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Wanneroo Times
Taggart signs three-year deal with Fulham
June 26th, 2014, 12:00AM Wanneroo Times
Adam Taggart scrambles for a chance against Spain at the World Cup.
The 21-year-old Socceroo this week signed a three-year deal with 2013-14 Premier League side Fulham.
Taggart joins the London-based club as it looks to win the English Championship in 2014-15 and earn its Premier League spot back after being relegated at the end of last season.
With Tim Cahill suspended after two yellow cards, Taggart was named Australia’s starting striker against Spain at the World Cup in Brazil on Monday.
But the young player struggled to have an impact ” as did many of his teammates ” in the Socceroos’ 3-0 loss against the defending champions.
The 2013-14 A-League golden boot winner was subbed off for second division Bundesliga attacker Ben Halloran in the 46th minute.
Taggart, who became an A-League star with the Newcastle Jets, has a firm eye on improvement in England.
‘I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter in my career with Fulham and working hard to take my game to another level,’ he said in a statement.
Win tickets to Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan
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ARNOLD PERALTA
Arnold Peralta (white jersey) in action for Honduras during the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying tournament. (Photo: Mexsport)
CONCACAF is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Honduras international Arnold Peralta, whose life was taken in a shooting on Thursday in La Ceiba.
“Arnold Peralta’s death is a tragedy that touches us all and is a tremendous loss for so many people in and out of the sporting world,” said CONCACAF Acting General Secretary Ted Howard. “CONCACAF conveys its condolences to Arnold’s family, his club Olimpia and the Honduran football community.”
The 26-year-old, capped 27 times, competed in numerous international tournaments for club and country, including the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA U-20 World Cup, World Cup Qualifying and the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament.
See also: Arnold Peralta CONCACAF
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View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2018/11/02/287594.htm
How Real-Time Information Can Assist Insurers During Natural Disasters
At every phase of disaster preparation and recovery, time is of the essence. Today, social media platforms allow authorities to share critical updates with the public instantaneously and coordinate relief efforts. It also allows those in need to request assistance from first responders. That’s what happened when Hurricane Harvey hit the United States in August 2017.
As the leading edge of the hurricane made landfall, local emergency systems became inundated with urgent requests for help. With no one aware of their plight, many people stopped making calls and started writing posts on social media. Nevertheless, according to research conducting by the Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research, when those affected by the storm switched from 911 to social media, first responders missed over 5,200 rescue requests, as they lacked the technology and procedures to gather, analyze and act on the posts.
In addition to missing thousands of posts from people in dire need, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) damage estimates also failed to incorporate real-time data readily available on Twitter, leading to glaring differences between the government’s view of the disaster and the situation on the ground.
The Kinder Institute’s study shows that when governments and companies need an accurate, up-to-the-minute picture of local conditions, traditional data sources and systems designed before the advent of social media can struggle to keep pace with fast-moving events.
On the other hand, given the millions of smartphone users who turn to social media when the emergency infrastructure becomes overwhelmed, vast quantities of real-time data exist to help the public and private sector improve how they prepare and respond to significant incidents. Given the enormous amount of publicly available data, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for governments and corporations to justify not using social media alerts to guide their disaster recovery efforts, as well as inform the creation and design of the products and services they offer.
For the insurance industry, in particular, social media and publicly available data can play a more significant role in how the industry operates than it currently does today.
To deliver the products and services policyholders expect, the insurance industry must possess the ability to evaluate the risk associated with an event accurately and with confidence. More data leads to better catastrophe modeling, which supports more effective planning and disaster assistance, as well as the creation of prudent yet profitable policies.
Moreover, publicly available data shared via social media helps first responders, insurance companies, and government officials develop a granular view of a disaster’s impact, which in certain circumstances could help save lives and minimize damage to property.
The Kinder Institute’s study of the C.E. King Middle and High Schools is a case in point. According to the FEMA’s data, neither school appeared within the flood zone as a result of Hurricane Harvey. Yet pictures taken in the aftermath of the storm show severe flooding at both locations.
To understand why the FEMA data did not place the schools in the flood zone, researchers prepared maps of the area surrounding the schools, and then plotted flooding zones based on FEMA and Twitter data. Individuals who posted Tweets did not necessarily provide their addresses, which researchers considered as they created corresponding “buffer” zones around FEMA-plotted data and estimated locations of Tweets.
The maps incorporating Twitter data changed the damage estimates significantly to show that both schools were affected by flooding, as was actually the case. Furthermore, some zones showed flooding based on Twitter and FEMA data exclusively, while others showed an overlap, with both government data and social media posts confirming that flooding occurred in the same area.
As this case study shows, neither dataset replaces the other. However, by using both FEMA and Twitter data with the appropriate buffers applied, a far more accurate damage estimate emerges.
To be clear, data gathered from Twitter provides a way to corroborate as well as supplement FEMA data, not replace it. This is a particularly powerful concept if an insurance company publicizes the use of alternative data sources, such as social media alerts, as a means of streamlining the claims process and triggering timely policy payments.
In addition to creating a positive experience for existing policyholders, an insurance company’s willingness to embrace alternative data sources might entice customers in disaster-prone areas to purchase parametric insurance contracts, which pay out predetermined amounts when weather conditions exceed certain metrics, as would be the case in the event of a hurricane.
Ultimately, using social media alerts enables insurance companies to adopt a nimble, fact-based approach to disaster preparation and recovery that helps mitigate risk and deliver critical assistance to policyholders when they need it the most.
Ed Monan is director of Corporate Security Sales at Dataminr. He previously supported a variety of U.S. Government agencies, most recently the Department of Homeland Security.
More from Insurance Journal
Today's Insurance Headlines | Most Popular | National News
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ICO Publishes First GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 Enforcement Notice
26 September 2018 #Data Protection
As recently reported in the media, the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) has issued its first Enforcement Notice under the Data Protection Act 2018 (“DPA 2018”) against AggregateIQ Data Services Ltd (“AIQ”), a Canadian data analytics company.
AIQ was associated with targeted advertising for the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign during the Brexit referendum. AIQ has been linked to Cambridge Analytics, which was the centre of the Facebook data privacy scandal we reported on here. AIQ have appealed against the notice.
While the data was initially gathered by AIQ before 25 May 2018 (the date the GDPR and DPA 2018 came into force), the ICO said it was concerned about the ‘continued retention and processing’ of data after that date, so the ICO confirmed the GDPR is applicable for AIQ's handling of that information.
AIQ have now been served with an Enforcement Notice to, within 30 days, ‘cease processing any personal data of UK or EU citizens obtained from UK political organisations or otherwise for the purposes of data analytics, political campaigning or any other advertising purposes.'
If AIQ fails to successfully appeal the ICO's notice or does not comply with it, it could face a large fine. It will be interesting to see what level of fine the ICO deems appropriate given its increased powers under the GDPR and DPA 2018.
This notice is significant for various reasons. It is the first time the ICO has used the new extra territorial provisions of the GDPR against an organisation based outside the EU.
In addition, while a number of recent fines have made headlines (such as Facebook and Equifax both recently being fined the maximum £500,000 penalty under the previous Data Protection Act 1998 legislation), AIQ is the first organisation to receive an Enforcement Notice under the new provisions.
With the ICO having reported record numbers of self-reporting breaches since the GDPR came into effect (which is mandatory in certain circumstances), we can expect more actions undertaken by the ICO under the GDPR and DPA 2018 to be published in due course.
This information is for guidance purposes only and should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice. Please refer to the full General Notices on our website.
Data Protection team
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Gauges - Aftermarket
2-1/16 INCH
AM7308 - Auto Meter NV Series 2-1/16" Full-Sweep 45 PSI / 30" Hg Mechanical Boost / Vacuum Gauge
Auto Meter NV gauges feature bright anodized Super Bezels and white dials with black numbering and increments, intense green "full-dial" patented LED lighting technology and glowing orange pointers for superior visibility.
Included with gauge:
10' nylon tubing
1/8" NPT male to 1/8" compression fitting
1/8" NPT female to 1/8" compression fitting
1/8" NPT to 1/4" NPT bushing
T - Fitting
Product #: AM7308
Classic: $99.99 ea
Reviews for Product #AM7308
Auto Meter NV Series 2-1/16" Full-Sweep 45 PSI / 30" Hg Mechanical Boost / Vacuum Gauge - Continued
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Chevrolet Chevy II Nova
Chevrolet Del Ray
Chevrolet One-Fifty Series
Chevrolet Truck
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Chevrolet Two-Ten Series
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G20 to meet in Riyadh in November 2020
The dates have been set for the G20 Leaders' Summit being hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in 2020
The summit will take place over two days, Saturday 21 November and Sunday 22 November, 2020
It was revealed Saudi Arabia would host the 2020 summit in 2017 at the end of the event that year
<p>RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - The dates have been set for the G20 Leaders’ Summit being hosted by Saudi Arabia in Riyadh in 2020.</p><p>The summit will take place over two days, Saturday 21 November and Sunday 22 November, 2020.</p><p>"Saudi Arabia is fully committed to the G20’s objectives and to the stability and prosperity of the international economic system," the Saudi Press agency said in a statement published on Wednesday.</p><p>It was revealed Saudi Arabia would host the 2020 summit in 2017 at the end of the event that year, which was held in Hamburg, Germany.</p><p>The final communiqué of the G20 summit in 2018, which was held in Buenos Aires, confirmed 2019’s meetings would be held in Japan, while Saudi Arabia would host the summit in 2020.</p>
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Home / 2008 / July / CLIR Issues Number 64
Number 64 • July/August 2008
A New and Necessary Coalition
CLIR’s Leadership Programs: A New Direction
SCI 6 Focuses on Models for Humanities Research Centers
ASIS&T Issues Study on Graduate Information Programs and Accreditation
Humanists Receive Postdoc Library Fellowships
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of essays by Chuck Henry that will explore cyberinfrastructure development in the context of current methods of promotion and tenure, models of scholarly publishing, the organization of universities, and our ways of knowing. The first article, “As We May Rethink,” appeared in CLIR Issues 59.
MUCH HAS BEEN written about the enormous benefits that a robust cyberinfrastructure would bring to research and scholarship: it would support a multifaceted environment that integrates sophisticated tools, vast digital resources, human expertise, and transmission capabilities of unprecedented speed and capacity in the service of discovery. Cyberinfrastructure allows us to ask new questions and pursue new lines of inquiry; to develop new methodological approaches, often with interdisciplinary collaboration; and to use innovative intellectual strategies in our pursuit of knowledge. Even as we anticipate these benefits, we must also acknowledge that the costs of building the cyberinfrastructure will be significant. The case for such investment is, however, increasingly intuitive. Failure to invest will compromise the advancement of research, particularly as research across disciplines becomes intensively collaborative, and will undermine our global position as the leader in higher education.
Less frequently discussed than the promise and costs of cyberinfrastructure have been the opportunities for universities to provide the leadership, leverage, and cost-effective support that can sustain a new research environment. How can institutions of higher education exploit the emerging grid-based methodologies, networks, and expertise of their service providers to more effectively promote their core activity?
This question is receiving increasing attention from a number of leaders in higher education, including librarians, chief information officers, and academic officers. The discussions are taking place both formally and informally. At a recent Scholarly Communication Institute held at the University of Virginia, there was widespread informal discussion of new organizational models for higher education. Paul Courant of the University of Michigan and James Hilton of the University of Virginia led a discussion, that centered on how to transform higher education by creating new alliances among institutions that would federate a number of services and functions while maintaining or enhancing the strengths of the individual schools. The aim of such alliances would be to reduce costs and improve support of research. “Research” in this context refers to a spectrum of activity that encompasses the initial idea of a project or intellectual challenge, informal communication and data compilation, formal published products of research, and the preservation, access, and reuse of information accumulated during research, including the original data, notes, instructions, and descriptions of instrumentation or methodology.
Federating Services
Consolidating print collections is one way in which a service could be federated across institutions. The cost of maintaining an analog library is staggering, and in an era of large-scale digital book and journal projects, maintaining numerous print libraries with a high redundancy of titles is no longer tenable. Under a federated arrangement, university consortia would eliminate multiple paper copies, agreeing to store perhaps two copies as a collaborative reserve. Similarly, staff at the libraries could be organized to work at the collaborative level, eliminating duplicate positions and sharing their expertise online. Obviously, this would require coordination to ensure compatibility for all digital library projects undertaken within the consortium.
E-mail, as mundane as it is essential, is another service that is costly and redundant. While enterprise systems can vary considerably among institutions based on tradition and practice, e-mail is generic. A university consortium could reap considerable benefits from maintaining a single system. E-mail is fundamental to sharing ideas and is the medium of exchange for work in progress and collaborative contribution. By federating and refocusing libraries, and adopting a single, centrally managed e-mail system, a university consortium could begin to manage more effectively two fundamental components of the research process.
This approach could be expanded to ensure that all electronic journal articles are available online, and that the consortium is committed to keeping them persistent over time. Because the cost of journal subscriptions is often exorbitant, consortium members could work together to purchase journals as they become available for sale. A sufficiently large and well-endowed collaborative might even buy out some of the main academic publishing houses. This is another example of how universities could take more cost-effective control over the research they funded in the first place.
Redefining Relationship with Publishers
A strong and focused consortium or consortia could redefine the terms of debate with publishers. To argue about whether or not an institution or individual can copy an article or part of a book, read only an extract of a digital work, or access a digital work by the page or through incremental charges is to ground the discussion on concepts that are archaic and counterproductive. Researchers want to query large digital textual data sets to execute data mining, visualization of information, tabulation, pattern recognition, and semantic correspondence, to name some of the powerful applications that can transform our understanding of the human record. To remain mired in talks about staggered prohibitions concerning “reading” or “reproducing” is a disservice to progressive aspirations.
A collaboration of institutions could provide support and leadership regarding the future of university presses. In the past decade, the number of titles published annually, especially in the humanities, has diminished. In some fields, young scholars are less likely to be published than they once were, as presses, hoping for better sales, favor established names. Subventions for publishing monographs, especially those in which images are central to the scholarly argument, are on the rise. The costs (and losses) of university press publications have increased. It is unlikely that any university press will be able resolve this economic challenge on its own.
Rather than investing further in the business models of printed publications, a university collaborative could declare that the digital object is the authoritative representation of scholarship. At the same time, the collaborative could help adopt a common digital publication platform by the representative presses—powerful, open-source examples are available today—with the ability to print on demand any of the peer-reviewed and properly edited titles. So doing would eventually eliminate warehouses, backlogs, storage of out-of-print books, paper, and the attendant costs. Terms such as in print, out of print, and press have no meaning in the digital model.
Creating a New Research Environment
A final facet of academic information can be included in this encompassing intervention. The amalgam of current pockets of digital layering that include institutional repositories, preprint archives, course notes, open courseware, data generated by research notes, and other information generated by research would more wisely be federated across institutions. It should be structured and managed as an interoperable resource that clarifies the conduct of research, allows for more rigorous assessment of theses and conclusions, and facilitates reuse of data.
Taken together, the actions just described would create a new research environment designed to foster discovery using information, tools, and applications that are only marginally effective when used within silos. A consortium might also create an auditing authority to ensure the long-term persistence and interoperability of data, including journal articles, published digital objects, archives, background data, course materials, and correspondence. Research and intellectual productivity, the core of a university or college, would be managed and supported in a more systematic and cost-effective way. Institutions and libraries would retain their identity; there would be no compromising areas of excellence and proven achievement. The universities, by means of a new and compelling collaboration that would reconceptualize aspects of higher education, would assume greater responsibility for the infrastructure essential to research, ensuring a more stable context and continuity for advancing the life of the mind.
by Chuck Henry and Elliott Shore
OVER THE PAST several years, CLIR has established a number of programs that, while seemingly diverse and independently focused, contribute to developing leaders in a variety of professional roles. The programs include the CLIR Postdoctoral Fellowships in Scholarly Information Resources, the CLIR/Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in Original Sources, the Chief Information Officers’ Forum, the Frye Leadership Institute, and the new grant program on Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives.
A unifying goal of these programs is to enable and help structure the myriad changes in librarianship by providing participants opportunities to participate in research, seminars, and online discussions, and by enriching and extending communities of practice. The programs have brought together senior administrators, including library directors and provosts; midlevel leaders, who often possess both library and computing skills; forward-looking information technology (IT) leaders; young scholars working on innovative dissertation topics; “hybrid” scholar/librarians who are increasingly taking faculty jobs as well as library and IT positions; the legion of graduate students who will work on revealing hidden collections of scholarly import; and graduate students who have recently conducted original research.
To date, more than 400 individuals have taken part in one or more of these programs. Their interaction and integration with higher education is creating a core cohort that is able to collectively identify most of the transformational aspects of the 21st-century library and to contribute to its successful evolution.
CLIR has now begun to consider sponsoring a new program of professional development that would enrich and complement its ongoing programs. More specifically, CLIR is interested in establishing fellowships that would enable librarians to work for a year in an academic department or to participate integrally in a research program in the humanities or humanistic social sciences. The goal of the program would be to give innovative, forward-looking librarians an opportunity to acquire research skills and methodological expertise that would strengthen their ability to work collaboratively with faculty. The disciplines are transforming, largely in response to technological developments and a greater dependency on digital tools and resources. Librarians who understand the implications of these transformations and who possess a deep knowledge of the conduct of research as well as subject expertise can be true partners in the advancement of scholarship. They would bring both disciplinary expertise and the skills of sophisticated librarianship to various aspects of intellectual productivity. Such a program would complement the CLIR postdoc program and would provide a unique lens for an analysis of the intersection of contemporary humanities and library practice.
In the coming year, CLIR will explore means by which to bring together and focus participants from its various leadership programs in ways that apply their collective experience and knowledge to real-world challenges and opportunities and to generate new research that will help institutions of higher education address some of the most daunting transformational challenges of the past 150 years. New library functions, core services, future staffing expertise, physical plant design, the digital research environment and its architecture, and, more broadly, emerging challenges to the traditional organization models of colleges and universities are among the issue that would benefit from the scrutiny of multiple disciplines and professions. By engaging representatives of these initiatives as well as our sponsors, CLIR hopes to better understand the feasibility, possible structure, and constituent benefits of such a leadership collegium.
Stephen Nichols, chair of German and Romance Languages and Literatures at The Johns Hopkins University and a CLIR Board member, has been elected the recipient of a Humboldt Research Award. The award is conferred by Germany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in recognition of lifetime achievement. Awardees carry out research projects of their choice in cooperation with specialist colleagues in Germany. Nichols will be hosted by the Free University in Berlin and by the University of Cologne. He will be based at the new Dahlem Humanities Center in Berlin.
Charles Henry
CLIR President Charles Henry has been named a member of the scientific board of Open Access Publishing in European Networks (OAPEN), a project that is cofunded by the European Union. Seven European university presses initiated the project, which will be coordinated by Amsterdam University Press. Göttingen University will be responsible for the scientific management. In September 2008, OAPEN will begin to develop and implement an open access publication model for peer-reviewed academic books in the humanities and social sciences. More information is available at http://www.oapen.com/.
Study to Examine Costs of Print Storage
CLIR has awarded funding to Paul Courant, university librarian and dean of libraries at the University of Michigan, to oversee a study of the costs of accessing and storing print volumes in academic libraries. The study will include an extensive literature review focusing on the differential costs of alternative storage facilities, the categories of cost that need to be considered, and the relationship of access and modes of access to overall costs. To supplement the literature review, Courant and Research Assistant Matthew Nielsen will calculate the print preservation and circulation costs at the University of Michigan’s Buhr Shelving Facility, an off-site shelving repository. The study is scheduled for completion in fall 2008.
Mellon Awards CLIR $1.37 Million to Continue Dissertation Fellowships
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded CLIR $1,378,000 in support of the Mellon Fellowship Program for Dissertation Research in Original Sources in the Humanities. The grant will allow CLIR to continue administering the fellowship program through 2012. New funds will also allow CLIR to increase the number of awards given each year from 10 to 12, and to increase the stipend from $20,000 to $25,000 to support dissertation research for periods of up to 12 months.
The program, created in 2001, has supported 72 fellows over the past six years. Nine additional fellows have begun their research this summer.
The fellowships are intended to help graduate students in the humanities and related social science fields pursue research wherever relevant sources are available; gain skill and creativity in using primary source materials in libraries, archives, museums, and related repositories; and provide suggestions to CLIR about how such source materials can be made more accessible and useful.
IN MID-JULY, the University of Virginia hosted the sixth annual Scholarly Communication Institute (SCI 6). This year’s institute focused on humanities research centers—specifically, the models that are best able to support and advance technology-enabled humanities scholarship. Some 30 representatives from higher education, funding agencies, and scholarly societies attended.
During the two-day meeting, participants identified major trends in humanities research. These trends include an increase in collaborative research, the challenges posed by the burgeoning scale of the digital corpora and the potential of quantitative data and analysis, and increasingly informal modes of communication and publishing. Use of visual technologies, locational technologies, three-dimensional and immersive environments, and temporal and geospatial technologies were also discussed.
Humanities research centers are trusted sites of collaboration where faculty, students, and visiting scholars can develop innovative research agendas, investigate transdisciplinary topics, interact with the public, and host programs and seminars. Some centers emphasize digital scholarship, while others represent a mix of digital and more traditional approaches.
Representatives from the centers acknowledged that the increased use of digital tools and resources in scholarship and teaching has led to greater awareness of emerging opportunities for humanities research centers. Participants discussed how digital scholarship can be properly assessed and credentialed. They also explored the forms that new scholarship might take, especially when research is undertaken with multiple kinds of media resources. Some expressed interest in identifying how today’s new methodological approaches could be better taught and more broadly adopted.
Participants agreed on the need for more investment in open access collections, tools, and services. Better cross-campus collaboration is needed among scholars and libraries, media learning centers, information technology (IT) centers, and centers for the arts, humanities, or technology. Improved information sharing among centers is also desirable. Participants discussed the possibilities of new organizational models that would encourage integration of theory and practice, multiple disciplines, and different media and formats. They also discussed the need for an array of institutional support services and expertise.
The SCI will post a full report of SCI 6 later this summer at www.uvasci.org. A link to the report will also be available on the CLIR Web site. Additional meetings will be held to advance the ideas articulated at SCI 6 and to develop grant proposals that build on participants’ recommendations.
The annual SCI provides opportunities for leaders in scholarly disciplines, academic libraries, advanced technologies, and higher education administration to study, develop, and implement creative and innovative strategies to advance scholarly communication in the context of the digital revolution. The SCI’s goal is to foster scholarship-driven collaborative actions among scholars, librarians, publishers, and IT staff.
IN JUNE, THE Information Professionals Task Force of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) issued a report reviewing the status of information professional programs and related accreditation activities. The report, Graduate Information Programs and Accreditation: Landscape Analysis and Survey, is available at http://www.asis.org/news.html.
As stated in the report, “There is a concern that the proliferation of information programs poses a problem of legitimacy, accountability, consistency, and quality assurance within the information field.” This situation led task force chair and ASIS&T President Nancy Roderer to commission Samantha Becker and Bo Kinney, graduate students at the University of Washington’s Information School, to conduct the study with support from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).
The report includes the following key findings:
About 900 distinct information-related master’s programs exist across 468 institutions. Some of the programs are designated as majors and others as concentrations in a major. A total of 220 majors or concentration areas were found in 500 academic units.
Slightly more than one-third of the programs are located in four core disciplinary domains: engineering, computer science, information science, and applied information science/informatics.
Of the remaining programs, half are found within the business domain. Most of the remaining programs are distributed among biological and health sciences, library science, public administration, communications, and education.
Sixty percent of the programs have majors or concentrations in at least one of the following categories: information systems, informatics, information technology, and information science.
The appendixes of the study provide a directory of master’s information programs and profiles of 19 information school programs, including how each is accredited.
In September, ASIS&T and CLIR will cosponsor an invitational meeting at which representatives of information organizations will discuss the establishment of a new accreditation process for the range of master’s degree programs that educate information professionals. For more on the goals and activities of the Information Professionals Task Force, see the ASIS&T Presidential White Paper at http://www.asis.org/news.html.
FIVE INDIVIDUALS HAVE been awarded Postdoctoral Fellowships in Scholarly Information Resources for 2008–09. The fellows, each of whom recently received a Ph.D. degree in the humanities, will spend next year at a host academic research library, where they will develop linkages between disciplinary scholarship, libraries, archives, and evolving digital tools. In addition to the new fellows, two fellows from 2007–08 will continue in the program during the upcoming academic year.
The new humanists began their fellowships in July with a two-week seminar at Bryn Mawr College, where they learned about the profession of academic librarianship, including its history, role in higher education, pressing concerns, successes, and areas for improvement.
The five newly named fellows, their fields of study, and their host institutions are as follows:
Gloria E. Chacon
Ph.D. Literature, University of California, Santa Cruz
Host: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Gabrielle N. O. Dean
Ph.D. English and Textual Studies, University of Washington
Host: The Johns Hopkins University
Ernestina Osorio
Ph.D. History and Theory of Architecture, Princeton University
Host: UCLA
Heather Waldroup
Ph.D. History of Consciousness, University of California, Santa Cruz
Host: Claremont University Consortium
Susan Wiesner
Ph.D. Dance Studies, University of Surrey
Host: University of North Carolina, Greensboro
The following fellows will continue their postdoctoral research during the coming year:
Lori Miller
Ph.D. History, Indiana University
Host: Appalachian College Association
Elizabeth Waraksa
Ph.D. Near Eastern Studies, The Johns Hopkins University
CLIR administers the program in collaboration with several U.S. colleges and universities as a means of recruiting talent into the library profession. Fellowship information is available at https://clir.wordpress.clir.org/fellowships/postdoc/postdoc.html.
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The Obamacare tax man cometh: Will you be ready?
Published Thu, Jan 8 2015 4:21 PM EST Updated Thu, Jan 8 2015 5:29 PM EST
Dan Mangan@_DanMangan
H&R Block CEO: Maximizing refunds
Mad Money with Jim Cramer
These Obamacare tax "tools" can't arrive soon enough.
The Obama administration said Thursday that in coming weeks it will release online tools and other resources to help people deal with the new tax-filing implications of Obamacare.
While more than 75 percent of filers are expected to have no problem complying with a new disclosure requirement, millions of others could face a time-consuming, complicated process to determine if they owe the government money or are owed money in connection with subsidies they received to help pay for their Obamacare health insurance plans.
Read MoreHow health insurance 'squeezes' workers
If peoples' annual incomes were higher than they first estimated when they applied for those subsidies, they will owe money back to the government. The reverse is true if their incomes were lower than estimated. About 85 percent of the 6.7 million paying Obamacare customers as of October were receiving subsidies, and research suggests that many of them could have had income swings during the year.
Millions of other people will be trying to figure out during tax season if they qualify for one or more of a slew of exemptions from the Obamacare mandate that they have health insurance during 2014 or face a fine.
Outreach efforts
In addition to the online tax tools plans the Obama administration plans to offer, the Health and Human Services Department also said it will "employ a variety of outreach strategies" and education efforts to help tax filers. Those include directly contacting, via email, phone and text messages, people who bought health plans on government-run Obamacare exchanges, and offering them "personalized information that is most relevant to their tax status."
HHS also said it will work with community groups, nonprofits and health insurance navigators to help consumers answer their questions, and will continue working with leading tax preparation firms to relay information to their customers.
Read MoreHealthCare.gov sign-ups approach 6.6 million
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said, "For the vast majority of Americans, tax filing under the Affordable Care Act will be as simple as checking a box to show they had health coverage all year."
"A fraction of taxpayers will take different steps, like claiming an exemption if they could not afford insurance or ensuring they received the correct amount of financial assistance," Lew said.
"A smaller fraction of taxpayers will pay a fee if they made a choice to not obtain coverage they could afford. We are working to ensure that whatever their experience, consumers can easily access clear information since this is the first year they will see certain changes to their tax returns," Lew said.
While Lew's statement was short and simple, the IRS's own document detailing the "Health Care Law: What's New for Individuals and Families" runs to 21 pages.
And it contains sentences like this: "Taxpayers who receive a Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, from the Marketplace showing changes in monthly amounts must do a monthly calculation to determine their premium tax credit in Section 2 of Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit. "
The administration on Thursday pointed to several resources already available online to help, including the IRS' Affordable Care Act page and Healthcare.gov's tax page. Several other resource sites include Health Care Law: What's New for Individuals & Families, 3 Tips About Marketplace Coverage and Your Taxes and No Health Coverage? What That Means for Your Taxes.
Will it be enough?
Health policy consultant Robert Laszewski, when asked about the administration's announcement of new tools and outreach efforts, said, "This is generally all good, but it is not clear if this will be enough with about 5 million people needing to be part of filing the new form" to detail their Obamacare subsidy payments.
This coming tax season is the first one in which filers will be required to disclose to the IRS in their tax return whether they had health-care coverage throughout the year.
The ACA mandates that, starting in 2014, nearly all Americans have some form of health coverage or pay a tax penalty equal to as much as much as one percent of their adjusted gross income.
But there are exemptions from that mandate.
Intuit, which sells the TurboTax tax preparation software, noted that an estimated 20 million people may qualify for an exemption from the fine. An online TurboTax "exemption check" tool launched in October walks people through a series of questions designed to determine if they are eligible for such a waiver.
The questions include whether a person is a member of a Native American tribe, filed for bankruptcy, been a victim of domestic violence, faced their utilities' being shut off or had medical expenses they couldn't pay in the prior 24 months. All of those and others can lead to an exemption from the Obamacare mandate.
"We do everything on our end to make this as simple a process as possible," said Debra Hammer, an Intuit spokeswoman.
Calculating Penalties
People who don't qualify for an exemption and who failed to have insurance will have to fill out an IRS form to calculate how much money they owe government as a penalty. The Tax Policy Center last month updated its online ACA Penalty Tax Calculator, which gives filers a sense of what they may owe this year, as well as future years if they fail to get health insurance.
A potentially trickier tax filing situation will be faced by people who received subsidies to help pay for their monthly premiums for insurance plans sold on HealthCare.gov, the federally run exchange that serves 37 states, and the state-run exchanges.
The amount of the subsidies, which are tax credits, is contingent on a person's income. As a rule, the lower a person's annual income, the higher the subsidy they receive, and vice versa. Because most Obamacare customers applied for such subsidies eight or more months ago, there is a chance their actual annual incomes are different than what they had first estimated, because of raises, job changes, hour changes and other factors.
All customers who received subsidies must fill out a new IRS form detailing their incomes and the subsidies they received.
A study published in the journal Health Affairs in September 2013 analyzed the likelihood that Obamacare subsidy recipients would either have to repay some of their subsidies or be entitled to a bigger tax credit than they had received during the year because of changes in income if they failed to report their income changes promptly.
Pitfalls of income changes
The analysis, which used California as a case study, "found that many families could owe large repayments to the Internal Revenue Service at their next tax filing."
Read MoreObamacare effect: Uninsured rate hits record low
"We found that family income fluctuated greatly from one year to the next," the authors of the Health Affairs article wrote.
The authors said that more than 73 percent of people predicted to receive subsidies were in families that had income changes of more than 10 percent between the two years looked at, with a nearly even split between the number that had large income increases and the number that had large income decreases.
And "30 percent of the recipients were in families whose incomes increased more than 20 percent," and nearly 19 percent of the recipients had income increases of more than 40 percent, the study found.
On Wednesday, the CEO of the tax preparation firm H&R Block told the Reuters news service that the company expects about one in every four of its tax return customers to file either a form calculating their penalty for failing to have insurance or the form detailing the subsidies they received for their plans.
CEO Bill Cobb would not estimate the boost to H&R Block revenue this year from charging for the forms, but he did say that an outside analyst was correct in estimating that the charges could be between $5 and $30 per form.
Hammer, the Inuit spokeswoman, told CNBC that if people "use the right tools" the process for making Obamacare-related tax filings "can be quite simple." She noted that the relevant ACA forms are included in TurboTax products at no additional cost.
Government taxation and revenue
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Tim Cook to Apple employees: Keep calm and carry on
New Apple CEO Tim Cook has written to his company's employees in the wake of Steve Jobs' departure. Here's the full text of his email.
Nick Hide
August 25, 2011 7:54 AM PDT
New Apple CEO Tim Cook has written to his company's employees in the wake of Steve Jobs' departure. Here's the full text of the email, as reported by Ars Technica.
"Team:
"I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I've ever made and it's been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve's optimism for Apple's bright future.
"Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve's ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman.
"I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple's unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that -- it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do.
"I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is. Tim."
If you'd like to know more about Cook and his executive team, check out our guide to who's in charge at Apple. For more on El Steve, we've got our favourite quotes and dozens of polo-necktastic photos from down the years.
What do you think of the new man? Does he have big enough feet to fill Jobs' giant shoes? Or will Apple never be the same again? Speculate and cogitate in the comments section below, or on our Facebook page.
Image credit: Telegraph/EPA
Big four US carriers face off over 5G: We compare their peak speeds: We tested Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile's early 5G network speeds two ways.
Discuss: Tim Cook to Apple employees: Keep calm and carry on
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Logitech Squeezebox Radio review: Logitech Squeezebox Radio
By Matthew Moskovciak
November 23, 2012 7:10 AM PST
The Good Wi-Fi radio with built-in speaker and color LCD display; stylish exterior design and outstanding button placement on front panel; can access thousands of freely available Internet radio stations; streams tons of online music services (Pandora, Last.fm, Slacker, Rhapsody, Sirius, Live Music Archive); provides access to PC-based music files (on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines); supports nearly every digital audio file format, including lossless formats like FLAC and Apple Lossless; optional battery pack allows for portable operation; extensive alarm clock options; can control the radio using a Web browser or iPeng iPhone app.
The Bad Remote and battery pack cost extra; slightly more expensive than competing radios; setup could scare off tech novices; not a perfect alarm clock; doesn't sound quite as good as the Squeezebox Boom; some stability issues.
The Bottom Line The Logitech Squeezebox Radio has an exceptional design, an unmatched variety of streaming music services, and solid sonics, making it the top value pick for Wi-Fi radios.
Logitech Squeezebox Radio
Editors' note: While the Logitech Squeezebox Radio reviewed here has been discontinued, it has been replaced by the nearly identical Logitech UE Smart Radio.
The Squeezebox Boom has been our favorite Wi-Fi radio for some time now, but any tabletop radio that costs around $300 is going to have limited appeal. The Logitech Squeezebox Radio ($200) is designed to offer almost everything that's good about Boom in a smaller package and for less money--and it succeeds. Like every Wi-Fi radio, the Squeezebox Radio can stream thousands of Internet radio stations, but it is also adept at handling music stored on a PC, tons of online music services (Pandora, Rhapsody, Slacker, Last.fm to name a few), podcasts, and even photos via Flickr. The Squeezebox Radio's physical design is uncommonly refined, with an eye-catching color screen and superb layout of the front panel controls. Most of our complaints are nitpicks. Logitech charges extra for an accessory pack that includes a remote and a battery pack; $50 to make the Squeezebox Radio portable is fair, but the remote should have been included. The initial setup will be daunting to those new to streaming music over a home network, but after the initial time investment, it's smooth sailing. The Squeezebox Radio is more expensive than competing options like the Grace GDI-IR2000, the Livio Radio, and the VTech IS9181, but in this case it's worth paying extra for its outstanding design, unparalleled feature set, and solid sonics.
We've raved about the Squeezebox Radio's exterior design since we first saw images of it and our time with the product hasn't diminished our praise. It gets just about everything right. The cabinet is made of plastic, but has a solid feel and the glossy finish is stylish, although it does attract dust/fingerprints (it's available in black or red). The back panel has a built-in handle, which makes it easy to move from one room to the next. From the front, there's a speaker grille on the left side, and the right side has the controls and color display.
The built-in handle on the back makes the Squeezebox Radio easy to tote.
The large knob in the center handles navigation. Pushing the button while browsing menus confirms a choice; when a song is playing, it brings up more options, such as "thumbs up/down" controls for Pandora. There's a separate, smaller volume knob, which is a plus, since many Wi-Fi radios (including the earlier Squeezebox Boom) combine navigation and volume control in one knob. Pushing the volume knob activates mute. The other soft buttons handle other crucial functions, including a shortcut to alarm functionality. The six buttons lining the display access Internet radio presets, which are set by holding the buttons down while listening to a station. Overall, the control scheme has a slight learning curve, but everything made sense after a little fiddling.
We love that the clock automatically dims, but it was too dark for our taste.
The Squeezebox Radio features a 2.4-inch color LCD display, a feature we've seen on two other Wi-Fi radios, the VTech IS9181 and Philips NP2900. The display can get plenty bright--which is a good thing--but it can also make for an unwanted nightlight in your bedroom. The Squeezebox Radio handles this with an autodimmer function. Although it works, we found it to be too aggressive; once we turned the lights off, the screen looked like it was off from across the room and we couldn't see the time. (It's visible when you get up close.) It's a nitpick, but we'd love for Logitech to hone this feature or make it more customizable so you can set your own "dim" level.
While most Wi-Fi radios are stuck with plain text menus, the Squeezebox Radio features a relatively high-resolution screen, with a graphical user interface. This allows the display to present a lot more information, plus eye candy in the form of colorful menus and album art.
You can customize your main navigation screen in the settings.
The main navigation is done via the home menu. Here you can access your music, see what's currently playing, launch an app, or go into the settings. Luckily, you can customize your home menu (in case you want to add/drop certain services), although we'd love the ability to change the order of the menu items.
The playback screen fits a lot of information on the small display.
The display when a song is playing is nicely arranged. It's easy to see the album art, song title, artist, album name, and track number. There's no indicator as to how long a song is, but there's a progress bar so you have some idea.
The most frustrating aspect of the user interface occurs whenever you need to enter information, like when searching for an artist in Rhapsody. You'll have to spin the navigation wheel to select each letter and it gets tedious quickly. We haven't seen a device that gets around this problem and it's only rarely something you'll have to deal with.
The initial setup required for the Squeezebox Radio is a chore, especially if you don't own any other Squeezebox products. Be prepared to download the SqueezeCenter software, install it, scan your music files, register for a MySqueezebox account, enter all your online accounts info, tediously enter info on the Squeezebox Radio--it's a serious undertaking, especially if you intend to use all of the Squeezebox Radio's functionality.
When you select a library, you're putting the Squeezebox Radio into "SqueezeCenter" mode.
There are two basic "modes" that the Squeezebox Radio can operate in: SqueezeCenter or MySqueezebox. When you're using MySqueezebox, that means your radio isn't connecting to a PC running the SqueezeCenter software; you won't be able to access your personal music collection, but any music services that stream from the Internet (like Internet radio, Pandora, etc.) will work perfectly. When you're in SqueezeCenter mode, you're adding the ability to stream your own music collection, plus extensive browser-based control.
Unfortunately, all this terminology gets confusing quickly. For instance, there are now three different control panels you can use to remotely make adjustments to your Squeezebox Radio: MySqueezebox, Squeezebox Server Control Panel, and SqueezeCenter. They break down logically in some cases, but it's not quite clear; MySqueezebox mostly handles your online media accounts, SqueezeCenter handles most the preferences and settings, and Squeeze Server Control Panel is a simplified version of SqueezeCenter. Even knowing that breakdown, there were plenty of times we'd want to make an adjustment and realize we were in the wrong "zone," and then try to remember where it is.
Like the step-up Boom, the Squeezebox Radio is packed with more features than any other radio on the market. It comes with plenty of built-in popular streaming audio services, plus you can add all kinds of additional services via the App Gallery or community plug-ins. There are too many features available on the Squeezebox Radio to cover them all in detail, but we'll hit most of the major services. (A more complete list of apps are here; there are also plug-ins created by the community.)
Online music services: Like the Squeezebox Boom, the Radio offers the most comprehensive suite of online services on the market. Supported services include Pandora, Last.fm, Slacker, Live Music Archive, Live365, Shoutcast, RadioIO, RadioTime, and MediaFly. (Note: Last.fm and CNET are both properties of CBS Interactive.) Some of these require registration, others index popular online or terrestrial radio streams--but all of them are completely free (though some, like Pandora, cap free usage hours per month, encouraging you to step up to a paid premium version).
You can continue to give songs "thumbs up/down" using your Squeezebox Radio.
Pandora is probably the most popular of these services and you get access to essentially everything you get in your browser, including thumbs up/down control, bookmaking, and album art. Our favorite feature? The ability to switch between multiple Pandora accounts on the radio, in case not everybody in your household has the same musical tastes.
We'd also be remiss to not throw some attention on the underappreciated Live Music Archive. It offers thousands of free live concerts from "taper-friendly" bands like the Grateful Dead or Derek Trucks; it's simple to quickly dial up, say, a 1979 Grateful Dead concert at Madison Square Garden and it will start streaming nearly immediately.
The Squeezebox Boom also delivers full access to popular premium (paid) subscription services such as Rhapsody and Sirius Internet Radio. It also works with MP3tunes, an online "music locker" service that lets you access your personal digital-music collection online.
The easiest way to use Rhapsody is to add songs to your library using a PC, then just browse the library on the radio.
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Discuss Logitech Squeezebox Radio
Discuss: Logitech Squeezebox Radio review: Logitech Squeezebox Radio
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CCU HomeCoastal NowNewsnews-article
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CCU teams up with Horry County Museum to create sensory-friendly exhibit with 3D-printed artifacts
Every so often, pieces fall into place that create a winning situation for all the parties involved. Coastal Carolina University faculty and students have created such a situation in conjunction with the Horry County Museum via an exhibit that has benefits abounding for just about everyone.
Opening April 30 is an exhibit thought up and directed by professors, curated and implemented by students, hosted by the museum, and inspired by Coastal’s quest to provide experiential learning opportunities and offer inclusive and all-accessible community enrichment programming.
“Printing the Past: S.C. in 3D” is a sensory-friendly, hands-on exhibit, meaning there won’t be any signs typical of museums dictating “Do not touch.” The purpose of this display will be exactly that: To touch, examine, feel and explore South Carolina artifacts that have been digitally scanned and 3D-printed for that very purpose.
The entire goal of the project, said Carolyn Dillian, chair of the Department of Anthropology and Geography and professor of the cultural resource management course involved in the exhibit, was to work with students to create an exhibit designed with visual and sensory differences in mind.
“People go into an exhibit, and if they can’t see the things in the cases, it can be helpful for them to touch the materials and learn that way,” she said. “Most museums can’t let people fondle artifacts, but the technology we have here at CCU gives us the ability to print the artifacts in 3D so they can be touched.”
Students in the cultural resource management class and assistant professor of history Katie Clary’s museums and communities class worked with the curator at Horry County Museum, Hillary Winburn, to choose which S.C. artifacts they would scan and print for the exhibit. All of the artifacts are from Horry County, and include prehistoric pieces and fossils, the oldest clocking in at 1.8 million years old. The pieces tell the story of Horry County from prehistoric times through World War II.
“Working with the students and faculty at CCU has been a wonderful experience,” said Winburn. “The students’ enthusiasm was contagious, and I loved watching them bring all of their ideas to the table and developing them.”
Clary brought the idea to the museum’s director, Walter Hill, after she and Dillian attended a conference together a few years ago and saw some 3D fragments in basketry that had been printed so people could feel the textiles. Those pieces hit a personal chord in Clary, whose father has dyslexia.
“Going to museums as a kid, we could just breeze through it, but it took my dad more time,” she said. “A big concept in museums theory right now is universal design, which says that if it’s good for one group of people, it’s good for everyone. Everyone sees artifacts behind glass, and everyone wants to touch them. You learn a lot more that way.”
Not only will “S.C. in 3D” be a hands-on exhibit, but it will also include display cards that include photographs and the artifact’s historical information in Braille and audio recordings. The original artifact will also be displayed (under glass) alongside its 3D-printed counterpart.
Students in the two courses have done most of the work to make the exhibit a reality, the professors said.
“The students are really excited to have a chance to have something tangible come out of the class, but also something that has an impact on the community,” said Clary.
History major Javon Blain wants to be a civil rights attorney after he graduates, and said this course has opened his eyes to the rights of people with disabilities.
“I never thought about it being hard to visit a museum until I took this class,” he said. “I feel that all museums should make accommodations for everyone who may experience different problems. Working on this project has made me appreciate so many things that I may have taken for granted.”
Winburn feels this exhibit is a step in the right direction where accessibility and relevancy is concerned.
“There is always the goal to be more inclusive,” she said. “The 3D printing technology has the potential to change how museums use their artifacts. It allows collections to be more accessible, and that is a good thing.”
Now that the project is nearing completion, the professors see the potential for more, like traveling exhibits. They hope the exhibit at Horry County Museum will stay through the summer; Winburn said it’s likely it could remain installed until 2020.
The Horry County Museum is at 805 Main St., Conway, and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Visit horrycountymuseum.org.
For more about the exhibit and the overall project, visit printingthepastscin3d.com.
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Rural crime survey to assess whether incidents are under-reported
Sussex Police HQ, Lewes SUS-160203-225215008
Published: 14:52 Monday 30 April 2018
Residents are being encouraged to have their say in this year’s National Rural Crime Survey amid concerns crime in rural areas is still under-reported.
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “Three years ago, one in four people who responded to the survey nationally said they didn’t report the last crime they’d been a victim of because they didn’t see the point.
“This is an uncomfortable thing to hear, and for all those involved in protecting rural areas, so it’s important we ask these questions again and find out whether people are more willing to report crime and if they feel safer.
“It’s vital that the voice of rural communities is heard by those who can make a difference – from the police to government.
“I urge residents to take part in the survey and help us build a clear picture of crime and anti-social behaviour in rural Sussex and to understand the impact it has where you live or work.”
The survey is online at www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net and is open for submissions until June 10.
Burgess Hill bricklayer and Haywards Heath teen to stand trial over ‘racially aggravated assault’
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This flexibility makes Ethereum the perfect instrument for blockchain -application. But it comes at a cost. After the Hack of the DAO – an Ethereum based smart contract – the developers decided to do a hard fork without consensus, which resulted in the emerge of Ethereum Classic. Besides this, there are several clones of Ethereum, and Ethereum itself is a host of several Tokens like DigixDAO and Augur. This makes Ethereum more a family of cryptocurrencies than a single currency.
Ethereum-based customized software and networks, independent from the public Ethereum chain, are being tested by enterprise software companies.[48] Interested parties include Microsoft, IBM, JPMorgan Chase,[33][49] Deloitte,[50] R3,[51] Innovate UK (cross-border payments prototype).[52] Barclays, UBS and Credit Suisse are experimenting with Ethereum blockchain to automate Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) II requirements.
3)Nano Pros: instant and free transactions Cons: abysmal adoption. What's the point of no fee transactions when I can't find anyone to spend it on? Why would I save in nano when I can save in a better currency and have more purchasing power? The nano:btc ratio doesn't bode well with me and I would be losing purchasing power switching over, with no one to transact with at the end. Sure I can sell nano for Fiat when needed but that's a waste of exchange fees and I should've just stayed in Fiat. Also I would've gotten more Fiat if I had stayed in bitcoin
As with other cryptocurrencies, the validity of each ether is provided by a blockchain, which is a continuously growing list of records, called blocks, which are linked and secured using cryptography.[30][31] By design, the blockchain is inherently resistant to modification of the data. It is an open, distributed ledger that records transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way.[32] Unlike Bitcoin, Ethereum operates using accounts and balances in a manner called state transitions. This does not rely upon unspent transaction outputs (UTXOs). State denotes the current balances of all accounts and extra data. State is not stored on the blockchain, it is stored in a separate Merkle Patricia tree. A cryptocurrency wallet stores the public and private "keys" or "addresses" which can be used to receive or spend ether. These can be generated through BIP 39 style mnemonics for a BIP 32 "HD Wallet". In Ethereum, this is unnecessary as it does not operate in a UTXO scheme. With the private key, it is possible to write in the blockchain, effectively making an ether transaction.
Blockchains are secure by design and are an example of a distributed computing system with high Byzantine fault tolerance. Decentralized consensus has therefore been achieved with a blockchain.[29] Blockchains solve the double-spending problem without the need of a trusted authority or central server, assuming no 51% attack (that has worked against several cryptocurrencies).
“A DAO consists of one or more contracts and could be funded by a group of like-minded individuals. A DAO operates completely transparently and completely independently of any human intervention, including its original creators. A DAO will stay on the network as long as it covers its survival costs and provides a useful service to its customer base” Stephen Tual, Slock.it Founder, former CCO Ethereum.
Ethereum's blockchain uses Merkle trees, for security reasons, to improve scalability, and to optimize transaction hashing.[61] As with any Merkle tree implementation, it allows for storage savings, set membership proofs (called "Merkle proofs"), and light client synchronization. The Ethereum network has at times faced congestion problems, for example, congestion occurred during late 2017 in relation to Cryptokitties.[62]
Paul Krugman, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences winner does not like bitcoin, has repeated numerous times that it is a bubble that will not last[92] and links it to Tulip mania.[93] American business magnate Warren Buffett thinks that cryptocurrency will come to a bad ending.[94] In October 2017, BlackRock CEO Laurence D. Fink called bitcoin an 'index of money laundering'.[95] "Bitcoin just shows you how much demand for money laundering there is in the world," he said.
Homero Josh Garza, who founded the cryptocurrency startups GAW Miners and ZenMiner in 2014, acknowledged in a plea agreement that the companies were part of a pyramid scheme, and pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2015. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission separately brought a civil enforcement action against Garza, who was eventually ordered to pay a judgment of $9.1 million plus $700,000 in interest. The SEC's complaint stated that Garza, through his companies, had fraudulently sold "investment contracts representing shares in the profits they claimed would be generated" from mining.[71]
Since prices are based on supply and demand, the rate at which a cryptocurrency can be exchanged for another currency can fluctuate widely. However, plenty of research has been undertaken to identify the fundamental price drivers of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin has indeed experienced some rapid surges and collapses in value, reaching as high as $19,000 per bitcoin in December of 2017 before returning to around $7,000 in the following months. Cryptocurrencies are thus considered by some economists to be a short-lived fad or speculative bubble. There is concern especially that the currency units, such as bitcoins, are not rooted in any material goods. Some research has identified that the cost of producing a bitcoin, which takes an increasingly large amount of energy, is directly related to its market price.
Both blockchains have the same features and are identical in every way up to a certain block where the hard-fork was implemented. This means that everything that happened on Ethereum up until the hard-fork is still valid on the Ethereum Classic Blockchain. From the block where the hard fork or change in code was executed onwards, the two blockchains act individually.
EthereumPrice.org was developed by Ether0x in March 2016 to allow users to easily track the price of Ethereum both historically and in real-time. The platform has since evolved to include several fiat currencies (EUR, GBP, JPY and others) as well as price data for a number of Ethereum ERC20 tokens and other blockchain currencies. More recently, prediction data from Augur was also added to provide insight into the future price expectations of the Ether market. Price data is currently sourced from multiple exchanges with the weighted average price of these assets being calculated by CryptoCompare.com. For more details on the weighted average calculation, see our FAQ.
This website is intended to provide a clear summary of Ethereum's current and historical price as well as important updates from the industry. I've also included a number of ERC20 tokens which can be found in the tokens tab at the top right. Prices are updated every minute in real-time and the open/close prices are recorded at midnight UTC. Bookmark us!
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Why are the world's food aid programs running short of money?
On Monday, the World Food Program announced that, due to a funding shortage, it was suspending food aid to more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees. The setback, which comes as winter approaches, is emblematic of a global crisis.
Hussein Malla/AP/File
The UN World Food Program says it has suspended a food voucher program serving more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees because of a funding crisis. Displaced Syrian boys and girls, shown in September during a visit by UN officials to their refugee camp in Deir al-Ahmar village in east Lebanon.
By Howard LaFranchi Staff writer
Monday’s announcement from the United Nations’ main emergency food assistance agency was alarming enough: A shortage of funding has forced the World Food Program to suspend its food aid to more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees.
But behind the dire news for displaced Syrians already facing the challenge of a harsh winter is an equally worrisome global picture for food aid programs as a whole, as crises across the Middle East and Africa overwhelm international capacity and donor largesse.
Syria’s nearly four-year-old civil war is the cause of what international experts say is the world’s largest humanitarian disaster. But long-running conflicts in Africa, and some new ones, are adding to a scenario that aid groups say could turn grim for millions over the coming months if donations don’t pour in quickly.
Already last month, the World Food Program (WFP) said that low supplies were forcing it to cut food rations for the half-million refugees from South Sudan and Somalia it feeds in camps in Kenya. Conflict in the Central African Republic and recent devastating floods in Somalia – which is barely recovering from decades of war – have left millions more with precarious food sources.
In West Africa, the Ebola crisis is discouraging farmers in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone from tending fields and getting produce to markets. More than a million West Africans could soon face food shortages, humanitarian groups working there say.
The prospect of burgeoning food assistance needs is leading international governmental organizations like WFP to issue urgent calls for emergency funding, while non-governmental organizations are revising upward their prognostications for emergency assistance needs next year.
As one example, the International Red Cross announced last week that in order to meet “vastly expanding needs” that in some cases are due to “new kinds of crises,” it has set a goal of raising nearly $1.7 billion for emergency assistance in 2015 – a full quarter more than what it sought to raise from donors for 2014.
Within this global picture of expanding food assistance needs, the size and complexity of Syria’s crisis keep it at the forefront of international concerns. The UN helps to feed some 4 million internally displaced Syrians, in addition to the 1.7 million Syrian refugees.
The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is accused by many world powers including the United States of using starvation to defeat pockets of opposition within the territory it still holds, while the Islamic State (IS) controlling a swath of the northeast of the country also provides or withholds food and other provisions based on community support, according to reports.
The Syrian refugees who will be affected by the WFP suspension are spread across the region in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and even Iraq, which is facing some food crises of its own among refugees in areas under threat from IS forces.
For hundreds of thousands of refugees in camps in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, the suspended food rations will only augment the hardships of winter, some experts say.
The WFP suspension of food aid “couldn’t come at a worse time,” the United Nations’ top official for refugee issues, Antonio Guterres, said in a statement Monday. The aid cut will affect tens of thousands of families “who are almost entirely dependent on international aid,” he said.
The challenge of keeping up with Syria’s expanding humanitarian needs is not new. Already in September, the WFP cut by as much as 50 percent the food vouchers that refugee families received to spend in local markets.
The WFP, which operates mostly on country donations, is often in a position of scraping by from month to month as it awaits pledged funding. The US has given almost $1 billion to the UN agency for its operations with Syrians since the conflict started, including a donation last week of $125 million.
But that money covered food vouchers issued in November and assistance for internally displaced Syrians. It was not enough to stave off today’s suspension of food vouchers for Syrian refugees – or WFP’s warning that it will also be forced to end food aid to Syrians inside the war-ravaged country in February unless donations pick up.
Test your knowledge Do you understand the Syria conflict? Take the quiz.
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Politics Voices The real reason Obama chucked Hagel
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Delaware National Guard has behind-the-scenes role in fight against drugs
The Delaware National Guard Counterdrug Task Force commits 11 full-time soldiers and airmen to the state's war on drugs.
Delaware National Guard has behind-the-scenes role in fight against drugs The Delaware National Guard Counterdrug Task Force commits 11 full-time soldiers and airmen to the state's war on drugs. Check out this story on delawareonline.com: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/02/25/delaware-national-guard-behind-scenes-fight-against-drugs/2938229002/
Jerry Smith, Delaware News Journal Published 7:07 a.m. ET Feb. 25, 2019 | Updated 7:27 a.m. ET Feb. 25, 2019
The Delaware National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force helps provide intelligence analysis, surveillance, vehicle operations and firearms training and more. Daniel Sato, The News Journal
Tucked away on the grounds of the Governor Bacon Health Center in Delaware City sits a souped-up Lakota helicopter decked out inside with all kinds of surveillance.
The helicopter in the parking lot of the Delaware National Guard's Scannell Readiness Center is one of the most sought-after resources in the National Guard's arsenal in the war on drugs in Delaware. It is a shared asset of Delaware and New Jersey National Guard counterdrug programs.
The Delaware National Guard – along with units across the country – has for years played a role in the state's drug battle, and a Friday tour of the Delaware National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force facility opened some eyes to its vital role.
Including Delaware Gov. John Carney.
Governor John Carney examines a Lakota helicopter during a tour of the Delaware National Guard Counterdrug Task Force Friday in Delaware City. (Photo: Daniel Sato, The News Journal)
The counterdrug program provides law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations throughout the state with military assets and resources to help them fight and reduce the drug threats in Delaware.
The National Guard's task force helps provide intelligence analysis, aerial and ground surveillance, vehicle operations and firearms training and also helps with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “Drug Take Back” initiative.
Counterdrug coordinator Lt. Col. Michael Murphy told Carney and members of the media that 11 full-time airmen and soldiers are embedded in various law enforcement agencies around the state, including the DEA, Customs and the Delaware State Police.
The program is designed to bridge the divide between civilian law enforcement and the military by bringing military capabilities and resources to bear against drug-related threats.
The Guard's Counterdrug Task Force has an annual budget of $1 million, which is funded by the Department of Defense.
"It's a small amount compared to the trillions of dollars in the DOD budget, but you can see how effective those small dollars and the difference we make in the 54 (U.S. states and territories)," Delaware National Guard Adjutant Gen. Carol Timmons said.
In 2018, National Guard counterdrug personnel across the nation helped seize drugs and assets with an estimated street value of $11.1 billion.
Gov. John Carney tours the Delaware National Guard's Counterdrug Task Force in Delaware City on Friday. (Photo: Daniel Sato, The News Journal)
Included in the seizures were 298,000 pounds of cocaine/crack cocaine, 2.6 million pounds of marijuana, 48,205 pounds of methamphetamines, 22,213 pounds of heroin, 214,980 pounds of opiates and 125,367 weapons.
According to Murphy, Delaware counterdrug analysts assigned to Customs and Border Protection helped identify and flag two inbound shipments to the Port of Wilmington.
Authorities seize $7.6 million worth of cocaine at Port of Wilmington
Another massive cocaine shipment seized at Port of Wilmington
The first shipment contained 99 pounds of cocaine hidden among pineapples, while a second shipment was located a week later resulting in the seizure of 158 pounds of cocaine hidden in a similar manner.
The street value of the drugs seized at the Port of Wilmington totaled $8.6 million.
Delaware counterdrug analysts working with the Delaware State Police Drug Task Force also assisted in disrupting a heroin ring operating in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Counterdrug analysts provided support through toll record analysis, financial analysis of money transfers and receipts, transcribing telephone calls, and ground and aerial surveillance to seize 1,100 grams of heroin, 816 grams of fentanyl, firearms and $20,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
During a tour of the facility, the home of the Delaware National Guard's 153rd Military Police Company, Carney heard about the capabilities of the Lakota helicopter.
Murphy told him that if a law enforcement agency is looking into a drug trafficking organization and knows a controlled drug exchange is going to occur, the helicopter can be flown in with officers aboard to use the helicopter's assets to observe and document the transaction.
That often leads to arrests, he said.
Gov. John Carney, right, and Master Sgt. Randy Fisher go through simulations during firearms training while touring the Delaware National Guard Counterdrug Task Force facilities Friday. (Photo: Daniel Sato, The News Journal)
Carney also took part in "Shoot, Don't Shoot" firearms training on the Guard's simulator, which has 141 different scenarios. The Delaware National Guard provides law enforcement agencies with equipment and trainers.
"The shooting training was pretty incredible," he said. "It shows what officers face every day and the split-second decisions that have to be made by law enforcement."
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Read or Share this story: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2019/02/25/delaware-national-guard-behind-scenes-fight-against-drugs/2938229002/
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Home > News Releases > Delta Community Announces 2013 Scholarship Winners
Kelly Ronna
Trevelino/Keller
kronna@trevelinokeller.com
DELTA COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION ANNOUNCES 2013 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Five Winners Awarded $20,000 in Scholarships to Further Education
ATLANTA (May 22, 2012) Delta Community Credit Union today announces the 2013 honorees of its annual scholarship program, which support members in their quest for higher education. Five students were selected based on academic achievement, community service and submission of an essay on a topic selected by the credit union.
This is the first year we've made our scholarships available to undergrads and graduate students, explains Hank Halter, Delta Community President and CEO. We had a tremendous response and these five winning students show exemplary accomplishments in and out of the classroom. Were proud to support their goal of higher education.
The following three students will receive $5,000 toward their education:
Courtney Knight is a sophomore at Shorter University in Rome, Ga. She is a Pre-Pharmacy major and currently has a 4.0 GPA. In high school, Courtney played varsity basketball and volleyball and received awards for outstanding achievement in math, biology and history. She received the Presbyterian College Award for Outstanding Academics and the University of Georgia Certificate of Merit for being among the top 10 percent of students in the state of Georgia. Among her scholastic achievements in college are Deans List, Presidential Scholar and recent recognition as the Top Freshman Chemistry Student. She currently serves as an Honors Ambassador and tutor and is a member of Hill Climbers, a leadership and service organization.
Ty Nelson is a rising sophomore at the University of Georgia. He is originally from Decatur, Ga. and is a graduate of Marist School. Ty is pursuing a degree in Finance and Accounting and currently has a 4.0 GPA. He has received numerous academic honors including Deans List, Marist School Honor Council, Sports Champions of Greater Atlanta Honoree and induction into the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society. He is a member of the UGA Economics Society and Sports Business Club and has participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is a current committee member of UGA Miracle, an organization that raises money for Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta and interacts with hospital patients. He received the More Award from the St. Thomas More Catholic School for over 60 hours of community service and worked for several years with the Christopher League helping disabled children play baseball. He's volunteered with Camp Twin Lakes, Habitat for Humanity and received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award for outstanding character, service and leadership.
Karli Walleser is a graduating senior from Pineville High School in Pineville, LA. She plans to attend Louisiana State University in the fall and major in Mechanical Engineering. Karli excelled academically in high school, maintaining straight As for three consecutive years, receiving an Academic Letter and receiving the highest English score and a perfect math score on the Graduation Exit Exam. She's a member of her schools dance line and theater group. Seven years ago, after her sister underwent an organ transplant, Karli began volunteering for the Louisiana Organ Procurement Association. She donates her time and energy at numerous events to generate awareness and help fundraising efforts. Karli has also served at a local food bank and with the Anchor and Key Clubs to assist special needs children at an annual fair.
In addition to the three $5,000 scholarship winners, the following two winners will receive $2,500 towards their education:
Nicolette Brownstein is a senior at Vero Beach High School in Vero Beach, Fla. She plans to attend either Georgetown or Boston College and major in Political Science and International Studies in pursuit of her career as a U.S. Diplomat. Nicolette will graduate in the top 10 percent of her class, is an AP Scholar and received the Vero Beach HS 4.0 Award for receiving As in all her classes. She is a member of her schools Marching and Symphonic Band, has served as SGA vice president, is a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Team and the National Honor Society. Nicolette has participated in several trips with Youth on a Mission to build homes. She also worked with children at her local YMCA and at area soup kitchens. She is a member of Youth in Action in Vero Beach, a group that organizes community projects involving up to 100 youth.
Meagan Glover is a full-time graduate student attending Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga. Pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders, Meagan has a 4.15 GPA and is a former vice president of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NSSHLA). In addition to being a graduate research assistant, she is also a member of CommicAID Nation, an organization created to provide assistance to individuals with communication disorders. Meagans long-term career goal is to become a Speech-Language Pathologist. Her volunteer commitments include the Brain Injury Association of Georgia, the Genesis Shelter, Autism Speaks and the Atlanta Speech School.
Delta Community's scholarship program awards three $5,000 and two $2,500 scholarships annually to assist eligible members with their higher education expenses. The awards are specifically earmarked for the recipients tuition, books, dormitory lodging and meal costs at an accredited university, college or technical school. For additional program details, visit https://www.DeltaCommunityCU.com/Scholarship.
Delta Community Credit Union is Georgias largest credit union serving over 270,000 members. It was founded in 1940 and today serves the entire metro Atlanta area, including residents of the 11 surrounding counties and employees of top businesses, such as Delta Air Lines, Chick-fil-A, UPS and RaceTrac. Delta Community is a state-chartered credit union organized under the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, and its deposit accounts are federally insured through the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. It chooses to operate as a not-for- profit credit union so it can give back earnings to its members and their local communities. Unlike a for-profit bank, Delta Community is owned by its members, not individual or institutional investors. Customers become member-owners when they open and maintain an account. Please visit www.DeltaCommunityCU.com to learn more or follow the Credit Union on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deltacommunity and Twitter at @deltacommunity.
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You are here: News » Latest News » Preparing for life and work in today’s world.
Preparing for life and work in today’s world.
Dawlish College art teacher Liz Lithgow will shortly be heading to Malawi as part of Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning, to work with staff and students in Balaka Secondary School.
Connecting Classrooms is run in over 30 countries by the British Council in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID). It works with schools across the globe to help young people develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to make a positive contribution to their world.
The programme enables teachers not only to teach these skills to children in their classroom, but also to visit partner schools in other countries to exchange insights and ideas on how to improve teaching and global learning in their schools.
On hearing the news that Dawlish College has successfully applied to take part in the Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme, Sir Ciarán Devane, CEO of the British Council, said:
‘I am delighted that Dawlish College in the Exeter Cluster is taking on this excellent opportunity to develop their professional practice by collaborating with teachers from Malawi and the UK. Their commitment to equip young people with skills and understanding for life and work in an increasingly global economy is to be commended.’
Students are working with their counterparts in Malawi on an exciting project focusing on Gender Inequality. Year 7 and 9 students at Dawlish College have been using their knowledge of colour theory to create eye-catching African inspired repeat patterns in acrylic and using Photoshop. The year 9 students have also been looking at African female role models to develop into dramatic black and white lino cuts to share with the students in Malawi where gender inequality is common.
Helmes Sozalio, teacher at Balaka Secondary school says he and his 80 students ‘are excited and eagerly await our visit’. We will focus on gender roles and age-related milestones in UK culture with the aim of highlighting the importance of education in providing choices and facilitating change for young women in particular
A special thanks to The Helen Foundation, The Devon Guild and School Art Club who have all donated generously; without their support this project would not be happening. Additional thanks to the staff and governors at Dawlish College who helped to fund the art materials for this project.
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Nation Crime 20 May 2017 It was a money laund ...
Nation, Crime
It was a money laundering case, not hawala in Vizag: DGP
Published May 20, 2017, 7:44 am IST
Updated May 20, 2017, 7:45 am IST
Mr Sambasiva Rao said that huge amounts changed hands through shell companies based in Kolkata.
DGP N. Sambasiva Rao inspects the stalls at the road safety awareness workshop at Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur on Friday. (Photo: DC)
VIJAYAWADA: Director general of police N. Sambasiva Rao said that it was money laundering that has happened in the Visakhapatnam case but not hawala transactions. Speaking to reporters to explain the progress of the case, the DGP said that the CID, after taking over the case, has identified eight persons involved in the faulty deals and added them as accused.
Mr Sambasiva Rao said that huge amounts changed hands through shell companies based in Kolkata. Though Vaddi Mahesh appears to be the kingpin in the case, he was claiming that he only brokered the deals. The CID has zeroed in on Ayush Goel, Vineeth Goenka and Vikas Gupta as the main conspirators in the case and is in the process of identifying them. “We have already issued look-out notices to all airports and ports to see that they will not get away from the country. If need be, we will raise the flag with the Interpole,” said Mr Sambasiva Rao.
Based on the complaint given by the Incom Tax department, Rs 680 crore transactions were made with forged documents through 14 shell companies. The money was routed through China, Singapore and Hong Kong into 12 accounts. Around Rs 533 crore were credited in a single account with Canara Bank, said Mr Sambasiva Rao. He said the CID is also looking into the role of some charted accountants in the case. Prashanth Kumar Rai Burman and Praveen Kumar Jha were charted accountants and connected to the shell companies, he said.
The DGP further said that they are ready to deploy as many teams as requested in investigating the case. The CID has made good progress till now and will complete the investigation in a time-bound manner, he said. “We are also taking the help of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case as and when required as the ED is having exclusive jurisdiction to attach the assets,” said Mr Sambasiva Rao.
Tags: n. sambasiva rao, money laundering
Location: India, Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada
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Rosie’s Theater Kids – Non Profit Partner Spotlight
(RTKids) is an arts education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children through the arts. We serve students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to experience theater, positively changing the trajectory of their lives by providing comprehensive classes in music, dance and drama; thoughtful mentoring; and structured academic guidance. Our goal is to inspire excellence, motivate learning, uplift the human spirit, build confidence, and spark a lifelong appreciation for the arts.
What makes our program unique:
Although there are a number of performing arts education non-profits in New York City, our one-on-one attention, the longevity of our commitment to our students (7 years), and the fact that our core programs are free make our program unique and effective. We use musical theater as the hook, as a means for students from underserved communities to develop transferable skills for success onstage, in the classroom and in life.
Our foundational program, PS Broadway, is provided free of charge to 17 Title 1 NYC public elementary schools, where over 75% of the students come from low-income communities. Every fifth grade student at each participating school receives 15 weeks (one-hour weekly) of song and dance classes, a trip to a Broadway show, and a guest performance/talkback by a Broadway performer. Outstanding graduates of PS Broadway are invited to RTKids’ scholarship program, ACTE II (A Commitment to Excellence), which offers professional musical theater training that is enhanced by comprehensive academic and social services after-school and in the summer. From 6th grade through high school, these underserved students find a “home away from home” at RTKids’ Maravel Arts Center, a 5-story townhouse tailored to the needs of our program with three performance studios, a study room, and a kids’ kitchen. RTKids aims for and has achieved a 100% high school graduation rate for its scholarship students, and has ensured that all graduates are placed in some institute of higher learning. ACTE II students have showcased their talents on national television and on stage – a few notable experiences include The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The View, in a production of The Winter’s Tale in collaboration with the Public Theater, and in stage performances alongside Paul Simon and Cyndi Lauper.
How can CUP members become involved?
There are a few ways to become involved. First, we have launched a fairly robust mentoring program, in which professionals can become a “big brother/sister” to our students. The commitment is one year, with in-person touch-points at least once per month with our students. Second, we have a Junior Council, which consists of people in their 20’s and 30’s who’d like to be involved socially with the organization. The Junior Council comes with an annual commitment of $250/year and includes social events, mentoring opportunities, and networking with other young professionals. Finally, we welcome conversations with qualified individuals who are interested in joining our Board of Directors. We are always interested in meeting new friends and would love to host a visit from any CUP members who would like to learn more about Rosie’s Theater Kids!
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You mag
Mail Shop
BJP to celebrate NaMo's first year in power with 100 rallies across the country
By Kumar Vikram
The BJP has a large-scale plan in store to celebrate the Narendra Modi government’s first year in power.
All the ministers, party parliamentarians and legislators will fan out across the country to hold more than 100 rallies as per the plan, sources said.
More significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address public gatherings. The party leaders said celebrities from television industry and film industry would be roped in for the mega event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also address public gatherings as per the party’s plan
The government has already decided to celebrate May 26 as the “Jan Kalyan Parva”.
As part of the celebrations, functions will be held in every city of the country to mark the BJP government’s one year in office.
The government will also spread the message about social security schemes and other initiatives launched by it.
Modi took over as the prime minister on May 26 last year.
“Melas will be held at tehsils on May 30 and 31. There will be exhibitions and news conferences, where people will be told about the achievements of the government in last one year. Schemes, including Jan Dhan Yojna, recently-launched insurance schemes and other initiatives will be highlighted and people would be told that how it has benefited the people. E-books and booklets will be released upon the completion of one year,” said a senior party leader.
The PM had recently launched new schemes such as PM Suraksha Bima Yojana and PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana in West Bengal.
The party is also planning to rope in some celebrities. They may attend some high-profile rallies spreading the message of the government’s pet project Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the party’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’, said the leader.
As per the plan, the party will hold one rally in every two or three Lok Sabha constituencies. PM Modi will address only one rally, but the venue has not been finalised yet.
Programmes will be organised in states where the BJP is in power. Chief ministers and state ministers will hold public meetings to highlight the Modi government’s achievements.
BJP National Secretary Tarun Chugh said the party has planned to make people across the country aware about the achievements, good governance and completion of successful first year of the government led by PM Narendra Modi.
The first year of the NDA government led by Modi has proved to be far better than 10 years of NDA rule, he said.
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X-Files star expecting second child
Actress Gillian Anderson is expecting her second child.
Published 4th June 2008
X-Files actresss Gillian Anderson is expecting her second child
The X-Files star and her boyfriend, businessman Mark Griffiths, have an 18-month-old son Oscar.
Anderson, 39, has a 13-year-old daughter, Piper, with ex-husband Clyde Klotz, a production designer.
She and her second husband, documentary filmmaker Julian Ozanne, separated in April 2006 after 16 months' of marriage.
The X-Files ran from 1993-2002. Anderson reunites with co-star David Duchovny for The X-Files: I Want to Believe, the second feature film spun off from the paranormal series.
The movie will be in cinemas next month.
Anderson co-stars with Kirsten Dunst in the comedy How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, due for release later this year.
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Might We Finally See That Long-Discussed SRV Statue in Dallas? Briefly on Sunday, Yes.
Pete Freedman | September 9, 2010 | 4:10pm
Well, we're just swelling with pride and joy this afternoon--and for good reason. It looks like we could be on the verge of finally seeing the long-discussed Stevie Ray Vaughan statue finding a place in Dallas, which (despite Austin's claim on him and SRV statue of their own) is indeed where the blues guitar legend was born, raised and, eventually, buried.
According to Roy Appleton on the DMN's Oak Cliff-focused blog, the Kessler Theater will unveil a new SRV statue, commissioned once upon a time by Oak Cliff activist Jason Roberts and sculpted by San Antonion artist Victor L. Rangel (pictured at left), at the venue's Blues, Bandits and Barbecue event that is scheduled to run from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Says Kessler owner Edwin Cabaniss this unveiling is something of a test-run for the statue, which he hopes to erect one day in public, with, of course, the Vaughan family's consent: "This will start the dialogue," Cabaniss told Appleton. "We want to stand up and see how much public support there is for this."
DFW Music News
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New Series of High-Side/Low-Side Gate Drivers from Diodes Incorporated Delivers Higher Performance in an SO-8 Package
February 26, 2019 | Plano, TX
Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq: DIOD), a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality, application specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic, analog and mixed-signal semiconductor markets, today announced a new family of high-voltage, high-speed gate drivers for converters, inverters, motor control, and Class-D power amplifier applications. These devices are suitable for motor drive applications up to 100V, and simultaneously able to support power conversion and inversion applications operating at 200V. These features make them well-suited for a number of consumer and industrial designs, including power tools, robotics and drones, as well as small electric vehicles.
The DGD2003S8, DGD2005S8, and DGD2012S8 are 200V gate drivers covering half-bridge and high-side/low-side topologies, offered in the standard low-profile SO-8 package. These devices feature junction isolated level-shift technology to create a floating channel high-side driver for use in a bootstrap topology operating at up to 200V, with the ability to drive two N-channel MOSFETs in a half-bridge configuration.
All devices in the series feature standard TTL/CMOS logic inputs with Schmitt triggering and are able to operate down to 3.3V, making it simple to interface the drivers to control circuitry. The outputs are designed to withstand negative transients and include undervoltage lock-out for high-side and low-side drivers.
With a source and sink current of 290mA and 600mA, respectively for the DGD2003S8 and DGD2005S8, and 1.9A and 2.3A, respectively for the DGD2012S8, power efficiency is maintained across the range. The DGD2003S8 features a fixed internal deadtime of 420ns, while the DGD2005S8 has a maximum propagation time of 30ns when switching between high-side and low-side.
The DGD2003S8, DGD2005S8 and DGD2012S8 are available in the SO-8 package and operate across an extended temperature range of -40°C to +125°C. Further information is available at www.diodes.com.
About Diodes Incorporated
Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq: DIOD), a Standard and Poor’s SmallCap 600 and Russell 3000 Index company, is a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete, logic, analog and mixed-signal semiconductor markets. Diodes serves the consumer electronics, computing, communications, industrial, and automotive markets. Diodes’ products include diodes, rectifiers, transistors, MOSFETs, protection devices, function-specific arrays, single gate logic, amplifiers and comparators, Hall-effect and temperature sensors, power management devices, including LED drivers, AC-DC converters and controllers, DC-DC switching and linear voltage regulators, and voltage references along with special function devices, such as USB power switches, load switches, voltage supervisors, and motor controllers. Diodes also has timing, connectivity, switching, and signal integrity solutions for high-speed signals. Diodes’ corporate headquarters and Americas’ sales office are located in Plano, Texas and Milpitas, California. Design, marketing, and engineering centers are located in Plano; Milpitas; Taipei, Taiwan; Taoyuan City, Taiwan; Zhubei City, Taiwan; Manchester, England; and Neuhaus, Germany. Diodes’ wafer fabrication facility is located in Manchester, with an additional facility located in Shanghai, China. Diodes has assembly and test facilities located in Shanghai, Jinan, Chengdu, and Yangzhou, China, as well as in Hong Kong, Neuhaus and Taipei. Additional engineering, sales, warehouse, and logistics offices are located in Taipei; Hong Kong; Manchester; Shanghai; Shenzhen, China; Seongnam-si, South Korea; and Munich, Germany, with support offices throughout the world.
New Series of High Side and Low Side Gate Drivers DGD200xx IPR 0219 169 KB: Press Releases (pdf file) /assets/Press-Releases/New-Series-of-High-Side-and-Low-Side-Gate-Drivers-DGD200xx-IPR-0219.pdf
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Rio Recap: Cheick Sallah Cissé Wins Ivory Coast First Gold Medal
August 29, 2016 by Papatia Feauxzar in Sports
Ivory Coast, formally known as La Côte d’Ivoire enters in the history on August 20, 2016 with its first Olympic gold medal in Taekwondo and in any sport with Cheick Sallah Cissé at the 2016 Games of Rio de Janeiro.
Cissé is a 23 year old Ivorian who competed in the men’s 80 kg in Brazil against Britani’s Lutalo Muhammad and won 8 to 6 at the last second. The British didn’t demerit, he received the silver medal.
(Picture from Abidjan.Net)
Before the 2016 Olympic, Cheick Cissé won several medals in Europe and Africa. To name a few, he won gold at the 2015 African Games held in Congo Brazzaville in the same category; men’s 80 kg. He also performed well in Russia and Turkey where he won gold and silver respectively in 2015 Grand Prix competition games. From all types of competitions Cissé entered, his known medals are to this date, seven gold, two bronze, and four silver medals. Impressive! Congratulations Cissé. You deserve this win too.
The athlete dedicated his gold medal to the President of Ivory Coast, Son Excellence Monsieur Alassane Dramane Ouattara, his father, his mother, his coaches, and his fans.
Ivory Coast now has its first Olympic gold medal in the sport after the silver it won in 1984 in men’s 400 meters by Gabriel Tiacoh in Los Angeles and the bronze medal won by the teammate of Cissé, Ruth Gbabgi for women’s Taekwondo 67kg, in 2016.
Cissé is a triple African Champion in Taekwondo and now he’s an Olympic winner writing the name of the Ivory Coast in Gold. Cheick Sallah Cissé, your country says, ‘Thank You!’ .
P.S. Read about African Olympians who deserve special mention as well here.
August 29, 2016 /Papatia Feauxzar
Olympic Games Rio 2016, Cheick Sallah Cissé, Ivory Coast, Gold Medal, Taekwondo
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Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is a thoughtful dive into the life of the famous author
Search the Edson Leader
Chris Knight reviews Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, a new documentary about the acclaimed American writer.
More from Chris Knight
Published on: July 4, 2019 | Last Updated: July 4, 2019 1:59 PM EDT
Still from the film Toni Morrison: The Pieces I am. Mongrel Media
There are many pieces to author Toni Morrison. Some, like her 1993 Nobel Prize for literature, are common knowledge. Others, like the taste of her carrot cake, are known intimately only to those closest to her. And there were things new to this viewer, like the fact that she edited Muhammad Ali’s biography, The Greatest.
So whether you’re a Morrison neophyte or scholar, you’re likely to pick up something new from this bio-doc from Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, whose Black List docs a decade ago presented a potpourri of notable African-Americans. With two hours to devote to his subject this time he pushes deeper into her life, from her 1931 birth in Lorain, Ohio, to her current position as elder stateswomen – though as she notes in the new interviews that anchor the film, she doesn’t pretend to speak for black people; she speaks to them, and to be with them.
The overall image that emerges from The Pieces I Am is one of a thoughtful, down-to-earth thinker
Plainspoken and not overly humble, she notes: “Navigating a white male world was not threatening; it wasn’t even interesting. I was more interesting than they were. I knew more than they did. And I wasn’t afraid to show it.” Though she also admits that it took several popular, critically acclaimed novels for her to start referring to herself as just “a writer” and not “a teacher who writes” or “an editor who writes.”
The film doesn’t concern itself with Morrison’s family life; we learn little more than the fact that she raised two sons, and there’s no mention that one of them died in 2010. She does let slip that she had some wild days at Howard University in Washington, D.C.: “I was loose!” No regrets, she adds. She was more troubled that her teacher there wouldn’t let her write a paper about black characters in Shakespeare.
How Toni Morrison inherited James Baldwin’s vision, in hopes that art can reduce bigotry
Arts and letters academy awards gold medal to Toni Morrison
But the overall image that emerges from The Pieces I Am is one of a thoughtful, down-to-earth thinker. In a TV interview from some years back – the film mostly hides the fact that her interlocutor was Charlie Rose – she expounds on the notion that racism is akin to a mental illness that needs to be defined as such and treated.
She’s also not easily star-struck. When Oprah Winfrey first read 1987’s Beloved, the talk-show host – who would go on to star in a movie adaptation of the book – reached out to the author. Finding that she had an unlisted number, Winfrey called the police and fire departments in Morrison’s hometown to ask for help.
Morrison remembers the call. “She said: ‘Toni Morrison, this is Oprah Winfrey.’ I said: ‘How did you get my number?’”
© 2019 Edson Leader. All rights reserved.
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More Americans Give Top Grades to Public Schools
By Sarah D. Sparks
Americans' support for public schools has risen in the last year—across the country and across the political spectrum—but the public also wants schools to go beyond academics to provide more career and student health supports, according to the 49th annual education poll by Phi Delta Kappa International.
The percentage of Americans rating K-12 education quality—at both the national and local levels—at an "A" or "B" is the highest it's been since the 1980s.
That echoes the results of a Gallup opinion poll released last week, which found 47 percent of Americans completely or somewhat "satisfied" with the quality of K-12 education, up 4 percentage points from last year. More Democrats reported being satisfied than Republicans, but conservative participants showed the biggest jump in support, from 32 percent in 2016 to 43 percent this year.
"I do think some of this is a Trump effect," said Nat Malkus, a resident scholar and deputy director of education policy programs at the free-market-oriented American Enterprise Institute, who was not involved in the survey. President Donald Trump's and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' high-profile and unsuccessful push to cut education funding and launch a large-scale private school voucher program may have "engendered a backlash resulting in increasing defense of traditional public schools," he said. "The national story has definitely been pro-private, so the traditional public school advocates have girded their loins in support, so to speak," and may have made conservatives more vocally supportive of their public schools.
Fifty-two percent of Americans polled by PDK this May opposed publicly funding vouchers for private schools, and opposition significantly increases for religious school vouchers. That's a slight increase in support from 2014, however, when two-thirds of respondents opposed publicly funded vouchers. PDK has asked about support for publicly funded vouchers 20 times since 1972, said Joshua Starr, the chief executive officer of PDK International, and there has never been a majority in favor of paying for them. Forty-six percent of public school parents said they would move their child if their tuition would be paid at a private or parochial school—though only 28 percent would leave public school if they only got half of private school tuition paid.
Growing Support for Public K-12
Americans seemed to be pushing for less focus on standardized tests as a measure of school quality, and more analysis of how well schools prepare students to be successful adults after graduation, Starr said.
Sixty-five percent or more believed that public schools should get more money to provide after-school programs and mental, physical, and dental health care for students who would not have it otherwise.
"There's something missing from both the policy conversation on education and also the classroom; people just want to see schools doing more than they are currently doing," he said. "A lot of people who want their kids going to college want them to have interpersonal skills and career skills as well."
The poll found that more than 80 percent of Americans believe schools should offer "career skills" and industry certificates or licensing courses in schools. More than half of those polled favored more career-oriented courses even if it meant students spent less time in purely academic courses.
However, both career-education and college-expectation questions revealed big gender gaps among parents of public school students. Sixty-four percent of parents whose oldest child is a boy wanted more career-skills courses, compared to only 49 percent of parents of girls. And while 55 percent of girls' parents expected them to go to a four-year college, only 39 percent of boys' parents expected their sons to earn at least a bachelor's degree. In fact, 45 percent of the parents didn't expect their sons to attend college at all.
"We in the field have been talking about four-year college or bust, and what parents are saying is yeah, four-year college is important, but a lot of parents are saying my kid may not be going to college or may be going to college and be working," Starr said.
Malkus said the gender gap in college expectations greatly surprised him. "Nine out of 20 parents don't expect their boy to go to college. That's nuts," he said.
Mixed Interest in Diversity
For the first time, PDK also asked how important it was for schools in a community to have racially and economically diverse student populations—and Americans' response was somewhat lukewarm.
More than half of those polled said racial and ethnic diversity was very important and improves the school learning environment for black, white, and Hispanic students alike. But most of that support came from black and Hispanic respondents and from liberals; only 48 percent of white Americans and 43 percent of Republicans polled thought racial diversity was highly important. And while 70 percent of parents said they'd prefer to send their child to a racially diverse school if all else was equal, only 25 percent said they would do the same if it lengthened their child's commute to school.
"It's pretty difficult for people to say diversity is bad," Malkus said, but added: "What's interesting about that is when there's a cost associated with it there is that huge difference in support. It goes directly at the heart of why school segregation is such a stubborn problem."
Visit this blog.
There was even less support for economic diversity—the primary method of integrating schools since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 ruled against race-targeted, school-assignment systems. Only 48 percent of those polled thought economic integration improved learning for poor students, and 10 percent thought going to a school with more poor students would lead to worse education for wealthier students.
"Diversity for its own sake may be a value folks have, but any effort to organize a school and school system for diversity must be a value proposition," Starr said. "Folks prefer diversity, but they really don't want to work for it. That's pretty much what it comes down to."
The PDK poll was based on a random, representative sample of 1,588 adults across all 50 states, who were interviewed in May by mobile or land telephone in English or Spanish. The Gallup poll was based on August telephone interviews with a random, nationally representative sample of 1,017 adults.
Vol. 37, Issue 02, Pages 1, 10
Published in Print: August 28, 2017, as More Americans Give Top Grades to Schools in Latest PDK Poll
"Annual Phi Delta Kappa Education Poll Drops Gallup as Survey Partner," (Education and the Media) September 1, 2016.
“Polls Reveal Nuanced Views on K-12,” August 26, 2015.
“Phi Delta Kappa International,” January 21, 2011.
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Major Minors, and the Quandary they Present for Culture Snobs
We've seen the emergence of a commercial art-house in the U.S. It has a pretty recognizable product, means of distribution, as well as a clearly-defined audience. It is financed by specialty wings of major studios, which actually aim to make some money, though I gather they would be just as happy winning their parent studios some Oscars each year.
All of this year's 'cool' movies were major minors: Eternal Sunshine, Before Sunset, Being Julia, Vanity Fair, Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State, Sideways, and Motorcycle Diaries, to name just a few. In the year that I've lived in New Haven (soon coming to an end, I think), those are the pretty much the kinds of movies I've been shelling out to see -- usually at one of the art-house theaters downtown. New Haven now has two competing art house theaters -- York Square and the pompously named Criterion -- that, for some reason, seem to play basically the exact same films.
A.O Scott compares the situation to the music industry. But, while that does work to an extent (most "indie rock" that you've actually heard of has backing from major labels), it seems to me it's actually a little more insidious here with the movies. That's because, outside of New York and maybe 10 other big cities, it's impossible to even see any films that aren't Fox Searchlight, Miramax, Focus, Warner Independent, etc. A serious music listener might have tastes consisting entirely of obscure musical styles and performers. A reader has infinite possibilites as well. But 'serious' movie-goers in most places are stuck choosing between Sideways and crap like Garden State for their favorite movie of the year. Taste is defined along a much narrower range than it is with the other media I mentioned. Consequently, one's own particular regime of taste is somewhat less than truly meaningful. I am sorry to say, my taste in films has gone from Eric Rohmer when I was in graduate school (good video store) to Charlie Kaufmann and Richard Linklater (the good video store is now too far away!).
The only solution for the serious movie fan in a non-major metro is to find a really good, foreign and independent-friendly video store, if there is one nearby. But even that's a bit of a sacrifice.
We're soon moving to suburban north New Jersey (for awhile), so perhaps this quandary will be a thing of the past.
Ennis said...
I hadn't realized that you were in New Haven this year! I would have given you some suggestions for random wacky things to do. And oy, what a shlep from there to where you teach! That's a long way to drive, my friend. NJ sounds better, although still long. What do you do - go in Tue-Thur? If this is too personal, delete comment and respond via email ...
About films - I actually haven't seen that many films listed in the NYT lately that aren't either majors or major minors. It's not clear to me how much I'm missing, especially since films like Sideways or Hotel Rwanda feel alot like traditional Indie films, they're just distributed by a big budgets prestige label.
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Trap event good for local business: Town retailers experienced increased attention
By Rachel Kubik on Jul 7, 2019 at 10:07 a.m.
Student-athletes and coaches from Menahga wait for their turn to shoot during the June 10 Class 1A competition in Alexandria at the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League championship. (Eric Morken / Echo Press)1 / 3
Alexandria's Nicolas Witt follows the clay during his team's Class 7A competition during the nine-day state trap shooting championship in Alexandria on June 16. (Eric Morken / Echo Press)2 / 3
Trap shooting fans line the walkway at the Alexandria Shooting Park on June 10. It's estimated that the nine-day event brought nearly 25,000 people into Alexandria. (Eric Morken / Echo Press)3 / 3
The Trap Shooting Championship, held over nine days last month at the Alexandria Shooting Park, had a new aspect to the schedule this year: individualized shooting times for students. While this might not sound like a big deal, knowing when they were set to shoot enabled them to spend free time during the day in the community.
More than 8,300 students in grades 6-12, plus family members and friends, came to town for what is publicized as the world's largest shooting sport event. With an estimated 25,000 visitors, businesses had these nine days as an opportunity to draw in customers.
John Nelson, president of the USA Clay Target League, oversaw the event. He said 2019 was a record year with nearly 320 schools represented, and attendance numbers increased for the 11th consecutive year.
It has gotten so big that the city's shooting park, the biggest in the state, is getting maxed out, said Josh Kroells, operations manager of the USA Clay Target League. It has 20 shooting stations currently, but if the event continues to grow, he said that more would be needed.
Trap shooting draws a unique crowd, and Nelson commonly saw three generations in attendance — students, parents and grandparents. He said many groups stayed longer, making the trip into a vacation. "If they weren't shooting, they were probably boating, fishing or at the beach. It's a very family-friendly atmosphere."
Approximately 55 businesses and other exhibitors took part, and Nelson said 99.9 percent of comments he heard from attendees were all positive.
"The city of Alexandria should measure the positive impact that comes into the area; as far as I understand, it's the largest event in Alexandria for the whole year," he said.
Bill Franzen, co-owner of Dunn Brothers Coffee, did not have a booth at the competition but saw an increase in his business during those nine days. He called the event "phenomenal."
The Boulder Tap House, located about three miles from the shooting park, was very busy during the tournament. Jessica Clark, general manager of the restaurant, said the extra business made for a profitable week. The restaurant had its coolers stocked with food ready to be prepared and its servers were anticipating the extra customers.
"We knew they were coming, so we were fully prepared for it," she said.
The ideal audience
The Trap Shooting Championship is a prime event for this year's title sponsor, Alexandria Technical and Community College. It had a booth at the event with representatives from the college.
"This is our target audience," said Rebekah Summer, director of institutional research and communications.
She talked to students not only about ATCC and the programs it offers, but also what the college process is like in general. She also fielded general Alexandria questions, handing out community guides and advising families what they might enjoy.
"It's an opportunity to help them connect with this community and the richness and vibrancy of this area," she said.
The college has already renewed its title sponsorship for 2020.
Challenges in hosting
While there is a lot of value for residents and businesses in having the competition in Alexandria, it is a struggle to keep exhibitors coming back every year.
"A nine-day event is exhausting for everybody who's trying to be out there," Summer said.
Kroells said some platinum sponsors don't see fit to have a presence at the event. However, it does attract out-of-town exhibitors who like coming to Alexandria and see the appeal of being present for nine days. Plus, they can take advantage of the new faces that come in every day.
"There are nine opening ceremonies and nine award ceremonies each day; the vendors are there to give them the best experience possible," he said.
Kroells said the opportunity to talk to people from out of town can be an attractive one for local organizations and businesses. Summer said there isn't another opportunity to show Minnesotans Alexandria quite like this one.
"This is a unique environment and it's why we live here."
Explore related topics:NewsAlexandria Shooting ParkJohn Nelsonlocal businessTrap shootingSportsHigh school sportsRebekah SummerJosh Kroells
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Home > Video > 3 How It's Made METAL DETECTORS
How to, Industry, Technology, Video
A metal detector is an electronic instrument which detects the presence of metal nearby. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal inclusions hidden within objects, or metal objects buried underground. They often consist of a handheld unit with a sensor probe which can be swept over the ground or other objects. If the sensor comes near a piece of metal this is indicated by a changing tone in earphones, or a needle moving on an indicator. Usually the device gives some indication of distance; the closer the metal is, the higher the tone in the earphone or the higher the needle goes. Another common type are stationary "walk through" metal detectors used for security screening at access points in prisons, courthouses, and airports to detect concealed metal weapons on a person's body.
Credit : How It's made
3 How It's Made METAL DETECTORS Reviewed by encywiki on February 08, 2019 Rating: 5 3 How It's Made METAL DETECTORS A metal detector is an electronic instrument which detects the presence of metal nearby. Metal...
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Public Release: 15-May-2006
ACS weekly press package May 1st, 2006
Welcome to the ACS News Service Weekly Press Package for journal articles with print publication dates from May 1-June 1. All items are for use at will. The Press Package includes links to download the full text of each article.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) News Service Press Package is your access point for discoveries in fields ranging from astronomy to zoology, which are reported in the 35 journals of the American Chemical Society. With more than 158,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society. Chemistry is the science that transforms lives, and these news alerts are from the leading edge of that science at ACS headquarters.
Contact: Michael Woods
m_woods@acs.org
Two new recipes for bird-flu fighter Tamiflu
Spreading antiseptic on farm fields
Toward a tastier electronic tongue
Sexy head turner
Lessons from Magic Nano
Taming the toxicity of carbon nanotubes
Journalists' Helper of the Week
ARTICLE #1a & #1b
Journal of the American Chemical Society(May 24, 2006)
A shortage of star anise is the major bottleneck in production of Tamiflu (oseltamivir), and a key reason for the shortage of Tamiflu that emerged in 2005. Tamiflu is the drug being stockpiled around the world for use in combating a possible epidemic of avian influenza. Star anise has been used for centuries to give a pungent, licorice-like flavor to Chinese foods and western favorites like Pernod and anisette. Grown mainly in China, it now provides the starting material -- shikimic acid -- for making Tamiflu.
Roche, which markets Tamiflu, uses about 90 percent of the world's star anise harvest. The Roche recipe for Tamiflu not only requires a scarce starting material, but also is complicated.
Two studies, scheduled for publication in the May 24 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, report development of new recipes for making Tamiflu. They are part of an effort to make more Tamiflu available at more affordable prices.
One was developed by Masakatsu Shibasaki and colleagues, at the University of Tokyo. Chemistry Nobel Laureate E. J. Corey headed the Harvard University group that developed the other synthesis. The Corey process uses abundant, inexpensive starting materials, and eliminates a potentially hazardous production step. The Corey synthesis begins with butadiene and acrylic acid (which cost only pennies per pound), has fewer steps than the Roche process, and produces twice as much Tamiflu. The discoveries also are discussed in an article in Chemical & Engineering News.
ARTICLE #1a - Corey's Tamiflu Synthesis
"A Short Enantioselective Pathway for the Synthesis of the Anti-Influenza Neuramidase Inhibitor Oseltamivir from 1,3-Butadiene and Acrylic Acid."
DOWNLOAD HTML
E. J. Corey, Ph.D.
Email: corey@chemistry.harvard.edu
ARTICLE #1b - Shibaski's Tamiflu Synthesis
"De Novo Synthesis of Tamiflu via a Catalytic Asymmetric Ring-Opening of meso-Aziridines with TMSN3."
Masakatsu Shibasaki, Ph.D.
E-mail: mshibasa@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp
ARTICLE #2
Household antiseptic on farm fields
Environmental Science & Technology(June 1, 2006)
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have gotten a lot of attention for passing through conventional sewage treatment plants and winding up in lakes, rivers and other bodies of water. Relatively little research, however, has been done on the fate of PPCPs in the millions of tons of sewage sludge now applied to farm fields. Nationally, about 63 percent of sludge produced at sewage treatment facilities is applied to agricultural fields.
Rolf U. Halden and associates at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md., now have begun to fill existing knowledge gaps by studying the concentrations in municipal sludge of triclocarban (TCC). This topical antiseptic is a common ingredient in many antibacterial personal care products, and primarily soaps.
In a report scheduled for the June 1 issue of Environmental Science & Technology, Halden analyzed sewage sludge at a typical activated sludge wastewater treatment plant. Researchers found that conventional sewage treatment left 79 percent of the TCC entering the plant unchanged. About 3 percent of TCC was contained in the effluent, while the majority of the TCC wound up in the sludge.
They estimate that, due to sludge recycling practices, more than 70 percent of the TCC used by consumers served by the plant is ultimately released to the environment by application of sludge to land used in part for food production. TCC in sludge, they note, can potentially accumulate in agricultural crops and may contaminate resources when it runs off or soaks into the soil.
ARTICLE #2 - Spreading Antiseptic
"Partitioning, Persistence, and Accumulation in Digested Sludge of the Topical Antiseptic Triclocarban During Wastewater Treatment."
Rolf U. Halden, Ph.D., P.E.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Email:rhalden@jhsph.edu
Journal of the American Chemical Society (May 1)
Efforts are underway to develop electronic devices that mimic the human senses of taste and smell and have useful applications. An electronic tongue, for instance, could be used in quality control in the beverage industry to ensure that each batch of soda pop or beer is uniform in flavor. Medical applications include analyzing blood and other biological fluids.
One version of an electronic tongue uses "taste buds" consisting of chemically coated beads that change color upon encountering flavor molecules that are sweet, sour, bitter or salty. In a slightly different format, Eric V. Anslyn and colleagues at the University of Texas at Austin have now taken a major step toward giving electronic tongues the fuller range of gustatory prowess of the human tongue.
Many molecules exist in a format that chemists describe as left-handed or right-handed. When most left-handed amino acid (a component of proteins) lands on the human tongue, taste buds register a bitter taste. Right-handed amino acids commonly taste sweet. In a study scheduled for the May 3 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Anslyn's group reports the first electronic tongue with this human-like taste discrimination.
ARTICLE #3 - Electronic Tongue
"Pattern-Based Discrimination of Enantiomeric and Structurally Similar Amino Acids: An Optical Mimic of the Mammalian Taste Response."
Eric V. Anslyn, Ph.D.
University of Texas-Austin
Email: anslyn@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Analytical Chemistry(May 1, 2006)
Advertising and public relations firms devote great effort to determining what turns consumers' heads and forges that critical attraction between customer and product. Scientists are trying to solve a corollary mystery in biology: What turns a sperm's head and attracts it to an egg for the encounter that results in fertilization?
Sperm are notorious for turning their microscopic heads and changing directions during their journey toward the egg. Research shows that sperm turn in response to chemical signals, a process termed chemotaxis, and even have their own olfactory receptors. Those signals may play key roles in the fertilization process. Defects in sperm chemotaxis may be a cause of infertility, and sperm chemotaxis could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool to determine sperm quality to treat male infertility.
A study scheduled for publication May 1 in Analytical Chemistry offers a new tool to probe the whats and whys of sperm chemotaxis. In a collaborative effort, the research groups headed by Milos V. Novotny and Stephen C. Jacobson at Indiana University report development and initial testing of a microfluidic device for studying sperm chemotaxis. "An advantage of the microfluidic platform over conventional chemotaxis assays is the ability to create chemical gradients with temporal and spatial stability, leading to greater repeatability in the experimental conditions," according to the researchers.
ARTICLE #4 - Head Turner
"Chemotaxis Assays of Mouse Sperm on Microfluidic Devices."
Milos V. Novotny, Ph.D.
Email: novotny@indiana.edu
Magic Nano: Lessons in taking nanomaterials to market
Chemical & Engineering News (May 1, 2006)
A household aerosol spray called Magic Nano, which uses nanotechnology in repelling dirt and water on glass and ceramic surfaces, was recently connected to health problems. There's uncertainty over what component of the product caused the problems and whether any nanomaterials were inhaled from the spray. However, the manufacturer pulled Magic Nano from store shelves in Germany in March after nearly 100 reports of respiratory problems among consumers.
The Magic Nano affair, reportedly the first product recall in the rapidly emerging nanomaterials industry, stands as a wake-up call for hundreds of other companies hoping to steward their products to market. Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) features the topic in a cover storyappearing in its May 1 issue.
Authored by Ann M. Thayer, the article, "Chance of a Lifetime," describes how nanomaterial producers have a rare opportunity to address environmental, health and safety concerns from the very start. Nanomaterial companies view it as a chance to "get it right from the start," notes C&EN, the highly regarded weekly newsmagazine published by the American Chemical Society. Manufacturers are striving to anticipate and address possible health and environmental concerns, rather than playing catch-up after products are in wide use.
ARTICLE #5 - Nano Magic
"Chance of a Lifetime."
Email: m_bernstein@acs.org
Journal of the American Chemical Society(May 3, 2006)
More incredible claims have been made about the future of nanotechnology than perhaps any other new field of science. Big claims for the small science have included many medical applications. Among them are microscopic biosensors and drug delivery modules that bring nanodevices into direct contact with living cells in the body.
New ways of controlling the toxicity of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other nanostructures are critical, however, to make those visions a reality. CNTs, for instance, typically kill the cells they touch.
Researchers at the University of California in Berkeley are reporting an advance in reducing CNT toxicity. It is scheduled for publication May 3 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The researchers coated CNTs with gylcans, biopolymers designed to mimic the glycoproteins that make up the natural surface of cells.
Tests showed that the coated CNT were nontoxic to cells, while uncoated CNTs killed cells. "This approach for interfacing CNTs with cells should accelerate their use in biological systems," the researchers said. Since glycans also are involved in a cell's ability to recognize and bind, the approach also could be used to target specific CNTs to specific cells.
The work resulted from a joint interdisciplinary collaboration between research groups at Berkeley headed by Carolyn R. Bertozzi (chemistry) and Alex Zettl (physics). The lead author, X. Chen, is a graduate student jointly supervised by Bertozzi and Zettl.>
ARTICLE #6 - Carbon Nanotubes
"Interfacing Carbon Nanotubes With Living Cells."
Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D.
Email: crb@berkeley.edu
Alex Zettl, Ph.D.
Fax: 510- 643-8497
E-mail: azettl@berkeley.edu
Patent watch
Anyone preoccupied with chocolates and flowers on Valentine's Day may have missed a landmark in technological innovation. On February 14, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued patent number 7,000,000. It went to Dupont senior researcher and polymer chemist John P. O'Brien for inventing polysaccharide fibers. Cotton-like material made from corn and other renewable resources, polysaccharide fibers are biodegradable and suitable for use in textiles.
USPTO received a record 406,302 patent applications in 2005, and granted 165,485 patents, including 151,079 utility (inventions), 13,395 design and 816 plant patents. The inventions being patented today are on the cusp of tomorrow's science news.
To keep pace with some of the hottest patent activity, try the ACS's Patent Watch (http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/acsdisplay.html?DOC=patentwatch%5Cindex.html) which focuses on important new chemistry patents. Try the RSS feed option for this website. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary and will deliver new content posted on the site straight to your computer, instantly and automatically. Click the orange RSS button.
This information in this press package is intended for your personal use in news gathering and reporting and should not be distributed to others. Anyone using advance ACS News Service Weekly Press Package information for stocks or securities dealing may be guilty of insider trading under the federal Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
To download manuscripts and images, please click on the links provided with each item.
Please cite the individual journal, or the American Chemical Society, as the source of this information.
The American Chemical Society -- the world's largest scientific society -- is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
@ACSpressroom
http://www.acs.org
CHEMISTRY/PHYSICS/MATERIALS SCIENCES
Voluntary pact with food industry to curb salt content in England linked to thousands of extra heart BMJ
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Business Briefs for Oct. 4
Board/councils Margaret E. Moul Home: welcomed the following new members to its board of directors: • Dayrl...
Business Briefs for Oct. 4 Board/councils Margaret E. Moul Home: welcomed the following new members to its board of directors: • Dayrl... Check out this story on eveningsun.com: https://www.eveningsun.com/story/money/2015/10/02/business-briefs-oct-4/73564564/
Evening Sun, Hanover Published 10:22 a.m. ET Oct. 2, 2015
James Partridge(Photo: )
Board/councils
Margaret E. Moul Home: welcomed the following new members to its board of directors:
• Dayrl Staley: is a senior accountant with Smith Elliot Kearns & Company in Hanover. He earned a master's degree in business administration from Shippensburg University. Staley is also a member of American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Shippensburg University Alumni.
• James Partridge: is the president of insurance company operations at Glatfelter Insurance Group. He is currently a board member and treasurer for the House of Hope in York, an associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Partridge earned his bachelor's degree in science and mathematics at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
• Mark Zinda: is the president of Zinda & Partners, LLC. He is a media and creative strategist and digital marketing consultant with over 35 years of experience. Zinda received a bachelor's degree in communications and marketing from the University of Miami. Prior to joining the Margaret E. Moul Home board of directors, he helped organize and stage the inaugural Dare-2-Dream Duo-Thon 5K Run/10K Bike Ride to benefit the Margaret E. Moul Home Dream's Trip Scholarship Fund for the residents.
HACC to Hold Free Domestic Violence Awareness Event: Learn about the effects of domestic violence and child abuse during a free presentation from 1 to 4 p.m., Sept. 28 in the Robert C. Hoffman Community Room at HACC's Gettysburg Campus. "Caught in the Middle: Domestic Violence and Child Abuse" will be presented by Jim Holler Jr., retired Liberty Township police chief, board member of Survivors, Inc. and private consultant. The program, given as part of HACC's Domestic Violence Awareness Month, is open to the public and sponsored by the office of student development and multicultural programs at HACC's Gettysburg Campus. For details, contact Jessica Knouse, jlknouse@hacc.edu or 717-339-3536, by Sept. 24, 2015, at 5 p.m.
Annual 5K Wellness Run at HACC's Lancaster Campus: 8:30 a.m. kids' fun run, 9 a.m. 5K, 1641 Old Philadelphia Pike. Registrations are still being accepted for the Oct. 3 annual event, which will be held rain or shine. Open to everyone, with free parking available. Registration is $20 and will be accepted until the event starts. For details, contact Jim Bath at 717-358-2864 or email jrbath@hacc.edu or Cindy Lucarelli at 717-385-2978 or email calucare@hacc.edu.
ROCK Commercial Real Estate: will host a social media event titled, "40 Tidbits on Central PA's Manufacturing Industry" throughout the entire month of October. It will feature news, statistics, and information on the manufacturing industry in Central Pennsylvania which includes Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York Counties. Topics will include: available jobs, domestic exports, international exports, wages, businesses, employment, industry sales, and the workforce. For details, see the following pages: www.rockrealestate.net/40tidbits; www.facebook.com/ROCKCommercial; twitter.com/rockcommercial.
Harrisburg Area Community College: (HAAC) is one of three two- and four-year colleges awarded a national Rising Star for improved outcomes for high risk students as part of the 2015 Starfish 360 Awards Program by Hobsons, an educational solutions company. HACC, which is in the first year of Starfish implementation, received the recognition for best practices in achieving the College's focus on student success, specifically early alert and active outreach. Winners of the Rising Star award receive $500.
Jodi M. Blair CPA, CSEP: was recently recognized as an Emerging Leader at the 2015 Women to Watch Awards ceremony. The annual ceremony, held in Hanover, Md., is sponsored by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants. The Women to Watch Awards honor women leaders who have made significant contributions to the accounting profession. Awards are given in two categories: emerging leaders and experienced leaders. Emerging leaders are those women who are up-and-coming stars in their organizations. Blair was nominated by Michael P. Manspeaker, CPA, CGMA for her knowledge, professionalism, and contributions as an effective leader at the firm.
MedExpress: is unveiling a new look to the exterior of its Hanover, Lancaster and York centers. Area centers will soon feature a prominent new "ME" logo and redesigned exteriors. The exteriors are a reflection of MedExpress center interiors, which feature warm colors to comfort patients. Exterior updates to the centers began Sept. 21 in Hanover and Lancaster, and started the following week in York. All centers will remain open throughout renovation to continue to provide care to patients with minimal disruption.
Home Instead Senior Care: Through the Alzheimer's Friendly Business program, the Home Instead Senior Care office will provide free training to local businesses to help equip employees with information and resources needed to welcome families who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease. To complete training, employees are asked to work through an interactive, online module available at AlzheimersFriendlyBusiness.com. Once training is successfully completed, businesses will receive a window cling with the Alzheimer's Friendly Business designation. The designation will be valid for two years. For more information about the Home Instead Senior Care network's Alzheimer's Friendly Business program and to access additional resources, visit AlzheimersFriendlyBusiness.com or call 717-731-9984.
We welcome items about Adams and York county people who have new jobs, promotions or honors and businesses that have won awards. Email your business news to news@eveningsun.com.
Read or Share this story: https://www.eveningsun.com/story/money/2015/10/02/business-briefs-oct-4/73564564/
Volunteers from Home Depot put around $4,000 dollars of new material into the home
Nov. 3, 2015, 6:54 a.m.
A new business takes on an antique-loving town with its primitive style
Owner Bonnie Wentz reflects on the three decades she spent in her downtown store
Former Buona Fortuna owner back at it
Residents pay taxes with credit cards
York County Restaurant inspections
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Marc Bartra speaks to the media
The Barça defender sees the league title as close as ever, while Neymar lauds team effort
10:00PM Friday 08 May
Marc Bartra believes that "the three points are very important because they could end up being the difference in La Liga." The Catalan defender said the team is aware that "we can win everything, but it will not be easy."
According to Bartra, the key to getting to the final of the Champions League is "to go to Munich to win. We know it will not be easy, because we saw what happened there to Porto, so we need to go out and have a big game. "
Neymar, author of the first goal, said, "We did everything we could to score and in the end the goals came." He added: "We've had some big games recently in which we expended a lot of effort, and Real are a difficult team and we knew that it would difficult."
Five finals
After the game Rafinha was a guest on Barça TV's El Marcador where he confessed he feels "very happy because I've played a lot of minutes in my first season in the first team." He said it was a difficult challenge but his intention is to "strive to keep learning and give more to the team."
Rafinha was cautious, as were the other members of the team, when asked about Tuesday's match versus Bayern in Munich. He explained how proud his father is to have "two children in the semifinals of the Champions League." He concluded his interview by reminding everyone that Barça face "five finals and have to give their maximum."
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The Immigration Debate: A Plan to Bring People Out of the Shadows - San Francisco Chronicle
By Senator Dianne Feinstein | Apr 02 2006
It has become increasingly clear that we need a comprehensive plan to secure our borders and address the large number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States in a realistic and humane way. The bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan 12-to-6 vote marks the first step forward in a difficult and consequential process to address this issue.
If this bill is approved by the full Senate, it will go to a Senate-House conference committee to reconcile differences with the bill approved earlier by the House. This reconciliation will be difficult to achieve, so it remains uncertain whether any bill can be enacted into law in this congressional session.
Any legislation approved by Congress has to take into consideration the reality of immigration to the United States today. Most of what is attempted by federal agencies responsible for administering immigration services and protecting our borders has failed more often than not. We have to deal with that failure: Employer sanctions have not worked; the borders are a sieve; detention facilities are insufficient for the numbers of people captured trying to enter the country; the Border Patrol is understaffed; and technology for surveillance and other purposes is inadequate for the job.
We now have some 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Many have been here for 20 to 30 years. They own their own homes and pay taxes. Their children were born in this country and educated here. They want to live by the law, but they have no way to do so. They are forced to live furtively, deeply embedded within all parts of America.
So, while we need stronger border enforcement, this alone will not address the enormity of the problem. The House bill, which focuses only on enforcement and criminalization of undocumented immigrants, is not a solution. Our laws need to be much more comprehensive and realistic -- we need to address the problem as it is, not as we wish to perceive it.
First, we must secure our borders.
The Senate bill doubles the number of Border Patrol agents -- adding 12,000 over five years to the 11,300 agents now in place. An additional 2,500 inspectors are added at seaports, airports and other border crossings.
Digging a tunnel or subterranean passage across an international border into the United States would be a crime. Forty tunnels have been found since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- all but one on the southern border and 20 of them in California -- yet there is no law making the building and financing of these border tunnels a federal crime.
The Senate bill also authorizes additional unmanned aerial vehicles, cameras, sensors and other new technologies to surveil the border. It allows the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Department of Defense so that the latter can carry out surveillance activities at the border to prevent illegal immigration.
The bill also meets some very real needs of our economy, which cannot be ignored. The first of these is agriculture. California is the largest agricultural state -- the industry accounts for more than $37 billion in revenue in our state alone. More than 560,000 people work in agriculture in California, yet much of the agricultural workforce is undocumented. Efforts have been made for years to get Americans to do the work, but they simply won't do it.
This bill remedies that issue by establishing a new "blue card" program that, over the next five years, would enable 1.5 million workers who are working in agriculture now to gain legal status.
Under this program, undocumented agricultural workers could apply for a blue card if they can demonstrate that they have worked in American agriculture for at least 150 workdays within the previous two years. After receiving blue cards, individuals who can prove that they have worked in American agriculture for an additional 150 workdays per year for 3 years, or 100 workdays per year for 5 years, will then be eligible for a green card.
The Senate bill also deals with a very difficult subject -- the millions of people who are not in the country legally. If they pay a $2,000 fine and any back taxes, learn English, continue to work and pass a criminal and national security background check, then they will be able to apply for a green card, but only after the 3.3 million people now in line ahead of them. It is estimated the entire process will take about 11 years.
The Senate bill brings these people -- already here and not returning -- out of the shadows. It enables them to embrace the American dream. And, I believe, it provides the only realistic option. Think about it! How would you find 12 million people, round them up, and transport them out of the United States? And even if you could put aside the moral issues involved, how could you prevent many of them from returning to the only home they know the next day? This is their home. This is where they work. And most of them have become a vital and necessary part of the American workforce.
Yes, we need to build a border infrastructure that is modern and effective -- that uses new surveillance technology, that employs adequate manpower, and that includes a fence -- such as that used in Operate Gatekeeper -- when feasible. But we also need to find an orderly way to allow those people who are already here, who are embedded in our communities and our workforce, to be able to become full members of our society. This bill does that in a realistic and humane way.
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SmartAsset Study Rates Ferris a Best Value Among Michigan Universities
A New York City-based financial data and technology company has named Ferris State University one of the 10 best-value colleges in Michigan for 2016. SmartAsset had included Ferris in its inaugural report, in 2015, with the ranking based on factors that included the average total of scholarships and grants awarded, the average starting salary for graduates, and the university’s student retention rate. Ferris ranked seventh in this recently-released study, a repeat of its standing in last year’s report.
Ferris’ Dean of Enrollment Services Kristen Salomonson said that the concept of higher education affordability addresses the notions of value, and tangible outcomes.
“It’s exciting to be on this list,“ Salomonson said. “At all levels of the university, we recognize that student debt is a significant concern, so we want to be a partner in limiting that debt. Tuition increases have been kept low, and we provide aid to help students so they can prepare for a career in their chosen field, understanding what it takes to succeed there.”
Salomonson added that internship opportunities available to Ferris students, and the university’s student-to-faculty ratio, accentuate the learning process and improve a student’s experience as they pursue their degree.
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Michigan Technological University, Michigan State University, Kettering University and Oakland University join Ferris State University as Michigan colleges included in both of SmartAsset’s best-value college studies.
PHOTO CAPTION: Ferris State University has been named one of the 10 best-value colleges in Michigan by the online financial data and technology company, SmartAsset.
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Becoming an Entrepreneur Might Not Be as Risky As You Thought
Lindsay Friedman
Staff writer. Frequently covers franchise news and food trends.
If you’re looking for a way to justify your move into entrepreneurship, Berkeley Associate Professor Gustavo Manso’s got your back.
In a recent study, the specialist says there’s less risk associated to starting your own business than previously thought.
Overall, Manso’s findings indicated those who stayed on the entrepreneurial path throughout their lifetime earned more compared to others who avoided the road less traveled. But if it doesn’t work out, he also determined people receive similar lifetime earnings if they eventually return to a salaried position.
Related: How Much Risk Should First-Time Entrepreneurs Take On?
“Would-be entrepreneurs may think they have a huge chance of failure and will be sacrificing earnings for the rest of their lives, but it’s not true,” Manso says in a University of California Berkeley press release. “Even if the business fails, entrepreneurs don’t suffer as much since they are able to quickly transition to the salaried workforce.”
Unsurprisingly, research revealed 52 percent of entrepreneurial pursuits lasted less than two years. Most of the folks who returned to traditional working environments did so after they didn’t make as much when they went solo. Overall, those who stuck it out on their own made at least 10 percent more.
“The study suggests that becoming an entrepreneur is a rational decision and failing isn’t as bad as one would think,” Manso says. “It doesn’t hurt your lifetime prospects.”
For three decades, the specialist followed the careers of entrepreneurs working in a range of opportunities from startups to small businesses. Research included successful and unsuccessful endeavors, as well. Manso also used information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and data from more than 12,000 men and women from ages 14 to 22.
A version of the study is included in Manso’s paper, Experimentation and the Returns to Entrepreneurship.
Related: 7 Risks Every Entrepreneur Must Take
Entrepreneur Voices on Careers
Entrepreneur Voices on Emotional Intelligence
The Two Things You Need to Know to Succeed as an Entrepreneur
Bill Gates Says Startup Founders Should Not Take Weekends or Vacations in the Early Days of Building a Company
She Left Wall Street to Build Her Own Cannabis Empire
This Entrepreneur Brought Her Experience With Luxury Clients Into Cannabis
Side Businesses
50 Ideas for a Lucrative Side Hustle
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This Is What Happens When Employees Find Meaning at Work
Matt Straz
Founder and CEO of Namely
Meaningful work is something everyone wants. Employees desire jobs with a purpose they can identify with; they want to know that they’re making an impact.
Related: 5 Things You Can Do to Avoid 'Fake Work'
But is "meaning" a workplace necessity? Shouldn’t employees show up to work each day engaged and ready to go simply because the employer is paying them?
The answer to that question may be "no." While, at first glance, "meaningful work" sounds like just another fluffy, feel-good ideal, it turns out that employees want and need more than a paycheck to stay engaged at work.
Consider the evidence: An alarming 57 percent of North American employees surveyed by Achievers in 2015 actually said they weren't motivated by their company’s mission. And, not surprisingly, 50 percent said they didn't expect to be with their employers a year later -- which may indicate that for employees a sense of purpose is critical.
Indeed, meaningful work seems to have a real and recognizable impact on employees and the organization as a whole. Here’s what happens when employees work with purpose:
Intrinsic motivation increases.
Employees are motivated by rewards and recognition. But these are extrinsic motivators and go only so far; eventually, they lose their appeal. The key to lasting motivation goes deeper -- it’s intrinsic. And purpose fuels intrinsic motivation.
Consider the results of a study published in the Global Business Review in April, which looked at 480 IT professionals across India and found that transformational leadership, combined with meaningful work, improved commitment to the organization and employee performance.
In other words, when leaders listen to employees and explain the purpose behind a task, the latter are more interested and more motivated to do well. Meaningful work is the spark that ignites intrinsic motivation -- it’s what leads employees to work hard because they want to, not because they have to.
Related: Menial Tasks Eat Up the Majority of the Workday for Most Employees
Purpose attracts more job-seekers.
Recruiting top talent is getting more and more competitive. In fact, 56 percent of recruiters surveyed by Jobvite in 2015 said they couldn't find the skilled talent they needed, and 95 percent expected this problem to remain or become even more competitive in the future.
On the other side of the aisle, while more employees are on the search for new opportunities, they’re more picky about whom they work for. They don’t just want a job -- they want meaningful work.
In a study of 7,700 millennials from 29 countries around the world, conducted by Deloitte, 56 percent of those surveyed said they had ruled out working for an organization because of its values. What’s more, 70 percent said they believed their personal values were shared by the organizations they work for.
Professionals choose employers with similar values -- they choose work with a purpose. After all, a survey of job seekers spanning multiple generations published by Millennial Branding in May 2014 found meaningful work to be one of the most important characteristics of an employer during the job search.
Purpose and values set employers apart from their competitors in the job market. When employers can show job-seekers that their work is meaningful in multiple ways, they attract more candidates and fill positions faster.
Employees will stick around.
Job-hopping is an increasingly popular trend, and an expensive one, at that. According to a report published by Gallup in May, turnover from millennials alone costs the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually. Not to mention the headaches employers experience.
Why are employees leaving? They’re on the search for work that satisfies them, gives them more drive and challenges them. In the Gallup study, 71 percent of millennial respondents who strongly agreed that they knew what their organization stood for and what made it different from its competitors, said they planned to be with their company for at least one year.
In addition, among those in the DeLoitte survey who said they would stay with their employer for more than five years, 88 percent said they felt a sense of purpose.
Related: What Companies Can Expect When They Hire Gen Z
In sum: Employees want to know their work means something, and if they don’t, they’ll look for purpose elsewhere. But meaningful work breeds loyalty. When employees feel a sense of purpose, they’re happier, love their jobs and want to stick around.
You'll Never Be Paid So Much That You Will Love Your Meaningless Job
Project Grow
This Help Desk Worker's Defense of Her Job Will Inspire You to Do Your Best
Higher Purpose
Purpose Is Created Through Hard Work
The Lesson Managers Can Learn From Bernie Sanders' Success
Entrepreneur Mindset
3 Lessons From Jim Henson on Doing Work That Matters
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Who runs the world?
The Sunday Times’ Economics Editor, David Smith, explores the shifts in power between nation states and global corporations.
21 Sep 2015 by Guest Author in Reflect
Words: David Smith, The Sunday Times
Illustration: Rachel Cameron
It is more than 40 years since Joseph Nye, the American political scientist, wrote his seminal article on multinational corporations for Foreign Affairs, the journal on international politics produced by the US Council on Foreign Relations. Nye’s article, ‘Multinationals: The Games and the Rules: Multinational Corporations in World Politics’, was addressing what at the time was a growing phenomenon: large businesses operating across borders and increasingly exerting considerable power over governments.
As he put it: “As dramatic as the rise of the multinational corporation has been its increased political prominence.” While attracting inward investment from these new leviathans of the world economy brought benefits, many governments even then had come to fear this kind of economic takeover as their predecessors had been concerned about military invasion.
And, predicted Nye in 1974: “The odds are that both the size and political impact of multinationals will continue to grow … Predictions that 300 giant corporations will run the world economy tend to be based on simple projections of past ten-percent annual growth rates, and fail to take into account some of the disadvantages that appear with large size, particularly in manufacturing, when temporary monopoly advantages have been competed away. The challenge to governments will come more from global scope and mobility than from corporate size. Even smaller multinationals can make crucial allocative decisions that challenge the welfare goals of governments. Corporate mobility (which is greater in service and some manufacturing than in extractive industries) is not only a challenge to small states, but also to large states like the United States.”
Not ‘Coca-Colonization’
Nye was right about the continued rise of multinationals and that their power and influence would be exerted in a more subtle way than the ‘Coca-Colonization’ feared in the 1970s. Global businesses have learned to become more culturally aware as they have become larger. Even so, most modern economic developments would not have occurred without the multinationals that were all-powerful back then, and the new ones that have emerged since. Globalisation is not the result of countries interacting with each other but corporations. They drive the trade and investment flows that provide the fuel for economic growth. Perhaps the most significant modern economic change – the rise of China as it emerged from behind its closed and protected walls – would not have happened without Western-based multinationals. They were the ones that invested in the People’s Republic, used it as an export base, and opened it up to the world economy.
Nye was right about the continued rise of multinationals
The rise of these global corporations has often appeared unstoppable. It is hard, for example, to think of the American economy without the contribution of US-based multinationals. A McKinsey Global Institute study, published on the eve of the global financial crisis, found that while US multinationals accounted for fewer than 1% of all American businesses in 2007, they generated 23% of private sector gross domestic product (measured by value-added). Even more impressively, they had contributed 31% of the gains in real GDP and 41% of the gains in productivity since 1990.
“While their activities create 23% of US private sector value added, they account for larger shares of productivity growth and US private R&D spending,” McKinsey said. “They pay higher average wages than other US companies. They account for almost half of the nation’s exports and more than a third of its imports, resulting in a more favorable trade balance than other US companies. US multinationals also exert a significant indirect, or ‘multiplier,’ effect on the economy, which magnifies their contributions further.”
American dominance persists
Despite the rise of China and of mega firms from Europe, Japan and other Far Eastern countries, US-based multinationals still dominate. The annual Fortune Global 500 list is a ranking of these big beasts in the world’s corporate jungle, who between them account for $31.2 trillion of revenues and $1.7 trillion in profits. The two figures are not directly comparable, but as an illustration, the $31 trillion of global 500 revenues compares with global GDP of around $75 trillion. It is the equivalent, in other words, of more than 40% of the world’s GDP. These 500 companies employ more than 65 million people between them.
Though there are firms from 36 countries that rank large enough to feature in the Fortune Global 500, America still dominates with 128, more than a quarter, followed by China with 95, Japan with 57, France with 31, Britain and Germany with 28 each, South Korea with 17, Switzerland and the Netherlands with 13 each and Canada with 10. America’s Walmart, the world’s biggest corporation, was instrumental in locating production in China and has operations globally. Many of the other global giants, including China’s Sinopec, BP, Royal Dutch Shell and ExxonMobil, are in the oil industry.
Not all the world’s biggest companies would meet the definition of a true global corporation, particularly in China, where for some firms size mainly reflects domestic turnover. Most, however, do. Again, comparisons between GDP and corporate revenues are imperfect, but they show that Walmart would have ranked as the 28th largest economy in the world in 2013, with Royal Dutch Shell as 29th, ExxonMobil as 30th and Sinopec as 31st, all of them with bigger revenues than the GDPs of, for example, Austria, South Africa, Thailand, Denmark, Singapore and Nigeria. A top 100 of global economies and global corporations would include 37 international businesses among its numbers.
Countries with a smaller GDP than Walmart’s annual turnover:
Austria, South Africa, Venezuela, Colombia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria, Chile, Hong Kong, Egypt, Philippines, Finland, Greece, Israel, Pakistan, Portugal, Iraq, Ireland … and many more.
Does that mean that multinationals, not governments, run the world? Combine even a few of these like-minded businesses and you are talking, if not of world government by big corporations, but of an enormous concentration of potential power. When politicians rub shoulders with CEOs at the Davos World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alps each January, the question of which of them genuinely has their hands on the levers of power is a valid one.
When Nye posed the question more than 40 years ago, he thought that the answer was no, and would remain so. Multinationals would interact with governments, and often there would be a lot of tension in that interaction, but extrapolating the rise of the global corporation and ending with world domination was probably not going to happen.
A few years ago, you could have been forgiven for thinking that this was too cautious a prediction. If the global corporation of the 1970s was most likely to be found in manufacturing, the big players by the eve of the financial crisis – in power and influence if not in turnover – were in the financial services sector. Investment banks, the modern masters of the universe, appeared to run the world economy. Goldman Sachs helped the Greek government make its public finances look more respectable and invented the concept of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China). The investment banking community called the shots. In America, pressure from the industry led to the scrapping of most of the Glass-Steagall Act, the legislation adopted in the 1930s to restrain risky banking activity.
Even Labour’s Gordon Brown, who had been suspicious of the banking community in his early days as Chancellor of the Exchequer, was won over. In his final Mansion House speech in June 2007 before becoming prime minister, he was fulsome in his praise. “The financial services sector in Britain, and the City of London at the centre of it, is a great example of a highly skilled, high value added, talent driven industry that shows how we can excel in a world of global competition,” he said. “Britain needs more of the vigour, ingenuity and aspiration that you demonstrate that is the hallmark of your success.”
His timing was unfortunate, and the financial crisis that quickly followed changed the nature of the relationship between governments and big business. The big banks, having called the shots for a quarter of a century, now needed to be rescued by those governments. Royal Bank of Scotland, the biggest bank in the world on the eve of the crisis, had to be rescued by the British government, while protesting that it remained solvent. Its acerbic chief executive, Fred Goodwin, was stripped of his knighthood. Most of Wall Street needed a bailout, following the collapse of one of its number, Lehman Brothers.
When Joseph Nye was writing about multinationals in the 1970s, America’s car companies were prominent among them. In the financial crisis they needed emergency help from the American government to keep going. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors lobbied for aid to see them through the crisis and eventually got it, though this did not prevent GM, seen as the bellwether of the US economy (“what’s good for General Motors is good for America”) from temporary bankruptcy. How much did these rescues, often humiliating for these big businesses and the people who ran them, change the dynamic? Was it just a short break in the rise of global corporate power, or something more fundamental?
Some see a new post-crisis form of capitalism, in which collaboration rather than confrontation between business and government becomes the norm.
Some see the impact of the 2007–09 crisis as long lasting, implying a decisive shift in the balance of power between corporations and governments. Though economies have shown themselves to be vulnerable, and in the case of countries such as Greece that vulnerability persists, economies survive. Corporations, in contrast, and most notably the banks, would not have survived without government and central bank support. Some see a new post-crisis form of capitalism, in which collaboration rather than confrontation between business and government becomes the norm. Others, such Mariana Mazzucato, professor in the economics of innovation at Sussex University, argue that this has always been the case.
In her new book The Entrepreneurial State, she argues that the public sector has often been the driving force behind what are generally regarded as private sector innovations, including in information technology. As she puts it, the book “challenges the image of the lethargic, regulating state versus the dynamic business sector – using historical examples to show how some of the most high risk and courageous investments that led to revolutions in IT biotechnology and nanotechnology, were sparked by public sector institutions. It offers a new way of thinking about political economy in the 21st century.”
The Governments’ response? Regulation
Whether or not this is a generally accepted view, governments have been sharpening their claws in their dealings with big business in the post-crisis era. This has been most obvious in the case of the banks, which have been subject to tougher regulation, higher capital requirements and special taxes such as Britain’s bank levy. There has also been additional pressure to ensure that multinationals do not try to minimise their tax bills. The technology giants, in particular, have been widely criticised and have come under pressure to pay their fair share of tax.
The Australian government recently announced a multinational anti-avoidance law, which will take effect at the start of 2016. Companies dealing with Australian customers will be expected to pay an appropriate amount of Australian tax. As the Australian Treasury puts it: “Approximately 30 large multinational companies are suspected of diverting profits using artificial structures to avoid a taxable presence in Australia. Where the law applies, multinationals will be subject to the Government’s new doubled penalty regime for tax avoidance and profit shifting schemes. This means that not only will tax avoiders need to pay the tax that they owe, they will also face penalties of up to 100% of the tax they owe and interest.”
So the relationship between big business and governments is constantly evolving. There are times when the balance shifts sharply in favour of corporations, and times when it shifts back. The latest book from Nye, to return to where we started, is called Is the American Century Over? He concluded that it is not, despite all the emphasis in recent years on the rise of China. Soft power, the concept popularised by Nye, includes the global influence of a country’s businesses and the worldwide importance of a country’s brands. In both respects, America is in a strong position. There may be friction between businesses and governments. Mostly, however, they are pulling in the same direction.
David Smith has been Economics Editor of The Sunday Times since 1989. He is also chief leader-writer, assistant editor and policy adviser. He also writes columns for Tax Journal, Estates Gazette and other publications. David is the author of books including The Rise and Fall of Monetarism; Mrs Thatcher’s Economics; North and South; and in 2015, Something Will Turn Up: Britain’s Economy Past, Present and Future
His website is www.economicsuk.com
This article was written for Reflect, the Equatex Magazine and blog.
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How to Manage Multi-Generational Workforces - January 30, 2017
Rolling out global share plans - January 23, 2017
What the gig economy trend means for HR - January 17, 2017
Globalisation, Insights
A Masterclass in Multi-Cultural Communications
10 key takeaways from the 2017 Global Equity Insights Survey
How to handle operational aspects of a global plan rollout
60 seconds with … Frank Juhre
How to Manage Multi-Generational Workforces
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Norman Jean Roy
Kit Harington Already Died Once
He's the face of television's most obsessed-over show. His hair alone has more fans than most actors. But as Game of Thrones enters its second-to-last season, Harington faces a dilemma: To enter the next phase of his career, must he leave Jon Snow behind?
By Logan Hill
Kit Harington has bobbleheads on the brain. "I have to approve a new one every day," he says. "I'm not joking. I'm asked, 'Are you happy with how this looks?' I'm like, 'It's a fucking bobblehead—what do you want me to say?' "
To be fair to the product designers, capturing in plastic the hirsute attributes that have become the obsession of Harington's many millions of fans probably requires a level of attention reserved for conservators at the Louvre. And soon they'll no longer have a live model: Harington is counting down the days until he can get a proper shave and a haircut. The time, as it happens, has nearly come: He has one last shoot day for the seventh and penultimate season of Game of Thrones, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. For now, the scruffy face of one of pop culture's defining franchises is sitting across from me in a back booth at a restaurant in New York's East Village. He arrived smelling faintly of a freshly smoked cigarette and wearing celebrity camouflage: thick-frame glasses and a baseball cap, which is doing its meager best to contain his unruly jet-black mop.
The hair will soon disappear, along with, in 2018, the show that made Harington famous. But what will live on is the outsized, tormented spirit of Jon Snow, the frostbitten hero he's played for the better part of a decade: the brooding bastard prince who's lost everyone closest to him; who was stabbed to death at the end of season five and then resurrected in season six; and who will confront the possible annihilation of every living thing in season seven.
Grooming: Sacha Quarles for Exclusive Artists using Just Blow Hair.
Harington understands that his likeness will be mass-produced and hawked while the suits still have the chance to make a buck. But time is running out. "Without saying whether I make it to the last season," he says, despite widespread reports that HBO extended his contract at $1.1 million per episode through the final thirteen episodes—seven this season, six in the next—"we've been trying to say goodbye to the show this year." That means saying goodbye to Jon Snow, too.
Not that he's revealing any vulnerability. For most of our conversation, he's affable, loose-limbed. His confident demeanor cracks just once, when he reluctantly agrees to show me some of the hundreds of on-set photos he's taken as parting mementos. He reaches for his leather camera satchel, blanches, and leaps out of the booth; he can't find the bag. His eyes go wide; he bends over like a folding knife and sticks his head underneath our table, then rights himself and swivels around to inspect the booth behind us. His panic isn't just from a fear of lost memories: If leaked, the images could make their way online and lead to devastating spoilers. He finally finds the camera on a nearby chair nestled against the wall. "Oh, thank fuck!" he says, the tension in his compact frame dissolving like helium from a balloon.
"Thrones nicely bookended my twenties, but I'm thirty now," he says in between bites of a very thirty-something meal: prosciutto, a leafy salad, jasmine tea. "Maybe I can reinvent myself and get away from an image that's so synonymous with Thrones," he says, his voice trailing off for a beat. "But maybe this was the role I was always meant to play and that was it."
In retrospect, the raunchy appeal of Game of Thrones seems obvious. But when it debuted in 2011, the series was a massive blockbuster-or-bust gamble for HBO, a costly production with the scale and CGI of a Hollywood franchise. The novels making up George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, teeming with graphic sex (incest!) and spectacular violence (castration!), had been deemed too expensive, too provocative, and too complex for the screen, big or small. Unlike Twitter, the joke goes, Thrones doesn't have a 140-character limit.
Furthermore, Martin's series was—and remains—unfinished. He's published five of seven planned books, the most recent coming out three months after the show began airing. (Years behind schedule, Martin has stopped making promises about when we can expect the next installment.) Thrones, then, was the rare adapted series without an ending.
The premiere alone reportedly cost between $5 million and $10 million to make; at $60 million, the first season was one of the most expensive in television history. Still, HBO's bet did not pay off immediately. Just 2.2 million viewers watched the first episode, about half the number who tuned in to the first episode of Boardwalk Empire, the network's other sprawling saga at the time.
"I'll enjoy the madness quieting a bit," Harington says. "I'd Like a few years of relative obscurity."
Word of mouth and strong reviews helped that number grow. At the end of season five, in 2015, eight million viewers tuned in live to watch Jon Snow die. By the time he came back to life in season six, and with the introduction of HBO's new streaming services, an average of 25.1 million in the U. S. were now watching each episode. (An HBO rep couldn't tally total global viewership but said Thrones airs in every country where American programming isn't banned.) Along the way, the show broke records, both venerable and otherwise: As of this writing, Thrones has won the most Emmy Awards of any fictional series, with 110 nominations and thirty-eight wins. It also remains the most pirated show in the world, peaking at 14.4 million illegal downloads for the season finale in 2015.
Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss knew that the character played by the show's most famous cast member, Sean Bean, would be killed off at the end of the first season, and that Jon Snow—a heroic counterpoint to Thrones' craven venality—would become the primary focus. Whoever played him would need to embody a man so noble he could just as easily be resented as adored. "Snow is a challenging part," Martin told me. "In the books, what's going on with Jon is internal. I can tell you what he's thinking, but you can't do that on TV. The actor has to sell the depths and subtleties and conflicts of his character."
When Harington was brought in to audition for the role in 2009, he'd never been on camera. He'd landed only one professional gig of any kind, when he was twenty-one, as an equine-obsessed World War I soldier in the London production of War Horse, in 2008.
Success came easily to Harington; struggle was not in his vocabulary. When he got the part, he was enrolled at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, whose alumni include Judi Dench and Gael García Bernal. He grew up comfortably in West London and then Worcestershire, listening to people address his uncle and, more recently, his father—a businessman and now baronet—as "Sir." (The younger Harington seems embarrassed by his family's royal forebears, who trace back to King Charles II, though he is proud of the ancestor who, in 1596, invented the flushing toilet.) His mother, a former playwright, encouraged his love of theater; both parents supported his career choice. "It'd be far more interesting if I said, 'I never knew my father and I was adopted by my mother,' " he says. "But it was a very normal upbringing."
Following an audition that he performed with a black eye—the result of a late-night brawl at a McDonald's after a fellow patron insulted the woman he was with—and two callbacks, Harington was offered the role of Snow. He accepted immediately. "I've been very fucking lucky," he says.
For Benioff and Weiss, experience didn't matter as much as presence. "He just had the look," they say via email. "The brooding intensity; the physical grace; the chip-on-the-shoulder quality that we always associate with extraordinarily short people." (Harington is five-foot-six.)
The cast and crew grew closer to one another, forming friendships that could at times resemble sibling rivalries. Harington pranked Benioff and Weiss more than once: He'd steal their phones and send texts that his friend and costar Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) declines to quote but describes to me as "disgusting, distasteful, and hilarious." The showrunners gave as good as they got: One time, they sent Harington pages from a fake script in which Jon Snow's face becomes disfigured by a fire, since, they told him, "HBO was worried that his underdog, outsider-hero thing was feeling too Harry Potter." In my correspondence with them, for every bit of praise they give their show's star, they throw an equal amount of shade. "It takes real strength of character not to let being Kit Harington turn you into an asshole," they write. "And in the past eight years, Kit has not taken a single step in that direction."
Harington's costars are just as quick to sling insults his way. Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen): "There's a consistent drumbeat of taking the piss out of his incredible hair and startling good looks. His hair just takes over everything. My ridiculous handcrafted wig doesn't come close to standing up to his man bun." Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister): "There's a change in the level of female lust in the room when Kit is there, which all the males find annoying and disrespectful." Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth): "His hair has its own trailer." The barbs even spill into the show's scripts: After seeing Snow's naked corpse, one character says, "What kind of god would have a pecker that small?" Benioff and Weiss explain that line: "There has to be some downside to being Kit Harington, right? It seems only fair. He's handsome, talented, smart, and so decent to the core that it's impossible not to like him. Maddening. The one thing we can do is saddle his character with a tiny pecker." Harington's reaction to all the ribbing? "They're all reprobates."
At the dawn of Peak TV, niche entertainment geared toward a small but dedicated fan base was supposed to be the future, and pop phenomena on the scale of Lost were supposed to be endangered species. Thrones proved that theory wrong. One measure of its enormous success is the dizzying number of think pieces it has inspired: "How Game of Thrones Explains Brazilian Politics." "How Game of Thrones Explains Our World." "Is Game of Thrones a Metaphor for the Spread of Infectious Diseases?" "Game of Thrones: A Metaphor for America."
Martin is gratified to see his books and the show used to discuss everything from global warming to Donald Trump. "I think Joffrey is now the king in America," Martin told me, referring to Thrones' sadistic, power-mad brat. "And he's grown up just as petulant and irrational as he was when he was thirteen in the books." For his part, Harington would prefer not to weigh in on American politics. "I believe in experts," he says. He found it "annoying when Sean Penn decided to get involved in the Falklands. I was like, 'It has nothing to do with you, Sean Penn. Fuck off.' " Still, he cannot help himself: "Mr. Donald Trump—I wouldn't call him President, I'll call him Mister," he says. "I think this man at the head of your country is a con artist."
As Thrones enters its seventh season, its political resonance may only grow stronger: The head of a wealthy, ostentatious family sits on the throne. Refugees have immigrated through the kingdom's border wall. From abroad, dragon-sized chickens are coming home to roost. Former slaves are revolting against the elite. Harington's pure-of-heart, born-again hero is rising. "Thrones can be used as a metaphor way too much, but if there's one truth, I think, it's that people who really desire power are the people who shouldn't have it," he says. "Maybe Jon's the one person who should have it, because he's not looking for it."
As Jon Snow's power on the show has grown, so too has the shadow the character casts over Harington's future. "If I try and compete with Thrones," he says, shaking his head, "if I'm like, 'I need a Marvel movie, or the next big show on Amazon, or another one on HBO,' then I'm just setting myself up for one hell of a fall."
Precedent isn't much of a guide. TV stars used to need Hollywood blockbusters to build a lasting career. Some made the move spectacularly (George Clooney after ER, Johnny Depp after 21 Jump Street); others, less so (Friday Night Lights fullback Taylor Kitsch hasn't yet recovered from the one-two flop combo of John Carter and Battleship). The actor's life has long been a capricious one, full of sleeper hits and box-office bombs, cancellations and comebacks. Today, they must also confront the tectonic shifts toward streaming and global audiences, which have shaken the very foundation of celebrity.
For a cautionary tale, Harington need look no further than his own IMDb page: In between filming seasons of Thrones, he starred in a handful of movies that played off his action-hero reputation but failed to burnish his career: 2012's horror sequel Silent Hill: Revelation; 2014's sword-and-sandals epic Pompeii; 2015's forgettable spy thriller MI-5 and generic fantasy flick Seventh Son. Only in the well-reviewed World War I period romance Testament of Youth (2015), opposite Alicia Vikander, did Harington surprise. ("He brings such sensitivity to his roles," Vikander told me. "And his eyes! . . . Do you know he writes poetry?") His nonfilm projects allowed him to flex a different set of actorly muscles. Opposite Andy Samberg in HBO's 2015 slapstick tennis mockumentary 7 Days in Hell, Harington proved he's "got the timing of a natural straight man, in the manner of a Hugh Grant," as Benioff and Weiss describe his performance, "without being a douchebag, in the manner of a Hugh Grant." Last year, he returned to the London stage, in a contemporized production of his namesake Christopher "Kit" Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. But Harington, scratching at the scruff of his beard, admits that he has some regrets: "A few years back, I should have said, 'I want to do stories that may not be as blockbustery but are interesting.' "
"Maybe I can reinvent myself. But maybe this was the role I was always meant to play and that was it."
For his next film, Harington is putting his celebrity in the service of cinema's brash twenty-eight-year-old Canadian enfant terrible, Xavier Dolan, as the titular character in The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, opposite Jessica Chastain and Natalie Portman. Harington describes the role as "a famous television actor who plays a heartthrobby-type person." Donovan, who is gay, is outed just as a journalist, played by Chastain, sensationalizes his innocent correspondence with an eleven-year-old fan; as a result, the press wrongly paints him as a pedophile. Swordplay this is not.
By taking a career risk such as this—an indie movie about a controversial subject—Harington is capitalizing on his good fortune. He's a spokesman for Infiniti; soon he'll be the face of Dolce & Gabbana's fragrance the One for Men. "At the moment, I don't have too much pressure on my shoulders," he says.
But generally, lucky streaks end. With Hollywood less predictable than ever, Harington is wise to leverage his success into passion projects. Like many stars—Clooney, Cruise, DiCaprio, Pitt—he launched his own production company, Thriker Films, largely to develop better roles for himself. He quickly sold his first pitch: He and his college pal Dan West partnered with veteran screenwriter Ronan Bennett on Gunpowder, a three-part BBC miniseries about the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, a Catholic conspiracy to blow up Parliament and kill the king, which is now celebrated with fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day. The release date has not yet been announced; Harington will begin shooting after he wraps the final scenes for season seven of Thrones.
In addition to serving as an executive producer, Harington will play the plot's mastermind, Robert Catesby, who, as it turns out, is a distant ancestor. But the project's appeal isn't so much the bloodline ("I have no real personal feeling about this man," Harington says. "I can't claim that I'm doing something for my family; that would be ridiculous") as it is the potential for provocation. "It's about a group of disenfranchised men who've been pushed out from society and persecuted, and who turn to extreme acts of terrorism. It's a story told from the terrorists' side, to see why people might end up doing something like this and what madness drives them."
Whatever comes next, one thing's for sure: He's not chasing awards. "I don't really aim to get into that next big Oscar film," he says. "That's not really my route." He and West, who used to write "Dumb and Dumber, Laurel and Hardy"–style skits at drama school, "might do a comedy next," Harington says.
Or he might not do much of anything. "I'll enjoy the madness quieting a bit," he says. "I'd like a few years of relative obscurity." It's hard to know if he's tempering his expectations, hedging his bets, or speaking from the heart—or perhaps all three.
After years of sharing flats around London with West, his writing partner, it's time for them both to move on. They're going through what Harington cheekily calls a "conscious uncoupling": "He's going off with his girlfriend and I'm living with my girlfriend."
That girlfriend is Rose Leslie, who costarred on Thrones as Ygritte, the flame-haired, feral Wildling who memorably took Jon Snow's virginity in a cave in season three. As Snow performs foreplay, she moans, "You know nothing, Jon Snow. Oh. OHHH!" The phrase, sans moaning, was recited multiple times throughout the series, but this was the one that turned it into a meme that has been GIF-ed, used as the subject of a listicle (BuzzFeed's "26 Things Jon Snow Knows Nothing About"), and adapted into a book titled The Comprehensive Collection of Things That Jon Snow Knows. (The pages are blank.)
Esquire June/July '17 subscriber cover.
The sex scene—the first for both actors—was shot in Belfast in 2012. Whether that was their de facto first date, he won't say. He has become so protective of his privacy that he won't even confirm how long they've been together. He politely cuts off talk about Leslie, " 'cause it's as much her relationship as it is mine and I can't speak for both of us. But yeah, we are very, very happy. So that's what I'll say about that."
His phone betrays him. It rests on the table, screen down, close to his fidgety right hand. Our conversation is peppered with vibrations—texts, calls—that demand attention, and Harington gives in. Finally, apologizing for the distraction, he explains: Now that he and Leslie have decided to move in together, part of this trip is to see if New York will be their home. They're coordinating with a real estate agent to look at apartments in Manhattan this afternoon. He vows he won't touch his phone, but he keeps glancing at it, swearing that he needs to take just this one call or send just one more text, his goofy grin belying his attempts at stoicism. After one final call, he throws on his black wool coat, adjusts his baseball cap, and pushes open the door into the cold winds of New York's waning winter.
When I call him shortly before this story goes to press, he's in England, beginning the Gunpowder shoot. I ask about the house hunt; he tells me they didn't pull the trigger on a New York apartment. "I'm the most fickle person," he says. "Now I'm looking for a house in the English countryside; next week it will be Florida. Never take my word on what the fuck I'm doing!"
This article appeared in the June/July '17 issue of Esquire.
Logan Hill Logan Hill, a veteran of New York, Vulture, and GQ, has spent twenty years covering the arts for outlets including Elle, Esquire, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, This American Life, TimesTalks, Wired, and others.
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George R.R. Martin Details the Thrones Prequel
Lena Heady Clears Up GoT's Pregnancy Question
George R.R. Martin's Books Will End Like Thrones
Watch Sophie Turner Learn a Big Thrones Spoiler
Aaron Rodgers Had the Best 'Game of Thrones' Take
Is Drogon Bringing Dany to Be Resurrected?
The Thrones Finale Failed its Female Characters
10 Best TV Shows Like 'Game of Thrones'
John Bradley Breaks Down Sam Tarly's Thrones End
George R.R. Martin Is Still Finishing His Books
Game of Thrones: Reviews, Recaps, and Interviews
'GoT' Star Kit Harington Has Checked Into Rehab
Kit Harington Disappointed with Jon Snow
Here's What Kit Harington Has To Say About Last Night's Jon Snow Twist
This Is How Kit Harington Really Feels About Leaving 'Game of Thrones'
Kit Harington Would Have Made An Excellent Cersei
Kit Harington Got Into a Fight at McDonald's
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Will Maine, once again, be a model for the nation?
Douglas Rooks
Jul 5, 2019 at 6:48 PM Jul 5, 2019 at 6:48 PM
Independence Day is one of perhaps just two American holidays, the other being Thanksgiving, over which its seems we can all agree – no small feat in our turbulent times.
The Fourth of July marks not only the beginning of a nation that has grown to astonishing size and influence, but also celebrates the ideas that inspired its founding – that government should be devoted not to controlling the populace, but to preserving individual rights: “Life, Liberty and” – wonderful phrase – “the pursuit of Happiness.”
Given the trials of recent years, some might question whether we haven’t gotten off track a bit, but the Founders – whatever their flaws – realized that their democratic experiment couldn’t achieve permanent success, but must be renewed with each new generation. We may be witnessing the beginning of such a renewal.
Not since 1994, when the Republican Party broke 40 years of Democratic Party dominance over the U.S. House of Representatives, has a congressional election seemed as potentially significant as the one that took place last November.
When I began an 18-month sabbatical from political themes, I had no idea how transformed Maine’s landscape would look when I returned. Since Maine endured its own form of Trumpian disruption earlier, it seems the experiences of this one, small state could provide clues to how the nation will fare in the years ahead.
Janet Mills, the first woman elected Maine’s governor, has been almost everything her predecessor was not. She has been in public service nearly her entire life, and her style is direct, businesslike; she rarely seeks the limelight.
Mills has given few interviews, and appears in public almost entirely in connection with her official duties. She does not tweet, nor does she issue daily broadsides on radio talk shows; with her, it’s actions, not words.
Perhaps the most experienced governor of recent times, Mills is working with a Legislature that seems, by contrast, brand new. There are 57 new House members, a high number, but even more striking is that women now make up a majority of the Democratic caucus, and women hold 14 of the 34 joint committee chairmanships – both unprecedented events.
A lot of new voices and agendas are on display at the Statehouse, but at least for now there’s been far more harmony than discord. Mills’s most controversial stance as governor has been her support for a major new electric transmission line across western Maine. Legislative Democrats disagree, but this is a regulatory matter that long predates her administration, and it seems there’s agreement to disagree.
A host of significant bills were enacted and signed into law. Many of them were measures her predecessor had blocked through vetoes that may have exceeded the total of all previous governors combined, and for which there was already bipartisan support.
These policies range from encouraging solar energy to banning hand-held cellphone use, and emphasize a return to funding mental health services, revenue sharing, and a major expansion of child protective services – the latter another point on which almost everyone could agree.
Several hundred bills were carried over to next year’s session. It just isn’t possible to do everything, but it’s noteworthy that the session began and ended on time, the state budget was enacted without fuss, and no current legislator took to social media to denounce the proceedings.
True, a major bond package didn’t emerge, and will almost certainly be the subject for a special session later this summer. Republicans, now in the minority, are dug in against new revenues from any source, but Mills defused this issue by promising not to raise taxes for at least two years, much as her mentor, Gov. Joe Brennan, did when he was first elected in 1978.
And while the two-year, $7.98 billion general fund budget that could be funded “within existing resources” may seem like a whopping increase, it’s driven mostly by strong state revenues, and still falls far short of where it would have been without the sweeping cuts that began in the late Baldacci administration and accelerated throughout the LePage administration.
Maine, like several other states, chose tax cuts over maintaining services, and now we will have to recalibrate what state government needs to offer, and how to pay for those agreed-upon services. With a national recession looming somewhere in the middle distance, revenues will begin heading down and we’ll back to confronting choices similar to those we had to make during other economic downturns.
But that’s work for another day. For now, it’s time to relax, celebrate – and hope that Maine can, once again, become a model for the nation.
Douglas Rooks has been a Maine editor, opinion writer and author for 34 years, publishing books about George Mitchell and the Maine Democratic Party. He welcomes comment at drooks@tds.net.
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In-Depth: Xbox Live Arcade Sales Analysis, June 2009
July 21, 2009 | By Ryan Langley
[Courtesy of sister console downloadable site GamerBytes, Ryan Langley examines June 2009's Xbox Live Arcade debuts, from Magic: The Gathering to Wolfenstein 3D and beyond, to find out what soared and what faltered last month.]
The Xbox Live Arcade continues to grow each month, and June was no different. Fifteen titles made their way to the Xbox 360's digital download service, more than any other month in its history. It was filled with old classics, new titles, and games to fit into almost every genre available on the marketplace.
But this influx of many -- perhaps too many -- games comes as a cost. A much expanded catalogue means games don�t get a chance to stand on their own merits, and instead they swiftly fall off the recent release list.
We look at two different sources for our analysis � the weekly top 10 list released by Larry Hyrb on MajorNelson.com, and, when applicable, the online Leaderboards included in every title. We see what appears to have done well, what hasn�t, and what publishers and developers can do to perform better in the marketplace.
Note that due to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, as well as Larry Hryb's trip to Iraq, two weeks of data were never disclosed. (We'll do what we can to bridge this by using Leaderboard data.)
The Sega Classics Collection
June 11th marked the release of 6 new games in the Sega Vintage Collection - 4 Genesis and 2 arcade titles. This is more titles than we�ve ever seen in a week, but it�s also a clear example that too many titles at once can cause sales stagnation.
The best-selling of them was Sonic 3, with over 30,500 players on the Leaderboards in the sales period -- not surprising if you consider the previous two Sonic games being some of the best-selling XBLA titles.
The other Genesis titles didn�t fare nearly as well. Gunstar Heroes had over 9,000 players on the Normal setting, Comix Zone has over 8,700 players, and Phantasy Star II, the first complete RPG on XBLA, had only 5,100 players.
For the two arcade titles, Altered Beast had over 12,500 players for the month and Shinobi had over 7,100 players. As a point of interest, both Arcade titles have the most players on the custom leaderboard instead of the "normal" and "hard" settings. This means that players instantly changed the amount of health and number of continues, when both games already feature unlimited lives.
Due to this and to the difficulty of calculating overlap, the overall sales numbers for these two titles could be a fair amount higher than leaderboard stats indicate.
Releasing six games at once means that some aren�t going to sell as well as they could, but as the top 10 list suggests, only Sonic 3 was able to live past the first week of release. Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star II and Comix Zone are all considered great Genesis games, but were clearly overshadowed by its release.
Streets Of Rage 2 and Golden Axe, released well over two years ago, currently both show over 125,000 players on their leaderboards. However, that was over a long period of time; the weekly leaderboard show an average of 600-700 players each week. If many of those are new owners, the games continue to have a healthy life.
The choices for classics may have also been a little misguided. Shinobi isn�t really known for its Arcade original, but for its Genesis sequels, and Altered Beast is known mostly for how poorly it has aged. Other Sega classics, such as Ristar, Vectorman, or other Treasure titles would have fared much better -- perhaps these are coming soon.
(Of course, if it was cheap for Sega to develop many XBLA conversions at once, it may still be a good financial move to release lots of them at once.)
(I�d also like to mention that the new Sega Vintage collection had some of the worst box art for XBLA games in a long time. The Japanese versions use box art from their region, as you can see in the above examples, and it�s strange that they used the American box art for Phantasy Star II when they have a far better option. The Japanese artwork is almost all in English, and I�m sure they could have done far better for the awful Shinobi box.)
Drip Dropz
The first Xbox Live Arcade game published by Atlus was Droplitz, a new puzzle game that involves lining up rotatable pipelines in order to get them all to reach the bottom of the screen. The game appears to have garnered some great reviews, but -- like Gel: Set and Match and Yosumin Live before it -- has done quite poorly. The game did not hit the Top 10 in its first week of release, and at the end of the charting period had just over 2,000 players on the Leaderboards. Droplitz had a similar fate on the PlayStation Network.
There have been quite a few puzzle or puzzle action games over the last few months. Lode Runner, Arkanoid, Puzzle Quest Galactrix, and the aforementioned Gel and Yosumin, despite being drastically different, have all done poorly. They�ve achieved good to great reviews and still have been unable to find an audience.
It was just a few years ago when puzzle games were relegated to digital download or handheld systems. Now, with the advent of the iPhone, are we no longer willing to pay more than one, two or even five dollars for a puzzle game? Is there just no market for this kind of game on the Xbox 360? Or is it that some of these games are poorly marketed?
The last puzzle game to do well was Peggle, but that title had a lot of hype from the previous versions. Droplitz has been getting some great reviews but simply the idea of it being a puzzle game appears to be keeping a lot of people away.
Many people also believe that Droplitz has a lot in common with the old windows title Pipe Dream, but outside of the general theme they are nothing alike. With 0D Beat Drop and Puzzlegeddon on their way next year, even if they�re considered quality titles, I can see both having a hard time on the marketplace.
Multiplayer Mayhem
Three multiplayer-centric titles came out during June: Cellfactor: Psychokinetic Wars, an online multiplayer first person shooter, Worms 2: Armageddon, the sequel to the evergreen Worms title already available, and Rocket Riot, a cartoony, side scrolling air battler that involves people with no legs.
CellFactor was released alongside Wolfenstein 3D. However, the Major Nelson blog never mentioned its release. Many video game websites get XBLA updates directly from this website, so it was largely ignored by blogs. While we do not have the top 10 list for the first two weeks of its sales, it was still able to hold onto seventh place in its third week and so we expect it did fairly well.
The game currently has over 8,500 players on its ranked leaderboards, but in most cases, ranked boards are far lower than the number of players that participate in player matches, which could be double the amount but are not counted.
Rocket Riot had similar problems, as it was also not announced for release by the Major Nelson blog or the Microsoft weekly press release. It was released alongside two other titles, and received good buzz and reviews, but has not sold particularly well thus far. As of the end of June there were 8,000 players on the leaderboards and it had only hit the 10th spot on its opening week.
Worms 2: Armageddon only had a week of sales for the month, but was able to accrue over 12,000 players on its leaderboards in its first week, which is a decent start. Interestingly, it appears to have had no effect on the original Worms XBLA, which continued to be in 7th place in the week its sequel was released.
Fighting Fit
Next, in what appears to be a bit of a misstep, two classic SNK fighters were released in June, both within two weeks of each other. This appears to be a classic case of publishers not having control over release dates on Xbox Live Arcade. In the retail space I would expect that no publisher would release two similar titles within such a short lifespan -� one kills the sales of the other. As such, Garou: Mark Of The Wolves could have sold more, had The King Of Fighters �98 Ultimate Match not been on its tail.
For the two weeks of its release, Garou had 12,000 players listed on the Arcade mode Leaderboards, while The King Of Fighters �98 had over 16,000 players on its own. Garou is the least known of the two, but we still believe it would have done better with larger spacing.
Walking The Planes
One of the surprise hits of the month was Magic: The Gathering, a digital recreation of the popular trading card game. It was developed by Stainless Games, whose previous XBLA releases include the Atari remakes -- which have been hugely variable in quality and reception. But it appears that, with a decent development schedule, they were able to pull off a well-received game this time.
The game was able to stay very high on Major Nelson's top 10, and has well over 39,000 players on its two-player online leaderboards. Even without counting those who have not played the game online, it still beats every other newly released title for the month.
Saving the World
While all the titles we�ve discussed have been $10 or less, Telltale Games' Sam & Max Save The World broke that barrier. Initially released as six episodes on PC back in 2006 as Sam & Max Season One, Telltale released the whole season on XBLA in one package for 1600 Microsoft Points, or $20. The game still retails for $30 on Steam, so this is quite a bargain.
The game appears to have sold over 10,000 copies after three weeks of release, according to leaderboards. It�s not much, but considering the number of games released this month coupled with the price, it has done far better than a lot of other games out there. The real test will be how well Sam & Max Season 2 and the rest of the Wallace & Gromit episodes do later this year.
Hitler�s Return
Wolfenstein 3D was released during E3, and was split into two versions � one in the US with a 200MB HD video of the new game attached, and one released everywhere else without it. The leaderboards are only showing 7,000 players, while all other evidence suggests its sales should be closer to 15,000-17,000. Its resurgence in the fourth week of the month seems to suggest better sales than the leaderboards currently show.
Regardless, at 400 Microsoft Points and with a well known IP behind it, Wolfenstein will continue to sell well -� perhaps not as well as Doom before it, but it will get a good second wind once the new Wolfenstein game is released.
Extreme Fever
PopCap�s Peggle gracefully dropped out of the Top 10 after 15 weeks of being on sale. According to the Adventure Leaderboards, the game is currently sitting just shy of 200,000 players. Meanwhile Castle Crashers, UNO, the original Worms and TMNT have all made their continued return to the Top 10. A surprise return of Mega Man 9 occurred on the week of June 22nd, as it was finally released in Japan after being a WiiWare exclusive.
Looking forward, July looks to be a huge month for the Xbox Live Arcade. Not only is it the beginning of the Summer of Arcade, but it includes titles like Battlefield 1943 and The Secret Of Monkey Island, which by all accounts have done tremendously well, even tracking them partway through the month.
[We would like to thank Larry Hryb at MajorNelson.com and the Xbox Live team for releasing the Top 10 lists of each week through the web, and well as Kuroyume, Domino Theory, Grecco, PeakingLegoman, and Jickle for their help with collecting Leaderboard data.]
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EA rolls DICE for $23 million
Megapublisher buys up remainder of Battlefield maker, (finally) bringing storied franchise in-house.
By Tor Thorsen on October 2, 2006 at 4:29PM PDT
$19.99 on Amazon
Electronic Arts and Digital Illusions CE have been engaged in one of the longest courtships in game-industry history. After the release of the ultrasuccessful Battlefield 1942 in 2002, the latter--who was the game's publisher--began scooping up stock in the former. In 2004, EA announced its intentions to acquire DICE--intentions that were endorsed by the Swedish developer's board. As of March 2005, the megapublisher had acquired more than 60 percent of the developer's stock.
In March 2006, EA announced its intention to buy DICE lock, stock, and barrel. Now, seven months later, it has finally done so. Today, the California-based company announced that it had completed its takeover of the Stockholm-based developer. According to EA, DICE will now be a "fully integrated EA studio dedicated to growing the Battlefield franchise and developing new products for the PC, next-generation consoles, and other new platforms."
According to a joint press release, EA paid 175.5 million Swedish kroner--some $23.9 million--to acquire the "assets and liabilities of DICE," which presumably means all the outstanding stock in the company. Shareholders in the studio will receive some 67.50 kroner ($9.27) per share in cash in exactly two weeks' time.
Patrick Soderlund, the former CEO and presumably a current large shareholder of DICE, was understandably pleased by the deal. "Being part of the EA studio team is a great step forward that will help us continue to deliver new games and new franchises to DICE fans," he said in a statement. "We've been working very closely with EA for the past five years, and this is a very natural step for us as we move into the next generation of gaming." Soderlund will now become an EA Studio general manager overseeing DICE and its management team, which will remain unchanged.
The next game from EA and DICE will be the PC shooter Battlefield 2142, which is set to ship in North America on October 17. No next-gen console plans for the game have been announced.
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Tekken 7 Announced for Xbox One and PC in Early 2017
Akuma and Heihachi go head-to-head; Tekken Tag Tournament 2 free for Xbox Live Gold members this week.
By Zorine Te | @Zorine on June 13, 2016 at 1:45PM PDT
Top New Games Out On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week -- July 14-20, 2019
Dragon Quest's Hero Might Join Smash Ultimate This Month - GS News Update
Now Playing: Heihachi and Akuma Fight it out in Tekken 7 - Live at E3 2016
Developer Bandai Namco has announced that its upcoming fighting game Tekken 7 will be coming to Xbox One, with a release date slated for "early 2017." The news was revealed by Katsuhiro Harada and Michael Murray during Microsoft's presentation at E3 2016 today. The company announced shortly after the presentation that Tekken 7 would also be coming to PC via Steam.
The Tekken 7 trailer showcased a brawl between Street Fighter character Akuma and Tekken frontman Heihachi Mishima. The fight blended cinematic action scenes with in-game fighting seamlessly, with Akuma speaking of "fulfilling a promise" to Kazumi Mishima, insinuating that the two have some sort of ties to one another.
In addition, the duo revealed that Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will be free for Xbox Live Gold members just this week. Akuma's addition to the game comes as no surprise, given that he was announced in December 2015. Tekken 7 has also been announced for PS4, but no firm release date has been confirmed yet. Bandai Namco has not confirmed whether the game will have any cross-play capabilities.
E3 2016 Press Conferences
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New Trailer for Sleek French Cyberpunk Indie Film 'Virtual Revolution'
"The Revolution did happen. Just not the way they thought it would." A trailer has arrived online for a French cyberpunk sci-fi film titled Virtual Revolution, an indie project from Guy-Roger Duvert - who also composed the score for this. Set in Paris in 2047, the story is about a "shadow agent" named Nash, played by Mike Dopud, who spends half his time in the VR world and half in the real world as a private investigator. He's hired by one of the multinational companies behind these virtual worlds to track down terrorists who threaten the system. This definitely has a very low budget feel, but it looks impressive and there seems to be some cool ideas in it. Not sure if it's any good, but they got my attention with this trailer.
Here's the trailer (+ poster) for Guy-Roger Duvert's Virtual Revolution, from YouTube (via Quiet Earth):
In a world where most of the population spend their time online, inside virtual worlds, Nash is a hybrid. Half of the time online, the rest of the time, in the real world, he is a private investigator/killer, hired to track down and eliminate the terrorists who threaten the system and who killed his girlfriend. Torn between the past and the future, between virtual and real, Nash ends up having to take some decisions that will impact his life, but also the society he lives in. Virtual Revolution is both written and directed by French filmmaker Guy-Roger Duvert, an experienced composer making his feature directional debut after the 2014 short film Cassandra. The film played at many genre festivals in 2014, including Dragon Con and Other Worlds Austin. This already opened in France in October, and should play in LA this month. Anyone?
Find more posts: Sci-Fi, To Watch, Trailer
Not doing anything.
DAVIDPD on Dec 10, 2016
I like it. (Save this lesbian scene.) If there is a compelling story backing up this gorgeous cinematography and haunting music, then count me in.
tarek on Dec 10, 2016
Oh, come on, what's wrong with the lesbian scene?
shiboleth on Dec 10, 2016
Nothing. They just like to put them for us to drool. I don't like it when they consider me as Pavlov's dog.
Well, if we go down that road, then we have to give up most of the films. Generally, I definitely agree with you, but I am just not sure why would I think about it. In reality, especially today, most of the films have something like that. Nothing new. Anyway, I didn't ask for and certainly didn't anticipated such a scene, but since it's there, I'll take it. But it won't matter much if film is good ...
Very stylish and, for now, without any reason to watch. Hopefully that will change ...
Reminds me of Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash." As far as movies, Surrogates comes to mind.
redtie on Dec 10, 2016
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Mississippi finishes first day of NCAA infractions hearing
Mississippi’s football program began its hearing in front of the NCAA’s infractions committee panel on Monday, nearly five years after the governing body first launched its investigation.
The Rebels are facing 21 allegations, including 15 that are classified as Level I, which the NCAA deems the most serious. The charges in the wide-ranging case involve academic, recruiting and booster misconduct.
The hearing is being held at a hotel in Covington, Kentucky, a suburb of Cincinnati. The NCAA has set aside up to three days for the case.
Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork declined comment after Monday’s meetings.
The school has already self-imposed several penalties, including a postseason ban for this season, three years of probation, scholarship losses and recruiting restrictions. The NCAA could accept the Rebels’ self-imposed penalties or add to them when it reaches a decision, which could be several weeks to months after the hearing ends.
All 21 of the alleged football violations happened under the program’s two previous coaches – Hugh Freeze and Houston Nutt.
Nutt was the Ole Miss coach from 2008 to `11 and his staff members are responsible for alleged academic issues, including arranging for fraudulent ACT scores for three prospects.
Freeze and his staff are responsible for the majority of the 21 allegations and the school is facing the charge of lack of institutional control. Ole Miss has acknowledged that it committed some of the violations, but is contesting others, including the institutional control charge.
Freeze – who coached five seasons at Ole Miss from 2012 to ’16 – resigned in July, but the school says his resignation wasn’t related to the NCAA case. Instead, the school cited a ”pattern of personal misconduct” after an investigation into Freeze’s phone records.
The long-running case has had several twists and turns.
The school has received two Notice of Allegations letters from the NCAA over the past two years. The first alleged 13 rules violations, including nine that were classified as Level I.
But the case expanded in April 2016 after former offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil became the focal point of the NFL draft after a bizarre video of him smoking from a gas mask-bong contraption was posted on his Twitter account just before the selections began.
There was also a post on Tunsil’s Instagram account showing an alleged text conversation with a football staff member about arranging payment for bills.
Though the NCAA didn’t appear to find much from that particular exchange, it did reopen its investigation, resulting in a second Notice of Allegations earlier this year that expanded the case to its current 21 charges.
More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 .
FBS (I-A)
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Asian Football | July 20, 2015
Denilson unveiled by Al Wahda
The Brazilian was signed on a three-year-deal from Sao Paulo for €3 million. He is reportedly set to earn around €1.8 million annually.
"I came here not to play for one or two years but I came here to play for as long as I can," the Brazilian told the media on Sunday.
"I know UAE football is growing every year and, thanks to my agent, I'm here now," he added.
The 27-year-old said that he would try his best for the club and was looking forward to playing.
"I would like to promise all the Al Wahda fans that I will be playing to the best of my ability and giving my best," he explained.
"It is a new challenge for me but I have heard good things about the league and I'm very much looking forward to it," he said.
Home Football Asian Football Denilson unveiled by Al Wahda
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AFC U19 Championship | April 24, 2019
Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar among host nations for 2020 AFC U-16 and U-19 Championship Qualifiers
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have confirmed the nations that will host the 2020 AFC U-16 and U-19 Championship Qualifiers to be held later this year.
Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei will host the East Zone matches in the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship Qualifiers. As many as 21 nations will take part in the qualifiers with four groups of four teams and a fifth group with five teams.
SAUDI ARABIA ARE THE 2018 AFC U19 CHAMPIONS! #AFCU19 #KORvKSA pic.twitter.com/AukOyrphJG
— FOX Sports LIVE! (@FSAsiaLive) November 4, 2018
The nation to host the fifth group of the AFC U-19 championship is yet to be finalised and “will be determined after all the necessary confirmations from the bidding Member Association,” according to the AFC.
Bahrain, Iraq, IR Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan will host the West Zone qualifiers. 25 teams will be pooled into five groups of four teams and one group of five teams.
Meanwhile, the East Zone of the 2020 AFC U-16 Championship Qualifiers will be held in Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam. 22 teams will take part in the East Zone qualifiers.
The West Zone will, meanwhile, feature 25 teams and will be hosted by IR Iran, Jordan, Kyrgyz Republic, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan.
2′ GOALLLLL! SAUDI ARABIA LEAD IN THE FINAL! 1-0!
What a start for the Green Falcons after star man Turki Al-Ammar nets from a rebound. The best possible start for Saudi Arabia!#AFCU19 #KORvKSA pic.twitter.com/PcEt9B0aep
Saudi Arabia are the defending champions of the AFC U-19 Championship while Japan are the winners at the U-16 level.
Home Football Asian Football AFC U19 Championship Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar among host nations for 2020 AFC U-16 and U-19 Championship Qualifiers
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Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini
Image: Statue of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in the portico of the sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary in Pompei | photo by Dario Crespi
Saint of the Day for November 13
(July 15, 1850 – December 22, 1917)
https://wp.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/SODNov13.mp3
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini’s Story
Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first United States citizen to be canonized. Her deep trust in the loving care of her God gave her the strength to be a valiant woman doing the work of Christ.
Refused admission to the religious order which had educated her to be a teacher, she began charitable work at the House of Providence Orphanage in Cadogno, Italy. In September 1877, she made her vows there and took the religious habit.
When the bishop closed the orphanage in 1880, he named Frances prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Seven young women from the orphanage joined her.
Since her early childhood in Italy, Frances had wanted to be a missionary in China but, at the urging of Pope Leo XIII, Frances went west instead of east. She traveled with six sisters to New York City to work with the thousands of Italian immigrants living there.
She found disappointment and difficulties with every step. When she arrived in New York, the house intended to be her first orphanage in the United States was not available. The archbishop advised her to return to Italy. But Frances, truly a valiant woman, departed from the archbishop’s residence all the more determined to establish that orphanage. And she did.
In 35 years, Frances Xavier Cabrini founded 67 institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick. Seeing great need among Italian immigrants who were losing their faith, she organized schools and adult education classes.
As a child, she was always frightened of water, unable to overcome her fear of drowning. Yet, despite this fear, she traveled across the Atlantic Ocean more than 30 times. She died of malaria in her own Columbus Hospital in Chicago.
The compassion and dedication of Mother Cabrini is still seen in hundreds of thousands of her fellow citizens who care for the sick in hospitals, nursing homes, and state institutions. We complain of increased medical costs in an affluent society, but the daily news shows us millions who have little or no medical care, and who are calling for new Mother Cabrinis to become citizen-servants of their land.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is the Patron Saint of:
Hospital Administrators
Impossible Causes
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Governor's race: History and voter energy favor Whitmer over Schuette
Bill Schuette faces fired-up Democrats angry at Trump and Michigan's long tradition of electing a governor from the opposite party of the current one.
Governor's race: History and voter energy favor Whitmer over Schuette Bill Schuette faces fired-up Democrats angry at Trump and Michigan's long tradition of electing a governor from the opposite party of the current one. Check out this story on Freep.com: https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/12/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-bill-schuette/1519775002/
Paul Egan and Kathleen Gray, Detroit Free Press Published 8:00 a.m. ET Oct. 12, 2018 | Updated 11:36 p.m. ET Oct. 12, 2018
Polls give the edge to Democrat Gretchen Whitmer over Republican Bill Schuette in the Nov. 6 election for governor. There are several factors at play. Wochit
Candidates for the governor of Michigan, Republican Bill Schuette and Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, during the debate at WOOD TV in Grand Rapids on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018.(Photo: Nick Smith, WOOD TV8)
Micah DeLeeuw, a corporate pilot from Zeeland, says he will vote for Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette for Michigan governor on Nov. 6 because Schuette's positions align with his own conservative views on subjects such as gun rights, jobs and abortion.
DeLeeuw, 30, said President Donald Trump is a little bombastic for his liking, but he appreciates the results Trump is getting on taxes and other issues. The Independent voter, who is married with a 4-year-old daughter, said he feels no more or less energized about the Nov. 6 vote than he has felt about past elections.
Micah DeLeeuw (Photo: Micah DeLeeuw)
The urgency is much greater for Diana Raine, a retired Oakland County teacher who supports Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, the former Senate minority leader.
"I am appalled" by Trump, said Raine, 67, of Clawson, who is married with two daughters and four grandchildren.
"Every day I am angry that he is our president — every single day."
Raine said Trump has shown he is a misogynist and she was disgusted by Schuette's embrace of the president during the Republican primary. She also senses a higher level of engagement this year among many of her friends, describing them as "not just angry but also feeling fear for the future of our country."
Diana Raine (Photo: Diana Raine)
DeLeeuw and Raine — both surveyed in a late September poll commissioned by the Detroit Free Press — may tell a large part of the story of Michigan's Nov. 6 election for governor, where a series of polls released as recently as Wednesday show higher levels of interest by Democrats and women, and Whitmer leading Schuette by 8 to 12 percentage points.
Though he campaigns to continue Republican control of the governor’s office in a vastly improved Michigan economy, Schuette faces major obstacles: a fired-up Democratic electorate angry at Trump; Democratic and Independent women especially motivated and energized with a successful woman at the top of the ticket, and the state’s decades-long tradition of saying farewell to one governor by electing the next one from the opposing party.
Whitmer and Schuette met Friday night for their first of two televised debates, . in the studios of WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids. They aggressively attacked each other's policy positions and political histories for a full hour, but no knockout blows were landed.
Ron Fournier, president of public affairs consulting firm Truscott Rossman and former editor-in-chief of the National Journal, said voters want change, and that's a problem for the party that has controlled every lever of state government since 2011 and also controls Congress and the White House.
That means it's a problem for Schuette, 65, the veteran Midland politician at the top of the Republican ticket.
In Michigan and elsewhere, "It's going to be a tough year for Republicans," Fournier said.
'The Dems have the anger behind them'
Sandra Larson-Lubin, a Troy social worker and psychotherapist, was both angered and energized by the result of the 2016 election because she strongly opposes Trump and his policies, particularly on immigration issues. She voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, but she's not sure she voted in the 2014 midterms.
For this year's midterms, Larson-Lubin is not only voting, she has been volunteering on campaigns and helping others register to vote.
Since the last election, she has also co-founded a chapter of an activist group called Michigan for Revolution, joined a second group called Indivisible Troy, and won election to the Michigan Democratic Party's state central committee, which sets party policy.
More recently, Larson-Lubin, 57, said she was appalled by the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in the face of sexual assault allegations.
"What they did was (put) party over country and dismiss(ed) survivors," she said of the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate. "I'm still processing it."
Susy Avery, a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party who worked in the Engler administration, said she expects Republicans will get their own energy boost in November after the contentious hearings and protests surrounding the Kavanaugh nomination.
“Since the Kavanaugh hearings, I’ve seen a jump in the enthusiasm on the part of Republicans and I haven’t seen that until last week,” she said. “There’s been quite a backlash because of the yelling and screaming at people (by Democrats). That seemed to have an effect on Republican voters in terms of getting them more enthusiastic.”
Fournier said he expects a record number of women to vote in Michigan in November.
"The Dems have the anger behind them," said Fournier, and the advantage in Michigan of having a woman at the top of the ticket in Whitmer.
There's a second significant obstacle Schuette must overcome: Michigan history.
Michigan voters like to alternate between Republican and Democratic governors.
The last time Republican governors were elected back to back was 1946, when Gov. Kim Sigler succeeded Gov. Harry Kelly. (It's true that Republican Gov. William Milliken succeeded Republican Gov. George Romney in 1969, but that was a result of Romney's resignation and Milliken's elevation from lieutenant governor, not an election).
Kim Sigler (Photo: Detroit Free Press archives)
The last time Michigan elected back-to-back Democratic governors was 1960, when Gov. John Swainson succeeded Gov. G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams.
More on Freep.com:
How 1 lost election changed Michigan governor candidate Bill Schuette
Gretchen Whitmer's perplexing problem in race for Michigan governor
"It's been almost impossible for a candidate of the same party that's leaving office to win," said former Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus, who tried unsuccessfully to succeed Gov. John Engler, a fellow Republican, in his 2002 campaign against Democrat Jennifer Granholm, and whose daughter, Lisa Posthumus Lyons, is Schuette's running mate.
Posthumus, who narrowed his 2002 race from high double digits to less than four percentage points, said he still thinks Schuette can pull it off.
And much can change in a few weeks. Schuette, who has only lost one election in a political career that began in 1984, has begun referring to himself as "the comeback kid," and predicted in a recent radio interview: "We're going to win, razor-thin."
Whitmer, 47, of East Lansing said Wednesday she is taking nothing for granted. "Polls are just a snapshot in time, but we feel good from what we see from being out and about," she said.
Whitmer holds consistent lead since primary
Though analysts say Michigan's political history and national trends such as a possible "blue wave" will be significant factors in determining who wins the governor's race, they say the substance and style of the campaigns waged by the Republican and Democratic candidates are still important.
But so far, analysts haven't seen much happening in the campaign sphere that moves the needle, with Whitmer holding a consistent lead since the Aug. 7 primary.
"Sometimes I'm a little bit shocked at how boring this feels," said Jeff Williams. CEO of Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing think tank.
There has been plenty of national drama and some "sound and fury" between Schuette and Whitmer, but the polls have remained pretty consistent and the candidates are talking about pretty standard issues in ways that are consistent with their political stripe, Williams said.
"There's a feeling of normalcy in how both of them are responding," he said.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer takes the stage after winning Michigan's primary race on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 during the election night party at the MotorCity Casino in Detroit. (Photo: Ryan Garza, Detroit Free Press)
Both candidates promise to fix Michigan's lousy roads. Schuette has ruled out tax increases to do so, but aside from spending existing dollars smarter and hoping to reap savings from the repeal of the state prevailing wage law that required union wages and benefits on government jobs, he hasn't given much detail about how he will pay to correct what analysts say is a multibillion-dollar problem. Whitmer is considering increased user fees, such as gas taxes and registration fees, as well as borrowing through state government bonds.
Education is another topic on which the candidates differ in a traditional Republican vs. Democratic way. Schuette advocates greater parental choice through expansion of publicly funded charter schools, while Whitmer has blasted "unaccountable for-profit managed charter schools," and promised improved reporting and transparency for all schools that receive public funds.
On health care, Schuette is a proponent of work requirements for Medicaid recipients recently passed by the Legislature, calling it "the welfare reform of the 21st Century." Whitmer, who helped craft and pass Gov. Rick Snyder's expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act opposed by Schuette, believes the new requirements are a mistake. That, too, is a typical Republican and Democrat division.
Michigan gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette heads for his next appearance after taping a show at the Hockeytown Cafe, in Detroit, Mich., Tuesday, Oct 2, 2018. (Photo: Kathleen Galligan, Detroit Free Press)
Health care has provided some of the campaign's "sound and fury" through millions of dollars in TV ads paid for by the two candidates and groups that support them.
Schuette has been on the defensive after backing, as attorney general, several lawsuits aimed at overturning President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act (ACA), but now seeking to assure voters there are popular elements of the plan that he would keep.
Though health insurance protections for patients with pre-existing conditions were part of the ACA that Schuette tried to axe, Bridge Magazine's nonpartisan Truth Squad determined that Whitmer went too far when she said "Schuette thinks insurance companies should be allowed to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions." It rated the claim misleading, noting that Schuette, at least since 2014, has said he favors such protections.
Also on Freep.com:
Schuette and Whitmer headed to November showdown for governor
Race for Mich. governor may be tightening: Whitmer leads Schuette by 8
No less misleading is a Republican Governors Association ad attacking Whitmer for failing to keep her promise to "fix the damn roads" — a promise Whitmer made in 2018 —- when the GOP has controlled Michigan's state government since 2011.
The Truth Squad has also rated as "misleading" a Democratic Governors Association ad claiming Schuette supported the tax on state pension income imposed in 2011, which he has pledged to repeal, and a Michigan Republican Party ad claiming Whitmer "refused to prosecute (former MSU sports doctor) Larry Nassar on sexual assault charges" when she was Ingham County interim prosecutor in 2016 and issued a search warrant that led to Nassar's child pornography convictions.
Avery, the former GOP chair, said the Schuette campaign has shifted the thrust of its advertising from early attack ads comparing Whitmer to Granholm to positive messages highlighting other issues, such as his work as AG to combat human trafficking and his charitable efforts to gather food for needy families.
That shift in emphasis, along with the fact "he's not mentioning Trump anymore," will help Schuette attract female voters, Avery said.
Schuette's nearly eight years as attorney general, which followed stints in Congress, Engler's cabinet, the state Senate, and as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals, is notable for his criminal prosecution of both Nassar and 15 current or former state and city employees in connection with the Flint water crisis, on charges ranging from misdemeanors to involuntary manslaughter. Schuette fought all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States in an unsuccessful defense of Michigan's voter-initiated ban on same-sex marriage and made fighting human trafficking one of his signature issues as AG.
Whitmer, who, like Schuette, is an attorney, spent her entire 14 years in the Legislature — six in the House and eight in the Senate — serving with the minority party. In 2010, she became the first woman to lead a caucus in the Michigan Senate, where in 2012 she led the party's unsuccessful fight against legislation making it illegal to require financial support of a union as a condition of employment. Whitmer has also been a vocal critic of the Snyder administration for tax policies that shifted the burden away from corporations onto individuals, and scandals that included a computer system that falsely accused tens of thousands of Michigan residents of jobless benefits fraud.
The two candidates' choices for running mate illustrate how each has tried to reach beyond their natural constituencies to draw in voters from other parts of the political spectrum.
Schuette, who repeatedly touted Trump's endorsement during the Republican primary and who needs to attract more centrist voters to win the general election, chose Lyons, the Kent County clerk and former state representative from Alto. In addition to keeping the name "Posthumus," which plays well in mainstream Republican circles in Michigan, Lyons is a woman who both renounced Trump's vulgar and sexist comments in the 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape made public in October 2016 and voted in favor of expanding Medicaid under the ACA.
Though she brings strengths to the ticket, Lyons isn't without her detractors. Some right-wing tea party supporters renounced her choice as running mate. Lyons also brings baggage from her record as a lawmaker from 2011 through 2016 when she chaired the House education and elections committees. She was a backer of the failed Education Achievement Authority for underperforming schools and tried to amend the controversial right-to-work law to exempt her husband and other county jail guards, as well as state corrections officers.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette announces Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons as his choice for lieutenant governor at the Kent County GOP headquarters in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018. (Photo: Cory Morse, The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
Whitmer, already well-positioned in the mainstream of the Michigan Democratic Party but heading a Democratic ticket facing internal criticism because it was all-white and lacked a candidate from Detroit, selected Garlin Gilchrist, a black Detroiter who was narrowly defeated in his 2017 bid for Detroit city clerk. Gilchrist has progressive credentials as an organizer and activist who worked for MoveOn.org, a group that has pushed for greater gun control and opposed the Iraq War and Trump's immigration policies, among other campaigns.
Whitmer's choice of Gilchist, like Schuette's choice of Lyons, has its downside. Gilchrist has drawn criticism for 2009 tweets that said he was tired of politicians "kissing Israel's ass," and that the Palestinian nationalist movement Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization by the U.S., was "a legitimately elected party" that rose to power because of "Israeli aggression & Western complicity." Gilchrist attempted to walk the tweets back in September, saying he supports Israel but had “waded into a complex geopolitical issue," and made comments about a conflict he "did not fully understand.”
Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer introduces Garlin Gilchrist II as her running mate in Lansing on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018. (Photo: Matthew Dae Smith/Lansing State Journal)
Wedge remains in Schuette's GOP support
As for party unity behind the gubernatorial candidate, Whitmer and the Democrats get the edge.
Whitmer's Democratic primary opponents, former Detroit health department director Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Ann Arbor-area businessman Shri Thanedar, quickly endorsed her after the primary and have been campaigning for her.
But a wedge remains in Schuette's Republican support. Snyder continues to withhold his endorsement, saying he is focused on governing, not politics.
Some analysts have marveled at how little the vastly improved state of the national and state economies — which arguably should help Schuette as a candidate who can trumpet a recovery that happened under GOP state control — is figuring as a major election issue.
Snyder has dubbed Michigan the "comeback state," and repeatedly touted statistics such as a state unemployment rate that has dropped from 10.7 percent when he took office in 2011 to 4.1 percent in August, during which time the state has added more than 550,000 private sector jobs.
But despite those numbers, not everyone is feeling the recovery. Michigan has a "bipolar" economy, said Williams, and while workers in some industries barely felt the recession of the 2000s, many others are still struggling to recover from that lengthy recession.
Fournier said "it was never about 'the economy, stupid', even in 1992," when Democratic strategist James Carville coined the term during Bill Clinton's presidential campaign against President George H.W. Bush.
"It was about change," then, and it still is in this election, he said.
In any case, Schuette, having clashed repeatedly with Snyder and won a bruising primary over Snyder's handpicked successor, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, is not ideally positioned to turn the brightened state of Michigan's economy to his political advantage. It was Calley who campaigned on a continuation of Snyder's economic policies. Schuette is pushing for additional tax cuts Snyder opposes while saying Michigan's growth still isn't hitting its potential. Schuette also has been accused of sexism for repeatedly comparing Whitmer to Granholm, who was governor during the recession years of 2003 through 2010, and asserting that electing Whitmer would result in a return to "the lost decade." Whitmer's supporters allege Schuette paints Granholm and Whitmer with the same brush because they are both women — a charge Schuette denies.
Many analysts expect the governor's race to tighten before Election Day, though double-digit victories have not been uncommon in recent years.
The last time a Michigan governor's election was won by double digits was 2010, when Snyder beat Democrat Virg Bernero by 18 percentage points.
The time before that? Perhaps surprisingly, given the level of criticism directed at her record today, it was in 2006, when Granholm beat Republican Dick DeVos by 14 percentage points to coast to a second term.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4.
Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/10/12/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-bill-schuette/1519775002/
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Los Angeles, CA freight rates More than 100,000 metric tons of international goods are transported annually through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which handle over 40 percent of all inbound containers for the entire United States. Shippers can efficiently move freight to and from the ports using the Alameda Corridor, a 20-mile-long rail cargo expressway linking the ports to the transcontinental rail network near downtown Los Angeles. In addition, an excellent freeway and highway system allows multimodal transport and efficient origination for cross-country delivery. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is another component of the region’s international trade. LAX handles high-value products, such as medical instruments, electronics and perishables and processes about 2 million tons of cargo annually. The airport is served by 43 international carriers and all major air freight lines.
Miami, FL freight rates There are few more prominent hubs for international shipping than Miami, Florida. Miami International Airport is the leading U.S. airport for international freight and the 10th busiest facility in the world. It is also the world’s largest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. About 84 percent of all air imports and 81 percent of exports from Latin America and the Caribbean go through this southern Florida region. Miami is served by 84 scheduled and 17 charter air carriers, of which 40 are all-cargo carriers. Both the airport and the PortMiami facility make the region a hub for distribution of perishable products, hi-tech commodities, telecommunications equipment, textiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery. The area includes nearly 1,400 licensed customs brokers and freight forwarders and numerous local and multinational companies specializing in international trade and logistics, trade law and advocacy, finance, importing and exporting. There are also more than 100 consulates, foreign trade offices and bi-national chambers of commerce. Domestic shipping and transport to international facilities is provided by a Class I railroad and a Class II railroad, and truck transport can take advantage of access to I-95 and I-75.
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Miao Gu
miao.gu@fticonsulting.com
8 Shenton Way, #32-03
B.Sc., Physics, Imperial College London University
Chartered Accountant, ICAEW
CIArb Member
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
Miao Gu is a Senior Director in the Economic & Financial Consulting segment at FTI Consulting and is based in Singapore. Miao joined the firm in London in 2015 before transferring to the office in Singapore in 2018.
Miao has substantial experience in performing valuations in both commercial and contentious contexts. His work primarily focuses on the valuation of businesses and shares and assessment of complex damages in cases of litigation and international arbitration.
Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Miao spent three years in PwC’s Human Resources consulting practice in London, specialising in advising companies and remuneration committees on all aspects of executive compensation, including benchmarking, design, metric selection and calibration, investor consultation and communication.
Since joining FTI Consulting, Miao has worked on cases involving breach of contract, professional negligence, and shareholder disputes across a wide range of industries including banking, chemicals, food, hospitality, oil & gas, telecoms and technology.
Miao graduated from Imperial College London with a 1st Class Honours degree in Physics. He is a Chartered Accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, as well as an Associate of CIArb.
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San Angelo Lake View falls just short in wild finish at Lamesa
The San Angelo Lake View High School football team dropped its season opener despite a fourth-quarter comeback in Lamesa on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018
San Angelo Lake View falls just short in wild finish at Lamesa The San Angelo Lake View High School football team dropped its season opener despite a fourth-quarter comeback in Lamesa on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018 Check out this story on gosanangelo.com: https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2018/08/31/san-angelo-lake-view-chiefs-football-falls-short-wild-finish-lamesa-tornadoes-high-school-texas-2018/1147214002/
Paul Harris, San Angelo Standard-Times Published 10:24 p.m. CT Aug. 31, 2018 | Updated 1:52 a.m. CT Sept. 1, 2018
Lake View's Louis Perez filled in at quarterback when Kendall Blue was injured in the third quarter Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, in Lamesa.(Photo: Yfat Yossifor)
Despite a gutsy fourth-quarter comeback, the San Angelo Lake View Chiefs fell just short in a 47-42 loss at Lamesa on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, to kick off their season.
Trailing 47-28 with 8:10 remaining, Lake View scored twice in a span of 1:56 to storm back and force a tight finish.
The Chiefs then had one final chance when they improbably recovered a Lamesa fumble at their own 40-yard line with 18 seconds left when the Golden Tornadoes were trying to take a knee to run out the clock.
Three desperation passes by Kendall Blue didn't connect, however, and Lake View was unable to end its long losing streak, which now sits at 18 games.
Lake View's Kendall Blue looks to pass the ball during the game against Estacado Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, at San Angelo Stadium. (Photo: Yfat Yossifor)
Blue had quite the debut for Lake View. He was only 24 of 50 passing, but he threw for 332 yards and three TDs with no interceptions. He also ran for a pair of scores, and he even missed some time in the third quarter due to an injury.
His top target was Ahmad Daniels, who had six catches for 139 yards and two TDs, including a 76-yard bomb.
Johnny Espinosa had six catches for 81 yards and a TD. He also had an interception on defense, and he returned a two-point conversion 100 yards, but it was called back due to a penalty.
Lake View's Johnny Espinosa runs the ball past Lubbock defender Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, at San Angelo Stadium. (Photo: Yfat Yossifor)
Elliot Peterson had 13 carries for 63 yards and a TD to lead Lake View's rushing attack.
Lake View jumped out to a 14-0 lead, led 28-21 at halftime and didn't trail until Lamesa took its first lead at 33-28 with 3:32 left in the third quarter.
But once Lamesa took the lead, it never relinquished it. The Tornadoes scored 33 straight points after falling behind 28-14, including a 33-yard TD run with only 10 seconds left in the first half that took some of the wind out of Lake View's sails.
Lamesa QB Jackson Napper was 17 of 35 passing for 301 yards and three TDs with one INT.
Josh Marquez led the Tornadoes' receiving corps with six catches for 132 yards. Jace Burleson led their ground game with 25 carries for 129 yards and two TDs.
The Chiefs will play again Friday, Sept. 7, at home when they host Fabens at San Angelo Stadium, while Lamesa will travel to Sonora.
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5 Signs You're Losing Your Child
names have been omitted in this post
It had been another one of "those nights"… one where I had asked or "told" my son one too many times to go brush his teeth. Unfortunately by about the third or fourth time he'd had enough and stormed off to his bedroom. Moments later I heard the predictable bang! bang! bang! against his bedroom door. In the kitchen I stood at the counter gripping the edges with white fingers. Ugh… when does it ever stop?! I thought to myself. He'd had "fits" since he was about two and although when he was younger they initially appeared out of his control due to a lack of coping skills they had progressively changed to calculated, premeditated... purposeful.
For years I had prayed for change. I had cried for intervention, for help from above. For years I had spearheaded his advocacy and like a force to be reckoned with had determinedly sought help for him… therapies had abounded… tests had run the gamut, help had been had with speech, applied behavior analysis, sensory therapy, role-playing, educational aides, you name it… he'd done it. There had been medication after medication tried and yet nothing seemed to be the answer needed. There had been profound changes of improvement and reason to celebrate… and yet this issue of physical rage and defiance still remained… and not small issues at that. The issues had grown to monstrous proportions as he'd grown in strength and willpower and although his behavior had tamed at school for the most part thankfully… home still proved to be challenging.
Soon would come objects thrown against the door and walls. His die cast Thomas The Trains he'd clutched in his tiny hand at two and once upon a time happily carried in his pockets along with treasured rocks, Starburst and marbles were thrown against his door. Soon would come bigger objects like lamps, chairs and storage bins being hurled down the hallway toward the kitchen. You had two choices: ignore it or go confront it. Ignoring it meant having your home destroyed. Confronting it meant going into battle and physically trying to restrain him (or risk getting annihilated)… something that if you have lived this life yourself… you know it's not what you exactly pictured doing one day… it's the furthest thing you pictured dealing with when you had a mental picturesque snapshot of your family life.
Instead you're met with fists in your face, your son spitting at you, your arms being bitten, your foot stomped on, your stomach punched, your legs kicked and bruised... all because someone didn't want to comply with a simple task such as teeth brushing, taking a shower or going to bed at 8:30 p.m.
You try to stay strong… you keep trying to push forward, you keep telling yourself "It will get better"… but for whatever reason it only appears to get worse. You wonder why God is allowing this to happen. You sometimes wonder why this is your life… having a temporary pity party for one. You wonder why he is behaving this way… what is needed to change it… to help it and to conquer it. You're left baffled and wondering why it had to happen to your child, to your family… because it affects each of you. You see your daughter running frightened to her room to hide. You have to have talks with her of "If he goes into fit mode run to your room and lock the door." You wonder why on earth it's right for her to have to grow up like this. She tells you "I don't know why he acts like this. I didn't want a brother like this." You nod and hug her… because who could scold her for being honest? It's affected her life and you worry who she will choose one day because of it… because this is what she has always known… and it's not normal, you tell her. This is not healthy. Healthy families don't have this… you stress… because you don't want her to believe for a minute this is okay or acceptable.
The doorbell rings… it's dark, night has arrived and against my better judgment I had called him, my ex to come help. He stands on the porch in running shorts, a black Northface jacket and I let him in. He's accosted by the twinkle lights on the Christmas tree in the otherwise black room and stands awkwardly by it.
"Where is he?" He asks me and I nod toward our son's bedroom. He makes his way in there and I follow close on his heels. I take a seat on the mini cream papasan chair across the room from our son's twin sized bed draped in a navy comforter. His father sits on the bed beside him and pulls him into a bear hug… something so out of character for him. He plants kisses atop his brown head and speaks to him a low soothing tone dripping with manipulation… it could have been a scene straight from the Godfather… and I watched as it eerily played out... wondering who this newest impostor was… because before when we were married he would have gone into an unhinged blind rage at our son's behavior.
"Now… You are so very, very lucky to have everything you could want at my house… but Mommy has rules at her house… and you need to follow them." as he spoke he planted more kisses on his brown haired head… "Now… do you think you can do that for me?" he asked softly.
I sat across from him perched on the papasan with crossed brows and an outraged expression.
"Excuse me? Can we talk?" I spoke… meaning it more of a statement versus a question.
"Sure!" He chirped at me cheerily rising from the bed… "I''ll be right back…" He promised our son.
Walking into the next room our inky silhouettes were framed against the dark gray painted wall from the Christmas tree lights beside us.
"What was that?" I hissed at him "Are you saying you don't have any rules at your house? Are you saying you don't make him brush his teeth?" I asked him.
"What? What did you want me to say to him?" He asked me expectantly, playing the innocent face.
I stood there staring at him in disbelief. Surely no one was that stupid. No one was that inept. This was like we were married again. It was happening all over again. Him gas lighting me… acting like he was in the right and I was just off my rocker imagining his behavior. But I knew now from enough therapy, enough insight into his manipulation, most importantly enough distance from him and enough coaching of how to handle him that this was not a time for me to doubt my instincts. I knew the truth. This was all calculated manipulation on his part to send a message to our son that I had zero authority, my rules were stupid and that yes, indeed his home was Disneyland and mine was comparable to living with Cruella De Ville.
I told him… "I want you to tell him that this behavior is not acceptable! I want you to tell him that you're not going to put up with him hitting me! Kicking me and destroying everything! That he can't behave this way! That's what I want!" I strongly told him. Inside though I seethed with exasperation. I knew it. I knew I shouldn't have called him. My therapist was right, of course. And yet this one time incident would show time and time again how he did not act like the father he needed to be but instead continually used our son as a pawn in his own agenda.
I would like to say things have improved since then… but unfortunately they haven't. I miss my son's laugh, silliness, and spirit of always wanting to help. Who he's become is someone nearly unrecognizable to me. The fact is, unless parental alienation is counteracted early on it's extremely difficult to turn around. Not impossible, just very challenging and the process takes time. The last day my son was in my home was March 30th and it's been extremely trying… ninety percent of my calls have gone unanswered, my texts have been ignored, my attempts rebuffed. Parental alienation can begin as benign but grow to monstrous proportions… especially if a parent is relentlessly using his (or her) children as pawns. I pray that with counseling and prayer that my son along with all the other children who have been successfully alienated from a warm, loving parent are helped to see the light… that they see what their parent has done in their own selfish agenda and hopefully reconciliation takes place with the other parent. Below I've listed five signs of parental alienation.
If you or someone you know is dealing with parental alienation
don't give up! Keep praying for help, for change, for hearts to be transformed.
CHECK OUT: RYAN THOMAS SPEAKS online here
5 Signs of Parental Alienation:
1. The child views the alienating parent as all good and the other parent as all bad. There is zero basis for the child's contempt and blatant hatred toward their targeted parent. The child doesn't have remorse, sadness, disappointment etc toward losing the relationship with their parent.
2. The child denies being coached or talked to privately by the alienating parent but in fact has. This damages the relationship the child has with the targeted parent because it takes away their role model… often the better of the two parents.
3. The child's negative attitude toward the targeted parent extends to all of his or her extended family. This is very much black and white thinking… "I've decided he or she is bad so all of them must be as well".
4. The child doesn't have a concrete reason for the hatred toward the target parent… it's all unjustified.
5. Nearly all parents who have been alienated from their child report a relationship that at one time was very close, warm and loving… only to now be baffled why they are hated. This complete turn around is not normal… and has a source… the alienating parent.
© gps-gracepowerstrength.blogspot.com ~ 2014
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Dire Straits Sold Masses of CDs Because They Were Picked to Pimp the Format
By Jordan Kushins on at
Money For Nothing by Dire Straits is a song remembered for many things: a dirty hook to kick things off; background vocals by Sting; a cool, early-VR-style video; and the inevitable Weird Al parody. It was a successful single on Brothers in Arms, a successful album that was one of the first major hits on those shiny, new-fangled compact discs.
A refresher:
Dave Simpson at the Guardian interviewed two research scientists at Philips who helped develop the nascent tech in the late 1970s, when vinyl and cassettes were at a crossroads and it seemed that a standardised, digital option could really change the musical landscape.
Their discussion of the tech's progression is great—seriously, go have a read!—but there's also a fascinating tidbit about how Brothers in Arms came to be such a massive, record-setting hit on this emerging format.
Jacques Heemskerk says:
We needed to do a lot of advertising and knew pop music would be the largest market, but we couldn't start with anything extreme, like punk. So we made a deal with Dire Straits to promote it: their music was all put on CD, and they appeared in posters and advertisements. When Brothers in Arms became the first million-selling compact disc, we knew we'd underestimated how quickly it would become the dominant format. The vinyl album was so established, and in the US it seemed unthinkable that the cassette would disappear. But after that, things changed very, very quickly.
It would be interesting to see a list of what other bands were considered for the push that would have undoubtedly changed their future. Could Frankie Goes to Hollywood or Katrina and the Waves have transcended one-hit-wonder status with a major nudge from the manufacturer? [The Guardian]
Jordan Kushins
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life-style, tax time, movies about tax
Along with death, tax is something fairly difficult to escape. And for many, taxation is not a particularly exciting subject. However tax, and particularly efforts to pay it or attempts to avoid paying it, has proven to be a particularly useful plot device in films from which many an interesting twist or turn has emerged. To get you in the mood to complete your tax return, or to help you procrastinate when it comes to filling out those forms, here are some films where tax, tax agents or tax evaders have played a starring role. You Can't Take It With You (1938): Martin Vanderhof (Lionel Barrymore) is grandpa of a wacky family who declares he does not believe in income tax and owes the government decades' worth of back taxes. When an Internal Revenue Service agent comes to collect, he asks the agent "Well, what do I get for my money?" The Jackpot (1950): Family man Bill Lawrence (James Stewart) wins thousands of dollars' worth of weird and wonderful prizes in a radio competition but his life is turned upside down when he is told he must sell the prizes to pay taxes on his win. Income Tax Sappy (1954): A short film starring The Three Stooges in which tax cheats Moe, Larry and Shemp become dodgy tax advisers and enjoy the high life this shenanigan temporarily brings them until they come up against an undercover Internal Revenue Service agent. The Mating Game (1959): Tax collector Lorenzo Charlton (Tony Randall) is ordered to investigate the Larkins, a farming family who owe money to the government. Lorenzo is shocked to find the father has never filed a tax return and as the investigation progresses sparks begin to fly between Lorenzo and the eldest Larkin daughter Mariette (Debbie Reynolds). The Blues Brothers (1980): a musical comedy in which paroled convict Jake (John Belushi) and his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) re-form their band to earn $5000 to pay property taxes in an effort to save the Catholic orphanage they grew up in from foreclosure. Harry's War (1981): When his aunt dies of a heart attack that he blames on the stress of her battle with the Internal Revenue Service, Harry Johnson (Edward Herrmann) takes up her fight and declares war on the IRS. The Untouchables (1987) Gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro)'s reign in 1930s Chicago is set to end if Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) can get him convicted on tax evasion charges. A Taxing Woman (1987): Set in Japan, tax auditor Ryko Itakura (Nobuko Miyamoto) investigates a hotel owner suspected of evading tax but her job is complicated by her growing sympathy towards him. The Firm (1993): Young graduate lawyer Mitch McDeere secures a position at a small but prosperous tax law firm and is seduced by the money and benefits that come with it. His concerns about the firm's clients are confirmed when he is approached by the FBI who are investigating their the firm's mafia connections. The Shawshank Redemption (1994): Imprisoned banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) provides tax and other financial advice to prison guards while formulating an escape plan. The Brady Bunch Movie (1995): Mike Brady (Gary Cole) and his wife Carol (Shelley Long) have just one week to raise $20,000 to pay back taxes or they risk losing their house to one of their scheming neighbours. Happy Gilmore (1996): A would-be ice hockey player with little skill other than an extraordinarily powerful slapshot, Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) turns his hand to an unorthodox style of golf to try to win money to stop his grandmother's house from being repossessed because she owes $270,000 in back taxes. Strange Bedfellows (2004): Set in an Australian country town, the announcement of a new tax benefit for homosexual couples prompts Vince (Paul Hogan) and Ralph (Michael Caton) to pass themselves off as gay. Stranger Than Fiction (2006): Auditor Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) discovers through a mysterious voice in his head he's the main character in a novel in progress by author Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson). Given she is renowned for killing off her main characters, Harold must find a way to change the ending of the story. Raid (2018): Set in 1980s India and inspired by a true story, a courageous Indian Revenue Service officer spearheads a raid on a powerful and dangerous man accused of tax evasion. Metti La Nonna In Freezer aka Put Nonna In The Freezer (2018): Set in Italy, bankruptcy looms for young art restorer Claudia (Miriam Leone) when her grandmother suddenly dies. She decides to freeze grandma so she can continue to collect her pension until the state pays her what she is due for a recent job. Things get more interesting when handsome tax police inspector Simone (Fabio De Luigi) turns up.
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/eV5wxSqxRk6zfLmD5bhc9J/85274235-67e7-4d6b-95c9-708693ee6035.jpg/r0_156_3072_1892_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
Films to see you through taxing times
Tax crimes: The Shawshank Redemption follows the story of prisoners Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red (Morgan Freeman, pictured) as they help the guards shelter money from tax.
Along with death, tax is something fairly difficult to escape.
And for many, taxation is not a particularly exciting subject.
However tax, and particularly efforts to pay it or attempts to avoid paying it, has proven to be a particularly useful plot device in films from which many an interesting twist or turn has emerged.
To get you in the mood to complete your tax return, or to help you procrastinate when it comes to filling out those forms, here are some films where tax, tax agents or tax evaders have played a starring role.
You Can't Take It With You (1938): Martin Vanderhof (Lionel Barrymore) is grandpa of a wacky family who declares he does not believe in income tax and owes the government decades' worth of back taxes. When an Internal Revenue Service agent comes to collect, he asks the agent "Well, what do I get for my money?"
The Jackpot (1950): Family man Bill Lawrence (James Stewart) wins thousands of dollars' worth of weird and wonderful prizes in a radio competition but his life is turned upside down when he is told he must sell the prizes to pay taxes on his win.
Income Tax Sappy (1954): A short film starring The Three Stooges in which tax cheats Moe, Larry and Shemp become dodgy tax advisers and enjoy the high life this shenanigan temporarily brings them until they come up against an undercover Internal Revenue Service agent.
The Mating Game (1959): Tax collector Lorenzo Charlton (Tony Randall) is ordered to investigate the Larkins, a farming family who owe money to the government. Lorenzo is shocked to find the father has never filed a tax return and as the investigation progresses sparks begin to fly between Lorenzo and the eldest Larkin daughter Mariette (Debbie Reynolds).
The Blues Brothers (1980): a musical comedy in which paroled convict Jake (John Belushi) and his brother Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) re-form their band to earn $5000 to pay property taxes in an effort to save the Catholic orphanage they grew up in from foreclosure.
Harry's War (1981): When his aunt dies of a heart attack that he blames on the stress of her battle with the Internal Revenue Service, Harry Johnson (Edward Herrmann) takes up her fight and declares war on the IRS.
The Untouchables (1987) Gangster Al Capone (Robert De Niro)'s reign in 1930s Chicago is set to end if Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner) can get him convicted on tax evasion charges.
A Taxing Woman (1987): Set in Japan, tax auditor Ryko Itakura (Nobuko Miyamoto) investigates a hotel owner suspected of evading tax but her job is complicated by her growing sympathy towards him.
The Firm (1993): Young graduate lawyer Mitch McDeere secures a position at a small but prosperous tax law firm and is seduced by the money and benefits that come with it. His concerns about the firm's clients are confirmed when he is approached by the FBI who are investigating their the firm's mafia connections.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994): Imprisoned banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) provides tax and other financial advice to prison guards while formulating an escape plan.
The Brady Bunch Movie (1995): Mike Brady (Gary Cole) and his wife Carol (Shelley Long) have just one week to raise $20,000 to pay back taxes or they risk losing their house to one of their scheming neighbours.
The Brady Bunch had to raise $20,000 to pay back taxes or they risk losing their house to one of their scheming neighbours.
Happy Gilmore (1996): A would-be ice hockey player with little skill other than an extraordinarily powerful slapshot, Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) turns his hand to an unorthodox style of golf to try to win money to stop his grandmother's house from being repossessed because she owes $270,000 in back taxes.
Strange Bedfellows (2004): Set in an Australian country town, the announcement of a new tax benefit for homosexual couples prompts Vince (Paul Hogan) and Ralph (Michael Caton) to pass themselves off as gay.
Stranger Than Fiction (2006): Auditor Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) discovers through a mysterious voice in his head he's the main character in a novel in progress by author Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson). Given she is renowned for killing off her main characters, Harold must find a way to change the ending of the story.
Raid (2018): Set in 1980s India and inspired by a true story, a courageous Indian Revenue Service officer spearheads a raid on a powerful and dangerous man accused of tax evasion.
Metti La Nonna In Freezer aka Put Nonna In The Freezer (2018): Set in Italy,bankruptcy looms for young art restorer Claudia (Miriam Leone) when her grandmother suddenly dies. She decides to freeze grandma so she can continue to collect her pension until the state pays her what she is due for a recent job. Things get more interesting when handsome tax police inspector Simone (Fabio De Luigi) turns up.
This story Films to see you through taxing times first appeared on Local News.
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Greater Manchester no longer has a Police and Crime Commissioner.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester has now taken responsibility for policing and crime.
Visit the policing and crime section of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website.
Continue on to the gmpcc.org.uk website by closing this window, which is no longer maintained but will remain online temporarily for reference purposes.
Greater Manchester no longer has a Police and Crime Commissioner. The Mayor of Greater Manchester has now taken responsibility for policing and crime.
Greater Manchester Mayor and Police and Crime Commissioner
Listen to the site
info@gmpcc.org.uk 0161 604 7711
Crime continues to fall
While crime in Greater Manchester continues to fall, officers are working hard to address an increase in two types of offence over the past year.
Figures released today, Thursday 17 October 2013, confirm that sexual offences have gone up by 15% and thefts from people in public have increased by 17%.
The statistics, released by the Home Office for the 12-month period between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013, show that overall crime is down by nine per cent.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester, Tony Lloyd said: “It’s good news for the communities of Greater Manchester that crime continues to fall. This is thanks to the commitment of GMP officers and staff and the unique partnership model we have in Greater Manchester of local people working with the police and other agencies to build safer communities.
“But we need to remember that behind the statistics are real victims. A drop in crime will be no comfort to the family that have just been burgled or the elderly lady who’s just been robbed, which is why we need to make sure the needs of victims are at the centre of everything we do.
“The increase in sexual offences suggests that the horrific cases of sexual abuse involving Jimmy Savile and other high-profile individuals has encouraged more victims to come forward to report abuse. Greater Manchester Police has improved the way it deals with these horrific crimes and has a team of specialised officers dedicated to investigating them. These victims have made a brave first step, and we need to make sure they are at the heart of what we do and are supported throughout the criminal justice process.”
Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “These figures demonstrate that victims of sexual offences are continuing to have more confidence in coming to the police, which is a positive thing.
“The rise also coincides with the introduction of dedicated units investigating serious sexual offences in June 2012, bringing about more consistent crime recording practices across the force.
“There has also been an increase in the number of historic offences, high-profile investigations into Jimmy Savile and other celebrities led to a nationwide increase in the number of people having the confidence to report historic abuse to the police.
“Broadly speaking however, it is clear that these figures say more about how better equipped GMP is in supporting victims through the investigative process.”
The increase in theft offences relates to a particular issue of mobile phone theft which GMP has experienced in recent months.
As the popularity of smart phones has increased, so too have the reports of theft that GMP receives. Last year more than 5,000 phones were stolen totalling a value of more than £1.9m.
In response to this trend, GMP launched Operation Network, which aims to reduce the number of these offences. By using a Force level approach the operation pro-actively targets those involved in mobile phone criminality, including the handling and exporting of handsets.
DCC Hopkins continued: “The Operation Network team takes a co-ordinated approach, shares best practice and oversees activity around prevention, intelligence and enforcement.
“Although it may seem like low level criminality, this is certainly not the case. Organised crime groups are becoming increasingly involved in the theft of mobile phones as this funds further criminal activity.
“Offenders are working solo or in gangs and there is intelligence to suggest that stolen phones are being exported abroad, where they are worth a lot more than in the UK.”
Police and Crime Plan
How much do you know?
Stop and search
Did you know that you can film the police while they stop and search you?
Yes, as long as what I’m doing doesn’t get in the way of the actual search.
No, I didn’t, but I do now!
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Home / Article: IKEA named a Best Employer
IKEA named a Best Employer
BURLINGTON, Ontario – For the third consecutive year, IKEA Canada has been selected as one of Canada’s Best Employers by Forbes Magazine. In 2018, the home furnishings retailer increased its placement to #70 overall, up from #115 last year, and ranked within the Top Five for the Retail & Wholesale Industry.
“IKEA is a place where down-to-earth, hard-working individuals can thrive and be successful," Marsha Smith, president of IKEA Canada, said in a statement. “We are grateful to our 6,300 co-workers across the country for their contribution in making IKEA one of Forbes Best Employers in Canada. We are dedicated to ensuring that IKEA continues to be a great place to work through our Total Rewards offering, talent development opportunities and new ways of working that better recognize the realities of our co-workers today.”
Last year, more than 2,200 co-workers joined IKEA Canada, bringing the company’s total workforce to more than 6,300 across the country. In 2017, IKEA successfully implemented four-week scheduling for co-workers to better plan their lives and incorporate an enhanced work-life balance. This year, IKEA is rolling out minimum hours for all co-workers, while also adding more full-time opportunities across units. The company also introduced a new, more competitive Group RRSP program for co-workers, adding to its Total Rewards offering which includes a performance-driven bonus program, the annual Tack loyalty program, subsidised meals and a co-worker discount.
Diversity continues to be a focus in the IKEA workplace, with a strong emphasis on gender balance – some 55% of co-workers and 53% of managers are women. Additionally, with sustainability at the core of its business, IKEA has been named as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for nine years in a row by Mediacorp.
To determine Canada’s Best Employers, Forbes worked with online statistics provider Statista to ask more than 8,000 Canadian employees to determine, on a scale of zero to 10, how likely they were to recommend their employer to someone else. Further, how did they feel about the other employers in their industry? The resulting list included 300 employers across 25 industries. View the full list at http://www.forbes.com/canada-best-employers/list
The only other retailer with a strong furniture and mattress business to be recognised as a Best Employer by Forbes was the Ottawa-based Costco Canada, which was ranked at #40 on the 2018 list. It employs just over 32,600 people across the country.
IKEA Canada has 13 stores, an e-commerce virtual store, six pick-up and order points and 13 Collection Points. It will also open new stores in Quebec City and London, Ontario over the coming months. Last year, it welcomed 28 million visitors to its stores and 95 million visitors to the IKEA.ca web site.
Related Story: Blue and yellow cladding complete on IKEA Quebec City
Related Story: IKEA Canada sales up 5.9%
Related Story: IKEA going to London
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Pistons assistant Tim Hardaway charged with drunken driving.
By Brett Squires
Pistons assistant Tim Hardaway was pulled over and charged with drunken driving.
The former five-time All-Star reportedly had a blood alcohol content of .17, double the legal limit. This isn’t the recommended way to be a role model for one of the youngest teams in the NBA but Hardaway is said to be fighting the charge.
Detroit PistonsTim Hardaway
August 23, 2016, 7:52 am
Reynolds played in 19 games with the Wolves as a rookie after playing for five years at Tulane University. As he moves to the Bucks, expect him to continue to compete for the opportunity to be a backup point guard in the NBA. With the Bucks entering next season as title contenders, there is no room for Reynolds in the fantasy landscape.
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Martin Maes - The Best is Yet to Come
Belgian phenom Martin Maes will keep the good times rolling with his GT family for the next three years. Now that the dust has settled on a stellar year, Maes can focus on preparing for more Enduro World Series (EWS) wins and more World Cup downhill victories in the 2019 season and beyond.
Since joining GT in 2013, Martin Maes has taken the EWS scene by storm, racing on some of the toughest courses and against fierce competitors globally. “I’ve grown up on GT bikes, and I can’t thank them enough for their support over the years,” said Maes. “I’m pumped to continue with GT and my goal of winning a World Championship. I look forward to riding all over the world on the EWS circuit and at other races with a team who believes in me and the sport of mountain biking.”
“Martin is a very gifted rider, and he has also always been both humble and professional. At the young age of 21, he brings a lot of experience to the team,” commented GTFR team manager Mark Maurissen. “I couldn’t be prouder of Martin and GTFR. We are going through this adventure together, and I can’t wait to keep watching Martin chase down medals all over the world.”
In 2018, Maes made history with a massive win at the World Cup Downhill Finals in La Bresse, France after taking the EWS Enduro win at Whistler Crankworx the week before. He followed up both wins with a silver medal at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in downhill in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
Over the years, Maes has climbed the ranks of the Enduro World Series, including EWS Junior Overall winner (2013), EWS Finale Winner (2016), and of course EWS Whistler Winner. Although Enduro is his passion, fans may see Maes continue to dabble in downhill. His primary discipline for the 2019 season is yet to be confirmed. According to Maurissen, “Martin wants to be world champion. Whether he will focus on downhill or enduro is still to be determined, and GT will support whatever decision he makes.”
Follow the GT YouTube channel to keep up-to-date with what we're up to!
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Welcome to Guitar Chords 247! Here you will find more than 42,000 free guitar chords and chord variations all displayed in our popular standard guitar chord charts.
Root Chords
The root note is the first note in a chord. On guitar, this is usually the lowest sounding note in a chord.
Click on the root note to browse different fingerings.
C - C# - D - D# - E - F - F# - G - G# - A - A# -B
Popular Beginner Guitar Chords
Below are some of the most popular guitar chords that most beginners start with.
Click on the image of the guitar chord to browse the different fingerings.
How to Read Chord Charts
The horizontal lines represent the frets on the guitar and the vertical lines represent the strings. The numbers listed let you know what fret number it is referring too. If there is an X it means don't play that string and if there is a 0 it means to play that string but do not press down on it anywhere. The black circles show you where to press down.
Mastering Common Guitar Chords
Chords are the backbone of most guitar music. As a beginner, mastering the most common chords allows you to play along to popular songs and even start writing your own. Technically speaking, a chord is a group of three or more notes played in one smooth strumming motion. Chords are classified according to the overall effect they produce. Major and minor chords, which create happy and sad sounds, respectively, are the most basic chords you'll need to play beginner-friendly songs.
Understanding Chords
Getting to grips with how chords are formed gives you a basic introduction to music theory and helps you understand the ways you can alter them to create more interesting sounds. All chords are built from certain notes in scales. The C major scale is the easiest, because it just runs C, D, E, F, G, A and B. These notes are numbered (usually using Roman numerals) in that order, from one (I) to seven (VII).
A major chord is made from the I, III and V notes, so C major uses the notes C, E and G. To make a major chord into a minor, you flatten (lower the pitch by one fret, or a half-step) the III note. This means C minor is made up of C, Eb (flat) and G. So now, from the E major scale, E = I, F# (sharp) =II, G# = III, A = IV, B = V, C# = VI and D# = VII, you can work out both the major and minor chords. Sharps are just the opposite of flats, so you raise the pitch by one fret (or half-step). When you're working out the E minor chord, you have to flatten the F#, which just makes it back into a natural (neither flat nor sharp) F.
Common Open Major and Minor Chords
"Open" chords get their name from the fact that they generally include strings played open. This means that the strings are played without being pushed down at a fret, which makes chords including them easier to play for beginners. When you start to learn chords, you have to focus on using the right fingers to press down each note and make sure you're pressing the strings down firmly enough.
Play each note of the chord one after another (known as playing an arpeggio) to check if any are being accidently muted or need pressing down harder. If you find that you're accidently muting a string with one of your fingers, try lowering your thumb so the tip reaches around half way up the back of the guitar neck. This gives your fingers a better angle to approach the fretboard.
Here are the most common open chords. In the descriptions, the strings are referred to as the first string, second string, and so on. The first string is the high-pitched, thin one and the sixth is the thick one that's closest to you when you're playing.
C major. Press your ring finger down on the third fret of the fifth string, your middle on the second fret of the fourth string and your index finger on the first fret of the second string. You strum every string apart from the sixth string.
F major. This is fairly similar to the C, but a little more difficult to play. Press the fourth string down at the third fret with your ring finger, the third string down at the second fret with your middle finger, and the first and second strings down at the first fret with your index. You just flatten your index finger down across the two strings; lower your thumb if you struggle. You don't play the fifth or sixth strings in this chord.
G major. Push the sixth string down at the third fret with your middle finger, the first string down at the third fret with your ring finger and the fifth string at the second fret with your index finger. You play every string in this chord.
A minor. This one is easy; fret a C major. Now move your ring finger onto the second fret of the third string. Play the same strings as you do in C major. Play C major and then A minor and note the difference in sound.
E minor. Push down the fourth and fifth strings at the second fret. Use your index finger for the fifth string and your middle for the second. You strum every string in this chord. You can use your middle and ring fingers if you prefer.
Chord Change
The hardest thing about playing chords when you get started is changing between them. To effectively change between chords, you need to be economical with your movements. Spend a bit of time thinking about where your fingers need to be for each chord, and work out the most efficient way to move from one to the other. For example, from a C major, you can flatten your index finger so it covers the first string too and move your middle and ring fingers both down a string to switch to an F. Easy changes to start with are between C major and A minor and G major and E minor.
Changing from C or F to G is pretty difficult, but you'll get it with practice. If there's just a small gap in your playing when you change between chords, you can normally get away continuing strumming anyway until your fingers catch up.
Putting Chords into Use
With just a little more music theory, you can learn to write simple songs with the chords you've just learned. The song would be in the key of C major (C, D, E, F, G, A and B). You can use the major chords for the I, IV and V notes and the minors for the II, III and VI notes. That means you can play a chord progression which uses all of the chords you've learnt, if you want to.
Try one that starts with C, moves to F, then G and then back to C. This is the most basic progression, and uses the major chords you know. If you start with an A minor before going to C you can make a more interesting progression which incorporates both major and minor chords. Generally speaking, you want to focus on the chord with the same name as the key (the root), which in this case is C. Think of the other chords as either springing from it or leading back to it. Play around with the chords and see what you can come up with!
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FIFA drops plans for 48-team 2022 World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino delivers a speech during an awarding ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow on Thursday. Reuters
FIFA shelved a proposed expansion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the world football body’s president Gianni Infantino.
Infantino had proposed expanding the tournament and explored the idea of adding additional host nations.
The 2022 tournament in the Gulf state will now be played with 32 nations taking part.
FIFA said it had abandoned the expansion plans “following a thorough and comprehensive consultation process” which led to the conclusion that “under the current circumstances such a proposal could not be made now”.
“(The tournament) will therefore remain as originally planned with 32 teams and no proposal will be submitted at the next FIFA Congress on 5 June,” FIFA said in a statement.
The expansion was a pet project of Infantino.
The study, seen by AFP, also claimed that a Qatar World Cup with 48 teams would generate “between $300-$400 million (265-354 million euros) of additional income”.
Specifically FIFA was counting on an additional $120 million in TV rights, $150 million in marketing rights and $90 million from ticket sales.
The news comes after Europe’s top football clubs said in March they would boycott an expanded 24-team Club World Cup -- also backed by Infantino -- which is planned to take place in June and July 2021, replacing the Confederations Cup tournament.
An announcement of the final decision had not been expected until next month’s FIFA Congress to be held in Paris ahead of the women’s World Cup that takes place in France between June 7 and July 7.
FIFA said it had examined the possibility of Qatar hosting a 48-team tournament on its own, but a study “concluded that due to the advanced stage of preparations and the need for a detailed assessment of the potential logistical impact on the host country, more time would be required and a decision could not be taken before the deadline of June”.
FIFA has dropped the plan to expand the 2022 tournament despite recommending in March that the number of teams should be raised to 48 for that tournament, ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Expanding the competition for the 2022 tournament was always a complicated proposition. FIFA had sounded out potential co-hosts in the region willing to support Qatar. Qatar’s Supreme Committee, charged with the organisation of the tournament, said in reaction to FIFA’s decision that “Qatar had always been open to the idea of an expanded tournament in 2022 had a viable operating model been found and had all parties concluded that an expanded 48-team edition was in the best interest of football and Qatar as the host nation.”
But it said there was insufficient time to make a deeper assessment before the June deadline and “it was therefore decided not to further pursue this option.”
“With just three and a half years to go until kick off, Qatar remains as committed as ever to ensuring the 32-team FIFA World Cup in 2022 is one of the best tournaments ever and one that makes the entire Arab world proud,” the Supreme Committee said.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al Khelaifi was on Thursday charged with corruption in the bidding process for this year’s world athletics championships in Doha, judicial sources said.
Khelaifi, who is also the boss of Qatari television channel BeIn Sports, has been under investigation since March in connection with the bidding process for the 2017 and the 2019 world championships.
Another BeIn executive, Yousef Al Obaidly, a PSG board member, is also under investigation by French justice over the awarding of the 2019 worlds to Qatar.
Doha lost out to London to stage the 2017 worlds but beat off opposition to host this year’s event from Eugene in the United States and Barcelona.
Khelaifi was informed of his “mis en examen”, a French legal term that has no direct equivalent in the American or British legal systems but roughly translates as being charged, by letter. He was unable to attend a May 16 court hearing as he was in Qatar for the Cup final.
The French term does not automatically trigger a trial but means that prosecutors believe there is strong or corroborated evidence of wrongdoing.
The magistrates are looking specifically at two payments of $3.5 million in 2011 by Oryx Qatar Sports Investment, a company jointly owned by Khelaifi and his brother Khalid, to a sports marketing firm run by Papa Massata Diack.
FIFA World Cup soccer
US favourites in toughest-ever Women’s World Cup field
The US may be favourites to retain their Women’s World Cup title but the rapid development of the game globally means they will face a tougher field than ever before when the tournament gets underway in France on Friday.
Tough journey as South Korean mother blazes trail at World Cup
When defender Hwang Bo-ram takes to the field in France next month, she will become the first mother to play for South Korea at the Women’s World Cup, challenging traditional notions of motherhood in her homeland.
Hazard wants happy Chelsea ending in Europa showdown ahead of move to Real
Chelsea fear it may be a parting gift, but should Wednesday’s Europa League final be Eden Hazard’s last game for the club, the Belgian is determined to go out on a high.
Lloyd shines as champions US join Sweden in World Cup last 16
Veteran Carli Lloyd became the first player to score in six consecutive women’s World Cup matches as the US eased to a 3-0 win over Chile on Sunday and joined Sweden in securing their passage to the last 16.
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GA Cumming
Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States, and the sole incorporated area in the county. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Its population was 5,430 at the 2010 census, up from 4,220 in 2000. Surrounding unincorporated areas with a Cumming mailing address have a population of approximately 100,000. Cumming is the county seat of Forsyth County.
6985 Concord Brook LN, Cumming, GA 30028
Listing Provided By Andy Hall (License ID: 362705) of Lullwater Realty, Inc.
Listing Provided By Aneta Blanco (License ID: 363222) of Lullwater Realty, Inc.
3470 Canon Creek DR, Cumming, GA 30041
Listing Provided By Jenna Schier (License ID: 387336) of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties
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Gary Nock- Singer /Song Writer
Work So Far ....
BOOK GARY
Producer, musician, singer, published songwriter and seasoned performing artist, Gary has toured the world several times over with various Live projects and written songs now well known across the world. Gary’s debut album 'The Life We Learned To Live' was released in 2011 and three of the songs were featured on huge TV Ad Campaigns for Mars, Arla and Microsoft.
Another more recent song of Gary's ‘These City Steets’ was featured on the Movie Soundtrack Album for Warners British Film, starring Idriss Elba, ‘100 Streets’. You can download all of Garys Music via the iTunes link below. A producer and songwriter by day, published by legendary band Snow Patrols Publishing Company - 'Polar Patrol (now Polar Spirit B-Unique)’. Gary has worked with some of the Countries brightest up and coming artists including Jamie Lawson & Dagny amongst many others as well as many established acts.
A live performer by night, Gary goes out with armed with an Acoustic Guitar and Microphone and performs a mix of originals, including the songs featured on TV Ads, and covers varying from 60s through to Modern Day, from The Beatles & The Kinks to Ed Sheeran & James Bay and everything in between'
A selection of projects I've been involved with:
"Make It Better"
Arla Milk TV Commercial
"A Team" (Cover)
Classic Ed Sheeran Cover ....
Gary began his troubadour journey at the advanced age of 17, learning from songbooks, determined to capture whatever it is a classic songwriter has under their fingertips.
Within a couple of years he was playing around the bars in Devon where he'd grown up.
A while after his own material began pouring out, he moved back to the West Midlands - his birthplace - and started touring.
From these humble beginnings he's since shared the stage with many great contemporaries including Jamie Lawson, Ed Harcourt & Newton Faulkner to name but a few, as well writing and recording with some amazing songwriters and producers.
Gary went on to sign a publishing deal with P and P Songs in 2007 and after 3 years of working together the relationship ended and Gary moved on alone, working hard, writing and recording with all sorts of artists across many genres.
Gary managed to pick up 3 Major Synchs on TV Adverts in the following year with Mars (UK and Ireland), Arla (Pan-European) and Microsoft (Worldwide) all choosing
Gary's songs for their campaigns. Now working under the Polar Spirit B-Unique banner, Gary continues his songwriting and performing throughout the world.
To buy Gary's music click here ....
Contact or Book Gary Today
Drop me a line so we can collaborate!
Website design www.updatewebsites.co.uk © 2019
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The Best Preschool and Elementary School Contractors in the U.S.
Schools are a child’s second home. Understand that fact and you’ll understand why these buildings are so complex to build. While learning is the primary concern of schools, a lot of variables are in play if that learning is to be properly supported. Each student’s safety is important. Many schools now follow complex, state-specific safety standards. Aside from safety issues, there are pressing aesthetic issues: a pleasant classroom environment will result in lively class discussion and focused study. Schools in the U.S. and other countries build spacious areas that encourage students and staff to engage in physical activities, and the school thus often plays the role of a neighborhood gym. And, of course, many students eat at least one meal a day at school, sometimes more, and complex food service infrastructure also needs to a part of any plans. And building the classroom right, the first time, will help save taxpayers and school donors on long-term expenses when it comes maintenance and renovation.
Building a school is not an easy task, and that building represents a sacred public trust: you are building the structure that will nurture a culture and guard the promise of the next generation. Building a school takes considerable planning and consideration, to put it mildly.
If you’re a school administrator or a city official faced with this task, we’ve listed the best preschool and elementary school contractors for each state. We’ve looked specifically for firms with extensive experience in the area of educational construction. If you’re looking to build a preschool or elementary school in your area, there’s a contractor on this list for you!
Doster Construction Company
Website | 205-443-3800 | 2100 International Park Dr., Birmingham, AL 35243
Doster Construction Company has been serving Alabama and Tennessee with excellent construction services since 1969. Its expertise in the K-12 and higher education market is evident through the numerous projects it has built in and out of Alabama’s borders. Doster’s building-savvy team has a firm understanding of the safety standards that each school’s location requires. Doster constructed the Peachtree Ridge Cluster, a 116,000-square-foot elementary school in Suwanee, Georgia. The elementary school houses 54 instructional units and can accommodate up to 840 students. Valued at $9 million, the firm paid attention to the quality of materials and to the overall structure of the building. The featured project is just one of the many projects that the firm has creatively, and skillfully, crafted.
Doster’s excellence in construction has been repeatedly recognized by the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) with multiple S.T.E.P Safety Awards and National Excellence in Construction Eagle Awards. Additionally, the firm was also recognized twice as the Contractor of the Year by the American Subcontractor’s Association of Alabama.
Davis Constructors & Engineers
Website | 907-562-2336 | 6591 A St. Suite #300, Anchorage, AK 99518
Davis Constructors & Engineers is an Alaska-based construction firm founded in 1976. Its service spans from pre-construction to precast concrete to wood frame structures. The firm has extensive experience in school construction, hotel construction, retail stores, and office buildings, and in rural and urban areas of Alaska alike. Excellence Awards in Construction from the Associated General Contractors of Alaska (AGC of Alaska) are an indication of the firm’s capabilities. Apart from awards, the firm’s growth is evident in its ranking in the 24th spot in Alaska Business Monthly Top 49ers list.
In 2013 Davis Constructors & Engineers completed renovating Sand Lake Elementary, a Japanese immersion school. Almost two-thirds of existing buildings were demolished, and the seven remaining classrooms, gymnasiums, and other facilities underwent a much-needed renovation. An interesting aspect of this school is its use of translucent light panels called KalWall, a direct import from Japanese culture.
Waltz Construction
Website | 480-759-9622 | 449 S 48th St. Suite #105, Tempe, AZ 85281
Education, retail, multi-family homes, and the hospitality industry are just some of Waltz Construction’s many areas of specialization. The firm understands that each project is special, which is why the firm has a structured and organized team for each sector. Waltz Construction builds for the future and is committed to delivering solutions.
The firm has extensive experience in building elementary and charter schools. A perfect example is the 42,000-square-foot charter school in Maryvale, Arizona, which took Waltz Construction ten months to complete. The Western School of Science & Technology caters to 600 grade 7 to 12 students. Waltz constructed the school, separating the lower and upper grades on each floor. A full-sized multipurpose gymnasium and outdoor field provide a space for physical education classes and other activities.
Website | 501-505-5800 | 612 Garland St., Conway, AR 72032
Nabholz provides construction services in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. Founded in 1949 as a general contractor, the firm offers an extensive list of professional services such as design-build, preconstruction services, millwork, excavation, environmental services, industrial services, civil services, and remodeling among many others. Nabholz’ exceptional skill in construction has earned it numerous Excellence Awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors chapters in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Currently, the company is ranked 107 on the Engineering News-Record’s Top 400 Contractors.
The firm’s education construction expertise is evidenced by the breadth and diversity of its portfolio. Take a look at the newly-built Lincoln Elementary school in Hoisington, Kansas, boasting 55,000 square feet of the latest in school facilities, including secure entries, a well-lit cafeteria, gymnasium, spacious playground, and large outdoor soccer field.
Swinerton
Website | 415-421-2980 | 260 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107
Swinerton has been building with innovative solutions for each sector in every industry since 1888. The firm recently received an Award of Excellence and Award of Merit from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). Swinerton’s commitment to constructing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited structures has extended to completed structures in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Texas, Oregon, and Washington.
Swinerton was the chosen contractor to build the BVSD Emerald Elementary school in Broomfield, Colorado. Behind the school’s simple facade are fun, quirky spaces. The school’s floor plan is shaped by a fresh and comfortable concept. Bookshelves, chairs, tables, and couches were all reimagined as random geometrical shapes to add a touch of fun.
Nunn Construction
Website | 719-599-7710 | 925 Elkton Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Based in Colorado Springs since its genesis in 1983, Nunn Construction has a firm understanding of Colorado’s construction industry needs. Nunn Construction specializes in building educational, healthcare, municipal, and commercial facilities. Tyson Nuun manages the firm in his role as its current president. Tyson was exposed to the construction industry at a young age and brought that experience to the company. Because of its excellence in construction, the company received the 2017 Award for Construction Excellence from the Association of General Contractors.
Nunn Construction completed the Legacy Peak Elementary school and Center for Modern Learning. The 97,493-square-foot school accommodates up to 600 students from preschool to the fifth grade. The expansive lot allows students to enjoy a variety of features, including a learning commons, gymnasium, cafeteria, music, and art rooms.
Downes Construction Company
Website | 860-229-3755 | 200 Stanley St., New Britain, CT 06050
Downes Construction Company is a family-owned business serving Connecticut with unique and advanced building technologies since 1934. Third generation leader, John Downes, oversees the company and its construction projects. The firm’s skilled and driven team ensures the success of each project through careful steps from pre-construction to continuing assistance after the building is completed.
Downes Construction Company’s online portfolio reflects its excellence in construction. Among its various works is a refreshed elementary school. The Gaffney Elementary School contracted Downes Construction Company to renovate and provide additional construction services. The New Britain, Connecticut school included a total of 66,000 square feet of renovation and 15,000 square feet of new buildings.
Website | 302-655-3434 | 1300 N. Grant Ave. Suite #101, Wilmington, DE 19806
Bancroft is a full-range construction firm serving the Mid-Atlantic regions including Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The firm covers construction for industries such as education, healthcare, k-12, science and technology, and government infrastructures. Aside from building high-quality buildings, Bancroft is also a constant recipient of awards from ABC.
Bancroft built the first LEED-certified school in Delaware. Hanby Elementary school & Bush Early Education Center is an up-to-date facility with a total of 80,000 square feet. Some of its features include a media center, a special education wing, an auditorium/gymnasium, and an occupational/physical therapy room. The school is located in Wilmington, DE and is part of the Brandywine School District.
Pirtle Construction Company
Website | 954-797-0410 | 5700 Griffin Rd. Suite #200, Davie, FL 33314
From concept down to a structure’s completion, Pirtle Construction Company delivers excellent service. Pirtle has earned an admirable reputation among its clients making it one of Florida’s leading construction companies. The firm provides clients with a fast, efficient construction process that stays on budget and on time. Pirtle constructed the Dr. Phillips Elementary school in Orlando, Florida. The new school included 67,000 square feet of new structures over three phases on existing school campuses.
Pirtle’s has maintained affiliation with professional associations including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the National Institute of Building Sciences, ABC, Southeast Construction, and the Construction Association of South Florida.
Batson-Cook Construction
Website | 706-643-2500 | 817 4th Ave., West Point, GA 31833
A century of unmatched construction service in Georgia developed Batson-Cook Construction’s strong relationship with its local clients. Whether it’s a minor or major construction concern, the firm’s teamwork has made it possible. From its inception in 1915 until now the firm has built more than a hundred facilities, ten of which are education structures.
Jack Lamb Elementary school is located in Tampa, Florida. The 98,135-square-foot elementary school serves as a second home to about 950 students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Batson-Cook Construction collaborated with Holmes Hepner & Associates to design and construct the school. The new building is LEED Silver certified.
Ralph S. Inouye Co. Ltd.
Website | 808-839-9002 | 500 Alakawa St., Rm. #220E, Honolulu, HI 96817
Since its inception in 1962, Ralph S. Inouye Co. Ltd. has contributed greatly to the development and growth of the construction industry in Hawaii. The firm works on a diverse set of projects from diverse industries including education, government, commercial, and renovation. Because of the firm’s excellence in construction, its name has become synonymous with quality construction.
The Rainbow Place, built in the 70s, serves as a testimony to the quality and durability of construction that Ralph S. Inouye Co. Ltd. offers. Also among its many projects is the renovation of the Central Union Church Preschool in Honolulu, Hawaii. The preschool was built in 1928 and nurtures children ages two to six years old.
Petra Inc.
Website | 208-323-4500 | 1097 N. Rosario St. Suite #200, Meridian, ID 83642
Petra Incorporated draws strength from its decades of experience in the construction industry. As a leading company in Idaho, and serving Washington as well as Colorado, Petra upholds a high standard of quality. Jerry Frank’s ideals when he founded the firm in 1994 are still guiding the firm a quarter of a century later.
Petra Inc. provided new construction for the Connell Elementary School in Connell, Washington. The construction included a 2-story wing for kindergarten and second-grade students. A lawn and play area are also accessible from the east side of the upper year classrooms. Petra constructed an additional one-story wing which houses the music room, library, and administrative offices.
Pepper Construction
Website | 847-381-2760 | 411 Lake Zurich Rd., Barrington, IL 60010
Named as the sixth largest contractor in the Midwest and the nation’s 64th largest contractor, Pepper Construction set the bar high for construction in Illinois. Stan Pepper’s extensive knowledge of construction guides the company. With his leadership and strong work ethics, the firm has built countless valuable projects in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Oak Grove Elementary school in Green Oaks, Illinois sought the service of Pepper Construction to renovate existing school buildings. The extensive improvement included an update of the classrooms as seen in the photo, lab, cafeteria, and gym renovation added with new equipment. Pepper Construction partnered with RuckPate Architecture/CS2 Design for this 21st-century school update.
Hagerman
Website | 260-424-1470 | 510 W Washington Blvd., Fort Wayne, IN 46802
100 years of service and four generations of leaders make up one company with an exceptional history in building. Hagerman, established in 1908, continues to bring its extensive expertise in construction to the projects it currently handles. Jeff Hagerman’s interest in building and erecting structures started at a young age. He is now the fourth generation builder leading Hagerman.
Bluffton-Harrison Elementary school serves as a distinct place where the community, especially students, can come and learn. Hagerman was honored to be the design/build team to handle the recent school improvements and expansion. The firm gave the classroom space a fresh look, a new kitchen and cafeteria, and a much-needed expansion of the administration suite. All of the construction was completed during the summer months.
Russell Construction
Website | 563-459-4600 | 4600 E 53rd St., Davenport, IA 52807
Jim Russell started out Russell Construction with two employees and a business card. Jim’s hard work and dedication have caused the company to grow significantly, reaching over 180 million dollars in annual sales. The growth of the company sparked the expansion of its service in construction. Russell Construction’s client-centered approach gives the firm a chance to create and construct projects that tailor-fit the needs of the industry.
Silas Willard, in Galesburg Illinois, is a 73,000 square feet elementary school constructed by Russell. The school accommodates more than 600 students, including 50 in special education. One of the notable qualities of the newly-built campus is its core classrooms that facilitate better learning by focusing on smaller numbers of students.
Straub Construction
Website | 913-451-8828 | 7775 Meadow View Dr., Shawnee, KS 66227
In 1920, Ernest Straub, Sr. built Straub Construction to work on the development of homes, churches, and schools in Greater Kansas City. Ernest’s passion for building was passed on to his son Ernie Straub, Jr. and later on to Ernie Straub III. Under Ernie Straub III’s leadership, the firm experienced substantial growth during the 1990s. Straub became a full-service general contractor for industries in education, commercial, religious, senior living, and multi-family residences.
Shawanoe Elementary school is among the firm’s many education-focused projects. The project included the gymnasium, classrooms, and library. The color palette focused on bright colors that promote a fun and engaging atmosphere for kids.
Branscum
Website | 270-866-5107 | 90 Key Village Rd., Russell Springs, KY 42642
Branscum Construction Company is a family-owned business founded in 1977. Paul and Stephen Branscum led the firm to become Kentucky’s leading industry leader in commercial and general contracting. Branscum focuses on developing building processes that make each of its projects efficient and tailored to unique client requirements.
Aside from its affiliation with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the firm was awarded a Building for Excellence Associate of the Year Award in 2017. Visit its online portfolio and see the spectrum of works the firm is capable of completing. The Pleasant View Elementary School in Williamsburg, Kentucky is a project owned by the Whitley County Board of Education. Branscum partnered with Ross Rarrant Architect to build the 45,380-square-foot school.
The Lemoine Company
Website | 504-309-2424 | 300 Lafayette St. Suite #100, New Orleans, LA 70130
Growing from a small construction company started in 1975, The Lemoine Company has experienced exponential growth. The firm is now recognized as one of Louisiana’s most respected general contractors, one that serves the commercial and industrial landmarks of the state. The Lemoine Company keeps itself updated with the latest trends in construction to continues to deliver to the current needs of clients.
Its portfolio is a gateway to the firm’s standards and construction ethics. The education industry is one of the firm’s specialties, and among their educational projects is the Live Oak Elementary school located in Lafayette, Louisiana. The Lemoine Company constructed a total of 105,000 square feet of the educational facility and completed the site work as well.
Bowman Constructors
Website | 207-368-2405 | 552 Moosehead Trail, Newport, ME 04953
Bowman Constructors’ experience in construction spans two generations of builders. The firm’s experience in all types of construction has given it a firm understanding of how the construction process can be made better. From pre-construction to maintenance services, Bowman Constructors treats each step a vital stage for a project to reach completion.
Bowman Constructors offers a wide selection of services in higher education, municipal, civil, and K-12 education facilities. Among its numerous K-12 projects is the Sedomocha Elementary school in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. The project included new construction of an elementary school to house 350 students in preschool to fourth grade. A new joint-media center, a library, new administration workspaces, and physical education rooms were included in this newly-built school.
Lewis Contractors
Website | 410-356-4200 | 55 Gwynns Mill Court, Owings Mills, MD, 21117
Working on Baltimore’s diverse institutions — private schools, churches, medical institutions, and colleges — Lewis Contractors has firmly grasped the challenges that come with building these structures. The firm is guided by a LEED Accredited Professional, Tyler Tate, who has a wide knowledge of the construction industry.
Lewis Contractors has won awards from AIA and ABC for its projects in green schools, and as Contractor of the Year. As USGBC’s LEED program grew in prominence, Lewis Contractors started building more infrastructures with eco-friendly features, using green techniques. Institutional and academic projects contribute three-quarters of the firm’s projects. Featured is the Catonsville Elementary school in Catonsville, Maryland.
Website | 617-259-1007 | 266 Summer St., Boston, MA 02210
Consigli is now on its fourth generation of leaders serving Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York, and Washington since 1905. The firm is known for offering a wide array of construction services in the educational, scientific, historical, residential, and cultural industries. Because of its wide scope and stellar works, it has received more than a hundred awards, as well as recognition as one of the Engineering News-Record’s Top Contractors.
Consigli partnered with Arrowstreet to construct the Kipp Academy Boston. The 53,000-square-foot school is located in Mattapan, Massachusetts. Along with the project came challenges, Consigli had to demolish an old factory before construction could even begin. These challenges were met, overcome, and the new school now accommodates 650 students and more than 80 staff members.
Granger Construction
Website | 517-393-1670 | 6267 Aurelius Rd., Lansing, MI 48911
Granger’s expertise in construction fused with its client-focused approach has made the firm’s name known across Michigan. The firm is under the guidance of a third-generation leader, Glenn Granger, a LEED Accredited Professional. The firm’s industry markets include education, healthcare, industrial, commercial, and corrections.
The Charlotte Public Schools is a triple project completed by Granger Construction in Michigan. The three-factor construction and renovation included 180,000 square feet, 370,700 square feet, and 354,404 square feet of new facilities respectively. The recent projects included new elementary school buildings for Parkview Elementary and Washington Elementary. In 2017, the firm received three awards from the AGC of Michigan, recognizing its excellence in construction. A glimpse at Granger Construction’s portfolio will give clients an idea of its diverse projects.
Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Website | 952-544-1561 | 5500 Wayzata Blvd. Suite #600, Minneapolis, MN 55416
Adolfson & Peterson Construction’s skilled team brings together over 70 years of experience in construction. The firm combines traditional practices with the newest technology to provide work with the highest standards. In 2018, the firm received the Award for Construction Excellence from the AGC of Colorado, and awards including the 2018 Distinguished Building Award, the 2018 Excellence in Construction Award, and recognition on Engineering News-Record’s 2018 Best Projects list.
Castleberry ISD called for Adolfson & Peterson Construction for the new construction of A.V. Cato Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas. The 80,000 square feet project can accommodate a capacity of 900 students from pre-kindergarten through the fifth grade.
West Brothers Construction
Website | 662-328-2438 | 5716 Hwy 182 E. Columbus, MS 39702
West Brothers Construction is a leading construction company serving the Golden Triangle area since 1971. Ronnie, and Steve, the West siblings, are the third generation builders who established the firm. Under the brothers’ guidance, the firm experienced growth and delivered the kind of customer satisfaction that only comes from quality construction and expertise.
West Brothers construction and renovation services span across academic, business, historic, recreational, and religious structures. The firm enjoys the distinct characteristics of each project it handles. The variety can be seen in its detailed online portfolio where clients can see each completed project.
Website | 314-968-3300 | 1341 N Rock Hill Rd., St. Louis, MO 63124
Over 150 years of solid background and expertise in construction fuels McCarthy into building projects that will benefit people and their communities. With offices in different states in the U.S., McCarthy has a firm understanding of the unique demands of each site being developed. Some of McCarthy’s projects include K-12 education campuses, laboratories, university campuses, and government facilities. In 2018 the firm received over ten awards, including the Award of Excellence, and Excellence in Construction Award, and the Engineering News-Record’s Project of the Year.
McCarthy conducted a campus redevelopment on Madison Richard C. Simis Elementary School. The 72,000-square-foot school located in Phoenix, Arizona needed demolition of existing buildings to construct a new one for classrooms, a library/media center, a preschool, and new administration offices.
Sletten Companies
Website | 406-761-7920 | 1000 25th St., North Great Falls, MT 59401
Sletten Companies began its construction business in 1928. Since its inception, the firm has experienced constant growth not only in staff members but also in the number of projects it undertakes. The demands for its services has led the company to open offices in Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, and Idaho.
Among its notable works is the Giant Springs Elementary School in Great Falls, Montana. Sletten Companies used a colorful palette—including bright greens, blues, and yellows—to invite students into a welcoming learning environment. In this photo of the school library, you can see that this is a space where students will feel good about reading and learning.
Sampson Construction
Website | 402-434-5450 | 3730 South 14th St., Lincoln, NE 68502
Sampson Construction is a design-build construction firm based in Lincoln, Nebraska, and has been offering construction services since 1952. The firm specializes in building college stadiums, K-12 schools, hospitals, religious facilities, and hotels. The firm’s admirable craftsmanship was awarded in the 2018 AGC Build Nebraska Awards.
Sampson constructed the 75,000-square-foot Western Hills Elementary replacement school on the existing school site. The school is situated in Omaha, Nebraska and is a second home to 600 students, ranging in age from preschooler to fifth-grade students. The firm built the school in such a way that every room will have access to natural daylight. Sampson also included multiple break-out spaces to facilitate collaborative learning.
Nevada General Construction
Website | 702-254-0262 | 4121 Wagon Trail Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89118
Las Vegas-based firm, Nevada General Construction, is a full-service licensed contractor focused on commercial, gaming, academic, and industrial projects. The personal approach that the firm takes to each individual client provides the firm with a better understanding of the specific demands of each project. Lloyd Manning oversees the company’s performance and project delivery. The competence and timely project completion of the firm offers is the reason for its good reputation and repeat clients.
The firm’s online portfolio offers clients the liberty to choose a project and inspect the scope and quality of work that it offers. From minor to major construction projects, Nevada General Construction pays careful attention and provides exacting craftsmanship.
Harvey Construction
Website | 603-624-4600 | 10 Harvey Rd., Bedford, NH 03110
Harvey Construction started its construction journey in 1939. The firm mainly focuses on building in its New England home, where it has built a number of notable structures, including the NYNEX building, the Currier Museum of Art, and the Manchester City Hall Plaza. It has also completed work on the restoration of St. Paul’s Church in Concord, New Hampshire. Harvey Construction focuses on creating aesthetically pleasing buildings and does so in an environmentally friendly way: the firm incorporates eco-friendly practices and materials in its projects. And the firm does it well: it has been awarded two Best Environmental Building Project Awards.
Visiting the firm’s portfolio, the Falmouth Elementary school in Falmouth, Maine, stands out. The project, completed in 2011, accommodates the preschool to fifth-grade students. The newly-built 140,000-square-foot elementary building was designed by Oak Point Associates; Harvey Construction provided the construction.
Fenton Construction Co., Inc.
Website | 908-755-0500 | 5 Mountain Blvd. Suite #10, Warren, NJ 07059
Fenton has been serving New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania with reliable, strong construction since 1965. In 2017, Butler Manufacturing awarded Fenton Construction Co., Inc. “The Million Dollar Builder” award and “The High-Performance Builder” award, validating the firm’s excellence in construction. Under Michael Mulcahy’s leadership, the team quickly grew to be Central New Jersey’s leading contractor in the industrial, commercial, educational, and religious markets.
Fenton Construction Co. was chosen to build the Immaculate Conception school, the first Catholic school in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The school houses classrooms for students from kindergarten to eighth-grade. A gymnasium, a library, and a full-service kitchen were also created.
Bradbury Stamm Construction
Website |505-765-1200 | 7110 2nd St., NW Albuquerque, NM 87107
Bradbury Stamm Construction has built a reputation for quality construction through the entire life cycle of a project, from beginning to end. Since its start in 1923, it has been continuously building and delivering solutions to each client and the community that stands behind those clients. The firm values sustainability and efficiency in building, and these priorities are reflected by the professional team it houses, which includes LEED Accredited Professionals, OSHA 30-hour in Construction certifications, and a Certified SWPPP Inspector.
The Broadmoor and Murray Elementary schools are new elementary schools that were concurrently constructed in Hobbs, New Mexico. Bradbury Stamm Construction faced unique challenges in both schools. Murray Elementary School is located adjacent to a city park. The project includes amenities such as a multi-purpose area, a library, and a two-story classroom section. Murray Elementary also has classrooms for preschool students and special needs students.
Website | 917-438-4500 | 350 Fifth Ave., 32nd Flr., New York, NY 10118
Skanska gracefully blends its expertise in different fields into one master project from offices, schools, homes, and commercial partnership projects. The firm incorporates green building practices in its projects to provide a more sustainable solution to environmental problems such as energy consumption. The firm’s growth since its establishment in 1887 is unstoppable, serving the majority of North America and Europe with top of the line projects.
Andover Public Schools partnered with Skanska to provide construction management for the new 106,486-square-foot elementary school in Massachusetts. The Bancroft Elementary School, which will house approximately 680 students, was constructed adjacent to the existing school. The construction took three phases: demolition of the existing school, site work, and school construction. Skanska ensured the inclusion of sustainable elements in its design, which led to the school’s LEED Silver certification.
Website | 910-521-8013 | 763 ComTech Dr., Pembroke, NC 28372
Metcon is a homegrown construction company founded in 1999 in Pembroke, North Carolina. The firm started as a general contractor specializing in panelized metal studs and trusses. As the company grew, it also expanded into being a full-service commercial general contractor working on academic, medical, corporate, and government markets throughout North and South Carolina.
The firm houses LEED Accredited Professionals and is affiliated with the USGBC. Metcon’s excellence in education construction has been awarded the ABC Eagle Award – Best K-12 Education Project by the Associated Builders and Contractors. You’ll find the Sharon Amity Elementary school below.
Gehrtz Construction
Website | 701-297-0704 | 510 4th Ave., N Fargo, ND 58102
More than a decade after its establishment, Gehrtz Construction has become a leading construction service provider in North Dakota. The firm works closely with each client to provide a personal, detailed approach to each project. A step by step procedure from planning, estimating, to construction is implemented to assure project success.
Gehrtz Construction specializes in a wide variety of markets including commercial, community, healthcare, residential, and education. Among its education projects, the Dorothy Dodds Elementary School is notable. The 114,000-square-foot school is home to 750 students from kindergarten to fourth grade. Each grade level has a designated learning space and labs that encourage collaborative work.
Shook Construction
Website | 937-276-6666 | 2000 W Dorothy Ln., Moraine, OH 45439
Shook Construction is a full-range construction expert working in 13 states with offices in Ohio and Indiana. The firm focuses its work and service in five major market sectors: education, healthcare, mission critical, industrial, and water resources. Shook’s accomplishments in construction paved its way to be ranked among the Top 400 Contractors by the Engineering News-Record.
The Cedarville Elementary school in Cedarville, Ohio houses students from preschool to 12th grade. Shook Construction provided the construction for a new K-12 facility of about 112,150 square feet. In 2015, the firm’s persistent efforts were acknowledged with the Gold Summit Award from the Indiana Construction Association (ICA). This award, along with its previous projects, indicates the firm’s commitment to excellence.
Timberlake Construction
Website | 405-840-2521 | 7613 N Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73116
With over 50 education projects completed in Oklahoma alone, Timberlake Construction’s extensive experience in this field is plain to see. Established in 1976, Timberlake Construction offers a full range of construction services and general contracting for a variety of clients covering a diverse range of market sectors and industries including corporate, educational, healthcare, hospitality, industrial, retail, spiritual, sports and entertainment, public safety, and municipal. Currently they have 50+ PreK-12 projects in 19 districts in Oklahoma, Over $224 Million in education projects in the last 5 years and Over 1.5 Million square feet of education projects.
Timberlake Construction partnered with Enid Public Schools and Corbin & Merz Architects for the construction of the Enid Prairie View Elementary School. The 78,000 square foot facility serves 600 students from preschool through fifth grade. Each classroom is constructed with a “pod concept,” in which classrooms have enclosed areas — pod spaces — which can be used for group activities.
In 2018, Timberlake Construction received three different awards: 2018 Top Workplace from The Oklahoman, 2018 Build Oklahoma Award from AGC of Oklahoma for their work on the Oklahoma City Zoo’s Sanctuary Asia attraction, and a 2018 First Place in Safety Excellence Award from AGC of America.
Fortis Construction
Website | 503-459-4477 | 1705 SW Taylor St. Suite #200, Portland, OR 97205
Founded in 2003, the firm has grown into one of Oregon’s leading construction companies under the leadership of Jim Kilpatrick. Fortis Construction’s skilled team expertly builds quirky education spaces across a range of levels, everything from universities to elementary schools. The education market is only one of the many industries that Fortis works in. Some of its specialties include data centers, healthcare facilities, and commercial offices.
Fun, explorative, and creative are the exact words to describe the Richard C. Alexander Early Learning Center at the Earl Boyles Elementary in Portland, Oregon. The 19,000-square-foot learning center was an addition to the existing elementary school.
Wohlsen Construction
Website | 717-299-2500 | 548 Steel Way, Lancaster, PA 17601
Wohlsen Construction, built in 1890, extends its service from senior living to higher education and K-12 education building. Its expertise in different market industries has been a reason for its excellent reputation in the construction industry. The firm’s attention to safety and quality is a standard it lives by.
Wohlsen Construction provided pre-construction of a two-story cafetorium and a new facade for the Montclair Kimberley Academy in New Jersey. The project included the interior construction of a commercial kitchen, a theater/stage system, some lobby renovations, and new restrooms. Meanwhile, for the exterior, additional parking lots, a new outdoor courtyard, and a facade renovation were completed. Wohlsen’s skilled team and their unmatched work have been repeatedly recognized by the ABC, Delaware Contractors Association (DCA), the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, and other industry associations.
Rhode Islands
Gilbane
Website | 844-240-0004 | 7 Jackson Walkway, Providence, RI 02903
Having been established in 1873, this firm has gleaned over 140 years of extensive experience in commercial construction as well as in cultural, environmental, healthcare, and education markets. Gilbane has built state-of-the-art facilities that promote better learning. With more than 145 schools built, the firm specializes in creating student-centered learning spaces. And the firm builds green as well, continuously updating itself on the latest trends in building and sustainability.
One of Gilbane’s projects is the 122,000-square-foot Bridgeland Elementary School located in Cypress, Texas. With safety in mind, Gilbane prioritized each student’s safety while building the elementary and high school wing. Collaboration and mentorship are encouraged in an outdoor area where older and younger students enjoy the natural space. This particular project was awarded an Honor Award from the Associated Masonry Contractors of Houston.
Trehel Corporation
Website | 864-284-9439 | 935 S Main St., Suite #300, Greenville, SC 29601
Trehel Corporation has built over 1,200 projects in the last 37 years, proving its capability to provide South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia with premier construction services. Trehel’s growth is a result of Will W. Huss Jr.’s efforts to transform the company into a general contractor that can provide service to a diverse number of sectors in the Southeast. The firm’s expertise in industries spans from industrial, healthcare, municipal, and education.
Among its diverse education projects, the West Oak Middle school, a public school located in Westminster, South Carolina stands out. The school houses more than 640 students in the sixth to eighth grade. With young kids roaming around, Trehel ensures the safety of students which is why it constructs according to the LEED metrics. The firm aims to have a cost-efficient, sustainable learning space that integrates fun and provides a great experience for everyone.
Scull Construction Service, Inc.
Website | 605-342-2379| 803 Industrial Ave., Rapid City, SD 57702
From expansions to renovations of school facilities, Scull Construction Service, Inc. provides exceptional work across schools in South Dakota. Scull Construction is a full-service general contractor with site work, concrete, and construction specialties. The firm’s unmatched construction and green building practices continue to set the bar for contractors in the North Central Region.
Scull Construction built one of western South Dakota’s finest LEED-certified schools. The Porcupine Elementary School in Porcupine, South Dakota is a 74,000-square-foot school which serves as a second home for 300 students. The school was built in a modern manner. The building itself is built in accordance with LEED metrics to certify its safety. And the new educational spaces and media center provide students integrated opportunities to further improve their learning experiences.
Montgomery Martin Contractors
Website | 901-374-9400 | 8245 Tournament Dr., Suite #300, Memphis, TN 38125
Cost, quality, and schedule are the major factors that affect project completion. Montgomery Martin and his team at Montgomery Martin Contractors expertly combine these and have excelled in each area. The firm ensures project success by moving gradually from project consulting to project development. This gentle but thorough process is reflected in the successful projects that the firm has completed across a number of sectors.
The firm’s portfolio is thick with diverse, modern structures. Take the Aspire East Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. In Montgomery Martin Contractors did a 48,750-square-foot renovation of a previous furniture store into an elementary school. It consists of 22 classrooms for students in the kindergarten to third grade. In addition to a full renovation, the firm completed the cafeteria, the library, several multi-purpose rooms, and a number of meeting spaces.
Cadence McShane
Website | 972-239-2336 | 5057 Keller Springs Rd. Suite #500, Addison, TX 75001
Cadence McShane is one of the nation’s leading general contractor in K-12, healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, office, multi-family, and higher education markets. The firm’s unparalleled expertise on each project and client-focused approach resulted in its expansion, both in terms of revenue and but geography.
A notable education project in its portfolio is the Veramendi & Voss Farms Elementary Schools in New Braunfels, Texas. Cadence McShane completed a total of 93,151 square feet for the two New Braunfels ISD elementary schools. Each school is one story with a brick and stone facade, while its interior is a mix of blue and grey hues. Their construction included a library, multipurpose laboratories, a gymnasium, and a spacious dining area. The attention and competence of Cadence McShane gained recognition from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) which granted them the 2018 National Merit Award and the 2018 National Excellence Award. Other awards that the firm received the past years are the AGC Safety Excellence Award and the Project Achievement Award.
Westland Construction
Website | 801-374-6085 | 1411 W 1250 S. Suite #200, Orem, UT 84058
Westland Construction is a design/build firm in Utah offering a wide range of services as well as a green/LEED building and consulting team. The firm has completed various projects not only in the U.S. but also in areas like the Carribean, Africa, New Zealand, and Canada. It caters to markets including education, religious, industrial, and medical.
Westland’s has worked with Brigham Young University, the Provo City School District, and the Dixie State University. Its portfolio showcases projects from universities to elementary schools. The Midvale Elementary school is an 85,684-square-foot project in Midvale, Utah. It accommodates students from kindergarten to fifth grade. Westland placed classrooms on the east and west side of the building’s central atrium.
Neagley & Chase
Website | 802-658-6320 | 66 Bowdoin St. Suite #100, South Burlington, VT 05403
Neagley & Chase Construction Company was founded in 1984 to provide quality construction in areas of education, healthcare, food & beverage, and commercial industries. The firm executes each project with high-end and sustainable materials and does so with the latest innovations in building. This approach generates stronger client commitments and ensures project success.
Neagley & Chase understand the need for 21st-century learning spaces, which requires more than just physical space. The firm prioritizes the safety of students and staff before, during, and especially after work is completed. One of its featured projects is the Berlin Elementary School in Berlin, Vermont. Neagley & Chase renovated the existing building to update and address the building safety, energy efficiency, health issues, and addressed 21st-century learning environment needs as well.
Branch Builds
Website | 540-989-5215 | 5732 Airport Rd., Roanoke, VA 24012
Branch Builds is a leading name in Virginia’s construction industry. The firm, founded in 1963, celebrated its 55th year in business in 2018. Branch Builds is a commitment-driven firm with special attention to delivering exceptional works both for the private and public sectors. The firm houses skilled craftsmen who use cutting-edge technologies and strategic planning.
The firm has over 40 education projects located in and out of Virginia. The featured project below is the Fort Belvoir Elementary school, a LEED silver certified school in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Branch Builds provided full site development and a new building with music and art rooms, a STEM science lab, multi-purpose classrooms, and a gymnasium.
Lydig Construction
Website | 509-534-0451 | 11001 E Montgomery, Spokane, WA 99206
Lydig Construction has been providing excellent construction since 1956. The firm creates a project’s success through client collaboration followed by meticulous construction. From hospitality, special projects, and k-12 education, the firm incorporates a fresh face that is unique with each project.
Its online portfolio gives viewers a look at a wide spectrum of projects. Among the k-12 education projects listed, the Chester/Greenacres Elementary school stands out. The Central Valley School District property needed a fresh and modern renovation, as the existing 55,900-square-foot facility had been built in 1978. Lydig renovated the existing school and added a 24,000-square-foot space to house 624 elementary students.
High Point Construction Group
Website | 304-472-5595 | 643 Route 20 South Rd., Buckhannon, WV 26201
Two Tims started commercial and industrial building in 1997. Tim Crutchfield and Tim Shaw founded High Point Construction Group on the basis of decades of extensive experience. The firm’s excellent service and exceptional work explain its strong reputation among clients across markets, including in commercial, multi-family housing, industrial, and education.
Focusing on higher and k-12 education buildings, the firm has built a few schools in and out of West Virginia. High Point Construction Group constructed the education facilities of the Pickens School. The school houses students from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Pickens School is composed of a gymnasium, a cafeteria, a library, and a computer laboratory. Because of the firm’s broad range of services, it has been in a good working relationship with companies like American Energy Partners, Mountaineer Keystone, Statoil, Columbia Gas, and Eclipse Resources.
VJS Construction Services
Website |262-542-9000 | W233 N2847 Roundy Circle West, Pewaukee, WI 53072
VJS Construction Services is among Wisconsin’s top general contractors. The firm, founded in 1947, offers clients a comprehensive selection of construction services, including in the education market, both inside and outside of the Badger State’s borders. Its specialization in education construction encompasses everything from elementary schools to universities.
One of the firm’s projects is the Oak Creek Forest Ridge Elementary school in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. VJS introduced a fun, fresh way of learning by creating a library with high ceilings, coupled with wide windows that allow the room to depend on natural light for a good deal of the day. The space allows students to read comfortably and encourages meaningful discussions. Because of the firm’s innovation in construction, publications like the Milwaukee Business Journal, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Daily Reporter have all praised the firm through various acknowledgments.
Website | 307-655-2548 | 1343 S. Sheridan Ave., Sheridan, WY 82801
Wright Brothers is a leading commercial industry contractor out of Wyoming. The firm seeks to set a new standard in building, not only for itself but for other contractors in the area. This concept serves as a personal achievement for the team and has led to superior quality on each of its many projects.
The new St. Ignatius Catholic School in Idaho was named as one of the Top Project Awardees in 2018 by the Idaho Business Review. Wright Brothers partnered with CTA Architects in building this school which accommodates preschool to eighth-grade students. The 56,000-square-foot school was carefully planned and constructed in one year. The new school boasts a 21st-century learning environment with flexibility in design.
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Articles > Acoustic Guitar >
Keboard and Piano
How To Read Guitar Tab
By Ben BlakesleyGeorges Music
Guitarist 1, "Hey, do you know how to play [insert cool song here]?"
Guitarist 2, "No."
Guitarist 1, "No prob, I'll send you the tab and we can jam on it next week."
Guitarist 2 (thinking to himself), "Crap. How do you read tab?"
If you've ever found your self in this situation, or stumbled upon this:
e|------------|B|------------|G|------------|D|-5--8--10---|A|-5--8--10---|E|-3--6--8----|
when trying to learn a new song and were confused, this article is for you!
This is guitar tab and it's a great way for you self-starters out there to learn new songs without the daunting task of reading actual sheet music or notes on a staff.
Guitar tab can be found in a number of places, most notably, a plethora of guitar sites online and in just about every guitar songbook you can buy.
What it lacks in notation, it makes up for in ease of use and the speed at which a beginner can start using it to further their musical education.
What do those lines mean?
To start, you need to know a few things about how tablature is laid out. It is typically displayed in a boxed format with 6 lines where each line represents a string of the guitar.
You'll notice that to the left of each line (string) there is a note name that corresponds to standard tuning on a 6-string guitar. This may or may not be present in all the tab that you find, but if it's missing, it's safe to assume that the tab represents standard tuning and the high E string is the first line.
And the numbers??
The numbers on the lines represent fret numbers. So if you see a 3 on the low E string, that means to play the low E on the 3rd fret (a G note). It's as simple as that.Think of the lines as a timeline moving from left to right. If you see something like our example, that means that you'd be playing low E on the 3rd fret, A on the 5th fret, and G on the 5th fret all at the same time (commonly known as a G5 chord, or G power chord). As you work your way from left to right, you play the notes indicated in sequence.
Honestly, that's about all there is to it. It's a very simple system, however, there are a few things I'd like to note that you may come across on your tab reading journey.0 - if you see a zero on a string, that just means you play the open string. Essentially it's saying play on fret 0x - if you come across an x on a string, that means that you will mute that string as you playh - you may see something like: 5h6. This indicates that you should play the string on the 5th fret and then 'hammer-on' to the 6th fret without striking the note againt - almost the same as a hammer-on, the t represents finger tapping (think Eddie Van Halen) a notep - similar to 'hammer on' the p represents 'pull-off.' If you see 6p5, you would play the string on the 6th fret and then pull-off to the 5th without striking the string againb - along the same lines, the b represents a bend. 5b6 indicates that you would play the string on the 5th fret and bend the note up to the 6th fret pitch (although your finger stays in the 5th fret)r -conversely, an r is a call to release or return the bend to its original fretted note/ - the forward slash is used to represent an upward slide. 5/6 would be a slide from the 5th fret to the 6th - the backslash does just the opposite and indicates a downward slide~ - the tilde represents vibrato on a noteThe biggest flaw with guitar tab is that there is no way to notate duration or rhythm. Being able to play a song you've never heard before just from the tab is impossible, so if you're serious about your music, I definitely suggest you learn to read notated music. It can only make you a better player.PS. Bonus points for anyone who can identify the song used in the tab example.
Ben Blakesley is in charge of Marketing and Technology at George's Music and is a self-taught guitarist who first learned to play by reading tab until his eyes went blind. But don't go spreading that around.
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According to US publication Star, the surrogate mother of Sarah and Matthew's twin girls, who are due in July, is a pink-haired, 26-year-old former barmaid
Details emerge of 'punky' surrogate mum carrying SJP's twin girls
The surrogate mother carrying Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's twin girls has been identified as former barmaid Michelle Ross - a 26-year-old who refers to her "pink hair, tattoos and spiked collars" on her Myspace profile page.
According to US reports it is not the first time divorcee Michelle has stepped in to carry a child for want-to-be parents. She's also served as a surrogate mum for a gay couple in New York. "(Michelle) wanted to become a surrogate to help people who couldn’t have children of their own," her former husband Joseph Erker tells America's Star magazine.
Meanwhile Sarah and Matthew – who are already parents to six-year-old James Wilkie – are busy preparing for the arrival of their baby girls, due in July.
Speaking about the pressures of balancing her career with three children, 44-year-old Sarah said: "Any complications or any anxiety I feel is normal. Any mother who wants to continue to work and have a career outside the home goes through this, so I feel very much a part of the sisterhood."
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Trump calls for end of resistance politics in State of Union
Feb 5, 2019 at 10:50 PM Feb 5, 2019 at 11:01 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a divided Congress for the first time, President Donald Trump on Tuesday called on Washington to reject "the politics of revenge, resistance and retribution." He warned emboldened Democrats that "ridiculous partisan investigations" into his administration and businesses could hamper a surging American economy.
Trump's appeals for bipartisanship in his State of the Union address clashed with the rancorous atmosphere he has helped cultivate in the nation's capital — as well as the desire of most Democrats to block his agenda during his next two years in office. Their opposition was on vivid display as Democratic congresswomen in the audience formed a sea of white in a nod to early 20th-century suffragettes.
Trump spoke at a critical moment in his presidency, staring down a two-year stretch that will determine whether he is re-elected or leaves office in defeat. His speech sought to shore up Republican support that had eroded slightly during the recent government shutdown and previewed a fresh defense against Democrats as they ready a round of investigations into every aspect of his administration.
"If there is going to be peace and legislation, there cannot be war and investigation," he declared. Lawmakers in the cavernous House chamber sat largely silent.
Looming over the president's address was a fast-approaching Feb. 15 deadline to fund the government and avoid another shutdown. Democrats have refused to acquiesce to his demands for a border wall, and Republicans are increasingly unwilling to shut down the government to help him fulfill his signature campaign pledge. Nor does the GOP support the president's plan to declare a national emergency if Congress won't fund the wall.
Wary of publicly highlighting those intraparty divisions, Trump made no mention of an emergency declaration in his remarks, though he did offer a lengthy defense of his call for a border wall. But he delivered no ultimatums about what it would take for him to sign legislation to keep the government open.
"I am asking you to defend our very dangerous southern border out of love and devotion to our fellow citizens and to our country," he said.
Trump devoted much of his speech to foreign policy, another area where Republicans have increasingly distanced themselves from the White House. He announced details of a second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, outlining a summit on Feb. 27 and 28 in Vietnam. The two met last summer in Singapore, though that meeting only led to a vaguely worded commitment by the North to denuclearize.
As he stood before lawmakers, the president was surrounded by symbols of his emboldened political opposition. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was praised by Democrats for her hard-line negotiating during the shutdown, sat behind Trump as he spoke. And several senators running for president were also in the audience, including Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey.
Another Democratic star, Stacey Abrams, will deliver the party's response to Trump. Abrams narrowly lost her bid in November to become America's first black female governor, and party leaders are aggressively recruiting her to run for U.S. Senate from Georgia.
In excerpts released ahead of Abrams' remarks, she calls the shutdown a political stunt that "defied every tenet of fairness and abandoned not just our people, but our values."
Trump's address amounted to an opening argument for his re-election campaign. Polls show he has work to do, with his approval rating falling to just 34 percent after the shutdown, according to a recent survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
One bright spot for the president has been the economy, which has added jobs for 100 straight months. He said the U.S. has "the hottest economy anywhere in the world."
He said, "The only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations" an apparent swipe at the special counsel investigation into ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign, as well as the upcoming congressional investigations.
The diverse Democratic caucus, which includes a bevy of women, sat silently for much of Trump's speech. But they leapt to their feet when he noted there are "more women in the workforce than ever before."
The increase is due to population growth — and not something Trump can credit to any of his policies.
Turning to foreign policy, another area where Republicans have increasingly been willing to distance themselves from the president, Trump defended his decisions to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria and Afghanistan.
"Great nations do not fight endless wars," he said, adding that the U.S. is working with allies to "destroy the remnants" of the Islamic State group and that he has "accelerated" efforts to reach a settlement in Afghanistan.
IS militants have lost territory since Trump's surprise announcement in December that he was pulling U.S. forces out, but military officials warn the fighters could regroup within six months to a year of the Americans leaving. Several leading GOP lawmakers have sharply criticized his plans to withdraw from Syria, as well as from Afghanistan.
Trump's guests for the speech include Anna Marie Johnson, a woman whose life sentence for drug offenses was commuted by the president, and Joshua Trump, a sixth-grade student from Wilmington, Delaware, who has been bullied over his last name. They sat with first lady Melania Trump during the address.
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Driverless truck trialled on A14 project
Dominic Browne
Self-driving trucks are being tested for the first time in England on the country's biggest road project, the A14.
Autonomous dump trucks, which move huge amounts of earth, provide the potential to work around the clock and could reduce the length of time roadworks are on the ground as well as increase safety.
Previously tried and tested in Australia, the concept is now being trialled on national roads operator Highways England’s £1.5bn improvement of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon.
Under the trial, one truck is programmed remotely 'to follow a pre-determined route and has the capability to detect and avoid obstacles, other vehicles and the like, along the route as it drives,' Highways England said.
The government-owned company has committed £150,000 from its innovation designated fund into the A14 dump truck trial.
Deputy project director on behalf of Highways England for the A14, Julian Lamb, said: 'The trial we are leading with our partner CA Blackwell will enable the construction industry as a whole to be in a more informed position to make key decisions about autonomy on UK construction sites.'
Niall Fraser, director of earthworks services supplier CA Blackwell, said: 'We are delighted to have received the backing of Highways England and their Designated Funds grant for this trial and are grateful for the support and commitment of our technology providers in making it a reality.'
Once testing is complete, Highways England hopes to adopt the technology to modernise UK construction sites.
It is expected to be another two or three years before autonomous dump trucks are in full operation.
a14 autonomous CA Blackwell driverless Highways England
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The Pfister Hotel
Destinations | Wisconsin | The Pfister Hotel | History
The Pfister Hotel was the vision of businessman Guido Pfister and his son Charles and quickly became the “Grand Hotel of the West”. Before getting into the hospitality business, Guido Pfister, a German immigrant, originally made a fortune when he began his tanning business in Milwaukee, establishing Guido Pfister Tanning Co., later renamed to Pfister and Vogel Leather Co. For a number of years, Pfister's company was known as one of the largest leather operations in the Midwest. Guido's son and heir to the tanning industry, Charles, played a prominent role in Milauwee's finance world and invested a passionate interest in Republican party politics.
Quickly becoming esteemed successful entreprenures in the Midwest, Guido and Charles Pfister began their endeavor in the hospitality industry with a vision to create a luxury hotel to serve the flourishing mid-19th century economic boom of Milwaukee, fellow thriving businessmen, and dignified visitors.
Opened in 1893, constructed at a cost of over $1 million, The Pfister Hotel was designed by architect Henry C. Koch in a Romanesque Revival architectural style.
The new downtown hotel boasted groundbreaking features such as fireproofing, electricity throughout the hotel, and thermostat controls in every guestroom, instantly establishing a reputation for unrivalled luxury. In addition to modern amenities, The Pfister Hotel afforded a formal dining room, a gentleman's lounge with a private bar, and two billiard rooms, one each for women and men, quickly becoming a popular stomping ground for the Midwest elite. An avid art collector, Charles Pfister displayed much of his collection throughout The Pfister, which remains as the largest hotel collection of Victorian art.
In 1926, admist The Prohibition, Charles opened the modest pub, English Room, where he concocuted a house specality he named Indian Punch, which he had intended to bottle and sell nationwide. Later, in the 1950s, a part of the lobby was sectioned off to establish The Columns, a Roman-themed lounge with a centurion doorman and toga-clad waitresses. The Columns was later renamed Cafe Ole, and remained until the 1193 when the lobby was restored to its original grandeur to celebrate The Pfister Hotel's centennial. Today, the Lobby Lounge offers a relaxing and classic social setting reminicent and awknoledging the historic social scene Charles Pfister concieved.
In 1962, The Pfister was purchased by Ben Marcus with extensive plans to restore the structure to highlight its original glory and expand the hotel, including a new 23-story guestroom tower to provide the latest in luxurious accommodations.
Today, The Pfister Hotel remains a historic gem in downtown Milwaukee offering fine hospitality rich in heritage, spoken with high regard by dignitaries and celebrated guests.
The Pfister Hotel, a member of Historic Hotels of America since 1994, dates back to 1893.
Map of the Collection
Why book on HistoricHotels.org
Free 1-year family membership to the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Exclusive deals and discounts
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Mixed messages for the marijuana business
By Michael Taylor Jan. 20, 2018 Updated: Jan. 21, 2018 9:59 p.m.
1of3A caregiver picks out a marijuana bud for a patient at a marijuana dispensary in Denver on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012. Colorado, Oregon and Washington could become the first to legalize marijuana this fall. All three state are asking voters to decide whether residents can smoke pot. The debate over how much tax money recreational marijuana laws could produce is playing an outsize role in the campaigns for and against legalization, and both sides concede they're not really sure what would happen. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)Photo: Ed Andrieski, STF
2of3Marijuana customers line up outside a dispensary in West Hollywood, Calif., where the drug was recently legalized for adult recreational use. U.S. Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke wants to bring legalization to Texas.Photo: Richard Vogel, STF
3of3Express-News columnist Michael Taylor is seen Aug. 11, 2016 in the Express-News photo studio,Photo: William Luther, Staff
January brought some strong but mixed messages to the marijuana business community.
On the one hand, California legalized adult recreational use of marijuana Jan. 1, bringing the scale and business heft of the world's sixth largest economy to the issue.
On the other hand, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a lifting of the Obama-era "Cole memo," which had given comfort to marijuana businesses in states that had already voted for legalization.
Sessions did not order any particular sort of crackdown but rather returned the authority to prosecutors to enforce federal drug laws, even in "legalization" states.
Marijuana Business Daily's Vice President Chris Walsh told me a crackdown remains unlikely in states that have made marijuana legal, but business owners did not appreciate the signal.
Despite those contradictory signs, pot will be legal in Texas much sooner that we expect. Maybe not in two years and possibly not in four. But if it's not totally legal for recreational adult use in 10 years I'll eat my hemp-woven shirt. (Note: I don't actually own one yet.)
At first glance, marijuana legalization seems like a deeply back-burner question in Texas. Compared to other states, Texas has an extremely narrow medical-use legal framework, in which patients with epilepsy can obtain a doctor's permission to use a low-THC potency extract of cannabis called cannabinoid oil. You can't get high from this stuff.
But things change fast. I expect medium-term legalization in Texas, although I've got no dog in the fight. I'm not a user, and I don't particularly want my kids to get easier access to pot. Mostly I'm just a guy who believes in the coercive power of money. The money case for legalization is strong. Strong enough to overcome a lot of natural resistance even in, or especially in, Texas.
Advocates for legalization who aren't users tend to adopt four main lines of argumentation, which I'll characterize as:
High cost of criminal justice.
Reducing criminal financial power.
Pro-business.
Tax revenue potential.
Among that spectrum of reasons, there's a coalition waiting to be built. Let's take them one at a time.
The criminal justice argument is that we have a nasty habit of incarcerating people, and handing down felony convictions, far in excess of the harm caused to society by the sale, possession and use of the drug.
U.S. Senate hopeful Beto O'Rourke, a Democratic congressman from El Paso, embraces legalization as an important platform of his candidacy, precisely for this type of argument.
O'Rourke said he has campaigned all over Texas and met folks for whom a marijuana-related conviction has meant a life sentence to poverty, interfering with their ability to work, go to school or get a loan. O'Rourke isn't a newcomer to the legalization argument either, as he literally wrote a book on it in 2011, "Dealing Death and Drugs: The Big Business of Dope In the U.S. and Mexico," with Susie Byrd, then a fellow city council member from El Paso.
"We've spent a trillion dollars on the 'war on drugs' over the last 45 years," he told me, "and we've achieved zero of our policy goals."
Harris County's district attorney announced a policy in March of not arresting folks for small amounts of marijuana possession, a small criminal justice reform that may portend future trends in Texas cities.
The second argument, reducing criminal power, rests on the markets-based realization that criminalizing marijuana - as we learned from Prohibition - greatly increases the power and wealth of criminal gangs. Legalize, the thought goes, and you undercut the profitability and corrupting power of the Mexican drug cartels operating on both sides of our border.
The pro-business case for legalizing marijuana nationally, or in Texas, is undergoing an interesting shift as markets mature. In the early days of legalization, in states such as Washington and Colorado, the mom and pop shops of scrappy entrepreneurs seemed poised to benefit the most.
As Fivethirtyeight.com reported recently, industrial-scale agricultural techniques aren't far away, however, and wholesale prices are dropping. In a less regulated market, its reporting claims, 10 medium-sized Midwest farms could grow enough product to supply the entire nation. As markets naturally trend toward efficiency, the business of marijuana may morph into something far more "corporate" than anything we've seen so far.
Finally, the state tax-revenue potential of marijuana is compelling. Walsh told me the $1 billion estimate of state tax revenue bandied about for California might not happen right away, but likely will be reached a few years down the line. That much tax revenue, plus the businesses built to provide the product, create financial momentum for legalization nationwide.
With four years' worth of data from Colorado's retail sales experience, we can project the revenue potential for Texas. Colorado's state pot revenues hit $247 million last year. If Texas raised the same amount of revenue per capita as Colorado, it would reap more than $1.2 billion per year. That kind of money would matter a lot in a state allergic to income taxes.
Polling firm Gallup reported in October that 64 percent of Americans support legalization. Perhaps even more interestingly for Texans, 51 percent of Republicans nationwide support legalization, up 9 percent from the prior year.
Legalization rolls on. Both Canada and Massachusetts will have legal adult recreational retail sales by summer. For all I know, Texas might be the last state to legalize marijuana. But O'Rourke disagrees and says that as he crisscrosses the state campaigning, the issue comes up in cities and small towns all across Texas.
"If Texas were to move to legalization, it would be over. (Federal) prohibition would end," O'Rourke said. "I think we could be the first state in the South."
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10 Fish You're Eating That Are Endangered Species
Katharine Shilcutt
Katharine Shilcutt | September 27, 2011 | 12:00pm
Yesterday, we touched briefly on the plight of the idiot fish, a small red fish with giant, round marbles for eyes. It's delicious, despite its odd appearance. And it's also endangered. Yet it's still sold and served across the world.
The idiot fish is only "endangered," however, not "critically endangered." There are degrees of being endangered, after all. And a critically endangered species is one that is in real, immediate danger of having its numbers decimated by 80 percent within three generations.
So these critically endangered species must be under some sort of protection, right? We don't eat California condors or mountain gorillas after all.
Nope. Endangered fish, no matter what their popularity, don't get the kind of attention and therefore protection that their mammalian counterparts do. For every Iberian lynx that is saved, there are a dozen critically endangered fish that will continue to be fished, sold and consumed.
This is our list of the 10 fish you can buy and eat right now that are endangered. Some are merely endangered, while the ones toward the top are critically endangered. Either way, these fish should be avoided where and whenever possible.
10. Orange roughy
Because the orange roughy has such a long lifespan (forget parrots; these fish can live to be 100 years old) and a slow rate of maturation, it takes literally dozens of years to replenish decimated orange roughy populations. And decimated they are; the fish became popular in the late 1970s, peaking in 1990, when overfishing led to government-imposed quotas for the fish. Although they're no longer technically critically endangered, many organizations recommend that orange roughy be avoided at all costs to keep it this way.
9. Eel
More specifically, the European freshwater eel. Even farm-raised eel, however, are poor stand-ins for wild-caught eel. A farm-raised eel must be fed three times its own body weight in wild-caught fish, a process that makes eel farming as unsustainable as over-fishing wild eel.
8. Haddock
Recently, the ICUN Red List reclassified haddock as merely "vulnerable," albeit still endangered. It's because of this that the Greenpeace International Seafood Red List has listed haddock as one of the 20 species of fish to avoid at all costs. It also notes that while haddock is no longer overfished in U.S. waters, Scottish haddock fisheries should be closed to prevent the same thing from happening across the pond.
7. Halibut
Although there's been some question as to whether or not Atlantic halibut should still be listed as endangered, there's no question that the fishery itself is still in terrible shape after years of overfishing. Although there have been conservation measures put in place since the fishery threatened to collapse, the fish are still in danger: Bottom trawlers catch the sea floor-dwelling halibut in their nets, destroying the young stock that are supposed to be replenishing the Atlantic halibut population.
6. Atlantic cod
The bad news is that the Atlantic cod has been fished nearly to extinction. The good news is that cod from Iceland and and the Barents Sea has not. According to the Seafood Watch app, "For centuries, north Atlantic cod was one of the world's largest and most reliable fisheries. However, decades of overfishing have resulted in dramatic population declines." Pacific cod from Japan and Russia is said to be just as bad, but opinions on that are currently divided.
5. Skate
The common skate is the largest skate in the world, and this giant fish was once abundant in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Like the orange roughy, skate mature slowly and have a very long lifespan, which means it takes a considerable amount of time for its numbers to recover from being overfished. In 2006, it was estimated that skate could be "the first marine fish driven to extinction by commercial fishing." It is currently on the IUCN Red List as critically endangered.
4. Atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon has been considered highly endangered since 2000, and commercial fishing for wild salmon in the United States is expressly prohibited. But it's not just overfishing that's contributed to its demise: dams built on rivers, excessive logging in the Northwest, and continued development along the shoreline have reduced the wild salmon population to a mere 1 percent of its historic population.
3. Sea bass
Several species of sea bass are in imminent danger of extinction, including our own giant sea bass off the California coast and its more famous cousin, Chilean sea bass (a.k.a. the Patagonian toothfish, but sea bass is more marketable, right?). There is absolutely no reason why you should be ordering Chilean sea bass -- which is not only often harvested illegally, but also very high in mercury -- when alternatives like sustainably raised barramundi are available. Due to illegal harvesting of the fish, experts have been predicting the imminent collapse of the fishery for many years.
2. Sturgeon
Most people don't eat the sturgeon itself; it's the tasty roe they're after. As a result, demand for sturgeon roe -- also known as black caviar -- has caused the sturgeon population to plummet. Last year, the IUCN remarked that sturgeon are "the most threatened group of animals on the IUCN Red List." But as caviar from fish like the Beluga sturgeon can fetch nearly $7,000 a pound on the black market, the sturgeon continue to be poached and their numbers continue to decline drastically.
1. Bluefin tuna
Greenpeace puts it best (emphasis ours): "All stocks of all species of tuna are fished at full capacity, and many are declining or depleted. Southern bluefin tuna is listed by the World Conservation Union as being critically endangered, bigeye tuna as vulnerable and northern bluefin tuna as endangered in the East Atlantic and critically endangered in the West Atlantic." Every agency in the world agrees that bluefin tuna is on the verge of total collapse. So why are we still eating it? Because it tastes fantastic, and we are hopelessly greedy and thoughtless creatures who are swayed from our morals by nothing more than a spicy tuna roll.
Follow Eating Our Words on Facebook and on Twitter @EatingOurWords
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Escorted by Chinese military personnel, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel arrives at Qingdao International Airport April 7, 2014 in Qingdao, China. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Hagel’s Visit Highlights Greater Chinese Military Transparency
One of the most positive developments regarding China-U.S. relations in recent years has been how the military-to-military relationship has expanded in size, broadened in scope, and persisted without interruption despite the inevitable disputes and disagreements that always trouble such a complex relationship. In addition to the many reciprocal visits of senior military officers and the joint interactions on exercises and other projects, the last few years have seen a welcome Chinese effort to become more transparent in military capabilities and activities. Although China, like other countries, continues to withhold much information on national security grounds, we should acknowledge this positive trend.
For decades, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) highly valued military secrecy. Even after the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) began to interact more with foreign militaries following the Cold War, its leaders did not show much interest in developing the kinds of dialogues and confidence-building measures with the United States that the Pentagon had established with the Soviet Union and other countries. Washington always had to take the initiative in pressing for more defense diplomacy and transparency.
Several reasons probably explain Chinese unease with defense openness. When the PLA was considerably weaker than the United States and other powers, Chinese policy makers naturally feared that excessive transparency could expose vulnerabilities to potential foes. As leaders of a rising military power, PRC policy makers have been reluctant to freeze existing military balances and operating patterns that were becoming more favorable to Beijing over time. Furthermore, Chinese leaders did not want to highlight their rapidly modernizing defense capabilities for fear of provoking foreign countermeasures.
Conceptual differences have also been at work. Whereas the Pentagon pursues deterrence through certainty, the PLA seeks deterrence through uncertainty. U.S. policy makers believe that they can best deter possible foreign aggressors by demonstrating superior military capabilities and a willingness to use them. In contrast, Chinese strategists believe that concealing China’s military assets and plans helpfully complicates foreign military efforts to target or respond to them. Another difference is that U.S. analysts often see transparency as helping build mutual trust, whereas the Chinese position has been that strategic trust is a prerequisite for meaningful military dialogue and data sharing.
Furthermore, the Pentagon is already very transparent to outsiders about its policies and programs due to the demands of the U.S. Congress, the vigorous U.S. news media, and the U.S. Defense Department’s extensive foreign operations. While the PLA would gain little from further U.S. military transparency, the United States has refused to remove the three obstacles that the Chinese government has consistently cited as the main obstacle to better Sino-America defense ties—U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, U.S. military operations close to China’s territorial waters and airspace, and congressional restrictions on U.S. defense technology exchanges with China.
U.S. officials have constantly cited the benefits to China of more military transparency. Among other problems, foreign countries concerned about China’s military potential can more easily accept worse-case scenarios and respond by building up their own militaries, which harms China’s security and generates avoidable regional arms races.
Furthermore, limited mutual understanding makes it more difficult for U.S. and Chinese policy makers to interpret how they are responding to crises. While one side might place its forces on alert as a defensive move, the other might misinterpret the step as preparation for an imminent attack and decide to preempt—leading to a war that neither side sought.
In addition, PLA opaqueness could mislead China’s own political leaders regarding their country’s actual military capabilities. For example, they might overestimate the PLA’s ability to accomplish some military operation. PLA commanders could also exploit secrecy to conceal corrupt practices and inadequacies within their units—a problem that has constantly bedeviled Russian civil-military relations.
However, in recent years the PLA, traditionally a large unsophisticated military designed for long wars of attrition, has transformed into a more technologically advanced force with a global presence that leads to more encounters with foreign militaries. Perhaps as a result of this changed situation, Chinese declarations and more recently actions have displayed a growing wellness to meet foreign complaints that China needs to make its defense policies more transparent to outsiders.
The Chinese government’s “white papers” on its security and defense policies have provided more detail over the years, evolving from primarily propaganda documents when they first appears in the 1990s to rich descriptions of China’s security environment, including perceived threats and opportunities. The Chinese media is now more open to providing the names and other details of PLA units. The PRC also releases information about major military systems under development, including successful tests of warplanes and missile defense technologies.
Earlier this month, China even met a U.S. request to allow Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to visit the PLA’s first aircraft carrier. “The secretary was very pleased with his visit today aboard the carrier Liaoning,” a Pentagon spokesman said. “He understands how significant it was for the PLA to grant his request for a tour, and … hopes today’s visit is a harbinger for other opportunities to improve our military-to-military dialogue and transparency.”
Even so, the PRC government still provides less public defense information than many of China’s neighbors. China could reveal more information, such as regarding foreign military procurement or its cyber doctrines, without harming its security.
Director, Center for Political-Military Analysis
China US Focus Digest
East Asia & the Pacific
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Robert Spalding
Is Huawei a national security threat? Judge for yourself. The people of Hong Kong and Taiwan can probably help you with the answer....
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09/10/2015 8:17 AM IST | Updated 15/07/2016 8:25 AM IST
Germany's On Board, But Smart City Project Needs Government To Think Harder Too
The year 2015 has been a rather eventful one for Indo-German cooperation. In January, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and the visiting German Minister Barbara Hendricks signed an agreement, with Germany deciding to partner with India in developing three smart cities... However, amidst the hullabaloo over the smart city mission, the million-dollar question on every Indian's mind continues to be, what exactly is a smart city?
Nandan Sharalaya Editor at Decent Neta
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
NEW DELHI, INDIA - OCTOBER 5: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (L) pose during a photo call as they arrive for meetings at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India on October 5, 2015. Angela Merkel has begun a mission to clear the path for German companies keen to do business in India, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks to the European powerhouse to help revive its economy. (Photo by Santosh Singh /Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The year 2015 has been a rather eventful one for Indo-German cooperation. In January, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and the visiting German Minister Barbara Hendricks signed an agreement, with Germany deciding to partner with India in developing three smart cities; a six-member joint committee was set up to evolve the way forward. Prime Minister Modi and Indian MNCs were then invited to Hannover in April for the world's largest annual industrial fair and a number of agreements largely aimed at facilitating strategic cooperation and technology transfer were inked between Indian and German entities. More recently, Prime Minister Modi and Chancellor Merkel adopted a united voice, vociferously advocating for a 'Permanent Member' status to be accorded to G-4 economies (India, Germany, Brazil and Japan) in a reformed security council. And as India welcomes Chancellor Merkel's who is on a three day visit to India from October 4-7, German Ambassador Martin Ney reinforced the ever-increasing significance of strategic cooperation between the two nations in a statement: "I believe India is in a crucial phase. It overhauls its economy. It reinvigorates its international engagements in order to harness its full potential as a rising power in a multipolar world."
"Critics have panned the [smart city] project for its little or no information on key implementation details."
Now, while the newly appointed Ambassador Ney rightly projects a positive macroeconomic future for India in the decades to come, he may not be able to say the same of its cities. If he has had the opportunity to travel outside the German Embassy housed in Delhi's plush Shantipath area, he is bound to realise that Indian cities are a mess. It is estimated that 30 people migrate every minute to major Indian cities from rural areas. However, these cities abysmal infrastructure are in no position to handle this burgeoning stress.
In this light, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to develop 100 smart cities as satellite towns of larger cities and modernising the existing mid-sized cities is a move that recognises the socio-economic challenges associated with rapid urbanisation. Moreover, the familiar adage that India lives in its villages might just become irrelevant in the next couple of decades. Urban settings are now driving production and consumption in the Indian economy, accounting for nearly 60% of the GDP. Approximately 600 million Indians are expected to live in urban settings by 2030.
Since the announcement in the Union Budget, the vision of building 100 smart cities has garnered praise and criticism in equal measure. Those in favour of the project have argued that the mission will produce choices for the average citizen to pursue interests meaningfully, generate employment prospects, attract investments and human capital as well as ensure social, environmental and financial sustainability. The mission has also evinced international interest with countries like Germany, USA, Japan, Singapore Australia and France offering technical expertise and resources to build these cities.
However, amidst the hullabaloo over the smart city mission, the million-dollar question on every Indian's mind continues to be, what exactly is a smart city? The definition used by interest groups and stakeholders vary. Internationally, the understanding is that a smart city is the same as a digital city, and could also be understood as a sustainable city. In a note circulated to Members of Parliament, the government adopts a more unique definition. It defines smart cities as "those that are able to attract investments." Good infrastructure, simple and transparent online processes that make it easy to establish an enterprise and run it efficiently are to be considered key features of an investor-friendly smart city.
While the project has received a great deal of attention ever since the announcement in the 2014 budget, much of this attention has often been negative and cynical. Critics have panned the project for its little or no information on key implementation details. They argue that the government would not be in a position to ensure inclusiveness for the urban poor, migrants and the marginalised. They question the kind of safeguards the government can possibly have in place when it is only providing 20% of the funding and believe that these cities would end up being nothing more than gated communities for the already privileged.
"[T]he NDA government needs to move beyond mere slogans and simplistic definitions to addressing the more pressing issues specific to smart city development in India."
As the government embarks on its ambitious plan, India is in a unique position to learn from best practices and mistakes made elsewhere. Cities in Germany are consistently ranked as some of the "smartest" in the world, possessing the best physical, social, institutional and economic infrastructure. Citizens participate and consult with the government in a fairly transparent manner and government structures make effective use of ICTs in public administration to connect and coordinate between various departments. Germany has also been at the forefront of piloting a host of ambitious and successful smart city experiments in the last decade. (See Friedrichshafen, for example). Numerous projects aimed at ensuring smartness in urban transportation, environmental management, governance and economy have been successfully developed by German businesses and the progress from discovery to the market has largely been smooth.
A concept note on smart cities released by the Urban Development Ministry defines smart cities as those that ensure a "very high quality of life (comparable with any developed European city)..." Now, while that definition might flatter Chancellor Merkel, the NDA government needs to move beyond mere slogans and simplistic definitions to addressing the more pressing issues specific to smart city development in India. The ball is now in Prime Minister Modi's court. It's about time he played he played it smart.
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08/01/2018 11:38 am ET Updated Aug 01, 2018
New Ebola Outbreak Confirmed In Democratic Republic Of Congo
The news comes just a week after the country announced the end of its ninth Ebola outbreak.
By Lauren Weber
Four new cases of Ebola have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, just a week after the country announced the end of its ninth Ebola outbreak.
Congo’s Ministry of Health was notified Saturday of 26 cases of fever “with hemorrhagic signs” that included 20 deaths in Beni, a city in the northeast province of North Kivu. Of the six samples analyzed for Ebola, four came back positive.
Ebola is considered endemic to Congo because of its equatorial forest ecosystem. Authorities do not believe the new outbreak is connected to the Bikoro outbreak, which infected 54 people and killed 33 and which was just declared over. The two outbreaks are separated by more than 2,500 kilometers (1,553 miles).
The Ministry of Health noted that therapeutic treatments are still in country from the last outbreak, but the species of this Ebola virus has yet to be determined. The Bikoro outbreak was contained using an experimental vaccine, provided by Merck, to target the Ebola Zaire strain. The World Health Organization raised $36 million from a variety of countries and nongovernmental organizations to fight that outbreak, and more than 3,300 people were vaccinated.
North Kivu province, the site of the current outbreak, borders Rwanda and Uganda. Beni has been the site of intense fighting in recent decades, and between 2014 and 2016, more than 800 people were killed in the area, many of them by machete. Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan Islamist group, was blamed alongside Congolese army officers for the killings.
The violence and unrest in Beni and the North Kivu province presents a particular challenge for containing an Ebola outbreak, Jeremy Konyndyk, who led parts of the 2014 Ebola response for the Obama administration, told HuffPost in an email. Konyndyk is now a senior policy fellow for the Washington-based Center for Global Development.
“We have been lucky in recent Ebola outbreaks that they have been in relatively safe and stable areas; North Kivu is a different story,” he said, citing the “importance of baseline operational security” in successfully controlling such an situation. To properly trace the spread of an outbreak, he said, disease detectives have to chase down people’s contacts, which can be dangerous with the kind of militia activity seen in this area of Congo.
In these more volatile situations, contacts are often harder to find, as the population is more mobile and could be hiding from militias ― making it harder for contact tracers to locate and contain the outbreak.
Peter Salama, the WHO’s deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, expressed similar concerns in a tweet Wednesday.
This cluster of #Ebola cases is occurring in an environment which is very different from where we were operating in the northwest of #DRC. It is an active conflict zone. The major barrier will be safely accessing the affected population. https://t.co/FiHDatPjmq
— Peter Salama (@PeteSalama) August 1, 2018
Konyndyk did cite Congo’s previous experience battling Ebola, and the WHO’s speedy reaction this spring, as reasons for optimism. And Beni is not located on the Congo River, the superhighway of central Africa, unlike the last Bikoro outbreak, which authorities worried could spread across borders.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director-general, said Wednesday that the response to the latest outbreak has already begun.
#Ebola is a constant threat in #DRC. We will fight this one as we did the last. We have started moving staff and supplies to the affected area, working with @MinSanteRDC and partners. https://t.co/7RADmzbc6q
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 1, 2018
A White House National Security Council spokesperson told HuffPost that while every outbreak is concerning, the detection of this one is a sign of a well-functioning disease surveillance system.
“We are closely tracking the newly declared Ebola virus disease outbreak in the DRC and stand ready to support the DRC and international partners working to control it,” the spokesperson said.
Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said in a statement that the WHO has a “head start” on this outbreak, as the staff and equipment are still in place from the last one.
The comparatively isolated nature of Beni, and fact that the WHO and others are already in country, is heartening to Dr. Cyrus Shahpar, who previously served as the lead for the global rapid response team at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We do have experienced people there, and it’s fairly remote which usually limits the spread of these outbreaks,” said Shahpar, who is now the director of preventing epidemics at former CDC Director Tom Frieden’s Resolve to Save Lives initiative.
But the fact that this is happening so close to the last outbreak, and at a time when dangerous outbreaks are becoming more common, is something that should give the world pause, he said.
“It’s not a matter of if but when [with these types of outbreaks],” Shahpar told HuffPost. “And the when seems to be happening more and more.”
This story has been updated throughout.
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Lauren Weber
Reporter, HuffPost
Africa Ebola Congo Democratic Republic Of The Congo
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May takes election gamble to strengthen hand on Brexit
Analysis: Political case for early election is compelling – but it also carries risks for the PM
Tue, Apr 18, 2017, 11:55
Denis Staunton
Irish Times Political editor Pat Leahy reports on the possible consequences of the proposed UK election for both Ireland and Northern Ireland. Video: Bryan O'Brien
British prime minister Theresa May in Downing Street in London announcing her decision to seek a snap general elction. Photograph: Philip Toscano/PA Wire
Theresa May blamed opposition attempts to thwart Brexit for what she claimed was a reluctant decision to call for an early general election on June 8th. But an enhanced Conservative majority could also leave her less dependent on right-wingers in her own party as she navigates two years of negotiations with the European Union.
Under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, May needs a two-thirds majority in the House of Commons to call an election before 2020. She will introduce a parliamentary motion on Wednesday, confident that Labour will not wish to be seen to shy away from the challenge of facing the electorate.
Even if the motion fails, May can still engineer an early election by contriving a vote of no confidence in her own government, although that process would be more lengthy as the law requires parliament to attempt to form an alternative government before triggering an election.
The political case for an early election is compelling, with recent polls putting the Conservatives 20 points ahead of Labour, which will almost certainly face the voters on June 8th with Jeremy Corbyn as leader. Some Conservatives, particularly in southwest England, may be vulnerable to the resurgent Liberal Democrats. But the implosion of Ukip and May’s presentation of herself as the keeper of the Brexit flame means that she will have less to fear from the right.
Vote of confidence
The prime minister used her announcement in Downing Street to frame the election as a vote of confidence in her management of Brexit and an attempt to strengthen her hand in the negotiations. But a bigger majority could also offer her greater room for manoeuvre in those talks, particularly over sensitive issues such as the nature and duration of any transitional arrangements after Britain leaves the EU.
In recent weeks, May has signalled a shift in emphasis, making clear that she expects free movement of people, budget payments to the EU and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice to continue beyond March 2019. Until now, hardline Brexiteers on her backbenches have been supportive of her approach but that support is likely to crumble once hard compromises become necessary.
Although the polls are heavily in the prime minister’s favour, she will struggle to increase her majority substantially in an electoral landscape where Scotland as well as Northern Ireland has effectively left the UK-wide political party system. And election campaigns seldom proceed according to plan, especially in a political environment as novel and unpredictable as that of post-Brexit Britain.
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It's Just Me Maria Papaefstathiou / Shop / All Posters, Posters for Greece / Odysseas Elytis
Odysseas Elytis was regarded as a major exponent of romantic modernism in Greece and the world. In 1979 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Elytis’ poetry has marked, through an active presence of over forty years, a broad spectrum of subject matter and stylistic touch with an emphasis on the expression of that which is rarefied and passionate. He borrowed certain elements from Ancient Greece and Byzantium but devoted himself exclusively to today’s Hellenism, of which he attempted—in a certain way based on psychical and sentimental aspects—to reconstruct a modernist mythology for the institutions. His main endeavour was to rid people’s conscience from unjustifiable remorses and to complement natural elements through ethical powers, to achieve the highest possible transparency in expression and finally, to succeed in approaching the mystery of light, the metaphysics of the sun of which he was a “worshiper” -idolater by his own definition. A parallel manner concerning technique resulted in introducing the inner architecture, which is evident in a great many poems of his; mainly in the phenomenal landmark work It Is Truly Meet (Το Άξιον Εστί). This work due to its setting to music by Mikis Theodorakis as an oratorio, is a revered anthem whose verse is sung by all Greeks for all injustice, resistance and for its sheer beauty and musicality of form. Elytis’ theoretical and philosophical ideas have been expressed in a series of essays under the title The Open Papers (Ανοιχτά Χαρτιά). Besides creating poetry he applied himself to translating poetry and theatre as well as a series of collage pictures. Translations of his poetry have been published as autonomous books, in anthologies or in periodicals in eleven languages.
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| ERROR: type should be string, got "https://www.incomeinvestors.com/starbucks-corporation-forget-the-bears-own-sbux-stock-for-dividends/40455/\tStarbucks Corporation: Forget the Bears, Own SBUX Stock for Dividends\tJing Pan, B.Sc., MA Income Investors 2018-06-22T07:45:47Z 2018-06-22 10:42:50 Starbucks Corporation SBUX SBUX stock Starbucks stock NASDAQ SBUX dividend stocks Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) stock tumbled quite a bit recently. Here's why there might be an opportunity for dividend investors. Dividend Stocks,News https://www.incomeinvestors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/starbucks-stock-150x150.jpg\nStarbucks Corporation: Forget the Bears, Own SBUX Stock for Dividends\nBy Jing Pan, B.Sc., MA | June 22, 2018\niStock.com/BalkansCat\nIs the Latest Tumble in Starbucks Stock an Opportunity for Income Investors?\nEven with a serious pullback earlier this year, the U.S. stock market remains bloated. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 Index, and the Nasdaq Composite are still near their all-time highs. That’s why for value-driven income investors, beaten-down stocks like Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) might be worth a look.\nOn Tuesday, June 19, Starbucks announced that it would slow down the expansion of its licensed stores. Moreover, it plans to close approximately 150 company-operated stores in its fiscal year 2019. Historically, Starbucks closes about 50 of these stores annually. (Source: “Starbucks Announces Strategic Priorities and Operational Initiatives to Accelerate Growth and Create Long-Term Shareholder Value,” Starbucks Corporation, June 19, 2018.)\nInvestors didn’t like the news. In the trading day following the company’s announcement, Starbucks stock plunged more than nine percent. That’s quite a drop considering that Starbucks Corporation is a huge company commanding more than $70.0 billion of market capitalization.\n“We must move faster to address the more rapidly changing preferences and needs of our customers,” said Kevin Johnson, President and CEO of Starbucks. “Over the past year we have taken several actions to streamline the company, positioning us to increase our innovation agility as an organization and enhance focus on our core value drivers which serve as the foundation to re-accelerate growth and create long-term shareholder value,” he continued. (Source: Ibid.)\nSo, where does that leave us? Well, in my opinion, the latest tumble in SBUX stock could represent an opportunity for income investors.\nStarbucks Corporation: A Consistent Dividend Grower\nYou see, Starbucks stock pays a decent dividend. Its 2.3% annual yield may not seem like much, but keep in mind that the average S&P 500 company pays just 1.8% at the moment. (Source: “S&P 500 Dividend Yield,” Multpl.com, last accessed June 20, 2018.)\nThe payout has also been growing. Starbucks initiated its dividend policy in 2010 with its first payment of $0.05 per share (adjusted for a two-for-one stock split in 2015). Since then, the company has raised its payout every single year. (Source: “Dividend & Stock Split History,” Starbucks Corporation, last accessed June 20, 2018.)\nThe latest dividend hike arrived last November, when the company announced a 20% increase to its quarterly dividend rate to $0.30 per share. In other words, since Starbucks began dividends in 2010, its per share payout has increased by a staggering 500%.\nAnd if you are wondering whether those dividend hikes might be too aggressive, don’t worry; while the latest SBUX stock news didn’t seem that encouraging, the company still makes way more money than what’s needed to meet its dividend obligations.\nRock-Solid Financials\nIn the second quarter of Starbucks’ fiscal year 2018, which ended April 1, 2018, the company generated adjusted earnings of $0.53 per share, representing an 18% increase year-over-year. The amount easily covered its quarterly dividend rate of $0.30 per share. (Source: “Starbucks Reports Record Q2 Fiscal 2018 Results,” Starbucks Corporation, April 26, 2018.)\nIn the first half of the fiscal year, Starbucks’s adjusted earnings totaled $1.18 per share. Considering that the company declared total dividends of $0.60 per share during this period, it achieved a payout ratio of 50.8%.\nGoing forward, management expects Starbucks to earn an adjusted net income of between $2.48 per share and $2.53 per share for full-year fiscal 2018. If the company achieves the midpoint of the guidance range, its expected annual dividend payment of $1.20 per share would translate to a payout ratio of just 47.9%.\nAs a rule of thumb, I like companies that pay out less than 75% of their profits due to the margin of safety. In the case of Starbucks, these payouts are more than safe.\nMore Dividend Hikes to Come?\nMind you, the press release that led to the latest downturn in SBUX stock contained more than just bad news. For instance, the company said that it has added five million new digitally registered customers since April 2018. Moreover, it also added two million active “Starbucks Rewards” members, representing a 13% increase year-over-year.\nAt the same time, management has decided to return more cash to investors. At the beginning of this fiscal year, Starbucks was planning to return $15.0 billion to shareholders in the form of buybacks and dividends through its fiscal 2020. In Tuesday’s press release, the company added another $10.0 billion to the plan, bringing the expected total shareholder return to approximately $25.0 billion.\nOf course, it’s yet to be determined how much of that cash return will be in the form of dividends and how much will be buybacks. But right now, one thing is certain: due to the company’s conservative payout ratio and impressive dividend growth history, management will want to continue that track record. This means that for dividend investors of Starbucks stock, the best could be yet to come.\nFind Out Who’s Sponsoring Your Neighbor’s Sudden Rich Lifestyle\nAmerica’s Biggest Companies Paying Out Billions\nDaughter’s College Tuition Funded by Insurance Return Checks?"
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Opinion Sinead Kissane
No holding back for the summer - this rivalry is non-negotiable
Kerry's Kieran Donaghy. Photo: David Maher / Sportsfile
Sinead Kissane Twitter
April 23 2016 2:30 AM
"Name one thing in this world that is not negotiable?"
https://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/sinead-kissane/no-holding-back-for-the-summer-this-rivalry-is-nonnegotiable-34652721.html
https://www.independent.ie/incoming/article34652194.ece/36e2d/AUTOCROP/h342/p2kissane.jpg
Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 3
How worldly of Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz to bring up sporting matters on this side of the Atlantic when he stared down the camera lens in Pennsylvania earlier this week and tried to convince Americans that "this is the year of the outsider".
Fans of Connacht Rugby, Leicester City, Tottenham, Roscommon and people who are relieved to see anyone but Kilkenny in a hurling final, perhaps nodded in agreement. But in Dublin and Kerry? Whatever, dude.
The Old Firm find themselves in the unusual position of playing in a final at Croke Park tomorrow where the winners and losers won't be defined by the result for the rest of the year and where the outcome will be a minor footnote in the players' careers.
It's called a final, it sounds like a final but how can it feel like a final when it's only the League final?
League finals come with the sort of baggage which really undervalues sport and why we watch it with concessions: it's only April, it's only the League and it will all be forgotten about in the morning.
This apathy, nonchalance and snobbery about the League is fast becoming out of date.
Even though it will never have the status of the Championship, attempts to down-grade the value of the League, when it boasts a better, fairer and more exciting format than the Championship, are getting sillier by the year.
Watered-down
I don't want to go to Croke Park tomorrow and see a watered-down version of the Dublin-Kerry rivalry just because it's 'only' the League.
But a Dublin v Kerry final is bigger than just a League final, which is why context has nothing yet everything to do with tomorrow's game.
For a change, it will be all about the game itself as opposed to the occasion which rarely happens when it comes to Dublin v Kerry in a final.
There will be far less of that nostalgia and romantic regurgitation of their past which has often left the game itself looking like an after-thought in the build-up.
And there will be none of that suffocating Championship pressure which can just as easily ridicule a team as get the best out of it. Subtract that kind of pressure/fear of failure tomorrow, and this match could be riveting viewing.
It's not often there are headings like greed and revenge around a final played in April either but normal League final rules don't apply here. This week Denis Bastick said "greed" was the reason he decided to play on with the Dubs because they have the chance "to do something special".
Right now, Dublin look like a team which has forgotten how to lose as they've won 21 consecutive League and Championship games. The desire to win more makes greed the most valuable asset in sport.
But what about it's greatest rival, revenge? Bryan Sheehan didn't use the actual word itself when he was at Croker earlier this week but it hung around everything he said.
However, Kerry's revenge mission after September's All-Ireland final defeat also has a 'it's not you, it's me' slant to it because they have plenty to prove to themselves.
"I don't think last year's performance was up to scratch," the Kerry captain said.
"I think maybe losing one (All-Ireland final) gives you that bit of hunger to come back harder again the following year. We just didn't seem to give it everything we had."
A Kerry team which doesn't have its attitude right is far worse than a Kerry team who plays well and loses and that was the most sickening aftertaste from the All-Ireland final.
The Dubs had the attitude of going out and making it happen, while Kerry looked like a team which had fooled itself into believing that it would just happen for them.
That attitude has changed. It's been years since Kerry have looked this good at this stage of the season.
Players who were dropped to the bench for the All-Ireland final, like Marc Ó Sé, Kieran Donaghy, Paul Murphy and Darran O'Sullivan, have been owning League games over the past month, while Colm Cooper is playing like time is running out.
It feels like The Third Coming for Donaghy such has been his influence in midfield this season, not to mention some of his monster point-scoring from out the field.
Switching Donaghy back to starting in midfield and moving Murphy to the half-forward line are two smart moves from the Kerry management who seem to have this team humming nicely again.
The sight of Eamonn Fitzmaurice and Diarmuid Murphy having a disagreement on the sideline during last year's All-Ireland final did little for the image of a team that should have been confident in what they were doing.
Kerry's spring will be decided by a Dublin team who have refashioned this famous rivalry on their terms. I don't want games of bluff tomorrow and certainly don't expect to see any holding back for a possible meeting in the All-Ireland semi-final if the championship goes along predicted lines.
The summer can wait. The way Dublin and Kerry are able to bring out the best and the worst in each other is what makes them fascinating encounters.
Whatever the context, their rivalry is non-negotiable.
How 'magpie' Gavin has feathered Dublin's nest
Record breaker
This time Kerry need Cooper to be the hunted, not hunter
'They're seen as Clare players, not as Dubs'
Sinead Kissane: Irish amateurs risk falling behind pro rivals as change comes too slowly in...
Sinead Kissane At 7.15 this morning the Ireland women's squad will meet in their hotel to start their warm-up exercises for today's Six Nations game against Wales.
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Sinead Kissane When Eddie Jones showed up at the Six Nations launch in London this week, it was like looking at the two faces of rugby. The England boss arrived at the media day after, apparently, falling over in...
Time for GAA to start treating boys and girls the same
Sinead Kissane When a "level playing field" was given as the reason for not having Hawk-Eye in use at Croke Park on Sunday for the All-Ireland Ladies football finals, it felt like some version of Trumpist ridicule was...
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Jessica Chastain Shoots Down ‘True Detective’ Rumors Herself; Talks About Playing Marilyn Monroe In ‘Blonde’
Jessica Chastain Shoots Down ‘True Detective' Rumors Herself; Talks About Playing Marilyn Monroe In ‘Blonde’
If there’s something the Internet loves it’s wishful thinking. And there’s a ton of wishful thinking going around the second season of “True Detective.” There’s been dumb, totally false and wrong rumors that Brad Pitt was going to co-star (ha, as if), and lately, there’s been word that Jessica Chastain got an offer to star in the second season of writer Nic Pizzolatto’s show (by now you’ve hopefully come to terms that Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey are not coming back either). And maybe Chastain did get an offer, but to prove the point why you should always temper that excitement, every major star always gets an offer for everything. Especially if they’re hot at the moment. So you know Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain get offered every part right now. Hell, Fassbender was offered the lead in Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah” and Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive,” both of which he had to turn down because of scheduling conflicts. He wants to work with those people, but not everything fits, so maybe next time.
Offers mean very little. And so yes, while HBO has already confirmed that Jessica Chastain would not be in the second season of “True Detective,” in case you think they’re lying—which of course is always the conspiracy theory notion behind all casting these days for some reason—Chastain has herself said, thanks, but no thanks.
“It’s such an awkward thing,” Chastain told Vulture in Cannes today. “That news broke yesterday and it went crazy on the internet. There was so much of an explosion. Also it’s an awkward thing because when all that attention happens, it takes away from whoever plays the role. I love Woody Harrelson, and I’m gonna watch the second season just like I watched every episode of the first. But I won’t be on it.”
Case closed, Internet. Sorry, would it be cool? Yes. Is Chastain already booked up until 2017 with movie roles? Pretty much. A TV show was never going to work into her schedule (plus if you’re white hot in movies, the last place you want to go is the small screen, frankly). Meanwhile, Chastain did talk (and confirm) that she’ll be playing Marilyn Monroe for Andrew Dominik in the movie long-gestating project “Blonde.”
“Listen, with that project, I love Andrew Dominik. I think he’s an incredible filmmaker and artist,” she said. “He has his own different, unique voice. I wasn’t interested in, and I’m not interested in, making a Marilyn Monroe biopic, because I feel like we’ve had so many of those and so many people are fantastic and it’s not a competition, you know what I mean? It was not exciting to me. So I read Joyce Carol Oates’ book, ‘Blonde,’ and what surprised me is that it’s not a biography. It’s actually a work of fiction. And I found it to be a great feminist novel, because it takes the archetype of the blonde, as represented by Marilyn Monroe, and we see what society does [with] her and what the film industry in particular does with her, and how she’s devoured up. And I think in a day and age where we’re fighting to have female voices in cinema and perspectives of women [in] a film industry dominated by male voices, it’s a good story to tell.”
That one is a ways off, but we’ll see Chastain later this year in Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” and J.C. Chandor’s ‘80s-set crime drama “A Most Violent Year.”
This Article is related to: News and tagged Andrew Dominik, Blonde, Jessica Chastain, Television, True Detective, TV News
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Home News and events Press Corner Press Releases
Engaging govt.primary health service delivery to implement ECD interventions promises a brighter future – study shows
Dhaka, 28 May 2019: Today, icddr,b’s Child Development Unit held a dissemination seminar at its Sasakawa Auditorium in Mohakhali, Dhaka to share major findings of a randomised controlled trial on generating evidence of a scalable early childhood development (ECD) model to integrate into existing health services in Bangladesh. The study showed that capacity building of primary health service within the existing Government system is possible and could result in a brighter future.
ECD is fundamental for the health, well-being and life opportunities for every child, everywhere. However, poor ECD in low- and middle-income countries is a major concern. In these countries including Bangladesh, around 250 million children under 5 years of age are failing to reach their maximum developmental potential. Multiple risk factors are at play - poverty, malnutrition and lack of a stimulating environment. There are calls to universalise access to ECD interventions through integrating them into existing government services but little evidence on the medium- or long-term effects of such scalable models are available. Addressing ECD during critical development periods is essential to meet many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
icddr,b’s Child Development Unit has worked for the last two decades on ECD and has already developed a ‘Comprehensive Early Stimulation Package’ to benefit development of underprivileged children, such as children with malnutrition, anaemia, and/or poverty. This will be scaled-up through the Government health system. The present study is a feasibility study titled “Scaling up of early childhood development intervention by integrating into health services in Bangladesh” to evaluate if the government health supervisors can successfully train and supervise front line clinic staff on ECD service delivery.
icddr,b’s Dr Jena Derakhshani Hamadani, Emeritus Scientist, Maternal and Child Health Division, Dr Fahmida Tofail, Scientist, Nutrition and Clinical Services Division and Mr Bidhan Krishna Sarker, Assistant Scientist, Maternal and Child Health Division presented the study findings.
The study involved capacity building of 19 Health and Family Planning Inspectors in two Upazilas of Mymensingh (Trishal and Bhaluka), who have subsequently trained 58 frontline health workers including Community Health Care Providers, Health Assistants and Family Welfare Assistants to provide ECD services to 576 children through responsive parenting training. In a preliminary assessment, the study found that families showed significant improvement in the quality of home stimulation that is considered a proxy for child development and the effect size was 0.3 SD (standard deviation).
Mr Sheikh Rafiqul Islam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Bangladesh appreciated the findings and said “The early childhood development interventions model applied in Trishal and Bhaluka should be scaled up across the country”.
Dr Makhduma Nargis, Vice-President, Community Clinic Health Support Trust and Dr Md Younus Ali Pramanik, Managing Director of Community Clinic Health Support Trust, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare were also present at the seminar among others.
In the seminar, a publication series titled ‘Informing design and implementation for early child development programmes’ published by the Archives of Disease in Childhood was officially launched in Bangladesh.
The series comprised of five papers and an editorial developed by over 30 authors including Dr Jena Hamadani and Dr Fahmida Tofail from icddr,b to provide practical, evidence-based information on implementation for early child development. This will help guiding policymakers and programmers regarding key decisions points: where, what and how to implement in varying contexts? Who is paying for what?
To read the publication, please visit here.
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You are here: Home » Activities and Groups » BSLA » Community libraries to support community needs
Community libraries to support community needs
Module 1: Library associations in society
Topic 1: Professional associations, the role of libraries, and librarians
For some years, the Library Society of China (LSC) has had a strong focus on building the infrastructure and professional support required for good quality library services. The case study outlines a number of initiatives that have sought to strengthen the association’s influence on government, improve professional standards and increase awareness about the value of libraries to the community. The programs coordinated by the LSC ensured that the association was in a position to demonstrate leadership in difficult times.
Key Ideas
As you read the case study, think about the following issues:
The importance of information access in contemporary communities
The contribution a library association can make to modern society
The role a library association can play to support its members and to engage different stakeholder groups
The benefits of being a member of a library association
The Library Society of China (LSC) is a non-government, non-profit and national organisation for libraries, information institutions, librarians and professions. Established in 1979 (its predecessor was the Chinese Library Association, dating back to 1925), it currently has 10,000 individual members and 215 institutional members. One of the LSC's strategic objectives is to communicate with government agencies, in particular to deliver advice to the government about library issues and to encourage the development of policies that will benefit libraries and their users. A strong program of advocacy on the part of the LSC led to the implementation of three national standards for the library profession in China (2003-2004). Since then, further legislation and library standards have been introduced, encompassing the construction of public libraries, library staffing, professional ethics, copyright etc. The LSC has also worked with the government to raise the profile of libraries and to encourage research and practice. Significantly, the leadership shown by the LSC has helped establish a platform of trust between the LSC, its members and the government.
It is fair to say that libraries in China have had an uneven development, primarily due to the geographical, cultural and economic differences in such a vast country. It is estimated that nearly a third of the county libraries have failed to adequately perform the social functions of modern libraries, for example through the provision of services designed to enhance social, cultural and economic conditions in the local community. Historically, the overall status of libraries in China has reflected the lack of funding, quality staff, management skills and an overall vision for the sector.
However, the LSC has worked with the government to develop a series of cultural policies to help build more cohesive services and programs that will be of benefit to the whole community. Research activities have informed both policy and practice, with the LSC working to engage government, industry, the community and the profession in issues associated with libraries. In 2005 the association published two reports on the development and sustainability of regional public libraries, which attracted considerable attention in the media. Several new programs were developed and implemented as a result of the association’s advocacy activities.
In 2005, the society hosted a symposium to examine the role played by grass-roots libraries in society, in order to inform the development of a plan to work with the government to construct a network of libraries across the nation. Proposals, developed through a process of consultation with international LIS professional bodies, LIS professionals and local researchers, were delivered to the Ministry of Culture. The media attention ensured that the level of awareness amongst the general public about library services was greatly increased. The opportunities for collaboration between local government authorities, the national government and the LSC led to a positive working environment that has supported further policy development to advance public libraries.
From 2006 to 2008, the LSC coordinated a training program for grass-roots librarians, recruiting professionals and academics to serve in a volunteer capacity to develop the curriculum and learning resources, and to teach the courses. A total of 82 volunteers from 43 institutions (including libraries, university schools and community organisations) have contributed to the program, which has produced 1636 new grass-roots librarians in 15 provinces.
Alongside the building of community libraries and the development of grass-roots librarians, the LSC set goals to increase the levels of literacy. The association sought to rejuvenate a project that had originally run in 1995, working with a number of different government authorities to support and promote a ‘Nationwide Reading’ program. As the revitalised program attracted widespread media coverage through television, radio, magazines and the Internet, there was a strong level of public interest. Publishers and libraries have clearly benefitted from the focus on reading; libraries are central to the various reading programs as they can organise a wide variety of community activities to promote reading and can partner with a broad spectrum of agencies, including cultural, educational, scientific and technological organisations.
Over time, by aligning initiatives with national strategic priorities and by ensuring that research and evidence-based practice is used to inform decisions about the construction of library buildings, the training of library staff and the development of community literacy, the LSC has won the respect and trust of the government.
Disaster strikes
On May 12, 2008, Wenchuan County in China was struck by a major earthquake, which affected many provinces and killed over 80,000 people. Sichuan Province was the most severely affected. 37 libraries were destroyed or damaged, 13,000 pieces of library equipment were ruined and almost 2 million books were destroyed, amounting to economic losses of around US $59 million. The reconstruction program would inevitably be a long-term task that would require the efforts of local librarians, domestic and foreign colleagues, the government and the wider community.
The LSC worked quickly to consult with its members and to launch an appeal, with recommendations for the post-disaster reconstruction. Donations were sought from Chinese and international librarians, LIS institutions and funding agencies. Only one week after the earthquake, an official website, Disaster Relief and Reconstruction, was set up by the LSC to serve as the official information channel about the reconstruction program. The LSC worked quickly to draft standards that would guide the rebuilding and restocking of libraries across the Sichuan province.
Over a number of years, the LSC has established strong relationships with its members, the library sector, the government and the media. The program of advocacy which has involved consultation with the different stakeholder groups about the issues impacting on libraries, library services and library professionals, allowed the LSC to adopt a strong position of leadership when disaster struck in May 2008. The association was able to quickly rally support from many corners and to provide authoritative advice to guide the reconstruction efforts.
The LSC has demonstrated its capacity to enact the association’s goals:
To be a ‘bridge’: the LSC aims to connect libraries and the public, libraries and society, libraries and the government
To be a ‘mouthpiece’: the LSC aims to be the mouthpiece for protecting the social rights of all library professionals and the mouthpiece for protecting the reading rights of the nation’s citizens.
In what ways do you think this association has made a significant contribution to libraries and to society? Why?
Who benefits from the work of the LSC? How do they benefit?
How might the experience of this association relate to your own situation? What lessons can be learned?
Imagine you are on the board of a library association striving to build/rebuild its influence. Outline some of the key strategies that the board could consider.
Can you identify any other strategies that you feel have been beneficial or successful? Explain why.
Has this case study changed your perception of library associations?
Resource: Case study
Region: Asia & Oceania
Agency: Library Society of China (LSC)
Topic: The role and importance of libraries and librarians
Keywords: society, community libraries, information access, reading programs, professional standards, stakeholder engagement, disaster relief
Tang, G. & Wu, Y. (2009). To influence the government policy: The experience from the Library Society of China. Paper presented at the 75th IFLA World Library and Information Congress held in Milan, Italy, 23-27 August 2009. Available as an online resource at http://conference.ifla.org/past/ifla75
Associations, Asia and Oceania, China, Building Strong Library Associations
Last update: 21 October 2012
BSLA
Training package overview
Policy-based learning materials
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Neil Woodford's billion-dollar baby turns four
We use Patient Capital's fourth birthday as a chance to share our view on Woodford's middle child.
On 21 April, Woodford Patient Capital (LSE:WPCT) will turn four. Having weighed in at launch at £800 million, making it the second-largest UK investment trust launch ever after Smithson Investment Trust (LSE:SSON), according to the AIC, Woodford's middle child has had some high-profile teething issues along the way. Total assets today stand at just over £1 billion.
Whilst it's still relatively early days for the strategy, next week's anniversary falls squarely in the middle of the patient, three-to-five-year time frame that Woodford has often referenced. So, it's an appropriate milestone to take another look at the strategy.
Dzmitry Lipski, Investment Analyst, interactive investor, says: "Investment trust IPOs have had a chequered history over the years, but the clue with Patient Capital has always been in the name, and we still think patience is absolutely key.
"With this investment trust sitting on a double-digit discount, investors who came on board at launch will be nursing the double whammy of a widening discount and a falling share price – painful stuff. But now is not the time to abandon this strategy.
"With many of the holdings being high risk/ high reward unquoted companies, and with a gearing level of around 16%, this was always going to be a racy holding – and the path was never going to be smooth. This is something that Woodford acknowledged from the get go, with an innovative charging structure.
"It is often forgotten that this trust does not levy an annual management fee and Woodford has shared every bit of the pain with investors. Only when the trust performs well is the manager rewarded – the fund charges a performance fee of 15% net asset value (NAV) returns above 10% per annum with a high-water mark. This is pretty unheard of in the fund management world, and Woodford deserves credit for this.
"Investors with the required patience must, however, fully understand this is a high-risk strategy. The manager invests in early stage disruptive growth companies, taking high conviction positions and holding them for the long term. It is not a company that should be compared to its peers, but is instead one to tuck away for the long-term in the bottom drawer."
Discrete % returns
Woodford Patient Capital Trust -5.1 1.3 -8.1 11.4
FTSE All Share -5 16.3 7.8 4.8
Source: Morningstar Direct
Past performance is no guide to the future and the value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount invested.
Funds & Trusts
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How Indianapolis became one of the most wasteful big cities in America
Indianapolis wastes more of its recyclable trash than all but two major cities across the country. Will the city take its chance to turn that around?
How Indianapolis became one of the most wasteful big cities in America Indianapolis wastes more of its recyclable trash than all but two major cities across the country. Will the city take its chance to turn that around? Check out this story on IndyStar.com: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2019/01/30/indianapolis-biggest-city-u-s-without-recycling-all/1272400002/
Sarah Bowman and Emily Hopkins, Indianapolis Star Published 11:22 a.m. ET Jan. 30, 2019 | Updated 8:47 p.m. ET Jan. 30, 2019
Indianapolis collects more than 24,000 tons of trash each month — but only 7 percent of it gets recycled. Stephen J. Beard, stephen.beard@indystar.com
Indianapolis is at risk of becoming the most wasteful big city in America.
It already wastes the greatest portion of its recyclable trash among any of the 20 biggest cities, and many recycle far, far more.
How bad is it? In San Francisco, the top recycling city, 80 percent of the trash is reused. In Seattle, almost all residents participate in the program, reusing nearly 60 percent of the waste. The national average is 35 percent.
And in Indianapolis? Only 7 percent is recycled.
IndyStar gathered and analyzed recycling rates — the percentage of waste that is kept from the landfill or incinerator — for the 50 most populous cities in the country. Urban areas from New York City to Houston, Portland to Milwaukee and Phoenix to Columbus typically recycle as much as 20 or 30 percent of their waste, and some much more.
Indy — the nation's 14th largest city — is the biggest municipality without a curbside recycling program serving every household. And only two of the top 50 cities — Detroit and New Orleans — recycle slightly less than Indianapolis.
Unlike Indianapolis, however, those cities are notorious for their financial struggles. In Indianapolis, the situation has been a matter of policy.
Missing out: How Indiana is throwing away a huge economic opportunity by not recycling
In 30 seconds:How Indianapolis has fallen behind in recycling
Limited-time subscription offer: Get 3 months of digital access for just $3
Instead of creating an incentive to recycle, the city's trash hauler charges residents for the privilege. And lurking behind that decision is politicians' reluctance to pay for a robust system, and their long commitment to burning a huge portion of the city's trash that could be recycled.
“Absolutely, Indianapolis is behind,” said Ron Gonen, co-founder and CEO of the Closed Loop Fund, a national organization that funds efforts to build and expand recycling infrastructure. “If I was an Indy resident, I would be scratching my head and asking the city: 'What are we missing in Indy? Why aren’t we able to take advantage of this?'”
And, in fact, many are.
Newcomers are often caught off guard. David Johnson moved here nearly two years ago from Seattle, where recycling is a way of life — if not a “hobby,” as he describes it. He was disappointed to find out recycling was "like a foreign language" in Indianapolis.
“It implies the city is not vibrant, behind the times, and not a leader in conservation or clean environment efforts,” Johnson said.
Longtime residents also say they want universal recycling. City officials say they receive weekly phone calls and emails from people asking about recycling. Responding to a 2016 survey by the city's Office of Sustainability, 91 percent of residents asked agreed that recycling is important.
Recycling is no longer considered an amenity for the best cities, said Allyson Mitchell, executive director of the Indiana Recycling Coalition. It’s an expectation. Any city without it is at a disadvantage when trying to attract progressive companies.
Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration has now promised to expand the program.
"We have an unsustainable model for trash disposal that is the legacy system that has grown up over time," Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Jeff Bennett said. "The future of solid waste has to change, so we are looking at how do you include universal curbside recycling in that future."
But, for decades, mayor after mayor in Indianapolis — Republican and Democrat — has made similar promises that went nowhere. Residents and advocates wonder if this time will be different.
“It’s a sad, sad story in Indianapolis,” Mitchell said. “It’s a saga.”
Covanta Solid Waste Processing Facility, 2320 S. Harding St., Indianapolis, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. (Photo: Robert Scheer/IndyStar)
Penalized for recycling
The city’s recycling problems date back to decisions made more than 40 years ago, when a country enormously dependent on fossil fuels was hit by rising oil prices and diminishing landfill space.
As early as 1975, city officials created a task force to find ways to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills because the city was "running out of options," according to Dave Arland, who was press secretary to former Mayor William Hudnut. By 1981, they landed on the idea of building an incinerator to create energy, a path they would doggedly stick to over the next 38 years.
What was then Ogden Martin Systems came to town in 1985 and struck up a deal with the city to build and operate an incinerator. The city issued $109 million in bonds to finance the project, which Ogden was on the hook to pay — so the city needed Ogden to succeed. In 1988 the incinerator on Harding Street on the southwest side burned its first load of trash.
It was billed as a form of recycling. And indeed it put trash to use. The city bought steam energy produced by the incinerator to heat and cool its downtown buildings.
Strictly speaking, however, it was not a recycling program. The plastics, paper, aluminum and other materials heaped into the incinerator were reused only once. A curbside recycling program not only reduces the need for landfill space, but also reuses the materials again and again.
What’s more, an incinerator is not as clean. Five months after its launch, the incinerator violated its air quality permit for the first time. And it has done so repeatedly: In its first few years of operating, the incinerator exceeded its pollution limits as many as six to 10 times a month. The facility violated its permit as recently as 2018 when equipment malfunctions caused it to spew too much carbon monoxide into the air.
Even when it operates within federal limits, the incinerator produces more greenhouse gases than recycling does. And the ash and other detritus the incinerator generates are still sent to the landfill.
Many cities were already abandoning their incinerator plans or closing their facilities by the mid-1990s. Instead, cities from coast-to-coast and throughout Indiana were launching curbside recycling.
Indianapolis officials, however, showed only a faint interest in joining what was swiftly becoming standard operating procedure. Officials at the New Jersey-based company now called Covanta insisted that the incinerator did not create a disincentive for curbside recycling — a position they maintain today.
“In the vast majority of the communities where we operate, curbside has been very successful,” company spokesman James Regan told IndyStar. “We have always been supportive of increasing recycling in the city … and we remain supportive.” Arland agreed, and emphasized that incineration and recycling are not mutually exclusive.
But, in practice, the contract with Covanta created hurdles.
As part of the contract, Indianapolis received a break on the steam energy costs based on how much trash it sent to the incinerator — if it sent less, it paid more for energy.
The incinerator had such a hunger for fuel that the city passed an ordinance that forbade trash haulers operating in the city from disposing of their refuse anywhere else because the facility "needed a guaranteed method of revenue," Arland told IndyStar. Such ordinances were later struck down as unconstitutional for discriminating against interstate and international trade.
Still, it made clear how adamant the city was about burning as much trash as possible.
Another contract clause also encouraged incineration. It required the city to deliver more than 300,000 tons of waste per year to the incinerator, or pay a penalty.
Again and again, the wisdom of that penalty was debated as mayor after mayor promised to expand recycling. Yet the penalty created by Mayor William Hudnut was sustained through the administrations of Steve Goldsmith, Bart Peterson and Greg Ballard.
“It is inexplicable to me that over the course of many administrations that the contract was renewed again and again, and someone didn’t say we need to take this out of there,” said state Rep. Carey Hamilton, who now represents Marion County but previously led the Indiana Recycling Coalition.
The penalty survived until Hogsett removed it early in his term.
“Without a doubt that was a deterrent because it was a disincentive to try to capture the most,” Mitchell said. “But now we can institute recycling without fear of penalty.”
Jason Turner with Republic Services empties recycling cans in an alley at 13th and Ogden streets in Indianapolis on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. (Photo: Matt Detrich / IndyStar)
Lack of political will
In the early 1990s Indiana's legislature adopted sweeping changes to how solid waste is managed, creating an explosion of recycling programs — everywhere but in Marion County.
The law created county solid waste management districts to serve as dedicated, independent experts to develop recycling programs and set the rates necessary to run them. But it exempted Marion County, largely because of Covanta’s incinerator.
Observers say those districts effectively removed the politics from recycling decisions — and more than 100 cities and towns across the state pursued recycling. Indiana’s recycling rate rose to 17 percent, even without a comprehensive program in the state’s largest city.
But in Marion County, politicians still held the reins. And they were loath to raise money to pay for recycling. Arland said it feels good to say the city has universal recycling, but it comes with a price tag.
"It requires political will to make it happen and a City-County Council willing to put its neck on the line if taxes needed to go up to support it," he said. "That may have changed now, but at the end of the day it just was not possible in the late '70s and early '80s."
In fact, the taboo on raising rates was so strong city politicians not only failed to launch a viable recycling program, they also declined to raise the solid waste fee for more than 30 years.
Sustainability experts Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, and Kelly Weger, Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue, dumpster dive 3 days of IndyStar trash and rate our recycling efforts to Environmental Reporter Sarah Bowman, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Michelle Pemberton, michelle.pemberton@indystar.com
Today's solid waste fee does not even cover the true cost of trash disposal. To cover the shortfall — a number that continues to grow — the city has been drawing down a fund that is expected to be depleted in a few years. When that happens, rates will need to rise or the city will need to rob funds used for other city services.
“It was a very unpopular thing as mayor to increase rates,” Mitchell said. “Recycling inherently became political, and the problem just continued to compound over the years.”
Even as far back as 1991, for example, Goldsmith stumped on increasing recycling options. In the end, however, he proved reluctant to invest in a program that a local trash hauler at the time said the city considered a “necessary nuisance.”
Still, Goldsmith takes credit for creating the city's curbside leaf collection program and for conducting studies that looked at increasing curbside pick-up. In a statement to the Star, the former mayor said his administration did not want to add charges to make recycling mandatory. Peterson did not respond to requests for comment.
Not everyone thought of it that way, however. Residents increasingly asked for a program. And at least one Indianapolis glass recycling company said it teetered on the edge of closure. Strategic Materials blamed the city for the company's inability to operate at full capacity. Company officials said they would not have located here if the city had no intention of establishing a comprehensive program.
“I thought the city would implement curbside (recycling) countywide; everybody led me to believe that,” Ed McMahon told the Indianapolis Star in an April 1996 article. He was the vice president for the northern region of Strategic Materials, which still operates — below capacity — in the city.
“I would think sooner or later they’ll have to recycle,” McMahon said more than 20 years ago, “the rest of the world is.”
Employing their "necessary nuisance" philosophy, city officials did reluctantly back into a subscription recycling program. Many cities that embraced recycling achieved recycling rates of 40 percent or more by charging residents more to throw away trash, less to recycle. But Indianapolis did the opposite: residents have to pay as much as $99 a year for the privilege of recycling.
And the results, critics say, were predictable. Only 10 percent of residents have opted into the program. The city acknowledges both its participation and recycling rates are low, Bennett said, "even among participants in a voluntary program."
Trucks bring in materials to the tipping floor at Covanta, an energy from waste facility, on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. Covanta, located at 2320 S. Harding Street in Indianapolis, is building a new recycling plant next to the incinerator and plans to break ground in 2015. (Photo: Matt Detrich/The Star)
Ballard tried, but flopped
As advances in oil and gas drilling, wind and solar power, and electric vehicles caught on — revolutionizing America’s energy mix and making it an exporter of fossil fuels — Indianapolis stuck with its 1970s Energy Crisis-era waste management strategy.
The incinerator contract was up for renewal in 2008, yet the city didn't recognize a need for change, and stayed its course.
By 2014, a group funded by companies including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola sent a letter to the city offering interest-free financing “to support the deployment of a curbside recycling program.” Other cities had received between $3 million and $7 million.
The Closed Loop Fund, as the industry group is called, had its eyes trained on Indianapolis, which is surrounded by the companies' plants and facilities across the state and region.
The city, however, left that offer on the table.
“The city was offered significant resources to get a program started, and they declined that opportunity,” Hamilton said. “It was incredibly frustrating to me as a leader trying to bring curbside to all."
Instead, then-Mayor Ballard, who was widely seen as a champion of green causes, signed a $112 million deal with Covanta to combine its waste incinerator operations with a recycling program, a move whose shortcomings were later revealed on an international stage.
Under that set-up, all waste — including trash and recyclables — would still be tossed together in one bin at the end of Indianapolis driveways. Then, machines at Covanta’s facility would pluck the recyclable goods out from all that garbage. Those materials would go on to a recycling facility, while the trash would make its way to the incinerator.
Ballard, who declined requests for comment for this story, said at the time that the deal would finally bring recycling to the city.
“The mayor and city were looking for a one-stop-shop solution by keeping it all under Covanta,” said John Barth, a former Democratic city-county councilman during Ballard’s time in office. “But that was more a good sell than good recycling.”
The production line at Perpetual Recycling Solutions, Richmond, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. The facility recycles PET plastic, the kind commonly found in clear water bottles. (Photo: Robert Scheer/IndyStar)
Critics likened Covanta's proposed process to “dirty recycling.” They argued the recyclable materials would be contaminated by garbage and rendered unusable — that was the case when recyclers rejected materials from a similar plant in Alabama. It also would have left other recyclables, such as glass and some plastics, destined for the inferno.
A lawsuit challenged the contract, saying it was forged behind closed doors without public input or a competitive bidding process. After a prolonged battle, the Indiana Court of Appeals ultimately nixed the deal in 2016.
“If that deal had gone through,” Mitchell said, “it would have literally killed the ability to do a world class recycling program in this city.”
The impracticality of Ballard’s plan was revealed in 2017 when China announced it was tired of sorting through America’s trash.
For years, China had accepted as much as half of the world's trash. But then it said the recyclables the U.S. and other countries were sending over were too contaminated — either with the wrong items, such as garden hoses, or the right items in the wrong way, such as dirty containers.
Had Ballard's deal gone through, Indianapolis would have committed to a $112 million combined trash and recycling program just as other cities were scrambling to keep garbage and recyclables separate.
It was well-intentioned, Mitchell and Barth acknowledge, but misguided. Not taking into account the recycling industry’s needs, Indianapolis’ one attempt failed.
The defeat of Ballard's decision, however, cleared the way for a new program.
“The city emerged from what many saw as an impending disaster to one with tremendous potential,” said Scott Mouw, the senior director for strategy and research at The Recycling Partnership.
Bales of recyclables at Perpetual Recycling Solutions, Richmond, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. The facility recycles PET plastic, the kind commonly found in clear water bottles. (Photo: Robert Scheer/IndyStar)
Opportunity for the future
Some wonder if Indianapolis will repeat some of its old mistakes.
Many major cities have set their sights on growing the amount they recycle by 2020 and to reaching zero waste by 2030 or 2035.
Indianapolis has promised to create a universal curbside recycling program, but its launch won't be complete until 2025, although some preliminary work to deploy the blue recycling carts may begin before then.
City officials say the 2025 target is necessary to ensure residents are educated and ready to recycle. Recycling advocates are not convinced.
That target date coincides with the expiration of the city’s contract with its trash hauler, Republic Services. Like the Covanta contract, the Republic contract has been continually renewed, most recently in 2015.
Mitchell said she thinks the program could and would be in place sooner if not for the contract. And Johnson said residents shouldn’t have to wait six more years.
Cost also remains a question. Some cities charge more than Indianapolis to provide their recycling and waste disposal services, Bennett said. And Indianapolis officials — anticipating the day the city's waste disposal fund runs dry — are closely examining fees.
"Our focus is really on the future of solid waste as a whole, knowing that the funding model we now have doesn’t work this way forever," Bennett said.
It is unclear if the city will have to raise the solid waste fee to expand recycling, said Katie Robinson, director of the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability. The city will explore creating a solid waste management district, she added, and look to partner with the Closed Loop Fund and Recycling Partnership to offset costs.
Still, Mouw, Mitchell and others are hopeful it will be different this time.
Recycling advocates say it's hard to overstate the impact — or the opportunity — the China announcement represents.
Jason Turner with Republic Services empties recycling cans in an alley at 13th and Ogden Streets in Indianapolis on Friday, November 2, 2012. (Matt Detrich / The Star) (Photo: Indianapolis Star)
It sent shock waves through the industry. U.S. programs are now wondering how they can produce cleaner recyclables and where they will send them.
The Recycling Partnership, Closed Loop and others say the absence of a comprehensive recycling program gives Indianapolis a unique opportunity to build a new system set up to succeed.
"Given everything that's been going on internationally," Robinson said, "I actually think Indianapolis is best positioned to develop a pretty extraordinary program and develop it correctly."
The city can educate residents on how to use it. It can enhance facilities with technology to better sort the materials. It can learn from other cities. And it can work with manufacturers around the state to put the recyclables to use.
"The more close-to-home we can keep the materials ... the more we can generate the jobs, economic benefits and environmental benefits," Bennett said. "And that’s how the future is different from the past this time."
Mitchell and others feel hopeful. She said a universal recycling program is a prerequisite before Indianapolis can consider itself a world class city — and it has a lot of work to get there.
“We are a unique situation because it is so broken here that it means we get to start from scratch,” she said. “But my biggest fear in this whole situation, with the China ban and starting our own program, is that the state and Indianapolis don’t squeeze every last drop out of this opportunity.”
Sarah Bowman and Emily Hopkins cover the environment for IndyStar. Contact Sarah at 317-444-6129 or sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Contact Emily at 317-444-6409 or emily.hopkins@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter: @_thetextfiles.
It's worth it: Here are 4 reasons to lug it to the curb.
Recycling experts 'dumpster dive' the IndyStar trash and rate our recycling
Recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, left, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, right go through the Indy Star trash to teach IndyStar Reporter Sarah Bowman, center, how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Recycling experts, Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, left, and Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, right, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Recycling expert Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant pulls paper trash items that could be recycled from the IndyStar trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Recycling expert Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant goes through the Indy Star trash, pulling out a yogurt top, to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Recycling expert Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, pulls styrofoam cups from the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Styrofoam cups technically can be recycled, but most curbside services won't accept them. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Styrofoam cups technically can be recycled, but most curbside services won't accept them. Here, recycling experts, Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, left, and Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, right, sort recyclables from the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Organics and compost are piled together as recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Items that should have been repurposed instead of trashed, like unused silverware and condiments are pilled together as recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Metal recyclables such as these can take eighty to 200 years to break down in a landfill. Here they are piled together as recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Plastic items which can be recycled, could take over 500+ years to break down in a landfill. For the IndyStar trash audit they are piled together as recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
A newspaper can take two two four weeks to break down in a landfill. Here, paper items which can be recycled are piled together as recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Items which can't be recycled or be picked up by curbside recycling and must be sent to the landfill are piled together as recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. The trash audit found that 75 percent of what IndyStar throws away could be recycled or composted. That percentage is typical for the average household, according to the experts. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Items labeled biodegradable but require further investigation are piled together as recycling experts, Kelly Weger, the Lead Service Manager for Sustainability at Purdue University, and Julia Spangler, a Sustainable Events Consultant, go through the Indy Star trash to see how much could be recycled instead of tossed in the landfill, on Friday, Sept. 14, 2018. Some items which are created with multiple materials can fall into a "monstrous hybrid" category, and may not be able to be recycled. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar
Read or Share this story: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/environment/2019/01/30/indianapolis-biggest-city-u-s-without-recycling-all/1272400002/
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Home Reviews Big Screen Pixar recaptures the magic with Toy Story 4
Pixar recaptures the magic with Toy Story 4
Insights MagazineJun 19, 2019Big Screen, Reviews0
Review: Toy Story 4
(G) Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Maddie McGraw, Keanu Reeves, Jordan Peele
The world was introduced to Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) in 1996 alongside the forthcoming animated powerhouse called Pixar. Being the first full-length computer-animated film, this combination of talent and technology proved to be perfect for the launch of the studio and these characters. By 2010, Toy Story 3 seemed to leave things on one of the most heart-warming notes in movie history and provided a fitting end to this franchise, but the folks at Disney thought the world needed at least one more chapter.
Even though it has been nine years since that last film, the story begins where the previous chapter left off with Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) getting ready to enter the exciting and terrifying world of kindergarten. Since the time since Andy gave the little girl his beloved toys, the hierarchy has begun to change amongst the playthings. Woody still feels a responsibility to provide joy in the life of the little girl, but he has been regularly left behind in the closet.
On the day for Bonnie to be introduced to her classmates, Woody decides to stow away in her backpack to ensure she has a good first day. He becomes instrumental in helping with an arts and crafts project that becomes a new beloved toy called Forky (voiced by Arrested Development’s Tony Hale). A spork who comes to life and experiences an existential crisis and has to come to terms with his new purpose as a cherished toy as opposed to a disposable utensil.
As kindergarten is about to begin for Bonnie, her parents decide to take her on an RV cross-country road trip. She takes all of the toys with her in the camper, but tragedy strikes and Forky jumps from the vehicle. Going against his better judgment, but following his parental instincts, Woody goes after the confused spork for the sake of Bonnie. While he tries to get back to the family before they leave the campground, he becomes side-tracked by an antique store window display that reminds him of his long lost love, Bo-Peep (Annie Potts). While looking for her amongst the old treasures, the sheriff is confronted by Gabby Gabby (Christina Hendricks) and her band of ventriloquist dummies who want something from Woody that may change everything.
As parents try to work through the post-traumatic experience of Toy Story 3, there may be an apprehension to embrace these characters again. First-time director Josh Cooley manages to make the transition with the help of a masterful script from Stephany Folsom and Andrew Stanton. By capitalising on new characters and Bo-Peep, they prove that there are more storylines than merely Woody and Buzz’s friendship to consider with this ensemble cast.
The only elements that may be difficult for the younger set to embrace may be Forky’s metaphysical experience and the scarier aspects of the antique store. Ventriloquist dummies always manage to freak people out and it is no different with their existence in this film. Yet, these two components of the story are wrapped in the winsome and endearing journey of some of Pixar’s most beloved characters. The focus on Bo-peep’s narrative provides a modern statement of female empowerment that is softened by the love story with Woody. Then to include Keanu Reeves as Duke Caboom, the Canadian version of Evel Knievel, was a brilliant turn of fun and action.
For all of the Toy Story fans who wondered if the world really needed another instalment of these cherished toys, the tentative answer would be a positive one. They do manage to squeeze every last bit of magic out of this franchise with this movie which proves to add something to this fantastical world. The hope would be that this is the final stop of the journey for Andy and Bonnie’s playthings.
What should parents know about Toy Story 4?
This is a movie that is entertaining for everyone in the family and it would be worthwhile going back and watching the franchise from the beginning. Some of the scenes in the antique store are a bit scary, but no scarier than Sid’s room in the original. The screenplay will give parents a multitude of opportunities to talk with their children about friendship, the value of everyone despite their abilities and the big question of why are we even here.
For those concerned that Toy Story 4 has a hidden agenda due to the current political climate, there is no reason for worry. Unfortunately, there are websites that want to incite unnecessary controversy about every Disney project. It is good to know that the newest cast member, Forky, experiences an existential crisis (Where did I come from?) and that Woody must determine what he will do when he finds Bo-Peep. Beyond these key plot points, there is nothing that parents need to be questioning about taking their family to see this lovely film.
Questions for families
1. What does the God have to say about my purpose? (Ecclesiastes 2:24, 2 Thessalonians 3:10)
2. What does the Bible have to say about persistence? (Luke 18: 1-8, Galatians 6:9)
3. Does God care about my life? (Matthew 6: 8, 26)
Russell Matthews works for City Bible Forum Sydney and is a film blogger
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Sean M. McEldowney
Partner Intellectual Property
sean.mceldowney@kirkland.com
Washington, D.C. +1 202-389-5161
Patent Infringement Litigation
Copyright Litigation & Counseling
Trade Secrets Litigation
ITC Section 337 Proceedings
Sean McEldowney is a partner in Kirkland’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group. Sean has litigated patent, trade secret, breach of contract, and other intellectual property cases in federal district courts around the country, the International Trade Commission, and in state courts. He has been trial counsel in more than 10 patent and trade secret cases, and he has also represented clients in appeals at the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition to his trial experience, Sean also prides himself on developing litigation strategies that drive favorable settlements or summary judgments. He has represented clients in litigation matters involving a variety of technologies including chemical technology, semiconductor technology, medical equipment, various software and hardware applications, and industrial technologies. Sean was selected as a “Rising Star” in Washington, D.C. by Super Lawyers Magazine for 2014–2016.
Clerk & Government Experience
In re Certain Lithium Metal Oxide Cathode Materials (ITC). Represented BASF and Argonne National Laboratory in a Section 337 patent infringement suit alleging that BASF’s competitor, Umicore, infringed two patents related to materials used in lithium-ion batteries. After a full trial in front of an administrative law judge, obtained a favorable initial determination that was upheld by the full Commission, resulting in a limited exclusion order banning Umicore’s importation of the products at issue. Kirkland also successfully fended off Inter Partes Review petitions seeking to invalidate BASF and Argonne’s patents at the U.S. Patent Office.
Carrier Corp. v. Goodman Global, Inc., et al. (D. Del). Represented Carrier in assertion of Carrier’s patent related to HVAC control technology against competitor Goodman Manufacturing. Obtained favorable claim construction and summary judgment orders. After five-day jury trial, the jury returned a finding in favor of Carrier on all issues, including findings of direct infringement, induced infringement, and validity for all asserted claims. Kirkland subsequently prevailed in an inter partes reexamination confirming the validity of Carrier’s patent.
Geographic Services, Inc. v. The Boeing Co. (Va. Cir. Ct.). Defended Boeing against trade secret misappropriation claims related to geographic information systems databases. After taking over the case just months before trial, our team won a motion to strike (akin to a motion for directed verdict) at the close of plaintiff’s case.
Peraton, Inc. v. Raytheon Co. (E.D. Va.). Defended Raytheon against trade secret misappropriation and breach of contract claims relating to proposals for a contract with a U.S. intelligence agency. Mid-way through discovery, Raytheon successfully added a breach of contract counterclaim against Peraton and defeated Peraton’s motion for summary judgment on that counterclaim. After Raytheon moved for summary judgment against Peraton’s claim on both liability and damages grounds, the case settled.
B. Braun Melsungen AG v. Terumo Medical (D. Del.). Represented B. Braun Melsungen AG in patent infringement action in federal district court in Delaware regarding medical device products. Obtained successful jury verdict of infringement and validity on our client’s patents, and obtained an injunction against future sales of the accused products.
Allergan Sales, LLC v. Sandoz Inc. (E.D. Tex. & Fed. Cir.). Representing Sandoz in an ANDA suit filed by Allergan on patents related to glaucoma medications. After a bench trial, the court entered a judgment of non-infringement in favor of Sandoz on two of the three asserted patents. On appeal, the Federal Circuit upheld the finding of non-infringement as to those two patents and reversed the district court’s finding of non-infringement as to the third patent, thus leading to an outright verdict of non-infringement.
Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. v. Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc. (D. Del.). Represented Siemens Medical in patent infringement suit where Siemens Medical asserted infringement of its patent related to lutetium-based scintillation crystals for use in detecting gamma rays. After trial, the jury returned a $50 M verdict for our client.
Arkema, Inc. v. Honeywell, Inc. (E.D. Pa.). Representing Honeywell in suit brought by Arkema seeking a declaration of invalidity and non-infringement on Honeywell’s patents related to refrigeration chemicals. Successfully briefed motion to stay the case until the conclusion of proceedings at the U.S. Patent Office.
Lucent Technologies Inc. v. Gateway, Inc. (S.D. Cal.). Represented Lucent Technologies in patent infringement suit where Lucent Technologies asserted patents related to audio compression technology. Part of the trial team winning large jury verdict on infringement and validity.
Lucent Technologies Inc. & Multimedia Patent Trust v. Microsoft. (S.D. Cal.). Represented Lucent Technologies and Multimedia Patent Trust in patent infringement suit where Lucent Technologies and Multimedia Patent Trust asserted patents related to various software and hardware applications. Part of the trial team winning large jury verdict on infringement and validity.
NeuroGrafix, et al. v. Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., et al. (C.D. Cal.) Defended Siemens against patent infringement claims brought by inventor and patentee related to software and hardware components in magnetic resonance imaging scanners. Successfully briefed a motion to dismiss four of the five plaintiffs from the suit, which precluded plaintiffs from seeking lost profits. Obtained favorable settlement after briefing and arguing claim construction that invalidated many of the patent claims.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. v. ON Semiconductor (D. Del.). Represented Samsung Electronics Co. in patent infringement suit where Samsung asserted several patents related semiconductor technology and ON Semiconductor counterclaimed asserting several of its own patents related to semiconductor technology.
Law ClerkHonorable WIlliam C. BrysonUnited States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit2005–2006
Pro Bono Cases at the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Represented veterans in multiple appeals to the CAVC seeking Veterans Benefits.
Sean M. McEldowney, Comment, New Insights on the "Death" of Obviousness: An Empirical Study of District Court Obviousness Opinions, 2006 Stan. Tech. L. R. 4.
Sean M. McEldowney, Comment, The "Essential Relationship" Spectrum: A Framework for Addressing Choice of Procedural Law in the Federal Circuit, 153 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1639 (2005).
United States District Court for the Central District of California2010
United States District Court for the Eastern District of California2009
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit2009
University of Pennsylvania Law SchoolJ.D.cum laude2005
Dolores K. Sloviter Prize
Executive Editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review
Arthur Littleton and H. Clayton Louderback Legal Writing Instructor, 2004–2005
Washington State UniversityB.S., Chemical Engineering2000
15 September 2011 Press Release Kirkland & Ellis Appoints New Partners
01 May 2007 In the News Big Suits: Lucent v. Microsoft
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Meet Hachette Books
Da Capo PressArrow Icon
by Julian Edelman
With Tom E. Curran
Bill Belichick: “Julian is the epitome of competitiveness, toughness, and the great things that are possible when someone is determined to achieve their goals.”
Tom Brady: “It’s a privilege for me to play with someone as special as Julian.”
The Super Bowl champion wide receiver for the New England Patriots shares his inspiring story of an underdog kid who was always doubted to becoming one of the most reliable and inspiring players in the NFL.
When the Patriots were down 28-3 in Super Bowl LI, there was at least one player who refused to believe they would lose: Julian Edelman. And he said so. It wasn’t only because of his belief in his teammates, led by the master of the comeback, his friend and quarterback Tom Brady-or the coaching staff run by the legendary Bill Belichick. It was also because he had been counted out in most of his life and career, and he had proved them all wrong.
Whether it was in Pop Warner football, where his Redwood City, California, team won a national championship; in high school where he went from a 4’10”, 95-pound freshman running back to quarterback for an undefeated Woodside High team; or college, where he rewrote records at Kent State as a dual-threat quarterback, Edelman far exceeded everyone’s expectations. Everyone’s expectations, that is, except his own and those of his father, who took extreme and unorthodox measures to drive Edelman to quiet the doubters with ferocious competitiveness.
When he was drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round, the 5’10” college quarterback was asked to field punts and play wide receiver, though he’d never done either. But gradually, under the tutelage of a demanding coaching staff and countless hours of off-season training with Tom Brady, he became one of the NFL’s most dynamic punt returners and top receivers who can deliver in the biggest games.
Relentless is the story of Edelman’s rise, and the continuing dominance of the Patriot dynasty, filled with memories of growing up with a father who was as demanding as any NFL coach, his near-constant fight to keep his intensity and competitiveness in check in high school and college, and his celebrated nine seasons with the Patriots. Julian shares insights into his relationships and rivalries, and his friendships with teammates such as Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Matt Slater, and Randy Moss. Finally, he reveals the story behind “the catch” and life on the inside of a team for the ages.
Inspiring, honest, and unapologetic, Relentless proves that the heart of a champion can never be measured.
Genre: Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / Sports
On Sale: October 24th 2017
Price: $27 / $35 (CAD)
Hachette Books Logo
Hardcover Arrow Icon
Meet The Author: Julian Edelman
Julian Edelman has been a New England Patriots wide receiver since 2009, playing in three Super Bowls, scoring the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLIX and making one of the most memorable catches in NFL history in Super Bowl LI. Edelman is also one of the most productive punt returners in NFL history. A native of Redwood City, California, Edelman now lives in downtown Boston.
Tom E. Curran is a Boston journalist who has covered the New England Patriots since 1997 while working for the MetroWest Daily News, the Providence Journal, and NBC Sports. He is currently cohost of CSN New England’s Boston Sports Tonight and the award-winning football show Quick Slants and appears frequently on Boston’s WEEI, NBC’s Pro Football Talk Live, the NFL Network, and the Dan Patrick Show. He lives in Lakeville, Massachusetts, with his wife Erica and three sons.
"What Julian has done from the time he entered the league is nothing short of remarkable. He is the epitome of competitiveness, toughness, and the great things that are possible when someone is determined to achieve their goals."
"Going from being a
seventh-round pick to being a great player is a credit to Julian and really one
of the most amazing transformations I've seen in this league. To go from a
college quarterback, to a pro receiver, then to a great pro receiver? I don't
know how many guys that have done that as well as Julian has....It's a privilege
for me to play with someone as special as him. I always think I get much more
out of my teammates than they get out of me in terms of the relationship and
what it means for me to see them grow and succeed. I'm just so proud of him and
everything he has accomplished and will continue to accomplish because I know
that he's not done. He's got a lot of work he still wants to do."—Tom Brady
"Julian has told me
one of the reasons he's had success is the way his parents have always been
there for him. Being firm and having expectations, but doing it with love and making
him understand the hard work that goes along with becoming successful. If
you're privileged to have a parent or a mentor guiding you to have great love
and respect, I think it gets you through the hard times and helps motivate you
to greater things. Julian is a testament to that."—Robert Kraft
Published on August 29 2017
Here's a throwback to my running back days with the Redwood City Niners, the 1998 Pop Warner National Champions. Courtesy of the Edelman family.
In action with the Redwood City Niners. Courtesy of the Edelman family.
Late in high school, I finally hit my growth spurt and people started noticing Woodside High's dual-threat quarterback. Courtesy of the Edelman family.
My girlfriend and prom date, Jacqui Rice. Her dad happens to be a guy named Jerry Rice, a player you've probably heard of. Courtesy of the Edelman family.
The Kent State Golden Flashes gave me the opportunity to bring the hard work ethic I was raised with to a program that had become accepting of mediocrity, and the experience helped me get to the NFL. Courtesy of the Edelman family.
Draft Day (2009) was an emotional rollercoaster that ended with a call from Bill Belichick and the beginning of my career with the Patriots. Courtesy of the Edelman family.
7 Books to Kick Off the 2018 NFL Season
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Data by Topic
Data by Region
Data by Demographic
Children's Emotional Health
Youth Who Reported Needing Help for Emotional or Mental Health Problems
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View Youth Who Reported Needing Help for Emotional or Mental Health Problems by Receipt of Counseling (California & L.A. County Only) Choose a Different Indicator
Why This Topic Is Important
How Children Are Faring
Policy Implications
See Definition, Source & Notes
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Years 2013-2014 2011-2012 2009 2007 2005 to 2013-2014 2011-2012 2009 2007 2005
Data Type Percent
Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties
Colusa, Glenn, and Tehama Counties
Del Norte, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, and Trinity Counties
Kern County
Madera County
San Benito County
Shasta County
Definition, Source & Notes (Return to top)
Definition: Percentage of youth ages 12-17 who reported needing help during the past year for emotional or mental health problems, such as feeling sad, anxious, or nervous (e.g., in 2013-2014, 20.8% of California youth ages 12-17 reported needing help during the past year for emotional or mental problems).
Data Source: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey (Dec. 2015).
Footnote: These estimates are based on a survey of the population and are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. LNE (Low Number Event) refers to data that have been suppressed because the sample size was lower than 50 or the estimate was less than 0.1%. N/A means that data are not available. For more information about the California Health Interview Survey and for detailed margins of error around specific data points, see http://www.chis.ucla.edu.
Learn More About Children's Emotional Health
Measures of Children's Emotional Health on Kidsdata.org
Kidsdata.org provides the following indicators of children's emotional health:
The number and rate of children and youth ages 5-19 hospitalized for mental health issues, by age group
The percentage of students with depression-related feelings (i.e., being so sad or hopeless every day for two weeks or more that they stop doing some usual activities) in the previous year, by grade level (7, 9, 11, and non-traditional), gender, level of school connectedness,* parent education level, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation
The percentage of youth ages 12-17 needing help in the previous year for emotional or mental health problems, and, in California and Los Angeles County, the percentage of those who receive counseling
The percentage of children ages 2-17 who need mental health treatment or counseling and have received services in the previous year
The percentage of school staff reports on the share of students who are well-behaved, the extent to which student depression or other mental health issues are a problem, and their level of agreement that helping students with emotional and behavioral problems is emphasized at their school, by type of school (elementary, middle, high, and non-traditional)
*Levels of school connectedness are based on a scale created from responses to five questions about feeling safe, close to people, and a part of school, being happy at school, and about teachers treating students fairly.
Hospitalizations for Mental Health Issues, by Age Group
Depression-Related Feelings, by Grade Level
by Gender and Grade Level
by Level of School Connectedness
by Parent Education Level
by Race/Ethnicity
by Sexual Orientation
by Receipt of Counseling (California & L.A. County Only)
Receipt of Mental Health Services Among Children Who Need Treatment or Counseling (Regions of 70,000 Residents or More)
Students Who Are Well-Behaved (Staff Reported)
Student Depression or Mental Health Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
School Emphasizes Helping Students with Emotional and Behavioral Problems (Staff Reported)
Bullying and Harassment at School
Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Bias-Related Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Disability as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Gender as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Race/Ethnicity or National Origin as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Religion as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Sexual Orientation as Reason for Bullying/Harassment, by Grade Level
Cyberbullying, by Grade Level
Student Bullying/Harassment Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
Childhood Adversity and Resilience
Children with Two or More Adverse Experiences (Parent Reported)
Children Who Are Resilient (Parent Reported)
Child/Youth Deaths, by Age and Cause
Firearm Death Rate, by Age and Cause
by Gender and Cause
by Race/Ethnicity and Cause
Firearm Deaths, by Age and Cause
Disconnected Youth
Teens Not in School and Not Working, by County (65,000 Residents or More)
by City, School District and County (10,000 Residents or More)
by Legislative District
Pupil Support Services
School Provides Services for Substance Abuse or Other Problems (Staff Reported)
Perceptions of School Safety, by Grade Level
Fear of Being Beaten Up at School, by Grade Level
Perceptions of School Safety for Students (Staff Reported)
School Connectedness (Student Reported), by Grade Level
School Supports (Student Reported), by Grade Level
Caring Relationships with Adults at School (Student Reported), by Grade Level
Meaningful Participation at School (Student Reported), by Grade Level
Students Who Are Motivated to Learn (Staff Reported)
School Motivates Students to Learn (Staff Reported)
Adults at School Care About Students (Staff Reported)
Adults at School Believe in Student Success (Staff Reported)
School Gives Students Opportunities to Make a Difference (Staff Reported)
School Fosters Youth Resilience or Asset Promotion (Staff Reported)
Youth Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use
Alcohol/Drug Use in Past Month, by Grade Level
Alcohol/Drug Use on School Property in Past Month, by Grade Level
Alcohol Use in Past Month, by Grade Level
Alcohol Use in Lifetime, by Grade Level
Binge Drinking in Past Month, by Grade Level
Drinking and Driving or Riding with a Driver Who Has Been Drinking, by Grade Level
Cigarette Use in Past Month, by Grade Level
Cigarette Use in Lifetime, by Grade Level
E-Cigarette Use in Past Month, by Grade Level
E-Cigarette Use in Lifetime, by Grade Level
Marijuana Use in Past Month, by Grade Level
Marijuana Use in Lifetime, by Grade Level
Student Alcohol and Drug Use Is a Problem at School (Staff Reported)
Substance Abuse Prevention Is an Important Goal at School (Staff Reported)
Substance Use Prevention Education Is Provided at School (Staff Reported)
Youth Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury
Suicidal Ideation (Student Reported), by Grade Level
Self-Inflicted Injury Hospitalizations
Number of Youth Suicides, by Age
Youth Suicide Rate
Injury Hospitalizations
by Age and Cause
Intentional Injury Hospitalizations, by Age
Unintentional Injury Hospitalizations, by Age
Firearm Injury Hospitalizations, by Age and Cause
Emotional health is an integral part of overall health, as physical and mental health are intricately linked (1, 2). Sound youth mental health—which is more than the absence of disorders—includes effective coping skills and the ability to form positive relationships, to adapt in the face of challenges, and to function well at home, in school, and in life (1, 3). Positive emotional health is critical to equipping young people for the challenges of growing up and living as healthy adults (1, 2).
Mental disorders affect as many as 1 in 5 U.S. children each year and are some of the most costly conditions to treat—mental health problems among young people under age 24 cost the U.S. an estimated $247 billion annually (1, 3). Unfortunately, the majority of young people who need mental health treatment do not receive it, and mental health problems in childhood often have negative effects in adulthood (1, 3, 4).
Depression is one of the most common emotional health problems among youth, with an estimated 11% of U.S. adolescents diagnosed with depression by age 18 (4). One study found that depression accounted for 44% of all pediatric mental health hospital admissions in 2009, costing $1.33 billion (5). In 2015, 30% of high school students nationwide reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness—one indicator of depression (6). Youth with depression are more likely to exhibit suicidal behavior, drop out of school, use alcohol or drugs, and engage in unsafe sexual activity, in addition to having difficulties with school and relationships (4, 6).
For more information on children's emotional health, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section.
Sources for this narrative:
1. Murphey, D., et al. (2014). Are the children well? A model and recommendations for promoting the mental wellness of the nation's young people. Child Trends & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Retrieved from: http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2014/07/are-the-children-well-.html
2. World Health Organization. (2013). Mental health action plan 2013-2020. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/child_adolescent/en
3. Perou, R., et al. (2013). Mental health surveillance among children—United States, 2005-2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62(02), 1-35. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6202a1.htm
4. Avenevoli, S., et al. (2015). Major depression in the National Comorbidity Survey—Adolescent Supplement: Prevalence, correlates, and treatment. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 54(1), 37-44.e2. Retrieved from: http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567(14)00732-1/
5. Bardach, N. S., et al. (2014). Common and costly hospitalizations for pediatric mental health disorders. Pediatrics, 133(4), 602-609. Retrieved from: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/133/4/602
6. Child Trends Databank. (2016). Adolescents who felt sad or hopeless. Retrieved from: http://www.childtrends.org/?indicators=adolescents-who-felt-sad-or-hopeless
There were 38,578 hospital discharges for mental health issues among California youth ages 5-19 in 2016: 12,806 for children ages 5-14 and 25,772 for teens ages 15-19. Overall, the statewide rate of youth mental health hospitalization was 5 per 1,000 in 2016, up from 4 per 1,000 in 2002.
In 2013-2015, an estimated 25% of 7th graders, 32% of 9th graders, 33% of 11th graders, and 38% of non-traditional students in California experienced depression-related feelings in the previous year (meaning they felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more that they stopped doing some usual activities). Depression-related feelings were more common among female students, those with low levels of school connectedness, and those whose parents did not finish high school. More than 60% of gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth experienced depression-related feelings in 2013-2015, compared to less than 30% of their straight peers. Among racial/ethnic groups with data, estimates of depression-related feelings ranged from less than 27% to more than 40%.
An estimated 21% of California youth ages 12-17 needed help for emotional or mental health problems (such as feeling sad, anxious, or nervous) in 2013-2014, up from 17% in 2005. Among those who needed help, approximately one-third (35%) received counseling. According to 2011-2012 parent reports, an estimated 63% of California children ages 2-17 who needed mental health treatment or counseling received services in the previous year, with county-level estimates ranging from 53% to 67%.
When asked whether their school emphasizes helping students with emotional and behavioral problems, 28% of responses by middle school staff, 24% of responses by high school staff, and 43% of responses by staff at non-traditional schools reported strong agreement in 2013-2015.
The vast majority of emotional health problems begin in adolescence and young adulthood, with half of all disorders starting by age 14 (1, 2). Screening, early identification, and treatment are critical, as untreated mental illness can disrupt children's development, academic achievement, and their ability to lead healthy, productive lives (1, 2, 3). Health care and school settings are natural places to identify early warning signs, though many primary care providers do not routinely screen youth for mental health issues, and teachers may lack the training or time to identify such issues and refer students for services (1, 3, 4). Even if mental health problems are identified, children often face challenges with stigma and access to services; in fact, most children who need mental health treatment do not receive it (1, 3).
Experts recommend promoting mental wellness in addition to preventing and treating mental illness (1, 5). Mental wellness is influenced by socioeconomic, biological, and environmental factors, and promoting positive emotional health requires coordinated, cross-sector strategies that address influences at both the individual and community levels (1, 5).
Policy options that could promote children's emotional health include:
Ensuring that mental health funding is aligned with what is known about the age of onset of disorders, populations at higher risk (e.g., children in poverty, LGBT youth, and children in foster care, among others), and effective services and strategies, which include increased integration and coordination among mental health services and other systems, such as health care, education, child welfare, and juvenile justice (1, 2, 3, 5)
Setting school policies that foster a positive, supportive environment and promote student engagement in school; also supporting comprehensive K-12 education for social-emotional learning, including communication skills, problem-solving, and stress management (1, 5, 6)
Ensuring adequate funding and training for a range of school staff to recognize signs of mental distress and refer students to services; such training also should focus on how to promote a safe and supportive environment for all students, including LGBT youth (1, 4, 7)
Promoting efforts in communities to provide youth with positive experiences, relationships, and opportunities, such as quality after-school programs and safe places to play and exercise (1, 8)
Promoting mental health training for medical residents and pediatricians, and expanding the workforce of qualified mental health professionals serving youth, including school counselors, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians (1, 3, 9)
Supporting efforts to promote parents' mental health and positive parenting skills, including increased screening for parental depression (1)
Increasing access to high-quality early childhood education, especially for low-income children, and ensuring that early education staff are trained on social-emotional learning (1)
Supporting training and media campaigns to reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems and increase knowledge of warning signs; trainings could include "mental health first aid" for wide-ranging audiences, focusing on how to recognize early warning signs, provide non-professional support, and help youth access community resources (1, 9)
For more policy ideas and information on this topic, see kidsdata.org’s Research & Links section or the report, Are the Children Well? Also see Policy Implications under the following kidsdata.org topics: Youth Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury, Bullying and Harassment at School, and School Connectedness.
1. Murphey, D., et al. (2014). Are the children well? A model and recommendations for promoting the mental wellness of the nation’s young people. Child Trends & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Retrieved from: http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2014/07/are-the-children-well-.html
2. World Health Organization. (n.d.). Child and adolescent mental health. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/mental_health/maternal-child/child_adolescent/en
3. Padilla-Frausto, D. I., et al. (2014). Three out of four children with mental health needs in California do not receive treatment despite having health care coverage. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Retrieved from: http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/publications/search/pages/detail.aspx?PubID=1307
4. Dowdy, E., et al. (2010). School-based screening: A population-based approach to inform and monitor children’s mental health needs. School Mental Health, 2(4), 166-176. Retrieved from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12310-010-9036-3
5. World Health Organization. (2016). Mental health: Strengthening our response. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs220/en
6. Patel, V. (2013). Reducing the burden of depression in youth: What are the implications of neuroscience and genetics on policies and programs? Journal of Adolescent Health, 52(2, Suppl. 2), S36-S38. Retrieved from: http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(12)00178-4/
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health: LGBT Youth. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
8. Afterschool Alliance. (2014). Taking a deeper dive into afterschool: Positive outcomes and promising practices. Retrieved from: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/documents/Deeper_Dive_into_Afterschool.pdf
9. Goodell, S. (2014). Mental health parity. Health Affairs. Retrieved from: http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=112
Websites with Related Information
American Academy of Pediatrics: Mental Health
Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Mental Health
Child Trends: Youth Development
Emotional, Behavioral, and Mental Health Challenges in Children and Adolescents: Professional Resource Guide, Maternal and Child Health Digital Library
Headspace, Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing
MentalHealth.gov, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
National Institute of Mental Health: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports: School, U.S. Office of Special Education Programs
Social and Emotional Development in Children and Adolescents Knowledge Path, National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
Youth.gov, Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs
Key Reports and Research
2018 California Children's Report Card, Children Now
Are the Children Well? A Model and Recommendations for Promoting the Mental Wellness of the Nation's Young People, 2014, Child Trends & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Murphey D., et al.
Behavioral Health Barometer, 2017, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
California Reducing Disparities Project Strategic Plan to Reduce Mental Health Disparities [in preparation], 2014, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, et al.
Children's Mental Health Report, 2015, Child Mind Institute
Improving Access to Children's Mental Health Care: Lessons from a Study of Eleven States, 2013, George Washington University, Center for Health and Health Care in Schools, Behrens, D., et al.
Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2017, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Mental Health and Suicidality Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sexual Minority Youths, 2014, American Journal of Public Health, Bostwick, W. B., et al.
Mental Health Parity, 2014, Health Affairs, Goodell, S.
Overlooked and Underserved: “Action Signs” for Identifying Children with Unmet Mental Health Needs, 2011, Pediatrics, Jensen, P. S., et al.
Policies to Promote Child Health, 2015, The Future of Children
Portrait of Promise: The California Statewide Plan to Promote Health and Mental Health Equity, 2015, California Dept. of Public Health, Office of Health Equity
Reducing the Burden of Depression in Youth: What Are the Implications of Neuroscience and Genetics on Policies and Programs?, 2013, Journal of Adolescent Health, Patel, V.
Serious Mental Health Challenges Among Older Adolescents and Young Adults, 2014, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality
Supportive Relationships and Active Skill-Building Strengthen the Foundations of Resilience, 2015, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child
Three Out of Four Children with Mental Health Needs in California Do Not Receive Treatment Despite Having Health Care Coverage, 2014, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, Padilla-Frausto, D. I., et al.
County/Regional Reports
2017 Kern County Report Card, Kern County Network for Children
2018-19 California County Scorecard of Children's Well-Being, Children Now
Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan, Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health
Key Indicators of Health by Service Planning Area, 2017, Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health
Live Well San Diego Report Card on Children, Families, and Community, 2017, The Children's Initiative & Live Well San Diego
Orange County Community Indicators Report, Orange County Community Indicators Project
San Mateo County All Together Better, San Mateo County Health
Santa Clara County Children's Agenda: 2018 Data Book, Planned Parenthood & Kids in Common
Santa Monica Youth Wellbeing Report Card, Santa Monica Cradle to Career
The 24th Annual Report on the Conditions of Children in Orange County, 2018, Orange County Children's Partnership
Youth Need Data, Get Healthy San Mateo County
More Data Sources For Children's Emotional Health
California Health Interview Survey, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
California School Climate, Health, and Learning Surveys Data Dashboard, WestEd & California Dept. of Education
Child Trends Databank: Adolescents Who Felt Sad or Hopeless
Depression in the U.S. Household Population: 2009-2012, 2014, National Center for Health Statistics, Pratt, L. A., & Brody, D. J.
Health, United States, 2017 – Data Finder, National Center for Health Statistics
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), UNC Carolina Population Center
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Data, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Note: These data represent the most recent legislative district boundaries.
© 2019 Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. 400 Hamilton Ave. Suite 340, Palo Alto, CA 94301. (650) 497-8365
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“Camp Kill Jews” and Other Sleepy European Towns to Avoid
By Zachary Solomon
Planning a European road trip? Read this first.
An hour and a half southeast of Paris lies the sleepy hamlet of La Mort aux Juifs, otherwise known as “Death to Jews.” Dating back to the 11th century, this town’s name somehow escaped scrutiny until last year, when the Wiesenthal Center successfully petitioned the French government to, you know, change it.
One would think the townsfolk would be for the update, but the opposite was true: even the deputy mayor of the region was hesitant. “We should respect these old names,” she said. “No one has anything against the Jews, of course.”
Slightly better, maybe, is Castrillo Matajudios, a town in Northern Spain—Camp Kill Jews in English—or “the worst summer camp of all time.” Curiously, the village once had a significant Jewish population. And some speculate that the name actually came from conversos who decided to change the town’s name after being threatened with death, as if to say to the authorities, “Look how Jew-free we are!” In 2015 the 50-odd residents of this peaceful place voted to change the name themselves last year, restoring their old, odd name of Castrillo Mota de Judios—or “Jew’s Hill Camp.”
These geographic artifacts aren’t exclusively European, or benign. The United States is littered with offensive town names. As of 2015, at least 1,441 federally recognized places include slurs in their official names. So stay on the highway when you pass exits for Dead Negro Hollow, Wetback Tank, or Squaw Tits.
The Dybbuk Inside
The Sage and the Bathhouse
Yiddish-Speaking Tigers and Klezmer-Playing Bears for Poland’s Jewish Kids
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Sometimes these topics can be fodder, but usually they need to touch on the public’s well-being to rise to the level of news. A single homeowner in a fight with City Hall over a building code might point up a legitimate matter of policy that could affect many other people, for example. That makes it newsworthy.
Another crucial component of what makes coverage “balanced” is the mixture between positive and negative. I can’t count the number of times a reader has called me to protest a front page filled with death and destruction.
“Can’t you find a little bit more of what’s actually making a positive influence on the world and not just always give us all this bad stuff every day?” asked a caller last week. “Come on, tell your editors we know there’s good news out there too.”
She isn’t alone in that plea. Whenever I share a story about something positive in the community on The Star’s Facebook page, I know commenters are likely to have something good to say about it.
A recent profile of Missouri Mavericks owner Lamar Hunt Jr. is a perfect exemplar. One reader called to tell me he’s been taking The Star for 45 years, and he ranks the story among his favorite things he’d ever read.
“Take the time to read this,” one person commented on Facebook. “It is well worth it. Great article about a great guy!”
A caller proposed a few weeks ago that The Star should designate a regular spot for “the feel-good of the day.” She suggested — rightly, I think — that it would find a receptive audience. It’s a good idea for editors to consider.
Covering Trump
“Why can’t you just ignore (Donald Trump) and make him go away?”
“Your coverage of Trump is pathetic. It’s all bad, terrible, nobody likes him. He’s leading in the polls, so he must be doing something right.”
“If you’re doing your job, you’re going to be telling the truth about every single lie he tells, which is pretty much every time he opens his mouth.”
How are those for some conflicting critiques? And there’s validity to each of them, to some extent.
There are two fundamental issues with news coverage of Trump: He’s the least-experienced politician in the race, and he has made the highest proportion of outright, objectively false campaign statements of any of the major candidates.
Both of those truths call for tough questions from journalists — but they must remain fair.
Families question KCK police response to market shooting
A new position, but the commitment stays the same
By Derek Donovan
ddonovan@kcstar.com
If you’re reading these words, you aren’t the gullible kind. Those who look to journalism institutions that try to be fair are the most thoughtful and civic-minded people I know. The Star doesn’t always get it right. But it honestly tries.
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Evaluate politicians’ positions against reality, say readers
Readers debate what is and isn’t news
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Are some of us born to have a beer belly?
by Faye Flam
Online: Jan 13, 2019
Last Modified: Jan 18, 2019
NEW YORK - It’s that time of the year when a middle-aged person’s fancy turns to treadmills and diets. Scientific literature on excess weight and health is expanding along with global waistlines, and yet, it’s hard to find a solid, coherent scientific explanation for why some people get fat and others don’t, and why some overweight people get Type 2 diabetes and heart disease and others don’t.
Beliefs about fat often follow a science-y sounding quasi-religious narrative: Our prehistoric ancestors had to scramble for food, and therefore evolved voracious appetites that we’ve inherited like original sin. Only self-control can save us, and the association between fat and disease goes without question; it is seen as punishment for the sins of gluttony and sloth.
This narrative acknowledges evolution, but it’s not real evolutionary biology. This month, however, a real evolutionary biologist published a sweeping picture of human fat and health in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While traditional medical research tends to make very narrow hypotheses and test them with specific data, evolutionary biology often works as an observational science, seeking patterns that tie together and explain lots of diverse observations and measurements. Think Charles Darwin, or the big bang theory in cosmology.
The biologist, Mary Jane West-Eberhard of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Costa Rica, has focused her work on understanding biological variation. Sometimes individuals with the same genes can show dramatic differences; a queen bee and her workers share the same genes but very different fates. A butterfly born at one time of year may live many times longer than those born in other seasons. Some fish can even change sex in response to changes in the environment.
West-Eberhard proposes that the same biological principle can explain why humans come in quite different shapes. Some people put on so-called visceral fat, surrounding vital organs, while others put on so-called subcutaneous fat on the limbs, hips and elsewhere. This makes a big difference in health because recent studies show it’s the visceral fat that’s associated with Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Because she’s interested in the functions of things, West-Eberhard looked into visceral fat — also known as the omentum, a part of the immune system. It wraps around the vital organs and protects them from infection. But what’s protective early in life can have a downside later. Our natural immune response often involves inflammation, and that has been associated with Type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. The omentum, she said, is the Rosetta stone of pathogenic obesity.
Why then do some people get an expanding omentum and others get “curves” or whatever the latest fashion calls attractively placed subcutaneous fat? West-Eberhard cites other biologists pointing to sexual selection as the driving force in the human tendency to put fat deposits in places where they serve as ornaments.
Her analysis of the data suggests that where your fat goes depends on how well fed you were as a fetus. It’s those who are most undernourished in utero — approximated by low birth weight — who are most likely to accumulate visceral fat in the abdomen. Underweight, badly nourished babies are more vulnerable to infection and benefit from the short-term strategy of laying down protective visceral fat. The pattern is set by epigenetics — chemical changes surrounding the DNA that determine which genes become activated in which tissues.
“The tragic part is that if you look at people who move to urban areas to seek their fortune, they are on a tight budget and will buy these cheap foods that are bad for them,” says West-Eberhard. People whose mothers ate traditional, rural, sometimes sparse diets — people conditioned in utero to develop visceral fat — run into trouble when they move to urban areas and find that the only foods they can afford are full of fructose and cheap oils.
However the species came to be this way, it’s becoming clear that humans who tend to put on visceral fat may have to exercise more and maintain a lower weight than other people to remain healthy. It’s yet more evidence that life isn’t fair.
Distinguishing the kinds of human fat and the way they influence health may explain why scientists can’t agree over the value of body mass index (BMI) — which is strictly a measure of your mass relative to your height. One widely publicized analysis out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed an “overweight” BMI is not associated with increased mortality; people had to be considerably obese before it started to influence health. Other analyses have contradicted this, leading to more headlines about the dangers of being overweight, but still others have called their methods into question.
Perhaps researchers and doctors fixate on numbers on the scale because they are such an easy measurement. To predict health is much more difficult.
Analyses like West-Eberhard’s paper may change the way we see our fellow humans. What makes a person with gorgeous, enviable curves different from someone with an unhealthy looking gut? It’s not necessarily that one is more “out of shape” or less self-controlled. It’s all part of the human story — evolution, epigenetics and the eternal human quest for a better life.
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Officials: Kalamazoo Shooter Admits to Killings
Team JET with AP
The Uber driver suspected in a series of three random shootings in Michigan admitted carrying out the seemingly random attacks that killed six people, a prosecutor said Monday.
Jason Dalton waived his right against self-incrimination before making the statement to authorities, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting said.
Dalton’s statements were used to file charges of murder and attempted murder Monday, two days after the rampage in the Kalamazoo area.
Dalton, who appeared in court via video to hear the charges, was ordered held without bond. He will get a court-appointed attorney.
If he’s convicted, the murder charges carry a mandatory life sentence. Michigan does not have the death penalty.
Meanwhile, an Uber passenger said he called police to report that Dalton was driving erratically more than an hour before the shootings began.
Matt Mellen told Kalamazoo television station WWMT that he hailed a ride around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. He said driver Jason Dalton introduced himself as “Me-Me” and had a dog in the backseat.
Mellen sat in front. About a mile into the trip, Dalton got a phone call, and when he hung up, he began driving erratically, blowing through stop signs and sideswiping cars, Mellen said.
“We were driving through medians, driving through the lawn, speeding along, and when we came to a stop, I jumped out of the car and ran away,” Mellen said. He said he called police and that when he got to his friend’s house, his fiancée posted a warning to friends on Facebook.
Mellen said he also tried warning the ride-hailing service.
“I’m upset because I tried contacting Uber after I had talked to the police, saying that we needed to get this guy off the road,” Mellen said.
Since Dalton’s arrest, several people have come forward to say that he picked them up for Uber in the hours after the first attack. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm those accounts.
Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Uber is cooperating with law enforcement officials, and he believes the company will “help us fill in some timeline gaps.”
Investigators are particularly interested in communication between Dalton and Uber, as well as customers he might have driven, the sheriff said.
Questions about motive and Dalton’s frame of mind are “going to be the hardest to answer for anybody,” Fuller said. He expects some answers to emerge in court, but he doubts they will be satisfying.
“In the end, I ask people, because I keep hearing this question of why, ‘What would be the answer that would be an acceptable answer for you?’ They have to think about it for a moment, and they say, ‘Probably nothing.’
“I have to say, ‘You are probably correct.’ I can’t imagine what the answer would be that would let us go, ‘OK, we understand now.’ Because we are not going to understand.”
Authorities allege that he shot the first victim outside of an apartment complex and that he shot seven others over the next several hours.
Police have not provided a motive. The victims had no apparent connection to the gunman or to each other.
The attacks began Saturday evening outside the Meadows apartment complex on the eastern edge of Kalamazoo County, where a woman was shot multiple times.
A little more than four hours later and 15 miles away, a father and his 17-year-old son were fatally shot while looking at cars at a car dealership.
Fifteen minutes after that, five people were gunned down in the parking lot of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. Four of them died.
A spokeswoman for Uber confirmed that Dalton was a driver for the company, but she declined to say whether he was driving Saturday night.
Uber prohibits both passengers and drivers from possessing guns of any kind in a vehicle. Anyone found to be in violation of the policy may be prohibited from using or driving for the service.
Many handguns and long guns were seized from Dalton’s home. But there was no indication that he was prohibited from owning the weapons, said Donald Dawkins, a Detroit-based spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which was assisting police.
A man who knows Dalton said he was a married father of two who never showed any signs of violence.
TagsJason Daltonkalamazoomichiganshooterslideshow
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Debunking the Assertion Reagan Was a 'New Deal Republican' | LifeZette
Debunking the Assertion Reagan Was a ‘New Deal Republican’
New book obscures the Gipper's life journey away from FDR-style, big-government liberalism
By Craig Shirley | July 10, 2017
Thomas Jefferson, in his first inaugural address in 1801, said that “every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.”
Jefferson went through the first bitter and divisive U.S. election against incumbent President John Adams, so his call for unity was welcomed. What happens, though, when an opinion changes the principle of not just a conservative icon but changes the very meaning of American history and interpretation of America’s future? What happens when that opinion is simply wrong?
Henry Olsen, Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and author of a new book on Reagan, will find that out soon enough, for he has certainly kicked the conservative hornet’s nest.
Olsen’s new book, “The Working Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism” (Broadside Books, 2017), has an interesting though flawed premise: that Ronald Reagan, champion of American conservatism and American freedom and self-described libertarian, was a lifetime New Dealer, a supporter and inheritor of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s massive government policies to jump-start the economy in the 1930s and early 40s.
[lz_ndn video= 29881985]
It is surely a controversial and provocative assertion that will stimulate an intellectual debate about who Reagan was, what he believed, and how he evolved. All legitimate scholarship on Reagan is to be welcomed. And Olsen does recognize Reagan’s intellect, as expressed in his writings, and for this, he is to be commended. At no time does Olsen question Reagan’s vastly underestimated intellect. The writing is often good.
By the 1960s and later, Ronald Reagan was a conservative, a libertarian. He was pro-life, pro-freedom, and pro-individualism. He was pro-market and pro-federalism. He was an intellectual who read constantly while traveling, by train, across the country, quoting freethinkers such as Thomas Paine, Ralph Emerson, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.
Reagan did not shy away from his support or admiration for Roosevelt, even after his political shift from a “hemophilic liberal” to an American conservative in the 1960s. His oft-used phrase “rendezvous with destiny” — in his endorsement for Barry Goldwater, or in the announcement of his candidacy for president in 1979, or in his acceptance for the nomination a year later — was taken directly from FDR’s speech in 1936 to members of the Democratic Convention. He admitted in his diaries that he voted for FDR in all four of his elections.
It is like looking at Saul of Tarsus and later his converted identity as Paul, and believing they are of the same beliefs.
In his autobiography, “An American Life,” Reagan admits that his liberalism was so strong that he would have family fights with his brother Neil after the latter became a Republican. Reagan says that his support for the New Deal in the 30s and 40s went down “to the core. I thought the government could solve all our postwar problems just as it had ended the Depression and won the war.”
Compare that to his first inaugural address, several decades later, by which time his view of government had drastically changed from that of his youth.
“Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem,” he famously said. One may have difficulty seeing how this relates to FDR’s government control of the economy; the government, as he said earlier, “is our servant, beholden to us,” not the other way around.
Reagan was a vocal opponent of excessive government spending and overreach, perhaps the most vocal opponent in modern United States history. This included such previously beloved programs as the New Deal. Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, perhaps Reagan’s biggest enemy in Congress, was a constant annoyance to the President’s beliefs and policies. In 1981, Reagan said that O’Neill “is a solid New Dealer and still believes in reducing the states to administrative districts of the federal government.”
Personal grudges between the two aside, this was a policy issue, and Reagan’s personal diaries showed that the main belief of the New Deal was feds vs. states. Reagan fundamentally disagreed with the notion of making the states almost like subsidiaries of the federal government, emphasizing that “Washington has no business trying to dictate how states and local governments will operate their programs.”
[lz_related_box id=802597]
Indeed, during the 1980 debate with Jimmy Carter, Reagan quipped, “I was a Democrat; I said a lot of foolish things back in those days.”
In public, Reagan was just as hard on the New Deal. In a Christmas Day broadcast in 1981 on PBS, President Reagan said that “many of the New Dealers actually espoused what today has become an epithet — fascism — in that they spoke admiringly of how Mussolini had made the trains run on time. In other words, they saw in what Roosevelt was doing; a planned economy, private ownership, but government management of that ownership and that economy.”
Right or wrong, Reagan clearly believed that New Deal proponents — not FDR, but those who were close to FDR, admired Mussolini’s fascism and that the two ideologies were best friends, if not one and the same. (go to page 2 to continue reading)[lz_pagination]
Mural of George Washington May Be Removed Because It ‘Traumatizes Students’
by The Political Insider Staff
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Center for Reproductive Rights to fight OK admitting privileges at state Supreme Court
By Calvin Freiburger | March 18, 2016 , 11:45am
The pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights is back in court attempting to invalidate Oklahoma’s 2014 admitting privileges requirement for abortion facilities.
CRR argues that the law, which is not currently in effect due to a temporary injunction, would force Dr. Larry Burns to close his practice down because area hospitals have rejected his applications for admitting privileges. His practice performs nearly half of the state’s abortions.
In February, Oklahoma County District Judge Don Andrews rejected the abortion giant’s arguments and upheld the law, finding the state “has a legitimate, constitutionally recognized interest in protecting women’s health,” and noting that Burns had alternatives to personally obtaining privileges, “such as hiring another physician, merging his practice or making some other change to the way he has traditionally practiced.”
Abortion advocates claim that admitting privileges are medically unnecessary, but 32 mainstream medical groups, including the American Medical Association and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have affirmed that “physicians performing office-based surgery must have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, a transfer agreement with another physician who has admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, or maintain an emergency transfer agreement with a nearby hospital.”
CRR has appealed his ruling to the state Supreme Court. A spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt vowed that the office “will continue to defend” the admitting privileges law in court.
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Muniyamma and Others Vs. Arathi Cine Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and Others - Court Judgment
Subject Company
Court Karnataka High Court
Decided On Jan-07-1992
Case Number Original Side Appeal Nos. 16 and 19 of 1990
Judge D.R. Vithal Rao and ;K.A. Swami, JJ.
Reported in [1993]77CompCas97(Kar); ILR1992KAR1262; 1992(2)KarLJ614
Acts Companies Act, 1956 - Sections 108, 108(1), 111, 155, 155(2) and 156
Appellant Muniyamma and Others
Respondent Arathi Cine Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and Others
- section 2a: [subhash b. adi, j] denial of gratuity for the break in service period held, the act being a social legislation and social security for an employee after retirement, resignation, whenever he becomes eligible and being a beneficial legislation, compliance with requirement under section 2-a is mandatory. sub-section 91) of section 2-a provides for treating the absence as break in service. however, such break in service must be evidenced by an order in accordance with the standing order, rules or regulations governing the employees of the establishment. no doubt sub-section (2) of section 2-a requires that, employee to work not less than 240 days in a year to avail the benefit of gratuity for the said year. however, if the management wants to treat any period of service as.....k.a. swamy, j.1. these two appeals are preferred under section 4 of the karnataka high court act, 1961, read with section 155(2) of the companies act, 1956, against the common order dated october 8, 1990, passed in company petition no. 62 of 1988 connected with company petition no. 48 of 1987. of course, against the order rejecting company petition no. 48 of 1987, o.s.a. 17 of 1990 has been preferred by the petitioners therein, who are also the petitioners in company petition no. 62 of 1988. o.s.a. no. 17 of 1990 has also been posted for hearing along with o.s.a. nos. 16 of 1990 and 19 of 1990. the result of o.s.a. no. 17 of 1990 depends upon the decision in o.s.a. nos. 16 and 19 of 1990. however, this order will not cover o.s.a. no. 17 of 1990 arising out of company petition no. 48 of.....
K.A. Swamy, J.
1. These two appeals are preferred under section 4 of the Karnataka High Court Act, 1961, read with section 155(2) of the Companies Act, 1956, against the common order dated October 8, 1990, passed in Company petition No. 62 of 1988 connected with Company Petition No. 48 of 1987. Of course, against the order rejecting Company Petition No. 48 of 1987, O.S.A. 17 of 1990 has been preferred by the petitioners therein, who are also the petitioners in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988. O.S.A. No. 17 of 1990 has also been posted for hearing along with O.S.A. Nos. 16 of 1990 and 19 of 1990. The result of O.S.A. No. 17 of 1990 depends upon the decision in O.S.A. Nos. 16 and 19 of 1990. However, this order will not cover O.S.A. No. 17 of 1990 arising out of Company Petition No. 48 of 1987.
2. The petitioners in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988 are the appellants in O.S.A. No. 16 of 1990. O.S.A. No. 19 of 1990 is filed by respondent No. 2 in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988.
3. There are six respondents in O.S.A. No. 16 of 1990, whereas there are ten respondents in O.S.A. No. 19 of 1990. Respondents Nos. 1 to 6 in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988 are also respondents Nos. 1 to 6 in O.S.A. No. 16 of 1990. They are also respondents Nos. 1-appellant and respondents Nos. 3 to 6 in O.S.A. No. 19 of 1990. The petitioners in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988 who are the appellants in O.S.A. No. 16 of 1990 are respondents Nos. 2, 7, 8, 9, and 10 in O.S.A. No. 19 of 1990.
4. Company Petition No. 62 of 1988 was filed under section 155 of the Companies Act, 1956 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'), for the following reliefs :
'Wherefore, it is prayed that this hon'ble court may be pleased to :
(i) order the rectification of the register of members of the first respondent-company and declare that the members of the company and their respective shareholding is as follows :
-----------------------------------------------------------------------Sl. Name of member No. of shares DistinctiveNo. held Nos. ofshares------------------------------------------------------------------------1. K. N. Sheshadri 260 1 to 502,451 to 2,6602. M. Venkatesh 50 51 to 1003. Pushpa Srinath (petitioner No. 3) 50 101 to 1504. Lakshmeeshappa (petitioner No. 4) 550 151 to 4505. Muniyamma (petitioner No. 1) 530 451 to 7002,911 to 3,1906. Ashwathappa (petitioner No. 2) 250 710 to 9507. Dr. B. G. S. Murthy 2,100 951 to 1,4503,191 to 4,7908. Mrs. B. G. S. Murthy 1,000 1,451 to 2,4509. Narayanamma (petitioner No. 5) 250 4,791 to 5,04010. R. Devaraj 250 5,041 to 5,29011. V. Ramachandra 300 5,291 to 5,59012. K. N. Shivaramkrishna 250 5,591 to 5,84013. K. S. Govind (minor) 100 5,841 to 5,94014. K. S. Sunil (minor) 100 5,941 to 6,04015. K. S. Preethi (minor) 100 6,041 to 6,14016. V. Raghavan 270 6,141 to 6,41017. V. Nirmala 50 6,411 to 6,46018. V. Kalavathi 900 6,461 to 7,36019. Parvathamma 840 7,461 to 8,20020. Dr. G. N. Byrareddy 900 8,201 to 9,10021. V. Venu 900 9,101 to 10,000---------Total 10,000----------------------------------------------------------------------- (ii) grant costs of these proceedings, and
(iii) pass such other or further orders as may be just and necessary on the facts and in the circumstances of the case.'
5. These reliefs were sought on the basis of several grounds enumerated in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988. We do not consider it necessary to repeat the same in our judgment as the same are summarised in the judgment of the learned company judge.
6. Respondents Nos. 3 to 6 in O.S.A. No. 16 of 1990 who were also respondents Nos. 3 to 6 in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988 resisted the petition on various grounds which have also been summarised by the learned company judge. Therefore, we do not consider it necessary to burden this judgment with the details of the same. Respondents Nos. 1 and 2 have not filed any objections to the petition.
7. On the basis of various pleas raised by the parties, evidence was recorded. Petitioners Nos. 1, 5, 4 and 2 entered the witness-box and gave evidence as PWs 1 to 4 respectively. Respondents Nos. 3 to 6 examined four witnesses as RWs 1 to 4. RW 1 was an officer of the Canara Bank, M. G. Road branch, Bangalore. RW 2 was the sub-manager of the Corporation Bank, Nrupathunga Road branch, Bangalore, RW 3 accountant in the Canara Bank, Avenue Road branch, Bangalore, and RW4 was executive assistant to K. L. Srihari, respondent No. 4 in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988 and O.S.A. No. 16 of 1990. The petitioners have marked seven documents out of the records produced by respondents Nos. 3 to 6 in Company Petition No. 48 of 1987. Exhibit P-1 is the share transfer form relating to Smt. Muniyamma (petitioner No. 1). Exhibit P-2 is the share transfer form of Narayanamma (petitioner No. 5), exhibit P-3 is the share transfer form of Lakshmishappa (petitioner No. 4), exhibit P-4 is the proceedings of the meeting of the board of directors of the company held on February 24, 1986. Exhibit P-5 is the members' register. Exhibit P-7 is the share transfer form of Aswathappa (petitioner No. 2). Respondents Nos. 3 to 6 also have marked as many as 21 documents which have been marked as exhibits R-1 to R-21. A certain portion in exhibit R-1 is marked as exhibit R-1(a). Similarly, certain portions in exhibit R-2 are marked as exhibit R-2(a) and R-2(b). So also in exhibits R-3, R-12 and R-15, certain portions are marked as exhibit R-3(a), R-12(a) and R-12(b) and R-15(a), R-15(b) and R-15(c). Exhibit R-1 is the statement of current account up to November 17, 1989, relating to the first respondent-company. Exhibit R-1(a) is a certificate of extract dated November 7, 1989. Exhibit R-2 is the statement of account No. 1692 of respondent No. 2 for the period from December, 1985, to November 7, 1989. Portions marked therein as exhibit R-2(a) and R-2(b) relate to the certificate of extract dated November 7, 1989, and entries dated November 14, 1985, respectively. Exhibit R-3 is the statement of savings bank account No. 1749 of petitioner No. 4, Lakshmishappa, for the period from April, 1984, to December, 1987. A portion therein is marked as exhibit R-3(a) which is a certificate of extract. Exhibits R-4 to R-11 are the eight cheques dated November 9, 1989, issued by Universal Trading Company in the names of the petitioners as well as others. Exhibit R-12 is the statement of accounts relating to respondent No. 4, K. L. Srihari, up to November 30, 1989. The portions therein are marked as exhibit R-12(a) and R-12(b). Exhibit R-13 is another cheque dated February 24, 1986, issued in the name of Aswathappa (petitioner No. 2). Exhibit R-14 is also another cheque dated February 24, 1986, issued in the name of petitioner No. 1, Muniyamma. Exhibit R-15 is the statement of accounts of Universal Trading Co. for the periods from May, 1985, to April 12, 1986. Exhibit R-16, is the closing balance-sheet of account No. 001692 of Sri M. Venkatesh (respondent No. 2) maintained by the Corporation Bank. Exhibit R-17 is the transfer slip prepared by the Corporation Bank, transferring a sum of Rs. 2,58,000 to the S.B. Account No. 001692 of Sri M. Venkatesh, respondent No. 2 Exhibit R-18 is the certificate dated January 10, 1990, issued by the Corporation Bank certifying that the credit of Rs. 2,58,000 dated March 12, 1986, in the S.B. Account No. 1692 of Sri M. Venkatesh, comprising the amount of the cheque drawn on Canara Bank, Avenue Road branch, Bangalore, and further giving the details of the cheque pertaining to four persons, viz., G. N. Byra Reddy, B. Venu, Dodda Muniyamma and Aswathappa. Out of them, the last two are petitioner No. 1 and petitioners No. 2 respectively. Exhibit R-19 is another certificate issued by the Corporation Bank, M. G. Road branch, Bangalore, certifying that the entries made in the clearing register are true. Those entries relate to a sum of Rs. 2,58,000 drawn by Sri M. Venkatesh from the Canara Bank, Avenue Road branch, Bangalore, on the cheque issued by him. Exhibit R-20 is the cheque dated March 12, 1986, issued by M. Venkatesh for a sum of Rs. 2,58,000 on the Corporation Bank, M. G. Road, Bangalore, on his S.B. Account No. 1692. Exhibit R-21 is the Company Petition No. 48 of 1987 filed by the petitioners in Company Petition No. 62 of 1988 for winding up of the first respondent-company.
8. The learned company judge first considered the scope of section 155 of the Act and held that the proceeding under section 155 was a summary proceeding and if a finding could be arrived at summarily, the exercise of power under section 155 would be quite proper and in such a case refusal of relief would be arbitrary; that the jurisdiction is discretionary; that equitable principles governed the exercise of jurisdiction; that if the conduct of the parties complained of was unfair and unjust in relation to the subject-matter of the litigation and the equity sued for would be very relevant for exercise of jurisdiction. The learned company judge derived the aforesaid propositions as stated by him from the decision of the Supreme Court in Public Passenger Service Ltd. v. M. A. Khadar : [1966]1SCR683 . The learned company judge was also of the view that the aforesaid propositions squarely applied to the case on hand. The learned company judge bearing these propositions in mind approached the case and held that the petitioners were none other than the persons belonging to the group of respondent No. 2 and that is was respondent No. 2 who was responsible for the transfer of the shares of the petitioners and collected the amount from respondents Nos. 3 to 6, and petitioner No. 4 received the amount of consideration for the transfer of his shares; that the petitioners were set up by respondent No. 2; that the petitioners had either deposed falsely or feigned ignorance of all material aspects of the events; that the petitioners failed to make out a prima facie case of the facts pleaded by them on the material issue; that Alwa was not examined and that similarly respondent No. 2 was not examined; that the burden was heavy upon the petitioners to prove that the official of the bank misused the confidence bestowed on him by the petitioners; that the petitioners and respondent No. 2 should not be allowed to take advantage of their own wrongs; that the evidence of M. A. Paul, RW 4, was not useful as to the material aspects of the transactions in question and his evidence was a poor substitute as a witness for respondents Nos. 3 and 4; that if the burden of establishing that the share transfer transactions had taken place was entirely on respondents Nos. 3 and 4, they would have failed to establish the same. The learned judge was of the view that the circumstances of the case tilted the balance in favour of respondents Nos. 3 and 4 as they had paid consideration for the share transfers and the petitioners had failed to establish that the share transfer forms were not executed by them; that failure of the second respondent to give evidence though he was present in the court on several dates proved that the present petition was a proxy fight between the second respondent and respondents Nos. 3 to 6. The learned company judge also came to the conclusion that even though exhibit R-21 showed the date as late as November 16, 1986, the petitioners were treated as shareholders; however, the learned company judge was of the view that even then the question that would arise was as to why the board purported to approve the alleged transfer of shares on February 24, 1986. Therefore, the learned company judge considered it safe to fall back on the ground that the jurisdiction was discretionary, summary and was also concerned with equities. He was also of the view that the share transfer forms were executed by the petitioners and were duly attested by the second respondent, consideration was paid by the transferees and it was collected by the second respondent on behalf of all the petitioners except the fourth petitioner; therefore, no injustice would be caused to the parties if the court declined to exercise the jurisdiction under section 155 of the Act. Accordingly, the learned company judge dismissed the petition keeping it open to the petitioners to establish their right, if any, by resorting to any other remedy.
9. The learned company judge also summarily referred to the oral evidence adduced by the parties and mainly relied on the evidence given by Lakshmishappa PW 3, and was of the view that the transfer forms were signed by petitioners Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5. Regarding the other irregularities noticed by the learned judge, it was held by him that all those need not be gone into when prima facie it was found that the petitioners have transferred the shares. Thus, the learned company judge dismissed the petition.
10. As a consequence of dismissing Company Petition No. 62 of 1988, Company Petition No. 48 of 1987 was also dismissed because the petitioners could not be treated as shareholders as they had, according to the learned judge, transferred their shares and thereby ceased to be members of the company.
11. We have been taken through the oral and documentary evidence and also the judgment of the learned company judge. In the light of contentions urged on both sides, the following points arise for consideration :
(1) Whether respondents Nos. 3 to 6 have proved that the petitioners sold and transferred their shares to them for valuable consideration
(2) Whether the transfer of shares of the petitioners was effected in accordance with law If not, whether it is valid in law
(3) Whether it is just and proper to go into the transfer of shares of other members of the company who are not before the court and grant rectification of the register of the members of the first respondent-company relating to those shareholders
(4) Whether the order under appeal is sustainable in law and on facts
(5) To what reliefs the petitioners/appellants are entitled
12. Point No. 1. - The petitioners and respondent No. 2 are related. Petitioner No. 1 is the mother of respondent No. 2. Petitioner No. 5 is the sister of Petitioner No. 1. Petitioner No. 4 is the brother of petitioners No. 1 and 5. Petitioners Nos. 2 and 3 are the relations of the other petitioners and respondent No. 2. Respondent No. 2 owned two bits of land bearing survey No. 68/4 measuring 14 guntas and S. No. 68/5 measuring 9 guntas situated in Nagasettyhalli. He got these lands converted for non-agricultural purposes with a view to put up a cinema theatre. One Sri K. N. Seshadri jointed the second respondent in the venture. The second respondent and K. N. Seshadri together got the first respondent-company incorporated under the Act on November 30, 1978, with the authorised share capital of Rs. 10,00,000 divided into 10,000 shares of Rs. 100 each. Initially, 6,400 shares were allotted. Out of them, 530 shares were allotted to petitioner No. 1, 250 shares to petitioner No. 2, 50 shares to petitioner No. 3, 550 shares to petitioner No. 4 and 250 shares to petitioner No. 5. Theses allotments were made up to June 29, 1983. Thereafter, in the board meeting held on January 9, 1985, 50 shares were allotted to Smt. Nirmala. Again in the board meeting held on March 26, 1985, 3, 540 shares were allotted to the following four persons :
1. Smt. Kalavathi . . . 900 shares2. Smt. Parvathamma . . . 840 shares3. Sri G. R. Byrareddy . . . 900 shares4. P. Venu . . . 900 shares Thus, by March 26, 1985, all the 10,000 shares were allotted.
13. The case of the petitioners is that no share certificates were issued at any time; that they did not sell or transfer their shares for consideration to any of the respondents Nos. 3 to 6; that petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5 had not executed the share transfer forms; that the fourth petitioner signed the blank forms and handed over them to Sri P. K. Alwa, that none of the petitioners had received the consideration to transfer the shares; that the alleged transfer of shares was illegal as the share transfer forms were not accompanied by share certificates. The other please raised by the petitioners need not be referred to at this stage. However it is necessary to point out that the alleged share transfer forms of Smt. Pushpa Srinath-petitioner No. 3 - were not produced and not explanation was offered by respondents Nos. 3 to 6 for non-production of the same.
14. According to the case of respondents Nos. 3 to 6, respondent No. 2 and one K. N. Seshadri formed leaders of two groups in the company and they were the major shareholders, K. N. Seshadri sold the shares relating to his group; that similarly respondent No. 2 sold the shares relating to his group which included the shares held by the petitioners; that the second respondent received the consideration for the transfer of the shares of the petitioners; that the consideration amount pertaining to the shares held by each of the petitioners except petitioner No. 4 was paid to respondent No. 2 through bearer cheques issued in the name of each of the petitioners; that the consideration amount payable to Lakshmishappa (petitioner No. 4) for the transfer of his shares was paid to him through an account payee cheque; that respondent No. 2 had encashed all the other cheques and got the entire amount credited to his account and had withdrawn the same; that if there were any defects in the register of shareholders of the company and in the transfer forms, respondents Nos. 3 to 6 were not responsible; that it was the petitioners and respondent No. 2 who held all the records of the company till their shares were transferred to respondents Nos. 3 to 6 and till respondents Nos. 3 to 6 were appointed as directors in the meeting held on February 24, 1986. Therefore, it was the defence of respondents Nos. 3 to 6 that the petitioners were not entitled to take advantage of their own faults; that the case involved complicated questions as to title to the shares; therefore, in a summary proceeding under section 155 of the Act the same could not be gone into; that the petitioners were proxy fighters for respondent No. 2; that they had been set up by respondent No. 2; that the fact that the petitioners were illiterate did not, in any way, exonerate them from the liability arising out of the execution of the transfer forms; that the case of the petitioners that P. K. Alwa manipulated and got up alleged proceedings by misusing the transfer forms obtained by the second respondent for the purpose of obtaining loan was false and incredible, etc.
15. The evidence discloses that transfer forms pertaining to petitioners Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5 were not fully filled up. They were also not duly stamped as required by section 108 of the Act. No doubt, Lakshmishappa admitted in his evidence that he had signed the transfer forms; but he claimed that the blank transfer forms were signed for the purpose of giving to Mr. Alwa and Venkatesh respondent No. 2 gave the same to Mr. P. K. Alwa. Lakshmishappa further stated that he did not receive any consideration; that Muniyamma, Narayanamma, Aswathappa and Pushpa Srinath, petitioners Nos. 1, 5, 2 and 3, respectively, signed share transfer forms and gave them to Venkatesh just as he gave exhibit P-3 to Venkatesh. Exhibit P-1 was the transfer form relating to Muniyamma who was examined as PW 1. She denied that she had executed the transfer form. The learned company judge had made a note that when she was confronted with transfer form for the purpose of asking her the question as to whether she had affixed her thumb impression, she refused even to look at the transfer form and denied that she had ever affixed her thumb impression for transfer of shares. In the cross-examination of PW 1, it was elicited that she did not know anything about the first respondent-company. However, in the cross-examination, exhibit P-1 was confronted to her and she specifically stated that she had not seen exhibit P-1 before and exhibit P-1(a) was not made by her. Therefore, the observation that she refused to look at exhibit P-1 during the course of examination-in-chief is not of any consequence inasmuch as in the cross-examination she specifically stated that exhibit P-1(a) was not made by her. No step was taken by respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to prove that exhibit P-1(a) was made by PW 1.
16. Exhibit P-2 was a share transfer form relating to Narayanamma, petitioner No. 5, who was examined as PW 2. According to her evidence, she did not know how to sign her name. She further stated that she had not given any papers. She had not sold her shares of the first respondent-company. She also further stated that she did not know anything about exhibit P-2; that the company did not give her any return in lieu of her investment in the shares. In the cross-examination, it was elicited from her that she did not know 'what a company director is or means'. She also further stated that she did not know whether Lakshmishappa had any responsibility in the company besides being a shareholder. She denied the suggestion that exhibit P-2(a) was her signature. She specifically denied that she signed exhibit P-2 and exhibit P-2(a) was her signature. It was also elicited from her in the cross-examination that it was about 8 or 9 years since she had made investment in the first respondent-company and she had no income from the investment; that she did not know whether Lakshmishappa was the chairman of the first respondent-company and as to who was running the affairs of the company. P.W-3, as already pointed out, is Lakshmishappa. He admitted that he had signed the transfer form, exhibit P-3. He, however, denied the suggestion that the shares were transferred and the transfer was recorded in exhibit P-4 at page 45. It was also further elicited in the cross-examination that exhibit P-3 was given to P. K. Alwa to raise loan from the bank. Similarly, Muniyamma and others also gave transfer forms for the purpose of raising a loan from the bank. It was further elicited in his cross-examination that he did not have any personal account in any bank; that he did not know if he had a personal account in the Corporation Bank; that he was not an income-tax assessee. It was also further elicited that he did not know respondents Nos. 3 to 6 and whether they belonged to the Khoday's group; that he did not know anything about Universal Trading Company. Of course, he went to the extent of stating that he did not know what he should do if a cheque were to be issued in his favour by anyone. He also denied that he received a cheque for Rs. 1,58,000 from Universal Trading Co. on February 24, 1986. He denied that exhibit P-6(a) was his signature. It is very relevant to notice that the transfer forms of other petitioners were not confronted to him. The signature and the thumb impression, as the case may be, of the other petitioners on the transfer forms were not identified by him as they were not confronted to him except eliciting in the cross-examination thus :
'Exhibit P-3 was given to Venkatesh and he gave it to P. K. Alwa as stated by me earlier, Muniyamma, Narayanamma and Aswathappa and Pushpa Sreenath signed share transfer forms and gave it to Venkatesh just as I gave exhibit P-3.'
17. On the basis of his evidence, the learned company judge has held that execution of transfer forms by the petitioners has been proved.
18. PW 4 is Aswathappa. He is petitioner No. 2. He stated that he did not know respondents Nos. 3 to 6; that he had not signed exhibit P-7 and P-7(a) was not his signature. Exhibit P-7 was the transfer form relating to transfer of 250 shares of this witness of respondents Nos. 3 to 6. At this stage, we may point out that 530 shares held by the first petitioner, according to the case of respondents Nos. 3 to 6, were transferred to respondent No. 5 and 250 shares held by the second petitioner were transferred to respondent No. 6, 50 shares held by the third petitioner were transferred to respondent No. 5 and 550 shares held by the fourth petitioner were transferred to respondent No. 5; and 250 shares held by petitioner No. 5 were transferred to respondent No. 3. Thus all the shares held by the petitioners were transferred to respondents Nos. 3, 5 and 6 as stated above.
19. Respondents Nos. 3 to 6 examined 4 witnesses. RW 1 was an official of the Corporation Bank, M. G. Road, Bangalore. He produced the S.B. account extract of Venkatesh and Lakshmishappa and the current account extract of Arathi Cine Enterprises which were marked as exhibits R-2, R-3 and R-1 respectively. Accordingly to his evidence, exhibit R-2 was the account extract of the S.B. Account No. 1692 of Venkatesh (respondent No. 2) for the period from December, 1985, to December, 1987. Exhibit R-3 was the account extract of the S.B. Account No. 1749 of Lakshmishappa from April, 1984, to December, 1987. He also spoke regarding the current account No. 326 of exhibit R-1 of Arathi Cine Enterprises for the period from September, 1984, to December, 1985. He admitted that the first petitioner did not have any account with the Corporation Bank, M. G. Road branch, Bangalore. Similarly, petitioner No. 2 also did not have any account with the Corporation Bank, M. G. Road, Bangalore. Respondent No. 2 had an account with the said bank. Of course, he was not able to state as to whose account the cheque, exhibit R-13 and R-14, were credited. He, however, stated that the cheque, exhibit R-15, was that of one Venkatesh and the same was prepared by the bank. He also spoke regarding the drawing of the amount of Rs. 2,58,000 by Sri Venkatesh-respondent No. 2. He further stated that the cheque was encashed and payment was made across the counter and as per the endorsement, the cash must have been paid to him. He identified Venkatesh who was sitting in the court when his evidence was recorded.
20. RW 2 was the sub-manager of the Corporation Bank, Nrupathunga Road branch, Bangalore. He produced eight cheques drawn, three in favour of B. G. S. Murthy, one each in favour of Lakshmishappa, Kalavathi and Pushpa Srinath, Narayanamma and Nirmala. He also stated that he did not know any of the drawees of the cheques to whom he referred in his examination-in-chief. He also further admitted that payees' signatures were not obtained on the cheques, exhibits R-4 to R-9; and so also on exhibits R-1 and R-11 and exhibits R-10 and R-11 being payees cheques, somebody who had taken the money had signed the cheques but he did not know who that person was. He also further stated that he did not know any of the persons in whose favour the cheques were drawn and were ultimately realised.
21. RW 3 was the accountant in the Canara Bank, Avenue Road branch, Bangalore. He produced the current account extract of Sri K. L. Srihari, respondent No. 4, for the period from January 1, 1986, to April 18, 1986. It was marked as exhibit R-12. Accordingly to his evidence, Sri K. L. Srihari issued a cheque dated February 24, 1986, in favour of Aswathappa for a sum of Rs. 25,000. That cheque was produced and marked as exhibit R-14. The amount under the cheque was realised through Corporation Bank, M. G. Road, Bangalore, by the drawee-Aswathappa. He also further deposed that respondent No. 3 issued a cheque in favour of Dodda Muniyamma for a sum of Rs. 53,000 on February 24, 1986, which was also encashed through Corporation Bank, M. G. Road branch, Bangalore, by the drawee. The said cheque was marked as exhibit R-14. He spoke regarding the entries made in exhibit R-12 pertaining to the payment made under the aforesaid cheques. The entries were marked as exhibit R-12(a) and (b). In the cross-examination, he admitted that he did not know Aswathappa, Dodda Muniyamma and the petitioners in the case. He did not know if any of the petitioners had an account in the Corporation Bank, M. G. Road, Bangalore.
22. RW 4 was one M. A. Paul. He was an executive assistant to respondent No. 3. He claimed that he was acquainted with the transactions which were the subject-matter of the petition. He deposed on behalf of respondents Nos. 3 and 4. Through him Company Petition No. 48 of 1987 was marked as exhibit R-21. He stated that the second respondent, Venkatesh, approached respondents Nos. 3 and 4 and offered to sell the shares representing a group of shareholders who were the present petitioners. That another group of Seshadri also offered to sell the shares. The entire shareholding of the first respondent-company was held by these groups. He deposed that initially respondent No. 2 came up with the proposal for transfer of shares belonging to his group, subsequently Seshadri came forward with the offer to sell the shares of his group. There was certain litigation between the two groups as is revealed from Company Petition No. 48 of 1987; that prior to the acquisition of shares by respondents Nos. 3 and 4, the first respondent-company had borrowed from the Corporation Bank, M. G. Road branch, to the tune of Rs. 21,00,000 for the purpose of constructing the theatre; that 30 per cent. was spent for the said purpose. After the acquisition of shares, no further loan was obtained from the bank; the shares were not pledged with the bank; that the second respondent was behind the petitioners and it was he who was pursuing the matter. He also further stated thus :
'... He is sitting in the court today and he has been attending the court on all the days whenever this petition is posted. Venkatesh was acting on behalf of the petitioners in the matter of dealing with shares. Venkatesh was the managing director of the company at the time he purchased the shares and he handed over the books of the company to us. All those books were maintained by the company by the previous management.'
23. In the cross-examination he stated that he did not know when Venkatesh approached Srihari and Swamy and offered to sell the shares; that he was not present when Venkatesh approached Srihari. He further stated that he was not personally aware of the particulars of the shares offered by Venkatesh to Srihari when he approached the latter; that he was not aware as to what happened during the meetings between Venkatesh and Srihari. He also further stated that he had not come across any authority given to Venkatesh by the petitioners to act on their behalf. He further admitted that the names found in annexure-A to exhibit R. 21(a) were the names of the then shareholders as on the date of the said agreement. He further stated that he was not aware of the procedure for the acquisition of shares. It may be noticed at this stage that exhibit R-21 is dated November 16, 1986.
24. The other evidence relating to transfer of shares is the minutes of the board meeting held on February 24, 1986, which is marked as exhibit P-4. This is all the evidence having a bearing on the transfer of shares held by the petitioners. The learned company judge has rejected the evidence of the petitioners solely on the ground that they belong to the group of Venkatesh and they are set up by Venkatesh and as such they should not be permitted to take undue advantage of their own acts. We are of the view that the burden was upon respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to prove that the petitioners transferred the shares for valid consideration and the transfer of shares was effected in accordance with law. The learned company judge has proceeded on the basis that it was for the petitioners to prove that there was no transfer of shares held by him. This is clear from the reasoning contained in paras 3 and 4 of the order of the learned judge under the heading 'Reconsideration for the transfers'.
25. The learned judge also expressed thus :
'If the burden of establishing that share transfer transactions had taken place was entirely on respondents Nos. 3 and 4, these respondents would have failed.'
26. The learned judge was of the view that respondent No. 2 was a group-leader of the petitioners and he was a relation of them and, therefore, he ought to have been examined in the case and his failure to enter the witness-box must lead to an adverse inference against the petitioners. We may at once point out that when the burden was upon respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to prove that there was a transfer of shares held by the petitioners and it was their case also that respondent No. 2 was responsible for transfer of the shares and it was he who received the cheques and encashed the entire amount except that of Lakshmishappa, it was all the more necessary for them to examine respondent No. 2 or at least request the court to direct respondent No. 2 to make himself available for cross-examination. According to respondents Nos. 3 to 6 the second respondent effected the transfer of shares and subsequently set up the petitioners and made them to carry on proxy fight. It has escaped the attention of the learned company judge that the burden of proving that the shares were transferred in accordance with law was upon respondents Nos. 3 to 6 and not upon the petitioners to prove the transfer of shares. It is the party who asserts the existence of certain facts or wishes the court to believe in its existence, unless it is provided by any law that the proof of that fact shall lie on any particular person, the burden of proof of the existence of that fact lies on the person who asserts it. Respondents Nos. 3 to 6 have set up a plea that the shares held by the petitioners in the first respondent-company were transferred to them with the mediation of respondent No. 2. Therefore, the burden was upon respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to prove the alleged transfer of shares. Therefore, it is not possible to agree with the learned company judge for drawing an adverse inference against the petitioners for non-examination of respondent No. 2 especially when it was the case of the petitioners that they had not effected transfer of shares and had not received any consideration amount. Mere relationship of respondent No. 2 with the petitioners is not sufficient to draw an adverse inference against them.
27. On considering the evidence on record, we are of the view that it is not possible to hold that the transfer of the shares held by petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5 is proved in the case. We will consider the case of the fourth petitioner separately. As already pointed out, none of the petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5 has admitted that he or she has executed the share transfer forms. The transfer form pertaining to petitioner No. 3 has not been produced. No explanation is offered for non-production of the same. Therefore, the case of respondents Nos. 3 to 6 that petitioner No. 3 has transferred her shares to respondent No. 5 is not proved, because no such transfer form is produced. As far as the other petitioners Nos. 1, 2 and 5 are concerned, in their evidence, it has been asserted by them that they did not transfer the shares. PW 1 was confronted with the transfer form exhibit P-1. Though initially she refused to look at it, but subsequently as already pointed out, she specifically stated in the cross-examination thus :
'I have never seen exhibit P-1 before. Exhibit P-1(a) is not made by me.'
28. PW 2 has specifically stated thus :
'I see exhibit P-2. I do not know anything about it. I do not know how to sign my name'.
29. She has also further stated that she has not sold her shares in the first respondent-company. Thus, it is the case of the fifth petitioner that she does not know how to sign, whereas the transfer form contains her signature. Under these circumstances, respondents Nos. 3 to 6 in order to prove that petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5 have executed transfer forms have placed reliance on the evidence of the fourth petitioner, Lakshmishappa, who has stated that similarly petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5 signed share transfer forms and gave them to Venkatesh just as he gave exhibit P-3. It is relevant to notice that Lakshmishappa was not confronted with the transfer forms alleged to have been executed by petitioner No. 1, petitioner No. 2 and petitioner No. 5. He has not identified the signatures and the thumb mark found on exhibits P-2, P-7 and P-1 as those of the alleged executants. There is no specific evidence on record to prove that exhibits P-1, P-2 and P-7 were executed by petitioners Nos. 1, 5 and 2 respectively. In the case of denial of execution of a document, the party who pleads the execution of a document shall have to prove by specific evidence as to the execution of the document, the signature of the executant has to be proved.
30. In the instant case, except the general statement of PW 3, Lakshmishappa, without referring to the documents, exhibits P-1, P-2 and P-7, there is no other evidence. Not only this, the evidence on record also indicates that consideration amount had not been received by any one of petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5. RW 4, Paul, has no personal knowledge about the meeting of respondent No. 2 with respondent No. 3. He has also not deposed that the amount received by RW 2 was paid over to petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5. A person purchasing the shares or for that matter any property, is under an obligation to pay the consideration agreed upon for the transfer. This circumstance also goes in favour of the petitioners, whose case is that they have not transferred the shares in question. The learned company judge has also held that the case of the petitioners that the share certificates were not issued is not correct. Whereas, it is not disputed by the respondents that no share certificates were issued. The presence of the share certificates for transfer of shares is necessary. This circumstance also goes in favour of the petitioners that there was no transfer of shares and the forms signed by them were handed over to respondent No. 2, for the purpose of raising the loans. The learned company judge has rejected the evidence of PWs 1, 2 and 4, on the ground that they are not aware of the affairs of the company, being the shareholders. It is not possible to draw an inference from the circumstance that a shareholder is not aware of the affairs of the company, that he is not telling the truth before the court. It is a common knowledge that shares are purchased for the purpose of investment and it is not necessary that every shareholder must know the affairs of the company in detail unless it is one of the closely held companies. Therefore, we find it difficult to agree with the view expressed by the learned company judge, on the evidence on record. Learned counsel appearing for respondents Nos. 3 to 6 contended that these petitioners are set up by respondent No. 2, who has received the consideration and respondents Nos. 3 to 6 are the innocent purchasers of the shares and they had been persuaded to purchase the shares, as such the petitioners case should not be accepted and they should be held responsible for the acts of the second respondent in not paying the consideration amount to the petitioners.
31. It is contended that the second respondent approached respondents Nos. 3 to 6 as a leader of his group which included the petitioners and gave the transfer forms to respondents Nos. 3 to 6 who paid the consideration amount through cheques, which were encashed by the second respondent. As such, the case of respondents Nos. 3 to 6 is that the second respondent is trying to come back into the company, after having sold all his shares and lost his interest in the company, through the petitioners. Here, we would like to point out that merely because the second respondent is related to the petitioners and he represented to respondents Nos. 3 to 6 that he was the leader of the group which included the petitioners, the responsibility of respondents Nos. 3 to 6 was not over by merely paying the amount into the hands of respondent No. 2. They were purchasing the shares of the petitioners. Therefore, they were required to see that the petitioners were consenting parties to the transfer and received the consideration amount. The evidence of RW-4, Paul, goes to show that there was no effort whatsoever made by respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to get at the petitioners. They appeared to have dealt with the second respondent only. RW-4 admitted that he was not aware whether the second respondent and respondent No. 3 met once or more than once in this connection. There is no acknowledgment obtained from the petitioners for having paid the consideration into the hands of the second respondent. Apart from the share transfer forms, exhibits P-1, P-2 and P-7, pertaining to petitioners Nos. 1, 2 and 5, respondents Nos. 3 to 6 have not produced any other evidence for having paid the consideration to them. Of course, cheques issued in the names of these petitioners are produced. But these cheques were encashed by the second respondent. The cheques do not bear any endorsement by petitioners Nos. 1, 2 and 5. They were not even confronted with those cheques. It is really surprising as to how respondents Nos. 3 to 6 could afford to go on in such a manner without caring whether the owners of the shares had executed transfer forms and received the amount of consideration and agreed to sell the shares. As to what happened to the transfer form alleged to have been executed by the third petitioner, there is no evidence. Therefore, the very basic document pertaining to the transfer of shares of petitioner No. 3 is not produced and proved except stating that the transfer form pertaining to the third petitioner was not traceable. There-fore, in the case of the third petitioner, there is no basic proof as to the transfer of shares by her.
32. As far as Lakshmishappa is concerned, he has admitted his signature on exhibit-3 - share transfer form - regarding the transfer of shares held by him. But he has asserted that he had executed blank transfer forms and it was not intended for transfer, but it was intended to offer the shares as a security for raising the loan through P. K. Alva. He has further stated that he has not received any consideration. The attempt made by respondents Nos. 3 to 6 is to show that an account-payee cheque was issued in the name of petitioner No. 4 and it was encashed by him by putting the same into his savings bank account No. 1749 in the Canara Bank, M. G. Road branch. Sri Lakshmishappa has asserted in his evidence that he has no savings bank account in any bank and he has not opened any account in the Canara Bank, M. G. Road branch. No doubt exhibit R-3 was not confronted to him and the cheque issued in his name was not confronted to him. It was not difficult for respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to summon the papers pertaining to the opening of the account by Lakshmishappa in the Canara Bank, M. G. Road branch and confront the same, specially when it was his case in the petition, that he had not received consideration. In the evidence also he has specifically asserted that he has not sold his shares to any person.
33. Exhibit R-3 is for the period from April, 1984, to December, 1987. It contains several entries. There are many credit and debit entries. Exhibit R-3 is produced by RW 1, a bank official, who has copied it from the original. Lakshmishappa denied that he had any such account in the Canara Bank, M. G. Road branch, Bangalore. The name and address found in exhibit R-3 tallies with that of Lakshmishappa and it is produced by the bank official. There is no suggestion to RW-1 that exhibit R-3 does not pertain to Lakshmishappa. It is true that the burden is upon respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to prove the transfer of shares and payment of consideration. They should have produced better evidence by producing the cheque issued to withdraw a sum of Rs. 55,000 and also the cheques relating to several debit entries found in exhibit R-3 by issue of cheques by the account holder. If those cheques would have been produced, it would not have been difficult to point out that the account pertained to Lakshmishappa. Now, the evidence before us is that of the bank official and the actual extract of the savings bank account No. 1749 and the denial of Lakshmishappa. The savings bank account No. 1749 in the name of Lakshmishappa maintained by the bank containing debit and credit entries for the period from April, 1984, to December, 1987, in the absence of any further evidence to prove fraud on the part of the bank cannot be rejected and it cannot be brushed aside. Therefore, we are of the view that Lakshmishappa has received a sum of Rs. 55,000 through an account payee cheque and that amount has been credited to savings bank account No. 1749 of the Canara Bank, M. G. Road branch, Bangalore. There is a debit entry for having drawn the said amount of Rs. 55,000. But the case of Lakshmishappa is that he signed only the blank form; that when he signed exhibit P-3 it did not contain any name and it was only blank; cannot also be brushed aside. This added with the other legal defect that the stamp affixed on the transfer form were not cancelled, should lead to the conclusion that the alleged transfer form was invalid and, therefore, the alleged transfer of shares was not valid in law. Consequently, Lakshmishappa cannot be held to have transferred the shares in accordance with law and cannot be held to have ceased to be a member of the company and ceased to be the owner of 550 shares.
34. According to respondents Nos. 3 to 6, these transfers were approved on February 24, 1986, in the meeting of the board of directors. Consequently, the petitioners ceased to be shareholders of the first respondent company. If the really these transfers had taken place and were approved by the board of directors on February 24, 1986, in exhibit R-21(a) which is an annexure to exhibit R-21 dated November 16, 1986, these petitioners should not have been shown as shareholders of the first respondent-company. RW 4 has admitted in his evidence that the names found in annexure A to exhibit R-21(a) are the names of the then shareholders as on the date of the said agreement. Exhibit R-21 is dated November 16, 1986. It is an agreement entered into between respondents Nos. 3 to 6 and others and Sri K. N. Seshadri in respect of the shares transferred by K. N. Seshadri himself and the members of his group, it is signed by RW 4 and B. R. Srinivasan and also by Sri K. L. Srihari. Annexure A to exhibit R-21(a) contains a list of shareholders in the first respondent-company. The names of the petitioners are found at Sl. Nos. 5 to 9 in the list. The name of the second respondent is also found at Sl. No. 2. Annexure B to exhibit R-21 relates to the list of documents handed over to the second party as per the agreement. One of the documents mentioned therein at Sl. No. 5 relates to the share transfer file. If really there was a transfer form executed by petitioner Nos. 3, it should have been found in that file. But respondents Nos. 3 to 6 have stated that the said form has not been traceable. This circumstance also goes to show that even as on November 16, 1986, the transfer of shares of the petitioners had not taken place. If it had taken place, it should have been approved and they should have ceased to be members of the company. Consequently, their names could not have been found in annexure A to exhibit R-21. The possibility of respondent No. 2 duping petitioners Nos. 1 to 3 and 5 cannot also be excluded. The petitioners, irrespective of their relationship with respondent No. 2, are in law entitled to take such steps as are open to them in law to safeguard their right, title and interest in the shares held by them in the first respondent-company.
35. Thus, taking into consideration all the facts and circumstances of the case as established by the evidence on record, we answer point No. 1 in the negative though petitioner No. 4 has received a sum of Rs. 55,000 which he has to refund to respondents Nos. 3 to 6.
36. Point No. 2 - This point involves a pure question of law. It is contended on behalf of the petitioners and also by Sri Holla, learned counsel appearing for the second respondent that unless the share transfer forms are properly stamped and registered, there will not be a valid transfer. We consider this point on the assumption that respondents Nos. 3 to 6 have proved the transfer of shares by the petitioners, because under point No. 1, we have held that they have failed to prove the transfer. It is an admitted fact that the transfer forms did bear the stamps but they were not cancelled. Section 108(1) of the Act provides that :
'A company shall not register a transfer of shares in, or debentures of, the company, unless a proper instrument of transfer duly stamped and executed by or on behalf of the transferor and by or on behalf of the transferee and specifying the name, address and occupation, if any, of the transferee, has been delivered to the company along with the certificate relating to the shares or debentures, or if no such certificate is in existence, along with the letter of allotment of the shares or debentures.'
37. It is not the case of respondents Nos. 3 to 6 that the transfer forms were lost. Therefore, it is not necessary to refer to the first proviso to sub-section (1) of section 108 of the Act. Unless the instrument of transfer of shares is duly stamped and executed by or on behalf of the transferor and by or on behalf of the transferee and has been delivered to the company along with the certificate relating to the shares or debentures or if no such certificate is in existence, along with the letter of allotment of the shares or debentures, the transfer cannot at all be registered by the company. This section has been considered in Nuddea Tea Co. Ltd. v. Asok Kumar Saha [1988] 64 Comp Cas 775 (Cal) and it has been held (headnote) :
'that the instrument of transfer of shares should bear the requisite stamps and the adhesive stamps should be cancelled at the time of affixation of such stamps and execution of the document. If these requirements are not complied with, then the instrument, although bearing an adhesive stamp but not cancelled in the manner as contemplated by the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, cannot be said to be an instrument 'duly stamped'. The requirement of section 108 is mandatory in nature and the cancellation under section 12 cannot be made subsequent to the execution of the instrument.'
38. In the instant case, all the transfer forms pertaining to petitioners Nos. 1, 2, 4 and 5 have been stamped but the stamps are not cancelled. In the light of the provisions contained in section 12 of the Karnataka Stamp Act and the non-cancellation of the stamps affixed, the instrument concerned must be deemed to be unstamped. The provisions of section 108(1) of the Act and section 12 of the Karnataka Stamp Act are mandatory. These provisions are to be read together. The effect of these provisions is that the document though stamped must be held to be unstamped if the stamps affixed are not cancelled at the time of execution of the document. If the stamps affixed are not cancelled, the document must be held to be not duly stamped. Consequently, it must be held to be invalid.
39. In Dr. Mrs. Nirmal T. Shah v. Sharavathi Petro Chemicals (Company Petition No. 38 of 1980 decided on 10-10-1984), Chandrakantharaj Urs J. has held that the provisions contained in section 108(1) of the Act are mandatory. This decision also accords with our view. The burden was on the respondents to prove that when the transfer forms were delivered to be second respondent the same were filled and were duly stamped at the time of execution of the same.
40. In Arun Kumar Jagnany v. Hindusthan Motors Ltd. [1984] 2 Comp LJ 270, it has been held (at page 272) :
'Apart from the aforesaid issue of limitation, another basic issue for our consideration is that the stamps on share transfer deeds having not been cancelled, the share transfer deeds have to be taken as unstamped and not in accordance with section 108(1) of the Companies Act read with the provisions of the Indian Stamp Act.'
41. During the course of the judgment, a decision in Mathrubhumi Printing and Publishing Co. Ltd. v. Vardhaman Publishers Ltd. [1992] 73 Comp Cas 88 (Ker), was brought to our notice. In that decision also a Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has held that under section 12 of the Indian Stamp Act, 1899, cancellation of the stamps has to be done either when the stamps are affixed or when the instrument is executed, that is, when the executant affixes his signature to the instrument. The cumulative effect of the sections contained in Part B and Part C of Chapter II and those contained in Chapter IV of the Indian Stamp Act is that an instrument, in order to be produced in evidence, registered or acted upon, must be duly stamped. And, therefore, if the instrument is not properly executed or the stamp affixed to the instrument is not cancelled before execution or at least at the time of execution, the said instrument must be deemed to be unstamped. The provisions of section 12 are mandatory, and, therefore, non-compliance with the requirements prescribed thereunder make the instrument not duly stamped and, therefore, it shall not be received in evidence, registered or acted upon.
42. Of course, with regard to this illegality, it is the contention of Sri Jayaram, learned counsel for respondents Nos. 3 to 6 that respondents Nos. 3 to 6 being the purchasers of the shares have come into the picture later and any illegality that has been committed either during the process of transfer of shares of earlier to that, they cannot be held responsible.
43. We may point out that respondents Nos. 3 to 6 being the purchasers of the shares, they were also under the legal obligation to ensure that the transfer of shares took place in accordance with law. There cannot be a valid transfer of shares unless the share transfer forms are duly stamped. Therefore, it is not possible to hold that the contention of the petitioners based on section 12 of the Karnataka Stamp Act read with section 108 of the Companies Act is without any substance merely on the ground that respondents Nos. 3 to 6 have come into the picture later. They are the purchasers of the shares. They must prove that under the valid document the shares are transferred to them. Therefore, we are of the view that even assuming that respondents Nos. 3 to 6 have proved that the petitioners have transferred their shares, as the adhesive stamps affixed on the shares transfer forms are not cancelled, the share transfer forms must be held to be unstamped and, therefore, the instruments must be held to be invalid. We hold accordingly.
44. At this stage, we may also refer to an argument advanced on the basis of the articles of association of the first-respondent-company. It is contended that the shares of the company shall not be transferred except to a person agreed to by all the directors of the company at the price fixed by the board of directors. In our view, it is not necessary to consider this contention in the light of the finding recorded on point No. 1.
45. For the reasons stated above, we answer point No. 2 as follows :
The transfer of shares held by the petitioners even assuming that there was such a transfer of shares as claimed by respondents Nos. 3 to 6 by the petitioners, it was not effected in accordance with section 108(1) of the Companies Act read with section 12 of the Karnataka Stamp Act, and, therefore, was not valid in law. Therefore, the petitioners continue to be shareholders of the first respondent-company and as such continue to be its members.
46. Point No. 3. - The petitioners, apart from seeking relief concerning them, have also sought for rectification of the register of members of the company of the first-respondent company pertaining to other members of the company. The rectification of the register of members pertaining to other shareholders whose names are mentioned in the petition as well as in the prayer portion of the petition. The contention of the petitioners is that section 155 of the Companies Act is wide enough to enable the petitioners to seek rectification of the register of members of the first-respondent company pertaining to other members other than the petitioners. The rectification is sought on the ground that the transfer of shares by those shareholders has not taken place in accordance with law, inasmuch as on the dates on which these transfers are alleged to have taken place, no meeting of the board of directors had taken place. It is contended that on October 14, 1984, April 6, 1985, May 18, 1984, and November 16, 1986, several shares pertaining to the other members whose names are mentioned in the petition are alleged to have been transferred. But in fact, no meeting of the board of directors took place on those dates and no distinctive numbers were assigned and the shares transferred were more than the shares allotted by the company and the same distinctive numbers were given to several others. It is submitted that section 155 of the Act is wide enough to enable the petitioners to seek and the court to grant such a relief. On the contrary, it is contended by Sri Jayaram, learned counsel appearing for respondents Nos. 3 to 6 that those persons who are not the petitioners and who have transferred their shares on receiving the consideration and have no grievance to make; if at the instance of the petitioners they are to be restored as shareholders of the company, on certain irregularities in the proceedings and in the records of the company in the matter of transfer of shares, this court will be restoring the contract without affording an opportunity to one of the contracting parties and without ascertaining as to whether they are still ready to continue as members of the company. It would amount to forcing the contract upon them and the court cannot make a contract for the parties. It is also submitted that without those persons before the court, no such relief can be granted. It is also further contended that the nature of the proceeding under section 155 of the Act being a summary proceeding, the question as to whether the persons other than the petitioners have transferred the shares, etc., need not be gone into. If the other persons are aggrieved, it is always open to them to seek redressal in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
47. Under this point, we are also required to consider the scope of section 155 of the Act. Section 155 of the Act, no doubt has not been omitted and it has become part of section 111 of the Act by reason of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1988, which has come into force subsequent to the filing of the petition. The petition was filed on June 9, 1988. Therefore, we have to consider this case under the Act as it stood prior to the coming into force of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1988 (Act No. 13 of 1988), in the light of the provisions contained in section 68 of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1988. Though section 21 of the Companies (Amendment) Act, 1988, omits sections 155 and 156 of the Act but section 16 of the very Amendment Act, 1988 (Act No. 13 of 1988), while substituting section 111 of the Act incorporates section 155 of the Act with certain modifications in section 111 as substituted. As per the substituted section 111 of the Act, the jurisdiction to consider the application for rectification of the register of members of the company no more vests with a district court or a High Court but vests with the Company Law Board. As already pointed out, we have to consider this case under section 155 of the Act as it stood prior to its omission from the Act. Therefore, we refer to the provisions contained in section 155 of the Act which were as follows :
'155. (1) If -
(a) the name of any person -
(i) is without sufficient cause, entered in the register of members of a company, or
(ii) after having been entered in the register is, without sufficient cause, omitted therefrom; or
(b) default is made, or unnecessary delay takes place, in entering on the register the fact of any person having become, or ceased to be a member;
the person aggrieved or any member of the company, or the company, may apply to the court for rectification of the register.
(2) The court may either reject the application or order rectification of the register; and in the latter case, may direct the company to pay the damages, if any, sustained by any party aggrieved.
In either case, the court in its discretion may make such order as to costs as it thinks fit.
(3) On an application under this section, the court -
(a) may decide any question relating to the title of any person who is a party to the application to have his name entered in or omitted from the register, whether the question arises between members or alleged members, or between members or alleged members on the one hand and the company on the other hand; and
(b) generally, may decide any question which it is necessary or expedient to decide in connection with the application for rectification.
(4) From any order passed by the court on the application, or on any issue raised therein and tried separately, an appeal shall lie on the grounds mentioned in section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 :
(a) if the order be passed by a District Court, to the High Court;
(b) if the order be passed by a single judge of a High Court consisting of three or more judges, to a Bench of that High Court.
(5) The provisions of sub-sections (1) to (4) shall apply in relation to the rectification of the register of debenture holders as they apply in relation to the rectification of the register of members.'
48. The Supreme Court in Public Passenger Service Ltd. v. M. A. Khadar : [1966]1SCR683 has held that (headnote of AIR) :
'Where by reason of its complexity or otherwise the matter can more conveniently be decided in a suit, the court may refuse relief under section 155 in exercise of the discretionary jurisdiction and relegate the parties to a suit.'
49. In that case, it was held that as the case did not involve complicated question, there was no necessity to drive the parties to a suit. It was also pointed out that the rectification of the share register should be allowed if the name of the person after having been entered in the register was without sufficient cause omitted from it. There was no sufficient cause for the omission of the name of the shareholder from the register and the omission was due to invalid forfeiture. In that view of the matter it was held that the forfeiture was invalid. Therefore, it was necessary to grant relief to restore the names of the shareholders.
50. In Indian Chemicals Products Ltd. v. State of Orissa : AIR1967SC253 , the provisions of section 38 of the Act were considered. The provisions contained in section 38 of the Indian Companies Act, 1913, were similar to section 155 of the Act (Companies Act, 1956). In that case, the State of Orissa claimed that by reason of successive constitutional changes, the shares held by the Maharaja Mayurbhanj became vested in the State of Orissa, therefore, it be entered in the register of members of the company. The board of directors refused to register the State of Orissa as successor to the shares held by the Maharaja. Therefore, a petition under section 38 of the Indian Companies Act, 1913, was filed in the High Court of Orissa and the same was allowed. In the appeal, the Supreme Court confirmed the order of the High Court and held as follows (at page 596) :
'Though the State of Orissa had acquired title to the shares by operation of law, by way of abundant caution, it obtained a deed of transfer and lodged it with the company together with the share scrip. The transfer deed was duly stamped and complied with all the formalities required by law. The claim of the State of Orissa based upon the transfer deed was within the purview of article 11. Even with regard to this claim, the courts below concurrently held that the board of directors acted mala fide in refusing to register the transfer. This finding is amply supported by the materials on the record.'
51. Ultimately, in para 11 of the judgment, the Supreme Court held as follows (at page 597) :
'The Maharaja of Mayurbhanj has ceased to be the owner of the shares. The State of Orissa is now their owner and has the legal right to be a member of the company and is entitled to say that the company should recognise its membership and make an entry on the register of the fact of its becoming a member and its predecessor-in-title having ceased to be a member. The name of the State of Orissa has without sufficient reasons been omitted from the register and there is default in not entering on the register the fact of the Maharaja having ceased to be a member. The court's jurisdiction under section 38 is, therefore, attracted. The High Court rightly ordered the rectification in the exercise of its summary powers under section 38. The jurisdiction created by section 38 is very beneficial and should be liberally exercised. We see no reason why the court should deny the applicant relief under section 38. The directors of the applicant company on the most frivolous of objections have prevented the State of Orissa from becoming a member for the last 16 years. It is a matter of regret that justice has been obstructed so long. There is no merit in this appeal.'
52. Therefore, it is clear from the aforesaid decision that even a complicated question as to whether the board of directors acted mala fide in refusing to register the State of Orissa as a member of the company was gone into in a petition filed under section 38 of the Indian Companies Act, 1913, and it was approved by the Supreme Court. It was also specifically observed that the jurisdiction created by section 38 was very beneficial and should be liberally exercised. The learned company judge has also noticed this decision.
53. The High Court of Gujarat in Gulabrai Kalidas Naik v. Laxmidas Lallubhai Patel of Baroda [1978] 48 Comp Cas 438, has taken a view that in a proceeding under section 155 of the Companies Act, even if the relief sought for involves complicated questions they can be gone into and if a case is made out, the relief can be granted. The same is the view expressed by the High Court of Kerala in K. P. Anthony v. Thandiyode Plantations (P.) Ltd. [1987] 62 Comp Cas 553.
54. Thus, the conspectus of these decisions lead us to a conclusion that even though the proceeding under section 155 of the Companies Act is a summary proceeding, as it is a relief provided under the statute, in a proper and appropriate case, it is open to the court to grant relief even though it may involve complicated questions of law and facts. Whether in a particular case relief should be granted or not, because the jurisdiction is discretionary as the word used is 'may' in section 155 of the Act, would depend upon the facts and circumstances of the case but the exercise of jurisdiction cannot be refused on the ground that it involves complicated questions of law and facts. Of course, the propriety of the petitioners and their conduct having a bearing on the subject-matter of the petition would be relevant to the decision as to whether the discretion should or should not be exercised. In the instant case, in the light of the findings recorded already, it is not possible to agree with the view of the learned company judge that the petitioners are not entitled to the discretionary relief. In a case like this, declining to exercise the jurisdiction would amount to failure to exercise the jurisdiction.
55. It is contended by Sri. A. N. Jayaram, learned senior counsel appearing for respondents Nos. 3 to 6, that section 155 of the Act incorporates equity jurisdiction. The petitioners who have transferred the shares through respondent No. 2 and thereafter it is respondent No. 2 who has set them up, their conduct is not bona fide, therefore, in equity they are not entitled to invoke the jurisdiction under section 155 of the Act and the court will not be justified in exercising jurisdiction in their favour. It is also submitted that it is well-known that he who comes into equity must come with clean hands. As long as it is not proved that petitioners Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 are not paid the consideration and petitioner No. 3's transfer form itself has not been produced and one of the petitioners only affixed her thumb mark and does not know how to sign; even then her signature is found on the transfer form, the transfer forms are invalid as pointed out under point No. 2, it is not possible to hold that the petitioners are not entitled to invoke jurisdiction under section 155 of the Act. If in such a case the court refuses to exercise the jurisdiction under section 155 of the Act, it would be only putting a premium on the several illegalities noticed by us during the course of this judgment pertaining to the alleged transfer of shares by the petitioners. Any illegality or any conduct lacking in bona fides on the part of the second respondent, cannot be passed on to the petitioners so as to deprive them of their existence in the company as shareholders. They are entitled to protect and safeguard their existence within the four corners of law as shareholders of the company. Therefore, we are of the view that the petitioners cannot be refused relief on the ground that they lack bona fides as they cannot be held to be guilty of such conduct, we are of the view that it is not proved that petitioners Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 have committed any act which lacks bona fides. Of course, as far as Lakshmishappa is concerned, we have already pointed out with regard to receiving of a sum of Rs. 55,000 stated to be the consideration for transfer of 550 shares. But in this regard we have already pointed out that the share transfer form executed by Lakshmishappa is invalid. Therefore, the transfer of share from Lakshmishappa in law cannot be held to have taken place. Therefore, Lakshmishappa cannot be held to have ceased to be a member of the company. Hence we are of the view that the petitioners cannot be refused relief in so far as it relates to them. But the relief sought for by them relating to other members of the company other than the petitioners who have sold their shares, we are of the view that the same cannot be granted in this petition because we do not know whether others are willing to continue as members of the company and in that event first they must be prepared to refund the money they have received towards the transfer of shares and must also be willing to continue as members of the company with all the consequences that flow from it. It is true that section 155 of the Companies Act is widely worded and it is possible in a given case to grant relief covering the persons other than the petitioners who invoke jurisdiction under section 155 of the Act. In the instant case, all those persons who have transferred their shares as long back as in the year 1986 have not chosen to make any grievance even to this day. In such a situation if we accede to the request of the petitioners, as contended by Sri Jayaram, learned counsel for respondents Nos. 3 to 6, we would be forcing a contract upon all those persons who are not before us to continue to be the shareholders of the company. Hence we are of the view that rectification of the register of members of the company sought for the petitioners in respect of the persons other than the petitioners, as stated in the petition, cannot be granted in this petition. However, we make it clear that several grounds urged for the rectification of the register in respect of others, will be available to the petitioners to urge the same in a petition for winding up. Therefore, we do not want to express any opinion finally with regard to several other illegalities such as, duplication of distinctive numbers, transfer of shares of other members increasing the number of shares, the meetings of the board of directors alleged not to have taken place on October 24, 1985, April 6, 1985, and April 5, 1984, the dates on which the several transfer of shares are stated to have taken place as per the proceedings of the minutes of the board meeting, non-issue of the share certificates, etc., as alleged in the petition. These grounds, if proved, do fall within the scope of just and equitable grounds for winding up of the company, in the connected company petition which has been dismissed on the ground that the petitioners have ceased to be members of the company. Therefore, we do not propose to consider the several other illegalities alleged in the petition and the evidence adduced in that regard in this case. As already pointed out, the same can be urged and gone into in a petition for winding up which is filed by the petitioners. Accordingly, point No. 3 is answered as follows :
'It is not just and proper and it is also not necessary to go into the transfer of shares of several other members of the first respondent-company other than the petitioners and to grant rectification of the register of members of the first respondent-company in respect of those persons except the petitioners.'
56. The contentions urged in this regard are left open to be urged in the petition for winding up being Company Petition No. 48 of 1987 filed by the petitioners-appellants.
57. Point No. 4. - In the light of the findings recorded by us on points Nos. 1 to 3, we are of the view that the order passed by the learned company judge cannot be sustained in law and on facts. Point No. 4 is answered accordingly.
58. Point No. 5. - In the light of the findings recorded on points Nos. 1 to 4, the appeals O.S.A. Nos. 16 and 19 of 1990 are entitled to succeed in part. They are accordingly allowed in the following terms :
The order under appeal is set aside. The transfer of the shares alleged to have been made by the petitioners in favour of respondents Nos. 3, 5 and 6 are declared as invalid and null and void and the same are set aside. It is also further declared that the petitioners continue to be the members of the company with the shares held by each of them as pointed out in the earlier portion of the judgment.
59. The register of members of the first respondent-company shall be rectified accordingly showing the petitioners as members of the company with the shares held by them.
60. It is open to respondents Nos. 3 to 6 to take such action as is open to them in law regarding the amount of Rs. 55,000 received by Lakshmishappa, towards the alleged transfer of shares by Lakshmishappa which is held as invalid and null and void.
61 The other reliefs sought for in the petition and the grounds urged in support thereof have a bearing on the relief sought for in Company Petition No. 48 of 1987 filed by these very appellants, as such the same are left open to be urged in Company Petition No. 48 of 1987. Therefore, it is open to the appellants to urge them in Company Petition No. 48 of 1987.
62. In the facts and circumstances of the case, parties are directed to bear their own costs throughout.
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Former W.H. Aide Says Leaker Kellyanne Has Trump’s Favor Because She Fights for Him
January 29, 2019 Ben Sellers 0
‘One thing that never goes out of style in the Trump White House is someone who’s willing to go on TV and just fight it out with somebody…’
(Ben Sellers, Liberty Headlines) On his former “Colbert Report” show, TV talk-show host Stephen Colbert was known for having cultivated a fake Republican persona, using irony to paint a nasty caricature of conservatives.
But the Trump administration may have just beat him at his own game, using a supposed Trump-basher to instead engage in some guerilla public relations on prime-time, network television.
On Monday, the CBS “Late Show” host brought on Cliff Sims, who left his role as director of message strategy and spent two months writing a newly released White House ‘tell-all’ book titled “Team of Vipers,” for which he received a seven-figure deal, according to The Daily Mail.
Sims acknowledged that he considered himself one of those “vipers” referenced in the book’s title.
“If I’m going to tell the truth … I’ve gotta be willing to be honest about myself, too,” he said. “… [M]y biggest regret of all was that I was not always a picture of my [Christian] faith to the people that I was around.”
Colbert—who is now free to spout his unabashedly leftist views and routinely snipe at Republicans from his network soapbox—typically expects his guests to follow certain political cues, but instead of criticizing Trump, Sims spent much of the segment defending the president.
He hedged when Colbert asked point-blank, “Are you still on the Trump Train?”
“It’s kind of fun to be on the outside and not have to defend every single thing, but in terms of what it means for the nation, I can say it’s probably mixed,” Sims replied.
“I do think the economic growth that we have seen is great,” he added. “I believe that he deserves credit for pulling us out of some of these foreign engagements that president after president had promised to do and just hadn’t. … he’s really trying to keep his promises, and I think that’s something genuine.”
Donald Trump and James Mattis/Photo by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
As Colbert teed him up to mock Trump’s surprise announcement in December of a planned withdrawal from Syria, which prompted the departure of Defense Secretary James Mattis, Sims said the president had, in fact, been discussing and pressing for the Syria policy long before his public announcement.
“He’s surrounded by people at the highest levels who make it their mission, it seems to me, to slow-walk everything that he’s doing, to kind of subvert what he’s doing,” Sims said.
“Some people that don’t agree with him would say, ‘Well thank God they’re in there.’ I would say to that, what kind of precedent does it set if somehow it’s now patriotic to undermine the duly elected president of the United States that you serve?”
Echoing past statements the White House has made about “resistance” members, Sims said it was honorable for Mattis to step aside rather than continue to be a roadblock if he objected to the policy.
“If you disagree with the guy, you always have an option: You either get on board once he makes a decision and you try to implement what he does, or you quit,” he said.
Sims did, however, paint a less-than-flattering portrait of some in the administration who, he claimed, have worked to damage Trump’s agenda. He wrote in the book that adviser Kellyanne Conway was “cartoon villain brought to life,” according to Roll Call.
Sims told Colbert that he had once been working with Conway in her office, using her synced Apple computer to formulate a strategy for defending her from allegations that she was privately trashing others in the White House—only to discover that she was on her iPhone doing it while they worked.
Kellyanne Conway/IMAGE: Fox News via YouTube
“I’m watching her talk to reporter after reporter and trash her colleagues and even not painting the president in a very favorable light, and basically I’m supposed to be writing a statement defending her against exactly what she’s doing in that very moment,” Sims said.
But he added that Conway has been able to keep her spot in Trump’s inner circle because of her willingness to defend him and his policies publicly.
“One thing that never goes out of style in the Trump White House is someone who’s willing to go on TV and just fight it out with somebody,” Sims said.
Other episodes of palace intrigue in the book include a little-known rivalry between White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller.
Sims said that Miller stabbed his supposed mentor in the back by telling Trump that his poll numbers were being hurt by Bannon leaking to the media.
“You had a lot of people thrust together who kind of came in there and had their own best interest in mind,” he told Colbert.
While the book does include some anecdotes sure to roil the image-sensitive chief executive, the focus of many is on since-departed staff members like Bannon, short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucci and former Chief of Staff John Kelly.
It underscores the growing pains of an organization from outside the ‘swamp’ attempting to challenge both bureaucratic inertia and the active partisan resistance from Obama-era holdovers.
“As a staffer you like to think that those things are congruent—I’m gonna serve my nation by serving my president,” Sims told Colbert. “I think you had a lot of people in the White House who came in—sometimes I was one of them—who got wrapped up in the game, what happens when you have proximity to power, when you have access to the most powerful person on the planet.”
Both Conway and Trump responded on Tuesday to Sims’ media appearances, including a visit to Trump’s nemesis network, CNN.
Trump issued a Twitter response denying that Sims had any insider knowledge of the administration, while suggesting a lawsuit may be on the horizon.
A low level staffer that I hardly knew named Cliff Sims wrote yet another boring book based on made up stories and fiction. He pretended to be an insider when in fact he was nothing more than a gofer. He signed a non-disclosure agreement. He is a mess!
It may be too early to tell whether Sims’ underlying motive was, in fact, a self-serving betrayal for financial gain; or if it was—as he says—an honest, candid insider assessment driven by his own need for penitence and catharsis; or rather if he is a double-agent infiltrating the true den of vipers—the hostile media—to spread talking-points under the pretense of Trump-bashing.
Whatever the case, as his media tour continues, Sims clearly will not be following the usual script.
Sims told Colbert that at one point he had helped Trump to compile an “enemies” list.
“I had you at No. 2 on the list, so…,” he trailed off.
Tags: Cliff Sims, Donald Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Late Show, Stephen Colbert, White House
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Federal government should deliver big changes to Canada Post: MLI Report by Ian Lee
Incremental reform will not save Canada’s beleaguered mail carrier, says Carleton University business professor
OTTAWA, July 23, 2015 – The federal government needs to stop tinkering around the edges and deliver some serious reform to ensure Canada’s national postal service doesn’t get lost in the mail, says business professor Ian Lee in a new paper for the Macdonald-Laurier Institute.
Replacing all door-to-door mail delivery with community mailboxes, reducing the number of days on which mail is delivered, franchising rural post offices, and eliminating Canada Post’s monopoly on mail delivery are among Lee’s recommendations.
He also warns the government against privatizing Canada Post. This will not fix the corporation’s structural problems and the business model is so poor that no private sector organization would want to take it on anyway.
These policy changes will deliver “a ‘bridge to the future’ to facilitate CPC’s transformation from a highly regulated mail delivery entity with prices set by government to a competitive parcel delivery entity with prices and service determined by market conditions”, Lee writes.
To read the full paper, titled “Is The Cheque Still In The Mail? The Internet, e-commerce, and the future of Canada Post Corporation”, click here.
These changes are necessary, Lee says, because of the rapidly-changing business environment in which Canada Post is operating: Canadians are sending less mail than in years past.
Between 2006 and 2013, the volume of mail per address dropped 30 per cent even as the number of addresses grew by 1.3 million. The growing use of the Internet for communication and financial transactions will only reduce this further, Lee predicts.
These are just some of the reasons why mail delivery is shaping up to be a big issue in the federal election campaign scheduled for this fall.
The governing Conservatives have overseen Canada Post’s plan to replace door-to-door mail delivery with community mailboxes, a decision both the NDP and Liberals have promised to reverse if they form the next government.
Lee, a professor of business at Carleton University, notes that door-to-door delivery costs more than twice as much as servicing community mailboxes, and only 32 percent of Canadians still get this level of service. Many households that still receive door-to-door delivery are located in relatively wealthy urban neighbourhoods such as Shaughnessy in Vancouver, Rockcliffe in Ottawa, the Annex in Toronto and Outremont in Montreal, making it both an issue of fairness and substantial cost savings.
Lee also says it’s time to go further.
He recommends Canada Post reduce the number of days on which mail is delivered to households to three. This, he says, would help Canada Post’s bottom line; delivery represents 39 per cent of its costs.
Lee says it’s also necessary for Canada Post to franchise its remaining corporately-run postal outlets, such as what already takes place at stores such as Shoppers Drug Mart in urban areas. Closing down any remaining standalone post offices and outsourcing those services would extend Canada Post’s reach while greatly reducing operating costs.
Lee also suggests opening up Canada Post up to competition by eliminating its monopoly on mail delivery. This, he says, will help to encourage innovation and structural change at one of Canada’s oldest institutions.
Among the other recommendations Lee makes:
Consolidate mail processing plants: The amount of mail sent is only going to continue to decrease in the future, so there is little reason for CPC to maintain the 21 processing plants currently working across the country.
Implement the Industry Canada Rural Broadband Strategy by 2020: Extending access to the remaining Canadians who don’t have high-speed Internet will help them adapt to the necessary reforms to the postal service.
Deregulate CPC pricing for letter mail: CPC customers currently do not pay the true cost of sending mail. CPC should not have to appeal to the government to set the price of stamps.
Revise the Canadian Postal Service Charter and the Universal Service Obligation: This is a change that would be necessary to implement the reduced service recommendations.
Many of these changes can be accomplished through attrition rather than layoffs at Canada Post, Lee writes – that is, simply not replacing older postal workers as they retire.
Ian Lee teaches strategic management at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business.
The Macdonald-Laurier Institute is the only non-partisan, independent national public policy think tank in Ottawa focusing on the full range of issues that fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government. Join us in 2015 as we celebrate our 5th anniversary.
For more information, please contact Mark Brownlee, communications manager, at 613-482-8327 x105 or email at mark.brownlee@macdonaldlaurier.ca.
Economy Policy - papers, Latest News, Papers, Press Releases, Recent News
Canada Post, Ian Lee
MEDIA ADVISORY: MLI Author Ian Lee Available To Comment On Government's Canada Post Reform Plan OTTAWA, ON (Jan. 24, 2018): Ian Lee, author of the MLI paper, Is the Cheque Still in...
Doing nothing is going to kill Canada Post, MLI author Lee tells BNN Don’t want to see any changes to door-to-door delivery? Then you’re likely helping to spell...
The Internet will force Canada Post to make dramatic changes: Lee in the Financial Post The end is in sight for letter mail, writes Ian Lee in the Financial Post....
Election 2015: Ian Lee available to comment on Canada Post reform The Macdonald-Laurier Institute is highlighting its authors’ work on some of the major public policy...
Ensuring post-secondary institutions deliver on our expectations: A new MLI report OTTAWA, ON (November 30, 2018): Universities, colleges, and polytechnic institutions are at the forefront of...
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Present & Future
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Holy Camp! Terms & Conditions
Home > Israel Programs > Holy Camp! Terms & Conditions
Deposit / Non-Refundable Application Fee
Registration for this program requires a $500 deposit which is non-refundable*.
Space Allocation
Spots on Livnot’s Holy Camp! are allocated on a Priority Basis to Livnot alumni and then on a first-come, first-served basis to those applicants who have completed the application process, including an interview, completion of all forms, requirements, and payments of deposits and fees.
During the program, Livnot is responsible to provide reasonable living accommodations as determined by Livnot staff. A person who requires different arrangements for health or other reasons bears all financial responsibility for those arrangements, including any and all payments and fees.
It is essential that you travel with your own Travelers Insurance, as your coverage during the program takes effect only on the day the program begins. All camp participants are insured during the duration of the program. The Health Insurance taken out on your behalf does not cover any pre-existing medical conditions. Medication, whether prescribed or otherwise, is the financial responsibility of the participant.
Participants are required to follow all safety and security guidelines as defined by Livnot (these safety and security guidelines are in accordance with those of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel). This is true throughout the duration of the program, on hikes, tours, at all facilities and during any and all programmed free time. Livnot staff instructions, whether written or verbal, are to be followed at all times for the safety and security of the participants, staff and group, and any and all others interacting or connected with the program and/or group in any way. Should you or your family member, for whatever reason, choose to leave the campus or the designated program space during the week of camp, you understand that you do so at your own risk and will not hold Livnot liable for anything that occurs during these times.
Violence of any sort, whether physical, spoken, written or intended, as determined by Livnot staff, is not tolerated on the program. It is grounds for immediate dismissal.
Use of Illegal Drugs or being in possession thereof, in Israel is not allowed and grounds for dismissal from the program.
Alcohol may be made available to adults as part of the rituals of shabbat, or to enjoy in moderation with a festive meal or during an evening program after the children have gone to bed. We respectfully request that participants not bring alcohol to programs without first clearing it with Livnot staff. Moderation is the watchword, and we are sensitive to the messages children receive when adults around them are indulging in drinking.
Abuse of alcohol as determined by the Livnot staff is grounds for dismissal from the program.
Harassment Issues
If someone hassles you, in any way, let us know immediately – whether it’s in town or on campus, whether it’s a stranger or a participant or a staff member. Sexual harassment whether physical or emotional, is grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.
Please be sensitive to others in the community; for instance: refrain from using offensive language or saying things that could embarrass people or hurt people’s feelings.
Livnot makes every effort to accommodate people’s individual dietary needs to a reasonable degree, as determined by Livnot staff. In the event that a person’s dietary needs cannot be accommodated, as decided upon by Livnot staff, the participant becomes financially responsible for meeting his/her own dietary needs. Livnot’s kitchen and campus follows strict kashrut (kosher) standards, and any foods brought in or requested must comply with these standards
Minimum number of Holy Camp! participants
30. In the event that there are fewer than 30 individuals signed up and registered (application is complete and payment received) for Holy Camp! or for other reasons beyond our control, there is a possibility that the program will be cancelled. *Should this occur we will issue full refunds for any program fees made, and we will make every effort to alert those signed up to this possibility as early as the situation becomes apparent. Livnot takes no responsibility for any other expenses incurred (i.e. airfare, transportation costs, etc.) and strongly suggests that the participant purchase traveler’s insurance to protect against such losses.
Age-Appropriate Programming, Sensitivity to Family Issues
Holy Camp! is for families. We know families come in all shapes, sizes, and configurations. While the bulk of the programming intended for children will be geared for children ages 3-12, we value our babies and teenagers too, who have different needs. Our very small staff will do our best to meet the needs of all of our children at their various developmental stages. And, given the community-centered feel of our programs, we rely on parents to partner with us to ensure that their child/ren find ways to engage that feel fun and valuable for them, even if they are presented with activities or options that do not exactly match their ages or specific interests. We look to all of our participants to co-create an optimal experience for the group, valuing group “Shalom Bayit” over any one individual’s personal fulfillment in any one moment or activity. We ask you to come with open minds, flexibility, and a willingness to find the light in whatever situations present themselves.
Holy Camp! is committed to being a place where all families can feel welcomed and comfortable. We expect there will be families representing a wide continuum of Jewish backgrounds and levels of observance, families representing a variety of different cultural and political viewpoints, and families who may have members with disabilities or any number of issues they are dealing with and may not wish to or need to share. We hope to create a safe space that is so filled with love, acceptance, respect and joy that our differences become the spices that make our shared experience enriching and delicious, rather than points of contention. We ask that you come seeking connection and common (holy!) ground, and leave the judgments based on differences behind.
Once you have read these please find your application form saved on a different tab, go back to that form, and continue your application by checking the box saying you have read these Terms and Conditions
Livnot U'Lehibanot is supported in part by various private foundations, private donors and our alumni.
© Copyright 2019 Livnot U'Lehibanot | Privacy Policy
Website by 972 creative
Eyal Karoutchi
Activities Manager
Throughout his incredible life journey traveling the world seeking spiritual truth, for 12 years, mystical scholar Eyal Binyamin Karoutchi passed over a decade of extensive study of the teachings found within the American Indians, Buddhism, and Hinduism. He became an expert of this wisdom through his experiences living in monasteries.
Returning to his native land of Israel, he began to learn the secret wisdom Judaism with the same clarity as the other philosophies he had studied.
Eyal Binyamin Karoutchi was a senior lecturer and general manager at a spiritual center for Jewish consciousness for 11 years. Today works in livnot as activity coordinator.
He is certified in a variety of healing modalities such as CBT and NLP, and serves the community as a life coach, marriage counselor, mediator, communication advisor, As a certified Yoga instructor he teaches yoga and Jewish meditation all over Israel and worldwide.
Shlomo Tal
Shlomo Tal was born and raised in Kazakhstan in the Former Soviet Union. At the age of 15 he made Aliyah on his own, and studied Jewish philosophy and spirituality for a decade at various schools around the country. He served in the army as a counter-terror instructor. Shlomo fell in love with Tzfat 18 years ago and has lived there for the last three years as a program coordinator at Livnot, along with his wife, Orly, and their six children. He enjoys music, nature, painting, martial arts, and extreme freedom of thought.
Michael Even-Esh
Senior Educator & Nature Guide
Michael was born and raised in Kansas City. He received a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism before moving to Israel in 1979. Michael served in the IDF Paratroops, was a nature guide in the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, led exploration teams for the Israel Cave Research Center, spent time as a shepherd in the Galilee, was an organic farmer, and is a licenced tour guide. Since 1991, he’s been working with Livnot U’Lehibanot leading educational hiking trips, teaching classes, and keeping in touch with alumni.
Things he has been quoted as saying:
In a perfect world, your cave guide would not have claustrophobia.
Before you die, try to farm for at least a few minutes.
There is no such thing as a Jewmometer.
Michael also runs “The Jewish Snake Project,” in which he uses live snakes to teach groups about Jewish Values. He lives with his family (and snakes) in the Golan Heights.
Rachael Henderson
Rachael participated in the Northern Exposure program in 2015 and has been involved with Livnot ever since. After finishing her degree in English and Film Studies at the University of Dundee in her home country of Scotland, she made Aliyah and came straight to Livnot to be a Madricha. When the summer session ended Rachael joined the Livnot team to work on Recruitment and Social Media.
Utilising her ample digital marketing experience from Scotland, intimate knowledge of the Livnot ethos and her love of art and technology, she has been reaching Jews all over Israel and beyond through our online channels.
Rachael currently resides and studies in Jerusalem. She enjoys seeing the sights of Israel, creating art and coming ‘home’ to the Livnot campus and the mountains of Tzfat whenever she can.
Lea Saida
Administrator for American Friends of Livnot U’Lehibanot
Lea received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the American University in Washington, D.C. She served as Assistant Program Director at B’nai Brith Women International before making Aliyah. In Jerusalem, she held the title of Director of Student Activities at the American College.
Lea later returned to the United States where she worked from 1992 through 2003 for the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County first as Coordinator for the Federation’s Mission 500 to Israel and then as Director of the Israel Programs Resource Center. She has been with American Friends of Livnot U’Lehibanot since 2003.
Banot Sherut Leumi
National Service Women
Banot Sherut Leumi (National Service Women) are young women who serve in different educational and infrastructure needs throughout the country as an alternative to army service. All Livnot programs include two Banot Sherut who have gone through intensive educational training. These young women lead the programs as Madrichot, critical in the building of community within the group and in all aspects of the service-learning program. The 2018-19 Banot Sherut Leumi are Ilana Americus, Maayan Yoselis and Dafna Greifner.
Rabbi Dr. Meir Sendor
Resident Scholar
Rav Meir is a recognized scholar in the field of Jewish History, specifically the history of Jewish mysticism, philosophy and medicine. He holds a rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University, a Ph.D. with Distinction from Harvard University and a Master’s from Yale University. Rabbi Sendor lectures widely on his specialties and holds many classes on various Torah topics for all levels.
Meir Paltiel
Originally from Syracuse, NY, Meir received his BA in American History and Political Science from Tulane University and his MS in Resource Management from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry. He arrived in Israel in 1992, served in the Nahal Infantry Unit before moving to Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. On Kibbutz, Meir was Assistant Manager of the Fisheries.
Meir joined Livnot in 2002 as a Program Coordinator and is currently Director of Programs and Alumni. He and his wife Nechama, live with their six children in Hispin on the Golan.
Aharon Botzer
Founder & Executive Director
Aharon Botzer and his wife Miriam founded Livnot U’Lehibanot in 1980. Aharon is the organization’s visionary, and has dedicated his life to continually developing unique and relevant programs to strengthen Jewish identity among the unaffiliated. His creativity and wisdom are the driving forces behind Livnot’s growth and expansion, both in programs and in the potential of tapping into Livnot’s many assets and resources.
Aharon was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and has a B.A. in Education from Ohio University. He spent over a year hitchhiking and travelling in Central America, coming to the realization that having a Jewish identity is a treasure. He came to Israel in 1971 to study in Yeshiva, eventually arriving in Tzfat to teach English and Geography to high school students. He has been a licensed tour guide since 1984.
Aharon served as a non-combatant during his regular army service, and until age 56, he volunteered to serve in an infantry unit. Miriam and Aharon are blessed with seven children and many, many grandchildren.
Yaniv Ravivo
Yaniv is a native Israeli who moved to Tzfat 10 years ago. He has his BA in Economics and Business Administration, and completed an LLB in Law.
Yaniv has years of great experience in management and marketing. Here at Livnot, he handles all of the amazing activities that go on in the Livnot campus, both for Israeli groups and for Tourists.
Orah Simcha Farhi
Orah Simcha is a California native who, after travelling the world for the last five years, came to settle in Israel and made Aliyah in 2016. She now calls Tzfat her home and joined the Livnot family this year.
Pairing her Philosophy degree with extensive experience in administration for Jewish Non-Profits, she became Aharon’s executive assistant.
Orah lives in the Old City of Tzfat and is currently enjoying the beautiful views and the fresh Tzfat air. She is passionate about holistic healing, bringing light down to the world through personal and collective efforts, and she values kindness above all else.
Matt Bar
North American Recruitment Director
Matt Bar, a proud alumni (2005, 2007), is also CEO and founder of Bible Raps, an educational organization that uses cutting edge technology and culture to revitalize classic texts of the past, He has sold 2,500 albums, performed in stage shows and collaborative musical workshops for more than 125,000 youth, in 75 cities, in the U.S., U.K., and Israel, including venues such as, summer camps, conventions, synagogues, Day Schools, Hillels and other Jewish educational settings.
“Growing up in Iowa City, Iowa. I was one of the only Jews and didn’t have much appreciation for the richness of Judaism. Originally, I was turned on to Jewish living because a trip to Israel with Livnot. Livnot was integral to my ‘Jewish Journey’ and I am excited to bring this excitement to your community.” Matt currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife, Rebecca, and two boys, Micah and Jonah.
Todd Edelman
Marketing Speciaist
Jordan has joined the Livnot staff upon making Aliyah 2 years ago from New York. He has brought with him a rich set of expertise in the marketing field, and is responsible for fundraising and organizational development at Livnot.
The quality he appreciates most about Livnot is the organization’s ability to stay focused and goal-oriented for over of 30 years!
5 years down the line, Jordan hopes to see the “Beit HaKahal” excavation project up and running, and a central attraction in the North.
Currently residing with his family in the Lower Galilee community of Korazim, Jordan is a a lover of the Hermon and Meron mountains, as well as an avid skier- although his skiing skills are seldom put to use in the Holy Land climate.
Tzivia Polsky
Tzivia was born in Israel on Kibbutz Sa’ad and shortly after moved around the USA with her parents. She returned to Israel on Aliyah to attend Hebrew University where she graduated with a degree in Social Research and Anthropology. She married Shmuel shortly afterwards and worked in administrative positions in the center of Israel. A side trip to Chicago to advance academic degrees lasted eighteen years where their three children were born, who are now grown and have blessed their parents with grandchildren.
Returning to Israel in 1994, Tzivia held administrative positions in private industries, and moved to Tzfat to join the Livnot staff in 1996. She serves as the Office Manager, and is kept busy with record keeping, grant writing, translations, correspondence, and is the epicenter of organization and order among the many projects of Livnot.
Bracha Eitan
Bracha was born and raised in Jerusalem, the only “Sabra” in her family who made Aliyah from New York a few years before she was born. Growing up with an English-teaching, literature-loving mother and living among Israelis has given her proficiency in the English and Hebrew languages as well as the ability to be a correct and polite American even while maintaining forthright Israeli chutzpa.
After moving to Tzfat in 2012, the Eitans began regularly hosting Livnot Chevre for Shabbat. In 2016, Bracha left her job of six years as a Financial Aid Advisor at a US-based college, and joined the Livnot team as Aharon Botzer’s assistant.
Bracha lives in southern Tzfat and has a lovely view of the Kinneret with her husband Tzvi, their two kids, and two parrots. She enjoys painting, reading, and hearing good stories.
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bill creasy
Dr. Bill Creasy
Reading the Story of King David
Pre-Enroll in "The Story of King David" Online Course
Get 20% off when you pre-enroll
In King David, the Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel, Jonathan Kirsch observes:
At the heart of the Book of Samuel, where the story of David is first told, we find a work of genius that anticipates the romantic lyricism and tragic grandeur of Shakespeare, the political wile of Machiavelli, and the modern psychological insight of Freud. And, just as much as Shakespeare or Machiavelli or Freud, the frank depiction of David in the pages of the Bible has defined what it means to be a human being: King David is “a symbol of the complexity and ambiguity of human experience itself.”[1]
No two-dimensional pious character, David “played exquisitely, he fought heroically, he loved titanically,” as historian Abram Leon Sachar notes. “Withal he was a profoundly simple being, cheerful, despondent, selfish, generous, sinning one moment, repenting the next, the most human character of the Bible.”[2] Like everyone else, from Samuel to Saul to Jonathan—to God himself—when we encounter David we are charmed by him, and we fall under his spell.
As a work of literature, the David story is one of the most complex and subtle narratives in the Bible, and it is among the greatest stories in world literature. When we approach it, we do well to bring all of our critical reading skills, sharply honed.
To understand any literary work, we have to answer several questions in the course of our reading: What is happening in the story? Why is it happening? What connects the present event to the preceding and following actions? What are the characters’ motives? How do they view their fellow characters? What are the cultural and social norms that govern the world of the narrative? The answers given by each reader enable him or her to reconstruct the reality devised by the text and to make sense of the world represented in it.[3]
Michelangelo's David, Galleria dell'Accademia de Florence
Yet, a close look at a story often reveals how few answers the text explicitly provides. In most instances, the reader provides the answers, some temporary, partial or tentative, others wholly and completely. The act of reading fills in the gaps created by the narrative itself. This “gap-filling” may involve simply arranging textual information in a linear sequence, or it may be more complex, demanding that the reader develop an intricate network of associations, laboriously, hesitantly and with constant modifications as additional information is disclosed at later stages in the story. The placement of the gaps and their size are a direct function of the narrator, who chooses what to tell the reader, when to tell it, how much to reveal and in what sequence.
Take for instance, the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22. After the intricate and complex story leading up to Isaac’s long-anticipated birth, we read in Genesis 22: 1-2—
Sometime later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.” Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
As readers, we know that God makes a covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12: 2-3, in which he says, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you . . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” We also know that the blessing will be transmitted through Isaac, not Ishmael, for when Sarah demands that Hagar and Ishmael be sent away, God says, “Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned” (Genesis 21: 12). We can only imagine, then, Abraham’s shock when God tells him to sacrifice Isaac, and we can only stand puzzled—along with Abraham—at God’s motive for issuing such a command. Then, in the next two verses we read, “Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about” (Genesis 22: 3-4). Clearly, the narrator has inserted a large gap between verses two and three. Between these two verses an entire night passes, and by morning Abraham has determined to obey God’s command. As readers, we are left to puzzle over Abraham’s thoughts during that dreadful night, to imagine the depth and pain of his struggle and to reconstruct the reasoning that leads him to obey God’s command.
As the story continues, “On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Genesis 22: 4-5). Again, our narrator inserts a gap between verses three and four, a gap that spans three days, from the time Abraham leaves his home until he arrives at Moriah to sacrifice his son. During that time, does he question his decision? Does he vacillate? Does he speak with Isaac, or does a grim silence shroud the three-day journey? The reader can only speculate, and in doing so, fill in the gaps, drawing from previous information about Abraham and his relationship with God, about his decision-making processes, and about what he has learned of Abraham’s personality. Then in verse 5, Abraham remarkably says, “We will worship and then we will come back to you” [italics mine]. With this additional information, the reader may now conclude that Abraham determined either: 1) God would intervene and stop him from actually sacrificing his son, or 2) he would go through with the sacrifice and God would raise Isaac from the dead.[4] In either case Abraham confirms the decision he had made during the night prior to leaving for Moriah.
As Abraham and Isaac trudge together toward the mountain, another gap occurs until Isaac asks, “The fire and the wood are here . . . but where is the lamb for the burnt offering” (Genesis 22: 7). At this, Abraham’s composure cracks; he replies, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” In a dazzling moment of grammatical ambiguity, our narrator strikes a near-fatal blow at Abraham’s resolve, when we are unable to tell if—grammatically—“my son” is an appositive or a vocative; that is, will God provide an offering other than Isaac, or will he provide “my son!”
We could continue reading the gaps in the Abraham/ Isaac story, but you get the idea. As readers, it is up to us to fill in the gaps, and we do so by drawing from what we have previously learned of the characters, context and action, and we are forced to revise our conclusions as we learn what follows in the story. This is brilliant narrative technique, and all imaginative literature engages in it to one degree or another. At a structural level, the gaps enrich our experience of the text as we collaborate with the narrator in constructing the story’s narrative world and the characters that populate it.
To emphasize the reader’s collaborative role in constructing the narrative by no means implies that “gap filling” is an arbitrary process. Quite the contrary. For the process to be valid, it must be legitimized by the text itself and not by subjective concerns, personal desires, or by introducing later historical or theological thinking that is outside the narrative world. In the New Testament, for example, the Gospels present Jesus’ virginal conception as a fact of the narrative, but it does not support the perpetual virginity of Mary: this is a later development, which draws upon centuries of theological inquiry; it is not a part of the narrative world presented in the gospels. To impose the perpetual virginity of Mary on the gospel narrative is to introduce an anachronism, to distort the narrative and to produce a misleading reading. Please understand that I am not questioning the perpetual virginity of Mary, but I am saying that such a relatively modern doctrine cannot be introduced into an ancient text to fill the gaps and produce a sound reading of the narrative itself.[5]
Likewise, in the David story, to which we will turn shortly, the rabbis confronted a formidable and very emotional problem: How could Israel’s greatest king—and a writer of the psalms, at that—be an adulterer? The most frequent solution imposed on the text is that David did not commit adultery with Bathsheba, for her husband Uriah the Hittite had divorced Bathsheba before leaving for the war! As Rabbi Shmuel bar Nakhmani argues, “Whoever says that David sinned is totally mistaken. . .. How could he fall into sin while the Divine Presence rested upon him? . . . Under the house of David, whoever went forth into battle would give his wife a letter of divorce” (Shabbat 56a). Besides, argue the rabbis, the alluring Bathsheba seduced David, not the other way around. Such argument is pious and well-intentioned, but it has no support whatsoever from the immediate narrative—never mind Nathan’s sharp rebuke of David in chapter 12 and David’s own confession in Psalm 51. Again, for a legitimate reading, the gaps must be filled in a manner congruent with the text, not according to one’s wishes or to beliefs that postdate the narrative world.
This concept of “reading the gaps” is essential to reading all literature; it is especially important in reading the Bible; and it is critical in reading the David and Bathsheba episode. I would like to work through the episode in some detail to illustrate the process.
As we read the David story in 1 & 2 Samuel, David is God’s “golden boy” through 2 Samuel 10: God has anointed him king to replace Saul; David has triumphed again and again in his battles against Israel’s enemies; he has conferred with God at every crucial moment; he has proven himself to be a brilliant strategist and tactician; and he has shown himself an altogether magnificent warrior/king.
And then we encounter 2 Samuel 11.
Let me present the first five verses of 2 Samuel 11 in a literal translation of the Hebrew to emphasize their diction, grammar and syntax:
In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent Joab and the king’s men and all Israel and they destroyed the Ammonites and they besieged Rabbah and David was sitting in Jerusalem.
And it happened at evening that David got up from his bed and was walking about on the roof of the king’s palace and he saw from the roof a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful and David sent and inquired about the woman and the one he sent said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
And David sent messengers and he got her and she came to him and he lay with her (now she was purifying herself from her uncleanness), and she returned to her house and the woman conceived and she sent and told David and said, “I am pregnant.”
Most modern translations eliminate the repetitive words and smooth out the syntax to make the verses more palatable to our modern stylistic tastes. It is important to retain the sense of the original, however, if we are to understand how our author crafts his narrative.
Notice several elements in these five verses. First, they recount a terrible failing on David’s part. In every chapter leading to this episode, David is the warrior par excellence; he leads from the front; he is the tip of the spear: after all, that is why the people wanted a king to begin with, “a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:20). Here, David sends out “Joab and the king’s men and all Israel and they destroyed the Ammonites and they besieged Rabbah.” In sharp contrast, “David was sitting in Jerusalem,” is wholly uncharacteristic of David, if we may judge from everything we’ve read to this point. The very structure of the sentence highlights the sharp contrast. We may view it in two parts: 1a) “In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent Joab and the king’s men and all Israel and they destroyed the Ammonites and they besieged Rabbah;” and 1b) “and David was sitting in Jerusalem.” In the first part, the Hebrew consists of twenty-three words that pile up the action, beginning with “Joab” and moving to “the king’s men” and “all Israel” (from one person, to many, to a multitude), who “destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.” In purely informational terms, this may make an appropriate prelude to a war story centered on Joab and his army, but this is not a war story; it is a story of David’s intimately personal life. As readers, we reach this realization abruptly in part two of the sentence, when we read, “and David was sitting in Jerusalem.” In Hebrew, the verb “was sitting” is an active participle, indicating that as the action in 1a is taking place, David “was sitting in Jerusalem” the entire time. The contrast between Joab and his men “going out” and “destroying and besieging” with David “sitting” in Jerusalem is magnified by the sharp contrast between the twenty-three words in the first phrase and three words in the second. The dynamic action of the first phrase spotlights by contrast the static action of the second. As readers, the abruptness stops us short. It catches our attention. Something is wrong.[6]
In addition, the information our narrator gives us is purely objective, with no probing of motive or thought. Admittedly, biblical narrative is often sparse to the point of frugality, but the glaring omission of David’s motives and thoughts (the very information we want) prompt us to ask, “Just what is David doing in Jerusalem while everyone else is out fighting a war?”
The answer arrives in the next four verses. Verse two intensifies the contrast between David and his men with a movement from general to specific (“In the spring” to “and it happened at evening”) and an “innocent” telling of a sequence of events: David rises in the evening and strolls about on the roof of his palace, where he sees a beautiful woman bathing. Such “objective” information causes the reader to fill in the gaps that we clearly sense: while Israel fights a war, its king lounges in luxury, napping in the late afternoon, rising in the evening, strolling about on the palace roof on a balmy spring evening and watching a naked woman bathe. Although the narrator remains objective about the scene, we don’t. Clearly, the narrator has led us ever so subtly to begin making judgments about David, about his motives and about his actions, rather than impose them upon us.
The technique continues in verses three, four and five as we follow David’s actions: “. . . and David sent and inquired about the woman and the one he sent said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?” And David sent messengers and he got her and she came to him and he lay with her . . . and she returned to her house and the woman conceived and she sent and told David and said, “I am pregnant.” The string of coordinating conjunctions “and” highlights the linear action, as does the sequence of verbs: “sent,” “inquired,” “sent,” “got,” “came,” “lay with,” “returned,” “conceived,” “sent,” and “told.” The narrative’s objectivity seems stunningly inappropriate, given the content of David’s actions, causing the reader to probe beneath the surface. Just who is “Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite.” It is up to us to investigate. In 2 Samuel 23 we find a list of David’s “mighty men,” thirty-seven in all: Eliam, Bathsheba’s father, is the son of Ahithophel, who himself will play a pivotal role in the rebellion of David’s son, Absalom, later in the story, and Uriah the Hittite is the last in the list of David’s “mighty men,” one of his key officers (vv. 34-39). In these verses—withheld from us by the narrator at this point in the story—we learn the magnitude of what David is about to do: He not only “takes” another man’s wife, but he also betrays one of his own officers and sets in motion a series of cascading consequences that will manifest themselves later in the story.
As the episode continues, I quote from the NIV translation:
So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.”
When David was told, “Uriah did not go home,” he asked him, “Haven’t you just come from a distance? Why didn’t you go home?”
Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
Here, David summons Uriah from the battlefield to Jerusalem. But why? Again, the narrator confines himself simply to reporting events, offering no hint at motive and making no judgments. He leaves that to us. When we read, “So David sent word to Joab: ‘Send me Uriah the Hittite,’” the motive may be either benign or malignant: perhaps David wants to confess to Uriah and make right the wrong he has committed; perhaps he wants to make restitution; or perhaps his motive is darker.
When Uriah arrives, David seems polite enough, asking, “how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.” Again, our narrator simply reports the conversation: “how . . . how . . . how,” offering no motive and no judgment, leading us down a path that can go in either direction, a path that continues when David tells Uriah to “go down to your house and wash your feet” and sending a gift after him (literally, “and the king’s provisions came out after him”). David’s suggestion entails a delicious double entendre: washing one’s feet is customary after traveling on hot, dusty roads; it is tantamount to saying, “go home, clean up and refresh yourself”; but “washing your feet” is also a euphemism for having sex, since “feet” in biblical usage also refers to the male genitals, a suggestion that is reinforced by David sending—in effect—a catered dinner of food and wine to create a romantic evening! Is this simple kindness to a loyal soldier? Or is it something else?
When David learns that Uriah did not go home, he asks, “Haven’t you just come from a distance? Why didn’t you go home?” and Uriah replies, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” So, the ambiguity continues: if we follow a positive interpretation, Uriah appears noble and rather innocent; if his men are in the field, he couldn’t possibly avail himself of marital pleasures at home in his own bed.
David then asks him to stay a little longer, and he invites him to dinner and he drinks with him before sending him back to the field.
As we move from David’s sending for Uriah to sending him back to Joab, the narrator’s simple reporting of facts, while withholding motive and judgment, lulls us into following a benign interpretation of David’s actions. Yet, as the narrative proceeds, an uncomfortable awareness emerges: David has summoned Uriah on a long journey from Rabbah, and no substantive conversation transpires between them, only polite banter that moves over four days from general conversation to a night of dining and carousing.
The very lack of substance raises troubling doubts about David’s motives, doubts that are then confirmed like a thunderbolt when we next read: “In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so that he will be struck down and die” (11:14-15). Here, a positive reading of the narrative boomerangs upon us as David’s diabolical plot snaps into sharp focus. David had sent for Uriah in order that he would go home, have sex with his wife, and cover up what David has done. When the plot fails, David blatantly orders Uriah’s murder.
With this sudden realization, we can now go back and fill in the gaps that our narrator has left open. Clearly, David recalls Uriah from the front, solely to cover up his own crime. What seemed like innocent banter, now becomes inane prattling to get Uriah in his wife’s bed. When Uriah doesn’t go home, we must ask: “Does he know what David has done?” Recall the number of servants involved in the story: 1) David sends a servant to find out who the woman is, and the servant returns with an answer (11: 3); 2) David sends servants (plural) to get Bathsheba (11: 4); 3) Bathsheba sends a servant to David telling him that she is pregnant (11:5); 4) David sends a servant to get Uriah, who then returns with him on the two-day journey from Rabbah to Jerusalem (11: 6); and 5) a servant (or servants) bring a gift from David to Uriah’s home (11: 8). The more people involved in a conspiracy, the greater likelihood that the conspiracy will be made known. If it is, then we must see Uriah—and David—in a very different light. If Uriah learns of David’s actions before he arrives in Jerusalem, then David’s inane conversation on his arrival and his suggestion that Uriah go home and “wash his feet” along with the gift he sends reveal David as a genuine scoundrel. And if Uriah learns of David’s actions after he arrives, then we must see Uriah’s transformation during the night from a noble and rather innocent soldier to a wronged husband and a warrior betrayed by his own king. In either case, both David and Bathsheba clearly know the truth, and if David could see from his roof Bathsheba bathing, then both David and Bathsheba can see each other, and both can see Uriah sleeping at the king’s gate. If such is the case, and if Uriah knows what David has done, then his words to David take on new and dramatic meaning: “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents [as opposed to you, who are lounging in your palace], and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open field [as opposed to you, who dally in your bed]. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife [as you have done]? As surely as you live [which may not be much longer], I [as opposed to you] will not do such a thing!”
When David orders the murder of Uriah, any possibility of a benign reading on our part vanishes; we are propelled back into the narrative to fill in the gaps, given the new information we have; and David is revealed as a particularly loathsome villain.
This is dazzling narrative technique—a work of genius—which offers insight into how we should approach all of Scripture. “Reading the gaps” is a fundamental skill we should develop if we are truly to understand Scripture. Reading the gaps requires a thorough knowledge of narrative technique; a comprehensive understanding of context; a close reading of the text itself; and the ability to dismiss preconceived ideas and operate solely within the world of the narrative.
Such is the task of becoming an educated reader.
[1] Jonathan Kirsch, King David, the Real Life of the Man Who Ruled Israel (New York: Ballantine Books, 2000), pp. 1-2.
[2] Abram Leon Sachar, A History of the Jews, rev. ed. (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1967), p. 34.
[3] Meir Sternberg, The Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Reading (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985), p. 186.
[4] The previous occurs, in fact, in verse 12 when the angel of the Lord stays Abraham’s hand as he is about to slit Isaac’s throat. The latter may also come into play during the dreadful three-day journey, for in Hebrews 11: 19 we read, “Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.”
[5] The perpetual virginity of Mary was proposed officially at the first Lateran Council in A.D. 649, and it was defined as church doctrine in Constantinople at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in A.D. 681. As a Roman Catholic, I happily adhere to the teaching of the Church on this issue.
[6] As Robert Alter observes, “The verb for ‘sitting’ also means ‘to stay’ . . . but it is best to preserve the literal sense here because of the pointed sequence: sitting, lying, rising, and because in biblical usage ‘to sit’ is also an antonym of ‘to go out’” (The David Story, p. 250).
Tagged: david, bible, biblestudy, Bible Study, Old testament, bill creasy, scripture
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Why Cat changed its machine branding, "Aggregates Manager" Magazine Article Review
Fri, Nov 02, 2018 @ 11:00 AM / by Chuck Lohre
Cat’s new “Modern Hex” trade dress design will give machines a new look.
A growing product line and competitor imitation were two major factors in the recently unveiled redesign of the Caterpillar trade dress, the combination of logo and styling that the company uses to brand its machines and other products. This is according to Ed Stembridge, product identity manager at Cat and the leader of the design team behind the new product styling.
Stembridge discussed the new product styling and the process of its development during an interview with Equipment World, our sister magazine, in the days following its reveal.
By Wayne Grayson, November 2, 2018, Aggregates Manager Magazine
As a 17-year veteran of the company well-versed in both its history and the strides it has taken into the digital age, Stembridge is uniquely suited to lead something as critical as dreaming up a new look for the company’s heavy equipment and variety of other products. He also led the team behind the last trade dress redesign, developed between 2005 and 2006.
That trade dress design, called “Power Edge” inside Cat, placed the familiar “CAT” logo on a black background with a diagonal red bar. Stembridge says that “Power Edge” is a lasting design that has given Cat machines a “strong visual identity.” However, a lot has changed for Cat in the 12 years since that trade dress design rolled out.
“For one thing we’ve seen just a tremendous increase in the amount of technology that’s in a Cat product,” Stembridge says. “That’s driven some challenges to how we apply the brand to a product. In a lot of cases we have grilles and other features that may not have been there 10 years ago that make it harder to brand the machine and integrate that branding into the machine’s design.”
Another difference in the company driving the need for a change, Stembridge says, is the size of Cat’s product offering. He says the company likely has 30-40 percent more distinct products now than it did when “Power Edge” was released.
But there were also external factors in the redesign, Stembridge says. “We have seen a proliferation of competitors starting to use an imitation of the Power Edge design on their machines,” he says. “The more that happens, the more it weakens the association of that trade dress to our brand.”
Stembridge did not say what specific competitors were guilty of such “imitation,” but if you Google around you can find some pretty obvious examples of what he means.
These concerns culminated about 18 months ago in the first discussions inside Cat focusing on when a good time to roll out a new trade dress design might be. The development of that design began in January of this year, Stembridge says, and took about six months.
There were three main goals Stembridge and the “several dozen” Caterpillar employees that took part in development had for the new design. First, Cat wanted it to communicate “the level of technology and capability” found in its new products. Second, it needed to be more modular and adaptive to machines of all different designs and sizes, from mining shovels down to home and outdoor generator sets. Third, it needed to evoke the sense of a premium brand.
To kick off the design process, Stembridge and his team looked to the past for inspiration. “We wanted to steep ourselves in the history of the brand,” he says.
The team also reached out to each product group within Cat to learn what ways the “Power Edge” design could be improved upon.
“As we started coming up with concepts, I asked the team to explore a very wide range of ideas from graphic treatments and how we apply them. We went very wide with those concepts, and we would meet and have a critique and throw out the ones that didn’t work,” Stembridge explains.
More than 500 different conceptual designs were generated during the design process, Stembridge says. These were inspired by a central ideation board that featured images of premium brand products, Stembridge says. “Apple computers, Stihl chainsaws, Mercedes automobiles. We looked at how those products are visually represented,” he says. “We basically took the aspects of what we liked about certain brands and treatments they used, and we explored that heavily during our own development.”
Slowly, those hundreds of concepts were whittled down to a favorite seven designs among the team. Those seven were then reduced to a final three, from which the winning design was chosen.
The result is what Cat calls “Modern Hex,” and by the end of 2020, it will roll out across Cat’s wide range of products.
Whereas “Power Edge” was distinctive for its simple, high-contrast, flat design, “Modern Hex” is full of character and depth.
The resulting design still prominently features the iconic “CAT” logo, but places it above and diagonal to a 3D, red hexagon surrounding a grille pattern. The Cat logo itself has also received some updating. For this trade dress design, Cat has dressed the logo in drop shadows and a silvery shade that give it a three-dimensional, steel-like quality.
Stembridge says this treatment of the Cat trademark was based on the team’s goal for a more premium brand look and feel. He adds that, as Cat has showed the new design to people, the 3D effect of the graphics have led them to actually approach and feel the new decals, wondering whether they were physically embedded into the side of the machine.
The steel treatment has also been given to the machine model number, which now sits separate from the “CAT” logo, and even has its own smaller hexagon/grille. This separation is part of Modern Hex’s modularity, allowing more flexibility for where the model number is placed on the machine. “We always want the Cat logo to be the hero image on a machine,” Stembridge says. “But we also want the model number to be the sidekick, if you will.”
And though the new design is primarily focused on bringing the company’s products into the future, the company says it chose to make the hexagon red as a nod its past. The red is the same shade as the wavy “CATERPILLAR” logo found on the company’s first crawler tractors, which were painted gray when they were introduced in 1925.
Though the Cat logo remains the star element of the new design, this new red hexagon is a very close second. But how and why did the hexagon become such a prominent figure in Cat’s new trade dress?
Stembridge says the hexagon has been used in Cat designs since 2006, when the company began using the shape in its radiator grille design on heavy equipment. Over the last decade, the hexagon has slowly built up its influence within the company’s design language, spreading to use as a texture for floor mats and eventually finding its way into the company’s marketing materials.
Up until now though it’s always been used as a texture or a background element.
But the hexagon has become such a common design theme that when tasked to generate concepts for the new trade dress, Cat designers reached, perhaps instinctively, to the shape as a possible complementary element to the Cat logo.
Stembridge liked the idea of the hexagon taking on a more prominent role. “So we said, ‘Let’s own that shape,’” he recalls.
Of course, Stembridge is aware that the design won’t please everyone and says that there are probably a lot of folks out there scratching their heads over “Modern Hex.” However, he isn’t taking any negative first reactions to the design that came his way as a final verdict.
“A new design is always polarizing to folks. We went through that when we introduced ‘Power Edge,’” he says. “Once folks see it out there in the field working, we think that it’s really going to be well received.”
Do you have more serious problems than worrying about your construction equipment marketing? To get your feet back on the ground, read the following e-Book for advice on the basics of marketing from your MBA class. Or learn more from our Marketing Handbook page.
Topics: Industrial Marketing, Marketing Communications, Process Equipment Marketing, Metalworking Equipment Marketing, Construction Equipment Marketing, Mining Equipment Marketing
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A liquidation is the orderly winding up of a company’s affairs. The three types of liquidation are:
Court ordered
creditors’ voluntary
members’ voluntary (see below)
Court ordered liquidation starts as a result of a Court order, made after an application to the Court, usually by a creditor of the company. A Court may order a company to be wound up and appoint an Official Liquidator to act. Such orders may be made:
where the company is proved to be insolvent
if the directors have acted in their own interests, rather than in the interests of the shareholders of the company
where the Court is of the opinion that the interests of the public, shareholders or creditors are best served by that course of action, or
where the Court is of the opinion that it is just and equitable that the company be wound up.
Any one of the following can apply to the Court for the appointment of a Liquidator:
a creditor
a shareholder
a director, or
the Australian Securities and Investments Commission
The liquidator’s main role is to realise the company’s assets and distribute the proceeds of realisation among its creditors. Where the assets are more than sufficient to meet the claims of creditors, the surplus funds are distributed to the members in accordance with the company’s constitution.
The Liquidator has extensive powers to displace the directors and assumes full control of the company’s affairs. The Liquidator may continue the business of the company to enable the beneficial disposal or winding up of that business.
In addition to realising the company’s assets the Liquidator may:
institute proceedings against the directors for insolvent trading
have certain transactions entered into by the company prior to the appointment of the Liquidator declared void
publicly examine officers of the company
seek to recover from creditors amounts which were paid to them at a time when the company was insolvent within the relation back period prior to the commencement of the liquidation
A creditors’ voluntary liquidation is a liquidation initiated by the company. A creditors’ voluntary liquidation may occur either:
through the members (shareholders) of an insolvent company resolving to appoint a liquidator to the company, or
following a voluntary administration of a company
There are often benefits to those associated with a company in arranging for it to be placed in liquidation, including:
it is a way in which a director may avoid personal liability under a Director Penalty Notice issued by the ATO
it may limit or reduce the company’s directors’ liability for insolvent trading
it may limit or reduce the company’s directors’ liability for certain offences under the Corporations Act 2001
it results in an independent person being appointed to the company, who will conduct an orderly winding up of the company’s affairs
it avoids the company being placed in liquidation by the ATO or another creditor
Our team of experienced insolvency lawyers can assist you with all aspects of corporate insolvency.
To find out more about what we can offer, visit our areas of law pages or contact our insolvency solicitors for a consultation.
Insolvency Services
Receivers & Managers
ATO disputes
Insolvent Trading
Director Penalty Notice
Corporate Insolvency Litigation
Personal Insolvency Litigation
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