Rajewski, now 29 and lead developer. They started the company nine years ago, at ages 25 and 20, respectively (and in the depths of the post-2008 financial crash), on the belief that it would be possible to create a first-tier Internet-design company far away from the normal tech centers, in the place where they had grown up. They had no outside capital or investors, and they ran the company initially on the “self-exploitation” financing model familiar from so many startup stories.
Hunter had worked in New York but wanted to come home to start a business and raise a family (with his wife, Jessica, also an Erie native). “After high school, I left Erie as soon as possible, eager to leave the region in search of ‘bigger and better,’” he told me. “I started college at Fordham in New York. I loved it there, but after a lot of consideration, I realized how important my family and my friends really were to me so during my junior year I decided to move back to Erie with an entirely different outlook on the city.”
Rajewski’s story is like that of some other tech entrepreneurs we met in Erie (and their counterparts in Greenville and Duluth and Redlands and Fresno etc). The similarity is that as Epic has grown, he has continued to re-decide to stay in his small community (with his wife, Karrah and their family), rather than take offers with Facebook, Google, or other big-time companies in the Bay Area or Seattle.
Over these nine-plus years, Epic has become a modest but steadily expanding success. It has some 400 clients for its web work, in North America and internationally. It has developed an app intended to help local newspapers in the pursuit of their Holy Grail (that is, engagement and “stickiness” from local readers), and other apps like ASAPmaps, which is intended to help local businesses improve their visibility within Google maps. Epic argues that its services match what’s available anywhere else, but that its prices can be much lower, because of the difference in salaries and real-estate costs.
Hunter and Rajewski have created more than a dozen full-time tech jobs in Erie — not many in the grand scheme of things, but a dozen more than would exist without them. Like other locally founded tech firms we’ve seen around the country, they view their own survival and success as being closely connected with the whole city’s prospects. Thus Epic does extensive volunteer work for local non-profits and civic institutions, the value of which Hunter says comes to over half a million dollars of in-kind contribution.
“Epic's workforce includes a lot of folks who are from Erie, moved away to start a career, and were recruited back to the region to work with our team,” Hunter told me this week in an email. “Others were planning to leave the region and stayed because of the opportunity to grow their career while contributing to the growth of Erie, PA.”
Why do I mention all this? Not just because it’s another local data point but also because Deb and I took Epic’s work seriously enough to start doing business with them ourselves, as customers. Two years ago, Epic’s team developed a website for a civic group in Washington D.C. that we are part of, and whose background I have described here. (News updates for the site are here.)
Like all modern authors, we also have a website for our new book. This, too, is something we wanted Epic to develop for us (it’s here). As the months go on we plan to work with them, as normal customers, to expand this as a platform for exchanging the kinds of stories we have heard around the country, connecting people and groups large (like New America or Esri) and small (like the Center for Rural Affairs) that are working toward similar ends in different locations, and using maps and other tools to illustrate both problems and solutions.
Does the business our family provides matter? In any grand sense, obviously not. I mention it to show that our observation about talent-dispersal is more than just talk on our part. We take it seriously enough that we are willing to vote with our personal dollars, to present our own message through this company’s staff and skills.
Bicentennial Tower, Erie lakefront, 2016 (James Fallows)
“I am incredibly passionate about my hometown of Erie, PA,” David Hunter said in a recent message to me. “The city is a lot of fun (we're one of only 8 cities nationwide that lets you drink in the streets!), it’s incredibly affordable (here's a 5,400 sq. ft. Victorian Mansion for sale at $139,900), and there's always something new going on (here's a sample of the calendar for just one week ).”
The Onion offers periodic dispatches from Don Turnbee, “America’s Fast-Food Critic,” who is always identified as hailing from Erie. Hunter said that he takes perverse joy and pride in those Onion shout-outs, as part of a younger-generation embrace of the city’s defiant-underdog status. (This is an attitude we also saw among Hunter’s counterparts in places like San Bernardino, Fresno, Ajo, and Duluth.) “Erie’s been a weird city (in a good way) for as long as I can remember,” he told me. “I think Erie’s weirdness, though hard to quantify, is one of our greatest assets because it makes us a unique place that’s hard to forget.”
As for the city’s problems, “there are certainly plenty of examples that make it difficult to live here as well,” he says. “To pretend it’s some sort of utopia would never work because the city is full of cold, thankless and unflattering qualities too. But there are countless people who work to improve those things every single day. I am incredibly thankful for their efforts because I see the change happening before my eyes every day.”
How will Erie look 10 years from now? I have no idea, just as I cannot say how the struggle between national-level darkness and local-level renewal will eventually balance out. But I offer the story of Epic Web Studios and its founders and staff as one more illustration of how different the texture of the country can look from a city-by-city perspective, than it does from the bleak prospect of the national news.
2:15 PM / September 11, 2018
New College Rankings Are Out—Including Some That Are Actually Useful
This year a magazine has begun ranking colleges on vocational-training effectiveness. The Washington Monthly
As a one-time staff editor of The Washington Monthly magazine, I am biased in favor of that plucky enterprise and its approach to the world.
As a one-time chief editor of US News & World Report, I am all too aware of the fatuousness imperfections of its college-ranking system. Being a pioneer in ranking has been the economic salvation of US News. But the premise that vastly different institutions can be precisely ranked on overall quality has its obvious limits. What are the "best" ten lines of work, ranked one through ten, for your child to aspire to? What are the "best" twenty-five cities to live in -- or pieces of music to listen to, or food to eat? Or people to marry? The only sane answer is, "it depends," which is the answer when it comes to colleges and universities too.
As it happens, I wrote those two preceding paragraphs nine full years ago, during the 2009 version of “college ranking week” for a number of national magazines.
Back in the early 1980s, the number of prominent magazines doing the rankings was one: US News itself. You can read the background of how this became a business franchise for US News (which survives now mainly as a rankings organization), and why their decade-long near monopoly in rankings was so controversial, here in Slate back in 1999; here again one year later in Slate; here at about the same time in The Washington Monthly; here in 2001 in the University of Chicago magazine; in The Atlantic in 2013 from John Tierney and two years later from Gillian White; and here in 2017 from Politico. (You’ll also see linked rebuttals from USN at many of those places, and for instance here.) And the Atlantic has some new features on the cost of education, out today: by Alia Wong and Amanda Ripley.
The gist of the early critiques, beyond (serious) disputes about factors that were included and excluded, and the very idea that institutions as different as the University of Minnesota and Pomona could be ranked on a precise linear scale, involved the monoculture dominance of this single ranking system. As you might put it, and in fact as I put it nine years ago:
The practical solution to ranking mania is not to try to eliminate them -- it's too late -- but instead to crowd the field so that no one "Best Colleges" list has disproportionate influence.
Toward that end, The Washington Monthly's latest iteration of its college rankings is valuable simply for existing and adding diversity to the ranking field. It's more valuable than that, because of the way it carries through its analysis about the traits we really should value in universities, plus letting people tailor their own rankings based on the qualities that matter most to them.
Three years ago in The Atlantic, Alia Wong explained how far the healthy proliferation of rankings had spread—again, at least partly offsetting the distortions of any one scale—and Li Zhou surveyed them and noted how different their judgments of “best college” were. Stanford was on top on one scale, Washington and Lee on another, CalTech on another, UC Irvine on yet one more.
This is all prelude to this year’s cycle, in which the US News rankings are more or less what they have traditionally been, and The Washington Monthly extends its practice of ranking schools not just on strictly “academic” metrics but on their broader effect on the nation. As Kevin Carey says in an introduction to this year’s TWM college edition:
Thirteen years ago, the Washington Monthly set out to solve a problem. The higher education market was dominated by the U.S. News & World Report rankings, which reward wealth, fame, and exclusivity. College leaders responded to the temptation of better U.S. News scores by raising prices, chasing status, and marketing themselves to the children of privilege.
We thought the nation needed exactly the opposite: smart, well-run colleges that enrolled students from all walks of life and helped them earn a high-quality diploma at an affordable price. Colleges that instilled a sense of service and public obligation while producing groundbreaking research.
So we decided to do something about it and create our own ranking—not based on what colleges do for themselves, but on what they do for their country. After all, everyone benefits when colleges push the boundaries of scientific discovery and provide paths to opportunity for the next generation of low-income students. And everyone pays for college, through taxes and other forms of public support.
This year’s innovation is to provide—not in place of, but in addition to, the previous ranking metrics—a guide to how colleges compare on vocational certificates. Nursing, auto-engine or airplane-engine technicians, welding and other (good-paying) skilled-trade jobs—this kind of training has traditionally been disdained by “ambitious” institutions and students.
But as TWM’s editor Paul Glastris lays out in this article, jobs in this category are essential to American business resilience and, more important, to greater economic opportunity and justice. As I’ve argued in The Atlantic — in this piece about “career technical” education in Georgia, and this one about maker-movement manufacturing startups in Kentucky, and this overview article this past May--and in the new book I wrote with my wife, Deb Fallows, “career technical education” may be this era’s most important part of the U.S. schooling system.
The rationale is similar to what Audrey M. Hutchinson, of the National League of Cities, laid out in this essay, “Community Colleges Will Shape the Workforce of the Future.” I won’t belabor a case you can read elsewhere (including at many of these links), but the essential point is: since the era’s main economic problems are inequality, disruption, and blocked opportunity, institutions that can match people with the era’s fastest-growing skilled jobs are newly important.
Deb and I will have more in this space about community colleges, vocational certificates, career-technical programs in high schools, and other aspects of this valuable next wave in American education. For now, please check out TWM and its steadily expanding approach to rankings.
8:00 AM / November 11, 2018
‘The Other Coachella’ Launches Its Own Festival
Maria Moreno, from the film Adios Amor, directed by Laurie Coyle George Ballis/Take Stock
Each spring, the music world hears the name “Coachella” and thinks of a major two-weekend arts and music festival. So attached are the name and the event that the web address Coachella.Com takes you not to the city’s official site but one where you can buy tickets for the festival.
The rest of the year, Coachella is a smallish farming community, in the sun-baked desert, where irrigation has supported a date-palm and grapefruit industry and where a mainly Latino farm work force has struggled over the decades for better pay and conditions.
This past spring, as the music festival was about to kick off, I did an item on “The Other Coachella” — the one I had known while growing up in the area, and the one that’s still there after the festival visitors have left. The occasion for the post was a new “Story Map” from our friends at the mapping company Esri, which gave a multimedia version of the city and people who dominate the town through the non-festival weeks of the year. The map, called “In the Valley of Coachella,” was written by the novelist Susan Straight and illustrated with photos by Douglas McCulloh. It is well worth a return look.
There’s one more aspect of “The Other Coachella,” and another kind of Coachella festival, that are also worth notice. Last month a group called Cinemas Culturas (plus other partners) put on the debut of “Festival in the Fields,” a film, arts, and education event meant to focus attention on the region’s working population. In a note earlier this year describing the project, Cony Martinez, director of Cinemas Culturas, the festival’s main organizer, said:
My mother was a farmworker for over 25 years. Therefore, I decided to create a platform that focuses and honors people like my mother.
The project focuses on the migrant community and the Latino community in general of the Coachella Valley.
Here is an example of the kind of film that it is featuring: Adios Amor, about the search for the historical truth about a pioneering labor organizer named Maria Moreno:
You can watch a YouTube clip about other films featured at this year’s festival here. Part of the purpose of the festival is to engage local children in the history of their region. Here are some of the students from Cesar Chavez school in Coachella, at the time of this year’s festival.
Students of Cesar Chavez Elementary School, in Coachella, with Judy White, superintendent of Riverside County Schools (center) and Cony Martinez. Photo: Cony Martinez.
Cony Martinez also emphasizes the community-building aspirations the project has, including talks for parents, in Spanish, about motivating their children for achievement and college. In another email she wrote:
We are not the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It's not about Brad Pitt nor any other movie star. It's about bringing films that the Hispanic community, who are the majority in the Other Coachealla, can identify with and relate to. The majority of the films are in Spanish with English subtitles for this reason. And this is the same reason we offer workshops on storytelling in Spanish for adults and children so their stories can go on the big screen at Festival in the Fields.
I wasn’t able to be in California for this year’s event, but it’s an ongoing project, and I hope to be there for future ones. I’m glad it’s broadening the understanding of what their city stands for and how it came to be.
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Ethan Miller / Getty / Thanh Do / The Atlantic
I Wasn’t a Fan of BTS. And Then I Was.
Lenika Cruz
The Korean supergroup’s devoted following and chart-topping success have won them comparisons to the Beatles. Why was I surprised to get swept up in their magic?
I was already yawning when I sat down to watch Saturday Night Live one evening this past April. The host that night was Emma Stone, and the musical guest was BTS. I knew little about the seven-member South Korean supergroup—even though they had millions of fans worldwide, released multiple Billboard 200 chart-toppers, and recently delivered a speech at the United Nations. On Twitter, I saw plenty of enthusiasm, but also mockery directed at BTS and their followers. While I knew they would be the first K-pop act to perform on SNL, I had never listened to a BTS song before Stone introduced the first musical break.
The oh whoa ooh whoa backing vocals floated in, and a teasing bass line began as the lights went up to reveal seven figures—their backs to the camera—in dark suits and an array of hair colors. They swayed from side to side and spun around. Then the one with the pink hair started singing.
Paul Spella / Katie Martin
An Epidemic of Disbelief
Barbara Bradley Hagerty
What new research reveals about sexual predators, and why police fail to catch them
Robert Spada walked into the decrepit warehouse in Detroit and surveyed the chaos: Thousands of cardboard boxes and large plastic bags were piled haphazardly throughout the cavernous space. The air inside was hot and musty. Spada, an assistant prosecutor, saw that some of the windows were open, others broken, exposing the room to the summer heat. Above the boxes, birds glided in slow, swooping circles.
It was August 17, 2009, and this brick fortress of a building housed evidence that had been collected by the Detroit Police Department. Spada’s visit had been prompted by a question: Why were police sometimes unable to locate crucial evidence? The answer lay in the disarray before him.
Carlos Chavarría
The Economist Who Would Fix the American Dream
Gareth Cook
No one has done more to dispel the myth of social mobility than Raj Chetty. But he has a plan to make equality of opportunity a reality.
Raj Chetty got his biggest break before his life began. His mother, Anbu, grew up in Tamil Nadu, a tropical state at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. Anbu showed the greatest academic potential of her five siblings, but her future was constrained by custom. Although Anbu’s father encouraged her scholarly inclinations, there were no colleges in the area, and sending his daughter away for an education would have been unseemly.
But as Anbu approached the end of high school, a minor miracle redirected her life. A local tycoon, himself the father of a bright daughter, decided to open a women’s college, housed in his elegant residence. Anbu was admitted to the inaugural class of 30 young women, learning English in the spacious courtyard under a thatched roof and traveling in the early mornings by bus to a nearby college to run chemistry experiments or dissect frogs’ hearts before the men arrived.
Andrew Harnik / AP
Trump Knew Exactly What He Was Doing
David A. Graham
The crowd in Greenville understood the president and his platform far better than he—or Republican senators—proved willing to admit.
Republican politicians saw what happened at President Donald Trump’s rally last night in Greenville, North Carolina, where a crowd chanted “Send her back!” about Representative Ilhan Omar, the Minnesota Democrat and U.S. citizen born in Somalia.
They didn’t like it. And they know who to blame: anyone but Donald Trump.
“The chants were offensive and very unfortunate,” Senator Mitt Romney said. “It did not speak well of that crowd.”
“People chant what they want,” said Senator John Barrasso. “I’d rather attack ideas than people.”
Senator Jim Inhofe is “not really convinced that the president himself knew what the shouting was.”
Conor Friedersdorf: ‘Send her back’: the bigoted rallying cry of Trump 2020
Nicholas Kamm / AFP / Getty
Why Donald Trump’s Racist Language Isn’t Debatable
Ben Zimmer
Whether the president’s tweets about four Democratic congresswomen of color are bigoted cannot be decided solely by dictionary definitions.
Last night, while President Donald Trump was keeping up his attacks on four Democratic congresswomen of color at a rally in North Carolina, Merriam-Webster tweeted out that the most searched term in its online dictionary at that time was racism.
It’s been that kind of week—though hardly the first of its nature in the Trump era—when bigoted comments from the president have dominated the national discourse, and have led many to label the remarks as racist. That includes Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats (along with a few Republicans) in the House of Representatives, who passed a nonbinding resolution denouncing Trump’s “racist comments that have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color.”
Latest Notes
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There’s No Understanding Donald Trump
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Pulling Canada’s Caribou Back From the Brink
First Nations communities are leading the effort to rescue the last remaining caribou herds from extinction.
6:00 AM ET
Hillary Rosner
On a family vacation last summer, driving along the empty highways of northern Idaho near the Canadian border, I saw an unlikely road sign—a relic. Diamond-shaped with a yellow background, the sign featured the familiar black silhouette of a deerlike animal. But unlike those on deer-crossing signs, the animal pictured had large antlers and appeared to be ambling toward the road, not leaping. It took me a moment to realize that it was a caribou.
Seeing a caribou wander onto an Idaho highway is about as likely as watching a UFO land there. The South Selkirk herd—the only remaining caribou herd that roamed the continental United States—has dwindled to just two animals, both female. “Not even Noah could save them,” a Canadian biologist told me. Last spring, scientists declared the herd functionally extinct.
Though that news barely registered with the American public, it was powerful: the imminent disappearance of a large mammal species from the Lower 48. And the Selkirk caribou are only the tip of the melting iceberg. Across a broad swath of Canada and Alaska, caribou populations have been plummeting for decades. The main cause: industrial development in their habitat. Today seeing caribou in their original Canadian range requires luck, patience, and often a helicopter.
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One July afternoon in northeastern British Columbia, near where the Peace River flows out of the Canadian Rockies and toward the plains, I climbed into the back of a pickup truck. At the wheel was Line (pronounced Lynn) Giguere, a Francophone wildlife biologist. In the passenger seat was her husband, Scott McNay, an ecologist who has spent more than two decades trying to save caribou.
Here, in what’s called the South Peace region, on behalf of two local First Nations communities, Giguere and McNay have piloted a last-ditch effort to revive a different struggling caribou herd. It’s a remnant population of a much larger herd that once roamed the region’s forests. Trying to save this one small herd has been grueling at times—physically, emotionally, politically. Stemming the caribou declines on a larger scale, the couple say, could also take a personal toll.
Giguere and McNay live three hours away in Mackenzie, a town of about 3,500 people dominated by sawmills and pulp mills. McNay, who is tall with thinning hair and a bushy blond mustache, used to work as a biologist for the timber industry there. “Mackenzie is a small town,” he said. Saving the other herds in the South Peace region—six more, all in trouble—would require habitat protections that could shrink the area’s logging economy. Which would make the couple highly unpopular. “We might have to sell our house,” McNay said, half-joking.
Giguere, who exudes a cheerful, midwestern-style competence, agreed. “They’re gonna hate us,” she said in French-accented English.
We headed out of the tiny town of Hudson’s Hope into the mountains, and soon arrived at an active logging road. For about 60 miles, a two-hour ride, we bounced along dirt paths that grew steeper and rockier as we climbed. In the passenger seat, McNay, who hails from Prince Edward Island, dutifully called out our location over the truck’s radio every even-numbered kilometer, a protocol designed to avoid collisions. Trucks coming downhill called at the odd numbers, and soon one announced its location just uphill. “You should pull over soon,” McNay said. “Where? Shit,” Giguere replied. She found a narrow pullout and edged the Ford Super Duty out of harm’s way. A couple of minutes later, a truck loaded with logs came barreling past.
Up to 100 trucks a day carry timber down this road. About 20 years ago, timber companies carried out a series of big clear-cuts in this area, which impacted the caribou herds. “They’re just kind of getting back to it now,” McNay says of the logging, which has resumed on a large scale, in part to take away trees killed by the mountain pine beetle. “That’s what we’re up against in trying to protect habitat.”
A half hour or so later, as McNay called out our location—“36 up the Johnson, pickup”—a young deer pranced out of the woods. Giguere tapped the horn to coax it back into the forest. At the 42-kilometer mark, a lynx darted across the road. Further up, the road skirted a logging camp, with tents and RVs and piles of stacked timber. At 68 kilometers, a mother grouse and her chick appeared at the forest’s edge. We turned onto a bumpier dirt track, and then another, until we finally arrived at a flat clearing. A long, high fence covered in black fabric marked the edge of a caribou maternity pen—the centerpiece of an expensive, labor-intensive effort to revive the dwindling Klinse-Za herd.
Inside the fence was a 37-acre patch of woods and meadows, dense stands of pine and spruce opening onto sunny clearings, where a dozen female caribou and their nine babies were spending their summer. After being located by helicopter (many of the animals are radio-collared), the cows had been netted from the air, sedated, zipped into body bags, and flown to the enclosure, one at a time, back in snowy March. The pregnant cows had given birth inside the pen, where they and their babies were safe from wolves, bears, and other predators. In a couple of weeks, when the calves were two and a half months old—big enough to outrun a grizzly, if not a wolf—all the caribou would be released from the pen.
Read: America’s wildlife corridors are in danger
As a conservation measure, the maternity pen is a highly meddlesome intervention. But it’s one that McNay, Giguere, and members of local indigenous communities—who for millennia harvested caribou across their ancestral lands—feel is essential. “Because of where we are, we have to be a little heavy-handed until we can get things back into balance,” Roland Willson, the chief of the West Moberly First Nations, told me in his office on the shore of Moberly Lake. “The maternity pen is very obtrusive. Chasing caribou with helicopters, netting them—that’s not something you want to be doing. But because it’s an extreme situation, we have to take extreme measures.”
It’s becoming a familiar scenario, in North America and around the globe. As human activity pushes other species to the brink, the most feasible solutions seem more and more ludicrous. Yet meddling with nature in preposterous ways is often vastly easier than the alternative: fundamentally altering human behavior.
Caribou, a type of deer, live across a massive slice of the planet’s north, from the Arctic tundra south through the boreal, or northern, forest. They reproduce slowly: Females are pregnant for nearly eight months and give birth to just one baby at a time. They’re the only species on Earth in which both sexes grow antlers.
They are also what scientists call an “indicator species,” one whose own health shows the status of a whole ecosystem. And they’ve become unwitting sentinels, on some level, of life as we know it. The boreal forest, a vast band of spruce, fir, pine, and birch that covers one and a half billion acres of North America, stores roughly a third of the planet’s land-based carbon. It is a crucial source of Earth’s fresh water, and billions of birds from more than 300 species breed within it. The boreal is still the largest unbroken forest on Earth, representing a quarter of all remaining intact forest. But nearly a third of Canada’s boreal has already been carved up or earmarked for industrial use.
The starkest casualty so far has been the caribou. Though they belong to the same species as reindeer, rangifer tarandus, unlike reindeer they have never been domesticated. Perhaps that’s why they’re often used as symbols of wildness and freedom, and subtly tied to Canada’s national identity. Or not so subtly: They’re featured on Canadian quarters. In that sense, their story parallels that of bison in the United States—an animal that was immensely important to indigenous people, and which white Americans clung to as an icon even as they nearly let it vanish.
Canada’s woodland caribou, a subspecies, are most at risk. They live in old-growth forests, where they feed largely on lichens that grow on the ground and on trees. The reasons for their decline are not especially complex or mysterious. Cutting down forests wipes out their habitat. Building roads across forests provides easy access for animals that eat them. And because caribou reproduce so slowly, the problem boils down to simple math: Too many are dying, and not enough are surviving to reproduce.
In the South Peace region, where West Moberly lies, the Klinse-Za herd had dwindled to just 16 animals by 2013, down from around 180 in the 1990s. In the past, the herd would migrate in the wintertime to high in the mountains, where snow would act as a buffer from wolves. But the roads that now crisscross the region’s forests—and that continue to sprout like weeds—dealt a dual blow. They fragmented caribou habitat, slicing up interconnected herds into isolated groups. And they provided the wolves year-round access to tasty caribou flesh. Research suggests that wolves can travel up to three times faster along roads and trails than they can in unbroken forest.
Opening up the forest also brings in more of the animals wolves crave—deer, elk, moose. With more to eat, the wolves can proliferate, increasing the pressure on caribou. And because the wolves have so many species to feast on, their populations remain large even as caribou numbers shrink.
As of last year, 28 of the 57 distinct populations of woodland caribou across Canada were shrinking. In Alberta, all of the woodland caribou populations whose ranges overlap with oil-and-gas development “are in rapid decline,” according to a recent study, and they are shrinking by half every eight years. Scientists now predict that nearly a third of Canada’s boreal caribou could disappear within the next 15 years.
“It’s North America’s greatest terrestrial conservation problem,” says Robert Serrouya, the director of the Caribou Monitoring Unit at the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. Unlike some endangered species that live in a discrete, fairly small area—a snail, say, that lives only in one hot spring—caribou naturally occur in relatively small populations but are broadly distributed across a massive landscape. And that landscape is irresistible to industry.
Although caribou were listed as threatened in 2003, under Canada’s nascent Species at Risk Act (SARA), it took almost a decade for the government to create a plan to save them. And though long awaited, that plan has so far had little impact. Not a single province met its federally mandated 2017 deadline to produce a recovery strategy.
For Willson and his community, that lack of action has been agonizing. The members of West Moberly, a small band of Dunne-Za people, historically ate caribou meat, made clothing from their skin, used their antlers for medicine, and even made tools from their bones; since childhood, Willson has listened to tribal elders reminisce about hunting caribou on their traditional lands. “Caribou were considered a convenient food because there were so many of them,” he said. “If you couldn’t get a moose or an elk, you could always go to the mountains and get a caribou.” Willson has hunted caribou, but to do so, he’s had to travel far to the north, where development is sparser and herds are faring much better. “But north of us is somebody else’s area. We’re going into their area and harvesting their caribou. And it’s not just us; it’s everybody that hunts. Everybody’s going to that area.” (West Moberly is one of 39 nations across four provinces that are signatories to Treaty 8, which governs tribal rights to hunting and fishing, among other things. Treaty 8 member nations can hunt and fish across the whole 325,000-square-mile territory covered by the treaty.)
The caribou crisis in the South Peace region began in the late 1960s, when construction of the W. A. C Bennett Dam flooded several nearby canyons and turned a long stretch of the river into the 680-square-mile Williston Lake. The new lake, the world’s seventh-largest reservoir, submerged the territorial home of two other First Nations, Kwadacha and Tsay Keh Dene. It sunk First Nations cemeteries, hunting grounds, fishing spots, and trapper cabins. It also slashed a large caribou herd’s migration route, stranding groups of animals on opposite sides of the lake. After the dam went in, the water rose far faster than engineers had predicted, sweeping timber down hillsides and drowning an unknown number of caribou and other animals.
With hydropower on hand, industrial development quickly followed: large-scale forestry, mining, oil, and gas. And not long afterward, local indigenous people “noticed this drastic decline” in caribou, Willson says. Local First Nations voluntarily imposed a moratorium on caribou hunting. Decades later, after SARA passed and caribou were listed as threatened, Willson waited for British Columbia to set some key areas off-limits to industry.
Instead, in 2008 West Moberly learned that a coal-mining company had applied for a permit in the core habitat of the Burnt Pine caribou herd, one of eight herds then remaining in the region, whose numbers had already dwindled down to nine. The nation filed an injunction to stop the mine, and in an important court ruling, West Moberly prevailed. But the decision came too late. Without permits, the mining company had been illegally clearing the forest. By the time West Moberly won its case, only two caribou—a male and a female—remained.
A few days after the verdict, tragedy struck. The bull fell to his death in a pit the company had unlawfully dug. The cow wandered off in search of companionship. Scientists later found her radio collar, but her fate remains a mystery. Less mysterious is the fate of the Burnt Pine herd: It’s extinct.
Today British Columbia continues to allow open-pit coal mines and fracking wells in caribou habitat, and it is building yet another hydroelectric dam on the Peace River, just south of the oil-and-gas boomtown of Fort St. John. Most of the electricity the dam produces will be exported to the United States, and it has been sharply criticized by local and national activists.
At the visitor center next to the W. A. C. Bennett Dam, there is a monument to the reservoir’s impacts on First Nations. Walls are lined with personal accounts of loss, including Willson’s own. He tells of his grandmother catching fish, collecting wild plants, and passing the knowledge along to his mother. “Nowadays,” reads his statement on the wall, “what I get to do is teach my son how to throw contaminated fish back into the river.” (Fish in Williston Lake are contaminated with methylmercury from the decomposing forests beneath the surface.)
Read: The re-beavering of the American West
When the First Nations Impact Gallery opened two years ago, an official from BC Hydro, the dam’s operator, publicly acknowledged the harm done to both indigenous people and the environment. He pledged that the company would “not repeat the mistakes of the past.” Yet the new dam, known as Site C, would submerge both historic and contemporary tribal sites, and BC Hydro is already clearing forest and moving earth in preparation for construction. The week after I met Willson, he headed to court to testify in one final attempt to stop the project.
After the debacle with the Burnt Pine herd in 2008, Willson called McNay. “We were not going to run around the rose bush with the province,” Willson says. Across the country, many First Nations communities have reached a similar inflection point; unwilling to sit by as provincial governments allow territorial lands to fall to development and climate change, they are launching their own land-management plans—and beginning to set the agenda for conservation in Canada.
McNay, who has worked on caribou issues for both government and industry, was by then as fed up as Willson. “I’ve been involved in three different major pushes the province has initiated for caribou recovery,” McNay says. “They’ve all been about planning and research and collecting more data, instead of getting on the ground and doing stuff.” He told Willson: “I’m not going to work with you unless we do something action-oriented.”
Willson was thrilled. West Moberly joined forces with the neighboring Saulteau First Nations and formed a nonprofit caribou-conservation society. With McNay’s guidance, it hammered out a plan for the seven remaining nearby herds. But when McNay delved into the population data, he discovered that the Klinse-Za herd had already crashed. “We thought we were around 90 caribou there, but we were down below 20,” Willson recalls. “Something had to be done almost immediately in order to save that herd.”
Maternity pens had been tried in a handful of other areas, to varying degrees of success. But McNay believed a pen was the only way to give the herd a chance at survival. He says the First Nations communities mostly embraced the plan, viewing it as an unfortunate short-term necessity. (Other communities have been less receptive, put off by the severity of the meddling. McNay gave a presentation to one Alberta First Nations that was, he says, “appalled at what we were doing.”)
“Caribou were always an animal that if we ever needed something, we could go to them and they would help,” Willson says of West Moberly. “Now the caribou are in a struggle, and they need us. We have to at least try.”
British Columbia declined to fund the maternal pen, so the group sought money from industry and launched a crowdfunding campaign. It raised around $300,000 (almost entirely from industry; crowdfunding only scared up around $1,000), and during the first year in 2014 the group captured 10 females, each of which gave birth in an enclosure 30 miles from the town of Chetwynd. Nine calves survived and were released, yet only four were alive a year later. Two calves born outside the enclosure also survived that year.
In addition to the maternity pen, the program includes a substantial wolf cull and habitat restoration. The first restoration project decommissioned and reseeded a four-and-a-half-mile stretch of road through the forest. “Not even a month later, somebody went in behind us and reopened the road,” Willson told me. “They ruined everything we were doing there.”
In the six years since they began McNay’s program, indigenous trappers have killed 139 wolves on the ground. Over the past four years, the province has killed another 173 wolves by shooting them from helicopters. That’s an awfully bloody short-term fix—and the cull is growing contentious. Two conservation groups have petitioned the government to stop using tax dollars to slaughter wolves, which they call “inhumane” and “a morally bankrupt display.”
As of last year, the Klinse-Za caribou herd had grown to 66 animals.
Inside the maternity pen’s perimeter, behind the tall walls and an elaborate electric fence, McNay, Giguere, and I hiked to a rustic wooden observation platform built into a tree. Below us stretched a meadow, where several red metal troughs were filled with pellets made from vitamin-and-mineral-enriched barley, wheat, and corn, a supplemental diet for the caribou. (The fenced-in forest is too small to provide enough food for the animals.)
First Nations members patrol the pen in week-long shifts, bunking in a plywood shack they built outside the fence. These “guardians” walk the perimeter a few times a day, look for compromises in the fence line, keep watch for predators, and feed the caribou. In addition to the pellets, they feed the animals lichens, which are harvested by locals—including schoolkids and tribal elders—and hauled up the road in big mesh sacks.
As we stood on the platform and watched the far end of the meadow, where Battleship Mountain towered above the pine and spruce, two caribou slowly appeared like apparitions at the forest edge. Their fur was mottled in shades of gray and brown, and they sauntered through the field under bands of shadows cast by fast-moving clouds. Soon, more caribou joined them, including a few fuzzy calves, some of which lay down in the grass while their mothers browsed. The calves looked surprisingly small and fragile, considering they were just a couple of weeks from release. The scene—moms, babies, sun-dappled meadow—looked so peaceful, so primal, that I half-wished the animals could remain here in safety forever, though of course that was absurd.
The guardians had been tracking the whereabouts of four grizzlies they’d seen hanging around not far from the enclosure and which seemed “to have a little more interest in the pen than we’d like them to have,” as McNay put it. If the bears remained nearby, the caribou release might have to be postponed.
For the better part of an hour, we watched the caribou as they lolled about the field. And then, as the wind picked up, they vanished back into the trees.
Outside the enclosure, at the guardians’ hut, Steven Desjarlais had just arrived to join his cousin for a week-long shift. Both men are members of West Moberly, and they had spent months up here—building the pen, maintaining it, watching over the caribou, living in the forest. They lamented the looming end of the job, and said they would soon have to find new work, possibly on logging crews. Desjarlais said he saw the caribou as key to protecting the whole landscape; if the caribou die out, there’s no hope for saving the boreal forest. “Without them here, industry would run wild, and you’d never get them back,” he said. “The province would never put them back. They’d just build roads all over, go nuts.”
Under SARA, if provinces aren’t acting, the federal government can step in. That’s beginning to happen. Last May, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government declared an “imminent threat” to British Columbia’s caribou. Now, if the province doesn’t act, Ottawa can take control of its natural resources—making decisions about things such as logging and mining permits.
News of the possible federal intervention set off a panic, as British Columbians worried about economic calamity. Even in the outdoor-recreation mecca of Revelstoke, where you might expect sympathies to lie with the caribou, city leaders warned of financial doom. Protecting caribou habitat, they said, would spell ruin for the town’s heli-skiing businesses and destroy its backcountry-tourism economy, in addition to killing the local forestry industry. Instead of limiting human activity in caribou habitat, they suggested more research.
This kind of response drives McNay bonkers. There’s nothing more to research, he says. It’s time—past time—to act. He shook his head as he described the province’s decision last spring to spend the equivalent of 20 million U.S. dollars over five years to jump-start a new caribou-conservation effort. If you divide the money by the number of herds in trouble, and divide that by five years, you end up with less than $150,000 for each herd a year—a number, he said, that is essentially useless.
“If we want to do a serious job here,” McNay said, “it’s going to [have an] impact—socially, economically. The local-level municipal governments are pretty scared.”
As with so many at-risk species, the real obstacle for caribou-conservation efforts is socioeconomic. Recovering caribou broadly, across Canada, would require severely curtailing industrial activity across their habitat. Research has shown that woodland caribou avoid areas within 500 meters of human development—which means that the impact of, say, an oil well is far greater than just its footprint on the soil.
The energy sector accounts for a quarter of Alberta’s economy and about 13 percent of Canada’s total GDP. (Three-quarters of Alberta’s oil goes to the United States.) And Canada contains a tenth of the world’s proven oil reserves.
Photos: The Alberta tar sands
Which is the main reason no one has been willing to do the one thing that matters: protect the boreal forest from development.
“You could go across the boreal and see the exact same story playing out,” says Tim Burkhart, the Peace River coordinator for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. “The response of government has been to try to save as many caribou as they can without impacting industry in any way.”
Over a seven-year period, in the nearly ruined range of a single caribou herd, Alberta killed 841 wolves. Yet during that same time, the province issued hundreds of permits for new oil-and-gas wells in the same area. Restoring caribou habitat in that area would require buying the energy leases from the companies that hold them. But purchasing those leases on the range of just one herd in Alberta’s oil-sands region would cost 33 billion U.S. dollars, according to a 2010 estimate. Mark Hebblewhite, an ungulate ecologist at the University of Montana, has calculated that “effective habitat protection” in Alberta alone would cost more than $112 billion.
Against this economic reality, trying to save Canada’s woodland caribou can seem like a lost cause. “Piecemeal solutions aren’t going to get to that broader threat of their habitat disappearing,” says Courtenay Lewis, the manager of ecosystems policy for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Canada Project.
It’s why Hebblewhite, who is Canadian, suggested last year that triage may be the only option—choosing some herds to protect, and letting others simply die off. “Pretending we can continue to conserve everything, and asking wolves to pay the price while energy development continues, is not only ethically and morally wrong, it is extremely poor conservation policy,” Hebblewhite wrote in a paper published last year.
It’s something British Columbia is discussing, especially as climate change presents yet another threat to the southerly herds. “We know we are going to have to make some of these tough calls,” says Chris Ritchie, the acting executive director of the Species at Risk recovery branch of the provincial agency in charge of forests and natural resources.
Meanwhile, though, the federal government’s imminent-threat order has required the province to negotiate a caribou-conservation plan in partnership with both Canada and the West Moberly and Salteau First Nations. The draft agreement, whose finalized details have not yet been released, proposes to set aside nearly 1 million acres in the South Peace region—more than 1,540 square miles—for caribou, closing much of it to logging, hunting, and snowmobiling. Some land might be set aside as provincial parks with no industrial activity permitted; other areas might allow some logging or mining but under “a more caribou-centric management regime,” Ritchie says.
As the outline of the agreement leaked, anger in the region grew. A petition on Change.org by a snowmobiler-backed group called Concerned Citizens for Caribou Recovery bears the headline “Your back country access is being seriously threatened right now” and warned that “our way of life in Northern BC is at risk.” It demands that “all negotiations halt immediately.” In less than a week, more than 13,500 people signed the petition—though it’s unclear how many of them are locals. The group appears, from its Facebook page, to be connected to the outdoor-recreation industry.
McNay says he’s beginning to see pushback from all sides. Snowmobilers are livid about potential trail closures. He’s gotten hate mail from environmentalists furious about the wolf killings. And he fears the opposition will only increase, given the economic turmoil that could follow large-scale conservation measures. How many sawmills will have to shut down? How many jobs will be lost? “It will come. I see the edge of it already,” Mcnay says. “Because we are talking massive, massive impacts. I really don’t know where it’s all going.”
Back in the Ford Super Duty headed down the logging road toward Hudson’s Hope, I asked what would qualify as successful recovery for the Klinse-Za herd. The federal recovery plan sets a threshold of 120 animals in a herd, but McNay says that number doesn’t mean much. For First Nations, recovery means a self-sustaining population that members can hunt on a limited basis. Right now, the Klinse-Za herd is growing by about 15 percent a year. At that rate, in another decade there would be maybe 350 animals, and the local First Nations communities could potentially harvest a few caribou a year. “Back of the envelope, I’m saying in 10 years we might be looking at something that you could kinda say is on its way,” McNay says. But that, he stressed, is just the beginning of real recovery. “I don’t want people to get the impression that in 10 years we’ll be able to take a few animals and then we’re done.”
A couple of weeks after my visit—right on schedule, with no other humans around—the caribou guardians opened a portion of the fence. Over the next few hours, the caribou ventured out, wandering uphill, into the alpine. In the four months since, one cow has been killed by a grizzly, probably while defending her calf, which survived. The rest of the caribou are still alive.
This article is part of our Life Up Close project, which is supported by the HHMI Department of Science Education.
A Time Capsule of the Moon Landing
NASA employees and civilians remember the 1969 lunar landing.
Emily Buder
Hillary Rosner is a contributing editor at BioGraphic. Her work has appeared in National Geographic and The New York Times.
Life Up Close
Traveling the world to see microbes, plants, and animals in oceans, grasslands, forests, deserts, the icy poles—and wherever else they may be.
Life Up Close is a project of The Atlantic, supported by the HHMI Department of Science Education.
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Brielle Milla of Salinas makes her prime-time debut
TONIGHT’S MUST-SEE: “Custody,” 8-10:33 p.m., Lifetime; reruns at 12:02 a.m. Here is a quiet gem, a deep and intelligent story of good intentions and (at times) bad results. It’s not something we expect on TV –
Brielle Milla of Salinas makes her prime-time debut TONIGHT’S MUST-SEE: “Custody,” 8-10:33 p.m., Lifetime; reruns at 12:02 a.m. Here is a quiet gem, a deep and intelligent story of good intentions and (at times) bad results. It’s not something we expect on TV – Check out this story on thecalifornian.com: http://bit.ly/2lF6153
Mike Hughes Published 4:13 p.m. PT March 2, 2017
NBC’s Little Big Shots: “We’re Back” Steve Harvey, Brielle Milla(Photo: Provided by Evans Vestal Ward/NBC)
Brielle has already appeared on Ellen, daytime TV's most popular talk show. Now she makes her debut in prime time with Steve Harvey. The program is called "Little Big Shots" and features young children doing remarkable things. Some sing, some dance, some have other talents. The NBC show is produced by Ellen Degeneres, and dozen other folks, and should be amusing. Brielle has already appeared on Ellen and proved to be highly entertaining.
Best television for the weekend.
TONIGHT’S MUST-SEE: “Custody,” 8-10:33 p.m., Lifetime; reruns at 12:02 a.m. Here is a quiet gem, a deep and intelligent story of good intentions and (at times) bad results. It’s not something we expect on TV – or from James Lapine. On Broadway, he’s written and directed musicals and comedies, getting 15 Tony nominations, three wins and a Pulitzer Prize. But now he’s written and directed a dead-serious drama – a child-custody case in which he lets us feel each person’s agony ... some of it unrelated to the case. These are deep characters, played by the best – Viola Davis, Catalina Moreno, Tony Shalhoub, Hayden Panettiere, Ellen Burstyn and more.
TONIGHT’S MUST-SEE II: “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m.. NBC. Let’s think of tonight as a reunion of the movie “The Help” ... or a reunion of Academy Award nights. It’s a chance to see Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer pretty much back-to-back. In 2012, both women had Oscar nominations for “The Help”; Spencer won. This year, Davis won for “Fences”; Spencer was nominated for “Hidden Figures.” Now we can see Davis being dead-serious – and perfect – in “Custody” and then Spencer hosting “SNL,” with music from Father John Misty.
TONIGHT’S ALTERNATIVE: “Planet Earth II,” 6 and 9 p.m. PT, BBC America. You see some surprising things in the jungle ... including dolphins. Really. River dolphins, mostly blind in that dark setting, seem to frolic there. Jungles cover 6 percent of the globe, narrator David Attenborough tells us, but have half the plants and wildlife. Many thrive; some otters are the size of men. And many are remarkable; we see a lizard that can soar 100 feet ... a gecko that virtually disappears ... and birds of paradise with dazzling dances.
Other choices include:
“Star Wars” marathon, 1:55 p.m. to 4:37 a.m., TNT. Now the films have been rearranged in the way the story unfolds. The prequel trilogy is at 1:55 p.m. (1999), 4:55 p.m. (2002) and 8 p.m. (2005). That lead into the original film – now called “Star Wars: A New Hope” (1977) -- at 11:06. “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) is at 1:52 a.m.. with “Revenge of the Jedi” (1983) at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Basketball, 5:30 p.m. PT, ABC, with pre-game at 5. The Chicago Bulls host the Los Angeles Clippers.
Boxing, 6 p.m. PT, CBS. Two undefeated welterweight champions collide, with the winner getting the unified title. Keith Thurman has the WBA title; Danny Garcia has the WBC one.
“History of Comedy,” 7 p.m. PT, CNN (barring breaking news). Remember that cliche about the crying clown, the sad guy who makes us laugh? It’s sometimes true, people tell us here, using examples from the past – Jonathan Winters, Richard Pryor, Robin Willians – and their own lives. It’s a good hour, preceded at 6 p.m. ET by an OK one viewing comedy that springs from regular life.
Chicago stories, 8-11 p.m., NBC. Here’s a quick rerun of Wednesday’s marathon, involving all four shows. At 8 p.m., “Chicago Fire” fights a blaze, with the “Chicago Med” people treating victims. Then
Chicago P.D.” investigates at 9 p.m. and “Chicago Justice” prosecutes at 10.
“Ransom,” 8 p.m., CBS. In France, a girl has been kidnapped from a train. Now her parents fear she’s been sold into human trafficking.
“APB,” 9 p.m., Fox. In a rerun, a drone fails to find robbers, so Gideon turns to an unlikely source to create some electric motorcyles.
TONIGHT’S MUST-SEE: “Little Big Shots” season-opener, 8 p.m., NBC. Brielle Milla has already dazzled people on Ellen DeGeneres’ show and YouTube. Now the Salinas 4-year-old has her prime-time debut. Milla did “Ellen” twice, first showing her knowledge of the periodic table and then (taped on her 4th birthday) showing that she knows every bone in the body. On “Little Big Shots” (produced by DeGeneres), she delights Steve Harvey with that bones knowledge. That’s part of a fun hour, ranging from a 5-year-old Lincoln expert to a great 12-year-old singer.
TONIGHT’S MUST-SEE II: “Feud” debut, 10 p.m., FX; rerunning at 11:12. Old Hollywood considered actresses expendable and replaceable. Joan Crawford, however, refused to budge. She lined up a deal to star opposite her long-time foe, Bette Davis, in “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” Two old stars – roughly 56 and 54 – were ready to collide. That’s the setting for the latest project from Ryan Murphy, who triumphed with “The People v. O.J. Simpson.” Like that one, “Feud” captures the humor and humanity of outsized personalities.
TONIGHT’S ALTERNATIVE: Time-travel, 8:30 p.m. Fox and 9-11 p.m., ABC. First is the silly side. On the clever “Making History,” a guy uses a time-hopping duffel bag to go back and impress a colonial lass with Celine Dion songs. Then is a solid drama, with humor and romance around the edges. Based on the 1979 movie, it has Jack the Ripper steal H.G. Wells’ time machine and whoosh to our era, with Wells in persuit. Wells had envisioned an idyllic future; the Ripper prefers a loud and crude life. One is disappointed.
TONIGHT’S ALTERNATIVE II: “Shades of Blue” season-opener, 10 p.m., NBC. In the first season, Harlee (Jennifer Lopez) saw her world crumble. She’s a cop, who helped cover up some misdeeds. An FBI agent obsessed on her, even hiring look-alike prostitutes; he forced her to snitch on her boss (Ray Liotta). Also, Harlee has just killed her daughter’s brutal father. Now she must bury one problem literally and others figuratively. This is a rough, ragged story, ofen as fierce as most cable dramas. Along the way, it does deliver some strong moments.
“The Good Fight,” any time, CBS All Access. This neatly duplicates the elements of the show it sprang from, “The Good Wife.” It has s a quirky court case ... and current issues (fake news. cyberbullying) ... and the start of a multi-week story, with a past villain (Matthew Perry) looming.
“Mercy Street” and “Victoria” season-finales, 8 and 9 p.m., PBS. This Civil War story reaches extremes – a quietly powerful tale involving the Greens’ maid ... and a noisy culmination to hiding the body of a slain Union officer. Then Victoria, who’s pregnant, becomes an assassin’s target.
“Chicago Justice,” 9 p.m., NBC. Consider this de-evolution: Sundays used to have “The Good Wife,” sometimes finding deep drama in Chicago’s State’s Attorney office; now NBC uses that same office for some flat drama. Philip Winchester, who stars, is handsome enough (and stiff enough) to be a statue.
“Last Man on Earth” return, 9:30, Fox. In a daring detour, the show gives us an entire episode without its star. Instead, it adds Kristen Wiig, in what at times is a delightful one-woman show.
“The Arrangement” debut, 10 p.m., E. A would-be actress gives the perfect audition ... and finds her world entangled with that of a big-deal movie star. From there, “Arrangement” skids too close to being a Tom Cruise/Scientology tale. Its start, however, is a delight.
ALSO: This overstuffed night also has the return of “Once Upon a Time” (8 p.m., ABC), plus big movies. At 7, FX has the terrific “Gone Girl” (2014) ... at 7:30, E has the TV debut of “Fifty Shades of Grey” (2015) ... At 8, Viceland starts the Oscar-winning documentary “O.J.: Made in America.”
Read or Share this story: http://bit.ly/2lF6153
Salinas' ghostly encounters spook residents
Oct. 27, 2017, 4:36 p.m.
Students perform at intensive workshop
Many restaurants have specials on Easter Sunday
Rare 'Of Mice and Men' reading to be performed
Patria Restaurant offers delicious Continental menu are fine service
Weston exhibit to open at Art Museum
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Worldwide icon-chevron-right Europe icon-chevron-right United Kingdom icon-chevron-right England icon-chevron-right London icon-chevron-right Buckingham Palace guide
Buckingham Palace guide
Your ultimate guide to visiting the Queen’s London residence, Buckingham Palace
Posted: Tuesday July 18 2017
Think London, think Buckingham Palace. There really is no icon more British than the Queen, so it’s no surprise we’re all so interested in visiting her gaff. London’s Buckingham Palace is more than 300 years old and has 775 rooms, although only 19 of these are available for the public to explore (it is still the working headquarters of the monarchy, after all). When the State Rooms are closed to the public, there’s still a photo (or three) to be taken in front of its impressive façade and stony-faced guards. Here’s our guide to planning a trip to Buckingham Palace.
Where is Buckingham Palace?
The palace is south of Green Park, at the west end of St James’s Park and a ten-minute walk from Victoria rail station. The closest tube stations are Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park and St James’s Park. Bus routes 11, 211, C1 and C10 all stop on Buckingham Palace Road.
When is Buckingham Palace open?
Buckingham Palace isn’t always open, but during the summer months you can visit while the royals are on holiday. Don’t expect to get a nose around the Queen’s knicker drawer; you’ll only get to access the 19 State Rooms, which are ordinarily used to host official visits. The State Rooms are open to the public between July 22 and October 1. They open daily from 9.30am until 7.30pm July 22 to August 31, and from 9.30am until 6.30pm September 1 to October 1.
How much does visiting Buckingham Palace cost?
Tickets start at £23 for adults and £13 for children, while under-fives get in for free. Your ticket includes an audio tour and access to this year’s Royal Gifts exhibition. A typical visit lasts just over two hours, and it’s a good idea to book in advance. If you’d like to explore the palace’s greenery too, add a Garden Highlights Tour to your trip, or buy a Royal Day Out ticket for access to The Queen’s Gallery and Royal Mews too.
Where can I see the Changing of the Guard?
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace takes place at 11am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between January and March, and then on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until June 19. Throughout the summer, it takes place daily, weather permitting. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes.
Anything else I should know about Buckingham Palace?
Eating and drinking are not permitted inside the State Rooms, but there is a café for a tea break and a shop where you can stock up on mementos. On arrival, you and your belongings will go through airport-style security checks. And you can’t take pictures or video inside the State Rooms, so that means zero snaps of you looking regal in the Throne Room, unfortunately.
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Photos: Other Olympic sports
The IOC has dropped wrestling, but what has it kept?
Men’s curling was included in the Olympic program in 1924 at the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix. It was dropped, then later reintroduced as a demonstration sport in 1932 in Lake Placid. Here, from left, Jeff Isaacson, Chris Plys and John Benton play in 2010 for the United States in Vancouver, British Columbia. less
Men’s curling was included in the Olympic program in 1924 at the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix. It was dropped, then later reintroduced as a demonstration sport in 1932 in Lake Placid. Here, from ... more
Men’s curling was included in the Olympic program in 1924 at the...photo-2051143.56756 - |ucfirst
Badminton made its debut as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. It was not until the 1992 Games in Barcelona that it was officially included on the Olympic program, with men’s and women’s singles and doubles events. The mixed doubles event made its debut in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Here, Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei returns a shot to Simon Santoso of Indonesia during their men's singles badminton match at the London 2012 Games. (ADEK BERRY / AFP/Getty Images) less
Badminton made its debut as a demonstration sport at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. It was not until the 1992 Games in Barcelona that it was officially included on the Olympic program, with men’s and ... more
Badminton made its debut as a demonstration sport at the 1972...photo-3280134.56756 - |ucfirst
Synchronized swimming became an Olympic sport for the first time in Los Angeles in 1984, with solo and duet events. Atlanta replaced them in 1996 by a water ballet for eight people. Since the 2000 Olympic Games, the Olympic program has included the team event and the duet. Here, Mary Killman and Mariya Koroleva compete for the United States at the London 2012 Games. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) less
Synchronized swimming became an Olympic sport for the first time in Los Angeles in 1984, with solo and duet events. Atlanta replaced them in 1996 by a water ballet for eight people. Since the 2000 Olympic ... more
Photo: Al Bello, Getty Images
Synchronized swimming became an Olympic sport for the first time in...photo-3293185.56756 - |ucfirst
The horse made its first appearance at the Ancient Olympic Games in 680 B.C. when chariot racing was introduced. When the modern Games began, a few unsuccessful attempts preceded the success of equestrian in the 1912 Olympic program. Women who made their first Olmyipc appearance in Jumping at the 1956 Games in Stockholm, and today are as often if not more on the top spot of the podium. Here, Aiofe Clark of Ireland competes with Master Crusoe in the Show Jumping Equestrian event at the London 2012 Games. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images) (Getty Images) less
The horse made its first appearance at the Ancient Olympic Games in 680 B.C. when chariot racing was introduced. When the modern Games began, a few unsuccessful attempts preceded the success of equestrian in ... more
The horse made its first appearance at the Ancient Olympic Games in...photo-3306596.56756 - |ucfirst
item-85307.56756 - |ucfirst
Trampolining made its first appearance at the 2000 Games in Sydney, with men’s and women’s competitions. Here, gymnasts train before the men's trampoline final of the artistic gymnastics event of the London 2012 Olympic Games. (THOMAS COEX / AFP/Getty Images) less
Trampolining made its first appearance at the 2000 Games in Sydney, with men’s and women’s competitions. Here, gymnasts train before the men's trampoline final of the artistic gymnastics event of the London ... more
Trampolining made its first appearance at the 2000 Games in Sydney,...photo-3297083.56756 - |ucfirst
Table tennis made its Olympic debut at the 1988 Seoul Games. Here, Britain's Kelly Sibley, left, and Joanna Parker compete at the London 2012 Olympic Games. AFP Photo / Saeed KhanSAEED KHAN/AFP/GettyImages
Photo: SAEED KHAN, AFP/Getty Images
Table tennis made its Olympic debut at the 1988 Seoul Games. Here,...photo-3279560.56756 - |ucfirst
Archery first appeared in the Olympic Games in 1900 and was contested again in 1904, 1908 and 1920. After an absence of 52 years, it returned in 1972. Here, Alejandra Valencia, 17, of Mexico, competes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. (Paul Gilham / Getty Images) less
Archery first appeared in the Olympic Games in 1900 and was contested again in 1904, 1908 and 1920. After an absence of 52 years, it returned in 1972. Here, Alejandra Valencia, 17, of Mexico, competes at the ... more
Archery first appeared in the Olympic Games in 1900 and was...photo-3290921.56756 - |ucfirst
Fencing was included for the first time at the 1896 Games in Athens, and has remained on the Olympic program since then. The women’s fencing competition entered the Games in 1924 in Paris. Here, Russia's Sofya Velikaya, right, fences against South Korea's Kim Ji Yeon at the London 2012 Games. (TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA / AFP/Getty Images) less
Fencing was included for the first time at the 1896 Games in Athens, and has remained on the Olympic program since then. The women’s fencing competition entered the Games in 1924 in Paris. Here, Russia's ... more
Fencing was included for the first time at the 1896 Games in...photo-3280152.56756 - |ucfirst
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Todayville Edmonton
UPDATE: Autopsy confirms homicide in woman’s death in downtown Edmonton
Lindsey Lubkey
Autopsy results confirm death of 48-year-old woman is homicide
The Edmonton Medical Examiner released autopsy results today in connection with the death of a female in central Edmonton yesterday morning.
Autopsy results confirm that the 48-year-old female died as a result of stab wounds, and the manner of death is homicide.
Homicide Section continues to investigate.
Anyone with information in relation to this stabbing or the events leading up to it is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567
or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477
or online at www.p3tips.com/250.
Every file is evaluated on a case by case basis. The EPS has decided not to release the name of the deceased in this investigation for the following reasons: it does not serve an investigative purpose and the EPS has a duty to protect the privacy rights of victims and their families.
At approximately 7:15 a.m. on March 28, 2019, officers responded to the area of 100 Street and 105A Avenue on a report of a stabbing. When officers arrived, they discovered an injured woman lying on the ground. The female was treated and transported to hospital by paramedics, where she was pronounced deceased
Original Story March 28, 2019
The EPS Homicide Section is investigating the death of a 48-year-old female, who was stabbed early this morning in the downtown area.
At approximately 7:15 a.m. on March 28, 2019, police responded to the area of 100 Street and 105A Avenue on a report of a stabbing. When officers arrived, they discovered an injured woman lying on the ground. The female was treated and transported to hospital by paramedics, where she was pronounced deceased. Homicide section continues to investigate; an autopsy has been scheduled for Friday morning.
Anyone with any information about this incident is asked to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.p3tips.com/250.
Related Topics:CrimeEdmontonEdmonton Police ServicefeatureHomicide investigation
Hey Edmonton, look what’s living under our sidewalks!
Mandatory screening and drug recognition experts onsite as RCMP conduct major Checkstops throughout the capital region this weekend
EPS officer charged with “distribution of an intimate image”
Lloyd Lewis
An Edmonton Police Service (EPS) member was charged today, July 18, 2019, in relation to an incident that occurred in 2018.
Const. Samuel Sanson, a 12 year member with the EPS, was charged with one count of distribution of an intimate image pursuant to Sec. 162.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada. The charge stems from a non-work related incident that reportedly took place in Edmonton in September 2018.
The constable is currently on leave.
The charges follow an in-depth investigation by the EPS Professional Standards Branch which was subsequently reviewed by Alberta Justice.
As the matter is currently before the courts, the EPS is not able to provide further comment or information about the incident or investigation.
Duane Rolheiser
The Calgary Police Service Homicide Unit is seeking public assistance in relation to the disappearance of Abdikadir TUKHOV, who was reported missing in December 2016.
Abdikadir TUKHOV, 43, of Calgary was reported missing by friends on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016. He was last seen on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, leaving a residence in the community of Abbeydale.
Police have exhausted all footprints of life and as a result of new information from members of community, TUKHOV’s disappearance is considered suspicious. Friends also believe that TUKHOV may have been met with foul play.
TUKHOV lived a transient lifestyle and spent time in Calgary, Grand Prairie, Edmonton and Red Deer. It is believed he worked as a taxi driver in Grand Prairie prior to his disappearance.
Investigators are seeking public assistance to identify a man and a woman seen with TUKHOV at the Cambridge Red Deer Hotel (previously the Sheraton Red Deer), located at 3310 50 Ave., Red Deer, in the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. Police believe they may have information about TUKHOV’s disappearance or his activities prior to his disappearance.
A photo of TUKHOV with the man and woman is available above.
The woman is described as 25 to 40, with an average build with brown hair.
The man is described as 30 to 45, with an average build. He can be seen wearing a hat in the photo.
“We know that people in the community have information about Abdikadir’s disappearance,” says Staff Sergeant Martin Schiavetta of the CPS Homicide Unit. “Abdikadir left behind a wife and two children and we ask that anyone who has information come forward so that we can provide closure to his friends and family. Even what seems like the most insignificant information can sometimes be enough to help detectives solve a case.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Calgary Police Service Homicide Tip Line at 403-428-8877. They may also contact the Calgary Police Service non-emergency number at 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers anonymously through either of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TEXT: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
Case # 16660072/4110
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Doctor Who Magazine interview from April 2000
Andrew Pixley listens in to more of the complete and unexpurgated transcripts of the interviews conducted for BBC2’s recent Doctor Who theme night – and hears the testimony of a self-confessed ‘professional fraud’.
Tom Baker’s interview for Doctor Who Night was very different from the others. Firstly, as ‘senior Doctor’, Tom would link most of the programming, and consequently a larger proportion of studio time had been given over to him. Secondly, producer Mike Wadding and assistant producer Christine Kenrick had already met Tom the previous week – and, after discussing his input, had decided that preparing a set of questions in advance to help illustrate various elements of the show and its history would be pointless. Instead, the ‘interview’ would be developed on the spot.
The great actor’s arrival on the day causes some initial concern. Tom has come from an interview in Soho for The Big Issue, and starts to expound upon the status of the poor in society – employing a barrage of colourful phrases. Such material would certainly not be considered broadcastable, and Tom is persuaded to go upstairs for refreshment. “I don’t do water,” he smiles broadly when offered a brand-named bottle, and says he feels he has little to say on Doctor Who that will not have been heard many times over by the fans.
He draws a comparison between fans and religious pilgrims – just the sort of train of thought required, he’s told. At this he brightens. He seems more settled after we chat briefly about the forthcoming promotional tour for his novel The Boy Who Kicked Pigs, remarking that he finds the writing easier than the travelling around to promote it. I tell him how much I enjoyed his Christmas speeches at Coventry Cathedral the previous December – when the parallel he’d drawn between the angel appearing to the Virgin Mary and a stunt for Noel’s House Party had caused a minor ripple of unease throughout the more devout sectors of the congregation. “Good God,” he bubbles, “Did I say that?” His face breaks into the familiar Doctor Who smile. In studio, it’s easy to see why he has taken to writing – he’s a good storyteller with pleasant rhythm, evocative vocabulary and excellent comic timing.
As consultant to the project, I’ve been employed to ensure factual accuracy – but, unlike every other interview conducted for the Night, there is an unspoken understanding that I will not interrupt the Grand Master under any circumstances. “If I say it, you must feel free to use it,” says Tom after some particularly outrageous and provocative statement. He wants to see what he can do, conscious that he has a sympathetic audience. Some of what he says can sound distorted and – frankly – mad, but at times there’s a hint that, like Spike Milligan, maybe, just maybe, he sees the truth of the world in a clearer, purer way than others.
On where his Doctor came from . . .
‘I just responded to the scripts, such as they were, and swiftly learned that I shouldn’t read the scripts except my bits, and I still do that. . . And suddenly in a few weeks when it went out it was amazing. It was miraculous. Not only was I famous in no time at all, but people who had just a few weeks before completely ignored me and walked past me in the street suddenly found me desirable. Not only desirable company, but desirable sexually. And so therefore to be famous and to have a few shillings and to be desired struck me as being a nice state of affairs, you know.
‘I didn’t know very much about Doctor Who. I remember admiring little Patrick Troughton because of his malevolent quality, but I didn’t know much about it because, of course, it ran in an afternoon when I had probably been at a football game or was on my way to the pub or getting ready to go to the pub. So I wasn’t aware of it being what later was called a cult. It was all a great surprise!”
On his costume . . .
“When I was cast, [costume designer] Jim Acheson and I got on terribly well and we went to various costumiers and tried on various bits of tat. It’s very nice to go to a costumiers – it’s great if you’ve had a few drinks – and everyone likes putting on funny hats and arsing about and peeping through the racks of clothes. And gradually a Bohemian image evolved, and then Jim decided that we should also have a scarf made, which was the funniest thing of all really. He bought all this wool – he had a marvellous eye for the colour scheme – and he painted out the colour scheme and gave it all to a woman with a wonderful name, Begonia Pope – I wonder where she is now and I hope she is happy. And she was so impressed to be working for the BBC, so she knitted up all the wool – and because the wool was on the taxpayer, a whole lorry load of wool was delivered. When we got to her little house, she could only talk through the letterbox because we couldn’t get into her house because of the scarf which filled the hall. And so when I tried it on, the thing went round me four or five times. Falling about with laughter, Jim – with a marvellous quick eye – said, ‘Let’s keep that.’ And I understand this year it’s now a fashion item. It said so in the Daily Mail so it must be true…”
On his Doctor’s eccentric character..
“It’s the way I am. I can have three or four contradictory thoughts at the same time. But that’s because I’m an actor and I just respond. I’m a fantasy. I am a professional fraud – it’s my trade, such as it is, to try to be convincing and the more preposterous the situation, then the more interesting it is to try to be convincing. If you are playing a realistic thing, a man with a gun, that can’t be difficult. But to play someone from outer space, a benevolent alien who still looks like a human being and who has secrets – how do you suggest he is alien? So I felt the best way to suggest I was an alien – and had dark thoughts, wonderful thoughts – was to be Tom Baker. And so that’s what I did. And lots of people liked it, to my surprise.”
On where Tom Baker ended and the Doctor began….
“Actors often become confused. I became the Doctor, or the Doctor was me. I was just filtering the script through my imagination. It was wonderful to become the Doctor. You know you are a powerful fiction that was being highly paid and all doors are open and people find you desirable and everyone wants to fetch the drinks and pay for spaghetti – and it is very easy to identify with that character. Yes, it did become me.
“And I was always careful to have a hundred pictures of myself in my inside pocket. You see, fans are not like ordinary human beings – they are generous and their love doesn’t pass. They are endlessly loyal and willing to make sacrifices for what they like. . .
“Fans see things in a different way. And so fans of Doctor Who or Star Trek or Tottenham Hotspur or Manchester United – they are incomprehensible to people who are not fans of that subject. Fans don’t really need explanations – fans are intuitive, they are implicit in their affections, rather like very religious people. You know, science fantasy fans are a bit like born-again Christians – it’s a source of joy to them, and they feel good. It makes them feel that somewhere there is some explanation for what makes them unhappy, and this is embodied by their heroes in Star Trek or Superman or, in my case, Doctor Who. And the benevolence of the character soothed and calmed people.
“Sometimes, I would be in a hospital visiting children, and the doctor is playing along with me, calling me ‘Doctor’. You know, it’s wonderful in children’s hospitals, because in children’s medicine they win most of their cases. Not all. And sometimes I would be in a jolly ward and children will be ecstatic to see me . . . and then a doctor would say, ‘There is a boy downstairs in a coma, and his mother says he was a great fan of yours.’ And I would be taken down to a room where a child might be unconscious – dying – and his mother and father there. And when people are suffering like that, they don’t care where they turn for comfort. The mother would say, ‘He was a great fan of yours, Doctor.’ And I would hold the child’s hand and say, ‘George. It’s the Doctor here. I’m sorry Sarah Jane couldn’t come, but I’ve come to see how you are.’
“You know, in that way I was a shameless actor. I didn’t mean to be fraudulent. I wanted to comfort people and so I was aware of them watching me, and then watching the child who was dying. And, of course, the child never recovered consciousness. I would like to say a miracle happened . . . and it didn’t. I was just a common, inadequate actor trying to comfort people. Then, when I came to leave, they would say, ‘Thanks for trying.’ They never reproached me. It’s incredible, the generosity of people who are suffering.”
On how his background in the Roman Catholic Church helped him suspend his disbelief in Doctor Who…
“Being able to believe in miracles. Being able to believe – for priests told us – that being poor was good fortune. ‘You are lucky to be poor,’ my mother used to say. ‘Thank God we are not rich.’ Actors say, ‘Well, if I can believe that I can believe anything,’ and so I would recall those amazing days of my faith and try to do the Doctor Who lines, which I never understood anyway. It doesn’t matter that actors don’t necessarily understand what they are saying – no more than politicians or directors or painters do. They just talk, and so I just said these preposterous lines and people believed them.”
On the importance of the companion . . .
“I think in any kind of family entertainment it is quite nice to have the cast made up of recognisable people, so it is quite nice to have an older man and a younger girl – probably different people identify. And some people identify with the tin dog. Those people, I guess – I don’t mean they have tin heads – but there are some people who get fond of tin animals, like people get fond of their teddy bears.
“Some of the girls were very glamorous, it seemed to me. I mean it was very important to actually play it as if the obvious chemistry didn’t happen between us. There was no question of sex or terrifying things like that. It was kind of innocent, wasn’t it? I can’t say for sure, because of course I didn’t watch Doctor Who when I was in it, because I felt it might have spoiled things . . .
“It had to be whatever my bosses wanted, really. I mean, pretty young girls get big audiences, don’t they really? I mean, I married one of them. Yeah, I did. I married one. Yeah, that was great.”
On meeting the public. . .
“I didn’t really know what was going on. All I wanted to know was what the viewing figures were. If they were great and people liked it and stopped me in the street and said so, that was marvellous. I didn’t want to know why they thought it was marvellous . . .
“I avoid actors like the plague. And they avoid me, that’s interesting. And directors avoid me like the plague, and I can’t say I blame them really. And I avoid me like the plague if I possibly can. But when you are famous like Doctor Who was famous, and I embodied Doctor Who, then I was able to escape from myself all the time. One was able to not go back to reality because reality was kept at bay for so many years. I find it so difficult now, coping with reality in the twilight of my life. But for that time, there was very little reality – there was just this constant worship.
“And so when I wasn’t recording Doctor Who, I was being Doctor Who somewhere else – in hospitals or prisons or somewhere. I couldn’t pass anyone in the street – everybody knew me. I was like St Francis of Assisi. I was kissing lepers or embracing anyone at all. I was always catching lice from neglected children – going home absolutely teeming with nits and having to use carbolic soap all the time. But I didn’t mind catching illnesses or disease from them. That’s so pitiful really – it’s a fearful confusion. I would embrace the afflicted and the contagious and the infectious.”
On behind-the-scenes conflict. . .
“I thought it could have been more fantastical in a way, but I could see why the producers did it the way they wanted. I didn’t like the tin dog, you see. I liked the actor who played it – in rehearsal, I thought he was terribly funny, and I thought it would be very funny to have a man playing a benevolent robot. I thought at one time I wanted to have a parrot as well. Or a frog. I wanted it to be more amazing than it was. But I had to watch it a bit, and of course they got very fed up because I got proprietorial because I was living this part. I was out and about meeting the children – from whom I got tips, you know. So I felt that I knew better than they did. But actors often feel that they know better than their bosses. And they put up with me.”
On where he wanted the show to go.. .
“Well, not knowing much about anything, of course, I am extremely emphatic about everything – especially if I knew nothing about it. So I had all sorts of views about jokes or what constituted being funny because the children liked to laugh a lot as well as be made afraid. All sorts of things gave me a sense of power, because I was drunk on this – I was drunk from other things as well – but I was drunk on being Doctor Who. I was drunk on this benevolent character everybody found funny. It was amazing people found it funny all the time and wanted to be with me. Yes, there were fights, there were disagreements where I would shout and roar and make scenes and everything like that. But I lost most of the fights. I have always lost most of the arguments I’ve had. And still I don’t learn anything in spite of losing all the arguments. I still don’t learn. It should depress me really, but I am learning to live with the fact that I never learn anything.”
On taking over from Jon Pertwee…
“Jon Pertwee jumped on this part and made it fantastic. He was immensely stylish. He would have been very good in The Avengers – he was very stylish and quick and cutting and sarcastic. So by the time I got there, the writers could not help themselves, they were still writing for Jon. I was very aware of that, because I began to look at a few old scripts or talk to people, and I was aware that they were still writing in this kind of quick, sarcastic, almost Holmesian way which didn’t suit me at all. So, naturally, I had a certain influence about wrenching things my way or rephrasing them, and gradually they began to write towards me.”
On the monsters…
“I adored them. I mean, I still adore monsters and aliens because we can’t in our imaginations – maybe in real life as well – we can’t actually do without monsters and aliens. In a sense, the criminal classes in our society are terribly important because without these dreadful criminals, appalling criminals, we wouldn’t have anything to write about and there would be no thriller. There would be no television and films at all, since films are often about war and crime and all sorts of deviances. So, to be actually professionally dealing with monsters was right up my street really.
“Of course, I spent so much time reacting to monsters that when it came to going back to theatre and playing more ordinary people, I wasn’t much good at it. I was much better playing horses and dogs. I was a very good dog at York. I got a marvellous notice for a dog called Clint . . . People are always more difficult, but Doctor Who was easy because he wasn’t really a human being, he just looked like a human being. But when I went on to play Noel Coward . . . people weren’t very convinced really.
“My favourite monsters were the monsters that were the favourites of the audience, because it’s nice to give people what they like and like to hate as well. And so naturally the imperiousness of the Daleks trying to take over the entire galaxy – it was a bit like the British Empire trying to take over the entire world really. So I liked them, and I always pretended to be amazed when the children were always telling ’em how to deal with Daleks. I don’t know if it ever dawned on the BBC, but the children were onto it. They would say, ‘Do you know how to deal with Daleks?’ I would say, ‘No, how do you do that, Frank?’ And he would look around very confidentially and he would say, ‘You run upstairs.’ And I kept on having to be amazed, and it was good. It was good for children to work that out.
“I also liked slimy things, because children like slimy things. I began to be like ‘Uncle Tom’ – a kind of children’s entertainer with my silly long scarf and my thyroid eyes and my long hair. So I did what they wanted me to do . . . It’s wonderful to entertain children. And they liked the Daleks, and they hated the Daleks so they loved them. I like that paradox; we often actually like what threatens us. We are sometimes electrified by what threatens us most – and in the area of the imagination, it is wonderful that children can be absolutely terrified. I think children should be terrified . . .
“I had access, you know. ‘Don’t talk to strange men’ – that awful mantra which must disturb children when often the threat is from people they know. But ‘don’t talk to strange men’ didn’t apply to me. So all homes where there were children or grandchildren were open to me. I could just knock on doors. I didn’t need credit cards or anything. People, adults and banks saw the Doctor and the Doctor’s virtue and the Doctor’s honesty. It was an amazing sign of the potency of fiction, you know. It was a great time.
“So the Daleks and the slimy ones. They also liked Cybermen, I think. Yes. I have forgotten how you killed Cybermen. I think it was something to do with blowing gold dust into their chest – that used to make me laugh a lot. But it didn’t matter really, because I always won. I used to say to the children, ‘Isn’t it funny? Have you noticed? In the fourth episode, I always win!’ And they would say, ‘Yes, it’s marvellous Doctor. . .”‘
On becoming famous…..
“Because I’m pathetic in some ways, it made me feel even more important. I was suddenly a worldwide star in television. I heard it sold to 93 countries, and in America more than 200 stations. It was an amazing thing to go to a country like Holland or Australia or America and be very famous. When you got on the plane, pilots used to say ‘Come on up front,’ so I knew what it was to take off in a jumbo jet. And sometimes they would say, ‘Do you want to have a go?’ I don’t think they were very serious because I am not a very good driver. I mean, I have only got a van, never mind a jumbo jet. So they would let me be in aeroplanes or go up in balloons or drive in tanks. I used to go to Germany to divert the troops and they let me drive tanks. It was simply wonderful to be famous, to be recognised and well treated.
‘I remember in Notting Hill Gate, there was a little fellow called Dmitri who had an electrical shop. One day, about 20 children from a school were going by and the coach driver recognised me and stopped. They all piled off the coach and all these children were embracing me and holding onto me, and I was giving them money or sweets or pictures of myself – all that kind of nonsense really amused them. So after they went away happily taking pictures of me, Dmitri – this Greek boy – he said, ‘It must be wonderful, Mr Baker, to be Doctor Who.’ I said, ‘Yes, it is nice’ – I realised he was worried about all the attention I got. I said, ‘But it’s nice to be Dmitri. You often talk to me about your children.’ He said, ‘Yes, but when I walk down the road, nobody says, “There goes Dmitri.” But when you are walking down the street, everybody is saying “There’s the Doctor.” Everybody wants to kiss you. Everybody wants to kiss.’ He was a bit hung up on kissing – I think Greeks are big kissers. I don’t know. But anyway, he kissed me and I left.
“I adored being adored. When I was young, I wanted to be liked. Later on, I wanted to be loved. I finished up as Doctor Who, and I wanted to be adored now. Of course, in my twilight I rather fancy worship.
“I am talking in this confessional way because you are reminding me of happy days, which haven’t entirely gone you see. The thing about television and moving pictures is that they confer a kind of immortality. The reason why everybody wants to get into television – there are lots of reasons, for some it’s a soft option – but the real thing I think is when you are in television, you don’t die. I mean, when did anyone who was on television ever die? I mean, we long for them to die – the people I look on in television, they make me long for death – but somehow or other, you don’t die. On a more serious note – away from getting tired of presenters who won’t die – is that television and films confer immortality. You are forever all the work. You are Humphrey Bogart or James Stewart. We don’t know them privately, so they are immortalised. Now we have an amazing situation with repeats on television and so many channels that the living – such as we are – are entertained by the dead. This is a nice paradox. Something I watch a film I am in – and of course if I see myself running upstairs it makes me weep – but, sometimes, I am the only one left alive. . .
“But to be adored as I was, as Doctor Who, no it never, never went away. It was wonderful. After a while it spoiled me, you see. Why should I ever want to be Tom Baker? Tom Baker was ordinary and full of anxieties and uncertain of himself and insecure. But Doctor Who had secrets. He could solve things. He could save the universe. Yeah.”
On why he chose to leave the series…..
“That’s a good question: why should I leave something that was so wonderful? It was simply that I got so proprietorial. You may have to ask other people this, but as I recall I was so proprietorial that it was almost impossible to direct me. I thought I knew everything – because, of course, it was about me, I thought. Hmm. And therefore I began to sense the clashes, and watched people’s reactions to me, and gradually I thought, ‘Perhaps I’ve done enough, really.’ And when I became aware of these kinds of imperfections in my reaction to people or theirs to me in the rehearsals, I thought I would just go away.
“I gave it up, you know. It was terrible – absolutely terrible.”
DWM Interviews
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Home Products Art print, Francis Bacon, Mai juin, 1973 tryptique I Retro-Reproductions.com
Art print, Francis Bacon, Mai juin, 1973 tryptique I Retro-Reproductions.com
RRSD1057
Francis Bacon (28 October 1909 – 28 April 1992) was an Irish-born British figurative painter known for his bold, grotesque, emotionally charged and raw imagery. His painterly abstracted figures are typically isolated in glass or steel geometrical cages, set against flat, nondescript backgrounds. Bacon took up painting in his early 20s but worked sporadically and uncertainly until his mid-30s. He drifted as a highly complex bon vivant, homosexual, gambler and interior decorator and designer of furniture, rugs and bathroom tiles. He later admitted that his artistic career was delayed because he spent too long looking for subject matter that could sustain his interest.
Francis Bacon was a member of a disparate group of Artists, termed collectively as the School of London in 1976. Other members included : Lucien Freud, Leon Kossoff, Michael Andrews, Frank Auerbach and R.B. Kitaj. While their work was stilistically different, together they exprienced post-war London. What their work did share in common was the central role granted to the human figure in a city recovering from the devastation of war and the subsequent reconstruction.
Collections: Francis Bacon Prints
Type: Art Print
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Ted Wilebski Jr., a pioneer of the St. Paul…
Ted Wilebski Jr., a pioneer of the St. Paul blues scene, dies at 67
Ted Wilebski Jr., who died Monday, stands on stage at Wilebski’s Blues Saloon in St. Paul. He opened the live-music venue, which hosted the likes of Etta James and Robert Cray, in 1979. (Courtesy of Ted Wilebski III)
By Ryan Faircloth | rfaircloth@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: November 23, 2018 at 3:23 pm | UPDATED: November 25, 2018 at 11:42 am
Ted Wilebski Jr., a passionate pioneer of the St. Paul blues scene, has died at age 67.
Wilebski died Monday, four days after he suffered a heart attack, his family said.
The Oakdale resident was the man behind Wilebski’s Blues Saloon, which he opened in St. Paul in 1979. The venue played host to blues acts of local and national prominence, including the likes of Etta James, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and Otis Rush.
“He called himself … the Blues King,” said his wife, Jennifer Wilebski. “He was so proud. He said, ‘Honey, I brought up musicians from the South.’”
Ted Wilebski Jr.
Ted Wilebski Jr. was born in St. Paul in 1951. He opened and managed the live-music venue on the corner of Western and Thomas avenues in St. Paul until it closed in the early 1990s.
He reopened Wilebski’s Blues Saloon in 2009 at the same location in Frogtown, before moving to a newer building on Rice Street near Wheelock Parkway. He ran the venue for a year and a half before moving on to new endeavors. A new owner now operates the Blues Saloon.
Wilebski was drawn to blues music because of its “soulfulness” and the way it made him feel, said his son, Ted Wilebski III.
“The music and the people was pretty much what consumed him. That was his passion,” he said.
In the Minnesota blues scene, Wilebski was known for elevating local musicians by letting them open for national acts. He once was recognized by the Minnesota Blues Society for his contributions to the music scene.
“Ted was really willing to bring up the names that no one had heard of if they were good,” said Curt Obeda, a longtime friend and member of a band that performed at the Blues Saloon. “(He was) a larger-than-life promoter.”
Pat McLaughlin, an Oakdale resident who knew him since high school, said Wilebski treated patrons and performers like royalty.
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Wilebski’s daughter, Tracy Davies, said he gave his children the same treatment.
She said she once attended the Minnesota Black Music Awards with her father and tried to get an autograph from Prince, who was in attendance.
Prince’s entourage turned her and her father away, Davies said. When Prince found out, he insisted on getting her an autograph.
“(My father) just had that kind of respect,” she said. “He was a spoiler … anything we wanted, he got.”
In addition to his wife and two children, Wilebski is survived by four grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be held at noon Friday, Nov. 30, at the Church of St. Peter in St. Paul. A visitation will be held the day before from 4 to 8 p.m. at Mueller-Bies Funeral Home in Roseville.
Ryan Faircloth
Ryan Faircloth is a year-long fellow covering politics and local news. He is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota.
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Folk singers Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin, storyteller Kevin Kling and TU Dance are among the acts set to perform during the O’Shaughnessy's newly announced 2019-20 season. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. July 30 at 651-690-6700 and theoshaughnessy.com. Performances take place at the O’Shaughnessy on the campus of St. Catherine University in St. Paul. For the first...
Paul Peterson is back in business as a solo artist with some new songs heavily steeped in the classic Minneapolis sound. In January, Peterson released “You Got 2 Love,” an upbeat and funky song about love and acceptance that, at times, sounds like Prince himself is playing on it. And the video boasts a bunch of fun cameos, some expected...
Pop superstar Janet Jackson will headline an outdoor concert at Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater on Sept. 14. Tickets are priced from $229 to $42.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday through Ticketmaster. Shows going on sale Friday through Etix (unless otherwise noted) include: Lazy Scorsese and screening of “Goodfellas”; 8 p.m. Aug. 16; Parkway Theater; $16-$12; on sale...
Harmony may come to mind when you think of the eight-man Twin Cities-based vocal group Cantus. But, this week, it’s emphasizing less of the sum and more of the parts. "Unrequited” is a program full of songs about devoted love that’s unreturned, with its centerpiece taking Cantus to a destination it rarely visits: The world of 19th-century German lieder, art...
Where there was once strudel, there are now tamales. Out with Kramarczuk’s sausages, in with Manny’s Tortas. For decades, Vienna was the town to which the Minnesota Orchestra sought to transport you during its annual Sommerfest. And there were usually Germanic culinary delights to be had around Orchestra Hall before the orchestra performed music of Mozart, Beethoven, the Strausses and...
Tickets on sale: For King and Country, Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones, ‘Mean Girls’
Contemporary Christian duo For King and Country will headline Minneapolis' Target Center on Nov. 9. Tickets are priced from $200 to $20 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday through Axs. Other shows going on sale Friday through Etix (unless otherwise noted) include: Mark Lickteig presents “Otis Redding: The King of Soul” and Andra Lee Suchy presents “Andra Does...
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Laptop ban: U.S., Europe differ over aviation security
The U.S. and European debate about whether to expand a ban on electronics in carry-on bags illustrates how security officials can disagree in response to the same threat.
Laptop ban: U.S., Europe differ over aviation security The U.S. and European debate about whether to expand a ban on electronics in carry-on bags illustrates how security officials can disagree in response to the same threat. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2ssLMui
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY Published 12:26 p.m. ET June 1, 2017 | Updated 4:40 p.m. ET June 1, 2017
A Syrian passenger traveling to the United States through Amman types on his laptop before entering Beirut international airport's departure lounge on March 22, 2017.(Photo: Anwar Amro, AFP/Getty Images)
The U.S. and Europe differ over whether to expand a ban on electronics larger than cellphones in carry-on bags aboard airliners — an example of how security officials can disagree about how to respond to the same threat.
John Kelly, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has considered expanding a March electronics ban on flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa to Europe or all international flights. “The threats are real,” Kelly told reporters Friday at Washington Reagan National Airport.
But Europeans, who share his concerns about making sure flights are secure, have resisted a broader ban. In weeks of discussions with U.S. counterparts, they have explored other methods, such as improved screening at airport checkpoints, to thwart a bombing.
Different approaches also followed the initial electronics ban in March.
The U.S. focused on flights of nine foreign airlines from 10 airports in eight countries. But the United Kingdom followed with a ban on flights including domestic airlines from six countries, two of which were different from the U.S. list. And other European countries didn’t adopt any ban.
“Intelligence is always subject to interpretation – there are no slam dunks,” said Brian Michael Jenkins, director of the National Transportation Security Center at the Mineta Transportation Institute. “Not all nations feel equally threatened. There may be some differences in how each nation judges its own vulnerabilities or attractiveness as a target.”
Nobody disputes the risk of bombs carried into the cabin. A Russian Metrojet flight was destroyed over Egypt in October 2015 because of a suspected soda-can bomb. And a Somalian Daallo flight landed safely after a laptop bomb blew a hole in the side of the plane in February 2016.
The latest security concern focuses on the Islamic State planting an explosive inside a battery that still allows a laptop to be turned on, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because officials aren’t authorized to speak publicly about intelligence matters.
The debate is over how to cope with that threat, given the cost and inconvenience an electronics ban would cause. Airlines raised concerns about losing $1 billion in productivity a year from depriving travelers of electronics during flights. Some safety experts and pilots have warned against moving more electronics to checked luggage because of the risk of rare fires sparked by lithium-ion batteries that could go undetected in cargo.
Airline traffic in March showed a 2.8% decline for the routes to the U.S. flown by Middle East carriers — the first decline in seven years, according to the International Air Transport Association, a trade group for 265 carriers. Alexandre de Juniac, the airline group’s CEO, said Thursday that “there are indications that passengers are avoiding routes where the large (electronics) ban is in place.”
As security officials debate how to respond, each country’s national mood and the culture’s philosophy about privacy also play a role in the decision.
More than half the U.S. (51%) is “very” or “somewhat” worried about themselves or their family becoming a victim of terrorism – the highest since 59% expressed concern after the attacks Sept. 11, 2001, according to the Gallup poll. Terror concerns have been climbing steadily since 2012, according to Gallup.
“The anxiety levels are fairly high,” Jenkins said. “We are in a wagon-circling mood right now.”
Another contrast, however, is that Europe traditionally had more privacy concerns than the U.S. Europe resisted for years providing as much information about airline passengers heading to the U.S. as security officials sought.
“I think the Europeans most likely are more willing to assume more risk based on their philosophy surrounding privacy and how they generally look at their population,” said James Norton, a former deputy assistant secretary of Homeland Security from 2003 to 2008 and now an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. “That is also probably weighing in the back of their minds: What are the Americans thinking? If we do this, what’s after that?”
Technology could differ subtly. Checkpoint screening equipment is made by just a few companies, so the technology is similar in the U.S. and Europe. But security experts say the equipment can be enhanced through software and algorithms that help identify suspicious items.
“What’s under the hood could be completely different,” said Jeffrey Price, a professor at Metropolitan State University in Denver who is security expert and author. “Are they using the latest and greatest upgrades, using the latest algorithms and mathematical modeling, or are they using what they got on the cheap?”
One reason to steer electronics to checked luggage is because those bags are screened more closely, with CT scanners that examine a bag from all angles. The X-ray machines used for carry-on bags have a more limited view. CT scanners are being tested as an addition to checkpoint lanes, but certifying and buying the machines will be expensive and could take time.
“But ultimately, we have to spend what we need to spend to find the technology to protect air travelers,” Kelly told a Senate hearing May 25 about his department’s budget. He said current technology for people and bags “are just about at their limit, but we are looking at advancing that.”
In the meantime, the Transportation Security Administration is testing a procedure at 10 airports for having travelers remove all electronics from their carry-on bags. The protocol could be expanded nationwide. Reducing the clutter allows closer scrutiny.
“These bags are full to the brim,” Norton said. “It makes it a difficult challenger for the officers who are doing passenger screening and also baggage screening to find some of these objects at the speed that people want to walk through the line.”
Security officials have been moving deliberately for the latest changes, in contrast to previous decisions announced nearly overnight that confused and alarmed travelers.
The current restrictions against liquids in carry-on bags began as a full ban in 2006 for flights between the U.S. and Britain, after 24 people were arrested in a plot to blow up as many as 10 planes with liquid explosives. TSA later refined the liquids restriction to allow containers up to 3.4 ounces in carry-on bags.
“While it would be inconvenient, you want to err on the side of caution at least in the short term,” said Norton, who worked for the department at the time and is now president of security firm Play-Action Strategies. “You obviously had a threat and you knew it was operational, but you didn’t know if that was it – that you got everybody.”
Options to avoid a ban could get creative. Every device could be swabbed for explosive residue, Norton said, but that would slow down lines. Taking a page of drug smuggling in cars, Jenkins said officers could weigh electronics, to compare against the manufacturer’s specifications to see if any explosives had been added.
“People try to figure out how to buy down the risk with creative things at checkpoints or different ways of addressing the problem, so that we can agree to do the same thing,” Jenkins said. Somewhere is possibly a compromise.”
Airport staff inform passengers March 29, 2017, about the ban against personal electronics in carry-on bags at the check-in area at Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport, Morocco. (Photo: Abdeljalil Bounhar, AP)
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2ssLMui
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Home > Learn/Academics > Programs > Theatre Arts Minor
Theatre Arts Minor
The Parkside Theatre Arts Department is a small and special, award-winning program. Recognized by the Wisconsin Board of Regents in 2009 with the Award for Teaching Excellence, we continue to accrue accolades and honors, season after season.
Our high-quality productions rival those of professional theatres. In 2012 we expanded our production labs and added a beautiful new, state-of-the-art “black box” theatre. From classical to contemporary musicals, comedies and dramas, our audiences and students are treated to a rich range of experiences.
The basic objective of the theatre arts minor is to provide a foundation for further study, vocational or avocational, for all interested students. Students get a taste of theatre appreciation by immersing themselves in fundamental courses while gaining a broad knowledge of the art of theatre.
Learn more about the Theatre Arts Department at Parkside.
PRODUCTION GALLERIES
Program Entry Auditions
Drama Club promotes the importance of theatre arts within our surrounding communities. Learn more on our Campus Connect page.
We partner successful returning theatre company members with new theatre majors, both traditional freshmen and transfer students, in order to help them have a smooth transition into Parkside, the Theatre Arts Department, and the many academic, artistic, and company expectations of the university and the professional theatre training company.
Professional Theatre Internships
Many of our students intern, apprentice, or are employed in the professional theatre prior to graduation. We have established invaluable professional theatre partnerships with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theater, American Players Theatre, the Fireside Theatre, and many other theatres across the nation. Each year professional companies come to Parkside to hold auditions and interviews because of our reputation.
Professional Theatre Exposure
Each semester we take all of our students to see professional theatre productions in Milwaukee or Chicago and integrate those productions into our courses.
Professional Experience While at Parkside
Students at Parkside are given a direct connection to employment at the Fireside Dinner Theatre in Fort Atkinson, WI.
Professional Talent Reviews
Once a year, Parkside theatre students go through a process called talent reviews. Professional actors, directors, designers, stage managers, and casting directors come to Parkside to conduct a mock interview and give feedback to each student.
Awards and Associations
Regents' Award
Parkside's Theatre Arts Department was awarded the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents' "Teaching Excellence Award for Outstanding Academic Program." We are the only fine arts department in the state to ever win this award.
Regional Awards of Merit
In the area of artistic quality, our theatrical productions have received over 100 "Regional Awards of Merit" from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.
We are active members of the United Stated Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). Our faculty serve as regional and national board members, respondents, and presenters.
Learn more about the awards garnered by our program.
See what our students have to say.
Misti Bradford | bradford@uwp.edu
Misti Bradford
Misti is thrilled to be a part of the UW-Parkside Theatre Arts Company as a professional artist/educator. Misti is a member of the United Scenic Artist, Local 829 out of NYC and has extensive professional design and academic theatre experience, and has recently taught courses in costume design and construction, make up and wig/hair design, theatre crafts and properties, and theatre appreciation. Her professional design credits include Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, PCPA Theaterfest, Michigan Shakespeare Festival, The Pacific Repertory Opera, Summer Repretory Theatre, and the Nebraska Repertory Theatre to name a few. Misti has also been a costume crafts artisan for regional theaters such as American Players Theatre, PCPA Theaterfest, and Summer Rep Theatre (Santa Rosa, CA) She has also received a number of national and regional design awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival and has also been nominated for the Stella Gray Teaching award here at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
Brian Gill
Assistant Professor and Head of Acting
Brian J. Gill is a member of the Theatre Arts Faculty serving as an Assistant Professor of Performance and Head of Acting. He has been a professional stage actor for over 20 years, appearing at such theaters as Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage Children’s Theatre, goats & monkeys (co-founder and company member) and Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Chicago credits include: Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens, Shakespeare Project of Chicago, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Provision Theater, Apple Tree Theatre and Famous Door; Regionally Brian has performed at Theatre at the Center, the Illinois and Texas Shakespeare Festivals, Allenberry Playhouse, and the historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC. He is also the narrator of over three-dozen audio books. Brian trained at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London as a member of the First International Artistic Fellowship, training and performing with Mike Alfreds and Mark Rylance. He received his M.F.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. Parkside Theatre directing credits include Book of Days, Hedda Gabler, A Streetcar Named Desire and Don Juan. He a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Jennifer Sassaman
Since graduating with an honors BA in Performing Arts Jennifer has directed and choreographed approximately fifty productions; performed in just over half that; recorded vocal tracks for various albums, written several plays and musicals; and taught hundreds of teenagers and college students how to be stronger performers. From 1997-2002 Jennifer was the artistic director of the Philadelphia based theater company The New Mermaid. In May of 2009, she graduated from the Florida State University School of Theatre with an MFA in Directing. After graduating she served on the Board of Directors for The Actor's Center in Washington DC. She then spent two years as as Guest Artist Teacher at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. Now, in addition to her work at Parkside, Jennifer is also the co-artistic director of the Vermont-based summer theater company the Moxie Theater Project.
Jody Sekas
Jody Sekas is the Associate Professor of Scenic/Lighting Design & Technology at UW-Parkside. He came to Parkside from Humboldt State University, CA where he taught courses in scenic design, scene painting, technical production, properties design, theatre history, and CAD and computer rendering. Prior to Humboldt, Sekas was Assistant Professor and Scenic & Lighting Designer for the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and for four seasons was the resident scenic and lighting designer for the Sioux Falls Community Playhouse in South Dakota. In addition to his resident design and collegial experience, Sekas has worked as a freelance designer and technician for such venues as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, First Stage Children's Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Dell’Arte International, Omaha Theatre Company for Young People, Chippewa Valley Theatre Guild, Eau Claire Children's Theatre, Ferndale Repertory Theatre, The Western Stage, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and on several recent independent films. Sekas received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Technical Theatre from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Scenic Design and Technical Direction from Humboldt State University.
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SB CISD students take home the gold
Alana Hernandez
Courtesy photo From left, San Benito High School recent graduates Nayeli Ramirez, Peter Martinez and Noe Lopez III were named 2019 Gold Medal Champions at the 55th annual SkillsUSA national competition in Louisville, Kentucky late last month.
SAN BENITO — Since her sophomore year of high school, placing in SkillsUSA’s national competition has always been a goal for Nayeli Ramirez.
She came close to reaching nationals her junior year, but ultimately fell short.
So, as she reached her last year of high school, she was determined more than ever to make her dream come true.
And with countless hours of determination, devotion and work, she was finally able to accomplish her goal alongside her teammates Noe Lopez III and Peter Martinez.
As a team, the three recent San Benito High School graduates competed at the 55th annual SkillsUSA national competition in Louisville, Kentucky, late last month, where they were named 2019 Gold Medal National Champions.
About the competition
Nayeli, Noe and Peter were students in the Arts, A/V Technology and Communication Career Cluster in San Benito CISD’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.
Together they’ve been competing in the SkillsUSA Career Pathway Showcase contest since February, beginning with the SkillsUSA district-level competition.
In April, the team competed in the state competition and received a perfect score, which qualified them to compete at nationals.
In the competition, teams were required to select a specific issue and create a presentation about it that showcases skills they learned in the classroom.
Nayeli, Noe and Peter created a showcase revolving around spreading cyber security awareness that addresses cybercrimes such as phishing.
What sets them apart from the other competitors?
San Benito High School Principal Maria Isabel Marichalar-Solis said the team went to nationals with one goal in mind — winning.
“Taking first place at nationals for the AV production team is a tremendous accomplishment for Mr. Rodriguez and the students for their success,” Marichalar-Solis said. “As you can see, San Benito High School is not only preparing students for college, but also how to be career and workforce ready.”
CTE A/V Production Teacher Joel Rodriguez said he had a good feeling his students were going to place at nationals.
From rehearsing every moment they could to perfecting their editing skills, Rodriguez believes it’s the team’s strong unity and dedication that paved their path toward their success.
“I’m really proud of my students because even making it to nationals is a huge accomplishment,” Rodriguez said. “We don’t get a national team every year. You have to have a good team and some luck.”
According to Rodriguez, this is his second set of students that have won first place at nationals.
His first group won in 2017.
Nayeli said it was because of that team she became inspired to place at SkillsUSA’s national competition.
She hopes through her team’s accomplishments they will spark inspiration in San Benito High School’s next set of SkillsUSA competitors.
“I know SkillsUSA really brought out the best in me and I hope it can bring out the best in others because it truly is an amazing organization,” she said. “From the advisers to state directors and national officials, it’s a great organization and it really does help a lot in the future.”
Alana Hernandez is a Reporter for the Valley Morning Star. She can be reached at ahernandez@valleystar.com or (956) 430-6239.
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Feuds
Kendrick Lamar Wants No Part of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry’s Ongoing Feud
Katy Perry Is Done with the Taylor Swift Feud Narrative for Now
Kenzie Bryant
A Defiant Taylor Swift Debuts New Single “Look What You Made Me Do”
Hilary Weaver
Taylor Swift Could Be the Best Thing to Happen to Katy Perry at the V.M.A.s
It's time to settle a score and boost a few careers in the process.
Katy Perry, at Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's election night party at Javits Center, November 8, 2016; at the Grammys in Los Angeles, February 12, 2017; performing at 102.7 KIIS FM's 2017 Wango Tango, May 13, 2017.From left, by Noam Galai/FilmMagic, by John Shearer/WireImage, by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic.
Sunday marks a major televised event, one that will garner millions of eyes. One that will shock, inspire, beget hundreds of think pieces. One that will launch a thousand memes and set group text conversations on fire. It’s the Game of Thrones Season 7 finale. Also, Katy Perry will host the MTV Video Music Awards.
The unfortunate timing is just another bit of bad luck for the pop star, who is coming off a lukewarm album, a handful of public-relation stumbles, and a summer in which no amount of publicity could help her achieve the levels of pop ubiquity that once seemed so automatic for her. To put a kicker on the summer, Perry’s rival in pop’s longest running feud, Taylor Swift, announced a comeback just days before the V.M.A.s and plans to debut the video for her new single “Look What You Made Me Do,” during the live show. More bad luck. Unless, that is, Swift's comeback turns out to be the best thing that could possibly happen for Perry—and MTV's ratings.
After months of dropping unsubtle snipes about Swift in the press, Perry seemed this week to be ratcheting things down—or at least acknowledging the ridiculousness of such pop beefs via some vintage self effacement—just in time for Swift to announce her return to the public arena. Whether coincidence or not, the two feuding pop princesses may be on a collision course. Given the V.M.A.s long-standing love of a good publicity stunt, the more surprising result might be if these two never crossed paths on live television Sunday night.
Consider the video for Perry’s latest single, “Swish, Swish,” released Thursday morning, hours after Swift announced her own new album. The video presents a feckless basketball game, with a group of misfits (the Tigers) pulled from the meme-y Internet recesses facing off against the Sheep . . . whose mascot is a giant wolf draped in sheepskin. Like the rest of the song, and many of Perry's recent interviews, it's a not-so thinly veiled dig at Swift, whom Perry memorably subtweeted as a “Regina George in sheep’s clothing.”
Petty, but ironically so, the video’s ridiculousness is better than anything Perry has done so far in gaining the upper hand in this feud that, at this point, is largely one-sided. Perry pokes fun at the idea that a battle between two thin, white, impossibly rich, world-famous pop stars should actually matter by giving physical comedy a go and rendering herself the joke (she’s introduced as “Katy ‘Kobe’ Perry” while a basketball boinks her in the face; her stats include “Hobbies: Miley Cyrus impersonator”).
Compared to Swift’s show of force for the “Bad Blood” video, militarizing an army of hot friends to go into frenemy battle, Perry goofs her way through a slapstick game. If they’re really going to do this, Perry seems to be saying, she’s siding with the weirdos (plus Nicki Minaj,, long the sensible bystander in this tale, instructs Perry to “get it together”).
The "Swish, Swish" video seemed to hint a return to a more familiar, sillier Perry, and that one seems most likely to show up on stage Sunday night. Swift's first single appears to be aimed at Kanye West more so than Perry, but the combative tone perfectly sets the stage for a public reunion anyway. Their feud is the only narrative that’s been remotely working for Perry this year, and nodding to it, in the same winky way as the “Swish Swish” video, could be the best possible way to shore up the Katy Perry persona for her next decade of pop stardom. Unfortunately for Perry, that still requires engaging Swift in battle, and if “Look What You Made Me Do” is any indication, Swift has set her sights on bigger fish this time around.
The V.M.A.s Red Carpet and the Couples That Time Forgot
By Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.
Richie Sambora and Cher, 1989
Cher dated Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, 13 years her junior, during the late 80s. In 2011, Sambora told Racked that Cher had influenced his personal style saying, “Obviously she’s a fashionista, she taught me a lot.”
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» Promoting Scientific Integrity
EPA Library Closings Limit Researchers’ Access to Information
NOTE: The following is one of a series of case studies produced by the Union of Concerned Scientists' Scientific Integrity Program between 2004 and 2010 to document the abuses highlighted in our 2004 report, Scientific Integrity in Policy Making.
Update: After a public outcry from UCS activists, EPA unions, Congress, and others, EPA stopped and began to reassess its library plan. Read more about the fight to reopen the libraries.
In summer 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved swiftly to implement a plan to close large parts of its network of 27 libraries, potentially putting decades worth of valuable information beyond the reach of government scientists and independent researchers.¹Far from fighting a presidential budget request that included an 80 percent cut to its library funding, the EPA began shuttering its research libraries weeks earlier than the October 1 beginning of its fiscal year, and even before the budget cuts had been authorized by Congress. One consequence of these closings is that EPA employees will find it more difficult to do their job of protecting the environment and public health.
In February 2006, under the guise of cutting costs, the Bush Administration proposed cutting $2 million out of the $2.5 million library services budget for fiscal year 2007. Such a drastic cut would ensure the closing of most of the library network, but would hardly register as a cost savings against the $8 billion EPA budget. Furthermore, the existence of a dedicated library system has been shown to actually save money. A 2004 internal EPA report found that the library network saved over 214,000 hours a year in staff time, amounting to cost-savings of $7.5 million – considerably more than the savings gained from cutting the program.²
Officials claim the closings are part of a modernization plan, and that all library materials will eventually be available online. However, no comprehensive assessment of information needs has been undertaken—making it likely that some unique information will be lost—and no funding exists to carry out the time-consuming and expensive process of making documents available electronically. One EPA scientist estimated 40-50,000 documents in the EPA libraries are only available in hard copy.³ These documents include unofficial but widely used reports produced by outside contractors and most documents produced prior to 1990. The immediate result of the library closings is that the resources and materials are already unavailable and the promised electronic access could be years away.
Despite the increasing availability of information from the internet, the EPA libraries are still used extensively. For example, librarians fielded more than 140,000 database and reference questions from EPA staff and the public in 2003 alone.4
The closings have drawn criticism from lawmakers and scientists alike. A June 2006 letter of protest from the heads of 16 local unions representing about 10,000 EPA scientists, engineers, environmental protection specialists and support staff, asked Congress to stop the destruction of the library network.5 A letter from Representatives Bart Gordon (D-TN), Henry Waxman (D-CA) and John Dingell (D-MI) has prompted an investigation of the library system by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.6 And members of both the House and Senate have called upon EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to cease and desist with the closures until the investigation is complete and Congress has authorized action.7
An internal memo from EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance summarized the worries of many EPA employees, stating "[we are] seriously concerned that these documents may be distributed without adequate documentation and cataloging and may become virtually lost within the system." The memo also warned that the office's effort to support "criminal litigation and the development of regulations will be compromised," and called for the continued access of EPA employees to "information that is critical for them to do their jobs and fulfill the Agency mission and protect the American public."8
1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "EPA FY 2007 Library Plan: National Framework for the Headquarters and Regional Libraries," Office of Environmental Information, August 15, 2006, accessed December 4, 2006.
2. The EPA National Library Network, "Business Case for Information Services: EPA's Regional Libraries and Centers, Environmental Protection Agency," Office of Environmental Information report, January 2004, accessed December 4, 2006.
3. Anonymous EPA Employee, "EPA Employee Responds to Official Spin on Library Closures," YubaNet.com, August 29, 2006, accessed December 4, 2006.
4. The EPA National Library Network, 6.
5. EPA Scientists' June 29, 2006 Letter of Protest, accessed from the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility website, December 4, 2006.
6. Letter to Comptroller General David M. Walker from 3 U.S. Representatives, September 19, 2006.
7. Letter to EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson from 4 U.S. Representatives, November 30, 2006. Letter from 18 U.S. Senators, November 3, 2006.
8. Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). "OECA Position Paper on the 2007 EPA Library Plan," accessed from the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility website, December 4, 2006.
We can ensure that decisions about our health, safety, and environment are based on the best available science—but not without you. Your generous support helps develop science-based solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
Attacks on Public Health and Safety that the Scientific Integrity Act Could Have Prevented Jacob CarterJuly 15, 2019
Drilling Down on the Attempted Takedown of the Government’s Advisory Committees Genna ReedJuly 15, 2019
Write your member of Congress to support strong congressional oversight of agencies important to your community's health and safety.
Tell Congress to hold the Trump administration accountable. >
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Landbay announces £1bn funding to support buy-to-let lending
Buy-to-let lender fintech Landbay has today announced a £1 billion funding agreement with a leading financial institution to finance mortgages on its platform.
The financing will support Landbay’s plans to significantly grow its buy-to-let lending over the next two years.
Today’s announcement comes at a time of rapid growth for Landbay, which has seen lending volumes rise by 200% over the last 12 months whilst lending default rates remain at 0%. Over the same period headcount has doubled, prompting the firm to take on additional office space in its central London office.
Founded in 2014, Landbay focusses on the professional segment of the buy-to-let market which is growing significantly as the regulatory landscape evolves. The funding announcement follows the increase of Landbay’s loan ceiling to £2 million and its maximum loan term from 25 to 30 years.
Julian Cork, COO, Landbay said: “Technology has been perhaps the greatest disrupter of the financial services sector in the last decade.
“Fintechs, including peer-to-peer lenders, have been able to take advantage of the most up-to-date technology when building their infrastructure, allowing them to do three key things to stay on top – move at speed, expand efficiently and stay focused. Importantly, we’ve done this whilst maintaining a 0% default rate so credit quality is not being compromised with scale.”
He added: “This investment will allow Landbay to reach more buy-to-let landlords with its platform, providing more scope for feedback and development. We will continue to work with our users to ensure we scale our underlying architecture effectively and provide a cutting-edge experience for our customers.”
John Goodall, CEO, Landbay said: “The £1bn funding is coming from a major financial institution, cementing another flagship partnership between traditional finance and fintech. It’s another fantastic example of London’s thriving fintech sector, even in the face of political and economic uncertainty.
“We have spent the last five years investing in technology, building a platform that we’re proud of. Our lending volumes coupled with a successful few years of award wins prove that our market model is popular with investors, borrowers, and brokers alike. ”
fundingLandbay
Subscription business Gousto secures £30m funding
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New Titanic Mini-Series from Downton Abbey Creators
Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has finished production on a four-part miniseries called Titanic, which will premiere on ABC this April.
Let heaven and angels sing Hallelujah.
Along with virtually every other thing that is happening in April, the series' debut is set to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic.
This review of the show in the Guardian comes as close to saying the program is straight up exactly like Downton Abbey as one can come without actually saying that. In other words: look for it to be alternately frustrating and amazing and expecting you to fawn all over it when it shows up to tea wearing ugly hammer pants.
Oh, there is one twist:
In an innovative, but not entirely successful move, viewers will watch the boat begin to sink at the end of each episode, as Fellowes retells the story from different characters' viewpoints. Who survives the tragedy, however, is not revealed until the final episode.
The Guardian review notes that this effect is "sometimes confusing," but that is definitely not going to stop everyone you know from watching.
In Anniversary, Film Television, News Tags Downton Abbey, Mini Series, TV, Titanic, anniversary
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Home/ PR/ Introducing M STREET GRILLE
Introducing M STREET GRILLE
Gaining Real Impactful Life Lessons through Experience & Education
UMES hospitality-tourism management students will soon have a new option in getting hands-on experience when an existing restaurant getting a new look re-opens in Princess Anne this spring.
M STREET GRILLE is a collaborative venture between the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, its foundation, a UMES alumnus and the owner of the Princess Anne University Village shopping center on U.S. Route 13.
Brandon Phillips, a 1998 graduate and owner of the Atlantic Stand on Ocean City's iconic Boardwalk, is joining forces with his alma mater to expand his hospitality-restaurant business into Somerset County.
“This university has meant a lot to me,” said Phillips, who grew up in Salisbury and played baseball for the Hawks. It was his desire to give back to that program that led to this new relationship with UMES.
“I was looking for a way to show my appreciation,” he said, “and when I learned (hospitality) students had an assignment to design and market a plan for a restaurant, I wanted to see if it might be possible to make it a reality.”
M STREET GRILLE will be in the location that originally opened as the Get'N Grounded coffee shop, and will utilize some of that business' furniture.
University leaders describe the partnership with Phillips as “a learning laboratory that cultivates, encourages and promotes entrepreneurism among UMES students interested in pursuing careers in the hospitality industry.”
Students will have an opportunity to earn extra income as employees while working alongside and observing professionals who will manage the venue for Phillips.
“As chairman of UMES' Hospitality and Tourism Management program, it is vital for our students to have opportunities while still in school to put into practice what they are learning in the classroom,” Dr. Ernest Boger said.
"Having the M STREET GRILLE as an additional option to their hands-on experience in the Henson Conference Center operations will benefit our students and definitely make UMES more attractive to those who enroll here in the future,” Boger said.
“We thank Brandon Phillips for stepping forward to make this a reality,” he said.
According to Kimberly Dumpson, UMES' executive vice president who worked on the project, employing students will provide financial assistance some may need toward their education expenses.
In 2015, Alexander K. Karavasilis, the lead investor/owner of the Rt. 13 shopping center approached Dumpson about helping UMES increase its visibility along the busy dual highway while also lending support to the university's Hospitality and Tourism Management program.
Karavasilis, along with his partners in BRK LLC, donated all the business assets within the coffee shop to the UMES Foundation and agreed to lease the premises to the foundation for five years. Both parties see the venture as “an experiential learning environment to benefit students pursuing careers in hospitality, tourism, merchandising, marketing and finance,” Dumpson said.
The venue's name is an acronym inspired by the hands-on training concept: “Gaining Real Impactful Life Lessons through Experience and Education.”
UMES stands to benefit from the restaurant's success; Phillips, already a financial supporter of many of the university's athletic programs, has agreed to donate some of M STREET GRILLE's net profits to the foundation to support the university's hospitality-tourism management as well as the athletics program.
Phillips was attracted to the idea of expanding into Somerset County in part by a senior-year project where Hospitality and Tourism Management students were challenged to develop a marketing plan for a restaurant.
The winning entry was a “sports-themed” grille with a liquor license and televisions where athletic events could be viewed in a group setting.
The venue's decor will highlight UMES sports history and also will feature a “University Welcome kiosk.” Some of the menu items from Get'N Grounded will remain alongside new fare and specialty baked goods.
Customers accustomed to visiting the coffee shop in the morning will find the grille will be open early selling the hot beverage along with breakfast sandwiches.
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Home RANKING The Best Universities In India 2019
The Best Universities In India 2019
Ava Harper
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
India Country with the second most populated place on earth, India is well known for producing most talented workers and students in today’s technology industries,
The Best Universities In India 2019 is based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the QS World University Rankings along with millions of reviews from students and alumni.
Attending The Best Universities In India 2019 is important because they give you training and education you need to have a successful career
10. Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati is a public institution established by the Government of India, located in Guwahati, in the state of Assam in India. It is the sixth Indian Institute of Technology established in India.
9. Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, formerly University of Roorkee and Thomason College of Civil Engineering, is a public engineering university located in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India.
8. University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi, informally known as Delhi University, is a collegiate public central university, located in New Delhi, India. It was founded in 1922 by an Act of the Central Legislative Assembly.
7. University of Hyderabad
The University of Hyderabad is an Indian Public Research University located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Founded in 1974, this mostly residential campus has more than 5,000 students and 400 faculties, from several disciplines.
6. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is a public engineering institution located in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. It was declared to be an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India under the Institutes of Technology Act.
5. Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur is a public engineering institution established by the government of India in 1951. It was the first of the IITs to be established and is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India.
4. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
The Indian Institutes of Technology are autonomous public institutes of higher education, located in India. They are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 which has declared them as institutions of national importance and lays down their powers, duties, and framework for governance etc.
3. Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Indian Institute of Technology Madras is a public engineering institute located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As one of the Indian Institutes of Technology, it is recognized as an Institute of National Importance.
2. Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science is a public institute for research and higher education in science, engineering, design, and management. It is located in Bangalore, India was established in 1909 with active support from Jamshedji Tata and H.H. Sir Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore.
1. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Indian Institute of Technology BombayIndian Institute of Technology Bombay
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is a public engineering institution located at Powai, Mumbai, India. IIT Bombay was founded in 1958. In 1961, the Parliament decreed IITs as Institutes of National Importance
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Ava Harper is a Former researcher at Graphiq after the company was acquired by Amazon, she decided to join U.S. News & World Report and University Magazine, currently living and working out of her new City Toronto, you might be able to find her at Starbucks or Local Coffee shop in downtown Toronto
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UNPAID LABOR and The Constitution of the United States of America
The Unpaid Labor System was in place in America for 169 years before the United States became a country. All of the original thirteen British colonies (n/k/a American states) benefited from the Unpaid Labor System. In 1776, Unpaid Labor System was the foundation of the new American country. The Unpaid Labor System in the southern states was a very important part of the nation’s economy. But the Northern states were becoming less dependent on the Unpaid Labor System. They began to see it as a threat to paid labor.
The Unpaid Labor System was very large. The System was very important. The Southern colonies would not agree to become part of a new country unless the Unpaid Labor system was legalized by the United States Constitution. The rules that the people that started the United States wrote to say how Americans would live together are called the Constitution.
The following compromises protected the Unpaid Labor System and made it legal:
Compromise #1: Article I, Section 2 Gave power in the Congress to states based upon the number Unpaid Laborers in their state.
Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.
— Actual Language of Article I, Section 2, U.S. Constitution
Compromise #2: Article I, Section 9 Allowed people to be brought from Africa and sold in the U.S. for 20 years after the Constitution was signed.
Compromise #3: Article IV, Section 2 Gave people that owned Unpaid Laborers the right to get them back if they escaped to another state.
No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.
— Actual Language of Article IV, Section 2, U.S. Constitution
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13 great first cars that aren't boring
First cars usually need to be affordable and practical, but they can also be fun to drive
Updated: 10:54 AM CDT Apr 5, 2017
Collin Woodard
Chris Perkins
Honda SOURCE: Honda
Buying your first car can be an incredibly difficult decision. It feels like everyone has advice for you, and if you're an enthusiast, it probably feels like that advice is mostly about how you should buy the least expensive beige-mobile you can find. It's true that you could very likely wreck your first car and that spending a lot of money on it is wasteful, but just because your first car should be somewhat practical, safe, and reliable doesn't mean it also has to be oppressively boring. If you're going to buy an affordable car that's still fun to drive, you might have to learn to do a little of your own wrenching to keep them running, but that's nothing your dad's tools and a few YouTube videos can't solve.In that case, here are 13 great first cars for budding enthusiasts.1. Volkswagen Golf GTIFew cars offer a mix of approachable performance, practicality, and fun quite like the Volkswagen GTI. It's a daily driver that's as fun as many of the best sports cars on the market. The fifth-generation (Mk5) GTI is a particular sweet spot with its 200-hp turbocharged four-cylinder and choice of dual-clutch or manual transmissions. It's quick, but not too quick for an inexperienced driver.2. Honda Civic SiEveryone knows that the Honda Civic offers practical, efficient, reliable transportation for the masses, but many of them are genuinely fun to drive too. That's especially true for the Civic Si. Every Civic Si was only offered with a manual transmission, but there are few better cars for learning stick. Two-hundred horsepower from a naturally aspirated four-cylinder in this eighth-generation Si keeps things fun too.3. Volvo V70 RVolvo is known for making some of the safest cars in the world, but occasionally, it likes to make something that's fun to drive too. The old V70 R is a subtle sleeper, which offers a giant trunk, all-wheel drive and a ton of performance from its near-300-hp five-cylinder. The V70 R had a sedan counterpart, the S60 R, but we think the wagon is the way to go here.4. Jeep WranglerOne of the most practical ways to make sure your first car isn't oppressively boring is to buy one that you can take on off-road adventures. It might not be fast or offer any luxury features, but you can't deny how fun a Wrangler is to drive, and even an unmodified one will get you much further away from civilization than you might expect.5. Ford Mustang V6Starting out driving a brand new Ford Mustang GT is recipe for disaster for most drivers, and most of the older V6 versions were pretty dull. When Ford put new engines in the previous generation Mustang, though, the V6 ended up being surprisingly good. Its acceleration won't blow your socks off, but you can still have a little fun in what's both an affordable and a fuel efficient sports coupe.6. Mazdaspeed ProtegeFor a while, Proteges weren't known for being the fastest cars on the street, but their good steering and above average handling made them surprisingly fun. The Mazdaspeed version made that even better, offering a sport suspension, bigger brakes, and more power. Don't expect to get in too much trouble, though. It only makes 170 horsepower. You'll still have fun, though.7. Nissan Sentra SE-RIf you test drive a B15 Sentra SE-R, it'll actually make an interesting foil to the Mazdaspeed Protege. Its engine is plenty powerful, but what you'll mostly appreciate is its handling. The limited slip differential and well tuned chassis combine to give the Sentra SE-R much better handling than any $3,000 sedan should be able to offer.8. Subaru Forester XTFor the driver who wants more off-road capability than a WRX can provide but who still likes the idea of a little power, the turbo version of Subaru's not-quite-an-SUV from the mid 2000s is the perfect compromise. You can get it with up to 235 horsepower, but it will still handle the toughest winter Vermont can throw at it.9. Acura RSXIt would be easy to dismiss the RSX as nothing more than a tarted up Honda Civic coupe, but doing so would mean missing out on the enjoyment of driving one of the most talented front-wheel drive sports coupes in the last 15 years. Even though the power goes to the wrong wheels, it's still a precise handler that any new driver would be honored to own as his or her first car.10. Mazda MiataIf a list of fun cars doesn't include the Mazda Miata, it better be called "10 Fun Cars That Aren't the Mazda Miata." The Miata is that much fun to drive. In fact, the Miata is so good, it's almost cliche to include it because it's such an obvious choice. Driving one will make you a better driver, but it may also ruin other cars for you.11. Jeep CherokeeModern SUVs can try, but they'll never be quite as cool as the XJ. The styling is classic, the 4.0 liter six is a legend, and even 20 years later, they're still incredibly reliable. You'll get more creature comforts than you do in a comparable Wrangler, but you'll still be able to head far off the beaten track before you risk getting yourself in trouble. 12. Subaru Impreza 2.5RSOne of the best things about a late 1990s Impreza 2.5RS is that its design has aged so well. It's just a darn attractive car. Like most of the cars on this list, it isn't fast by today's standards, but it still shines in the handling department. As you're learning to drive, having all-wheel drive will also probably end up being a blessing several times.13. BMW 530iBMW absolutely knocked it out of the park with the E39 5 Series, and its popularity when new means there's now an abundance of them on the used market for not a lot of money. You'll also be able to get modern safety features you wouldn't expect on a car from the late 1990s, like stability control and anti-lock brakes. For a first car, it's one of the best all around packages you'll be able to find.
Buying your first car can be an incredibly difficult decision. It feels like everyone has advice for you, and if you're an enthusiast, it probably feels like that advice is mostly about how you should buy the least expensive beige-mobile you can find.
It's true that you could very likely wreck your first car and that spending a lot of money on it is wasteful, but just because your first car should be somewhat practical, safe, and reliable doesn't mean it also has to be oppressively boring. If you're going to buy an affordable car that's still fun to drive, you might have to learn to do a little of your own wrenching to keep them running, but that's nothing your dad's tools and a few YouTube videos can't solve.
In that case, here are 13 great first cars for budding enthusiasts.
1. Volkswagen Golf GTI
Few cars offer a mix of approachable performance, practicality, and fun quite like the Volkswagen GTI. It's a daily driver that's as fun as many of the best sports cars on the market. The fifth-generation (Mk5) GTI is a particular sweet spot with its 200-hp turbocharged four-cylinder and choice of dual-clutch or manual transmissions. It's quick, but not too quick for an inexperienced driver.
2. Honda Civic Si
Everyone knows that the Honda Civic offers practical, efficient, reliable transportation for the masses, but many of them are genuinely fun to drive too. That's especially true for the Civic Si. Every Civic Si was only offered with a manual transmission, but there are few better cars for learning stick. Two-hundred horsepower from a naturally aspirated four-cylinder in this eighth-generation Si keeps things fun too.
3. Volvo V70 R
Volvo is known for making some of the safest cars in the world, but occasionally, it likes to make something that's fun to drive too. The old V70 R is a subtle sleeper, which offers a giant trunk, all-wheel drive and a ton of performance from its near-300-hp five-cylinder. The V70 R had a sedan counterpart, the S60 R, but we think the wagon is the way to go here.
One of the most practical ways to make sure your first car isn't oppressively boring is to buy one that you can take on off-road adventures. It might not be fast or offer any luxury features, but you can't deny how fun a Wrangler is to drive, and even an unmodified one will get you much further away from civilization than you might expect.
5. Ford Mustang V6
Starting out driving a brand new Ford Mustang GT is recipe for disaster for most drivers, and most of the older V6 versions were pretty dull. When Ford put new engines in the previous generation Mustang, though, the V6 ended up being surprisingly good. Its acceleration won't blow your socks off, but you can still have a little fun in what's both an affordable and a fuel efficient sports coupe.
6. Mazdaspeed Protege
For a while, Proteges weren't known for being the fastest cars on the street, but their good steering and above average handling made them surprisingly fun. The Mazdaspeed version made that even better, offering a sport suspension, bigger brakes, and more power. Don't expect to get in too much trouble, though. It only makes 170 horsepower. You'll still have fun, though.
7. Nissan Sentra SE-R
If you test drive a B15 Sentra SE-R, it'll actually make an interesting foil to the Mazdaspeed Protege. Its engine is plenty powerful, but what you'll mostly appreciate is its handling. The limited slip differential and well tuned chassis combine to give the Sentra SE-R much better handling than any $3,000 sedan should be able to offer.
8. Subaru Forester XT
For the driver who wants more off-road capability than a WRX can provide but who still likes the idea of a little power, the turbo version of Subaru's not-quite-an-SUV from the mid 2000s is the perfect compromise. You can get it with up to 235 horsepower, but it will still handle the toughest winter Vermont can throw at it.
9. Acura RSX
It would be easy to dismiss the RSX as nothing more than a tarted up Honda Civic coupe, but doing so would mean missing out on the enjoyment of driving one of the most talented front-wheel drive sports coupes in the last 15 years. Even though the power goes to the wrong wheels, it's still a precise handler that any new driver would be honored to own as his or her first car.
10. Mazda Miata
If a list of fun cars doesn't include the Mazda Miata, it better be called "10 Fun Cars That Aren't the Mazda Miata." The Miata is that much fun to drive. In fact, the Miata is so good, it's almost cliche to include it because it's such an obvious choice. Driving one will make you a better driver, but it may also ruin other cars for you.
11. Jeep Cherokee
Modern SUVs can try, but they'll never be quite as cool as the XJ. The styling is classic, the 4.0 liter six is a legend, and even 20 years later, they're still incredibly reliable. You'll get more creature comforts than you do in a comparable Wrangler, but you'll still be able to head far off the beaten track before you risk getting yourself in trouble.
12. Subaru Impreza 2.5RS
One of the best things about a late 1990s Impreza 2.5RS is that its design has aged so well. It's just a darn attractive car. Like most of the cars on this list, it isn't fast by today's standards, but it still shines in the handling department. As you're learning to drive, having all-wheel drive will also probably end up being a blessing several times.
13. BMW 530i
BMW absolutely knocked it out of the park with the E39 5 Series, and its popularity when new means there's now an abundance of them on the used market for not a lot of money. You'll also be able to get modern safety features you wouldn't expect on a car from the late 1990s, like stability control and anti-lock brakes. For a first car, it's one of the best all around packages you'll be able to find.
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Night Details
Mostly clear. Low temperature around 76F. Dew point will be around 70F with an average humidity of 75%. Winds will be 5 mph from the WNW.
Day Details
Mostly sunny. High temperature around 83F. Dew point will be around 68F with an average humidity of 66%. Winds will be 8 mph from the W.
Mostly clear. Low temperature around 75F. Dew point will be around 70F with an average humidity of 79%. Winds will be 5 mph from the W.
Clear. Low temperature around 74F. Dew point will be around 72F with an average humidity of 84%. Winds will be 4 mph from the WNW.
Mostly clear. Low temperature around 76F. Dew point will be around 75F with an average humidity of 88%. Winds will be 5 mph from the NW.
Mostly sunny. High temperature around 86F. Dew point will be around 73F with an average humidity of 75%. Winds will be 7 mph from the WSW.
Mostly clear. Low temperature around 77F. Dew point will be around 73F with an average humidity of 85%. Winds will be 5 mph from the WSW.
Mostly clear. Low temperature around 74F. Dew point will be around 72F with an average humidity of 85%. Winds will be 4 mph from the SW.
Mostly sunny. High temperature around 84F. Dew point will be around 73F with an average humidity of 75%. Winds will be 8 mph from the SW.
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Transurban Raises Toll Revenue by 18%
Jan 19, 2016 By Simon Herrmann
Tags: TCL
Transurban Group (ASX:TCL) announced strong traffic and revenue data for the December quarter 2015.
The company stated that toll revenue for the December quarter increased by 16.2% to $433 million, compared to the previous corresponding period (pcp) on a statutory basis. However, the proportional toll revenue, which the company finds to be more accurate reflection of its portfolio’s performance, increased by 17.9% from the pcp, to $454 million. The proportional toll revenue for the first half of FY16 increased by 18.4% from the pcp, to $900 million.
Sydney Traffic increased by 8%
Looking at the traffic and revenue data of the company’s operations in Sydney, the proportional toll revenue for the December 2015 quarter increased 14.2% to $192 million. Subsequently, the average daily traffic (ADT) increased 7.8% to 631,000 trips. The company also mentioned that the M5 South West Motorway continues to benefit from upgrade works which were completed in December 2014. The revenue on M7 increased by approximately 23% for the December quarter, which was partially due to an increase in the truck toll multiplier during the December quarter to 1.89 times the car toll. The company plans to increase the multiplier to three times the car toll by 2017.
Construction work to commence in Melbourne
For the December 2015 quarter, Melbourne toll revenue increased 6.6% to $155 million, while ADT increased 1.4% to 835,000 trips. The workday traffic increased 1% on average and weekend and public holiday traffic increased 3.7% on average. While the construction commenced on the CityLink Tulla Widening project in October 2015, major progress of this project is expected to take place at the end of the March quarter 2016.
Brisbane’s Legacy Way completes first half year of operations
The proportional toll revenue increased 9.3% to $67 million in Brisbane for the December quarter. Legacy Way completed its first half year of operation, following the commencement of operations in June 2015. The first of the stepped increases under the discount toll period occurred on 16 November 2015. Average workday traffic on the route increased 3.9% to 20,000 trips in the December quarter.
Toll revenue increased by 232.4% in the US
The proportional toll revenue in Northern Virginia increased by 232.4% to US$28 million, while ADT increased 137.1% to 84,000 trips for the December quarter. The 95 Express Lanes have been in operation for twelve months, while the company earned an average workday toll revenue of US$220,000 for the quarter.
TCL traded at $10.20 as at 11:10 AM (AEDT) and rose of 1.1% upon opening.
Author: Simon Herrmann Jan 19, 2016
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Find a Business Near: Waipio, HI
Choose an Industry In Waipio
You can add a Hawaii business for just $49.95 per year. To add a business submit your info here.
Below is a list of the types of businesses in the City of Waipio for which we have listings. If you do not see your industry within the list below, adding your business will automatically create it.
Waipio Population: 11,740
Total Males: 6,067
Total Females: 5,673
Total Households: 3,988
For complete census data click here. You can also use: city-data.com.
Business Industries in Waipio
Choose an industry to display a list of businesses. All data copyright © Yellow Pages Directory Inc.
Don't see your category here? Adding your business in Waipio will create it!
other cities in hawaii
Barbers Point
Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Camp H. M. Smith
Hickam Air Force Base
Honalo
Kainaliu
Kalaeloa
Kawaihae
Pāhoa
Waikoloa Beach
Brief Information About Waipio
Waipiʻo is a census-designated place located in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is within Honolulu County in the Ewa District. It has a total area of 1.2 square miles at 21°25′5″N 157°59′53″W. The elevation is 381 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census data, it had a total population of 11,674. The population density was 9,700/sq mi. Estimated per capita income in 2016 was $34,880. It has Zip code 96738.
For continually updated facts on Waipio use: the Waipio Wikipedia page.
To get a feel for Waipio's cost of living view: single family homes on Zillow.
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Bob Boule (inset), the owner of the Smuggler’s Inn, was granted bail Thursday morning in Surrey Provincial Court. (Photo courtesy of The Northern Light newspaper)
Blaine, Wash. inn owner, charged with smuggling people into B.C., granted bail
Robert Joseph Boule ordered to turn away anyone indicating a plan to enter Canada illegally
Aaron Hinks
Apr. 25, 2019 12:57 p.m.
The owner of a Blaine bed and breakfast who is facing multiple charges relating to the smuggling of people into Canada has been granted bail.
Judge Robert Hamilton’s decision regarding Robert (Bob) Joseph Boule was announced in Surrey Provincial Court Thursday morning.
It included more than a dozen conditions, including that Boule must deny potential customers if they give any indication of a plan to enter Canada illegally; and, he must erect an illuminated four-by-eight-foot sign 10 feet from the border of his property that states ‘Warning, it is illegal to enter Canada from this property.’
He’s not allowed back into the U.S. until the sign is erected.
Boule has also been instructed to cancel his personal and business phone numbers and delete an email address associated with the business. He’s also required, as part of his conditions, to create a new business email address and provide the password to his bail officer.
Boule’s Smuggler’s Inn Bed & Breakfast is located on the U.S. side of 0 Avenue at 184 Street.
He is facing 16 counts of counselling offences relating to knowingly inducing, aiding or abetting 16 people in illegally attempting to enter Canada. He’s facing an additional 14 charges of breaching recognizance relating to a prior indictment.
READ MORE: UPDATED: Smuggler’s Inn owner charged with helping people illegally enter Canada
The offences are alleged to have occurred at between April 2016 and March 2019.
Outside court following an appearance earlier this month, Boule’s lawyer Greg Boos described his client as “a pillar of the Blaine community and all the of the economic development community of Whatcom County.”
Details heard over the course of the bail hearing cannot be published.
Bail was set at $15,000.
Trudeau says Ontario ‘shortsighted and irresponsible’ for challenging carbon tax
Mayor among 3 slain in Mexico’s Veracruz state
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Myrl Serra: Western Slope DA's affidavits tell tales of penis exposure, in-office masturbation
Michael Roberts | November 5, 2010 | 7:27am
Myrl Serra, district attorney for the Western Slope's 7th Judicial District, was busted in September on charges of unlawful sexual conduct and indecent exposure. Details were withheld at that time -- but affidavits pertaining to his arrest have now been unsealed, and they tell a graphic story of inter-office sexual harassment against women who said they feared retribution.
The newly public documents include the Myrl Serra search warrant, the affidavit to support the arrest warrant and an affidavit in support of an order for non-testimonial identification evidence. They describe a man who allegedly took advantage of his position of power for sexual gratification on numerous occasions. The names of co-workers who say they were victimized have been redacted throughout.
In the first document, for example, a woman told investigators she had met Serra and other co-workers at a bar. Serra was reportedly already well in his cups at that point, and he subsequently followed the woman to her car, told her, "You have a nice ass," then placed his hand on her thigh.
At that time, the woman told him, "This is not going to happen," and it didn't -- but she provided investigators with names of other women who claimed not to have been so fortunate.
According to one woman, Serra suggestively asked her, "What will you do for me to get off work early?" She responded to this question by suggesting that she would bring donuts into the office, but he said he was on a diet. She then offered fruit, coffee and assorted consumables -- but Serra apparently had other things on his mind, reaching into his pants and taking out his penis. The woman said, "I do not want to do that," but according to the document, Serra didn't accept this answer, placing her hand on his penis and asking how it felt. He then said that if she would do him a favor, he'd do her a favor. She again said "no" as he touched her breast and then split as quickly as she could.
Investigators collected more such stories, including tales of marks left on wrists by Serra trying to force women to touch his penis. But one account is even more graphic. A woman said she was in Serra's office when he pulled the shades, told her, "You need to help a guy out," and removed his penis. He then placed her hand on his penis, and on this occasion, the terrified woman "followed through" and masturbated Serra. While doing so, she protested that the act was "wrong," to which he reportedly replied, "Oh, you know you like it. That's the kind of person you are." In the end, Serra finished himself off, ejaculating into a napkin that he tossed into a trash can when finished.
This week, Serra was formally charged with seven counts, including unlawful sexual contact and criminal extortion, both felonies. He's slated to return to court on February 11.
Page down to read the complete search warrant, as well as to see a larger version of Serra's mug shot:
More from our News archive: "Man gets trespassing notice for telling deli clerk he likes large (chicken) breasts?"
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White House History Journal #30: The Presidents and the Theater
For all media inquiries and image requests:
press@whha.org.
Jan 20, 2012 Washington, D.C. —
“It is not difficult to see a certain parallel presidents might sense between their own specified time on stage as head of state and the slice of life encapsulated in the duration of a play,” said William Seale, editor of White House History. “Part of being president is a performance, in which is conveyed, inescapably, a message; the White House is the president’s stage and always has been.”
For more than two hundred years the president’s White House stage has welcomed scores of singers, actors and other artists, first as celebrity callers and later as scheduled performers. Nearly all presidents have enjoyed theatrical performance and many sought it out. This interest has taken various forms from concerts to plays. Modern times have seen the custom of after-dinner events featuring a not-to-lengthy concert, solo, or reading, first initiated by President and Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, continue to be popular. Whatever the format, presidents and performers alike have always realized the importance of their audiences and played to them accordingly.
White House History, issue 30, explores The Presidents and the Theater spanning the field from opera to musical comedy to presidents and Shakespeare, with side visits to theater and the youngest first lady; a glimpse of a famously obnoxious theatrical guest; and a comparison between Lincoln’s White House and that other iconic Lincoln place: Ford’s Theatre.
White House History is published twice each year by the White House Historical Association and features articles on White House history, architecture, fine and decorative arts, and gardens, as well as stories about the occupants of the White House and their experience living there.
To order please call toll-free 1-800-555-2451 or visit shop.whitehousehistory.org.
About the white house historical association
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy envisioned a restored White House that conveyed a sense of history through its decorative and fine arts. She sought to inspire Americans, especially children, to explore and engage with American history and its presidents. In 1961, the White House Historical Association was established to support her vision to preserve and share the Executive Mansion’s legacy for generations to come. Supported entirely by private resources, the Association’s mission is to assist in the preservation of the state and public rooms, fund acquisitions for the White House permanent collection, and educate the public on the history of the White House. Since its founding, the Association has given more than $50 million to the White House in fulfillment of its mission.
To learn more about the White House Historical Association, please visit WhiteHouseHistory.org.
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Reef Still Alive & Beautiful
Having been snorkelling and diving the Whitsundays for over 20 years, GM of operations for Cruise Whitsundays Gary Kilby is baffled by international media reporting the demise of the Great Barrier Reef. Having been up close and personal with the reefs over the Whitsundays, Kilby says Hardy Reef is in the best condition he's seen in over two decades.
While Kilby acknowledges that natural threats like Drupella Snails, Crown of Thorns and weather and temperature are ongoing, he's been disappointed by the negative reports about the reef, adamant that the reef in the Whitsundays is still well and truly alive and as beautiful as ever. In addition to Hardy Reef, Whitsundays cruises and sailing also visit Knuckle Reef and fringing island reefs as part of their diverse tour options, including active onboard marine biologists.
Despite reports of coral bleaching by international media, local tourism operators have found little to no damage to the coral reefs in areas of operation. This is backed by a surveillance program undertaken by the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators in September 2016, which found the primary damage was as a result of storm damage due to the steep slope of the site which is dominated by branch coral.
Queensland Environment Minister Dr Steven Miles said it was "pretty easy to see why tourists from all over the world flock here". Also frustrated by the irresponsible reports in the media, Dr Miles confirmed that the Whitsundays had escaped the coral bleaching event, with the most severe damage occurring in a remote part of the marine park further north.
"The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's preliminary findings indicate a coral mortality of 22% but they are doing more surveys this month," he said. Climate change and an unusually strong El Nino caused record-breaking sea surface temperatures which triggered the coral bleaching event and while he said the damage in the north was saddening, he was quick to remind us how resilient the reef is, with recent studies showing that the three years before the bleaching event saw an increase of coral cover by 19 per cent across the marine park.
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Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Among 2016 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees
Former NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal and Allen Iverson are among 10 notables who were elected Monday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2016, the Washington Post reports.
Iverson spent his 14-year career playing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. A nine-time All-Star, Iverson famously clashed with fellow Hall of Fame electee O’Neal in the 2001 NBA Finals, where Philadelphia lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. O’Neal was a four-time NBA champion during his own 19-year career, during which he played for six teams: the Orlando Magic, Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.
READ MORE: TheRoot.com
Article Courtesy of The Root
Picture Courtesy of Getty Images and The Root
Cleveland’s Own DJ Knyce breaks Guinness World Record
Allen Iverson , Basketball , Hall of Fame , inducted , Inductees , NBA , shaq , shaquille o'neal
White Tears! Former Meteorologist Files Lawsuit Claiming He Was Fired Because Of Diversity
LOCAL NEWS: You Now Have to Be At Least 21-Years-Old to Purchase Tobacco in Ohio
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Agtech Accelerator Radicle Recruits Industry Vets to Mentor Startups
ASCO 2019: The Long Game, Targeted Pills, First-Ever Buzz & More
Joel S. Marcus
Chairman, CEO, & Founder, Alexandria Real Estate Equities
Benjamin de Haan
Benjamin de Haan is executive director of Partners for Our Children and an affiliate professor in the University of Washington School of Social Work.
For over 30 years, Ben has been bringing together leaders and policymakers in academia, child welfare, justice systems and related fields to make change and improve lives of vulnerable children, adults, and families. Ben directed child welfare services for the State of Oregon, and served there in a variety of leadership positions for nearly 20 years. He has also led two university-based research centers and was the managing director of Casey Family Programs' State Strategy Division. Ben was the founding president of the Children's Justice Alliance, and former president of the Oregon Children's Trust Fund Foundation, a private endowment focused on preventing child maltreatment. He holds a master's degree in public administration from Lewis and Clark College and a Ph.D. in social work and social research from Portland State University.
Can Innovation Improve Lives of Vulnerable Children and Families?
Technological innovation is rare in the human services field because most service providers operate with limited resources and they are forced to choose between serving more families or investing in technology.... Read more »
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Headlines > News > Hubble Traces Subtle Signals of Water on Hazy Worlds
Hubble Traces Subtle Signals of Water on Hazy Worlds
Published by Klaus Schmidt on Wed Dec 4, 2013 11:00 am via: NASA
NASA, Hubble, Exoplanets, WASP-17b, HD209458b, WASP-19b, XO-1b
Using the powerful eye of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, two teams of scientists have found faint signatures of water in the atmospheres of five distant planets.
The presence of atmospheric water was reported previously on a few exoplanets orbiting stars beyond our solar system, but this is the first study to conclusively measure and compare the profiles and intensities of these signatures on multiple worlds.
NASA scientists found faint signatures of water in the atmospheres of five distant planets orbiting three different stars. All five planets appear to be hazy. This illustration shows a star's light illuminating the atmosphere of a planet. Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
The five planets — WASP-17b, HD209458b, WASP-12b, WASP-19b and XO-1b — orbit nearby stars. The strengths of their water signatures varied. WASP-17b, a planet with an especially puffed-up atmosphere, and HD209458b had the strongest signals. The signatures for the other three planets, WASP-12b, WASP-19b and XO-1b, also are consistent with water.
“We’re very confident that we see a water signature for multiple planets,” said Avi Mandell, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and lead author of an Astrophysical Journal paper, published today, describing the findings for WASP-12b, WASP-17b and WASP-19b. “This work really opens the door for comparing how much water is present in atmospheres on different kinds of exoplanets, for example hotter versus cooler ones.”
The studies were part of a census of exoplanet atmospheres led by L. Drake Deming of the University of Maryland in College Park. Both teams used Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 to explore the details of absorption of light through the planets’ atmospheres. The observations were made in a range of infrared wavelengths where the water signature, if present, would appear. The teams compared the shapes and intensities of the absorption profiles, and the consistency of the signatures gave them confidence they saw water. The observations demonstrate Hubble’s continuing exemplary performance in exoplanet research.
“To actually detect the atmosphere of an exoplanet is extraordinarily difficult. But we were able to pull out a very clear signal, and it is water,” said Deming, whose team reported results for HD209458b and XO-1b in a Sept. 10 paper in the same journal. Deming’s team employed a new technique with longer exposure times, which increased the sensitivity of their measurements.
The water signals were all less pronounced than expected, and the scientists suspect this is because a layer of haze or dust blankets each of the five planets. This haze can reduce the intensity of all signals from the atmosphere in the same way fog can make colors in a photograph appear muted. At the same time, haze alters the profiles of water signals and other important molecules in a distinctive way.
The five planets are hot Jupiters, massive worlds that orbit close to their host stars. The researchers were initially surprised that all five appeared to be hazy. But Deming and Mandell noted that other researchers are finding evidence of haze around exoplanets.
“These studies, combined with other Hubble observations, are showing us that there are a surprisingly large number of systems for which the signal of water is either attenuated or completely absent,” said Heather Knutson of the California Institute of Technology, a co-author on Deming’s paper. “This suggests that cloudy or hazy atmospheres may in fact be rather common for hot Jupiters.”
To determine what’s in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, astronomers watch the planet pass in front of its host star and look at which wavelengths of light are transmitted and which are partially absorbed. Image Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Hubble’s high-performance Wide Field Camera 3 is one of few capable of peering into the atmospheres of exoplanets many trillions of miles away. These exceptionally challenging studies can be done only if the planets are spotted while they are passing in front of their stars. Researchers can identify the gases in a planet’s atmosphere by determining which wavelengths of the star’s light are transmitted and which are partially absorbed.
Supernova Blast Provides Clues to Age of Binary Star System
SpaceX Successfully Completes First Mission to Geostationary Transfer Orbit
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Yahya Birt
Selected Book Reviews
Journalism and Commentary
by Mr Moo | July 31, 2007 · 7:59 am
Human Tetris
Don’t you sometimes feel that life is like a game of Human Tetris?
Hat Tip: Naeem’s Blog
Filed under Humour
by Mr Moo | July 30, 2007 · 2:12 pm
One Year On: Thanks for Your Support
This blog is nearly a year old. I wanted to thank everyone for taking the time out to visit and look at the site, for posting comments and sending emails. Despite only averaging two to three posts a month, I’m amazed that the site has had over 400,000 visits since it started, with over 4000 sites now visiting every month, and around 500 visits a day, alhamdulillah. Any feedback about how I could improve either the site or the blog further would be much appreciated.
Ummatic Trade Barriers
The Muslim world, however else it is interconnected by history, culture and religion, largely doesn’t trade with itself today. In 2004, about a sixth of all imports and exports were traded within the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (with nearly all of its 57 member states being Muslim-majority countries); by contrast, after nearly a decade-and-a-half of the internal market, two-thirds of imports and exports were traded internally within the European Union. [1]
Currently the OIC is in the process of setting up a preferential trading system, which is to launched in 2009. It has set a modest target of increasing intra-OIC trade to 20% over the next ten years.
It’s a poignant indication of how insubstantial all this pan-Islamic rhetoric really can be sometimes.
[1] For the OIC, 16% of imports and 15% of exports were traded internally in 2004; for the EU-25, 65% of imports and 68% of exports were traded internally in the same year. These figures have been derived from Eurostat and SESRTCIC.
Filed under Umma
by Mr Moo | July 11, 2007 · 11:41 pm
"Hearts and Minds": What more can be done?
We have sadly been here before. The question on everyone’s lips after the failed attacks in London and Glasgow is: shouldn’t British Muslims be doing more? After all, if one considers some of the key figures, the battle for the “hearts and minds” (a horrid cliché admittedly) of an extremist subculture doesn’t seem to be progressing at all. The number of would-be terrorists under surveillance by MI5 has increased sixfold from 250 after 9/11 to “around 2000” today. [1a] The number of terrorist networks has increased from 30 in 2003 to 219 now (broken down regionally into the Midlands, 80; Leeds, Bradford and Manchester, 60; London, 35; Merseyside, 20; Scotland, 12; Wales, 10; Northern Ireland, 2). [1b] A factor in this increase may well be MI5’s greater ability to monitor already pre-existing networks as its workforce increases from a baseline of 2000 employees in 2004 to 3500 in 2008. And besides 7/7, we’ve had a number of failed or foiled plots: the shoe-bombers, the fertiliser bomb plot, 21/7, the airliner plot in 2006 and the recent car bombs. Similarly, polling consistently reveals a fringe that will justify terrorist attacks in Britain as a reprisal for the US-led occupation of Iraq and a culture of denial that is happy to blame anyone but Muslims for 9/11 and 7/7.
However, Muslim communities have already shown the capacity to take up “hearts and minds” work in at least three areas – deradicalisation, reinforcing mainstream Islam and reassuring the public – which can be strengthened with the right kind of official support.
Deradicalisation needs selected individuals with the knowledge and “street credibility” to work effectively with those who have already become radicalised. Some of the best deradicalisation work is being done on a voluntary, non-funded basis with the knowledge and support of the police, with the very sorts of people that central government would prefer not to be seen to be doing business with, e.g. ultra-conservative Salafis. There are a few schemes like this in prisons and some local communities, but this specialised work is not within the competence of most Muslim leaders, religious scholars or movements and is off-the-radar in terms of publicity.
Reinforcing mainstream Islam entails restating the orthodox viewpoint that opposes suicide bombing and the killing of innocent civilians (and off-duty soldiers and reservists even in time of war) [2] and articulating the theological rationale for active citizenship and engagement. The four basic criteria for success work in this area are (i) contractural and intellectual independence of any agreed project in order to ensure credibility, (ii) capturing the interest and participation of Muslim young people, (iii) avoiding the stoking of community sectarianism, and (iv) a focus on developing the intellectual capital of local religious leaders.
The obvious case-study here is The Radical Middle Way project, backed by the FCO and the DCLG, that, in its first year of operation in 2005/6, succeeded in fulfilling the first two criteria, but more work with local religious leaders on a cross-sectarian basis should now be emphasised. Whatever good impact it may have had has been weakened since last autumn by the unsophisticated promotion by government of a Sufi-Islamist political rivalry that has made the formation of a vigorous, broad front against political violence more difficult. With respect to religious leadership, a recent BBC survey has shown that only 6% of mosque imams speak English as a first language, only 8% were UK-born, and that nearly 45% had only served in British mosques for five years or less. [3] However, there is still a cadre of UK-trained imams who will be invaluable to this effort. In this context, the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, now months away from its launch after a protracted two-year gestation, will hopefully do much to improve the management of the whole mosque sector. At the same time, it should be realised that it is opinion formers (including ex-extremists) who should be engaged and not just imams, whose relevance and credibility are often questioned.
Reassuring the public through clear and effective messages condemning extremism is necessary to prevent any lazy connection being made between extremists and Muslims in general merely on the basis of a shared faith identity, which does so much to sap the good will that any “hearts and minds” strategy requires. Continuous reiteration is unfortunately necessary as distinguishing between Muslims and extremists, especially as the latter employ theological rhetoric, seems beyond the wit of many. Consider, for instance, that the violence of David Koresh or Timothy McVeigh is easily understood to be exceptional and so American Christianity is not put in the dock as a result. Last weekend saw perhaps the most effective public reassurance exercises so far with anti-terrorism marches in Glasgow and London, a national press ad campaign and unequivocal public statements from the Muslim Council of Britain and others.
It is important to note the shift from Blair’s Gladstonian moralising about an “evil ideology” to Brown’s more prosaic and procedural language in response to terror raids and attacks has already begun to produce immediate dividends with stronger anti-terror messaging from Muslim leaders, although it is too soon to say whether this will pay dividends in terms of practical policy measures. Government research with focus groups had revealed that ordinary Muslims were being alienated by references to “Islamic” or “Muslim” terrorism, reading such terms as rendering them complicit by association rather than naming the more extreme or even violent tendencies. (Of course, this rhetoric shift has to do with public communication, and not necessarily with the analytical categories used in the formation and implementation of counter-terrorism policy.) Another unheralded factor has been the legacy of the Birmingham raids in January this year. The police had publicly criticised Home Office officials for detailed and sensationalist off-the-record briefings to journalists that jeopardized their investigation and harmed community relations. This time around journalists report that the police have been very disciplined.
Besides this shift in its public communication tactics, the government must do more to support “hearts and minds” strategies financially. “Hearts and minds” has been allocated only 7.5 million out of this year’s 2.25 billion counter-terrorism budget, or a third of one per cent. Six million of that is filtered through seventy local councils with much, apparently, going into existing community cohesion projects. While it would not do to suggest that spending unlimited amounts of money will solve the problem, it still seems pitifully inadequate in scale and unfocused in delivery.
The third measure is trust-building measures between key community stakeholders, the police and the Home Office. Intelligence penetration of cells is apparently still poor, and there has been a reliance on broad-brush measures, like stop-and-search, whose alienating impact is obvious. Rather, the police believe, or so I have been told, that they have relied too much on these measures and on “getting lucky”, and therefore there is considerable fear that they are not on top of this problem. Therefore the political relationship with local Muslim communities needs to be much more regular, frank and direct, replacing the unproductive megaphone courting of public opinion, so that in the end the kind of intelligence needed will be garnered, thereby beginning to turn around the recourse that has been made to invasive policing measures and the unnecessary creation of a parallel quasi-legal system to police a “suspect community”. [4]
Fourthly, in the Blair years, national debate became polarised between entrenched positions — “it’s the evil ideology, stupid” verses “it’s the foreign policy, stupid” — that precluded a measured multi-causal analysis. Over the last two years in particular, that debate has also focused on the problem of the radicalisation of young British Muslims and thus a period of soul-searching over integration, multiculturalism, social cohesion and cultural dislocation of young Muslim people. Yet this has shifted the focus away too much from geopolitical issues that have shaped the current al-Qaeda phenomenon, which is likely to change by the fact that the latest cells were composed of foreign nationals, including Bilal Abdulla, an Iraqi seemingly radicalised, at least from the facts available at present, by the invasion of his country. Unlike the case of Mohammad Sidique Khan, it seems unlikely that we will now be discussing marriage customs or generational dislocation among Jordanians or Iraqis any time soon.
Clearly, Iraq has been an aggravating if not originating factor in the rise of this form of extremism. Equally, however, only an extremist mindset would transform opposition to the Iraq war into murderous indiscriminate violence when otherwise the vast majority have been happy to exercise their democratic rights to dissent and disagreement, and should not be stigmatised for so doing. That unpopular military occupations create blowback is a political fact that remains at the centre of any sensible counter-terrorism strategy – and a healthy dose of realism in these matters doesn’t amount to moral abdication.
Over three decades, major IRA attacks in Britain targeted civilians, soldiers and political figures, and, despite their penetration by the intelligence services in later years, the IRA retained the technical and professional resources to strike multiple targets successfully. By contrast, the “jihadi” cells seem, thankfully, to be amateurish. The major differences between the IRA and al-Qaeda are that a political endgame of peace in Northern Ireland was in sight and a system of pre-attack warnings in later IRA campaigns were designed to minimize casualties. Now attacks come out of the blue and responsibility is claimed by the al-Qaeda franchise which is not a part of a cohesive political movement that can be understood within a single national conflict as could Irish Republicanism.
The temptation in taking on a novel formation like al-Qaeda is to frame this challenge in civilisational, even existential, terms and thus keep ourselves open to the suggestion that this is an endless Orwellian war with no political endpoint. Al-Qaeda operates outside traditional international politics by claiming, as a non-state actor, the basic right to defend the sovereignty and autonomy of Muslim nations, a right it asserts has been forfeited by ineffectual Muslim governments. In this reading, an embryonic al-Qaeda emerges during the early 1990s in the context of seventeen American military strikes in the Middle East, as listed by the US State Department, between 1980-1995. [5] And while nearly all Islamists and jihadists remain nationalists, al-Qaeda uses national or regional conflicts to advance its claim to represent the political interests of Muslims everywhere. It does not have a developed political ideology — a coherent vision of the state — but a strategy of protracted and agile guerilla tactics heavily reliant upon Western military intervention or heightened internal suppression in the Muslim world to bolster its support.
The solution to this strategy is disaggregating the myth of a pan-Islamic menace, instead focusing on resolving a set of local, national and regional conflicts, centred on the Middle East and West Asia. Of course that is easier said than done, as this requires multilateral diplomacy and peacemaking based on the mutual security of all the actors involved. Resolving Iraq and Israel-Palestine requires a regional peace plan based on mutual assurances of security, which needs a complete shift in emphasis from military to diplomatic measures on the part of the United States, Britain and others. It will be very difficult to enfranchise democracy and self-determination in the region without establishing this basic security and recognising the possibility of vernacular democracies in future. Of course, Britain can do very little on her own, but she can still play a leading role in bringing about this transition from war to politics. The return to politics or giving up the aspiration to remake the world in our own image will, in the end, be most effective counter-terrorism policy that we can mount.
In his statement to Parliament on 25 July, PM Gordon Brown announced that:
Over the next three years we will provide an additional £70 million to support local authorities and community groups in improving the capacity of local communities to resist violent extremism. This will include developing leadership programmes for young people, strengthening the capacity of women’s groups, and local projects to build citizenship. [6]
This fund will be run through the DCLG’s Preventing Extremism Unit, which administers the prevent strand of the government’s Project Contest. The funding will most likely be spent at local and national levels, with local funding going through seventy strategic local authorities. This represents a welcome significant increase on spending in the first year of the fund, which was 7.5 million, and which will now rise to approximately 23.3 million per year, if averaged out over the next three years.
[1a] “Around 2000”, Prime Minister’s Statement on Security to Parliament, 25 July 2007, available at http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page12675.asp. The PM also noted that there had been 15 terrorist attacks on British soil since 9/11, including the latest three on London and Glasgow.
[1b] News of the World, 8 July 2007, reportedly from an undated MI5 source.
[2] Sheikh Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti, “Defending the Transgressed by Censuring the Reckless against the Killing of Civilians”, jurisprudential refutation published in 2005, and available here online, see http://www.livingislam.org/maa/dcmm_e.html.
[3] BBC News online, “Ban foreign language imams — peer”, 6 July 2007, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6275574.stm.
[4] Helena Kennedy, Just Law (London: Vintage, 2005); Paddy Hillyard, Suspect Community (London: Pluto, 1993).
[5] Mohammad-Mahmoud Mohamedou, Understanding al-Qaeda: The Transformation of War (London: Pluto Books, 2005).
[6] See [1a] for the reference.
Filed under Civil liberties, Ghuluw, Terrorism, UK Muslim Politics, UK Politics, war-on-terror
Abdullah Quilliam and Sufism
British Muslim Archives: A rare profile of and interview with Martin Lings (Al-Hajj Abu Bakr Siraj al-Din) from 1963
Abdullah Quilliam’s obituary of Yahya Parkinson (1874-1918)
Playing the sectarian card: Britain’s Ministry of Justice is unfairly targeting Muslim prison chaplains
Telling the Story of How British Muslims Are Part of the Nation’s History
Bookish Pursuits
Culture and the Arts
Ghuluw
Racism and Islamophobia
UK Muslim Politics
war-on-terror
Yahya Birt ·
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ExposeFacts
New Evidence on Honduran Election
The Real News reports that contrary to the claims of many, including the U.S. representative to the Organization of American States, the official polling data suggest that the turnout in the recently boycotted Honduran election was under 50 percent. See: “Honduran Elections Exposed.”
JESSE FREESTON
Freeston is a reporter for The Real News who has produced several segments on Honduras since the June coup.
LAURA CARLSEN, in Mexico City
Carlsen, who was in Honduras during the recent boycotted election, notes the findings of The Real News in her new piece “‘Honduran Elections’: A Parody on Democracy.”
She warns that with many accepting false claims of the coup government, an escalating human rights crackdown now may occur in Honduras.
Carlsen is director of the Americas Program for the Center for International Policy; she is based in Mexico City.
ROBERT E. WHITE
A former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador and Paraguay, White is president of the Center for International Policy. He just wrote the piece “Honduras and a Divided Latin America.”
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
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Browsing Posts published in March, 2011
Autism Impacts Everyone In Some Way
March 31, 2011 admin No comments
MacNeil Returns to ‘NewsHour’ for Autism Series
By ELIZABETH JENSEN
Veteran journalist Robert MacNeil will return to the “PBS NewsHour” in April for a six-part series of reports on autism, the program said Tuesday.
The series will mark the first time Mr. MacNeil, who stepped down as the program’s co-anchor in 1995, has reported for the “NewsHour” in a decade, although he has continued to do occasional work for PBS in recent years, and excerpts of some of those programs have aired on the newscast.
What drew him back for the autism reports was a personal tie; his 6-year-old grandson Nick has autism, “NewsHour” said in a release, adding that it was the first time in Mr. MacNeil’s five decades as a journalist that he has chosen to bring his own family into a story.
The reports are being produced by journalist Caren Zucker, who also has a 16-year-old autistic son.
“NewsHour” said the series, which is scheduled to be broadcast April 18 through April 26, will profile the experience of children with autism and its impact on families, including Mr. MacNeil’s. It will also explore the medical research into causes of autism and the public policy issues it raises.
Mr. MacNeil, an NBC News correspondent earlier in his career, started anchoring a half-hour nightly newscast called the “Robert MacNeil Report “ for PBS in 1975. The following year, it was renamed “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report” when then Washington correspondent Jim Lehrer joined the anchor desk.
The program, which has been honored with every major broadcast journalism award, continues to be anchored by Mr. Lehrer. It became the “NewsHour” when it expanded to an hour in 1983.
Pre I.E.P. Notes
The annual IEP, constant source of false hope and missed opportunities. Still, it does provide the opportunity to benchmark your child’s progress, whether it’s substanica or in my case, maddingly slow. My better half asked me to write down some notes, but I found myself simply using it as an opportunity to journal about it. Of course, that’s what this bully pulpit is suppose to do as well, so with no futher ado, what follows are my thoughts:
As Michael has withdrawn, I see the headphones being used more for protecting him from sound rather than obtaining sounds. Since his operation, I haven’t heard him play the CD Player/iPad as loud as he used to. I wonder if better hearing has made the world even noisier/scarier for him? It seems to me that Michael doesn’t sing as much as he used to. I can’t recall the last time he belted out “Take me out to the ball game”. Mostly, he speaks very quietly. The 1st goal would be to stop his retreat and help bring him back to where he was. Having Michael singing and smiling again would be wonderful! Perhaps it’s all about empowerment? Or simply feeling some sense of control over his environment? Not sure how to make Michael feel brave again.
autism, special needs parent, Uncategorized none
The Magic Bullet
Wouldn’t it be great is someday, science finds the needle in the haystack which is the causation of autism. The news would probably be more of a wimper, because it won’t be until the day that chemists are able to take the information and produce drugs specifically based on the new breakthough.
and wouldn’t it be great, if the discovery has already been made and the name is SHANK3..
Autism Gene Studied in Lab MiceMarch 21, 2011 4:34 PM
By Stephanie Sajor
Source: Comstock/Thinkstock
Autism traits were reproduced in lab mice by mutating the gene associated with the behavioral disorder. Scientists say the finding of the gene could lead to more advanced treatments for autism.
The gene, called SHANK3, was found to be related to two common autism traits: compulsive repetitive behavior and avoidance of social interaction.
Read more: http://www.thirdage.com/news/autism-gene-studied-lab-mice_3-21-2011#ixzz1HMl8JMoQ
12 Year Old Prodigy
To be honest, I was hoping my boys would turn out to be savants, but that’s not the case. Still, as Temple Grandin once said, science is advanced by the autistic population.
Here’s the story of a 12 year old physics prodigy out of Indiana that makes Doogie Howser seem like a lightweight.
autism, special needs parent none
Bed Time Fiasco
A few months ago I had written about how we had finally gotten our bed back.
Well, I feel like a Libyan rebel who’s been repelled out of Tripoli. The boys, armed with their superior numbers and fire power, have once again taken over the night time routine. To make matters worse, Sean’s OCD has been on complete overdrive at nighttime. Now, he has a new ritual that requires him to begin the sleeping process in the downstairs family room and only until he is tired and frustrated does he consider moving to his upstairs bedroom.
And then he sleeps like a spider on a web. The slightest move or noise and up he springs. Plus he has this new need to keep the balls of his feet under constant pressure all night long. It’s only about 4am when he finally allows himself to fall into a deeper sleep that he lets his body uncoil and truly relax.
God, I hope we qualify for the Seaside STX209 study. I think Sean would GREATLY benefit from anti-anxiety medication! And God knows his father can use some relief even more!
iPad / Intuitive to Michael, a Mystery to his Old Man
It seems at least once a week there is a new article about the iPad and how intuitive kids in the spectrum find it to be. “Finger flipping”, which is the navigation path of the iPad is 2nd nature to my son Michael. He continually finds new links within iTunes and the other apps to help him visualize his music as he plays it. He was watching Roundabout the other day, with the original Roger Dean artists drawings and reading about how the lrics came to Jon Anderson as he was driving to the studio that day. I’ve been a YES fan for 40 years and never knew the origins of that song, so it was very cool for me to read over his shoulder.
It seems we all should be demanding iPads for our kids at school.
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Still have your childhood teddy? The psychological power of the toys we keep
Atlantis Online > Forum > Halloween & Seasonal > Seasonal > Still have your childhood teddy? The psychological power of the toys we keep
Author Topic: Still have your childhood teddy? The psychological power of the toys we keep (Read 128 times)
Jenna Bluehut
Infants often find comfort in ‘transitional objects’ that help them on the path to independence. Guardian readers discuss the security blankets and teddies they have held close
Moya Sarner
Wed 12 Dec 2018 01.00 EST
Last modified on Wed 12 Dec 2018 12.02 EST
‘Transitional objects’ – teddies and comforters – sent in by readers to Guardian Community
‘Once you’ve been loved you become real’ ... a selection of readers’ transitional objects. Composite: Guardian Community
When he was four years old, Chris had a piece of blue cloth he took everywhere with him, which he called Boo-Boo. Now 60, a retired teacher, husband and father of three adult children, he still remembers the feeling of safety he found when he gently rubbed the soft fabric against his face or between his fingers. “My Boo-Boo provided me with the comfort and security I craved. I wanted it with me, a bit like I wanted my mum with me all the time when I was little,” he says.
Shortly before Chris’s first day at school, his mother told him that he could not take his Boo-Boo with him and that he should throw it into their fire. “I can see it now, the lounge and the open fire, my mum telling me that I had to throw this Boo-Boo in. I couldn’t have it any more, I had to grow up. I can’t remember whether I cried or not, I can just feel the anguish. I had a sense of loss, an emptiness, without understanding.”
Chris does not resent his mother – now approaching 90 – for what happened: “It was a rite of passage; I detected that it was for my own benefit. It doesn’t cause me distress, I never felt traumatised, it’s not anything I ever dwelt on,” he says. But he acknowledges that the clarity of the scene as it replays in his mind, the fondness with which he remembers his Boo-Boo and the meaning we now know these objects can have for children all suggest this may not be the whole story.
This piece of cloth had meaning and power and was always with him, whether he was in bed, walking around the house or playing with friends – “a bit like Linus”, he says. It was through Linus, the best friend of Charlie Brown and the younger brother of Lucy van Pelt in the comic strip Peanuts, that the cartoonist Charles M Schulz popularised the term “security blanket” – Linus was rarely seen without his.
Peanuts’ Linus Van Pelt
The most famous adopter of the security blanket ... Peanuts’ Linus van Pelt. Photograph: Everett Collection/Alamy
From the Schulz Museum in California, the cartoonist’s widow, Jean, tells me that this idea came from her husband’s youngest child, Jill, who used to carry a blanket everywhere. “In fact, she would get out of her bed and sleep curled up on the floor with her blanket outside of the parents’ room,” she says. “So, that’s kind of sweet – talk about security.”
The exhibition Good Grief, Charlie Brown!, on display at Somerset House in London until 3 March 2019, shows that Schulz had a profound understanding of loss, childhood and the human condition. His depiction of the attachment Linus feels for his security blanket touched something in his readers – and in Guardian readers, too. When we asked readers about their favourite earliest possession, we received stories and photographs of teddies and blankets that had been literally loved to bits.
Catherine Jones, 45, from Hull, has Teddy, whom she was given in her first year of primary school. Ian Robertson, 50, from Whistable in Kent, clung to Panda “even after my brother chewed one of his eyes out and spat it from the family Vauxhall Viva as we were heading up the M6”; he now occupies the best chair in his house. Rachel, 45, from Farnham in Surrey, was given Dog after her grandmother died, so he reminds her of precious family ties.
Mike Graham’s Ted
‘Things may change, but he won’t – and that’s still a source of comfort’ ... Mike Graham’s Ted. Photograph: Jen Whiting
The origins of Ann Bradley’s Teddy are lost in family lore – it was a gift from either her mother or her grandmother – but she has gone on to comfort the 58-year-old from Swindon, as well as her daughter and now her new granddaughter. Flora, who is originally from Scotland and lives in London, has had a collection of muslin cloths, or Bubbys, for 25 years. She does not sleep as well without them, so she cannot see herself “parting ways with my beloved Bubbys any time soon”.
Linus’s security blanket made its first appearance in Peanuts on 1 June 1954, three years after the paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott wrote his seminal paper on these “transitional objects”, as he called them; he would later ask Schulz for permission to use Linus’s blanket as an illustration of his theory.
The transition in Winnicott’s “transitional object” refers to the shift every infant must make, as he wrote, “from a state of being merged with the mother to a state of being in relation to the mother as something outside and separate”. Angela Joyce, the chair of the Winnicott Trust and a fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society, explains that, for Winnicott: “There isn’t much distinction, from the baby’s point of view, between the self and the other; it’s a very merged-in space.” But as the baby develops, as his or her body, memory and interests in the objects and people around them mature, “many choose something that becomes special and is used at times of separation”.
A transitional object tends to be chosen in the first six months of life and to have qualities reminiscent of the mother: it is soft; it can be stroked, cuddled and bitten; and, on a symbolic level, it links to maternal care. This helps to smooth the edges of the mother’s absence. As gaps between feeds grow, Joyce explains, “space opens up between baby and mother, occupied by this special object”. Possessions such as Chris’s Boo-Boo help an infant to navigate the experience of difference and separation from the mother, inside whom they spent the first nine months of their existence, so that (with apologies to the Spice Girls) one can become two.
Winnicott says they are about more than comfort: they lead to play, fundamental to the development of a healthy mind
Winnicott also described it as “the first ‘not me’ possession”, but often the boundary between the self and the other can seem porous – as it did for Mike Graham. Graham, 72, is a retired teacher, pub landlord, political adviser and stained-glass window-maker, who lives in Cumbria with his wife and Ted, “not a teddy bear as such, but a green panda”, he explains.
“I was born just after the war when things were tight,” he says. “Because my mother couldn’t afford a teddy bear, one of her nursing colleagues made Ted out of the only material she had – a kind of green hessian, with black felt eyepatches. At present, he looks very dishevelled.” He has been in Graham’s life for seven decades: “He was a very, very significant part of my childhood for a while and he’s part of me.”
Until Graham was about eight, he chatted to Ted every night in bed. “I can remember I really thought I talked to him. He’s a superb listener.” He would tell him significant things that had happened that day, as a way of sorting things out in his mind, before falling asleep hugging Ted.
Although Ted faded into the background of Graham’s life as he grew older, his significance has never waned and reasserts itself at times of distress. Graham was living in the West Indies with his first wife, a diplomat, when he found out she had had an affair. He swiftly left the country. “I was very upset. I packed a suitcase – it wasn’t even full – and I packed him. I didn’t get the rest of my belongings for months. But he was a part of me and it was important that I didn’t lose him,” he says. Ted still represents “stability and durability. Things may change, but he won’t – and that’s still a source of comfort when times are difficult.”
Security blanket toy Dog, owned by a Guardian reader, Rachel
A reminder of family ties ... Rachel’s Dog. Photograph: Guardian Community
In Winnicott’s theory, these possessions are about more than comfort: they lead to play, which is fundamental to the development of a healthy mind. In what he calls “the intermediate space” that opens up between mother and baby, occupied and stretched by the transitional object, the child’s imagination and creativity grow. “It is good to remember always that playing itself is a therapy,” Winnicott wrote.
Saskia, 32, works in IT in the south-east of England. When she was a child, her mother came home late from work one night with a rag doll, whom Saskia named Annie. “I quickly pulled off her hat, so I can only ever remember her being bald, and over a few years she also lost one eye,” she says. “I used to carry her around by her neck, so her head came off a few times and my nan had to sew it back on. She’s not the prettiest toy. They say, in [the Margery Williams children’s book] The Velveteen Rabbit, that once you’ve been loved you become real and you can only be ugly to those who don’t understand. That’s how it is with old toys.”
Saskia was happy and playful at home, growing up in a loving and supportive family, but school was difficult. She was highly academic, but struggled socially. In her 20s, she was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Annie was not only a comfort, Saskia believes, but also helped her develop her artistic side. “I was a quirky, creative kid. I talked to Annie, played games with her, wrote stories,” she says. This kind of play, she thinks, teaches children “to see the world through the eyes of someone else. I always wonder if the toys and stories helped me with empathy, which is difficult for a lot of autistic people.”
Saskia’s doll, Annie
‘I always wonder if the toys and stories helped me with empathy, which is difficult for a lot of autistic people’ ... Saskia’s doll, Annie. Photograph: Guardian Community
While Saskia and Graham no longer cling to Annie and Ted as they used to, Anindita Roulet’s need for her Kaporji remains as strong as ever. Roulet, a 46-year-old English tutor, lives with her husband and her two teenage children outside Paris. She was born in London but moved to India to live with her grandparents in the east Indian city of Jamshedpur when she was one year old, because her parents were struggling to manage. She has no memories of it, but says: “I’ve seen some photos and I certainly look like I was having a whale of a time. It’s quite an idyllic life and a deeply affectionate family. I suspect I was spoilt rotten.”
She explains how her Kaporji, which she translates from Bengali as Sir Cloth, came to be. “During that year in India, I slept beside my grandmother every night and she wore a white cotton sari loosely wrapped around her. It was the train of this sari I held on to as I slept.” When Roulet’s parents came to bring her back to London, the separation from her grandparents was painful for the two-year-old. But her grandmother packed a couple of cotton saris in her suitcase and Roulet’s mother cut out a large square for her to take to bed.
So it continued: “After one piece disintegrated, another would replace it – always a piece of my granny’s sari and no one else’s,” she says. “My mum would stick pieces in the washing machine to get it softer and softer, so that when I needed a replacement it wasn’t too stiff.” Her memory of the year spent with her grandmother faded, but her attachment to her Kaporji did not. When a sari ran out, her grandmother would send more or they would be collected during visits back to India every few years. “I’m still sleeping with it. I know it’s ridiculous, at 46, but I can’t quite give it up,” she says.
“It’s very soft and I hold it in a fist in my right hand. My fingers sink into it and it feels really reassuring. Most nights, I will lose it for a moment as I loosen my grip in my sleep, but I always retrieve it and wake up with it in the morning,” says Roulet. Her husband thinks it is hysterical, but she has never let any man come between her and her Kaporji. “I very clearly explained I’m not clingy when it comes to the person sharing my bed, but definitely when it comes to my Kaporji. I don’t think I left any room for argument,” she says, laughing.
She did not remain as close with her grandmother, whom she saw only every few years and who has since died from dementia, but they always shared this bond, although they never spoke of it. “At the end, she was forgetting things, but every time I visited she would open her drawer and take out a sari. She never forgot that,” she says. “I’m very grateful for the fact that I have this connection, this thread – several threads – that run through our lives together.”
Guardian reader Flora with her collection of comforters Bubbys
Flora with her collection of Bubbys. Photograph: Guardian Community
The meaning of these transitional objects can resonate in adulthood for others, too. Occasionally, Graham will talk to Ted, who now sits on a bookcase near his chair. “Now and again, something will happen of significance and I’ll sit him on my lap and say: ‘What do you think about that, Ted?’ Or it can be a silent chat. I don’t have to say any words. It sounds daft, but I’m not ashamed of it; I realise what a part of me he is,” he says.
For Saskia, it is the memories evoked by her doll that have significance. “My mum working so hard, and late, still thinking of me on her way home. Family holidays, stupid games with my brother. My nan, who had arthritis, knitting her a scarf and trying to sew her head back on,” she says. “The older you get, the more meaningful these objects become in a different way.”
Even Chris, who lost his Boo-Boo before he was five, still carries a tissue around in his pocket and touches it for comfort from time to time. As our conversation is about to come to an end, he is suddenly startled by a memory. “It just flashed in front of me,” he says. “My youngest daughter, her favourite soft toy was a penguin. When she was about 10, we were walking by the seaside in Bournemouth and, unbeknown to us, she dropped this soft toy. About five minutes later, she said: ‘I’ve lost my Pingu!’ We were looking everywhere and all of a sudden I saw it drifting out to sea. My daughter became really distressed – she was saying: ‘I love you, Pingu, don’t go, don’t go, don’t go!’
“It was February and it was snowing and I had no towel. I stripped down to my underpants and went into the freezing sea; I swam out there and got it back, because it all came rushing back to me – I understood, I just knew where she was. Maybe I was reliving that loss, of throwing my Boo-Boo into the fire. Until this conversation, I’d never put the two together.”
The meaning of these objects lives on long after we have outgrown them – whether we realise it or not. What made Linus compelling, according to Schulz’s widow Jean, is that, through him, her husband was able to indicate that security is not just about a little child with a blanket. “There is one comic strip that I love,” she says – one that is on display in the London exhibition. “Linus is fighting with Snoopy for his blanket and when he finally gets it back, he says something like: “Security must be won over and over and over again.”
Some names have been changed
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/12/still-have-childhood-teddy-psychological-power-toys-we-keep
Re: Still have your childhood teddy? The psychological power of the toys we keep
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الخميس, 10 أيلول/سبتمبر 2015 05:16
The Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines
(Approved on March 6.1991 with the Amendments of December 6, 1994)
Article 1: To Facilitate the laying of grounds for the growth and expansion of the country's economy, exchange of ideas and expression of opinions by industrial, mineral, agricultural and commercial managers, the Islamic Republic of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines in hereby established by virtue of the functions and powers set out in this Law.
Article 2: The Islamic Republic of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines is a non-profit making entity with juridical personality and financial independence.
Article 3: The Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines which is hereafter called Iran Chamber in this law, shall be situated in the city of Tehran.
Article 4: The scope of activity of a Provincial Chamber is limited to the boundaries as laid down in the Law of the National Geographic Division, and each provincial Chamber enjoys juridical personality and shall be independent in its financial and administrative affairs in accordance with the respective regulations.
Note 1: At least fifty members are needed for establishment of a provincial Chamber.
Note 2: Tehran, like other provinces, shall have an independent Chamber and its scope of activity and range of functions will be similar to those of the other Chambers.
Note 3: The manner and amount of the Iran Chamber's financial contribution to the provincial Chambers shall be subject to the approval of the Iran Chamber Board of Directors.
FUNCTIONS AND POWERS
Article 5: The functions and powers of the Iran Chamber are as follow:
A. Generating coordination and cooperation among the merchants and industrial, mineral and agricultural entrepreneurs in carrying out the related laws and current regulations of the country.
B. Rendering of consultative opinions to the legislative, judiciary and executive powers on the economic issues of the country in the areas of commerce, industry, mining, and the like.
C. Cooperation with the executive agencies and other concerned authorities for the purpose of implementation of the laws and rules relating to the Chamber.
D. Establishment of contacts with the chambers of other countries and forming joint chambers and commissions with them on the basis of the strategic policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
E. Setting up specialized and commercial exhibitions within and outside the country with the approval of the Ministry of Commerce and participation in the seminars and conferences relating to the Chamber's commercial, industrial, mineral and agricultural activities in the framework of the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
F. Making endeavors to survey the foreign markets for Iranian export goods and encouraging and assisting the respective entities to participate in the fairs inside and outside the country.
G. Encouraging and promoting domestic investment in production, especially with respect to the production of export goods with competitive advantage.
H. Endeavoring in the area of considering and arbitrating the national and international differences which may arise between the members or other applicants by means of setting up the Iran Chamber Arbitration Center on the basis of an articles of association which will be prepared by the judiciary Power and shall be approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly (parliament).
L. To organize and manage the Economic Statistics and Information Center for completing the asks and activities of the Chamber.
J. Issuing membership cards in accordance with the by-law of the Iran Chamber to complete the documents required for issuance of commercial cards.
K. Setting up export and import unions and producers' syndicates in the areas of various commercial, industrial, mineral and services activities according to the relevant regulations.
L. To hold applied courses in different fields of commerce, industry, mines and services commensurate with the national requirements.
M. Provision, issuance, settlement and certification of documents which are assigned to the Iran Chamber by virtue of international rules, in coordination with the Ministry of Commerce.
N. Establishing joint chambers with friendly countries in coordination with the Ministries of Commerce and Foreign Affairs.
BODIES OF THE IRAN CHAMBER
Article 6: The bodies of the Iran Chamber are as follows:
A. The Supreme Supervisory Council
B. The Board of Delegates
C. The Board of Directors.
Article 7: The bodies of the provincial Chambers are:
A: The Board of Delegates
B: The Board of Directors
Article 8: The Supreme Supervisory Council consists of the following persons:
Ministers of Commerce, Financial Affairs and Finance, Industries, Mines and Metals, Agriculture, as well as the President and two of the Vice-Presidents of the Iran Chamber.
The Minister of Commerce shall act as the chairman of the Supreme Supervisory Council.
Article 9: The duties of the Supreme Supervisory Council shall be as follows:
A. Discussing and approving the procedural regulations respecting the conditions of membership in each of the Chambers and determination of its limits upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors.
B. Policy-making and determination of the general guidelines of the Chamber and supreme supervision of the proper execution of the same in the framework of the relevant laws and regulations.
C. Consideration of the recommendations and complaints of the Chambers respecting the manner of their activities and the means for improvement of their affairs.
D. Dissolution of the Chambers in accordance with Article 10.
E. Appointment of the provisional board of directors for a period not exceeding three months for the Chambers which are not able to carry out their duties and at the same time announcing the date of holding a new election.
F. Hearing of the report about the performance of the Iran Chamber and taking decisions on the views presented by it.
Note 1: The Supreme Supervisory Council meets at least twice a year. The manner of holding the sessions and achieving a quorum shall be outlined in a by-law that will be approved by the Supreme Supervisory Council.
Note 2: Instances and conditions of the annulment of Chamber membership shall be according to a by-law which the Board of Directors will recommend to the Supreme Supervisory Council for approval.
Article 10: The Chambers shall be dissolved by the declaration of the Supreme Supervisory Council on the following grounds:
1. Losing the minimum members needed.
2. Failure of the members to put up themselves as candidates and refusal to assume responsibilities at the Chamber.
Note: Upon the declaration of dissolution by the Supreme Supervisory Council, a board of three members shall be appointed by the Council to decide about the assets and financial undertakings of the Chamber concerned, on the basis of a by-law which will be approved by the council and in accordance with the current laws concerning the winding up of companies.
THE BOARD OF DELEGATES
Article 11: The Board of Delegates:
The Board of Delegates of the Iran Chamber consists of the appointees of the country's Chambers and representatives of the unions and syndicates affiliated to the Iran Chamber.
Note 1: At the first meeting, the board of delegates of the relevant Chamber shall be elected for a term of four years and will be introduced to the Iran Chamber.
Note 2: Any Chamber with a membership of less than 150 shall have one delegate, and Chambers with more than 150 members shall have one delegate for each 100 members.
Note 3: Of each union and syndicate affiliated to the Iran Chamber one delegate will be elected and introduced.
Note 4: Membership of the Iran Chamber Board of Delegates is honorary.
Article 12: The number of the members of the Iran Chamber Board of Delegates is 60 who are elected for a term of 4 years in the following manner:
20 persons appointed by the Ministers composing of 10 persons from the Ministry of Commerce, 8 persons from the Ministry of Industries, and 2 persons from the Ministry of Mines and Metals. 40 persons elected from among the members of the Tehran Chamber composing of 20 persons from the commerce sector, 16 persons from the industry sector, and 4 persons from the mining sector.
Article 13: The number of the board of delegates of other provincial Chambers are 15 persons of whom 6 persons are from the commerce sector, 6 persons from the industry sector, and 3 persons from the mining sector of the relevant Chamber who shall be elected for a term of 4 years.
Note: In the event that a sector has no candidates for membership, the required number shall be elected from among the candidates of other sectors.
Article 14: For membership in each Chamber, having a valid membership card from the relevant Chamber is needed.
Article 15: Election of each Chamber is carried out in one day, and the nationwide elections shall be concluded within one month.
Note 1: Two months before the end of the current term of the Boards of Delegates, the Iran Chamber is bound to hold the elections for next term.
Note 2: For holding the elections of delegates of the Tehran Chamber and the provinces, an Election Supervision Commission shall be set up consisting of one representative from the Ministry of Commerce appointed by the Minister, and 4 representatives from the Iran Chamber appointed by the president of the Chamber.
The commission, for carrying out the elections of the provincial Chambers, will form a board of not less than three persons consisting of one representative from the Ministry of Commerce, and the rest from among the respected members of the relevant provincial Chamber. The said board by publishing a notice in one of the mass-circulation newspapers will notify the members of the relevant Chambers of the date and duration and conditions of the elections.
Article 16: The functions and powers of the Iran Chamber Board of Delegates shall be as follows:
A. Appointment of the Board of Directors.
B. Examining and approving and appropriation of the Chamber budget.
C. Reviewing and commenting on the reports and recommendations of the commissions and other units of the Chamber and taking decisions on the same within the limits of the powers granted.
D. Establishment of the advisory commissions in numbers required and election of their members from among the delegates.
E. Preparing and recommending by-laws of this Law to the Supreme Supervisory Council for decision at most within two months after the formation of the Iran Chamber as well as recommending subsequent amendments to be made to the by-laws with observation of Note 2 of Article 15.
Article 17: The Board of Directors of the Iran Chamber consist of 7 members and the board of directors of each provincial Chambers has 5 members who will be elected for four years at the first meeting of the Board of Delegates.
Article 18: For managing the executive affairs of the Chamber according to the respective laws and regulations and by-laws, the President of the Chamber proposes to the Board of Directors a person as Secretary General who, upon the Board's approval and under the supervision of the President, will perform his duties.
Note: Replacement of the Secretary General will be possible upon the recommendation of the President and approval of the Board of Directors.
Article 19: The functions and powers of the Iran Chamber Board of Directors shall be as follows:
A. Implementation of the resolutions of the Supreme Supervisory Council and the Board of Delegates.
B. Reviewing and confirming the recommendations and report of the Chamber's Commissions and presenting them to the Board of Delegates and the Supreme Supervisory Council, as the case may be.
C. Appointing the representatives of the Chamber for participating in domestic and international gatherings and determination of the scope of their functions and activities, as well as approval of the related expenses.
D. Examining, approving and appropriating the annual budget prepared by the Secretary General, and recommending it to the Board of Delegates for approval.
Article 20: The functions and powers of the Board of Directors of the provincial Chambers shall be as follows:
A. Reviewing and confirming the recommendations and reports of the Commissions and presenting the same to the Board of Delegates.
B. Appointment of the representatives of the provincial Chambers for participating in domestic official gatherings.
C. Examining the annual budget and the budget appropriation report and presenting it to the Board of Delegates for approval.
Article 21: Revenues of the Iran Chamber shall be generated from the following sources:
A. Annual membership fees in accordance with the by-law which, upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors, shall be approved by the Board of Delegates.
B. Implementation for the Law on the Manner of Meeting the Expenses of the Islamic Republic of Iran Chambers of commerce, Industries, and Mines approved on 2 November 1993.
Article 22: The Chamber revenues shall be expended according to the rules that the Board of Delegates will approve Upon the recommendation of the Board of Directors.
Article 23: In all the laws and regulations wherein Tehran Chamber of Commerce, industries and Mines are mentioned, the Iran Chamber shall replace them.
Article 24: The procedural by-laws of this law at the national scale as well as the general rules and regulations governing the functions and powers of the provincial Chambers or the Board of Delegates of the Iran Chamber and the decisions which are thus approved, shall all be binding on the Board of Directors and other Bodies.
Article 25: All the assets, movable and immovable properties, liabilities and debts of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Mines shall be transferred to the Iran Chamber.
Article 26: As from the date of approval of this Law, all contradictory laws shall be canceled and the new elections of the Chambers will be carried out on the basis of this Law.
Labor Law (Employment of Foreign Citizens) [TOP]
Iranian Labor Law and Employment of Foreign Citizens
Employment of foreign nationals in Iran is only possible within the framework of the provisions stipulated in the Labour Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The general policy of the country is aimed at meeting its labour requirements and implementing its industrial and development projects through Iranian manpower as much as possible. However, employment of foreign manpower when there is an immediate need for their expertise, is not ruled out.
According to Article 120 of the Labour Law, approved on November 20, 1990, foreign nationals are not allowed to work in Iran unless they are provided with an entry visa with the right to engage in specific work, and secondly, they receive work permit according to relevant laws and by-laws.
Obviously, foreign nationals who are exclusively on diplomatic and consular missions, as well as the staff and experts of the United Nations and its affiliated organizations, correspondents of foreign news agencies and press, are exempted from such regulations on the condition of reciprocity.
Ministry of Labur and Social Affairs shall approve the issue of a visa for a specific type of occupation for foreign nationals and work permit for them while taking certain conditions into consideration:
Work permits would be issued, extended or renewed for a period of one year.
When the interests of the industries of the country necessitate the immediate employment of a foreign national, the minister of the relevant ministry may report the case to the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and upon the approval of the latter, a temporary work permit shall be issued for the foreign national without observing the relevant formalities for the issuance of a visa with right to engage in specific work. The temporary work permit would be valid for a maximum period of three months and its extention would be subject to the approval of the technical board in charge of the occupation of foreign nationals.
Prior to the conclusion of any contract through which foreign experts would b employed, employers are bound to inquire about the views of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs on the possibility for the said foreign nationals.
The Ministry of labour and Social Affairs is authorized to take measures for the nullification of the work permit for those foreign nationals who do not observe Islamic principles, current laws and regulations of the country and humanitarian relations, as declared by the competent authorities.
Employers who hire foreign nationals whose work permits have been expired or have no work permit, or employ them in jobs other than those stipulated in their work permits, or do not notify the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs about cases where the employment agreement between them and foreign nationals is terminated, shall be sentenced to prison terms ranging from 91 to 180 days. The court usually changes the jail punishment into cash penalty.
Let's have a look at the related articles of the Liranian Labor Law.
Article 120: Foreign citizens shall not be employed to work in Iran unless they have an entry visa entitling them to specified work and have obtained a work permit in accordance with the relevant statutory regulations.
Note: The following foreign citizens are not subject to the provisions of Article 120:
(a) Foreign citizens exclusively employed by diplomatic and consular missions, subject to confirmation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
(b) The personnel and experts of the United Nations and its specialized agencies, subject to confirmation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
(c) The correspondents of foreign news agencies and press, subject to reciprocity and by the confirmation of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Article 121: In accordance with the conditions stipulated here below, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairsl agrees to issuing an entry visa for the foreign citizen entitling him/her to an specified work, and shall issue the work permit:
(a) according to the information kept in the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, there are no qualified applicants with similar education and specialization among the work-seeking Iranian citizens.
(b) the foreign citizen possesses sufficient knowledge and expertise for the job in question.
(c) the expertise of the foreign citizen is further used to train Iranians with a view to the subsequent substitution of the foreign citizen by a trained Iranian.
Note: The Technical Board for Employment shall decide whether the conditions specified in this section are fulfilled. The rules governing the number of members of the Board, the conditions for their selection and the procedure for holding the sessions of the Board shall be drawn up by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and approved by the Council of Ministers.
Article 122: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs may issue, extend or renew the work permit of:
(a) a foreign citizen who has continuously resided in Iran for at least ten years;
(b) a foreign citizen married to an Iranian;
(c) immigrants from foreign countries, particularly the Islamic ones, and political refugees, provided that they have a valid immigration or refugee card, and subject to the written agreement of the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Article 123: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs may, if necessary and/or subject to reciprocity, exempt the citizens of certain countries and stateless persons (provided that their status is not optional and voluntary) from payment of the fee for a work permit or for the extension and renewal thereof, subject to confirmation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and approval by the council of ministers.
Article 124: In accordance with the provisions of this Code, a work permit shall be issued, extended or renewed for a maximum period of one year.
Article 125: Where, whatever the circumstances, an employment relationship between a foreign citizen and an employer is discontinued, the employer shall notify the Ministry of Labor and Social affairs thereof within 15 days. The foreign citizen shall within 15 days surrender his work permit to the said Ministry against a receipt. If necessary, the Ministry shall request the appropriate authorities to expel the foreign citizen from the country.
Article 126: Where it is considered contingent to recruit a foreign citizen urgently on an exceptional basis because of the needs of the industry of the country, the minister concerned shall notify the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs accordingly and, subject to the approval of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, a provisional work permit shall be issued to the foreign citizen concerned, without compliance with the formalities normally required for the issuance of a visa entitling the bearer to specified work.
Note: A provisional work permit shall be valid for three months at the most, any extension thereof being subject to confirmation by the Technical Board for the Employment of Foreign Citizens.
Article 127: The conditions of employment of foreign technical experts and specialists needed by the Government shall be drawn up with due regard to their nationalities, length of service, level of remuneration and the availability of domestic manpower. The said conditions shall be subject to ratification by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, following consideration and advice by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the State Organization for Administrative and Employment Affairs. In any case, a work permit for the employment of a foreign expert shall be issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs only with the approval of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
Article 128: Prior to signing any contract likely to entail the employment of foreign experts, an employer shall inquire the opinion of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs about the possibility for authorizing the employment of foreign citizens.
Article 129: The regulations on the employment of foreign citizens, including procedures for issuing, extending, renewing and canceling work permits and conditions for the selection of the members of the Technical Board for the Employment of Foreign citizens, as referred to in Article 121 of this Code, shall be drawn up by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and approved by the Council of Ministers.
Article 181: Any employer who employs a foreign citizen without a work permit, or whose work permit has expired, or who employs a foreign citizen for work other than that specified in his work permit, or who fails to report the discontinuation of the employment relationship of a foreign citizen to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs shall, with due regard to his situation and means and to the degree of the offense, be subject to a term of imprisonment ranging from 91 to 180 days.
The Executive Regulations of Article 129 of the Labor Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran
A: Manners of Issuance, Extension, Renewal and Cancellation of Foreign Citizens' Work Permits.
Article 1: The work permit of foreign citizens whose work visas have been approved by the Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens mentioned in Article 121 of the Labor Law will be issued by the "Department for Employment of Expatriates" of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
Note 1: The issuance of work visa for foreign citizens mentioned in the Article 122 of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Labor Law is not included in this article and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is authorized to take direct measures in necessary cases.
Note 2: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is allowed to, in exceptional cases of article 126 of the Islamic republic of Iran's labor law, issue a 3 months temporary work permit without observing the formalities related to issuance of work visa but observing other related regulations. The extension of the work permit of such individuals would be permitted following the confirmation of the technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens.
Article 2: Employers who use the foreign citizen's services are obliged to present the required documents for the issuance of work permit for the mentioned citizens to the related departments of Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs within one month of the citizen's arrival to the country. Otherwise, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs would declare the issue to the judicial authorities according to the article 181 of the labor law.
Article 3: Work permit for foreign technical experts and specialists needed by the government will be issued in any case by the Department of Employment of Expatriates after the approval of the Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens and the ratification of the Islamic Consultative Assembly.
Article 4: Employers who use the foreign citizens' services, if interested in extension of the foreign experts' work permit employed in their organizations, are obliged to send the required documents along with the report of training operations to the relevant departments of Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs within at least one month prior to expire of their work permits.
Article 5: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs can extend the work permit of those foreign citizens mentioned in the Article 3 of this regulation.
Note: Any increase in the projects of foreign manpower, or changes made in the kind of specialisations approved previously, should be discussed again in the Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens.
Article 6: All the work permit extension applications for foreign citizens employed in the private sector, in each turn of extension, would be mentioned and decided upon in the Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Nationals.
Article 7: Foreign citizens possessing valid work permits whose recruitment contracts with their employers are terminated due to any reason in conditions of change of the employer would be subjected to the renewal of the work permit.
Article 8: The foreign citizens' work permit in cases of change of the employer or the kind of employment, with the exception of foreign citizens mentioned in Article 122 of the Labor Law, would be renewed following the Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Nationals' agreement, by the relevant departments of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
Article 9: In cases when the employment relation of the foreign citizen is severed with the employer, the latter is obligated to inform the relevant departments of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs within 15 days for the cancellation and filing of foreign citizens' work permit.
The violators of this article would be subjected to the fines and penalties mentioned in article 181 of Labor Law.
Note: The replacement of the foreign citizen whose work permit has been cancelled is subject to the process of issuance of a new work permit in any case.
Article 10: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is authorized to cancel the work permit of those foreign citizens who do not observe the Islamic rules, the country's current laws and regulations, and the standard labor relations, on the basis of reports and declarations received from the related departments.
Note: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs can, in necessary cases, request the competent authorities to prohibit the entrance of those foreign citizens to the country, who haven't observed the points mentioned in this article and have offended more than twice.
Article 11: The executive procedures and necessary documents for issuance of work visa and also for the issuance, extension, and renewal of foreign citizens' work permits would be according to the directions which will be proposed by the Department for Employment of Expatriates and ratified by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
B: Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Nationals
Article 12: The Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens would consider and decide with regards to the granting of work permit to foreign specialists according to the following points:
1. Using accurate and up to date information about the supply and demand of internal labor market, implementing the general policies of employment of foreign citizens.
2. Consideration and supervision of the implementation of general policies regarding foreign citizens' employment in the field of overcoming the shortages of the internal labor market's requirements, observing the laws and regulations.
3. Investigating, supervising and following the time scheduled training program of sectors which use foreign citizens' services.
4. Investigation and supervision of the issue of skill transfer to the Iranian manpower and replacing the Iranians instead of the foreign citizens.
5. Supervision of the determination and approval of the expertise level of foreign citizens during their work permit validity.
Article 13: The composition of the members of Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens is as follows:
1. Two representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, introduced by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs,
2. A representative of the sector using the foreign citizens' services,
3. A representative of the State Organization for Administrative and Employment Affairs,
4. A representative of Plan and Budget Organization.
Article 14: The meetings of Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens would be held twice a week according to previous invitation chaired by one of the representatives of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, appointed by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs.
Article 15: The meetings would be in session with the participation of at least four members and the decisions made would be valid in case of at least 3 positive votes.
Article 16: The department for employment of expatriates is obliged to follow the decisions made by the technical board for employment of foreign citizens.
Article17: The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs can, in necessary cases, establish Technical Boards for Employment in provinces, and entrust the whole or a part of authorities of the Central Board to them.
Note: The composition and manner of establishment of the Technical Board for Employment of Foreign Citizens in provinces would be according to the directions ratified and approved by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
Fees to Be Paid For Issue and Extention of Work Permits
In the year 13789 (21 March 1999 - 19 March 2000), the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is permitted to receive 500,000 rials for issue and 300,000 rials for extention of the work permit of foreign citizens. (Paragraph E of Note 7 of the National Budget of 1378).
Sums Receiveable from the Salary of Foreign Employees
The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is permitted to receive 20% of the foreign employees' salary and allowances plus the equivalent of the unemployment insurance fee paid for the Iranian workers, from the employers in the relevant private sector.
(Paragraph B of Article 26 of the Law of Collection of Some of the Incomes of the Government and Spending the Same in Certain Cases, approved on 19 March 1995)
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Jonas Brothers’ ‘Happiness Begins’ Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart With Biggest Week of 2019
by Shaun on June 17, 2019 at 10:21 PM
Posted In: MUSIC NEWS
From left: Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas photographed on April 11, 2019 at Fox Studios in Los Angeles.
Jonas Brothers celebrate their third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, as Happiness Begins bows atop the chart. The set earned 414,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending June 13, of which 357,000 were in album sales. Both figures represent the largest week of the year for any album in terms of units and album sales.
Happiness Begins was released June 7 via Republic Records and is the pop trio’s first studio album since 2009’s chart-topping Lines, Vines and Trying Times.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units are comprised of traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new June 22-dated chart (where Happiness debuts at No. 1) will be posted in full on Billboard‘s websites on June 18.
In total, Happiness Begins’ starting sum of 414,000 equivalent album units are comprised of 357,000 in album sales, 52,000 in SEA units and 5,000 in TEA units.
You can read more at the source here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/8516136/jonas-brothers-happiness-begins-album-debuts-number-1-billboard-200
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CHARLES LEON CANUETTE
Charles Leon Canuette, age 91, of Baxley died Thursday, April 19, 2018 at the Pavilion.
Mr. Canuette was born November 4, 1926 in Vidalia, Georgia to the late Edgar Leon Canuette and the late Elizabeth Powell Canuette. He was a member of Smith Street Baptist Church. Mr. Canuette retired from CSX Railroad after 30 years of service and was a veteran of the United States Navy having served in World War II. He was preceded in death by his wife, Almeda Pierce Canuette.
Survivors include his daughter, Pamela A. Beach of Baxley; sister & brother-in-law, Mitizi & Leroy Pittman of Jacksonville, Florida; grandchildren, Christy Williams and Mark Beach both of Baxley; and great grandchildren, Maeson Williams and Allen Thomas Beach both of Baxley. Several nieces and nephews also survive.
A graveside service was held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 21, 2018 at Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Toombs County with the Rev. Wayne Williamson officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to The Gideons International Appling Camp P.O. Box 403 Baxley, Georgia 31515 or to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Musical selections were rendered by Floyd Hunter.
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Bicycle Jerseys from Southeast Asia
Free Shipping for All Clothing Items
Eric Sheppard captures second place at Tour de Korea for OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team’s sixth podium finish this season
OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team rider Eric Sheppard (back) crosses the finish line in second place in Stage 7 of the Tour de Korea on Saturday in Hongcheon, Korea.
15 June 2013 – FOR a week, the OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team flirted with a podium spot at the Tour de Korea.
On the Tour’s next-to-last day, Eric Sheppard finally delivered that prestigious and coveted honour, capturing second place in Saturday’s Stage 7 for the team’s sixth podium finish this year on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Asia Tour.
Excruciatingly, the 22-year-old Australian ended up less than a bicycle length short of being able to raise his arms in triumph as he crossed the finish line. Sheppard and one other rider, Seoul Cycling Team’s Cho Ho Sung, powered away from the lead pack about 3 kilometres from the finish, and Cho narrowly pipped Sheppard on the final stretch to earn the stage win. The two riders were credited with the same time of 3:32:43 in the 145.1-kilometre stage from Yangyang to Hongcheon.
“We are ecstatic at Eric’s tremendous performance,” said Justin Cheong, team manager of the OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team. “It’s a pity we didn’t win the stage because we did everything right today and came so close.”
Sheppard’s OCBC teammate Thomas Rabou also turned in a solid performance in Stage 7, rolling in with the 41-strong lead pack in a time of 3:32:57, 14 seconds behind Sheppard. Rabou, who finished 33rd, joined an early breakaway, which resulted in him capturing second place in the day’s only intermediate sprint and sixth place in the first King of the Mountains (KOM) climb of Stage 7.
Rabou remained in fifth place in the General Classification (GC) standings, 1:28 behind yellow jersey leader Michael Cuming of Rapha Condor JLT. Sheppard remained in 11th in the GC and third in the Best Young Rider competition, 2:57 behind white jersey leader Cheung Kinglok of Team Hong Kong China.
OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team rider Eric Sheppard crosses the finish line in Stage 3 of the Tour de Korea on Tuesday in Yeongju, Korea.
The OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team jumped up one spot to eighth place out of the 20 squads in the Team General Classification standings.
The duo will get one last opportunity to improve on their GC rankings when they take to the roads on Sunday for the unusually short 90.8-kilometre Stage 8 from Hongcheon to Hanam.
“We have been in good position throughout this Tour with both Thomas and Eric high up in the General Classification standings,” Cheong said. “But we are never satisfied. We want to be on the top spot of the podium and take home the yellow jersey every race we go to.”
Sheppard’s latest display of brilliance came 10 days after OCBC teammate Loh Sea Keong emerged victorious in Stage 4 of the Tour de Singkarak in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
The following are the OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team’s other podium finishes this year:
– The Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Cup Tour of Thailand: Loh Sea Keong, winner of Stage 2
– Le Tour de Filipinas: Thomas Rabou, third in Stage 4
– Melaka Governor’s Cup: Loh Sea Keong, 2nd, and Thomas Rabou, 3rd
The Tour de Korea has become yet another highlight in a season full of highlights for Singapore’s only professional cycling team. Including Sheppard’s second-place result on Saturday, the OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team has logged three top-10 finishes in its maiden appearance at the Tour de Korea. Rabou narrowly missed out on a podium spot when he took fifth place in Stage 6 on Friday, while Sheppard crossed the line in ninth in Stage 2. Rabou also almost cracked the top 10 when he finished 11th in Stage 1.
The other OCBC riders competing in the Tour de Korea are Jason Christie, Luke Parker and Low Ji Wen, who rank 51st, 72nd and 81st, respectively, in the GC. All three rolled in with the peloton in Stage 7 and were credited with the time of 3:52:22. Parker took 45th, Christie 57th and Low 71st in the stage.
Sheppard and Parker are stagiaires, that is, amateurs riding temporarily for a professional team as a tryout. They are riding in the OCBC jersey under an exchange programme with the search2retain powered by health.com.au team from Australia.
About OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team
The OCBC Singapore Pro Cycling Team was first founded in 2009 as an amateur club team with the mission to develop and promote Singapore cycling. The team has today turned into a full-fledged professional cycling team and established itself as the premier road developmental team for cycling talent in Singapore. Being the first and only professional cycling outfit out of Singapore, the team has been licensed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (“UCI”) as a UCI Continental Cycling Team since 2012. Riders from the team have been crowned champions or stage winners in races such as the Tour of California KOM, Tour of Siam, Tour de Kumamo, Tour of Filipinas and Tour of Thailand.
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Who is Mike Tauchman?
Milan Toolsidas· 4 months ago
On March 23, the Yankees traded left-handed pitcher Phillip Diehl to Colorado for outfielder Mike Tauchman. Tauchman was a two-sport athlete in high school, quarterbacking the football team in addition to playing baseball. He was drafted in 2013 in the 10th round by the Rockies and was called up four years later. The trade essentially bumped Tyler Wade from making the Opening Day roster, a surprise to many. So what do the Yankees see in the 28-year-old outfielder with only 69 big league plate appearances to his name?
An American League scout described Tauchman as having “plus speed and solid plate discipline with gap power.” He hit .323 in Triple-A last year in 112 games, launching 20 home runs and driving in 84. Furthermore, he posted a 153 wRC+ (100 is league average). Yet his minor league success has not translated to the majors: he has a measly .222 on-base percentage in his brief MLB career.
So is this just a depth piece? Well, the Yankees’ analytics team has been able to aid in detecting diamonds in the rough in recent years. These include players such as Luke Voit, Aaron Hicks, and Didi Gregorius, all of whom have had a big impact at the major league level. Tauchman in all likelihood won’t amount to as much as those players, but given the team’s deluge of early-season injuries, it is possible he can still add some value.
As noted above, Tauchman has plus speed. The average sprint speed in the MLB is around 27 feet per second (fps). Tauchman averaged 28.9 fps in 2018 with a 4.17 second home to first time. In terms of his plate discipline, he has averaged a 9.9 percent walk rate across his time in the minors. For context, a 10 percent walk rate is considered above average (about 8 percent is considered average). Most recently in 2018, he has a 12.7 percent walk rate, which is considered great. He had a 15.1 percent strikeout rate in his minor league career, deemed to be above average. He also sees a lot of pitches. In his major league career, he has averaged 4.29 pitches per plate appearance. That would typically rank in the top ten in the entire league.
There’s at least one fan of Tauchman out there: back in February (before the trade) Alex Chamberlain of FanGraphs wrote a hype post about the outfielder. In it, he details Tauchman’s breakout 2017 season in the minors, which saw his power spike while still putting the ball in play at an above-average clip. Tauchman followed this up with an even better 2018. Overall, Chamberlain found that only six other minor leaguers since 2009 had been better than Tauchman at the combination of power and contact.
Of course, thriving at Triple-A doesn’t guarantee success at the MLB. But we know that he will get some chances to show his value now that Giancarlo Stanton has landed on the 10-day IL with a left biceps strain, joining fellow outfielder Aaron Hicks, who may not be back until May.
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My intent here is not to promote illegal drugs or promote the abuse of prescription drugs. In fact, I have identified which drugs require a prescription. If you are a servicemember and you take a drug (such as Modafinil and Adderall) without a prescription, then you will fail a urinalysis test. Thus, you will most likely be discharged from the military.
A poster or two on Longecity claimed that iodine supplementation had changed their eye color, suggesting a connection to the yellow-reddish element bromine - bromides being displaced by their chemical cousin, iodine. I was skeptical this was a real effect since I don’t know why visible amounts of either iodine or bromine would be in the eye, and the photographs produced were less than convincing. But it’s an easy thing to test, so why not?
We have established strict criteria for reviewing brain enhancement supplements. Our reviews are clear, detailed, and informative to help you find supplements that deliver the best results. You can read our reviews, learn about the best nootropic ingredients, compare formulas, and find out how each supplement performed according to specific criteria.
But, if we find in 10 or 20 years that the drugs don't do damage, what are the benefits? These are stimulants that help with concentration. College students take such drugs to pass tests; graduates take them to gain professional licenses. They are akin to using a calculator to solve an equation. Do you really want a doctor who passed his boards as a result of taking speed — and continues to depend on that for his practice?
Expect to experience an increase in focus and a drastic reduction in reaction time [11][12][13][14][15][16]. You’ll have an easier time quickly switching between different mental tasks, and will experience an increase in general cognitive ability [17][18]. Queal Flow also improves cognition and motivation, by means of reducing anxiety and stress [19][20][21][22][23]. If you’re using Flow regularly for a longer period of time, it’s also very likely to improve your mental health in the long term (reducing cognitive decline), and might even improve your memory [24][25].
Fish oil (Examine.com, buyer’s guide) provides benefits relating to general mood (eg. inflammation & anxiety; see later on anxiety) and anti-schizophrenia; it is one of the better supplements one can take. (The known risks are a higher rate of prostate cancer and internal bleeding, but are outweighed by the cardiac benefits - assuming those benefits exist, anyway, which may not be true.) The benefits of omega acids are well-researched.
By which I mean that simple potassium is probably the most positively mind altering supplement I’ve ever tried…About 15 minutes after consumption, it manifests as a kind of pressure in the head or temples or eyes, a clearing up of brain fog, increased focus, and the kind of energy that is not jittery but the kind that makes you feel like exercising would be the reasonable and prudent thing to do. I have done no tests, but feel smarter from this in a way that seems much stronger than piracetam or any of the conventional weak nootropics. It is not just me – I have been introducing this around my inner social circle and I’m at 7/10 people felt immediately noticeable effects. The 3 that didn’t notice much were vegetarians and less likely to have been deficient. Now that I’m not deficient, it is of course not noticeable as mind altering, but still serves to be energizing, particularly for sustained mental energy as the night goes on…Potassium chloride initially, but since bought some potassium gluconate pills… research indicates you don’t want to consume large amounts of chloride (just moderate amounts).
We included studies of the effects of these drugs on cognitive processes including learning, memory, and a variety of executive functions, including working memory and cognitive control. These studies are listed in Table 2, along with each study’s sample size, gender, age and tasks administered. Given our focus on cognition enhancement, we excluded studies whose measures were confined to perceptual or motor abilities. Studies of attention are included when the term attention refers to an executive function but not when it refers to the kind of perceptual process taxed by, for example, visual search or dichotic listening or when it refers to a simple vigilance task. Vigilance may affect cognitive performance, especially under conditions of fatigue or boredom, but a more vigilant person is not generally thought of as a smarter person, and therefore, vigilance is outside of the focus of the present review. The search and selection process is summarized in Figure 2.
Modafinil, sold under the name Provigil, is a stimulant that some have dubbed the "genius pill." It is a wakefulness-promoting agent (modafinil) and glutamate activators (ampakine). Originally developed as a treatment for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders, physicians are now prescribing it “off-label” to cellists, judges, airline pilots, and scientists to enhance attention, memory and learning. According to Scientific American, "scientific efforts over the past century [to boost intelligence] have revealed a few promising chemicals, but only modafinil has passed rigorous tests of cognitive enhancement." A stimulant, it is a controlled substance with limited availability in the U.S.
How exactly – and if – nootropics work varies widely. Some may work, for example, by strengthening certain brain pathways for neurotransmitters like dopamine, which is involved in motivation, Barbour says. Others aim to boost blood flow – and therefore funnel nutrients – to the brain to support cell growth and regeneration. Others protect brain cells and connections from inflammation, which is believed to be a factor in conditions like Alzheimer's, Barbour explains. Still others boost metabolism or pack in vitamins that may help protect the brain and the rest of the nervous system, explains Dr. Anna Hohler, an associate professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
It is a known fact that cognitive decline is often linked to aging. It may not be as visible as skin aging, but the brain does in fact age. Often, cognitive decline is not noticeable because it could be as mild as forgetting names of people. However, research has shown that even in healthy adults, cognitive decline can start as early as in the late twenties or early thirties.
The prefrontal cortex at the front of the brain is the zone that produces such representations, and it is the focus of Arnsten’s work. “The way the prefrontal cortex creates these representations is by having pyramidal cells – they’re actually shaped like little pyramids – exciting each other. They keep each other firing, even when there’s no information coming in from the environment to stimulate the circuits,” she explains.
Smart pills containing Aniracetam may also improve communication between the brain’s hemispheres. This benefit makes Aniracetam supplements ideal for enhancing creativity and stabilizing mood. But, the anxiolytic effects of Aniracetam may be too potent for some. There are reports of some users who find that it causes them to feel unmotivated or sedated. Though, it may not be an issue if you only seek the anti-stress and anxiety-reducing effects.
Texas-based entrepreneur and podcaster Mansal Denton takes phenylpiracetam, a close relative of piracetam originally developed by the Soviet Union as a medication for cosmonauts, to help them endure the stresses of life in space. “I have a much easier time articulating certain things when I take it, so I typically do a lot of recording [of podcasts] on those days,” he says.
A related task is the B–X version of the CPT, in which subjects must respond when an X appears only if it was preceded by a B. As in the 1-back task, the subject must retain the previous trial’s letter in working memory because it determines the subject’s response to the current letter. In this case, when the current letter is an X, then the subject should respond only if the previous letter was a B. Two studies examined stimulant effects in this task. Rapoport et al. (1980) found that d-AMP reduced errors of omission in the longer of two test sessions, and Klorman et al. (1984) found that MPH reduced errors of omission and response time.
A LessWronger found that it worked well for him as far as motivation and getting things done went, as did another LessWronger who sells it online (terming it a reasonable productivity enhancer) as did one of his customers, a pickup artist oddly enough. The former was curious whether it would work for me too and sent me Speciosa Pro’s Starter Pack: Test Drive (a sampler of 14 packets of powder and a cute little wooden spoon). In SE Asia, kratom’s apparently chewed, but the powders are brewed as a tea.
In the nearer future, Lynch points to nicotinic receptor agents – molecules that act on the neurotransmitter receptors affected by nicotine – as ones to watch when looking out for potential new cognitive enhancers. Sarter agrees: a class of agents known as α4β2* nicotinic receptor agonists, he says, seem to act on mechanisms that control attention. Among the currently known candidates, he believes they come closest “to fulfilling the criteria for true cognition enhancers.”
I largely ignored this since the discussions were of sub-RDA doses, and my experience has usually been that RDAs are a poor benchmark and frequently far too low (consider the RDA for vitamin D). This time, I checked the actual RDA - and was immediately shocked and sure I was looking at a bad reference: there was no way the RDA for potassium was seriously 3700-4700mg or 4-5 grams daily, was there? Just as an American, that implied that I was getting less than half my RDA. (How would I get 4g of potassium in the first place? Eat a dozen bananas a day⸮) I am not a vegetarian, nor is my diet that fantastic: I figured I was getting some potassium from the ~2 fresh tomatoes I was eating daily, but otherwise my diet was not rich in potassium sources. I have no blood tests demonstrating deficiency, but given the figures, I cannot see how I could not be deficient.
Nootropics are also sought out by consumers because of their ability to enhance mood and relieve stress and anxiety. Nootropics like bacopa monnieri and L-theanine are backed by research as stress-relieving options. Lion’s mane mushroom is also well-studied for its ability to boost the nerve growth factor, thereby leading to a balanced and bright mood.14
We can read off the results from the table or graph: the nicotine days average 1.1% higher, for an effect size of 0.24; however, the 95% credible interval (equivalent of confidence interval) goes all the way from 0.93 to -0.44, so we cannot exclude 0 effect and certainly not claim confidence the effect size must be >0.1. Specifically, the analysis gives a 66% chance that the effect size is >0.1. (One might wonder if any increase is due purely to a training effect - getting better at DNB. Probably not25.)
l-theanine (Examine.com) is occasionally mentioned on Reddit or Imminst or LessWrong32 but is rarely a top-level post or article; this is probably because theanine was discovered a very long time ago (>61 years ago), and it’s a pretty straightforward substance. It’s a weak relaxant/anxiolytic (Google Scholar) which is possibly responsible for a few of the health benefits of tea, and which works synergistically with caffeine (and is probably why caffeine delivered through coffee feels different from the same amount consumed in tea - in one study, separate caffeine and theanine were a mixed bag, but the combination beat placebo on all measurements). The half-life in humans seems to be pretty short, with van der Pijl 2010 putting it ~60 minutes. This suggests to me that regular tea consumption over a day is best, or at least that one should lower caffeine use - combining caffeine and theanine into a single-dose pill has the problem of caffeine’s half-life being much longer so the caffeine will be acting after the theanine has been largely eliminated. The problem with getting it via tea is that teas can vary widely in their theanine levels and the variations don’t seem to be consistent either, nor is it clear how to estimate them. (If you take a large dose in theanine like 400mg in water, you can taste the sweetness, but it’s subtle enough I doubt anyone can actually distinguish the theanine levels of tea; incidentally, r-theanine - the useless racemic other version - anecdotally tastes weaker and less sweet than l-theanine.)
Both nootropics startups provide me with samples to try. In the case of Nootrobox, it is capsules called Sprint designed for a short boost of cognitive enhancement. They contain caffeine – the equivalent of about a cup of coffee, and L-theanine – about 10 times what is in a cup of green tea, in a ratio that is supposed to have a synergistic effect (all the ingredients Nootrobox uses are either regulated as supplements or have a “generally regarded as safe” designation by US authorities)
If you could take a drug to boost your brainpower, would you? This question, faced by Bradley Cooper’s character in the big-budget movie Limitless, is now facing students who are frantically revising for exams. Although they are nowhere near the strength of the drug shown in the film, mind-enhancing drugs are already on the pharmacy shelves, and many people are finding the promise of sharper thinking through chemistry highly seductive.
Disclaimer: None of the statements made on this website have been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. The products and supplements mentioned on this site are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, alleviate or prevent any diseases. All articles on this website are the opinions of their respective authors who do not claim or profess to be medical professionals providing medical advice. This website is strictly for the purpose of providing opinions of the author. You should consult with your doctor or another qualified health care professional before you start taking any dietary supplements or engage in mental health programs. Any and all trademarks, logos brand names and service marks displayed on this website are the registered or unregistered Trademarks of their respective owners.
Feeling behind, I resolved to take some armodafinil the next morning, which I did - but in my hurry I failed to recall that 200mg armodafinil was probably too much to take during the day, with its long half life. As a result, I felt irritated and not that great during the day (possibly aggravated by some caffeine - I wish some studies would be done on the possible interaction of modafinil and caffeine so I knew if I was imagining it or not). Certainly not what I had been hoping for. I went to bed after midnight (half an hour later than usual), and suffered severe insomnia. The time wasn’t entirely wasted as I wrote a short story and figured out how to make nicotine gum placebos during the hours in the dark, but I could have done without the experience. All metrics omitted because it was a day usage.
Remembering what Wedrifid told me, I decided to start with a quarter of a piece (~1mg). The gum was pretty tasteless, which ought to make blinding easier. The effects were noticeable around 10 minutes - greater energy verging on jitteriness, much faster typing, and apparent general quickening of thought. Like a more pleasant caffeine. While testing my typing speed in Amphetype, my speed seemed to go up >=5 WPM, even after the time penalties for correcting the increased mistakes; I also did twice the usual number without feeling especially tired. A second dose was similar, and the third dose was at 10 PM before playing Ninja Gaiden II seemed to stop the usual exhaustion I feel after playing through a level or so. (It’s a tough game, which I have yet to master like Ninja Gaiden Black.) Returning to the previous concern about sleep problems, though I went to bed at 11:45 PM, it still took 28 minutes to fall sleep (compared to my more usual 10-20 minute range); the next day I use 2mg from 7-8PM while driving, going to bed at midnight, where my sleep latency is a more reasonable 14 minutes. I then skipped for 3 days to see whether any cravings would pop up (they didn’t). I subsequently used 1mg every few days for driving or Ninja Gaiden II, and while there were no cravings or other side-effects, the stimulation definitely seemed to get weaker - benefits seemed to still exist, but I could no longer describe any considerable energy or jitteriness.
Integrity & Reputation: Go with a company that sells more than just a brain formula. If a company is just selling this one item,buyer-beware!!! It is an indication that it is just trying to capitalize on a trend and make a quick buck. Also, if a website selling a brain health formula does not have a highly visible 800# for customer service, you should walk away.
Long-term use is different, and research-backed efficacy is another question altogether. The nootropic market is not regulated, so a company can make claims without getting in trouble for making those claims because they’re not technically selling a drug. This is why it’s important to look for well-known brands and standardized nootropic herbs where it’s easier to calculate the suggested dose and be fairly confident about what you’re taking.
Minnesota-based Medtronic offers a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-cleared smart pill called PillCam COLON, which provides clear visualization of the colon and is complementary to colonoscopy. It is an alternative for patients who refuse invasive colon exams, have bleeding or sedation risks or inflammatory bowel disease, or have had a previous incomplete colonoscopy. PillCam COLON allows more people to get screened for colorectal cancer with a minimally invasive, radiation-free option. The research focus for WCEs is on effective localization, steering and control of capsules. Device development relies on leveraging applied science and technologies for better system performance, rather than completely reengineering the pill.
“As a physical therapist with 30+ years of experience in treating neurological disorders such as traumatic brain injury, I simply could not believe it when Cavin told me the extent of his injuries. His story opened a new door to my awareness of the incredible benefits of proper nutrition, the power of attitude and community to heal anything we have arise in our lives Cavin is an inspiration and a true way-shower for anyone looking to invest in their health and well-being. No matter the state your brain is in, you will benefit from this cutting-edge information and be very glad (and entertained) that you read this fine work.”
Probably most significantly, use of the term “drug” has a significant negative connotation in our culture. “Drugs” are bad: So proclaimed Richard Nixon in the War on Drugs, and Nancy “No to Drugs” Reagan decades later, and other leaders continuing to present day. The legitimate demonization of the worst forms of recreational drugs has resulted in a general bias against the elective use of any chemical to alter the body’s processes. Drug enhancement of athletes is considered cheating – despite the fact that many of these physiological shortcuts obviously work. University students and professionals seeking mental enhancements by taking smart drugs are now facing similar scrutiny.
Also known as Arcalion or Bisbuthiamine and Enerion, Sulbutiamine is a compound of the Sulphur group and is an analog to vitamin B1, which is known to pass the blood-brain barrier easily. Sulbutiamine is found to circulate faster than Thiamine from blood to brain. It is recommended for patients suffering from mental fatigue caused due to emotional and psychological stress. The best part about this compound is that it does not have most of the common side effects linked with a few nootropics.
Low-dose lithium orotate is extremely cheap, ~$10 a year. There is some research literature on it improving mood and impulse control in regular people, but some of it is epidemiological (which implies considerable unreliability); my current belief is that there is probably some effect size, but at just 5mg, it may be too tiny to matter. I have ~40% belief that there will be a large effect size, but I’m doing a long experiment and I should be able to detect a large effect size with >75% chance. So, the formula is NPV of the difference between taking and not taking, times quality of information, times expectation: \frac{10 - 0}{\ln 1.05} \times 0.75 \times 0.40 = 61.4, which justifies a time investment of less than 9 hours. As it happens, it took less than an hour to make the pills & placebos, and taking them is a matter of seconds per week, so the analysis will be the time-consuming part. This one may actually turn a profit.
2ml is supposed to translate to 24mg, which is a big dose. I do not believe any of the commercial patches go much past that. I asked Wedrifid, whose notes inspired my initial interest, and he was taking perhaps 2-4mg, and expressed astonishment that I might be taking 24mg. (2mg is in line with what I am told by another person - that 2mg was so much that they actually felt a little sick. On the other hand, in one study, the subjects could not reliably distinguish between 1mg and placebo24.) 24mg is particularly troubling in that I weigh ~68kg, and nicotine poisoning and the nicotine LD50 start, for me, at around 68mg of nicotine. (I reflected that the entire jar could be a useful murder weapon, although nicotine presumably would be caught in an autopsy’s toxicology screen; I later learned nicotine was an infamous weapon in the 1800s before any test was developed. It doesn’t seem used anymore, but there are still fatal accidents due to dissolved nicotine.) The upper end of the range, 10mg/kg or 680mg for me, is calculated based on experienced smokers. Something is wrong here - I can’t see why I would have nicotine tolerance comparable to a hardened smoker, inasmuch as my maximum prior exposure was second-hand smoke once in a blue moon. More likely is that either the syringe is misleading me or the seller NicVape sold me something more dilute than 12mg/ml. (I am sure that it’s not simply plain water; when I mix the drops with regular water, I can feel the propylene glycol burning as it goes down.) I would rather not accuse an established and apparently well-liked supplier of fraud, nor would I like to simply shrug and say I have a mysterious tolerance and must experiment with doses closer to the LD50, so the most likely problem is a problem with the syringe. The next day I altered the procedure to sucking up 8ml, squirting out enough fluid to move the meniscus down to 7ml, and then ejecting the rest back into the container. The result was another mild clean stimulation comparable to the previous 1ml days. The next step is to try a completely different measuring device, which doesn’t change either.
When I spoke with Jesse Lawler, who hosts the podcast Smart Drugs Smarts, about breakthroughs in brain health and neuroscience, he was unsurprised to hear of my disappointing experience. Many nootropics are supposed to take time to build up in the body before users begin to feel their impact. But even then, says Barry Gordon, a neurology professor at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center, positive results wouldn’t necessarily constitute evidence of a pharmacological benefit.
In general, I feel a little bit less alert, but still close to normal. By 6PM, I have a mild headache, but I try out 30 rounds of gbrainy (haven’t played it in months) and am surprised to find that I reach an all-time high; no idea whether this is due to DNB or not, since Gbrainy is very heavily crystallized (half the challenge disappears as you learn how the problems work), but it does indicate I’m not deluding myself about mental ability. (To give a figure: my last score well before I did any DNB was 64, and I was doing well that day; on modafinil, I had a 77.) I figure the headache might be food related, eat, and by 7:30 the headache is pretty much gone and I’m fine up to midnight.
Didn't seem very important to me. Trump's ability to discern importance in military projects, sure, why not. Shanahan may be the first honest cabinet head; it could happen. With the record this administration has I'd need some long odds to bet that way. Does anyone doubt he got the loyalty spiel and then the wink and nod that anything he could get away with was fine. monies
…The first time I took supplemental potassium (50% US RDA in a lot of water), it was like a brain fog lifted that I never knew I had, and I felt profoundly energized in a way that made me feel exercise was reasonable and prudent, which resulted in me and the roommate that had just supplemented potassium going for an hour long walk at 2AM. Experiences since then have not been quite so profound (which probably was so stark for me as I was likely fixing an acute deficiency), but I can still count on a moderately large amount of potassium to give me a solid, nearly side effect free performance boost for a few hours…I had been doing Bikram yoga on and off, and I think I wasn’t keeping up the practice because I wasn’t able to properly rehydrate myself.
The infinite promise of stacking is why, whatever weight you attribute to the evidence of their efficacy, nootropics will never go away: With millions of potential iterations of brain-enhancing regimens out there, there is always the tantalizing possibility that seekers haven’t found the elusive optimal combination of pills and powders for them—yet. Each “failure” is but another step in the process-of-elimination journey to biological self-actualization, which may be just a few hundred dollars and a few more weeks of amateur alchemy away.
Remember: The strictest definition of nootropics today says that for a substance to be a true brain-boosting nootropic it must have low toxicity and few side effects. Therefore, by definition, a nootropic is safe to use. However, when people start stacking nootropics indiscriminately, taking megadoses, or importing them from unknown suppliers that may have poor quality control, it’s easy for safety concerns to start creeping in.
The Nootroo arrives in a shiny gold envelope with the words “proprietary blend” and “intended for use only in neuroscience research” written on the tin. It has been designed, says Matzner, for “hours of enhanced learning and memory”. The capsules contain either Phenylpiracetam or Noopept (a peptide with similar effects and similarly uncategorised) and are distinguished by real flakes of either edible silver or gold. They are to be alternated between daily, allowing about two weeks for the full effect to be felt. Also in the capsules are L-Theanine, a form of choline, and a types of caffeine which it is claimed has longer lasting effects.
The use of prescription stimulants is especially prevalent among students.[9] Surveys suggest that 0.7–4.5% of German students have used cognitive enhancers in their lifetimes.[10][11][12] Stimulants such as dimethylamylamine and methylphenidate are used on college campuses and by younger groups.[13] Based upon studies of self-reported illicit stimulant use, 5–35% of college students use diverted ADHD stimulants, which are primarily used for enhancement of academic performance rather than as recreational drugs.[14][15][16] Several factors positively and negatively influence an individual's willingness to use a drug for the purpose of enhancing cognitive performance. Among them are personal characteristics, drug characteristics, and characteristics of the social context.[10][11][17][18]
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Track and Field: Three Utes Set School Records at UW Invitational
Brittni Colindres on February 2, 2017 at 10:00 am
Emily Juchau
The Utah track and field team competed in Seattle last weekend at the UW Invitational. For some of the athletes, racing at the Dempsey Indoor Track was their opening race. Utah had some solid performances across the board as school records were achieved and personal bests were clinched.
“I think overall we had a great meet,” said head coach Kyle Kepler. “Our kids competed, they competed hard in the races they were in.”
The meet got underway on Friday when junior Shaylen Crook raced in the 5000-meter run. She placed 14th in her heat and 32nd overall with a time of 17:41.29.
On Saturday, Utah had positive results through out the day as three Utes found themselves a spot in the Utah record book. Freshman Amanda Gehrich and juniors Grayson Murphy and Hannah McInturff had standout days.
Gehrich, in her first collegiate mile, earned 17th place as she ran the fourth fastest time in Utah indoor history at 4:49.33. Murphy placed fourth all-time in Utah indoor history in the 3000-meter run, clocking in at 9:29.71. She finished in 18th place.
McInturff not only got her name into the history book by recording a time of 9:35.89, but the sixth all-time Ute in indoor history to record a personal best time in the 3000-meter run. She placed 29th overall.
“We kind of really weren’t expecting that this early in the season,” McInturff said. “We were just going to kind of go up there and race into shape. It was good. We were really happy with it. Hopefully that means that we’ll continue to get faster as the year goes on.”
Senior Becky Sarmiento also recorded a personal best in the 3000-meter run, and a time of 9:51.92 earned her 47th place. Junior Jessica Sams ended her race in 38th with a time of 9:44.68.
“Our eyes are set kind of on outdoor season instead of indoor, so we still want to race well in indoor, but with the idea that we’ll peak and have our best races in outdoor,” McInturff said. “It makes you really uneasy when you race in the beginning because you don’t really feel quite in shape, but I think everyone is in a good place and is going to be good to go by the time outdoor starts.”
Next up for Utah: the Jackson’s Invitational on Feb. 3-4 in Boise, Idaho. However, many members of the team will get this weekend off to prepare for the competition in Seattle next week, as this week’s competition will mostly focus on the sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers.
“Most of the sprinters, jumpers and hurdlers had the weekend off this past weekend, so I know they’re anxious to kind of get back going again and race again,” Kepler stated. “I think they had a great week of practice this past week, and I’m sure they’ll have another one this week so that we can continue to improve.”
This weekend, Utah will continue to strengthen and embellish its team in an atmosphere they are familiar with. As the pressure increases in what is expected to be a bigger meet according to Kepler, he is looking forward to how his team is going to respond.
“This week at Boise will be much more competitive than the one two weeks ago,” Kepler explained. “So we’re going to have to be ready and we’re going to have to be ready to battle no matter what event we’re in or what heat we’re in.”
b.colindres@dailyutahchronicle.com
@Brit_Colindres
SportsTrack & Field
Government Should Fund Defenses Against Ransomware
Utah's Rape Culture is Disastrous
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The Miriam Makeba Centre of Performing Arts
The Miriam Makeba Centre of Performing Arts is named after the legendary singer and anti-apartheid activist Miriam Makeba, who is famous for irresistible hits like Pata Pata and Qongqothwane (The Click Song). In a fitting tribute to Makeba, the Centre houses the University of Fort Hare’s Department of Music and provides East London with a public performance venue and professional recording facility. It is fronted by the former Missions to Seamen building, which used to provide sailors with Christian recreation and an evening meal when they docked at the port of East London.
This photograph shows celebrations outside the state-of-the-art Miriam Makeba Centre of Performing Arts during the launch of Heritage Month by the Department of Arts and Culture on 1 September 2006. The Centre is a joint initiative by the University of Fort Hare, the national Department of Arts and Culture, the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Sports, Arts and Culture and the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality. © Eastern Cape Audio Visual Centre
← The Wool Exchange
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TH E M R EP O RT | 61 SECONDARY MARKET THE LATEST O R I G I NAT I O N S E R V I C I N G DATA G O V E R N M E N T S E C O N DA R Y M A R K E T Fannie Reports Large Drop in Income in Q1 The GSE reported $2.8 billion in net income in Q1, compared to $5 billion in Q4 2016. F annie Mae reported $2.8 billion both net and comprehensive income for the first quarter, the exact amount of the dividend amount it expected to pay the Treasury Department in June, according to a quarterly report released in May. But that income for the quarter was nearly half what the GSE reported in Q 4 of 2016. In January, Fannie reported $5 billion in Q 4 net income. The GSE attributed the de - crease to significant- ly smaller increases in interest rates in the first quarter of 2017 as compared those in Q 4. "Large increases in longer-term interest rates in the fourth quarter of 2016 resulted in substantial fair value gains on the company's risk man - agement derivatives for the quarter, as well as credit-related expenses that partially offset these gains," the report stated. "By contrast, interest rates increased only slightly in the first quarter of 2017, and therefore did not have a substantial impact on the fair value of the company's risk management derivatives or its credit-related income for the quarter." Net interest income for the quarter was $5.3 billion, compared with $5.8 billion for the fourth quarter of 2016. Fannie attributed the drop to lower amortization in - come from mortgage prepayments as a result of "lower refinance activity and lower interest income due to a decline in the average balance of the company's retained mortgage portfolio as the company continued to reduce this portfolio." Net revenues—net inter - est income and fee and other income—were $5.6 billion in Q1, compared with $6.2 billion in Q 4 of 2016. These net revenues came primarily from the guarantee fees Fannie receives for managing the credit risk on loans underlying MBSs held by third parties and the difference between interest in - come earned on the assets in its retained mortgage portfolio and the interest expense associated with the debt that funds those assets. Once June's $2.8 billion dividend is paid, Fannie will have paid a total of $162.7 billion in dividends to Treasury. Despite the near halving of net income, Fannie Mae President and CEO Timothy Mayopoulos said in a statement that things aren't as bad as they appear in the Q1 report. "Both the market and our op - erations continued to strengthen, and our progress was reflected in another profitable quarter," Mayopoulos said. "We look for - ward to advancing our vision to create a digital mortgage process, and make new strides in our ef- forts to encourage the creation of affordable multifamily housing." "We look forward to advancing our vision to create a digital mortgage process." —Fannie Mae President and CEO Timothy Mayopoulos Freddie Mac Sees Decline, Pays $2.2 B to Treasury Freddie Mac's net income declines from $3.9 billion in Q4 2016 to $2.2 billion in Q1. F reddie Mac is seeing de- clines across the board, according to its Q1 2017 Financial Results released in early May. The GSE saw lower single-family revenues, purchase volume, and mortgage-related investments. Still, the agency will pay $2.2 billion in dividends to the U.S. Treasury for the quarter. According to Freddie, the slow start to the year can be attrib - uted to steady interest rates and reduced market-related gains. "Our strong first-quarter results, as the impact of moves in interest rates and market spreads was near zero, show how Freddie Mac is better serving its mission to responsibly provide liquidity, stability, and affordability to the nation's mortgage markets, and doing so in a taxpayer efficient manner," said Donald Layton, CEO of Freddie Mac. In total, the agency reported a net income of $2.2 billion for Q1—a dip of $2.4 million over Q 4 2016. Comprehensive income also fell for the quarter, declining from $3.9 billion in Q 4 to $2.2 billion to start the year, and net inter - est income dropped 2 percent. A "solid business environment" and "the company's growing guarantee businesses" helped to offset these declines, according to the report. Freddie's total book of guar - antee business rose by 6 percent over the last year, reaching $1.9 trillion this quarter. "We did this by improving the technology, products, and level of service provided to our lender customers," Layton said. "This enables them, in turn, to responsi - bly and sustainably provide more competitive pricing and terms to a growing range of homeowners and renters. At the same time, we continue to innovate in trans- ferring mortgage credit risk to private capital markets." Broken down, Freddie's single- family guarantee portfolio far out- paced its multifamily holdings; the two jumped by 28 percent and 4 percent over the year, respectively. "Single-family Guarantee business transferred a significant portion of the credit risk on ap - proximately $65 billion of loans in the first quarter of 2017," Freddie's report stated. "The company has now transferred a portion of credit risk on nearly 30 percent of the total outstanding single-family credit guarantee portfolio, up from 22 percent at the end of the first quarter of 2016." The agency's total mortgage- related investments portfolio declined by $7 billion—a 14 percent drop. This is a part of the agency's wider efforts to reduce this portfolio as required by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the U.S. Treasury.
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Proposed Changes to ISO 14001 to Achieve Significant Business and Environmental Benefits
on June 22, 2012by Jim Clevelandin Uncategorized
ISO 14001 is the world’s most successful voluntary approach to improving environmental performance in businesses and public sector organizations. With over 250,000 organizations in 155 countries certified against the standard’s requirements, ISO 14001 is now being revised by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
“Growing at a rate of over 25,000 organizations per year, ISO14001 has proved both popular and effective at providing a framework through which organizations across the world manage their impacts on the environment. Environment professionals are ambitious and realistic. They want a revised standard that not only delivers greater environmental improvements and helps organizations to meet growing environmental challenges, but also enables more businesses to participate,” said Martin Baxter, UK lead representative for the revisions of ISO 14001.
IEMA recently engaged over 400 environment professionals working in business and public sector organizations through a series of focus groups and then an in-depth survey of 1,650 professionals in an online survey in April 2012 to gather their views on potential changes.
“The recommendation that achieved the strongest support from environment professionals was to require environment to be integrated into strategic decision making. Over 90% of professionals supported proposals for aligning environmental management systems with an organization’s strategy,” commented Baxter.
IEMA members also show strong support for the following recommendations:
Over 84% supported placing greater emphasis on reducing environmental impacts across the whole life-cycle of products and services including supply chains and in the development and use of products and services;
92% considered that ISO14001 needs to strengthen requirements on organizations to demonstrate their legal compliance and environmental performance improvements;
88.5% believe that IS014001 should require organizations to consider impacts from a changing environment. Organizations face growing environmental risks from scarcity of natural resources to a changing climate, such as flooding. ISO14001 should provide a framework for organizations to manage the risks and maximize opportunities from a changing environment, helping them to safeguard the future of their business and deliver environmental improvements.
The next meeting to consider the revision to ISO 14001 will be held in Thailand at the end of June 2012. It is expected that a revised version of the standard will come into effect in 2015, and will operate well into the 2020s.
“For ISO14001 to maintain its relevance in a world where environmental challenges are growing, it’s vital that the standard is strengthened, and growing numbers of organizations use it to manage their environmental risks and opportunities. Environment professionals recognize potential for the revised standard to support continued environmental improvements,” said Martin Baxter.
*Source: IEMA
Current e-Waste Regulations in the US and Other Developed Countries
How to Make e-Waste Part of Your Green Strategy to Protect Your Company and the Environment
e-Waste, LLC
e-Waste, LLC is dedicated in bringing the best in class services to each of its existing and potential clients that it serves.
e-Waste, LLC is an R2 Certified, ISO 14001:2015, OHSAS 18001:2007-certified IT Asset Disposition company based in Hudson, Ohio. We aid OEMs, Value-Added Resellers and corporate end-users in the end-of-life management of their surplus, excess or obsolete IT assets in a secure, safe and responsible manner.
5211 Hudson Drive,
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A decision framework driven by the decision makers
Home / A decision framework driven by the decision makers
By Kelly Hunt de Bie and Libby Rumpff (University of Melbourne) Oct 1, 2013
Structured Decision Making in environmental management
Managers of the environment are routinely faced with making complex decisions with little information and high levels of uncertainty. It’s a tough ask, but that’s their job. When decisions have to be made regardless of these constraints, structured decision making (often simply referred to as SDM) is a useful tool for guiding managers through the decision process.
It doesn’t guarantee that the ‘right’ choice will be made every time (some people might define ‘right’ as a solution that resolves the problem quickly and cheaply), but structured decision making does ensure that the decisions made will be transparent, logical and defensible (Gregory et al 2012). And decisions that are transparent, logical and defensible are ‘good’ decisions. The SDM framework is also flexible in how it can be applied. It’s applicable to a range of problem types, from decisions relating to specific issues in a local region through to complex decisions involving multiple stakeholders.
SDM refers to a decision framework driven by the objectives, or values, of those involved in the decision-making process. Essentially, the process involves an organized analysis of problems in order to reach decisions that are focused explicitly on achieving fundamental objectives. This is accomplished through 6 steps, used to structure and guide thinking (Runge 2011).
There are many tools and techniques available that can be utilized throughout the framework. Some steps may require external expertise. Others can be effectively implemented by the decision maker(s) without the need for specialist training and expertise (Addison et al 2013, and see Prue’s story “A model solution for good conservation”). In any case, each step of the SDM approach is undertaken formally and cooperatively in order to support defensible decision making.
The six steps involved in structured decision making are outlined over the following pages. How it works in practice is illustrated in four case studies also presented in this story.
“An emphasis on the development of possible alternatives is a key component that sets SDM apart from other decision assessment methods.”
Several EDG researchers from the University of Melbourne have been collaborating with Parks Victoria to apply SDM to a range of protected area management issues. The first three case studies are based on this work. The problems tackled ranged from a large, resource allocation issue to the management of recreation impacts in a single park (see ‘a camping we will go’).
The fourth case study is a short editorial by a Parks Victoria manager, Tony Varcoe, on the value he sees in SDM for the agency’s planning and decision making. He says up front that: “Parks Victoria needs to make tough decisions about how it will allocate its limited resources.” He acknowledges the benefits of SDM but also points out that SDM is a resource intensive process itself. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
There are many descriptions available on what constitutes SDM. At its core, however, lie six basic steps.
Step 1. Articulate the decision context
The first step involves clearly articulating the scope of the problem and the decision to be made. Clarifying the context of the decision involves defining what decision is being made and why, establishing roles and responsibilities (including stakeholders and experts) and identifying time scales, spatial scales and constraints.
Step 2. Define objectives & performance measures
The core of SDM is a well defined set of objectives and associated performance measures. First, the decision needs to be focused around the fundamental objectives. These state the primary reason for the decision, and are the focus of analysis (Runge 2011).
Fundamental objectives are often difficult to define and they may require multiple performance measures. Consequently, other sub-objectives are sometimes necessary to represent the various ways of achieving the fundamental objective (means, strategic or process objectives).
Performance measures in SDM are defined as specific metrics for consistently reporting and estimating the consequences of any decision on the objectives. Good performance measures are clear and concise, unambiguous, understandable, direct and operational (Gregory et al., 2012). This is critical because they define how an objective is to be interpreted and evaluated in the decision context.
Once established, objectives and performance measures form the framework for developing and evaluating alternative courses of action for management.
Step 3. Develop alternatives
This step involves the clear articulation of the various management actions or alternatives relevant to the problem. An emphasis on the development and analysis of possible alternatives in relation to the objectives is a key component that sets SDM apart from other decision assessment methods (Gregory et al 2012).
Alternatives allow decision-makers to compare a range of solutions to the given problem. Within the SDM process, an alternative can be a single management action, or a management scenario that encompasses a range of management actions. Alternatives are explicitly designed to address fundamental objectives, and should be technically sound and clearly defined.
Step 4. Estimate consequences
This step involves a quantitative analysis of the consequences of the management alternatives in relation to the objectives, utilising available knowledge and /or predictive tools. Estimates of consequences can be based on existing data, expert opinion, and conceptual or predictive models.
A consequence table (Gregory et al. 2012) is a useful tool in this step. These tables clearly illustrate the estimates (and uncertainty) of predicted consequences of various alternatives in relation to each measurable objective. It may become evident that a particular alternative is favoured, or should be rejected from further analysis (of trade-offs, Step 5).
Step 5. Multiple objective trade offs
Making a decision about which alternative has the greatest merit requires a decision maker to consider both the consequences of management alternatives, and the values they attribute to the various objectives. These trade-offs are inevitable when decision making involves multiple (and often competing) objectives.
A range of approaches can be utilised within the SDM framework to make trade offs explicit, and based on a thorough understanding of consequences and their significance.
Parks Victoria staff work with researchers from the University of Melbourne to explore a range of management strategies using a structured decision making approach. Together they quantified the consequences of alternative management strategies using expert elicitation and statistical modelling, and incorporating value judgement trade-offs among objectives.
Step 6. Decide and take action
Based on the previous steps, the most favoured alternative can be determined, and resources allocated accordingly. Alternatively, it may be apparent that objectives or actions were missing from the analysis, and the process needs repeating and refining!
Complex decisions are often complex for a good reason, and it may be that several iterations of the process are necessary to ensure a ‘complete’ analysis of the problem.
Another possibility is that a clear decision is difficult given the uncertainty highlighted throughout this process. It may be that an adaptive management approach is warranted. Adaptive management is a form of structured decision making, where monitoring is used to learn about the most effective course of action (Runge 2011).
More info: Kelly Hunt De Bie khun@unimelb.edu.au
Addison PFE, L Rumpff, SS Bau, JM Carey, YE Chee, FC Jarrad, MF McBride & MA Burgman (2013). Practical solutions for making models indispensable in conservation decision-making. Diversity and Distributions 19: 490–502.
Gregory R, L Failing, M Harstone, G Long & T McDaniels (2012). Structured decision making: a practical guide to environmental management choices. West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
Keeney RL (1996). Value-Focused Thinking: A Path to Creative Decision making. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Runge MC (2011). An Introduction to Adaptive Management for Threatened and Endangered Species. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 2: 220–233.
Case study 1: A camping we will go
A model solution for good conservation
#74 October 2013
On the point
SDM out of the box
This issue is about models and frameworks for making robust decisions. Sounds a bit dry? Well, not the way we tell it. The stories gathered here make a compelling case for the appropriate use of models and frameworks like structured decision making (SDM), and it’s not hard to see the passion that lies between our [...]
SDM for wildlife disease outbreaks
Structured decision making (SDM) is the theme of this issue of Decision Point and in the following pages we show how it can be applied to a variety of resourcing issues from camping in the Grampians to trampling in the intertidal (see several related articles in this issue). In this research brief, SDM is applied [...]
Why INFFER?
The quality of decision making by environmental managers may be enhanced by the use of formal decision frameworks to assist with the development and evaluation of prospective projects. Various decision tools and frameworks have been used in biodiversity conservation (Examples include Assets, Threats and Solvability (ATS); Conservation Action Planning (CAP); multicriteria andscape assessment and optimisation [...]
Making models indispensable in conservation decision-making
Managers of the environment are routinely faced with making complex decisions with little information and high levels of uncertainty. It’s a tough ask, but that’s their job. When decisions have to be made regardless of these constraints, structured decision making (often simply referred to as SDM) is a useful tool for guiding managers through the [...]
SDM to inform management of recreational impacts on a national park
Case study 4: The manager’s perspective
Parks Victoria and SDM
The evidence on adaptive management
Everyone is talking about it but how many are actually doing it?
Five objections to using decision science in conservation
And why they are wrong
Translocation in a time of climate change
The translocation of species for conservation involves both the restoration of historic populations (moving organisms to where they once occurred) to managing the relocation of imperiled species to new locations (moving organisms from a place where they are increasingly unable to survive to a place where they might be able to thrive, say in the [...]
Case study 2: Trampling through the intertidal
Exploring management thresholds for Victoria’s Marine National Parks
Case study 3: Shaking the status quo
Decision support for a large, multi-faceted resource allocation problem
Science & policy development (and NERP)
The Australian Government has recently released a report on ‘the place of science policy development in the Public Service’. The study holds up NERP as an example of how science can effectively influence policy. The Place of Science in Policy Development in the Public Service systematically reviewed the ways in which scientific input is used [...]
What’s the point? Give me a home among the gum trees!
Pictured below is an eastern yellow robin building its nest in a gum tree using thin strips of red stringybark. The nest also contains flakes of box gum, yellow box and long-leaf box delicately woven into the rim, or stitched to form a hanging skirt around the side of the nest. A beautiful bird building [...]
What is adaptive management?
The clearest and most succinct definition that we are aware of is given by Williams et al. (2009): ‘Adaptive management is a systematic approach for improving resource management by learning from management outcomes.’ This general goal can be implemented using a range of methods, as appropriate to each study system. Share this articleEmailPrint Related
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The CW May Turn ‘The Notebook’ Into a Light, Sexy TV Series
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
For those who thought the romance offered in The Notebook could never be recreated, consider for a moment that lightning may, indeed, strike twice.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the CW is developing a series based on the incredibly popular 2004 film, which was an adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' 1996 novel. The project is still awaiting a green light, but if it's ordered to series, it would follow the main characters, Noah and Allie, as their love takes shape.
"[The Notebook] will follow the romantic journey of the two beloved central characters, Noah and Allie, at the outset of their blossoming relationship as they build their lives and their future together against the backdrop of the racial politics, economic inequities, and social mores of post-World War II of the late 1940s in North Carolina," its official logline reads, according to EW.
More importantly, fans will probably appreciate that it's unlikely the series would address the film's more depressing elements—like the couple's eventual struggle with Alzheimer's.
"At this point, the pilot is not done," CW President Mark Pedowitz told reporters at a stop along the Television Critics Association’s press tour, according to EW. "I don't believe we're going to see the older couple—what they become—but again, things change and we're just now in the development stage."
Were you a fan of The Notebook, and would you watch a film adaptation? Sound off in the comments!
Pucker up! See a collection of celebs locking lips:
Next: Rachel McAdams Cringes When Watching 'The Notebook'
Source: The CW May Turn ‘The Notebook’ Into a Light, Sexy TV Series
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Olathe Public Schools Facility Use Request
Directions and Contact Information
Request a Rental
Facility Usage Department
If you would like to visit our office, we are located at 1500 W. Highway 56 in Olathe, in the district’s Operations Service Center.
Summer office hours (June and July) are 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Office hours after Aug. 1 will be 7 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday.
View a map for our building (provided by Mapquest.com)
Olathe, KS 66061-5277
facilityusage@olatheschools.org.
Click image to open location in Mapquest
Written By: Joel Kershner Date posted: November 12, 2012
© 2012 Olathe Public Schools (USD#233)
1500 W Highway 56 Olathe, KS 66061-5277
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ELPC Statement Applauding U.S. House of Representatives’ Passage of Legislation to Combat Climate Change, First in a Decade
Contact: Judith Nemes, (773)-892-7494, jnemes@elpc.org
Statement by Howard A. Learner, Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center
“We are pleased that the U.S. House of Representatives today has taken an important step forward in combating climate change by passing the Climate Action Now Act,” said Howard Learner, Executive Director at the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “We are thankful to members of the Midwest delegation who stepped up and voted yes on The Climate Action Now Act.”
“The Midwest delegation in the U.S. Congress understands the vital need for the federal government to honor its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and for the U.S. to be a leader on climate change solutions. For the first time in 10 years, today’s vote in the House moves us in the right direction on climate change and for a better future.”
BACK TO CLIMATE CHANGE
ELPC Profile
Read about ELPC's winning model, as told by Greenwire
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Master's and PhD Student Research Support Subsidy Presentation Session
The APU Research Office provides research support subsidy to graduate students every year.
RCAPS and Seoul National University Asia Center Conclude Academic Cooperation Agreement
The Ritsumeikan Center for Asia Pacific Studies (RCAPS) and the Seoul National University Asia Center (SNUAC) have concluded a research-related academic cooperation agreement. The agreement came about as a result of the academic exchange Professor Hiroshi Todoroki, the Dean of the College of Asia Pacific Studies, has maintained with Seoul National University since his time there as a study abroad student.
Call for Applications for RCAPS Research Support Subsidy
The Ritsumeikan Center for Asia Pacific Studies (RCAPS) maintains the Master's Student Field Research (MFR) Support Program. This program enables early-career researchers at APU to enhance the value and rigor of their research.
We will start accepting applications for the program today, and hold the Application Information Session on Oct 11th.
Please click the link below for details.
http://www.apu.ac.jp/rcaps/page/content0117.html
20th Anniversary Logo Design Competition Screening Results
The Ritsumeikan Center for Asia Pacific Studies (RCAPS) was established in July 1996 as a lead-up to the opening of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) and this year marks its 20th anniversary. To commemorate the 20th anniversary, RCAPS has held a competition for a 20th anniversary logo to be the symbol for RCAPS and has chosen the best logos.
RCAPS 20th Anniversary Logo Design Competition
Please download the application form from here
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US rapper Mac Miller dies at home Los Angeles
Filed under: California,Culture and entertainment,Los Angeles, California,Music,North America,Obituaries,Pages with categorizable local links,Pages with defaulting non-local links,Rap,Review,United States — admin @ 5:00 am
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4431609Article last amended: Sep 9 at 13:31:44 UTC (history)
18 August 2018: Singer Aretha Franklin, ‘queen of soul’, dies aged 76
23 July 2018: US director James Gunn fired from Marvel Studios for decade-old offensive tweets
19 July 2018: US astronomers announce discovering ten tiny Jovian satellites
14 June 2018: Football: Canada, Mexico and US wins joint bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup
6 June 2018: Microsoft announces plan to acquire GitHub for US$7.5 billion
Location of United States
Mac Miller in 2017.
Image: Nicolas Völcker.
On Friday, rapper Mac Miller was found dead in his bedroom at home in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, United States, according to reports. He was 26.
According to news website TMZ, a friend called emergency services from Mac Miller’s apartment, in regard to a cardiac arrest. According to the coroner, Mac Miller was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigation was ongoing to identify the cause of the death.
Reports said Mac Miller previously abused drugs, which reportedly affected his two-year relationship with singer Ariana Grande. They broke up in May this year.
Mac Miller was an US rapper, singer and record producer. He was born Malcolm James McCormick in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US in 1992. In 2007, at the age of fifteen, he released his first mixtape under the nickname “EZ Mac”. He later switched to name “Mac Miller”.
Mac Miller at a festival in 2017.
Image: Lukas Henkel.
Mac Miller in London in 2013.
Image: The Come Up Show.
Image: LG Rocket.
“Ariana Grande’s ex boyfriend Mac Miller dies of apparent overdose” — Herald Sun, September 8, 2018
“Mac Miller, rapper and former partner of Ariana Grande, dies aged 26” — ABC (Australia), September 8, 2018
“US rapper Mac Miller dies of suspected overdose” — SBS News, September 8, 2018 г.
“Rap singer Mac Miller dies of suspected overdose” — euronews, September 8, 2018 г.
“Mac Miller Dead at 26 of Apparent Drug Overdose” — TMZ, September 7, 2018
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Reactions to the death of Prince
Filed under: Culture and entertainment,Minnesota,Music,North America,Obituaries,Pages with defaulting non-local links,United States — admin @ 5:00 am
Reactions to the death of Prince – Wikinews, the free news source
This page in its current form doesn’t belong on Wikinews. It’s not news; there’s no current event. There’s grounds for speedy deletion; I’m giving some notice, as a courtesy.
Musician Prince dies aged 57
Taylor Swift’s 1989 wins Grammy’s Record of the year; Bad Blood wins the Best Music Video
‘Earned It’ earns The Weeknd his first Grammy
Ed Sheeran wins Song of Year Grammy for Thinking Out Loud
Cilla Black funeral held in Liverpool
Since the announcement of the death of Prince, many famous online music and other areas, they have expressed with regret of the American musician’s death on April 21, 2016. Were many, including widespread coverage about the many reactions from notable people. Below are some artists who have demonstrated.
The singers solo’s carrier Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Toni Braxton, Billy Idol, Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Lionel Richie, Madonna, Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and John Cale, expressed with lamentable a death on April 21 and 22 in social network.
Isn’t it amazing Prince shared his soul with us so deeply before his death? And now after, we will be replenished endlessly by both his legacy and all that he still has to give from the beyond.
We lost a legend. RIP Prince.
I will miss him so much. He was as special of a friend as he was a brilliant talent. My condolences to his family. Good night, sweet Prince.
Oh my god I can’t believe that Prince has died…he was a great great talent…RIP
Genius, legend, inspiration, friend. The world will miss you. I’ll never get over it.
Numb. Stunned. This can’t be real.
My friend is gone…This is what it sounds like, when doves cry. He was my dove…
I can’t believe it, I’m in total shock. So many wonderful memories, I will miss him.
He Changed The World!! A True Visionary. What a loss. I’m Devastated. This is Not A Love Song.
This is truly devastating news. The greatest performer I have ever seen. A true genius. Musically way ahead of any of us. Sang with him twice on stage. What an honour. Rest in peace you purple warrior.
I am so sad and shocked to hear the tragic news about Prince. He was the most incredibly talented artist. A man in complete control of his work from writer and musician to producer and director. He was such an inspiration. Playful and mind-blowingly gifted. He was the most inventive and extraordinary live act I’ve seen. The world has lost someone truly magical. Goodnight dear Prince.
Saddened by Prince’s death. Proud to have seen in the New Year with him. He seemed fine and played brilliantly funky music. God bless this creative giant. Thanks Prince. Love X Paul
God bless prince we will all miss him I still have my Purple whistle. I will blow it tonight peace and love
I’m shocked to hear that Prince passed at such a young age. Musically, he could do it all: sing, play, arrange and produce. Love & Mercy.
The singers in musical groups, Magne Furuholmen (A-ha) say: “oh no, another genius has passed away. what a sad year for music it has been. we were signed to the same label around the same time and met briefly while recording at paisley park. loved your imaginative and innovative work, mr!”; Boyz II Men: influenced by Prince, say: “Without Prince there wouldn’t have been Boyz II Men”.
Also they expressed who was not music business. The baskett man Kevin Garnett: “”He was super confident, but humble in how he spoke to you. He was always very inviting and the one takeaway you got from every time you talked to him was how he was just so super cool. Lost for words… Truly was an honor to know and will be sadly missed. RESPECT/LOVED.. Forever in our Hearts….”; TV presenter Oprah Winfrey: “Prince, the doves really are crying now.”. The director and actor Spike Lee: “I miss my brother.”. The actress Dita Von Teese: “I refused to accept this until just now. I got to know Prince a little bit thanks to @fatima_noir and I’ll never forget those times. He was so gorgeous, and I was always super shy, in awe of his talent and beauty! I can’t believe he’s gone so soon.”, in Instagram.
Relacted New[]
“Musician Prince dies aged 57” — Wikinews, 22 April, 2016
Patrick Ryan. “Lady Gaga thanks Prince: God ‘needed you upstairs to innovate in heaven’” — USA Today, April 22, 2016
“‘Stunned’ celebrities react to Prince’s death” — USA Today,
“[1]” — ESPN,
By the associated press. “Oprah, Mick Jagger Among Celebs to React to Prince’s Death” — ABC News,
By the associated press. “Stars react to Prince’s death: ‘A world less funky. I don’t want to believe it’” — LA Times,
jtimberlake. “Justin Timberlake on Twitter: “Numb. Stunned. This can’t be real.”” — Twitter,
“Celebrities React to Prince’s Death on Social Media” — Abcnews.go.com,
“Spike Lee Instagram” — Instagram,
“Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie)” — Twitter,
“Madonna on Facebook” — Facebook,
“Elton John on Instagram” — Instagram,
Kate Bush. “Message Prince” — Kate Bush,
“Paul McCartney on Twitter” — Twitter,
“Ringo Star on Twitter” — Twitter,
“Brian Wilson on Twitter” — Twitter,
“[2]” — Istagram,
“Boyz II Men (@BoyzIIMen)” — Twitter,
“John Cale (@TheRealJohnCale)” — Twitter,
“Instagram” — Instagram,
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Musician Prince dies aged 57 – Wikinews, the free news source
Musician Prince died at home in Minnesota, United States yesterday.
File photo of Prince, 2008.
Image: penner.
A publicist confirmed his death. “It is with profound sadness that I am confirming that the legendary, iconic performer, Prince Rogers Nelson has died”.
A statement from the Carver County Sheriff’s office said Prince was found in an elevator at his home at Paisley Park Studio. Emergency workers were called, but after they were unable to revive him, he was pronounced dead.
Following Prince’s first album in 1978, he came to prominence in the 1980s. His 1980s releases included 1999, Kiss, Purple Rain, and Sign o’ the Times. He went on to record more than 30 albums. During his career he sold more than 100 million records and had 47 songs reach the US Billboard top 100. Five of those songs, When Doves Cry, Kiss, Let’s Go Crazy, Cream, and Batdance, went to number one. The song When Doves Cry was number one for five weeks.
In 1984 Prince starred in the movie Purple Rain, which was based on his album. The movie’s song score won Prince an Academy Award for best original song score. Prince won seven Grammy awards and in 2004 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also wrote songs released successfully by other artists, such as Manic Monday released in 1986 by the Bangles and Nothing Compares 2 U released in 1990 by Sinéad O’Connor.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported an autopsy will be conducted to determine Prince’s cause of death.
Elahe Izadi, Peter Holley, J. Freedom du Lac, Lindsey Bever, Sarah Larimer. “Prince dead: legendary musician dies at home age 57” — Sydney Morning Herald, April 22, 2016
“Prince: Pop icon dies at Paisley Park home aged 57” — ABC News (Australia), April 22, 2016
“Prince, singer and superstar, dies aged 57 at Paisley Park” — BBC News Online, April 22, 2016
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\’Earned It\’ earns The Weeknd his first Grammy
Filed under: Archived,Canada,Culture and entertainment,Music,Music awards,North America,Pages with categorizable local links,Pages with defaulting non-local links,United States — admin @ 5:00 am
On Monday, at the 58th Grammy Awards ceremony, Canadian singer The Weeknd won his first Grammy Award, Best R&B Performance, for his song Earned It, which was also featured on the soundtrack of the 2015 Fifty Shades of Grey movie based on E.L. James‘s erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey.
File photo of The Weeknd
Image: Kayla Johnson .
The Weeknd also won the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album for his second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness. Abel Tesfaye — The Weeknd — had seven nominations in total including Record of the Year for his song Can’t Feel My Face and Album of the Year.
The YouTube video of the song received more than 179 million views and more than 1.1 million likes. The Weeknd was also nominated for Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance, but British singer Ed Sheeran won the golden gramophone for his song Thinking Out Loud.
Last year, Beyoncé won the Award for Best R&B Song for Drunk in Love featuring her husband Jay-Z. This awards ceremony marked the first Grammy wins for The Weeknd, Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran.
“Ed Sheeran wins Song of Year Grammy for Thinking Out Loud” — Wikinews, February 16, 2016
Harriet Gibsone. “The Weeknd wins best urban contemporary album Grammy for Beauty Behind the Madness” — The Guardian, February 15, 2015
Rose Minutaglio. “Double Win for The Weeknd! Singer Wins Best R&B Performance and Best Urban Contemporary Album” — People (magazine), February 15, 2016
Lisa Schulz. “Beyonce Wins Grammy for ‘Drunk in Love’” — Variety (magazine), February 8, 2015
TheWeekndVEVO. “Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey) (From The “Fifty Shades Of Grey” Soundtrack) (Explicit)” — YouTube, January 21, 2015
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Ed Sheeran wins his first Grammy for Thinking Out Loud
Filed under: Culture and entertainment,Music,Music awards,Pages with categorizable local links,Pages with defaulting non-local links,Review,United Kingdom,United States — admin @ 5:00 am
4196601Article last amended: Feb 16 at 9:20:15 UTC (history)
English actor Christopher Lee dies aged 93
U2 tour manager, Dennis Sheehan dies in Los Angeles hotel room at 68
B.B. King’s daughters allege blues musician was poisoned
Yesterday, British singer Ed Sheeran won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for his song Thinking Out Loud from his album × ahead of Kendrick Lamar’s Alright, Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth‘s See You Again, Little Big Town‘s Girl Crush and Taylor Swift‘s Blank Space. Girl Crush won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song.
File photo of Ed Sheeran
Image: Eva Rinaldi.
This is something you never ever dream of so I’m super grateful for it.
Welsh singer Amy Wadge had co-written the song. Sheeran, during the ceremony said that they wrote the song on a couch in his house. He also added “This is something you never ever dream of so I’m super grateful for it.” Wadge told the Western Mail that the song was written after the album was over.
Thinking out Loud remained #2 on Billboard Hot 100 for almost two months, and topped the UK rankings last year. Its video song has 969 Million YouTube views and has more than four million likes. The song also won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance.
American singer Stevie Wonder announced the winner for the Song of the Year, and the envelope was written in Braille script. He joked about it saying “You can’t read it, you can’t read Braille!” As he announced the winner, Taylor Swift jumped in joy and congratulated him. She won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for 1989.
Along with Ed Sheeran, two Canadians The Weekned as well Justin Bieber won the Grammy awards for the first time.
” Taylor Swift’s 1989 wins Grammy’s Record of the year; Bad Blood won Best Music Video” — Wikinews, February 16, 2016
External link[]
Ed Sheeran. “Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud [Official Video]” — YouTube, October 7, 2014
“Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud wins song of the year at the 2016 Grammy awards” — The Guardian, February 16, 2015
“Grammy Awards: Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ bags Song of the Year” — FirstPost, February 16, 2016
Lizzie Plaugic. “Grammys 2016: Ed Sheeran wins Song of the Year” — The Verge, February 15, 2016
““Thinking Out Loud” Wins Song Of The Year” — Grammy.com, February 15, 2016
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Filed under: Archived,Culture and entertainment,Europe,Music,Music awards,North America,Pages with categorizable local links,Pages with defaulting non-local links,United Kingdom,United States — admin @ 5:00 am
Yesterday, UK singer Ed Sheeran won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for his song Thinking Out Loud from his album × ahead of Kendrick Lamar‘s Alright; Wiz Khalifa‘s, featuring Charlie Puth, See You Again; Little Big Town‘s Girl Crush; and Taylor Swift‘s Blank Space. Girl Crush won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song.
Welsh singer Amy Wadge co-wrote the song. Sheeran during the ceremony said they wrote the song on a couch in his house. In remarks to the Western Mail, Wadge said the album was already complete when they wrote the song.
US singer Stevie Wonder announced the winner for the Song of the Year, and the envelope was written in Braille script. He joked about it saying “You can’t read it, you can’t read Braille!”
Along with Ed Sheeran’s first Grammy, Canadians The Weeknd and Justin Bieber won Grammy awards for the first time.
AP. “Grammy Awards: Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ bags Song of the Year” — Firstpost, February 16, 2016
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UK Rapper DJ JY\’s Signed to \”RMG\” (Redstar Music Group)
Filed under: Disputed,Music — admin @ 5:00 am
UK Rapper DJ JY’s Signed to “RMG” (Redstar Music Group)
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File photo of DJ JY
Image: Wikimedia.
Twenty six year old Johnathan Yesson from south London, known as DJ JY, turned a talent into reality by simply chasing his dreams & doing what he loved and has been signed to a Los Angeles based record label.
He studied at Bacon’s College and worked as a website manager at a major power-tool company. Online marketing is what he specializes in and is a power tool expert.
In an era of rap/hip-hop expanding the global field, rap artists from overseas tend to get overlooked because of the quantity that the United States are used to.
Most won’t know anything about Bermondsey, South London. With tons of bars and pubs in this town, Bermondsey also provides the Design Museum, the Scoop, and the Maltby Street Market for outside attraction.
DJ JY started working with music at an early age and free-styling was an art that he showcased outside of working I.T. “Freestyling” is where someone improvises words and displays it on a beat or without one (accapella). Music has always been within the blood of Johnathan Yesson being known on Twitter, Keek, Facebook, Instagram, Google, and more.
Rap is poetry. Music is art. With art and poetry underlines a true story within that musician’s life.
Everyone loves the transition from a boy to man. These are things the normal human pays attention to whether someone likes it or not. From I.T guy, to known UK artist, and the rest of the transition is put on hold until his next list of things planned.
“I’m currently working on my debut EP called “The Way Forward” which I will be releasing to iTunes in early 2016,” Yesson said. “It will be produced by Los Angeles based record label: Redstar Music Group owned by celebrity mentalist Morgan Strebler.”
Dj jy. “DJ JY Announces Debut EP” — DJ JY, November 16, 2015
Digital Journal. “UK Rapper DJ JY’s Signed to “RMG” (Redstar Music Group)” — Digital Journal, November 13, 2015
Cakproduction. “UK Rapper DJ JY’s Signed to “RMG” (Redstar Music Group)” — Cakproduction, November 11, 2015
Pressparty. “UK Rapper DJ JY’s Signed to “RMG” (Redstar Music Group)” — Pressparty, November 11, 2015
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Cilla Black funeral
Filed under: Culture and entertainment,England,Europe,Liverpool,Music,Pages with categorizable local links,Pages with defaulting non-local links,Review,United Kingdom — admin @ 5:00 am
Cilla Black funeral – Wikinews, the free news source
3761731Article last amended: Aug 21 at 16:24:24 UTC (history)
10 August 2011: Riots in England continue for a fourth night
9 August 2011: Rioting develops throughout England
5 December 2010: UK Parliament to vote on tuition fee rise on Thursday
24 November 2010: UK students protest for second time this month
18 November 2010: ‘Criminal in a police uniform’ given eleven years jail for role in English drugs gang
City in England
File photo of Cilla Black, 1970.
Image: Joost Evers / Anefo.
Stars from the world of showbusiness joined fans and mourners at the funeral of the popular entertainer Cilla Black. Her coffin was transported in a cortege in Liverpool where she grew up, with thousands of people paying their respects. Some were holding memorabilia related to Black’s 50-year long career in entertainment, which included singing and presenting television programmes such as Blind Date.
The Roman Catholic mass was conducted by Tom Williams, auxiliary bishop of Liverpool, in St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Liverpool’s Woolton area. This is the same church that Black got married in 1969 to Bobby Willis, who died in 1999 after 30 years of marriage. Eulogies were delivered by Cliff Richard and Paul O’Grady together with poems read by two of Black’s sons. Further tributes were paid by Tom Jones, who flew in specially for the funeral.
After the service, Black was interred in a private ceremony, next to the graves of her oarents at the Allerton cemetery, close to the church. She died on August 1, aged 72, after she fell at her home in Spain and suffered a stroke.
“Cilla Black funeral: Fans and stars say farewell in Liverpool” — BBC News, August 20, 2015
“Cilla Black funeral: fans and Cliff Richard mourn a ‘fabulous pop star’” — The Guardian, August 20, 2015
“Cilla Black funeral: Paul O’Grady and Sir Cliff Richard lead tributes at Liverpool service” — The Independent, August 20, 2015
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Thousands attend Cilla Black funeral
Thousands attend Cilla Black funeral – Wikinews, the free news source
20 August 2015: Protesters in England call for change to cricket governance
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Location of England
Stars from the world of showbusiness joined fans and mourners yesterday at the funeral of the popular entertainer Cilla Black. Her coffin was transported in a cortege in Liverpool where she grew up, with thousands of people paying their respects. Some were holding memorabilia related to Black’s 50-year long career in entertainment, which included singing and presenting television programmes such as Blind Date.
Comments Off on Thousands attend Cilla Black funeral
Filed under: Archived,Culture and entertainment,England,Europe,Liverpool,Music,Pages with categorizable local links,Pages with defaulting non-local links,United Kingdom — admin @ 5:00 am
Cilla Black funeral held in Liverpool – Wikinews, the free news source
25 August 2015: UK judge witholds report from Thai death penalty defendents
23 August 2015: Vintage plane crashes into road during Shoreham Airshow in England
21 August 2015: Cilla Black funeral held in Liverpool
Stars from the world of showbusiness joined fans and mourners yesterday at the funeral of the popular entertainer Cilla Black. Her coffin was transported in a cortege in Liverpool where she grew up, with hundreds of people paying their respects. Some were holding memorabilia related to Black’s 50-year long career in entertainment, which included singing and presenting television programmes such as Blind Date.
Tom Williams, auxiliary bishop of Liverpool, conducted the Roman Catholic mass in St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Liverpool’s Woolton area. This is the same church that Black got married in 1969 to Bobby Willis, who died in 1999 after 30 years of marriage. Eulogies were delivered by Cliff Richard and Paul O’Grady together with poems read by two of Black’s sons. Further tributes were paid by Tom Jones, who flew in specially for the funeral.
After the service, Black was to be interred in a private ceremony, next to the graves of her parents at the Allerton cemetery. She died early this month, aged 72, after she fell at her home in Spain and suffered a stroke.
“Cilla Black funeral: Fans and stars say farewell in Liverpool” — BBC News Online, August 20, 2015
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Fossil fuel doublespeak
Lilli Fuhr and Hannah McKinnon
BERLIN – Since the Paris climate agreement was signed in 2015, too many policymakers have fallen for the oil and gas industry’s rhetoric about how it can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tall tales about “clean coal,” “oil pipelines to fund clean energy” and “gas as a bridge fuel” have coaxed governments into rubber-stamping new fossil fuel projects, even though current fossil fuel production already threatens to push temperatures well beyond the Paris agreement’s limit of well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
The International Energy Agency estimates that in 2016, investment in the oil and gas sector totaled $649 billion, and that fossil fuel subsidies within the Group of 20 countries amounted to $72 billion. And by 2030, investments in new gas projects across G20 countries are expected to surpass $1.6 trillion.
Clearly, the industry has pulled out all the stops to expand production and profits before the world moves to a decarbonized economy. And so far, it is succeeding, because it has convinced governments of multiple falsehoods.
For starters, there is the claim that natural gas can be a “bridge fuel” to a stable climate even though its climate impact often equals that of coal — or worse. In reality, a “dash for gas” would consume almost two-thirds of G20 countries’ combined carbon budget by 2050. Worse, new gas production often displaces not coal, but wind and solar energy projects, both of which are now cheaper than coal and gas in many regions. The fact that most new investments in gas production assume at least a 30-year operational timeline should be evidence enough that they are not geared toward reducing emissions anytime soon.
One would expect the European Union to lead the way toward a decarbonized future. But, if anything, it seems to be doing the opposite. Since 2014, the EU has allocated €1 billion ($1.16 billion) to the natural gas sector. And though the European Commission’s proposed 2020-2027 budget would reduce such funding, it would allow member states to continue spending taxpayers’ money on fossil fuel production. Yet, according to a study by British climate scientists Kevin Anderson and John Broderick, in order to meet its climate commitments, the EU must phase out all fossil fuels by 2035.
Another industry canard is that income from oil and gas expansion is needed to fund the transition to a clean economy. This incoherent claim has underpinned policy in Canada, where the authorities continue to push for major new tar-sands pipelines. Most recently, the government stepped in and paid the Texas-based energy firm Kinder Morgan $3.4 billion for a 65-year-old pipeline in order to ensure its planned expansion, which the company had deemed too risky.
This use of public funds is particularly objectionable because it threatens to lock in the very energy sources that are driving dangerous climate change. Implicit in any major new investment in energy infrastructure is that operations will continue for decades, as even if demand and prices fall dramatically, an owner or investor will prefer some income return on that capital rather than nothing. As a result, politically and legally, it is much harder to shut down a project than to stop it before it starts.
A third ingredient of fossil fuel flimflam is so-called clean coal, often relying on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. Governments and the energy industry have long framed CCS as a silver bullet for climate change, and thus as a perfect excuse for postponing meaningful reductions in fossil fuel use. And now, CCS is even being promoted as an enabling technology for magical schemes that can “suck” carbon out of the atmosphere.
CCS was originally developed for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), whereby pressurized carbon dioxide is pumped into older oil reservoirs to extract otherwise inaccessible crude oil, significantly boosting production, and thus greenhouse gas emissions. The technique has been used for more than 40 years, particularly in the United States. But it is costly in terms of both money and energy: a coal-fired power station that adopts CCS must burn even more coal in order to produce the same amount of energy.
The main reason that oil companies have become such strong proponents of CCS is that it offers them a source of subsidized CO2 for use in EOR. Companies such as Shell and Statoil have spent decades and billions of dollars on CCS research and development, and all they have to show for it is a few commercial-scale CCS operations. It is already clear that CCS is commercially viable only when used for EOR, which means that coal itself will never be a clean fuel, even if modern filters can be used to reduce particulate air pollution.
A final claim often made by oil and gas companies is that they can execute any given project more “cleanly” than anyone else. Energy companies have been racing to announce new technologies and measures that supposedly improve the efficiency of their current operations, as if that should give them the right to increase production unabated.
But, as with the rest of the industry’s doublespeak, this logic more often than not leads to further lock-in, as firms sink ever more funding into unproven negative-emissions technologies and other measures that will perpetuate dependence on fossil fuels. For example, the Canadian province of Alberta, home of the tar sands, is investing $304 million explicitly to “help [oil sands] companies increase production and reduce emissions.”
At a time when science and expertise are increasingly being dismissed as elitist conceits, governments that know better should not be helping fossil fuel companies profit from the mounting climate crisis. The industry’s spin machine threatens to trap us all in a dangerous status quo.
The global climate movement is redefining leadership on this issue, but nongovernmental organizations and activists alone cannot usher in a decarbonized future. Governments that claim to be committed to the Paris accord must offer a robust plan for phasing out fossil fuels, rather than supporting that sector’s continued expansion.
Lili Fuhr heads the Ecology and Sustainable Development Department at the Heinrich Boll Foundation. Hannah McKinnon is director of the Energy Futures and Transitions Program at Oil Change International. © Project Syndicate, 2018 www.project-syndicate.org
Industry Spin
LNG - Fracking
Oil - Pipelines
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Dr. Ramzy Baroud and the Palestinian Narrative
Wednesday, February 28 at 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 5K3
Location: room 1700, SFU Harbour Centre. Both the building and room are wheelchair accessible.
Gaza-born Palestinian author discusses the Palestine Chronicle, his forthcoming book: The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story, and the urgent need to situate Palestinian refugees back at the center of the Palestinian discourse. His talk will also cover contemporary issues facing the Palestinian liberation movement.
Co-sponsored by SFU's Institute for the Humanities, Canada Palestine Association, Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies - SFU, SFU School for International Studies, and Independent Jewish Voices Canada.
This event will take place on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
Event is FREE and open to the public.
This is a history of modern Palestine like no other: built from the testimony of people who have lived through it. Ramzy Baroud here gathers accounts from countless Palestinians from all walks of life, and from throughout the decades, to tell the story of the nation and its struggle for independence and security. Challenging both academic and popular takes on Palestinian history, Baroud unearths here the deep commonalities within the story of Palestine, ones that draw the people together despite political divisions, geographical barriers and walls, factionalism, occupation, and exile. Through these firsthand reports—by turns inspiring and terrifying, triumphant and troubled—we see Palestine in all its complexity and contradictions, ever vibrant in the memories of the people who have fought, physically and otherwise, for its future. A remarkable book, The Last Earth will be essential to understanding the struggles in the contemporary Middle East.
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and editor of Palestine Chronicle. His latest book is The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story (Pluto Press, London). Baroud has a Ph.D. in Palestine Studies from the University of Exeter and is a Non-Resident Scholar at Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies, University of California Santa Barbara. His website is www.ramzybaroud.net.
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Antoine Lemaire and Carole Reckinger
Erenlai - Antoine Lemaire and Carole Reckinger
Antoine: graduated from SOAS, University of London, in 2007, with a BA Social Anthropology.
Since then, I have lived extensively in Indonesia and West Papua. I'm passionate about Indonesian and Melanesian cultures.
Preparing a photo project in Taiwan for end 2013.
Carole: graduated from SOAS with an MSc in International Politics. Photographer reporting on social justice issue. Passionate about West Papua.
Website URL: http://www.carolereckinger.co.uk
HIV Awareness in Papua
Socio-economic inequalities and the spread of HIV/AIDS in Indonesian Papua
The small wood and corrugated iron shack is dark, the only light coming from a hole in the wall above the fireplace. In a corner, Tarius* (23) lies on a thin mattress. His face is gaunt, his gaze empty. Every so often, a rumbling cough shakes his chest. He seems oblivious to the lively family discussions around him. One of his cousins recently died after an unknown illness and his funeral is to be held later in the day. But the family is worried about Tarius' own condition, as he has been unable to keep food down for over ten days and is rapidly losing weight. Tarius' father came across an NGO worker talking about sexually transmittable diseases (STDs) and HIV/AIDS at the market a few days ago and although he has not shared his worries with the rest of the family, he fears his son's symptoms are those of AIDS.
In their 2012 report, UNAIDS highlighted the recent successes in combating HIV/AIDS around the world. Everywhere countries are making historic gains and 25 low- and middle-income countries showed a 50% reduction in the rate of new HIV infections in 2011 compared to 20011 . In Swaziland, which has the highest HIV prevalence in the world, new HIV infections have dropped by 37%. While most national epidemics appear to have stabilized, HIV incidence, however, rapidly increased2 in two Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Across the more than 17,000 islands that encompass Indonesia (with a population of over 242,000,000), more than 380,0003 people have been tested HIV positive. The worst affected regions are the two most easternmost provinces of Papua and West Papua, where a generalized epidemic is underway. With only 1,5 percent of Indonesia's population, the two provinces account for over 15 per cent of all Indonesia's new HIV cases in 20114 . The HIV prevalence rate is 11 times higher than the national average and has reached 3.5%5,6 . In 2006, AusAid expected 3.61% of the population in Papua to be HIV positive by 20257 . In fact it has reached this level more than ten years earlier than predicted.
The development of poverty and social inequalities
Home to the world's second largest rain forest, and some of the greatest natural reserves in gold, timber gas and fisheries, the two Papua provinces remain Indonesia's poorest region. Ever since Indonesia controversially 'integrated' Papua in 1969 under the auspices of the UN, it has implemented an aggressive modernization campaign that maximizes resource exploitation. Apart from a small elite who could be said to have both participated in and reaped the benefits of this development, the majority of indigenous Papuans have remained at its margins.
From 1969 to 2000 the Indonesian government implemented large transmigration programs funded by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, officially aimed at alleviating the population density of other Indonesian provinces. For the Indonesian government, these programs also conveniently altered the ethnic balance of the province and diluted concentrations of indigenous resistance. Transmigration on a smaller scale still occurs today, but is no longer state funded. These population movements have effectively transformed indigenous Papuans into a minority and have increased their marginalization. Over 30% of Papuans now live below the poverty line8 compared to 12% nationally9 , this number including the relatively prosperous migrant groups.
In an attempt to ease Papua's desire for independence and rectify some of the past abuses within the province, Special Autonomy (Otsus) was granted in 2001. Although this has greatly increased the funding to the region, very little progress has been made in crucial areas such as health and education and Papuan civil society seems to agree that it has failed to bring about the sweeping changes it was aimed to inspire. Development has profited to a select few and has further increased social stratification. Many communities still lack basic infrastructure such as clean running water, sanitation and electricity and people in remote rural locations, where roughly 75% of all indigenous people live, have been largely left out by development. Access to quality health and education is a problem for large sections of the indigenous population, especially outside of urban centers.
Cultural practices and sexual health awareness
Tarius lives in Jayawijaya regency, one of the most populated (over 200,000 inhabitants) but also one of the most affected areas of Papua. In September 2012, 250410 people had tested positive for HIV. But these numbers are not representative of the full problem. The number of HIV carriers unaware of their condition is much higher and can only be guessed at. Local NGOs estimate there are at least 6000 undetected cases in Jayawijaya and surrounding areas.
The prevalence rate among ethnic Papuans is almost twice as high as among the Indonesian newcomers11. Contrary to the rest of Indonesia where the epidemic is mainly concentrated among high risk groups such as injection drug users and sex workers, in Papua transmission is almost entirely through heterosexual relations (97,1%)12 and has very much spread to the low-risk population. Indonesian health officials often blame cultural sex practices such as 'wife swapping' for the rapid spread of HIV in Papua, but transmigration and large resource extraction projects have fed the sex industry, which has also been a major driver of the spread of the disease. The exclusion of large parts of the indigenous populations from development and access to the market economy has led increasing levels of Papuan women to engage in prostitution. Poverty is such that transactions often take place in unregulated open air or street dwelling sites with no safety precautions. One NGO worker said that some very young girls sell their bodies for less than 50 cent, for which you cannot even buy a packet of cigarettes or condoms. In semi official prostitution establishments, immigrant prostitutes (usually wearing condoms) charge 20 Euro upwards.
Sexual health awareness is extremely low, not only among Papuan prostitutes but among the Papuan population as a whole. When senior high school students were asked about HIV/AIDS modes of transmission during one of the rare awareness-raising workshop by a local NGO, a majority of them stated that the virus was transmitted through mosquitoes and were not aware that no cure for the disease has yet been found. A worrying amount of youngsters also believed that the virus could be transmitted through kissing and shaking hands13.
Awareness means life
This lack of knowledge about the modes of transmission, coupled with the long running political conflict and the climate of mistrust and fear it has borne, has led to many misconceptions and a number of conspiracy theories. The suspicion that HIV has been introduced specifically to decimate the indigenous population is widespread. A common belief among highland Papuans is that chicken served in restaurants (mostly run by non-Papuans) is injected with the HIV virus to intentionally infect them. These misconceptions about the virus have a direct impact on the lives and welfare of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Tarius' father eventually called the NGO worker he had met at the market to visit his son at home. Despite the funeral, the young man was rushed to hospital where blood tests revealed he was indeed HIV positive. The NGO worker accompanying him didn't tell him right away. The family was present and "if people in his community knew of his status, horrible things could happen", he said. People are not at risk of being burned alive anymore like some years ago, but the stigma is still strong. Some priests claim during mass that AIDS is a punishment from God to those who have sinned. Churches are slow to tackle the problem, and it can still be a problem to find a priest who buries someone who openly died from AIDS related diseases. A young NGO worker who studied theology complains that he sometimes spends many days looking for priests to perform funerals for HIV patients, knocking on many closed doors and being turned back. The fear of stigmatization in the community stops people from sharing their experiences and makes them reluctant to get tested for the disease. Despite the influx of large amounts of money to combat the epidemic, only a very small number of local NGOs are actually working on the ground and fighting the stigma associated with HIV.
Stigma also has an impact on patients' proper medication, as they must take it secretly. Others do not take their medicine at all and try curing the disease with traditional remedies such as buah merah, the fruit from the Pandanus tree, or perform traditional rituals. Others start taking the medicine but don't take it regularly, or stop taking it once they feel better, as for many treatment equals cure. Others take their medicine regularly as long as they are in town, but stop once they return to their village, as they have to return to town to resupply but cannot always afford the transport fee.
An inadequate response to an ever-growing problem
The fact that HIV infection is higher among ethnic Papuans is representative of greater socio-economic inequalities. Much remains to be done to reach the United Nations Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the Millennium Development goals. In Papua, the severity of the situation has been completely underestimated by the authorities and so far, their response to the epidemic has been completely inadequate. In order to decrease dissatisfaction with their rule, a general attitude of the Indonesian government has been to provide local governments in Papua with large amounts of money. It is then assigned to various programs without proper preliminary research and subsequent monitoring. The actual causes of the problem are however rarely tackled. The poor standards or complete lack of health services and education throughout the region not only facilitate the spread of the disease, they also severely impede any efficient response to the epidemic. Indeed, although the provincial governments have made HIV testing and treatment free, many Papuans do not have access to health care or education and are unlikely to be reached by awareness-raising campaigns any time soon. In the meantime, the virus continues its deadly advance into the highlands.
Article and photos by Antoine Lemaire and Carole Reckinger
More photos here: www.carolereckinger.co.uk
1.UNAIDS Report on theglobal AIDS epidemic (2012) www.unaids.org
2. By more than 25%
3.http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/indonesia/
4.http://www.unicef.org/indonesia/A4-_E_Issue_Brief_HIV_REV.pdf
5.Variables used: Papua and West Papua census 2010 (3,593, 803) HIV statistic 2012 13.196 = 3,7 %. Taking into account population growth since 2010, we took the number down to 3,5%
6. Over 13,000 people have tested HIV positive in both provinces
7.AusAID, February 2006, Impacts of HIV/AIDS 2005–2025 in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and East Timor, final report of HIV epidemiological modeling and impact study 8.http://papua.bps.go.id/yii/9400/index.php/post/95/Jumlah++penduduk+miskin+Papua+pada+bulan+Maret+2012+sebesar+966%2C59+ribu.
9.http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=id&v=69
10.Papuapos (14 November 2012) Semua Elemen di Jayawijaya Diminta Komit Menanggulangi HIV/AIDS, http://www.papuapos.com/index.php/warta-daerah/kab-jayawijaya/item/242-semua-elemen-di-jayawijaya-diminta-komit-menanggulangi-hiv-aids
11. ASCI Research Report No. 12, September 2008: “AIDS, Security and Conflict Initiative. Indigenous welfare and HIV/AIDS risks: The impacts of government reform in the Papua region, Indonesia”, http://asci.researchhub.ssrc.org/working-papers/ASCI%20Paper%2012-Claire%20Smith.pdf
12.Tabloid Jubi (20 December 2012), HIV dan AIDS Provinsi Papua Per 30 September Capai 13.196 Kasus, http://tabloidjubi.com/?p=7440
13.Authors were present during 9 workshops organized over a two week period by a local NGO.
Published in Social Changes and Challenges 變動中的華人社會
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The Clinton administration adopted new racial categories on federal forms, allowing people for the first time to identify themselves as members of more than one of the previously recognized racial categories. This move came as a rejection of a separate "multiracial" category that critics argued would have been less informative to demographers tracking such data. But still unclear is how people exercising the option to check off more than one category will be counted on the census and thus in the drawing of congressional districts.
A parallel drive for a new category for Middle Eastern Americans made little headway because no agreement could be reached on whether the group would include both Arabs and Jews.
[Ed.: Multiple racial identities became a prominent issue when golf champion Tiger Woods refused to identify with a particular racial group. Woods, who is part Thai and black with a little Caucasian and American Indian thrown in, identifies himself playfully as "Cablinasian." A close friend and adviser ascribed quasi-messianic value to his racial mix: "He is the Chosen One.... The world is just getting a taste of his power ... because he's qualified through his ethnicity to accomplish miracles." Some cope with the issue by further fragmenting existing racial categories. At Stanford, students formed a group called the Half-Asian People's Association, one of whose members cited lack of an accurate check box on forms as evidence of "discrimination against people of mixed heritage."]
Posted by sierra at 10/30/1997 No comments:
Energy Department employee Sherry Reid won a $120,000 settlement for the mental anguish she suffered while visiting a male colleague at an East Texas oil reserve who greeted her with the Cajun-American honorific "Coon Ass."
A University of Tennessee athletic trainer won a $300,000 settlement for the psychological trauma she suffered when she saw quarterback Peyton Manning moon a fellow athlete in the training room.
Fearing an influx of out-of-town Halloween revelers, the city council of Bridgeport, Ohio, now requires trick-or-treaters to have a license to ask for candy. And in New Jersey, the Hillsborough school board voted to uphold a ban on the word "Halloween," since it derives from All Hallow's Eve, marking the day before the Christian Feast of All Saints Day. Instead, the board has allowed it to be referred to as a "fall festival celebration." Obeying the same proscription on religious holidays, the board also renamed "St. Valentine's Day" as "Special Person Day."
The New Republic reports that a strange book proposal is circulating among various New York publishers, for which at least one has made a seven-figure bid. The ghostwritten book is tentatively titled History Will Absolve Me: The Autobiography of Fidel Castro. Among its revelations: "If there is anyone alive who reminds me of Che today—of his complex nature, combining the beautiful and the ideal and the tragic—I would say it is Diana, the Princess of Wales. If you see the vitality of her spirit and the struggle in her life, then you have seen what Che was like!"
[Ed.: Disenchanted with the more mundane, bureaucratic direction the Cuban Revolution was taking, Che Guevara was killed in Bolivia in 1967 while leading a failed expeditionary force attempting to incite armed revolution in the rest of Latin America. You can pretty much guess his position on the use of land mines.]
The driver's license renewal form in Massachusetts includes fields for new mailing address, new residential address, and new sex.
The revised National Standards for United States History fails to mention Robert E. Lee, Paul Revere, the Wright Brothers or Thomas Edison. In their place, students are to learn about Mansa Musa, a 14th-century African king, and the Indian chief Speckled Snake.
After a three-year battle, Robert Kusznikow of Stafford Township, New Jersey, was arrested and sentenced to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for his refusal to pay for a connection to the city's water system. Mr. Kusznikow notes that he already had a well on his property.
A New York City public school fifth-grader brought home the following week-long math assignment:
Historians estimate that when Columbus landed on what is now the island of Hati [sic] there were 250,000 people living there. In two years this number had dropped to 125,000. What fraction of the people who had been living in Hati when Columbus arrived remained? Why do you think the Arawaks died? In 1515 there were only 50,000 Arawaks left alive. In 1550 there were 500. If the same number of people died each year, approximately how many people would have died each year? In 1550 what percentage of the original population was left alive? How do you feel about this?
An Associated Press dispatch from Friendswood, Texas, October 23, 1997:
Two volunteer coaches are taking a youth football league to court after they were banned for life because their 11- and 12-year-old players couldn't resist playing hard.
After the Sagemont Cowboys destroyed the Friendswood Chiefs 62-0 on Oct. 4, the Bay Area Football League banned twin brothers Roy and Rene Aguilar—whose team has dominated the league for several years.
"They're saying that because we demoralized the other team and that we are teaching the kids unethical practices that we're out for life," Rene Aguilar, the team's assistant coach, said in Wednesday's editions of the Galveston County Daily News.
The league has a rule that prohibits teams from winning by more than 42 points. The Aguilars say they told the team to slow down after building a 42-0 lead, but the players couldn't help scoring again.
The Friendswood Chiefs, named after this Houston suburb, fumbled the ball in their own end zone and Sagemont recovered to increase its lead to 48-0. Rene Aguilar said the coaches tried to tell the players not to recover the fumble.
"That's confusing to them," he said. "One minute we're trying to tell them to play hard, then we're telling them to lay down."
Recovering that fumble, according to a league rule, meant a one-game suspension for the head coach and a $100 fine for the team.
The Royal Academy of Arts in London is in upheaval following the publicity surrounding its contemporary art exhibition, "Sensation," which has caused many academy members to resign in disgust.
One room of the exhibit shows nothing but mannequins with male genitals for noses and sex-doll mouths. A piece titled "The Holy Virgin Mary" is composed of an image of Mary circled by pornographic clips and elephant dung. Also present was a massive portrait of the Moors child torturer and murderer, Myra Hindley, composed of children's hand prints. The mother of one victim, whose screams were tape recorded, has protested the exhibit in vain. "We have left the realm of art now," sculptor Michael Sandel wrote on his resignation. "I am afraid that the RA has done something bordering on evil."
Asked whether there are limits in taste or morality in choosing shows, RA exhibitions secretary Norman Rosenthal explained, "All art is moral."
Reuters reports that the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has instituted a new educational program to reflect the growing number of single-parent families. Teachers are encouraged to use phrases like "the adults who live in your house" or "the people who look after you" when speaking to four- and five-year-olds.
The city council of Berkeley, California, has expanded its boycott of oil companies that do business in Burma to include those companies doing business in Nigeria. Included in the boycott are Arco, Chevron, Mobil, Shell, Texaco, and Unocal. Exxon has also long been boycotted due to its slow response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. City Council member Polly Armstrong commented on the subsequent difficulty in finding gasoline for city vehicles: "In the end, we're going to have to look for mineral rights under the city of Berkeley."
After leaving the chairmanship of the National Endowment for the Arts, Jane Alexander revealed to the New York Times just how damaging the arts agency's critics have been.
"Ms. Alexander," the Times reported, "said that the persistent assault by conservatives had a chilling effect on the willingness of arts groups to apply for federal aid. 'What has happened is that the applicants themselves are not sending in proposals for provocative work because they want to get funded,' she said.
"Ms. Alexander said artists were 'very astute' and so were now seeking support for controversial work elsewhere."
With a strong sense of accomplishment, Patrick Moore, who founded Greenpeace in 1971, retired from the environmental movement in the mid-1980s following its many successes. But in later years he has found himself at odds with Greenpeace's increasingly radical stance.
Moore recalls that after deciding to take up salmon farming in his native British Columbia, "Greenpeace came out against salmon farming. That kind of blew my mind." He listened to their objections, but found it an "absolutely ludicrous, anti-science campaign," and told his former colleagues so.
A third-generation forester with doctoral credentials, Moore next found himself opposed to Greenpeace on forestry issues. Moore had come to believe that the best way for parties involved in land use disputes to solve problems is by cooperation and compromise, a view that earned him the reputation of a traitor among his former colleagues. "They refused to join a community-based, consensus-approach, roundtable to seek solutions to land-use problems" in a stance he described as "a childish inability to grow and recognize the basic fact that there are very real social and economic needs that have to be met every day for 5.9 billion people." Moore earned extra ire by joining the Forestry Alliance, an industry-backed group whose aim is to balance environmental and economic needs. He has also written a book, Pacific Spirit: The Forest Reborn, which defends modern forestry techniques.
Radicals argue that logging brings about deforestation with resulting climate change and extinction of species. "Some 50,000 species of plants and animals disappear from the planet each year," said a wire-service story quoting officials at the World Wildlife Fund, adding that "commercial loggers are mainly to blame." But Moore demanded to know of a single species that has become extinct due to logging, a challenge the group failed to meet, though the charge continues to surface. Moore cites U.N. studies that show 95 percent of deforestation is due to slash-and-burn agriculture and exploitive noncommercial fuel gathering for settlements. Moore says this "only makes sense as the whole purpose of forestry is to grow trees, i.e., to keep the land forested."
But Moore's views continue to mark him as a Judas. When Moore testified before a House subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health to counter arguments advocating and end to commercial logging on public lands, the Sierra Club termed Moore's testimony a "multimillion-dollar public-relations hoax." Spokesperson Debbie Sease commented, "The choice of this witness sends a signal that the industry recognizes that it faces a public-relations nightmare."
A Pennsylvania man decided to place his ladder on top of a pile of frozen horse manure to extend its reach while working on his barn. When the manure thawed, the ladder slipped, the man fell, sued the ladder manufacturer, and a jury awarded him $330,000.
In North Dakota, a woman who was injured when her smoke detector failed to sound sued the manufacturer of the alarm, which unfortunately requires batteries in order to function.
For more than a century, Cindy Domenigoni's family maintained a Winchester, California, ranch with what she calls "a wide diversity and abundance of species and wildlife habitat." But once the endangered Stephens kangaroo rat was discovered there, the federal government forced the family to idle 800 of their acres without compensation. "Our family's good stewardship was rewarded by the loss of our land and a financial impact of over $400,000." The family was also forbidden to use farm equipment to build firebreaks, which resulted in an inferno that torched 25,000 acres, 29 homes, along with the rodents themselves.
As part of its effort to control air pollution, the Environmental Protection Agency has instituted a strict new set of particulate standards with which, incidentally, nature itself frequently falls out of compliance. In doing so, EPA administrator Carol Browner disregarded the findings of the EPA's own Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee that low levels of the smaller smoke and dust particles the regulations target were not found to cause any negative health effects. The President's Council of Economic Advisers has estimated the new regulations will cost industry and consumers $60 billion a year. However, assuring the public that the regulations would reduce asthma attacks, Browner firmly declared, "When it comes to protecting our kids, I will not be swayed."
But science journalist Michael Fumento notes that there appears to be an inverse correlation between asthma and pollution rates, with asthma rates increasing in America as air pollution has diminished. Comparisons of high-polluting countries, such as East Germany and Poland, with nations with strong pollution-control measures, such as West Germany and Sweden, indicate higher rates of asthma in countries with less pollution. Ben Lieberman, a policy analyst at the Washington-based Competitive Enterprise Institute, comments that this may be due to the prevalence of energy-efficient buildings, which have ventilation systems that seal in and circulate dust. Some medical authorities even believe the asthma increase is due to suppressed immune response to diseases children in more advanced countries no longer contract. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases determined that the leading cause of asthma among children is an allergic reaction to cockroach droppings and carcasses.
In addition to its efforts to reduce smoke particulates, the EPA, in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration, is seeking a ban on asthma inhalers that use chlorofluorocarbons. Such inhalers have previously been exempt from CFC bans proscribed by the Montreal Protocols because they were considered a medical necessity and because they account for only about 1 percent of atmospheric chlorine, which some think leads to damage of the ozone layer. By banning the inhalers, the EPA hopes to comply with a more strict extension of the original treaty.
George Washington University medical researcher Robert Goldberg criticizes the ban, noting that low-income asthmatic children tend to use the CFC-propelled inhalers the most because they are one-eighth the cost of non-CFC brands. Asthma specialists have also determined that, since inhalers may cause various side effects, it is best for there to be as wide a selection as possible. Goldberg also notes that the rising cost of inhalers may be a contributing factor to the 300 percent increase in asthma-related deaths among children between 1980 and 1993.
But Drusilla Hufford, acting director of the EPA's stratospheric protection division, defends the ban: "The problem for the ozone layer is that if the U.S. were to argue that our remaining uses are so small that we ought to be allowed to continue using them indefinitely, it's likely that a lot of other countries would make similar arguments about their uses, and the result of that kind of change would be a problem for the ozone layer."
The FDA received more than 9,000 comments from medical groups, physicians and asthmatics; all but 50 were opposed to the new regulations, including the American Medical Association and the Joint Council of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Among the supporters is the 3M company, manufacturer of the only FDA-approved inhaler that does not use CFCs. (Using a mailing list provided by 3M, the FDA even sent medical professionals a letter urging them to use 3M's inhalers.)
The American Lung Association also supports the CFC inhaler ban—the same group that spearheaded the stringent air quality standards in the name of asthma sufferers. When asked about possible high costs of new inhalers without competition, ALA Deputy Managing Director Fran DuMelle suggests price controls on new inhalers as a "real solution to a free market which says 'I need to recoup my R&D expenses within the first five years.' "
[Ed.: Initially, leading CFC manufacturer DuPont provided crucial support for the Montreal Protocols, which call for phasing out CFCs, while simultaneously insisting that CFCs do no significant damage to the ozone layer. There is a plausible reason for this curious position: CFC substitutes are relatively costly to manufacture and entail increased safety regulation, effectively putting smaller competitors at a disadvantage while maintaining high profits. As an international ban, the Protocols would also increase the negligible market share of American manufacturers worldwide. As the industry learned, however, much of the benefit they counted on quickly evaporated in 1990 as Congress enacted a "windfall profits" tax on the industry.
In May 1999, a federal appeals court blocked the administration's air-quality standards, having found them unguided by any "intelligible principles" other than the sort of inexplicable policy whims that are normally reserved for Congress. The court also found that in performing the required cost/benefit analysis, the EPA had ignored the potential costs of a reduction in ground-level ozone, where research suggests it may perform much the same vital role in filtering out ultraviolet radiation as stratospheric ozone famously does.]
Following repeated warnings to stop using a non-approved textbook, 500 Years of Chicano History in Pictures, in their classroom, the school board of Vaughn, New Mexico, fired Nadine and Patsy Cordova from their junior-high and high-school teaching positions. But with the assistance of the New Mexico Civil Liberties Union, the sisters are suing to get their jobs back, alleging violation of their First Amendment right to free speech.
The school board of the mostly Hispanic community objected to the antagonistic racial and political tone of the book, which contains mostly pictures and is used by over 300 educational institutions in the United States. Chapter headings include Death to the Invader, U.S. Conquest and Betrayal, We Are Now a U.S. Colony, In Occupied America, and They Stole the Land. The stated purpose of the text is to "celebrate our resistance to being colonized and absorbed by racist empire builders." Chicanos are not white, but mestizo, "a people born from an act of destruction, a people born from an act of rape, a new people of America born to revolt."
American defenders at the Alamo were "slave owners, land speculators, and Indian killers," and Davey Crockett was a cannibal. The 1846 "War on Mexico" was an unprovoked U.S. invasion. The Texas Rangers are a "terrorist force" that, "like any police force, ... exist to protect the property of the rich and to keep down the oppressed.... Today they still serve the rich by repressing farm workers." Predictably, the Immigration and Naturalization Service is "the Gestapo of Mexicans." On the brighter side, pre-invasion Mexico "was a land of ancient cultures that prohibited anyone going hungry or homeless. The idea of private property did not exist." Students are taught that, "for poor Chicanos and Indian people, the land is our mother—not private property. It is a means of survival, of production, that we lost to the capitalist system and its values." Today, by contrast, Mexico's wealth "goes to U.S. capitalists, whose domination of Mexico's economy is part of el imperialismo yankee."
The Washington Post, October 19, 1997:
"The theory of relativity worked out by Mr. Einstein, which is in the domain of natural science, I believe can also be applied to the political field," [Chinese president] Jiang [Zemin] said. "Both democracy and human rights are relative concepts and not absolute and general."
In an inscrutable act of consumer advocacy, Ralph Nader's Consumer Project on Technology has petitioned the government to force Microsoft to charge consumers to use its Internet Explorer browser.
Boston College's fall semester features a new course in theology called "Mythic Patterns of Patriarchy" which analyzes "patriarchal religious myth, especially in the professions and in the manifestations of phallotechnology." Bucknell University offers "Witchcraft and Politics," which explores "witchcraft, spirit possession, and cults of the dead as idioms of power and as vehicles for protest, resistance, and violent social change." The University of California at Santa Cruz offers "Feminist Cyborg Fiction," which discusses The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez, the tale of "a lesbian-of-color vampire."
A black Alabama State University graduate student filed suit after being denied a scholarship that was reserved for white candidates in order to diversify the historically black institution. The NAACP declined to represent the student, so the Center for Individual Rights took the case instead.
From "The Elevator Ride," by Nathan McCall, part of his new book of personal essays, What's Going On. Writing in the second person, McCall describes an encounter in an elevator between a black man—presumably himself—and a white woman who suffers from fear and "racial suspicion":
She suspects what you want.... She seems filled with the wildly absurd terror that, in the brief ride between the 12th and 1st floors, this black man may rape her, rob her, and leave her for dead.... Can't she tell from your bearing that you're no rapist or thief?
[Emphasis in original.]
On the first page of his previously published memoir, Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America, McCall describes another of his racial encounters:
We all took off after him... Stomped him and kicked him... kicked him in the head and face and watched the blood gush from his mouth... kicked him in the stomach and nuts, where I knew it would hurt.... Every time I drove my foot into his balls, I felt better.... We bloodied him so badly.... We walked away, laughing, boasting.... F***ing up white boys like that made us feel good inside.
In addition to its displays of McCall's unreconstructed racism, the book also contains candid descriptions of his participation in numerous felonies: assault and battery, breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery, rape, and attempted murder. McCall spent very little time in prison for these crimes, but instead went to a state university, then on to a career in journalism that eventually landed him on the Metro desk of the Washington Post. It's quite possible the nervous woman in the elevator simply read McCall's book and recognized his face from the cover.
A new biography by James H. Jones reviews the life of Alfred Kinsey, a researcher whose influential reports on male and female sexuality in 1948 and 1953 not only classified a wide range of sexual practices, but fostered an ethic of tolerance that presaged the sexual revolution. But, in a cliché come to life, it turns out that Kinsey was not the disinterested scientist many made him out to be.
Kinsey was a bisexual voyeur who engaged in increasingly violent masochistic masturbatory practices, which eventually led to a pelvic infection that killed him at age 62. He engaged in wife-swapping with fellow staffers at his Institute for Sexual Research, at least two of whom had sex with both Kinsey and his wife. Various couplings, orgies, and masturbatory demonstrations were filmed in the attic of Kinsey's home. Jones notes that Kinsey even engaged in a variety of blackmail, securing a stream of foundation money by "shrewdly obligating his sponsors in those organizations by collecting their sexual histories."
His scientific conclusions were tainted by advocacy for his own unusual sexual preferences. "Kinsey's scientific data wasn't flawed. It was fraudulent," says Dr. Judith Reisman, who questioned the veracity of Kinsey's primary research on male sexuality for nearly twenty years. "Kinsey wanted to change our sex attitudes and laws; so he created the data that he wanted. He also threw out three-quarters of the [questionnaire] answers he didn't want to use. He picked who he wanted [as study subjects], and he lied about who he interviewed." Reisman notes that five-sixths of Kinsey's research subjects were aberrant males, representing a disproportionate sampling of prisoners, sex offenders, and male prostitutes. Jones notes that Kinsey sought out as many male homosexual interviewees as possible, both because little was then known about homosexuality, and in order to discreetly engage in anonymous sexual relations with men in the large cities to which he traveled in search of data. That sampling bias led to Kinsey's widely cited estimate that ten percent of American men were homosexually oriented—at least three times the rate determined by later surveys that used more reliable sampling techniques.
Kinsey also solicited ethically questionable data. One chapter of his first report on "early sexual growth and activity" among boys appears to have been based almost entirely on the reminiscences of a man who claimed to have engaged in sexual relations with about 800 children. Kinsey jumped at the chance to acquire the diaries and photographic archives of the man he called "Mr. X." In a passage based on these accounts, Kinsey notes that children "will fight away the partner and may make violent attempts to avoid climax, although they derive definite pleasure from the situation." Kinsey made no effort to bring his unnamed source to justice. True to form, Kinsey's estimates made much of this seem like normative behavior: "85 per cent of the younger male population could be convicted as sex offenders if law-enforcement officials were as efficient as most people expect them to be."
A potential domestic dispute was set in motion when Washington state legislator Scott Smith and his wife, Leslie, both applied to join the police force. On the academy's test, he scored 18th to her 287th. She got a job, and he didn't. He is now leading the campaign for the Washington Civil Rights Initiative to abolish state race and gender preferences, modeled after California's Proposition 209.
A headline in the New York Times on September 28, 1997, read: "Crime Keeps on Falling, but Prisons Keep on Filling." Journalist Fox Butterfield further pondered the paradox: "It has become a comforting story: for five straight years, crime has been falling, led by a drop in murder. So why is the number of inmates in prisons and jails around the nation still going up?" Butterfield repeated his astonishment in January of 1998. "Despite a decline in the crime rate over the past five years," Butterfield reported, "the number of inmates in the nation's jails and prisons rose again in 1997." The accompanying graphic repeated the puzzling news: "The crime rate has gone down, but the number of inmates continues to rise."
And again in 2000, with ritual precision, Butterfield's headline read: "Number in Prison Grows Despite Crime Reduction." This time, however, there's a sign he may be tentatively grasping a rather simple point. "One major issue that the Justice Department's study did not address was whether there was any relationship between growth in the incarceration rate and the drop in crime. Advocates of tougher prosecution and sentencing say the huge growth in imprisonment, with the inharceration rate quadrupling since 1980, has been largely responsible for the decrease in crime."
The Times also pointed out one of the drawbacks of safer streets. "Drop in Crime Leaves Trauma Centers With Patient Shortage," read the headline, and the accompanying illustration featured the caption, "Too Many Centers, Not Enough Trauma." "With too few patients, trauma surgeons who must execute complex, life-saving maneuvers at high speed are unable to keep their skills honed," the report warned. One doctor said that he had been forced "to use more cadavers to educate medical students."
Brooklyn police arrested the Rev. Chester LaRue, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, for selling cocaine out of his church. When police arrived, LaRue was seated at his desk, writing a sermon while smoking crack. The former rector of St. John's, George Hoeh, was murdered by his gay lover in Atlantic City in the 1980s.
At about the same time LaRue was arrested, two other Episcopal priests in Brooklyn were brought up on charges, one for tax fraud, the other, by the church, for sexual misconduct.
The previous year, Penthouse magazine featured a photographic spread of another priest, the Rev. William Lloyd Andries, having sex with his 25-year-old Brazilian "husband" while wearing clerical garb. According to witnesses, Andries, sometimes dressed as Marilyn Monroe, regularly hosted orgies on the alter of his Brooklyn church.
Following this long string of unseemly incidents, Bishop Orris G. Walker Jr. explained that despite appearances, he had not been negligent in his oversight of the priests—just the opposite. "One of my sins is I'm a workaholic," Walker said. "I need to take some time for me." A fellow priest, the Rev. Sara Louise Krantz, told Newsday, "It's the most courageous thing he could have done."
The 70 employees who polish floors, clean bathrooms, and collect garbage at the Service Employees International Union's headquarters in Manhattan must sign a waiver denying them basic union protections. The union says that since Local 32 operates the building, it cannot represent both management and labor without a conflict of interest. The employees currently receive the same wages and benefits as union members. However, union leaders can dismiss or discipline employees without a grievance procedure, and they can unilaterally reduce wages and change working conditions.
When Alvero Cardona applied for a $9.61-an-hour tutoring job at UCLA's Academic Advancement Program, he was prepared to talk about his academic honors, his previous experience tutoring at another college, and how his immigrant background might help him tutor "historically under-represented students." But he wasn't prepared for a loyalty oath. During his job interview, Cardona says, he wasn't asked a single question related to his subject. Instead the interviewer asked him, "How do you feel about affirmative action?" and "Do you believe that there is institutional racism at UCLA?" Cardona said he hadn't experienced racism when he attended UCLA and told the interviewer that he was ambivalent about affirmative action, believing the policy "can be carried too far." Cardona says he didn't get the job because he "couldn't understand the needs of AAP students."
From a Knight-Ridder advance piece:
Disney's newest Cinderella passes multicultural muster with flying colors. The title role belongs to singer-actress Brandy [who is black] ... Her prince is Paolo Montalban, a newcomer of Hispanic descent. Milk-skinned Bernadette Peters has the role of the wicked stepmother whose two haughty daughters are played by white and black actresses. Whitney Houston is the fairy godmother, Jason Alexander [is] ... the Prince's loyal steward, Lionel, and Whoopi Goldberg gets to be Queen Constantina.
We hope that this Cinderella, as we approach the millennium, is reflective of what our society is today.
[Ed.: It is. Paolo Montalban is Filipino, so Disney has not forgotten Asians.]
Following the recent tobacco deal, which would require an exemption from the antitrust laws the Federal Trade Commission administers, FTC chairman Robert Pitofsky worriedly commented that the exemption "would allow the tobacco companies to coordinate their behavior and raise prices far in excess of levels necessary to cover the annual payments and keep the extra profits for themselves." In fact, the whole point of the deal is to raise prices so that fewer people smoke tobacco.
A teach-in was held in New York, led by Sex Panic, a group formed as a result of heated ideological debate between gays and queers that pitted the value of gay male promiscuity against the dangers of HIV transmission. Self-described "queer" academic radicals held the teach-in out of frustration with increasingly mainstream gay leaders and journalists (Gabriel Rotello and Andrew Sullivan in particular) who counseled sexual responsibility and monogamous behavior in the face of AIDS. Epidemiologists had determined that despite aggressive campaigns to promote condom use, roughly a third of gay men continued to have unprotected anal sex with a variety of partners. Queers seek to remove stigma from all sexual practice and resent the advancement of an exclusively gay identity, which they believe maintains a marginalized culture as confining as homophobia itself.
Caleb Crain describes the scene in Lingua Franca, October, 1997:
During the question-and-answer period after the teach-in, a man stood up to announce he was "what is known under Megan's Law as a sexually dangerous predator," jailed for four years for having sex with underage boys and now tracked by the police. He was met with a silence that was both stunned and respectful.... No one in the room either seconded or reproached him....
At the very end of the evening, another man stood up and falteringly said that he felt the gay community's celebration of multipartner sex made it more difficult for him to maintain an exclusive, long-term relationship. He was interrupted and heckled—the only instance of either behavior during the teach-in. Someone in the audience cattily suggested that the man join Sexual Compulsives Anonymous....
The Advocate later published a profile of San Diego "sex activist" and HIV-positive gay porn star Tony Valenzuela, who organized the Sex Panic Summit. Declaring his preference for unprotected sex with multiple partners, Valenzuela noted that he had slept with 150 men the previous year and that he had failed to use condoms about a third of the time. "Sex with a condom is artificial sex," he said. Commenting on the risk he was exposing others to in the face of a second wave of the AIDS epidemic, Valenzuela explained that while gay men should try to stay uninfected, "health isn't only biological. Health is psychological, emotional, and erotic. We're so one-dimensional when it comes to health, saying that it has to be biological survival."
The Clinton administration adopted new racial cate...
Energy Department employee Sherry Reid won a $120,...
A University of Tennessee athletic trainer won a $...
Fearing an influx of out-of-town Halloween revel...
The New Republic reports that a strange book pro...
The driver's license renewal form in Massachusetts...
The revised National Standards for United States H...
After a three-year battle, Robert Kusznikow of Sta...
A New York City public school fifth-grader brought...
An Associated Press dispatch from Friendswood, Tex...
The Royal Academy of Arts in London is in upheaval...
Reuters reports that the Roman Catholic Church in ...
The city council of Berkeley, California, has expa...
After leaving the chairmanship of the National End...
With a strong sense of accomplishment, Patrick Moo...
A Pennsylvania man decided to place his ladder on ...
For more than a century, Cindy Domenigoni's family...
As part of its effort to control air pollution, th...
Following repeated warnings to stop using a non-ap...
The Washington Post, October 19, 1997: "The the...
In an inscrutable act of consumer advocacy, Ralph ...
Boston College's fall semester features a new cour...
A black Alabama State University graduate student ...
From "The Elevator Ride," by Nathan McCall, part o...
A new biography by James H. Jones reviews the lif...
A potential domestic dispute was set in motion whe...
A headline in the New York Times on September 28, ...
Brooklyn police arrested the Rev. Chester LaRue, r...
The 70 employees who polish floors, clean bathroom...
When Alvero Cardona applied for a $9.61-an-hour tu...
From a Knight-Ridder advance piece: Disney's ne...
Following the recent tobacco deal, which would req...
A teach-in was held in New York, led by Sex Panic,...
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MP3 is a popular digital audio encoding and lossy compression format. It was designed to greatly reduce the amount of data (10:1 compression is common) required to represent audio, yet still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio to most listeners. In popular usage, MP3 also refers to files of sound or music recordings stored in the MP3 format on computers.
The name is derived from "MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3", more formally known as "MPEG-1 Part 3 Layer 3" or "ISO/IEC 11172-3 Layer 3". Reportedly, the ".mp3" filename extension is also sometimes used on audio files encoded using the newer "MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3" standard (a.k.a. "MPEG-2 Part 3 Layer 3" or "ISO/IEC 13818-3 Layer 3").
2.1 Development
2.2 MP3 went public
2.3 MP2 and MP3 and the Internet
3 Quality of MP3 audio
4 Bit rate
5 Design limitations of MP3
6 Encoding of MP3 audio
7 Decoding of MP3 audio
8 ID3 and other tags
9 Volume normalization
10 Alternative technologies
11 Licensing and patent issues
12 Online music resources
14.1 Software links
MP3 is a lossy compression format. It provides a representation of pulse-code modulation-encoded (PCM) audio data in a much smaller size by discarding portions that are considered "less important" to human hearing. (This is similar in concept to JPEG lossy compression for images.) A number of techniques are employed in MP3 to determine what portions of the audio can be discarded, including psychoacoustics. MP3 audio can be compressed with different bit rates, providing a range of tradeoffs between data size and sound quality.
MP3 Surround, a version of the format supporting 5.1 channels, was introduced in December 2004. MP3 Surround is backward compatible with standard stereo MP3, and file sizes are similar.
The MP3 format uses, at its heart, a hybrid transform to transform a time domain signal into a frequency domain signal:
32 band polyphase quadrature filter
36 or 12 tap MDCT, size can be selected independent for subband 0...1 and 2...31
aliasing reduction postprocessing
In terms of the MPEG specifications, Advanced audio coding (AAC) from MPEG-4 is to be the successor of the MP3 format, although there has been a significant movement to create and popularize other audio formats. Nevertheless, any 'succession' is not likely to happen for a significant amount of time due to MP3's overwhelming popularity. MP3 enjoys extremely wide popularity and support, not just by end-users and software but by hardware such as DVD and CD players.
MPEG-1 Audio Layer 2 encoding started life as the Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) project initiated by the Fraunhofer Society. This project was financed by the European Union as a part of the EUREKA research program where it was commonly known as EU-147.
EU-147 ran from 1987 to 1994. In 1991, there were two proposals available: Musicam (known as Layer II) and ASPEC (Adaptive Spectral Perceptual Entropy Coding) with similarities to MP3. Musicam was chosen due to its simplicity and error robustness.
A working group around Karlheinz Brandenburg and J�rgen Herre took ideas from Musicam and ASPEC, added some of their own ideas and created MP3, which was designed to achieve the same quality at 128 kbit/s as MP2 at 192 kbit/s.
Both algorithms were finalized in 1992 as part of MPEG-1, the first standard suite by MPEG, which resulted in the international standard ISO/IEC 11172-3, published in 1993. Further work on MPEG audio was finalized in 1994 as part of the second suite of MPEG standards, MPEG-2, more formally known as international standard ISO/IEC 13818-3, originally published in 1995.
Compression efficiency of lossy compression encoders is typically defined by the bit rate because compression rate depends on bit depth and sampling rate of the input signal. Nevertheless, there are often published compression rates which use the CD parameters as references (44.1 kHz, 2 channels at 16 bits per channel or 2x16 bit). Sometimes the Digital Audio Tape (DAT) SP parameters are used (48 kHz, 2x16 bit). Compression ratios for this reference is higher, which demonstrates the problem of the term "compression ratio" for lossy encoders.
Karlheinz Brandenburg used a CD recording of Suzanne Vega's song "Tom's Diner" as his model for the MP3 compression algorithm. This song was chosen because of its softness and simplicity, making it easier to hear imperfections in the compression format during playbacks.
MP3 went public
On the 7th July 1994 the Fraunhofer Society released the first software MP3 encoder called l3enc. With the first realtime software MP3 player Winplay3 (released 9th September 1995) people were able to encode and playback MP3 files on a PC. Because of the relative small harddrives back in that time (usually about 512 MB) the technology was essential to store music for listening pleasure on a computer.
MP2 and MP3 and the Internet
In October 1993, MP2 ("MPEG-1 Audio Layer 2") files appeared on the Internet and were often played back using "Xing MPEG Audio Player", and later in a program for Unix by Tobias Bading called MAPlay initially released on February 22, 1994. (MAPlay was also ported to Microsoft Windows.)
Initially the only encoder available for MP2 production was the Xing Encoder, accompanied by the program CDDA2WAV, a CD ripper that copied CD audio to hard disks. Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) is generally recognized as the start of the on-line music revolution. IUMA was the Internet's first high-fidelity music web site, hosting thousands of authorized MP2 recordings before MP3 or the web were popularized. IUMA was started by Rob Lord (who later headed pioneering Nullsoft) and Jeff Patterson, both from University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1993. Other founding members include Jon Luini, Brandee Selck and Ahin Savara.
In the first half of 1995, MP3 files began flourishing on the Internet. Its popularity was mostly due to, and interchangeable with, the successes of companies and software packages like Nullsoft's Winamp, mpg123 and (now Roxio-owned) Napster. Those programs made it very easy to playback, create, share and collect MP3s for the average PC users.
Controversies regarding peer to peer file sharing of MP3 files have flourished in recent years — largely because high compression enables sharing of files that would otherwise be too large and cumbersome to share. Due the vastly increased spread of MP3s through the internet some major record labels reacted by filing a lawsuite against Napster.
Since 2003, the number of MP3 blogs has exploded, while largely avoiding a backlash from record companies.
Commercial online music distribution services (like ITunes Music Store) usually prefer other music file formats that support DRM to control and restrict the use of digital music.
Quality of MP3 audio
Many listeners accept the MP3 bitrate of 128 kilobits per second (kbit/s) as near enough to compact disc quality for them. This provides a compression ratio of approximately 11:1, although listening tests show that with a bit of practice, many listeners can reliably distinguish 128 kbit/s MP3s from CD originals. To some listeners, 128 kbit/s is unacceptably low quality. Even though differences may be perceptible, this is acceptable for some listeners in some listening environments, such as a noisy car or train.
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (abbreviated FhG) publish on their official webpage the following compression ratios and data rates for MPEG-1 Layer 1, 2 and 3, intended for comparison:
Layer 1: 384 kbit/s, compression 4:1
Layer 2: 192...256 kbit/s, compression 6:1...8:1
Layer 3: 112...128 kbit/s, compression 10:1...12:1
These values are probably overly optimistic (they are likely to be influenced by public relations) because the quality depends not only on the encoding file format, but also on the quality of the psychoacoustic algorithms used by the encoder. Typical layer 1 encoders use simple psycho acoustics which result in a higher needed bit rate for transparent encoding.
Layer 1 encoding at 384 kbit/s, even with these simple psychoacoustics, is better than Layer 2 at 192...256 kbit/s
Layer 3 encoding at 112...128 kbit/s is worse than Layer 2 at 192...256 kbit/s.
That is to say, the assumed bit rates are not equivalent in quality and the qualities are not necessarily optimal (it is generally agreed that 112 to 128 kbit/s Layer 3 is not excellent sound) and therefore the comparison is probably not reliable as an objective source.
More realistic bit rates are:
Layer 1: excellent at 384 kbit/s
Layer 2: excellent at 256...384 kbit/s, very good at 224...256 kbit/s, good at 192...224 kbit/s
Comparing a new file format typically is done by comparing a medium quality encoder of the old format and a highly tuned encoder of the new format.
A few possible encoders:
LAME first created by Mike Cheng in early 1998, it is a (by contrast to others) fully LGPL'd MP3 encoder, with excellent speed and quality, rivaling even MP3's technological successors.
Fraunhofer Gesellschaft: Some encoders are good, some have bugs.
Some early encoders are not widely used any more: ISO dist10 reference code, Xing, BladeEnc, and ACM Producer Pro.
The quality of MP3 files depend on the quality of the encoder and the difficulty of the signal which must be encoded.
Good encoders produce acceptable quality at 128 to 160 kbit/s and near-transparency at 160 to 192 kbit/s.
Low quality encoders may never reach transparency, not even at 320 kbit/s.
So it is pointless to speak of 128 kbit/s or 192 kbit/s quality, except in the context of a particular encoder or of the best available coders. A 128 kbit/s MP3 produced by a good encoder might sound better than a 192 kbit/s MP3 file produced by a bad encoder.
Additionally, it is important to note that this is subjective. A given bitrate suffices for some listeners but not for others. The numbers given above are rough guidelines that work for many people, but in the field of lossy audio compression, the only true measure of the quality of a compression process is to listen to the results.
An important feature of MP3 is that it is lossy — meaning that it removes information from the input in order to save space (and bandwidth cost in transferred). As with most modern lossy encoders, MP3 algorithms work hard to ensure that the parts it removes cannot be detected by human listeners by modeling characteristics of human hearing (i.e., noise masking). The importance of this is that it can gain huge savings in storage space with reasonable and acceptable (although detectable) losses in fidelity.
If your aim is to archive sound files with no loss of quality (or work on the sound files in a studio) you should consider Lossless compression such as:
Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC)
Monkey's Audio (APE)
Shorten (SHN)
Lossless Predictive Audio Compression (LPAC)
Wavpack (WV)
True Audio (TTA)
Apple Lossless
These are capable of compressing 16-bit PCM audio to 38 to 80% of its original size (depending upon the characteristics of the audio itself), leaving the audio bit-for-bit identical to the original (ergo "lossless").
It is important to understand the difference between audio for further processing and audio use only for playback. Lossless formats are strongly preferred for material which will be edited, mixed, or otherwise processed because the perceptual assumptions made by lossy coders may not hold true after processing. Most people find lossy coders acceptable for audio which will only be played. Nevertheless, individual acoustic perception may vary so it is not evident that a certain psychoacoustic model can give satisfactory results for everyone. Merely changing the conditions of listening, such as the audio playing system or environment, can expose unwanted distortions caused by lossy compression. Lossless formats will produce the best possible result, at the expense of a lower compression ratio.
If MP3 audio needs to be decoded and re-encoded another time, for example when it will be aired on radio, cascading lossy compression stages can significantly reduce the quality of the end-result. To prevent this, keep audio data in its original state if further operating on it is necessary. If any operation needs to be done on MP3 data, such as cutting or merging audio, or lowering bitrate, it is preferable to use software that works directly with the encoded data (such as mp3DirectCut and MP3Gain) and prevent extra decoding-encoding steps.
The bit rate is variable for MP3 files. The general rule is that the higher the bitrate, the more information is included from the original sound file, and thus the higher the quality of played back audio. In the early days of MP3 encoding, a fixed bit rate was used for the entire file.
Bit rates available in MPEG-1 layer 3 are 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 160, 192, 224, 256 and 320 kibit/s, and the available sample frequencies are 32, 44.1 and 48 kHz. 44.1 kHz is almost always used (coincides with the sampling rate of compact discs), and 128 kbit has become the de facto "good enough" standard, although 192 kbit is becoming increasingly popular on peer-to-peer file sharing programs. MPEG-2 and (the non-official) MPEG-2.5 adds more bitrates: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64, 80, 96, 112, 128, 144, 160 kbit/s.
As already mentioned, variable bit rates (VBR) are also possible. Audio in MP3 files are divided into frames (which have their own bit rate) so it is possible to change the bit rate dynamically as the file is encoded. This was not originally done, but VBR is in extensive use today. This technique makes it possible to use more bits for parts of the sound with high dynamics (much "sound movement") and fewer bits for parts with low dynamics, increasing quality and decreasing storage space further. This method compares to a sound activated tape recorder which saves the tape space from when silence was prevalent for the times when sound is being heard. Some encoders utilize this technique to a great extent.
Design limitations of MP3
There are several limitations inherent to the MP3 format that cannot be overcome by using a better encoder. More recent audio-compression formats such as Vorbis, AAC, Musepack and WMA no longer have these limitations. In technical terms, MP3 is limited in the following ways:
In constant bitrates, bitrates are limited to a maximum of 320 kbit/s
Time resolution can be too low for highly transient signals
Encoder/decoder overall delay is not defined
No scaleband factor for frequencies above 15.5/15.8 kHz
Joint stereo is done on a frame-to-frame basis
Nevertheless a well-tuned MP3 encoder can perform competitively even with these restrictions.
Encoding of MP3 audio
The MPEG-1 standard does not include a precise specification for an MP3 encoder. The decoding algorithm and file format, as a contrast, are well defined. Implementors of the standard were supposed to devise their own algorithms suitable for removing parts of the information in the raw audio (or rather its MDCT representation in the frequency domain). This is the domain of psychoacoustics, which aims at understanding how human acoustical perception works (both in our ears and in our brain).
As a result, there are many different MP3 encoders available, each producing files of differing quality. Comparisons are widely available, so it is easy for a prospective user of an encoder to research the best choice. It must be kept in mind that an encoder that is proficient at encoding at higher bitrates (such as LAME, which is in widespread use for encoding at higher bitrates) is not necessarily as good at other, lower bitrates.
Decoding of MP3 audio
Decoding, on the other hand, is carefully defined in the standard. Most decoders are "bitstream compliant", meaning that the uncompressed output they produce from a given MP3 file will be the same (within a specified degree of rounding tolerance) as the output specified mathematically in the standard document. Therefore, for the most part, comparison of decoders is almost exclusively based on how computationally efficient they are (i.e., how much memory or CPU time they use in the decoding process).
ID3 and other tags
See main articles ID3 and APEv2 tag
A "tag" is data stored in an MP3 (as well as other formats) which contains metadata such as the title, artist, album, track number or other information about the MP3 file to be added to the file itself. The most widespread standard tag formats are currently the ID3 ID3v1 and ID3v2 tags, and the more recent APEv2 tag.
APEv2 was originally developed for the MPC file format (see the APEv2 specification (http://www.personal.uni-jena.de/~pfk/mpp/sv8/apetag.html)). APEv2 can coexist with ID3 tags in the same file, but it can also be used by itself.
As compact discs and other various sources are recorded and mastered at different volumes, it is useful to store volume information about a file in the tag so that at playback time, the volume can be dynamically adjusted.
A few standards for encoding the gain of an MP3 file have been proposed. The idea is to normalize the volume (not the volume peaks) of audio files, so that the volume does not change between consecutive tracks.
The most popular and widely-used solution for storing replay gain is known simply as "Replay Gain". Typically, the average volume and clipping information about an audio track is stored in the metadata tag.
Alternative technologies
Many other lossy audio codecs exist, including:
MPEG-1/2 Audio Layer 2 (MP2), MP3's predecessor;
Ogg Vorbis from the Xiph.org Foundation, a free software and patent free codec.
MPC, also known as Musepack (formerly MP+), a derivative of MP2;
mp3PRO from Thomson Multimedia combining MP3 with SBR;
AC-3, used in Dolby Digital and DVD;
ATRAC, used in Sony's Minidisc;
MPEG-4 AAC, used by Apple's iTunes Music Store and iPod
Windows Media Audio (WMA) from Microsoft.
QDesign, used in QuickTime at low bitrates;
AMR-WB+ Enhanced Adaptive Multi Rate WideBand codec, optimized for cellular and other limited bandwidth use;
RealAudio from RealNetworks, frequently in use for streaming on websites;
Speex, free software and patent free codec based on CELP specifically designed for speech and VoIP.
mp3PRO, MP3, AAC, and MP2 are all members of the same technological family and depend on roughly similar psychoacoustic models. The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft owns many of the basic patents underlying these codecs, with Dolby Labs, Sony, Thomson Consumer Electronics, and AT&T holding other key patents.
There are also some non-lossy (lossless) audio compression methods used on the Internet. While they are not similar to MP3, they are good examples of other compression schemes available. These include:
FLAC stands for 'Free Lossless Audio Codec'
SHN, also known as Shorten
Listening tests [1] (http://www.rjamorim.com/test/) have attempted to find the best-quality lossy audio codecs at certain bitrates. The tests have suggested that for some audio samples, newer audio codecs including Ogg Vorbis, mp3PRO, AC-3, Windows Media Audio, MPC and RealAudio perform better than MP3. Generally, these codecs achieve the equivalent of MP3 128kbps at around 80kbps. At 128kbps, Ogg Vorbis and MPC performed marginally better than other codecs. At 64kbps, ACC and mp3pro performed marginally better than other codecs. At high bitrates (128kbps+), most people do not hear significant differences. What is considered 'CD quality' is quite subjective; for some 128kbps MP3 is sufficient, while for others 192kbps MP3 is necessary.
Though proponents of newer codecs such as WMA and RealAudio have asserted that their respective algorithms can achieve CD quality at 64 kbit/s, listening tests have shown otherwise; however, the quality of these codecs at 64 kbit/s is definitely superior to MP3 at the same bandwidth. The developers of the patent-free Ogg Vorbis codec claim that their algorithm surpasses MP3, RealAudio and WMA sound quality, and the listening tests mentioned above support that claim. Thomson claims that its mp3PRO codec achieves CD quality at 64 kbit/s, but listeners have reported that a 64 kbit/s mp3PRO file compares in quality to a 112 kbit/s MP3 file and does not come reasonably close to CD quality until about 80 kbit/s.
MP3, which was designed and tuned for use alongside MPEG-1/2 Video, generally performs poorly on monaural data at less than 48 kbit/s or in stereo at less than 80 kbit/s.
Licensing and patent issues
Thomson Consumer Electronics controls licensing of the MPEG-1/2 Layer 3 patents (http://www.mp3licensing.com/patents/index.html) in countries such as the United States of America and Japan that recognize software patents. Thomson has decided to attempt to collect royalties for the patents.
In September 1998, the Fraunhofer Institute sent a letter to several developers of MP3 software stating that a license was required to "distribute and/or sell decoders and/or encoders". The letter claimed that unlicensed products "infringe the patent rights of Fraunhofer and THOMSON. To make, sell and/or distribute products using the [MPEG Layer-3] standard and thus our patents, you need to obtain a license under these patents from us."
These patent issues significantly slowed the development of unlicensed MP3 software and led to increased focus on creating and popularising alternatives such as WMA and Ogg Vorbis. Microsoft, the makers of the Windows operating system, chose to move away from MP3 to their own proprietary Windows Media formats to avoid the licensing issues associated with the patents. Until the key patents expire, open source / free software encoders and players appear to be illegal for commercial use in countries that recognize software patents.
For information about licensing fees see [2] (http://www.mp3licensing.com/help/developer.html) and [3] (http://www.mp3licensing.com/royalty/index.html).
In spite of the patent restrictions, the perpetuation of the MP3 format continues; the reasons for this appear to be the network effects caused by:
familiarity with the format, not knowing alternatives exist,
the large quantity of music now available in the MP3 format,
the wide variety of existing software and hardware that takes advantage of the file format that revolutionized the music industry and copyright law.
Online music resources
Tools such as iRate try to make it easier to find music that matches the listener's tastes. There are several online music stores. Apple's iTunes store is presently the most popular commercial online music offering. Independent artists are able to use smaller sites to provide distribution. A controversial MP3 portal is the Russian site AllOfMP3.com, which offers downloads of thousands of albums and video clips by mainstream artists, priced at $20 per gigabyte. There are also several online columnists who edit news sites focused on digital music and the grassroots community it spawned. They include Richard Menta's MP3newswire.net (http://www.mp3newswire.net), an early MP3 news site started in 1998, Jon Newton's P2Pnet (http://www.p2pnet.net), and Thomas Mennecke's Slyck.com (http://www.slyck.com). Other sites like Download.com and Vitaminic.com which allow artists to choose to post their own music for free download.
Fraunhofer IIS (http://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/amm/techinf/layer3/)
List of relevant patents (http://www.mp3licensing.com/patents/index.html)
MP3 File Format Specification (http://mpgedit.org/mpgedit/mpeg_format/MP3Format.html)
MPEG Audio Web Page (http://www.tnt.uni-hannover.de/project/mpeg/audio/)
MPEG Audio FAQ (http://www.tnt.uni-hannover.de/project/mpeg/audio/faq/)
MP3 Search Engine - Finds MP3 files (http://mp3.ithaki.net/)
ID3v2 Information (http://www.id3.org/)
News about the MP3 format (http://www.mp3-news.net/)
Thomson's mp3licensing.com (http://www.mp3licensing.com)
Xiph.org listening test (http://www.xiph.org/ogg/vorbis/listen.html) - Vorbis vs. MP3, RealAudio, Windows Media, etc.
Roberto's public listening tests (http://www.rjamorim.com/test/) - blind, controlled listening tests of lossy compression formats including MP3.
Coding Technologies (DAB related) (http://www.codingtechnologies.com/)
Factum Electronics (DAB related) (http://www.factum.se/)
Mp3 Limitations (http://www.mp3-tech.org/content/?Mp3%20Limitations) - LAME developer explains flaws and restricitons of MP3 compared to newer formats
LAME MP3 Encoder downloads (http://mitiok.ma.cx/)
Rarewares MP3 software downloads (http://www.rarewares.org/mp3.html)
mp3DirectCut, for fast mpeg audio editing (http://www.mpesch3.de/)
MP3Gain, changes audio-level of mp3 files (http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/)
MPEG Audio Resources and Software (http://www.mpeg.org/MPEG/audio.html)
mp3 tagging library (software) (http://mplib.sourceforge.net/)
ID3 tag + filename manipulation software (http://www.id3-tagit.de) (ID3 is the tagging system used to store information about tracks in the MP3 files)ca:MP3
cs:MP3 da:MP3 de:MP3 es:MP3 eo:MP3 fr:MP3 ko:MP3 it:MP3 he:MP3 lb:MP3 hu:MP3 nl:MPEG-1 Layer 3 ja:MP3 nb:MP3 pl:MP3 pt:MP3 ru:MP3 fi:MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3) sv:MP3 tr:MP3 uk:MP3 zh:MP3
Retrieved from "http://footwww.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/MP3"
Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | Audio codecs | Digital audio | Digital Revolution | Digital media | Computer file formats
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Saladin in Limbo
Another of my short ebooks has just come out – this one on the subject of The Battle of Arsuf , which was the turning point of the Third Crusade in 1191. The book doesn’t really have any significant Fortean content (despite having the Knights Templar in it), but there is an interesting fact that falls in the "Strange but True" category in the very first paragraph:
Yusuf ibn Ayyub (“Joseph, son of Job”) was born in Islamic Mesopotamia around the year 1137, and given the honorific title Salah ad-Din, meaning “Righteousness of the Faith”. To Europeans he became known as Saladin. Even among the Christians who were his sworn enemies, he had a reputation as a gallant and courageous warrior. A century after his death, the Italian poet Dante placed Saladin not in Hell but in the limbo of “virtuous non-Christians”, along with the great heroes of ancient Greece and Rome.
The Renaissance notion of Limbo was something I mentioned in an earlier post (Descent into Limbo). In the early days of Christianity, things were straightforwardly clear-cut: all non-Christians were uniformly wicked and automatically went to Hell. But by the Renaissance, Europeans were rediscovering the wisdom and depth of their pagan past, as embodied in the classical world of ancient Greece and Rome. So they came up with the notion of Limbo—neither Hell nor Heaven—where the virtuous men and women of pre-Christian times could reside in relative peace and comfort for eternity.
The most detailed description of Limbo can be found in Dante’s Divine Comedy, written in the early 1300s. Dante was an archetypal Renaissance Man, and had enormous respect for the pre-Christian culture of Europe. He took the opportunity to put all his favourite heroes and heroines from ancient Greece and Rome in Limbo – from fellow poets like Homer and Ovid to mythical heroes like Hector and Aeneas and noble Roman ladies like Cornelia Africana and Lucretia. And he lists more than a dozen philosophers, including Socrates, Plato, Diogenes, Anaxagoras, Zeno, Heraclitus, Euclid and Ptolemy – all of whom featured two centuries later in another Renaissance masterpiece, Raphael’s The School of Athens.
To his credit, Dante puts not only ancient Greeks and Romans in Limbo, but some recently deceased Islamic scholars as well. There is Averroes, who is also featured in The School of Athens—and died only a few decades before Dante was born—and an earlier Muslim philosopher named Avicenna. But the oddest inclusion of all is Saladin.
Saladin wasn’t a philosopher, although by all accounts he was a scholarly and learned individual who was famed for his wisdom and generosity. But first and foremost he was a military leader. Twenty-first century values notwithstanding, this wouldn’t by itself have been a block to being considered “virtuous” in the Middle Ages – Dante also honours Julius Caesar with a place in Limbo. But Caesar was a European, whereas Saladin fought against Europeans – and only a century or so before Dante was writing.
Saladin united the Islamic world against the Christian Crusaders, and set the stage for Islamic supremacy in the Middle East. So it’s no surprise that he is a great hero to Muslims, and that he is respected and revered by many modern-day historians. But it really is a surprise to find a 14th century Christian writer like Dante treating him with such honour. This strikes me as an extraordinarily enlightened view – even today, Westerners have great reluctance to say anything generous about their military opponents.
Needless to say, if you want the full details of Saladin’s role in the Third Crusade, you should read my ebook: Arsuf – 1191 . This is my fifth contribution to the Bretwalda Battles series – I mentioned the first two in earlier posts (London versus the V-2 rockets and The Siege of Lachish). The other two are on non-Fortean subjects (Rolling Thunder
and Sinking the Bismarck ) but well worth a read for anyone interested in military history.
Labels: History, Knights Templar, Religion, strange but true
But the Honorable Enemy is an well-established trope, especially in martial cultures. Generally there's only one at a time. You won't find anybody to say a good word about Nazis - but most Americans, from the 30's on who have any knowledge of Axis military personnel think of General Rommel with respect.
Thanks -- you make an interesting point in your first sentence, which hadn't occurred to me although it makes sense now you say it. The specific case of Rommel had occurred to me though, which has almost become a cliche. The fact that he tried to kill Hitler would make him a hero in anyone's book, of course, but he was respected by the Allies even before that.
From a British point of view, the closest analogy I could think of to the respect mediaeval Christians had for Saladin was Mahatma Gandhi, who belonhed to a completely different culture and a completely different religion, and devoted his life to throwing the British out of India, and yet is almost universally regarded with the highest respect in this country. But then Gandhi was a pacifist, and the very opposite of a military leader.
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Affect Undead
Note: If the character is split class and both classes can affect Undead, use the best score of the two classes.
OverviewHow the values are calculated
In the original version of World of Gaianar, the ability for characters to affect members of the Undead were arbitrary and seemingly random. With the aid of editor Matt Hannum, there was developed a consistent and mathematically predictable means of calculating the turn value (on a D20) required for affecting the unquiet dead. Also new to Second Edition, the quantity of creatures affected as well as the number of times per day that a character can attempt to affect Undead is also delineated.
The resistance of an Undead creature to being turned away is proportional to the number of Hit Dice used to generate its hit points. An Undead monster with 4d4 hit points and more robust creature with 4d10 hit points would both count as 4HD creatures for the purpose of turns/rebukes. The basic chart for affecting single-HD Undead creature is thus:
Character Level Base Turn Value
So, on this chart, a 1st level character would need a 14 to affect a 1HD Undead monster, whist a 5th level character would only need to roll a 6 to affect a 1HD Undead monster. Of course, most Undead have more than just a single Hit Die, and therefore more modifiers follow:
Base Turn Modifier: This is number reflects how much harder it is for a character to turn away Undead with extra Hit Dice. Priests are the most powerful (BTM of 3) whilst Cavaliers are the weakest (BTM of 5). Thus, a 4th level Priest turning away a 3HD monster would only need a roll of 14 (base is 8 (1HD), then +3 and +3 for the two extra Hit Dice). Compare that to a 4th level Cavalier affecting the same monster: Base of 8, +5 and +5 for the extra two Hit Dice, for a required roll of 18. Fear not! All of the tables are in this section so you won't actually have to do the math.
Character Class Base Turn Modifier
Priest, Shaman, and Necromancer 3
Paladin and Protector 4
Cavalier and Speaker For the Dead 5
Quantity Affected. Priests and Shamans can affect the greatest number of Undead in a single rebuke, whilst the Speaker for the Dead and the Necromancer affect the fewest.
Character Class Number of Undead Affected per Experience Level
One per level
Shaman Two per three levels
Paladin and Protector One per two levels
Cavalier One per three levels
Necromancer and Speaker for the Dead One per five levels
Duration. Undead that are turned away by the character will essentially run away at maximum speed for either one round per level of the caster or one round per two levels of the caster (depending on the character class). For example, a 5th level Priest could cause a group of Undead monsters to retreat for five rounds. The GM could decide whether the monsters would either keep running, wander away randomly, or come back for more fighting once the effect of the rebuke ends. Protectors make for a special case. A Protector has the power to stun Unded ("hold at bay") and thus the monsters will not flee but instead will simply stand in a stupified state until the effect ends. Presumably, the person that the Protector is protecting has used that time to flee to safety.
Character Class Duration of Effect
Priest, Paladin, Necromancer, and Shaman One round per level (monsters flee at best speed)
Protector Held at bay (stunned) for one round per level
Cavalier and Speaker For the Dead One round per two levels (monsters flee at best speed)
Attempts per day per level. A Priest has the greatest number of attempts per day for rebuking Undead. For each level of experience, a Priest can make one attempt to send the walking dead packing. Cavaliers, being primarily fighters, have the fewest attempts per day.
Character Class Turning Attempts per Day
Priest, Shaman, and Protector
One attempt per level
Paladin and Necromancer One attempt per two levels
Cavalier and Speaker For the Dead One attempt per three levels
Combined Faith Bonus. Sometimes two or more clerics can join their wills together in order to turn away an Undead monster that would ordinarily be too powerful for either of them individuality. For instance, if a group of 4 clerics (Priest[L4], Priest[L1], Protector[L2], and Speaker for the Dead[L2]) attempt to turn a 6HD Undead, the lead cleric's roll would be 1d20+3+2+1 (because a Priest adds 3, a Protector adds 2, and a Speaker For the Dead adds one to the lead cleric's D20 roll), making a maximum rolled value of 26. Thus, a 4th level Priest could ordinarily turn a 5HD creature, but with combined faith, the group of clerics could theoretically turn a 7HD creature.
Character Class Combined Faith Bonus
Priest and Shaman
Protector and Paladin +2
Cavalier, Necromancer , and Speaker For the Dead +1
CavalierFeudal Warrior
Cavalier Hit Dice of Opposing Undead Creature
Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1 14 19 24 29 34 39 44 49 54 59 64 69 74 79 84 89 94 99 104 109
4 8 13 18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73 78 83 88 93 98 103
6 4 9 14 19 24 29 34 39 44 49 54 59 64 69 74 79 84 89 94 99
9 -2 3 8 13 18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73 78 83 88 93
10 -4 1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91
11 -6 -1 4 9 14 19 24 29 34 39 44 49 54 59 64 69 74 79 84 89
13 -10 -5 -2 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49
14 -12 -7 -2 3 8 13 18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73 78 83
16 -16 -11 -6 -1 4 9 14 19 24 29 34 39 44 49 54 59 64 69 74 79
18 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75
19 -22 -17 -12 -7 -2 3 8 13 18 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73
Turning Attempts: 1 per 3 levels
Creatures Affected: 1 per 3 levels
Duration of Turning Effect: 1 round per two levels
Combined Faith Bonus: +1
NecromancerStudent of the Dark Arts
Necromancer Hit Dice of Opposing Undead Creature
Character Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
1 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 44 47 50 53 56 59 62 65 68 71
4 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 44 47 50 53 56 59 62 65
7 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 44 47 50 53 56 59
8 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57
9 -2 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49 52 55
10 -4 -1 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 44 47 50 53
11 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51
12 -8 -5 -2 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43 46 49
13 -10 -7 -4 -1 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41 44 47
14 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45
15 -14 -11 -8 -5 -2 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37 40 43
16 -16 -13 -10 -7 -4 -1 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35 38 41
17 -18 -15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39
18 -20 -17 -14 -11 -8 -5 -2 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25 28 31 34 37
19 -22 -19 -16 -13 -10 -7 -4 -1 2 5 8 11 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 35
20 -24 -21 -18 -15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33
Duration of Turning Effect: 1 round per level
PaladinHoly Warrior
Paladin Hit Dice of Opposing Undead Creature
10 -4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72
16 -16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60
18 -20 -16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56
19 -22 -18 -14 -10 -6 -2 2 6 10 14 18 22 26 30 34 38 42 46 50 54
20 -24 -20 -16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52
PriestHealer and Guide
Priest Hit Dice of Opposing Undead Creature
Turning Attempts: 1 per levels
Creatures Affected: 1 per level
ProtectorSelfless Defensive Warrior
Protector Hit Dice of Opposing Undead Creature
Turning Attempts: 1 per level
Creatures Affected: 1 per 2 levels (stunned or held at bay)
ShamanTribal Healer and Sage
Shaman Hit Dice of Opposing Undead Creature
Speaker For the DeadSpeaks for the victims of crime
Speaker for the Dead Hit Dice of Opposing Undead Creature
Depending on the character class, high Faith can increase one's ability to affect Undead.
Certain monsters may have higher than normal resistance to being affected. For instance, Undead/Machine or Undead/Demon hybrids may turn as higher HD or may have innate resistance.
Travelling to other planes of existence may possibly increase or decrease one's ability to affect Undead. For example, characters are weaker in the Plane of Shadow.
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The Importance of Company Logo Design
Thread: The Importance of Company Logo Design
limecommerce
Brand and Logo
I always said that identity is one of the most important things that a company should have whenever and wherever they want to join the competition. Company logo design is important for identification. It helps the brand, product, and company to get noticed in a world full of information that we lived in.
The logo could be a name of your company or an illustration that represent your company. It also doesn't have to say what kind of products you sell in your company logo design. Like Samsung that doesn't say anything about the devices, they sell or Tesla that only has a ‘T' illustration that doesn't tell you about electric car products.
Also, when you have a low budget and have a lot of other things to do, you don't have to hire an expensive graphic designer only to make your logo. You can try playing with some font, mix and match it by yourself (or at least an individual that has a special skill in design), and you can make your first company logo design.
Sometimes Word Doesn't Work
After reading about the logo and learn a little bit about what makes a good logo from here, I got an idea to show it to you as well. But it's also with my personal touch from a general design perspective. Because sometimes word doesn't work to make an identification about yourself. You need to use an image to be more memorable.
But to make it memorable To design a memorable company logo design, you have to do all those things below and have an amazing promotion program. It's good if you have a well-designed logo. But if your customer or prospective people doesn't even know whose logo is that, then it would be a waste. It would just be a useful image. The power of your logo comes when people know or at least gives their attention to it.
So basically, logo and promotion support each other to make people know that you are there and make them want to know more about you, about your products, and anything else. So here is some principle for a company logo design.
Since it's all about identification in a world full of information, then differentiation or distinction is the first important thing to be considered by you. You need to see the designs of your competitor's company, particularly in your industry you are working on right now.
After that, you can start to brainstorm the ideas for your logo. Make some raw design to choose the best one. Remember that idea is not about the quality, but it's about the quantity. Find as much as you can. You will know when you find the one.
One of the most simple company logo design is Apple's. It's very identic with Alan Turing, the famous and genius computer guy in World War II era who died because of suicide when he ate a cyanide apple. Before the bitten apple, the old logo of Apple is Issac Newton with the Apple Tree. It has an old-school style until one year use, it was replaced with a colorful bitten apple in 1977. It became simpler until now with black or silver color. Just like the color of all of their products.
Since the name of the company is Apple and we all had Steve Jobs as the remarkable inventor of his era, the logo still live in our mind until now. And when we see that logo, although it's simple, we will always remember the iPhone, iPad or anything from Apple that sounds expensive, yet well-invented.
You can't change a company logo design anytime you wanted. A logo is last longer than slogan, hashtag, and promotion. It's a part of the soul of your company's brand. And it lives in every single mind that already consume or perhaps never consume your product. If there is a company that changes its logo too many times, then the sad thing to say, perhaps they still have an identity crisis and looking for it.
I will talk about Nokia. Even though Nokia is destroyed by Apple and Samsung when the reign of smartphone rises, we still know that Nokia has a typical font for their brand and the classic illustration of two hands holding together. Recently, Nokia rises up and start using Android as their basic operating system. They already made their own device which specific in the smartphone field. If I remember correctly, there are Nokia 2 until 8 now in electronic store or online store. And guess what? They are still using the old style of their logo because why not? The logo will always be remembered by the 80s or 90s generation, still has strong identification and could increase the sales as well.
If you are using a letter for your logo, then you should consider your company logo design to be more appropriate. You should know that not every font is perfectly fit your company. Sometimes it could ruin your company and make your identity become bias or bad.
For example, if you sell a luxury product, then you can't use a logo that seems cheap or too ordinary (I'm not saying about simple stuff, just it's too ordinary for something expensive). Or if you sell children clothes, then you can play with cheerful fonts, colorful illustration, and also rearrange the font size and the place.
In external perspective, you need to ponder and observe the culture of your customer. Do not ever think that this is not important. If your logo is unethical and too offensive, then it would be a suicide. A little research about that would be helpful to add more data when you want to make your company logo design.
In short, your logo needs to be appropriate in representing your company, products, and also fit with the culture of your customer. Don't use something that would damage yourself.
Increase Business Growth
Logo got its own specialization in any graphic design training, course or even higher education. This is also a point to be noticed that logo is very important for any company. That’s why, even it’s indirectly increase your business growth, a making of logo is still the first important thing to do.
company logo design, e-commerce insight, e-commerce solution, logo design principles, online business ideas
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Tag: conversion therapy
Aversion Therapy ‘Is Like A Visit To The Dentist’
LONDON: The London Medical Group, a medico-Christian group, held a symposium on Thursday November 2. The subject was aversion therapy as part of a two-part course on Punishment and Treatment. The LMG’s meetings are usually open to the public, but this one was unprecedented in being closed to all but doctors and medical students. One gay, Peter Tatchell, went along to the meeting held behind closed doors. This is his account of what happened:
Psychologists Professors Hans Eysenck and Dr Isaac Marks were the speakers at the symposium on Aversion Therapy and the Patient’s Freedom.
Professor Evsenck is of world renown (much favoured in establishment and psychiatric circles) as a leading exponent of aversion therapy. In the numerous books he has written, homosexuals are variously described as perverse, abnormal, unnatural, etc, and associated with criminality. He has consistently advocated the use of aversion therapy for homosexuals and transvestites.
Dr Marks is Senior Lecturer and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital and is known for his research and application of aversion therapy.
Interesting, because of the subject’s controversial nature and perhaps because the organisers feared disruptions the LMG took the unprecedented step of closing this particular lecture to members of the public.
The whole structure and conduct of the symposium was geared to converting the assembled members of the medical profession to the unquestioning acceptance and advocacy of its use.
Applying the psychological principles of group dynamics to achieve this aim, there were no speakers against aversion therapy – those that spoke in favour of its use being famous psychologists of high repute in the medical profession. Furthermore, these principles were used by the chairman to cultivate a psychological atmosphere that the speakers for aversion therapy were so knowledgable, academically honoured and famous that their opinions could not be questioned. He spent considerable time praising “these great men” and “their outstanding contributions to psychology.”
The successful use of these principles to pacify a potentially hostile audience was evidenced by the medical masses’ hushed awe and humility at “the privilege to be addressed by a psychologist of Professor Eysenck’s renown” – to quote the chairman.
It was from this one-sided structure of the lecture and the mental sterilisation of the audience that the chairman opened with a request for a “provocative evening on this controversial issue.” Little did he know how imminent the literal fulfilment of his request was.
Professor Eysenck began by emphasising that there was “no relationship between aversion therapy and punishment… It does not involve sadistic motivations… Neither does aversion therapy seek to act as a deterrent. The fact is that aversion therapy is used for the patients own good”.
It was at this point that the chairman’s request for a provocative evening was fulfilled when the lone GLF supporter there (me) began a running battle with Prof Eysenck.
Challenging his statement that aversion therapy was used “for the patient’s own good”, I cited cases of people I have met who, since having undergone aversion therapy, have become chronic depressives.
Somewhat taken aback by this dialogue – as opposed to the intended monologue – Prof Eysenck continued: “Aversion therapy is only undertaken where it is of the patient’s own choice.”
Interjecting again, I mentioned the cases of gays who are virtually blackmailed into undergoing aversion therapy when it is offered by the courts as an alternative to prison, and that those who “voluntarily” undergo treatment are “forced” to do so by what they find to be the intolerable oppression of homosexuals by society. Remove the oppression and no gays would ever volunteer.
I also raised the question of homosexuals being induced to “volunteer” by an exaggeration of the success rate and playing down of the pain and discomfort involved.
Nervously continuing. Prof Eysenck outlined the principles of aversion therapy, which he explained, were based on Pavolv’s experiments on conditioned reflexes. He said it was “used to change the emotions, where the person himself cannot change them of his own free will… By associating emotions with pain or fear, the emotional response can be de-conditioned.”
Then he went on to explain how, in the case of homosexuals, nausea was induced by drugs, while the patient viewed film of homosexual acts. Thus, the patient learns to associate homosexuality with pain and fear. He mentioned that “whilst photographs are used, the actual performance of the sex act would be preferable.
He stated that: “There is a success rate of about 50 percent, which justifies its use as much as any other method.”
I challenged him to substantiate his claim of 50 percent success, describing how most homosexuals who have undergone treatment have remained totally uncured and become asexual “vegetables”. I offered these failures as an explanation of the decrease in use of aversion therapy over the past two years.
Prof Eysenck suggested that “50 percent success was better than no success at all.”
I questioned his ends justify the means mentality, and his use of the success rate to justify the continuing of aversion therapy.
He then used the spurious argument that aversion therapy hardly merited people’s concern as it was used so little.
To quieten any fears he reassured his audience that the pain and discomfort is greatly exaggerated and, in fact, “it is just like a visit to the dentist… It is no different from any other form of therapy.” He went on to describe psychoanalysis as far worse than aversion therapy and entailing greater distress to the patient.
Prof Eysenck finished by enthusiastically declaring that “there is no ethical principle involved in aversion therapy that is not involved in any psychological treatment.” (Applause, applause).
The second speaker, Dr Isaac Marks tried to dispel any doubts my interjections may have raised by using a Clockwork Orange-versus-reality approach. He asked how many people had seen ‘A Clockwork Orange’ – most of the audience indicated they had – and then he asked how many had actually seen aversion therapy – three people had. Satisfied that everyone – except those three – was not in a position to question authority, he said that ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was a totally inaccurate portrayal of aversion therapy.
Outlining the circumstances under which the medical profession was entitled to use aversion therapy, he suggested that this should be when the “patient asks for help” or “when society asks to be relieved of the burden of an individual”. This second set of circumstances has the most horrifying implications in that they could be used against any minority incurring social disapproval – not just gays, but also black people and political activists.
To justify this situation he drew a very questionable analogy. He said: “For instance, no-one objects when people with smallpox are quarantined… or that sadists and murderers are removed from society.’ Thus, on the basis of these analogies, he justifies the use of aversion therapy on the individual where it was ‘in society’s interest.’
Unable to allow such a statement to pass unquestioned, I challenged not only his analogies but also the premise which they justify. My demanding to know how homosexuals, transexuals and transvestites could in any way be compared to smallpox, sadists or murderers, plunged the symposium into momentary chaos.
Amidst the uproar I attempted to point out that the use of aversion therapy “in society’s interest” could so easily be abused.
Receiving broadsides from the podium and the audience alike, I was asked to leave by Dr Marks – which I promptly refused to do. Stepping back and returning to his seat he said he would not go on while I was in the room, thus, once again, using his manipulative psychological techniques of group dynamics, he shifted the onus of responsibility for my presence and actions onto the audience. Responding to this manipulative device, ten heavies surrounded me and I was dragged out and carried from the symposium.
The parting comment from the chairman was that I had spoiled the whole symposium. Needless to say, he had never thought of the many homosexuals who have had their lives spoiled by aversion therapy.
ED: The LMG says that it held this meeting behind closed doors because “the last time they were talking about using aversion therapy on homosexuals, homosexuals actually said things that spoiled the meeting.” Our thanks to Peter.
Author Peter TatchellPosted on 14 November 1972 24 April 2017 Categories Issue 11: Page 04Tags aversion therapy, charlatans, conversion therapy, Hans Eysenck, homophobia, Isaac Marks, London Medical Group, Peter TatchellLeave a comment on Aversion Therapy ‘Is Like A Visit To The Dentist’
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Home Adoptable Children Michigan Boys – Michigan Eric
October 16, 2018 Annette
It’s no fabrication when Eric says he likes having a ball. His most fun generally comes when Eric is playing sports such as football, basketball and baseball. When he’s not on the court and in the fields, Eric might be playing basketball the virtual way. He loves playing video games after school and with his friends. Eric’s favorite toy is the Xbox, and his favorite game is NBA 2K. Even though he’s an active young man, Eric likes to chill sometimes. He says his favorite thing to do after school is relax and take naps, and on the weekends, Eric likes sleeping and reading in the morning. When he’s ready to fuel up, Eric prefers munching on his favorite food, pizza. His favorite color is black, and his favorite animals are dogs. When he gets older, Eric wants to become a mechanical engineer so he can work on race cars. His future dreams also include owning an Xbox, living a good life and traveling to beaches of California or Florida. Since he’s a fun-loving young guy, Eric wants a future forever family who enjoys the same. He envisions traveling with them to California for some sightseeing.
Eric’s worker says, “Eric is typically in a positive space and happy. He has the ability to do well for longer periods of time.” Eric does best with structure and routine. At school, Eric receives assistance to help him function at his best. He says science is his favorite subject.
Eric needs a parent or parents who can give him the attention he requires to thrive. His new parent or parents would benefit from knowledge of the impact of trauma on a child. They must be patient and able to provide structure and routine. They must be strong advocates for the services that will help Eric function at his best. Finally, they will need to be open to letting Eric maintain contact with his sister.
For more information, contact the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at 800-589-6273.
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