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PFC 50: energy merchants drop from the ranks, while non-US firms take top spots
Non-US companies continued to dominate the top spots in the second quarter ranking of the world's 50 largest energy firms, while natural gas-power merchant firms continued to fall from the ranks.
HOUSTON, July 24 -- Non-US companies continued to dominate the top spots in the second quarter ranking of the world's 50 largest energy firms, while natural gas-power merchant firms continued to fall from the ranks. These same merchant firms populated some of the loftiest places on the list early in 2001 (OGJ, Jan. 29, 2001, p. 28). In addition, mergers and acquisitions activity was strong during the second quarter, while other noteworthy activities included certain companies making securities offerings.
The most recent Energy 50 ranking—released earlier this month by Petroleum Finance Co. (PFC), Washington, DC—is a quarterly assessment based on the companies' market capitalization.
"In the US, scrutiny from credit rating agencies, government investigations of trading and accounting practices, and poor fundamentals continue to plague the merchant energy sector," PFC said, adding, "The downturn over the past year has erased about $115 billion of equity value from this PFC 50 sector."
Top performers, newcomers
Due to the downturn in the energy merchant sector, Tulsa-based Williams Cos. Inc. and Dynegy Inc. of Houston, fell from the rankings of the Energy 50 in the second quarter, PFC noted. Houston-based El Paso Corp., meanwhile, fell 30 spots to just above the cutoff point, reaching 47.
Russian companies OAO Gazprom, OAO Lukoil, and OAO Yukos all continued to scale the Energy 50 rankings, PFC noted. European and Japanese utilities—including Germany's E.On AG, Spain's Iberdrola SA, and Japan's Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. and Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc.—also performed strongly, with many of these firms posting returns higher than 10%, PFC said.
Newcomers to the Energy 50 listing were China's CNOOC Ltd. at position 46, and newly merged EnCana Corp., Calgary, entering the list at the No. 30 spot.
M&A activity
M&A activity during the second quarter was strong. Topping the list of notable transactions, ENI SPA and Germany's EnBW AG made a move in late June to acquire jointly a controlling interest in GSV Gasversorgung Süddeutschland GMBH, a major German natural gas transporting and marketing company (OGJ Online, July 9, 2002).
In April UK utilities National Grid Group PLC and Lattice Group PLC announced plans to merge, forming a new company called National Grid Transco. The deal is expected to close in the fall.
In the US, the US Securities and Exchange Commission has approved E.On's acquisition of the UK's Powergen PLC. The acquisition was subject to SEC approval because the deal includes Powergen subsidiary LG&E Energy Corp., Louisville, Ky. (OGJ Online, Nov. 6, 2001).
Also in the US, Conoco Inc.—in order to close fully its acquisition of Gulf Canada Resources Ltd.—made a tender offer for the remaining shares of Gulf Indonesia Resources Ltd. (OGJ Online, May 28, 2002).
Security offerings
Houston-based El Paso Corp. and Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) were among the firms making security offerings in the second quarter. El Paso sold 45 million shares of common stock—valued at $900 million—while issuing $500 million worth of convertible securities at the same time.
Petrobras's board approved an offering for the company to raise $1 billion of preferred stock and $500 million of convertible bonds whenever market conditions will permit, PFC noted.
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Carbon trading scheme advocated for Australia
Australia should introduce a carbon trading scheme as soon as possible, according to a draft report on climate change policy handed to the Australian government.
MELBOURNE, July 7 -- Australia should introduce a carbon trading scheme as soon as possible, according to a draft report on climate change policy handed to the Australian government.
The commissioned report, written by economist Ross Garnaut, signals the start of efforts by the new Labor government in Canberra to cut carbon emissions. It recommends a broad emissions trading scheme across industries.
Although the 600-page report stopped short of placing any hard prices on carbon omissions (and thus not quantifying the true economic impact), it did advocate that transport fuels should be included in such a scheme. It also declared that energy costs will rise and coal-powered electricity generation would not be given any compensation for having to pay a carbon tax.
However, Garnaut said it would be in Australia's best interest to learn as soon as possible whether there can be a low-emissions future for coal, and to support rapid deployment of commercially promising technologies. He suggested that $3 billion (Aus.)/year be spent on developing low emissions technology and that Australia should strive to become a market leader in this work.
Garnaut said he supports the phase out of mandatory emissions targets once a trading scheme is put in place.
The report is one of a number of inputs likely to shape the federal government's policy decisions in response to climate change.
Meanwhile the federal opposition said the government's stated 'ambition' of 2010 for the introduction of an emissions trading scheme was too early and could be economically dangerous. Australian jobs and industries needed protection in the process of developing a brand new system for the economy in dealing with climate change.
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Entergy Ninemile Point Steam Electric Station in Westwego, La., achieves U.S. Labor Department's OSHA recognition for safety and health
Region 6 News Release: OSHA-07-1784-DAL
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007
Contact: Diana Petterson or Elizabeth Todd
Phone: 214-767-4776, ext. 222 or 221
WESTWEGO, La. -- The Entergy Ninemile Point Steam Electric Station in Westwego has earned membership in the prestigious Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the "star," or highest, level. Bruce Stark, VPP coordinator in OSHA's Baton Rouge, La., area office, attended a recognition ceremony today at the company's facility on River Road.
"The Entergy Ninemile location has demonstrated excellence in effective safety and health management," said OSHA Regional Administrator Dean W. McDaniel in Dallas. "Its outstanding efforts include maintaining an injury and illness rate that is 85 percent below the national average for the industry."
The Entergy Ninemile Point Steam Electric Station, which began commercial production in 1951, is a gas and oil fired electrical facility. The company's 85 employees at the site operate and maintain the equipment needed to generate electricity.
More than 1,860 worksites nationwide have earned entry into OSHA's VPP. Requirements include a high degree of management support and employee involvement; a high-quality worksite hazard analysis; prevention and control programs; and comprehensive safety and health training for all employees. Each of these elements must be effective, in place and in operation for at least one year before a company can apply to join the VPP. Companies in the VPP achieve average injury rates 50 percent lower than other companies in their respective industries.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request. Call (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance.
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Poll: David Schweikert's Idea for a Dollar Coin Is Awesome, According to Just About No Republicans in His District
Matthew Hendley
Matthew Hendley | March 15, 2012 | 2:33pm
Remember the Sacagawea dollar? Remember how reverse-awesome that was? Susan B. Anthony, anyone? Eisenhower?!
Well, Arizona Republican Congressman David Schweikert's trying to bring back the dollar coin, and according to a recent poll, Schweikert's own constituents aren't fans of the idea -- by a pretty healthy margin.
The poll -- which we'll mention was conducted by a firm on behalf of a pro-dollar bill advocacy group called "Americans for George" -- says a full 79 percent of Schweikert's Republican constituents think the dollar coin is both "unnecessary" and "unwanted."
Schweikert's "COINS" Act, which he introduced in September, is meant to be a way to save the taxpayers money, as Schweikert's office claims the act would save the country $5.5 billion over 30 years.
The act would require Federal Reserve banks to stop issuing dollar bills four years after the legislation is enacted, or when the circulation of dollar coins reaches 600 million annually, whichever comes first.
Paper, as you can imagine, has to be replaced more frequently than coins, and Schweikert says a dollar coin lasts as long as 17 dollar bills.
Schweikert's Republican constituents -- at least, according to this poll -- don't really give a rip.
The poll results say 87 percent of Schweikert-committed voters oppose the COINS Act, and 81 percent of Republicans committed to Congressman Ben Quayle in the state's sixth Congressional district don't like it either.
Sixty-six percent said the dollar bill is "more American" than the coin.
As far as the poll's legitimacy is concerned, the advocacy group for the dollar coin doesn't have too many arguments.
According to the "Dollar Coin Alliance," they're "questioning" the polls -- which are being commissioned across the country by the pro-dollar bill group -- because the poll questions don't mention the projected savings under the coin plan.
Former Congressman Jim Kolbe is the "honorary chairman" of the Dollar Coin Alliance. You may remember Kolbe's one of the guys who pushed for the Sacagawea dollar, and also tried to get rid of pennies at one point.
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Shell's Australian FLNG timed for 2016 start-up
Royal Dutch Shell PLC does not expect to start production from its proposed floating LNG (FLNG) project in the Browse basin off Western Australia until at least 2016, according to the company’s draft environmental impact statement.
MELBOURNE, Oct. 14 -- Royal Dutch Shell PLC does not expect to start production from its proposed floating LNG (FLNG) project in the Browse basin off Western Australia until at least 2016, according to the company’s draft environmental impact statement.
Although the front-end engineering and design process (contracted to Technip SA of France and Samsung Heavy Industries of South Korea) has begun, Shell does not expect to make a final investment decision until early 2011.
The $5 billion, 600,000-tonne FLNG facility is expected to take 5 years to build.
Meanwhile, Shell intends to drill eight subsea production wells on its Prelude and Concerto gas discoveries in the Browse basin 475 km north-northeast of Broome. Development drilling is scheduled to begin in 2013 and take 2 years. The wells will be tied back to subsea manifolds before being connected to the FLNG vessel via flowlines and riser.
The vessel tow from the South Korea construction yard (Technip and Samsung also have the contract to build the FLNG), along with installation and hook up, will take about 6 months, with commissioning in the late 2015 before first production the following year.
Production is estimated to comprise 3.6 million tonnes/year of LNG, 1.3 million tpy of condensate, and 400,000 tpy of LPG.
Shell says the offshore project will have a low environmental footprint on its location away from migration paths for whales and turtles that seasonally pass up and down the Western Australian coast.
The FLNG project will come on stream after the company’s proposed onshore coal seam gas-LNG project at Gladstone, Queensland, in joint venture with Arrow Energy begins production in 2014.
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Vanderhoof group builds path to showcase pre-European north central B.C.
Residents and visitors of Vanderhoof can soon get a glimpse of local living before European contact through a leisurely stroll.
Dec. 4, 2016 9:00 a.m.
A Carrier fisherman with salmon basket.
On over 20 acres of land southwest of Nechako Valley Sporting Association’s grounds, some remnants of the Carrier fishing village of Noonla remain undisturbed by modern development to this day. The NVSA, having recently acquired the property, is looking to build a 3.5-kilometre self-guided trail that showcases archaeological features such as culturally modified trees, fish cache depressions, and pit dwelling remains, said NVSA director Paul Collard.
“I think it’ll be interesting because most people don’t have any idea how people [in the area] used to live,” Collard said. “That’s the only piece of land left not disturbed by industry use.”
To be accompanied by interpretive signage, the proposed trail will be built entirely with hand tools — without motorized excavation of any kind — to preserve the archaeological values, said NVSA director George LaBrash, who presented the project to Vanderhoof’s district council with Collard on Nov. 7. Chief and council of Saik’uz First Nation supported NVSA’s acquisition of the property, and the First Nation community would be involved and consulted throughout the project, he said.
Though only a preliminary archaeological impact assessment was conducted on the site, oral accounts from Saik’uz elders in the 1970s and 1980s provided snippets of what Noonla may have looked like, said LaBrash, an archaeologist and retired teacher who managed Saik’uz’s adult learning program and studied the once-thriving Chinlac village at the confluence of Stuart and Nechako Rivers.
Noonla, situated by a shallow portion of the Nechako River, was a river crossing location for the “grease trail” indigenous trading route that extended west to Bella Coola and north to Stuart Lake. Grease refers to the trading staple Eulachon, a small fish that was rendered into fat — drops of which often fell onto the trail.
Before the construction of Kenney Dam, the location was also a spawning area for Chinook salmon and an important fish harvesting site for local indigenous people.
“I believe in about 1903, ice blockage on the Nechako flooded out Noonla, leading to loss of lives,” LaBrash said. “Survivors decided to no longer have a permanent settlement there as a result.”
Abandoned as a permanent home, the site was then used occasionally for teaching young people how to put up fences to harvest some salmon. Now it’s not used by the local aboriginal people, as a general rule, he added.
“Our objective is to try to provide a window into the past, for not only local residents and also school children and visitors and anyone who would be interested to get an idea of the area’s prehistory,” LaBrash said.
With the possibility to be connected with the nearby Redmond wetland conservation and under-development trail system, the project can help expand local tourism and provide education opportunities for students, he added. A traditional pit dwelling would be added to the site for the project’s phase two.
“We hope that this will become a fairly well-used resource, particularly for Grade 4 to 6 students dealing with Pre-European contact in this area,” LaBrash said.
“This site, being so close with intact surface features, will give the little people a chance to see what life was like before Europeans.”
In the winter, the new trail can add to NVSA’s existing system as a dog-friendly cross-country skiing trail.
Totalling $35,000 for local labour costs in building the trail and accompanying amenities, the project’s budget depends on grant funding approval from the B.C. Rural Dividend program.
Vanderhoof raises over $61,000 for B.C. chidren medical care
Former home of accused Penticton shooter vandalized
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Opinion: Wiped from Facebook
Facebook has banned Alex Jones - again. The technology company's decision to remove several far-right and anti-Semitic figures from its platform this week may look like more of the same, but it is actually a signal of a marked shift in attitudes toward hate speech online.
Facebook and its peers first went after Jones and his Infowars last summer. Then, the conservative conspiracy theorist's exile prompted widespread worry over the imminent death of freedom of expression. Now, Facebook has issued a much firmer farewell to Jones and several other racist extremists, including Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, but most people's concerns seem to have been tempered. What changed?
Last month, a man walked into a synagogue in Poway, California, and started shooting - after posting about his planned attack on 8chan with a link to a Facebook live stream and a manifesto that included a nod to "meme magic." He was copying the playbook of the white supremacist who slaughtered 51 at New Zealand mosques and made his massacre go viral. The deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue was also Internet-inspired. And other threats and thwarted plots have had roots in the conspiracy machine that depends on each individual platform as a cog.
The link between what people say online and what people do offline has never been clearer, and neither has the need for companies to do something about it. Concerns about censorship still exist, and rightly: Governments are becoming more eager to get involved in policing Internet speech, and the most aggressive proposals look especially concerning against a backdrop of authoritarian regimes cutting off access to social media altogether. Firms such as Facebook could also overreach. But so far, they are still only getting a grip on the most dangerous actors.
"Dangerous" is exactly the word Facebook used in its latest enforcement action, which wipes the presence of the individuals and organizations it has designated from the platform entirely. The change is encouraging: Instead of focusing on narrow violations of its hate speech and harassment policies and then removing those posts or pages, the company is viewing its latest outcasts in the broader context of their role both on its site and in society. A rising chorus has called on countries and companies alike to recognize white supremacist terrorism as terrorism; Facebook's note that many of those it removed praised or appeared with hate figures is a welcome recognition of the networks that sustain the far right.
There's much enforcement work to do to ensure that Facebook will not have to ban Jones again - again. And fringe figures will always be able to find a platform, even if it is not Facebook. But if it isn't Facebook, they will certainly have a harder time hurting people. The company may finally be acknowledging what all those rules are supposed to be for.
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Naturalistic Traditions: Were the ancient Skeptics naturalistic?
February 27, 2014 by B. T. Newberg
Naturalistic Traditions: Were the ancient Skeptics naturalistic? February 27, 2014 B. T. Newberg
Thus far in this series, we’ve found the world’s first Naturalistic Pagans in the Greek Ionians, Atomists, and Epicureans, with potentially-naturalistic cousins in the Cynics and Stoics, and a generally conducive atmosphere among the Greek populace. Now we come to a tradition with strong naturalistic leanings: the ancient Skeptics. Examining this complex tradition reveals another potentially naturalistic tradition, and teaches us something important about the definition of naturalism.
This post is part of Naturalistic Traditions, a column exploring naturalism in Pagan ways. The present series explores the historical roots of naturalistic ways in order to gain an expanded sense of the historicity of the diverse styles of belief common in Paganism today.
Ancient Skepticism
“Skeptic” is a familiar word these days, and ancient Skeptics were both like and unlike those of today. Like modern skeptics, they were suspicious of dubious factual claims. However, unlike those today, they applied this doubt not only to the paranormal and supernatural, but to all claims whatsoever. Beliefs of all kinds were subjected to questioning.
In fact, the only thing that wasn’t doubted was the senses as they appear to a person at a given moment. It is perfectly evident that honey tastes sweet to you, they would say, but not that honey is necessarily sweet in and of itself. Any kind of statement about the essential nature of things was met with rigorous argumentation. The point of this debative stance was a tireless pursuit of truth, and – according to some – a life of tranquility, free of dogma.
How did this attitude work out as a philosophy of life? That depended on the particular school of Skepticism, of which there were two: the Academics and the Pyrrhonists. Each of these arose in response to particular social environments, so we’ll do well to explore them in their respective historical contexts.
Socrates and Pyrrho
The story goes that a man asked the Oracle at Delphi who the wisest person in the world was, and the reply was “Socrates.” When Socrates heard of this, he wondered how this could be true. Perhaps it meant that he, unlike most people in the world, at least knew he wasn’t wise. While this story may not be historically accurate, it dramatizes an essential aspect of Socrates’ method: questioning others’ assumptions while rarely and only hesitantly advancing claims of his own. After all, Socrates’ inquiries into truth usually ended without any final conclusion.
This aspect was made central by one of his students, Pyrrho of Elis (c. 365 – 275 BCE). This philosopher, who had accompanied Alexander the Great on his campaigns to India and may have learned from Indian thinkers, questioned all claims to truth. Finding no convincing arguments to either support or deny such claims, he ended up suspending judgment altogether. In wake of this suspension, called epoche, he discovered tranquility of the mind. This was ataraxia, or freedom from disturbance.
Many philosophers of the day were seeking just such a state of mind. They proposed to obtain it via true knowledge of what was and was not good for a person. What was radical about Pyrrho’s solution was that he found the goal not in some unimpeachable truth, but rather in the realization that all knowledge appears to be faulty. It was not the product of reason, but rather the recognition of its limits, that yielded tranquility. Giving up the search for infallible truth, he stumbled upon the very thing other philosophers were looking for: an ideal state of mind.
Pyrrho was, in fact, renowned in his own day for his tranquility. On a sea voyage tossed by storms, while other men prayed to the gods, he pointed to a pig happily eating and said we need not fret any more than the pig (Thorsrud, 2009). Another story qualifies this: after being criticized for showing terror in response to an onrushing dog, Pyrrho replied that it is difficult to entirely strip off one’s humanity (Thorsrud, 2009). In other words, normal human impulses remain part of our makeup; it is reasoned beliefs about whether things are genuinely good or bad that must be rejected. One could exaggerate this position to extremes, as in the almost-certainly spurious account that Pyrrho held his senses in such disregard that his friends had to keep him from wandering into the path of wagons, dogs, and precipices. This story is not at all in the spirit of later Skepticism, and is contradicted by the report of Pyrrho’s own student Timon, who says his master “did not depart from normal, habitual, customary practice” (Thorsrud, 2009). In short, Pyrrho’s tranquility appears to have been the product of suspending judgment about whether things are good or bad, and then getting on with life as any other person would.
The philosophy of Pyrrho was recorded by Timon, but otherwise under-appreciated until much later. In the meantime, another kind of Skepticism was developing within the Academy of Plato.
Plato and the Academics
Plato is not generally considered a Skeptic, but it is notoriously difficult to pin down exactly what his beliefs were. He wrote in dialogues, putting ideas into various characters such as Socrates and his interlocutors, and it is not clear which voice, if any, is meant to stand for Plato. This aspect was recognized by the third successor to Plato’s Academy, Arcesilaus (316 – 241 BCE). Feeling that previous successors had misunderstood Plato as a doctrinaire, Arcesilaus attempted a revival by returning to indeterminism. Instead of asserting Platonic forms and other such dogmas, he focused on questioning unfounded assumptions.
Soon, other schools of philosophy, especially Stoicism, came under attack from the Academy. These schools affirmed that human flourishing rested in the attainment of certain infallible truths. The Stoics called these kataleptic impressions, or propositions so compelling they must be true. For all lesser notions, the Stoic sage was supposed to withhold assent. Using this same logic, the Academicians questioned the so-called infallible truths of other schools and found none able to stand up to the schools’ own logical standards.
There was a difference between the Skepticism of the Academy and that of Pyrrho, though. Pyrrho had placed arguments for and against a claim in opposition and found them equally compelling. The Academics, in contrast, found no claims infallible but still found some better than others. In particular, some could be guides for action. This appears to have begun with Arcesilaus, from whom we have a lone reference to guiding actions by “the reasonable” (to eulogon) (reference via Sextus Empiricus; Thorsrud, 2009). It was then extended by the fourth head of the Academy, the master debater Carneades (214 – 128 BCE), who put forward a criterion of probability. Carneades thought actions could be guided by what appeared most probable based on its consistency with other appearances, in the same way that assemblies question multiple witnesses to corroborate a story (Thorsrud, 2009). The final step was taken by Cicero (106 – 43 BCE), who employed the notion not only to guiding actions but also to making progress towards truth (Thorsrud, 2009). According to this innovative Academic view, absolute truth was likely unattainable, but a kind of provisional truth could bring us closer to it. Probable ideas could be taken as true until overturned by new evidence implying a still more probable conclusion. This fallibilism, as the position is called today, is essentially the epistemological basis of modern scientific method.
After Carneades, the Academy began to flounder and was already in decay by the time of Cicero, who felt compelled to defend against claims that he was championing a lost cause. Apparently unbeknownst to him, however, a different Skeptical movement was alive and growing.
The Pyrrhonist Revival
Not everyone was happy with the Academic compromise of provisional truth; some felt even this was too dogmatic. One such person was Aenesidemus (1st cen. CE), who chastized the Academy and urged a return to Pyrrho. Skeptics in this new line were called Pyrrhonists after their adopted role model. Their method was to pose arguments one against another until they found them equally compelling. This led to epoche or suspension of judgment, which in turn gave way to speechlessness and then tranquility.
We know a fair amount about this school thanks to a book by Sextus Empiricus (late 2nd cen. CE) called Outlines of Pyrrhonism. Despite this resource, it remains a difficult philosophy. The Academic could base actions on the most probable beliefs, but the Pyrrhonists explicitly rejected this as dogmatic. So, how did the Pyrrhonists get on with life without beliefs?
Thorsrud (2009) explores in detail the various possible responses to this thorny problem. To simplify considerably, the Pyrrhonist can be led by perceptions without beliefs in the same way that a bee can be led to a flower without any rational cognition on its part. This is not to suggest the Pyrrhonist aspires to thoughtlessness, only that it is possible to act without assenting to any beliefs, provisional or otherwise.
As a matter of fact, the Pyrrhonist led a fairly ordinary life of action, as made clear by Sextus Empiricus’ fourfold observances:
So, adhering to experience, we live undogmatically in the conduct of life, since we cannot be totally ineffectual. It seems that this conduct of life has four aspects: (1) guidance by nature; (2) submission to our feelings; (3) traditional laws and customs; and (4) skills training. (Sextus Empiricus, Outlines of Pyrrhonism)
Here, “guidance by nature” means reliance on sense experiences and thoughts, and “submission to feelings” means heeding things like hunger and thirst. “Traditional laws and customs” means more or less accepting the ways of one’s society – which may sound strange given the Pyrrhonists’ radical doubt of all beliefs, but keep in mind they say ideas can neither be proved nor disproved. Finally, “skills training” refers to practical, concrete learning in useful trades. In other words, Pyrrhonists forget about Truth with a capital “T”, guide their actions in these four ways, and then simply get on with the business of living.
After Sextus Empiricus, Skepticism died out. The recovery of his book in the Renaissance by such thinkers as Pico de Mirandola and Savanarola led to a revival, however. Gassendi, a leading figure in early modern science, explicitly wrestled with Pyrrhonism as he worked out a basis for scientific discovery. What eventually resulted was a kind of fallibilism not unlike that of the Academics. The spirit of Skepticism would continue to inspire later thinkers, including Montaigne, Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Husserl. Thus, ancient Greek Skepticism played a crucial role in the development of modern science.
Were Skeptics naturalistic?
If ancient Skepticism was so influential in the development of modern science, it stands to reason that it might be a good place to look for the philosophy that underpins it: naturalism. Perhaps unsurprisingly, though, its relation to naturalism is complicated, and depends on the school in question.
The Pyrrhonists were decidedly not naturalistic. Why? Like today’s atheists and agnostics, they did not hesitate to point out the dubiousness of theological dogma, so wouldn’t that make them naturalistic? In fact, the answer is no. Pyrrhonists questioned all beliefs, including naturalistic ones. Strictly speaking, they were no more naturalists than theists. They would have rejected both positions as overly dogmatic.
Naturalists today may not consider their philosophy dogmatic, but ancient Pyrrhonists would have disagreed. Surely they would have looked askance at the elaborate scientific theories accepted by naturalists, such as general relativity or quantum mechanics, which often go beyond what is immediately apparent to the senses. It is commonplace, for example, for scientists to operate on the basis of theoretical constructs long before they are demonstrated by observation. Atoms, for example, have been a staple of science since Gassendi, but were not directly observed till recent years via quantum microscopy. For this the Pyrrhonist would have no patience. Though the naturalist may object that such theories are only taken as provisionally true, contingent on evidence, it is hard to imagine a Pyrrhonist brooking such objections. It was precisely this notion of provisional truth which they found unacceptably dogmatic in the Academics.
Speaking of which, the Academic Skeptics might have been a bit more friendly to science, since its fallibilism bears a clear resemblance to their own. They would have appreciated the objection of the naturalist above. Still, one must wonder if Carneades would have accepted the core tenets of naturalism. Likely he would have asked for clarification, and this is where things would have gotten complicated, because few naturalists today give coherent and consistent explanations of their philosophy.
At this point, I must beg the readers’ forgiveness for getting on my soapbox, since the current issue is pertinent to a theme running throughout this series: the definition of naturalism.
What Skepticism teaches us about naturalism
Some say naturalism is defined by rational inquiry based on evidence and logic, but Carneades would point out that apologists such as William Lane Craig employ rational arguments based on evidence and logic while remaining firmly theistic. Others say naturalism is defined in relation to science, but some of its greatest minds, such as Isaac Newton, were theists, and there remains a small but significant minority of theistic scientists today. Still others say naturalism believes in whatever is real, so that if magic were proved true it would become natural, but this would appear as moving the goalposts to Carneades – it makes naturalism irrefutable by any means, which is surely a red flag. Finally, there are those who hold that naturalism is the claim that only those objects which are in principle open to scientific investigation exist, yet this would give Carneades a hearty laugh: Can you prove nothing else exists, he would ask, or is that just your personal dogma?
Such definitions of naturalism are easily revealed as inadequate. To meet the Skeptic’s challenge, what is needed is a definition neither pegged to rationality, science, or “reality” (though it will surely uphold all three), nor immune to falsification, but which affirms a provisional hypothesis open to disconfirmation by new evidence.
The definition of naturalism employed in this series attempts to meet this challenge. It follows Littré’s 1875 French dictionary in upholding naturalism as “the system of those who find all primary causes in nature” (Furst and Skrine, 1971), while understanding “nature” as characterized by impersonal physical laws (see part 1 for a more detailed explanation). This definition does not rely on idiosyncratic, anachronistic, and potentially-ethnocentric notions of rationality or reality. It is closely related to modern science, but does not depend on it, and in fact may be disproven by science: if there ever came a time when new evidence revealed an entity which was ultimately personal, without physical substrate, or immune to known laws of nature, that would disconfirm naturalism. Until such a time, naturalism appears to be the current best explanation for the universe as we know it, making it consistent with the Academic affirmation of provisional truth.*
If I have not mis-characterized Academic Skepticism or naturalism, then it appears the two could agree to live comfortably under the same roof. Carneades may have approved of such an epistemologically-grounded, fallible naturalism.
Is Academic Skepticism therefore naturalistic? No ancient Academic ever hypothesized that nature might be the sole source of causes, nor that nature was characterized by impersonal physical laws. All of them were resolved to follow the evidence, however, and naturalism appears to be the best current explanation of the evidence. There is thus a natural sympathy between the two.
Still, I would not necessarily call Academic Skeptics naturalists, for the following reason: naturalism is a specific worldview, and Academics did not hold that worldview. Rather, they held the epistemology which underlies it, and could very well argue against it. For instance, if new evidence came to light that disconfirmed naturalism, as entertained above, naturalism would be struck down but Skepticism would remain. For this reason, Academic Skepticism as a system must be characterized as non-naturalistic.
Truth be told, in its post-Classical career, Skepticism has been more often employed in favor of the supernatural than the natural. In the hands of theologians of various religions, including Augustine (Christian), Moses Maimonides (Jewish), and al-Ghazzali (Muslim), Skeptical arguments were deployed to undermine reason, making room for knowledge by revelation alone (Kuzminski, 2008). This position, called fideism, is an imperfect application of the Skeptic’s toolkit, since an Academic would surely have doubted revelation as well, but it nevertheless demonstrates how flexible its applications are. Skepticism need not yield naturalism as a matter of necessity.
Despite this, it is entirely possible that individual Academics could have been fully naturalistic. There was nothing to stop them from holding to naturalism provisionally. Moreover, Skepticism strongly conduces to naturalism given exposure to the right evidence. For example, one might imagine that an Academic magically made aware of such modern data as fossil records and DNA markers would provisionally accept the theory of evolution over creationism. Similarly, some Academics exposed to ancient naturalists such as Democritus or Epicurus might have taken their evidence-based arguments as provisionally true, if not infallibly so. Admittedly, there are no known records of such provisionally-naturalistic Academics. Nevertheless, the arsenal was levied against infallibility, not reasonability, so individual Academic naturalists could have emerged.
For example, Cicero, in a letter to a friend, seems to accept the Epicurean argument against life after death based on the notion that death is an absence of sensation and thus no ill.
Naturalistic Pagans?
One final question remains. Now that we’ve discovered a strong potentiality for naturalism among one school of Skeptics, namely the Academics, it remains to be investigated whether they also incorporated Pagan religious practices, i.e. whether they were Naturalistic Pagans.
On this point, the Pyrrhonists are clear. Sextus Empiricus states explicitly that the Pyrrhonist will continue to carry out traditional sacrifices, even though withholding ultimate belief in the deities to which they are offered. This is guided by the fourfold observances, as quoted above. As we’ve seen, however, the Pyrrhonists were not naturalistic, so we need proceed no further.
As for the Academics, the picture is again complicated. They may well have engaged in Pagan religious practices while provisionally holding a naturalistic view. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of any of them doing so.
Carneades provides arguments against the immortality, benevolence, and transcendence of deities, but these are logical exercises and should not be taken as indicative of his true views on religion. Nor is it made clear whether he or other Academics shared the Pyrrhonist predilection of following traditional customs (see above). Hence, it is hard to speak of his religious practices.
Cicero, on the other hand, is a bit more forthcoming. He was an official augur (a kind of diviner), which was an extremely powerful position in the Roman republic. Though he writes in favor of it, he appears not to have placed any faith in its veracity. His On Divination sets out the arguments in favor of it and then crushes them. Why, then, did Cicero approve of divination? The explanation is that he saw it as useful as a political tool for controlling the masses by means of religion (Clayton). This view may sound cynical and elitist, and perhaps it is, but it was common among ancient philosophers (compare Plato’s famous “noble falsehood”). Moreover, this is a clear instance of finding traditional religious practices beneficial while maintaining a non-traditional view. If Cicero was a naturalist, he would have been a Naturalistic Pagan.
It is not clear that Cicero was a naturalist, though. Hooper (1917) analyzes his letters to friends, which are taken to be more accurate depictions of his real views, and demonstrate numerous instances in which Cicero appears to sincerely invoke the gods, such as his words to Brutus: “If some god had not given that mind to Octavianus Caesar, we should have been lost” (Hooper, 1917). This seems to reveal Cicero as a closet theist, at least on Hooper’s interpretation. Elsewhere, Cicero chooses to provisionally adopt Stoic views on politics and ethics on the grounds that they are useful (Clayton), but nowhere does he so adopt the more clearly naturalistic views of the Epicureans (in fact, he held Epicureanism in disdain for most of his career). For these reasons, Cicero does not appear to have been a naturalist, hence not a Naturalistic Pagan.
In summary, there is no evidence of any Academic Skeptic provisionally adopting naturalism as a worldview, much less combining it with traditional religious practices. Nevertheless, there was nothing to stop an Academic from doing so, and individuals unknown to the historical record may well have done just this. Academic Skepticism thus represents another case of potentially Naturalistic Paganism.
*Of course, there may be holes in this definition I haven’t yet noticed, and if so I hope some modern-day Carneades will point them out!
Clayton, E. “Cicero (106—43 B.C.E.).” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from: http://www.iep.utm.edu/cicero/#SH7m
Hooper, W. D. (1917). “Cicero’s Religious Beliefs.” The Classical Journal, 13(2).
Furst, L. and Skrine, P. (1971). Naturalism. London: Methuen.
Kuzminski, A. (2008). Pyrrhonism: How the Ancient Greeks Reinvented Buddhism. Plymouth, UK: Lexington Books.
Long, A. A. and Sedley, D. N. (1987). The Hellenistic Philosophers, Vol. 1. New York: Cambridge University Press.
McEvilley, T. (2002). The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies. New York: Allworth Press.
Parker, R. (2011). On Greek Religion. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Sextus Empiricus. (2000). Outlines of Scepticism. Annas, J. and Barnes, J., ed. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Previous posts in this series
Exploring the historical roots of Naturalistic Paganism
Modern cosmology
Evolution and the way to live
Were early hunter-gatherers naturalistic?
Were early agriculturalists naturalistic?
Were archaic Egypt and Mesopotamia naturalistic?
Was archaic Greece naturalistic?
Were the Ionian philosophers naturalistic?
Were the Classical Greeks naturalistic?
Were Epicurus and the atomists naturalistic?
Were the Cynics and Stoics naturalistic?
Naturalistic Traditions is published monthly. Subscribe via RSS or e-mail!
Naturalistic Traditions
naturalistic paganism
The Dance of Pagan Recovery: Doing It on the Daily
February 28, 2014 Syncretic Electric: Why I Am a Polytheist
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JUST A MINUTE: Refereeing sibling rivalries
Thomas Mickey
I had just picked up the kids from their after-school program. We were heading for the parking lot when Timmy piped up, a big smile on his kindergarten-round face.
“Guess what, Mom,” he said.
“What?” I asked absentmindedly.
“I got a leadership award at school today,” he beamed, pink cheeks nearly squeezing his eyes shut in a giant grin of pride and excitement.
“Wow,” I said. “What was it for?”
“For being a hard worker,” he said. “I’m a hard-workin’ guy,”
Before I could agree, his 6-year-old brother said, “You’re not the only one who’s a hard worker, you know.”
“Bri-yan!” shouted the hard worker. “That’s not nice!”
“Come on, Brian,” I said. “We know you work hard, too.”
“It’s a stupid award,” said Brian.
“Now, Brian,” I started, but was interrupted by a member of the school staff.
“Timmy was great in the awards assembly today,” she said. “He was giving everyone the thumbs-up when they were clapping.”
I had no trouble believing this. Not a wallflower, that one.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling in Timmy’s direction and putting my arm around Brian, simultaneously trying to acknowledge the little brother’s achievement while ministering to the big brother’s bruised ego.
The simmering sibling discontent continued on the way out to the car, with Timmy chattering about the awards assembly and Brian muttering rebuttals under his breath. The ride home was a stunning display of one-upmanship, culminating in a physical expression of sour grapes.
“Owwww!” Timmy yelled as I turned off the ignition in the driveway. “Brian punched me.”
“Brian!” I said, exasperated.
“I only hit his backpack,” Brian protested.
This was enough for me. I summoned my inner Carol Brady and met Brian by the side of the van.
“Brian,” I said in my best soft-yet-firm voice. “I know you’re disappointed about the leadership awards.”
“And I also understand you’re jealous that Timmy got one.”
Even in the dim illumination of the outside light, I could see his lip start to quiver.
“It’s OK to feel badly about it,” I said. “Lots of people feel jealous, or feel like they should have gotten one. That’s OK. But it’s not OK to be unkind to your brother because his teachers thought he should get the award.”
My tough guy pursed his lips and blinked a couple of times.
“Besides, I know you’re a hard worker,” I continued. “You keep doing the right thing in school and soon other people will notice, too.”
“All right,” Brian said, resignedly, and then proceeded to elbow his brother out of the way at the kitchen door.
Apparently this episode is to be continued. ...
Julie Fay is a winner of the 2010 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition. Read more at www.juliefaysblog.blogspot.com.
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Home > News & Media > News Releases > PCL Once Again Named a Best Employer in Canada
PCL Once Again Named a Best Employer in Canada
11/9/2015 Edmonton – North American Headquarters
Edmonton, AB (November 9, 2015) – For the sixteenth year in a row, PCL Construction has been named as one of the 50 best employers in Canada. This award is based on an Aon Hewitt employee engagement survey that all Canadian PCL employees receive.
“Being named a Best Employer in Canada for the sixteenth year in a row is an outstanding achievement,” said Mike Olsson, PCL vice president of human resources and professional development.
“Once again it is very satisfying to know our employees appreciate PCL’s engagement efforts and continue to show their belief that PCL is indeed a great place to work.”
The primary measure used for selecting the 50 Best Employers in Canada is each organization’s employee engagement score, which evaluates the emotional and intellectual commitment that employees demonstrate toward their organization.
The official list was released on November 5 in Canadian Business magazine. Employees from more than 280 Canadian employers participated in the Best Employers study. There are no specific rankings amongst the 50 employers that have been named to the list.
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in 31 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of $8 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.
Shane Jones
srjones@pcl.com
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POLITICO NOW Blog
Harman: 'You need to fight for what you want'
By PATRICK GAVIN
Rep. Jackie Speier and former Rep. Jane Harman shared their career advice with POLITICO’s Women Rule Summit on Wednesday.
“You can’t buy it. Your mother can’t give it to you. your kids — and I have four of them — can certainly inspire you (and grandkids are much better than kids by the way). But you gotta go out there and you’ve got to have the passion and the drive to go.” Harman added later: “Everybody in this room needs to be fierce. Do we understand this? You need to fight for what you want”
“The first thing I would say is throw out the plan because it’s not going to go the way you expect it to go,” said Speier, who said her political losses turned into positives.
“Every time I lost, I found out that I had really won because it set me up to do something even more extraordinary than I thought I was going to be able to do. … Do not confine yourself into thinking that you have to find out what the perfect job is for you because there are going to be many perfect jobs and that imperfect job, that job that you hate is going to teach you so much about what you really want.”
Harman agreed, saying that “failure is your friend.”
“Being in the wrong job can teach you what you don’t like,” said Harman. “If you don’t like what you’re doing, check out other things.”
Both Harman and Speier shared stories of personal loss and how they persevered. Harman lost her husband suddenly in 2011.
“It was just brutal, but I kept going,” Harman said.
Speier lost her husband in a car crash in 1994.
“I frankly wanted to die,” said Speier. “I remember my dad, who was this big, Germanic guy, coming to me one day and I said, ‘Dad, I just don’t know if I can go on with this. I miss Steve so much.’ And he looked at me and he said, ‘Jackie, it’s been three months, get over it.’ Tough words. But, in part that’s what we have to do. Whatever it is that comes our way that is painful and traumatic, we’ve got to get the wherewithal internally and surround ourselves with family and friends to get through those dark times.”
Correction: An earlier version of this post misidentified the year Speier's husband died.
Patrick Gavin is the director of "Nerd Prom: Inside Washington's Wildest Week" and a former Politico reporter.
Jackie Speier
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Choosing your homebuilder is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in building the future you envision. Your home is the center of your life – a shelter, a haven and a place that shapes every day. Ponderosa Homes has been building new homes since 1968, and we love doing it because we know how important it is to do it in a way that gives you a solid foundation for your future.
Our reputation for building superior residences of lasting value has stood the test of time and weathered many economic climates. Honesty, integrity and support of organizations that make California stronger are cornerstones of our company. Earning the trust of homebuyers and communities throughout the state is the most important achievement we claim.
Our team is dedicated to building that trust through meeting rigorous standards for excellence, from timeless architecture to construction. Our consistent quality and constant inspections assure you that your home will enrich your life. We choose outstanding locations, integrate innovation and green technologies and provide excellent customer care so that your decision to make us your homebuilder is a good one, today and tomorrow.
Doing the right thing is at the heart of our company values. That means that the quality of our homes must exceed expectation. Design functionality, top-notch materials, true craftsmanship, and reliable mechanical systems go into every Ponderosa Home so that you can have peace of mind and rely on enduring value in your home.
In addition to the quality of our homes, the quality and character of our team members is second to none. We can truthfully attest to the fact that Ponderosa Homes’ professionals are dedicated to achieving the highest level of customer satisfaction. From sales representatives and design specialists to project managers and customer service technicians, our team members treat customers as they themselves would want to be treated – with respect and recognition that you deserve the very best.
Kile Morgan, Jr. — Chairman
Kile Morgan, Jr., was born and raised in National City, San Diego County, California. He attended the University of Colorado and received degrees in civil engineering and business administration. While working full time for Pacific Gas and Electric, he attended the University of Santa Clara and received a master’s of Business Administration. Mr. Morgan has worked in the residential real estate industry for more than 30 years. Prior to joining Ponderosa Homes, he was the marketing manager at Broadmoor Homes Northern California Division. He came to Ponderosa in 1980 as General Manager for the San Ramon Division and in 1983 was named Regional general manager for all of Northern California. In 1985 Mr. Morgan successfully led a leveraged buyout of the assets of Ponderosa Homes in Northern California. From 1985 to 1998 he served as president and chief executive officer of Ponderosa Homes, Inc., during which time the company built, sold and closed more than 3,500 homes throughout the Bay Area.
Mr. Morgan is currently chairman of the board and the majority shareholder of Ponderosa Homes II, Inc. Under his tutelage, the company continues to be a leader in the homebuilding industry in Northern California and has recently opened a branch office in Palm Desert, California.
Beyond his leadership at Ponderosa Homes, Mr. Morgan is a past chairman of the Home Builders Association of Northern California, has served on the Board of Directors for the California Building Industry Association and is a founding member of the Home Ownership Advancement Foundation, which directs statewide legislative change related to the home building industry.
Mr. Morgan was inducted into the Home Builders Hall of Fame in 1998 for his service to the industry and the outstanding performance of the organization he has led. He is a licensed real estate broker and has a general contractor’s license in the State of California.
Mike Stedman — President
Pauline Manansala — Chief Financial Officer
Linda Morasch — Treasurer
Linda Morasch began her homebuilding career in 1971 working for a private homebuilder located in the San Jose area. While continuing to work in the industry, she attended San Jose State University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in business, emphasis accounting.
Linda has worked at Ponderosa Homes for more than 30 years, starting out as a cost accountant in 1978 and achieving the position of vice president, finance and administration in 1985. Linda served as the president of the Home Builders Association’s Eastern Division and is actively involved with the College of Business at San Jose State University. She has been with us since 1978.
Jeff Schroeder — Senior Vice President, Land Acquisition & Planning
As senior vice president of land acquisition and planning, Jeff Schroeder has overseen all of Ponderosa’s land acquisition, entitlement and development activities since 1999. Schroeder started his homebuilding career at Dividend Homes and has held land acquisition and planning positions at A-M Homes, Greystone Homes and Ryland Homes. He is a licensed real estate broker and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and urban affairs from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from UC Berkeley.
When Jeff is not working on finding and planning land for new Ponderosa Homes communities, he and his wife, Annie, like to travel and visit their three grown children. Jeff stays fit as an active mountain and road bicyclist. He remains involved with his peers as the past chairman of the Building Industry Association of the Bay Area. He also serves as the chairman of the California Building Industry Association PAC and serves on its executive committee and board of directors.
Cindy Douglas — Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Cindy Douglas has directed sales and marketing for Ponderosa Homes since 1994. She previously held positions as worldwide sales manager for Hyatt Hotel Corporation and vice president of sales and marketing for P.A.C. Development. Ms. Douglas is a graduate of the University of Southern California (business administration) and U.S. International University in London, England (master’s).
Cindy is a licensed California real estate broker and is a member of the Institute of Residential Marketing (M.I.R.M.). She was named Sales Manager of the Year at the 1995 MAME Awards. Community service includes Guide Dogs for the Blind-Legacy Society, World Affairs Council, Commonwealth Club of California, the American Cancer Society and the March of Dimes as well as the Women’s Council and Sales & Marketing Council of the Home Builders Association of Northern California.
R.J. Wilson — Vice President, Operations
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How to Save and Purify the World's Water Supply: Experts Weigh In
Clean water is one thing that most Americans take for granted. But with aging infrastructure, climate change and an accelerating world population, keeping clean water running from our taps is a growing challenge, both physically and politically. While pumping and purification systems try to keep up, neighboring farms, cities, states and even countries are on the verge of even more contentious battles over water rights. Four water experts came to the Hearst Tower in New York City yesterday, for a panel moderated by PM science editor Jennifer Bogo, to discuss how the country can deal with the water crisis, why global warming will exacerbate the problem and what will happen if we do nothing.
By Andrew Moseman
1. Disease and Climate Change
Antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria and emerging pathogens like E. coli--these are the biggest threats to a clean water supply, according to Joan B. Rose, the director of the Center for Water Sciences at Michigan State University. Rose, a microbiologist, said our aging water purification systems have a tough time keeping up with not only the increasing number of water-borne threats, but also with the increasing number of vulnerable citizens. "Our society is changing," she said. At any given time, 20 percent of people in the United States now fall into at-risk demographics, such as infants, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
One looming enemy of clean water might be climate change, Rose said. We can't predict all the effects of global warming, but most climate scientists foresee fewer (but more severe) storms in a warmer world. When a lot of precipitation falls at once, Rose said, it can overload drainage and sewage systems and expose many people to unsafe water; if a strong wind comes up to spread toxins or microbes around, that can make things even worse. Estimates for the Great Lakes predict that 15 to 20 percent more untreated sewage will spill because of global warming, and that's bad news for human health--her study of community outbreaks that came from either groundwater or surface water over 50 years found that 51 percent were connected to storms with heavy precipitation.
2. Infrastructure
Federal and state governments spent a lot of money establishing the country's basic water purification and sewage systems in the 1970s and 80s, said Larry Levine, an attorney who works with the New York/New Jersey Harbor Bight project of the National Resources Defense Council. But once that work was done, he said, the money dried up, and the last decade has seen a decline in the amount of money spent on water infrastructure. In New York City, where Levine does most of his work, the sewer systems were designed to combine house wastewater from the shower or sink with storm wastewater loaded with runoff. With the city's vast increase in population, he said, the system is badly overloaded, and 27 billion gallons of untreated water spills out of the city's 450 outfalls every year, containing 10 to 15 percent raw sewage.
Infrastructure needs an overhaul across the country, according to Mark A. Shannon, the director of the Center for Advanced Materials for the Purification of Water with Systems--a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center. But one of his largest concerns, at least in the U.S., is that people don't realize a water crisis is coming. "Long before we see rising seas," Shannon said, "fresh water supply is the issue." When people turn on lights, he said, they just don't think about the water that helps to create that electricity, and when they pump gas with ethanol they don't think about the water than went into growing and processing those biofuels. "We just don't value our water," he said.
3. Energy and Water
Last year, PM published its "Know Your Footprint" series to help show how much water (and energy and waste) an ordinary person uses. In a country like the U.S., clean water flows freely and we don't necessarily have to think about how much we use, Shannon said. But the biggest awareness problem, he said, is that we don't realize how much water goes into making electricity. William Horak, who leads Brookhaven National Laboratory's energy-water research program, said for every gallon of drinking water a household uses, three gallons of water is used to generate electricity. Forty percent of the country's water withdrawals go to producing electricity, Horak said--equaling water withdrawals for agriculture.
Cleaning and purifying water is a major energy expense, too, Shannon said. We know how to clean up water, but not all places in the world can afford and maintain a huge treatment plant. Plus, our system often uses an incredible amount of energy to destroy impurities in our water. Shannon is working on a membrane bioreactor, a nano-filtration system that could be energy neutral, withdrawing excess nutrients without putting them into the environment where they could create additional problems. "This is still a dream," he said, but an MIT scientist created the membrane, and he hopes it can scale up in the next few years.
* 2008 BREAKTHROUGH AWARDS: Greg Allgood's PUR Water Purifier
* KNOW YOUR FOOTPRINT: PM's Series on Water, Waste and Energy
* PLUS: 5 Ways to Deal with the Southwest's Disappearing Water
* DIY GUY: 15 Smart Tips to Cut Your Water Bill
* DRIVE GREEN: Could Plug-In Cars Drain the U.S. Water Supply?
4. New Technology and Solutions
As the water situation becomes more dire, solutions are becoming increasingly interesting. One-sixth of the U.S. economy depends upon water from Lake Mead, which is drying out, Shannon said. One solution on the table is to divert water from the Missouri River to the other side of the Continental Divide so that it will run into Lake Mead. That's a little impractical, he said--the project would require one-tenth of all the oil imported into the U.S. in a year, by his calculations. He prefers the Swiss example of re-use. Right now, Shannon said, Switzerland is a water-rich energy exporter, but the country expects global warming to melt its glaciers by sometime between 2030 and 2040, making its energy production intermittent. So, he said, the Swiss are the first country to get serious about low water-usage technology, and cleaning and re-using as much waste water as they possibly can. That should be the model for the U.S., Shannon said, and Horak said it probably will be, especially when it comes to siting businesses--"in the future, it's not going to be who has the lowest property taxes, it's who can provide you the lowest-cost water, the lowest-cost energy, the lowest-cost services."
Shannon said that even desalinization of salt water, which many have written off as too energy-intensive to be practical, might become a viable option. Cities like Los Angeles have always shipped water from far inland, and Shannon said that the energy used for desalination compares favorably to that for moving water over long distances. "It's absolutely going to make huge inroads," he predicted.
Individuals have the power to make small changes, too, but it's hard to factor everything in, Shannon said. "I am a terrible offender," he said, referring to his frequent air travel and daily cups of coffee, both of which are water-intensive. Using front loading-washers, and switching to more porous paving materials can help save water, our panelists said. But for things to really move forward, national policy has to change so that scientists can create new and better ways to filter, move and save water. "It becomes a global innovation imperative," he said.
5. Hope or Doomsday
There's hope, our panelists said--more Americans have begun to think about their water footprints, and the clean-tech sector of the economy is growing even during the current recession. Shannon's holding out hope that it doesn't take a catastrophe for Americans to take water issues seriously, although that would be breaking out historical precedents: "We respond to train wrecks, we don't try to prevent them."
If we don't take preventative action, human misery could escalate--China is currently considering relocating 30 million people because there's no clean water for them in their towns, Shannon says. While forced migration is hard to imagine happening in the U.S., we could see people moving to where there's cheaper clean water if we do nothing to stem these problems in the next decade. With no action soon, Shannon says, one and a half billion people could be without clean water. Adds Rose: "We're going to have to be creative."
Watch This Water Wheel Clean Up Trash from the Baltimore Harbor
The World's Wildest Water Slides: Pictures
Analysis: Why Companies Such as Virgin Galactic and Orbital Take Risks and Endure Losses
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South/Southeast Asian Art (1)
Digital, Multimedia, and Sound (1)
Performance Art and Dance x
African American Expatriate Artists
Theresa Leininger-Miller
[Negro Colony]
Group of African American artists active in France in the 1920s and 1930s. Between the world wars Paris became a Mecca for a “lost generation” of Americans. Hundreds of artists, musicians, and writers from all over the world flocked to the French capital in search of a sense of community and freedom to be creative. For African Americans, the lure of Paris was enhanced by fear of and disgust with widespread racial discrimination experienced in the United States. They sought a more nurturing environment where their work would receive serious attention, as well as the chance to study many of the world’s greatest cultural achievements. France offered this along with an active black diasporal community with a growing sense of Pan-Africanism. Painters, sculptors, and printmakers thrived there, studying at the finest art academies, exhibiting at respected salons, winning awards, seeing choice art collections, mingling with people of diverse ethnic origins, dancing to jazz, and fervently discussing art, race, literature, philosophy, and politics. Although their individual experiences differed widely, they had much in common, including exposure to traditional European art, African art, modern art, and proto-Negritude ideas. As a result of their stay in Paris, all were affected artistically, socially, and politically in positive ways and most went on to have distinguished careers....
DeSouza, Allan
Susan Kart
(b Nairobi, 1958).
Kenyan photographer, multimedia and performance artist, and teacher of Indian descent, active in the USA. DeSouza was born in Kenya to Indian parents. Raised in London from the age of 7, he called his background that of a ‘double colonial history’. DeSouza attended Goldsmiths College in London and the Bath Academy of Art, and although he has worked primarily in photography and as a writer on contemporary art, he has also branched out into performance art, digital painting, and textual and mixed media arts. He moved to the USA in 1992 and in 2012 became of Head of Photography at the University of California, Berkeley.
The primary themes in deSouza’s work are those of colonial encounter, seen in Indigena/Assimilado (1998), a photographic series of migrant workers in Los Angeles; migration, as explored in Threshold (1996–8), his early photographic series of airports empty of people; exile, which he explored in ...
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Family Article (1)
[[missing key: search-facet.tree.open-section]] American Art (13)
[[missing key: search-facet.tree.open-section]] Eighteenth-Century Art (8)
Neo-classicism and Greek Revival (3)
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[[missing key: search-facet.tree.open-section]] Medieval Art (1)
[[missing key: search-facet.tree.open-section]] Nineteenth-Century Art (54)
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Industrial and Commercial Art x
Nineteenth-Century Art x
Aubry, Charles(-Hippolyte)
Elizabeth Anne McCauley
(b Paris, June 3, 1811; d Paris, March 23, 1877).
French photographer. For more than 30 years Aubry worked as an industrial designer. In January 1864 he formed a Parisian company to manufacture plaster casts and photographs of plants and flowers. Although unsuccessful (he filed for bankruptcy in 1865), he continued to sell photographs to drawing schools throughout the 1870s. His albumen prints are often striking close-ups of natural forms taken with a flat perspective and symmetrical arrangement that was inspired by the lithographic plates traditionally used by industrial design students. The failure of Aubry’s ideas on the use of photographs in the industrial design process can be attributed to both the French government’s reluctance to introduce photography into art schools and the shift in French taste towards more abstract, simplified decorations for manufactured goods. His work is included in the collections of the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Bibliothèque des Arts Décoratifs and Musée d’Orsay, Paris, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, CA....
Barnsley family
English family of furniture designers and artist-craftsmen. Ernest (1863–1926) and his brother Sidney (1865–1926) worked with Ernest Gimson in the design and construction of furniture in the tradition of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Sidney’s son Edward (1900–87) carried on the business at a shop established in Froxfield (Petersfield, Hants) in ...
Behrens, Peter
Iain Boyd Whyte
(b Hamburg, April 14, 1868; d Berlin, Feb 27, 1940).
German architect, designer and painter. Progressing from painting and graphics to product design and architecture, Behrens achieved his greatest successes with his work for the Allgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG), in which he reconciled the Prussian Classicist tradition with the demands of industrial fabrication.
After attending the Realgymnasium in Altona, he began his painting studies in 1886 at the Kunstakademie in Karlsruhe. From there he moved to Düsseldorf, where he studied with Ferdinand Brütt. In December 1889 Behrens married Lilli Krämer, and the following year the couple moved to Munich, where he continued his studies with Hugo Kotschenreiter (1854–1908). Behrens was one of the founder-members of the Munich Secession (see Secession, §1) in 1893 and, shortly afterwards, a founder of the more progressive Freie Vereinigung Münchener Künstler, with Otto Eckmann, Max Slevogt, Wilhelm Trübner and Lovis Corinth. He also joined the circle associated with the magazine Pan, which included Otto Julius Bierbaum, Julius Meier-Graefe, Franz Blei, Richard Dehmel and Otto Eckmann....
Mark Stocker
(b Hepton, Suffolk, 1811 or 1812; d London, March 14, 1895).
English sculptor. He enrolled at the Royal Academy in 1829 and attracted attention there with The Eagleslayer (1837), of which versions were made in bronze, marble (c. 1844; Wentworth Woodhouse, S. Yorks) and iron (1851; London, Bethnal Green Mus. Childhood). The latter, cast by the Coalbrookdale Company, was shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851, placed under a canopy with the slain eagle at the top. Prestigious commissions followed, including statuary for the Houses of Parliament: Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland (marble, 1848) and Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (marble, 1854). Bell’s best-known public sculptures are the Guards’ Crimean War memorial (bronze, 1860; London, Waterloo Place) and America, part of the Albert Memorial (marble, 1864–9; London, Kensington Gdns). Both show his stylistic and iconographic compromise between Neo-classical tradition and meticulous contemporary realism. Bell’s works on imagined subjects, many of which were reproduced in Parian porcelain by ...
Benson, W(illiam) A(rthur) S(mith)
Joellen Secondo
(b London, Oct 17, 1854; d Manorbier, Dyfed, July 5, 1924).
English designer. He was educated at Winchester and Oxford, and in 1877 he was articled to the architect Basil Champneys. Encouraged by William Morris, in 1880 Benson set up his own workshop in Hammersmith specializing in metalwork. Two years later he established a foundry at Chiswick, a showroom in Kensington and a new factory at Hammersmith (all in London), equipped with machinery to mass-produce a wide range of forms, such as kettles, vases, tables, dishes and firescreens. Benson’s elegant and spare designs were admired for their modernity and minimal use of ornament. He is best known for his lamps and lighting fixtures, mostly in copper and bronze, which are fitted with flat reflective surfaces (e.g. c. 1890; London, V&A). These items were displayed in S. Bing’s Maison de l’Art Nouveau, Paris, and were used in the Morris & Co. interiors at Wightwick Manor, W. Midlands (NT), and Standen, East Grinstead, W. Sussex. Many of Benson’s designs were patented, including those for jacketed vessels, which keep hot or cold liquids at a constant temperature, and for a ‘Colander’ teapot with a button mechanism for raising the tea leaves after the tea has infused. Benson sold his designs, labelled ‘Art Metal’, through his showroom on Bond Street, which opened in ...
Bevan, Charles
Rosamond Allwood
(fl London, 1865–82).
English furniture designer and manufacturer. He may have been trained by the Gothic Revival architect and furniture designer J. P. Seddon, whose work certainly influenced his first published design, a davenport in a geometric Reformed Gothic style, in the Building News of 1865. That year he also advertised a ‘New Registered Reclining Chair’, made by Marsh & Jones of Leeds, whose London showrooms were near his own premises off Cavendish Square. In 1865 Marsh & Jones supplied the Yorkshire mill-owner Sir Titus Salt with a large group of furniture, including a bedroom suite, and in 1867 with the case of an Erard grand piano (all Leeds, Temple Newsam House) designed by Bevan; described at the time as ‘medieval’, the pieces are decorated with geometric marquetry ornament. Bevan designed a bookcase for the Manchester firm James Lamb, which was shown in the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867, and by the following year was also designing for ...
Bogardus, James
Margot Gayle and Carol Gayle
(b Catskill, NY, March 14, 1800; d New York, April 13, 1874).
American inventor, engineer, designer and manufacturer. He trained as a watchmaker’s apprentice in Catskill, NY, worked as an engraver in Savannah, GA and again in Catskill. About 1830 he moved to New York City to promote his inventions. He secured many patents for various devices, including clocks, an eversharp pencil, a dry gas meter and a meter for measuring fluids. His most remunerative invention was a widely useful grinding mill (first patented 1832), which provided steady income throughout his life. During years spent in England (1836–40) he was granted an English patent for a postage device and won £100 in a competition with his proposal for a pre-paid postal system. He also observed the extensive use of iron in the construction of British factories, bridges and large buildings. After a trip to Italy, he conceived the idea of erecting prefabricated multi-storey structures with cast-iron exterior walls that reproduced Classical and Renaissance architectural styles. Returning to New York in ...
Bourgeois, Sir Peter Francis
Giles Waterfield
(b London, 1756; d London, Jan 7, 1811).
English painter and art collector of Swiss descent. Born to a family of Swiss watchmakers in London, Bourgeois was apprenticed as a boy to P. J. de Loutherbourg. The latter heavily influenced his art, which was to elevate him to membership of the Royal Academy in 1793. Bourgeois specialized in landscape and genre scenes and achieved recognition in his own day with works such as Tiger Hunt and William Tell (both c. 1790; London, Dulwich Pict. Gal.), but his works are no longer regarded as of any note.
Bourgeois was linked from an early age with Noël Desenfans, who in effect adopted him when his father left London for Switzerland. Desenfans promoted Bourgeois’s reputation as an artist and involved him in his own activities as a picture dealer. Bourgeois became passionately interested in buying paintings, and in the last 15 years of his life bought considerable numbers, sometimes creating financial problems for the partnership. His taste was characteristic of the traditional Grand Manner of his time, concentrating on the great names of the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly academic works and paintings of the Netherlandish schools....
Carjat, Etienne
Hélène Bocard
(b Fareins, Ain, April 1, 1828; d Paris, 1906).
French photographer, caricaturist, and writer. He was trained as an industrial designer, then, like Nadar, he embarked on a career as a caricaturist. He was passionately fond of the theatre and published a series of lithographs, Le Théâtre à la ville, in Paris in 1854. He founded literary reviews, among which was Le Boulevard (1861), which established his reputation. After an apprenticeship in 1858 with Pierre Petit, he began to photograph artistic, literary, and political personalities with whom he was associated politically, including the composer Gioacchino Rossini (pubd 1877; e.g. in Rochester, NY, Int. Mus. Phot.) and Emile Zola (pubd 1877; e.g. in Rochester, NY, Int. Mus. Phot.). He also photographed actors, including Sarah Bernhardt and the mime artist Charles Deburau on stage. Some friends, including Gustave Courbet (e.g. pubd 1878; Rochester, NY, Int. Mus. Phot.), were the object of a series of photographs. He was also the accredited photographer of ...
Charles, Richard
(b Caernavon, 1823; d after 1883).
Welsh furniture designer. He was a cabinetmaker working in Warrington when he designed and made his first major piece, the Warrington State Bedstead (untraced, see Jervis, 1989, pl. vii(a)). This huge oak bed, elaborately carved in a quasi-Renaissance manner, was inspired by the Austrian furniture displayed in the Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition in 1857 (first shown by Carl Leistler at the Great Exhibition in 1851). The bed received national publicity and in 1858 was put up as prize in a lottery that left Charles bankrupt the following year. In 1860 he published the Cabinet Maker’s Monthly Journal of Designs, which includes designs in a number of popular contemporary styles: Renaissance Revival, naturalistic and a Reformed Gothic inspired by A. W. N. Pugin. He moved to London and continued to publish: in 1866 the Cabinet Maker’s Book of Designs of 60 untitled designs for sideboards in a variety of styles and in ...
Cole, Sir Henry
Elizabeth Bonython
[pseud. Summerly, Felix]
(b Bath, July 15, 1808; d London, April 18, 1882).
English art administrator, industrial designer and museum director. His art education began at the age of 15, when he learnt watercolour technique from David Cox and perspective drawing from Charles Wild (1781–1835). In 1826 Cole met the philosopher John Stuart Mill, under whose influence he became a lifelong Benthamite; Cole’s reform of English design was determined by his commitment to Utilitarianism.
In 1823 Cole began working for the Public Record Office. His complaints about its inefficiency led to the reform of the Record Commission, of which he became Assistant Keeper in 1838. In the same year he was involved in the introduction of the Penny Post. In 1843 he commissioned John Callcott Horsley to design the first commercial Christmas card. He also wrote children’s books and tourist guides under the name Felix Summerly, a pseudonym he had already used for articles and pamphlets.
In 1846 Cole designed the Felix Summerly Tea Service, produced by ...
Cometti, Giacomo
Cotswold school
English school of furniture design. In 1892 Ernest Gimson and Ernest and Sidney Barnsley moved from London to the Cotswolds, where they made such Arts and Crafts furniture as rush-seated, ladder-backed chairs, plain oak pieces and more elaborate inlaid cabinets. They were joined in 1902 by C(harles) R(obert) Ashbee, who moved the workshops of the Guild of Handicraft to Chipping Campden, Glos. In ...
Dampt, Jean(-Auguste)
(b Venarcy, Côte-d’Or, Jan 2, 1854; d Dijon, Sept 26, 1945).
French sculptor, jeweller and furniture designer. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Dijon and then, in 1874, under François Jouffroy and Paul Dubois (ii) at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He first exhibited at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français in 1876 with his bust of an architect called Belot (Dijon, Mus. B.-A.) and in 1877 he came second in the Prix de Rome. In 1879 he was awarded a second-class medal for his plaster sculpture Ismael (Châlons-sur-Marne, Mus. Mun.) and in 1881 he won a first-class medal for the marble St John the Baptist (Paris, Mus. d’Orsay). He travelled in Italy from 1882 to 1883 and later visited Spain and Morocco on a travel scholarship. In 1889 he ceased exhibiting at the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français and instead exhibited at the recently established Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. He worked primarily in bronze but also in ivory, silver and gold, and produced some jewellery. His sculptures were mainly inspired by religious and mythological subjects executed in a highly finished academic style (e.g. ...
Davis [Davies], John Scarlett
Patrick Conner
(b Leominster, Hereford & Worcs, Sept 1, 1804; d London, Sept 29, 1845).
English painter. The son of a watchmaker, he was sent in 1818 to London, where he studied at De La Pierre’s Academy in Hackney; two years later he entered the Royal Academy Schools. In London he quickly won a reputation as a portrait painter. In 1824–5 he was commissioned to draw copies of the paintings hanging in the royal palaces, and he was also engaged by Sir Thomas Lawrence to make pencil versions of the latter’s portraits. From 1825 to 1828 he worked in Yorkshire, exhibiting 31 works at the Northern Society, Leeds. To the principal annual exhibitions in London he contributed only 27 works (mostly oils); the great majority of his pictures were commissioned by private patrons, above all the merchant John Hinxman, who at his death in 1846 owned 489 works by Davis.
From 1830 until 1842 he travelled widely in France, the Low Countries, Italy and Germany. His continental scenes have often been confused with those of Richard Parkes Bonington, Thomas Shotter Boys, James Holland (a companion on some of these trips) and William Callow. To a greater extent than these artists, however, Davis specialized (from the late 1820s) in delicately detailed interiors, in both oils and watercolour; his views of churches and picture galleries often contain small-scale representations of paintings that are clearly identifiable. A typical example is an ...
Eastlake style
Marcus Whiffen
Late 19th-century style of American architecture and furniture. It owed its name to the furniture designs of Charles Locke Eastlake (see Eastlake family, §3), which became widely known because of his book Hints on Household Taste in Furniture, Upholstery and Other Details, first published in London in 1868 and in Boston, MA, in 1872. The book was an immediate success in the USA, and six more American editions appeared in the next eleven years. In the preface to the fourth English edition (1878), Eastlake wrote of his dismay at finding ‘American tradesmen continually advertising what they are pleased to call “Eastlake” furniture …for the taste of which I should be very sorry to be considered responsible’. Eastlake-style furniture of the 1870s by such firms as Mason & Hamlin was decorated profusely with heavily carved Gothic ornament, whereas Eastlake’s own furniture had decoration that was simpler and more sparingly applied to emphasize function....
Gaillard, Eugène
Liana Paredes-Arend
(b 1862; d 1933).
French designer. He was a barrister by profession, and his legal training is perhaps reflected in his furniture designs, which are solid in construction, each part being carefully conceived to relate to the whole. He published his theories about avant-garde furniture and became established as an advocate of the modern school. Although known almost exclusively for his furniture, he also designed a wide range of objects and decorative schemes in an elegant Art Nouveau style.
Early in his career Gaillard collaborated in S. Bing’s fashionable Art Nouveau shop in Paris. Together with Georges de Feure and Edouard Colonna he created interiors and furniture for Bing’s pavilion, Art Nouveau Bing (destr.), at the Exposition Universelle of 1900 in Paris. Under Bing’s direction these artists carried out an aesthetic programme that laid claim to ‘the old French tradition’ infused with ‘a lively spirit of modernity’. Gaillard was responsible for three rooms in the pavilion: the vestibule, dining-room and bedroom. French precedents, especially elements from the Rococo style, were freely used as a source of inspiration. In the vestibule Gaillard installed a mosaic floor, bold pink draperies and a stencilled frieze that effectively set off a walnut portemanteau with mirrored back and shelves. The dining-room was furnished in walnut, ornamented with scrolled foliage and panelled wainscot, beneath a mural painted by the Spanish artist ...
Guilmard, Désiré
Sarah Medlam
(fl 1839; d Paris, c. 1889).
French publisher and furniture designer. He was an important disseminator of historical and contemporary designs in 19th-century France. After 1839 he published a constant stream of lithograph designs for furniture, both his own designs and illustrations of the products of commercial firms, which provide an important source for the study of furniture of the period. His chief work was the journal Le Garde-meuble ancien et moderne, which he edited from 1844 to 1882. After 1846 he also published a supplement, L’Ameublement et l’utilité, which soon merged with the parent publication: lithographic designs of seat furniture, case furniture and hangings were reproduced, aimed at both tradesmen and clients. The plates also include general views of interiors and plans of furniture layouts, which give a comprehensive view of the development of styles. Guilmard produced albums recording the furniture shown at the Expositions Universelles of 1844, 1849 and 1855 in Paris and a long series of albums showing designs for particular types of furniture, woodwork fittings or upholstery. He was an important figure in the developing study of historical ornament and design: as early as ...
Guimard, Hector(-Germain)
Sherban Cantacuzino
(b Lyon, 1867; d New York, May 20, 1942).
French architect, furniture designer and writer. After attending the Ecole Nationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, in 1885 he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts; he left four years later without a diploma, however, to work for a builder as both architect and site craftsman. The influence of Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc is evident in his early works, particularly the Ecole du Sacré-Coeur (1895), in which the exposed cast-iron structure of V-shaped columns is an adaptation of a drawing taken from Viollet-le-Duc’s Entretiens sur l’architecture (1863–72). These early commissions, built in a picturesque and eclectic manner, culminated in the Castel Béranger block of flats, Paris, where his first use of the Art Nouveau style appeared in its decorative elements. He visited Brussels in 1895, where he met Victor Horta, whose Maison du Peuple was then under construction. After seeing Horta’s work Guimard made changes to the original neo-Gothic decorative elements of the Castel Béranger, introducing a colourful mixture of facing materials and organically derived embellishments, based on his belief that decoration is the more effective for being non-representational. Between ...
Heal, Sir Ambrose
Margaret Wagstaff
(b London, Sept 3, 1872; d Knotty Green, Bucks, Nov 15, 1959).
English furniture designer and writer. He was educated at Marlborough College and the Slade School of Art, London, before following an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker from 1890 to 1893, when he joined the family firm, Heal & Son, established in 1810 in London by John Harris Heal (d 1833). By 1897 furniture was produced to his designs; in 1898 he became a partner, and his first catalogue, Plain Oak Furniture, was issued, which, like Simple Bedroom Furniture (1899), contains designs in a simple Arts and Crafts style. Heal exhibited regularly at the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in London. His influence was evident in the catalogues and advertising of the firm (he had an enduring interest in typography), whose design policy he increasingly directed. In 1907 he was appointed Managing Director and in 1913 chairman. His inexpensive, stylish furniture was appropriate to the new garden-city developments, and in ...
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1-20 of 134 results for:
Ancient Egypt x
Abu Ghurab
Jaromir Malek
Site of the ancient Egyptian sun temple of King Neuserre (reg c. 2416–c. 2392 bc), on the western bank of the Nile north-west of Abusir, almost opposite the southernmost suburbs of modern Cairo. The temple, called Shesepib re (‘joy of the sun god Re’), is situated at the edge of the Libyan Desert, in the area of the Memphite necropolis.
Six sun temples were built for the state sun god Re-Horakhty by the kings of the 5th Dynasty, but by the late 20th century only two had so far been located. The sun temple of Neuserre was excavated by Friedrich Wilhelm von Bissing in 1898–1901. Nearly all the reliefs were removed, mostly to German collections, and many perished during World War II. The temple was built mainly of limestone. It consists, from east to west, of the valley temple, causeway and upper temple. This arrangement is similar to that of pyramid complexes and suggests a generally accepted concept of a purpose-built temple during the Old Kingdom. A brick-built bark of the sun god was discovered near by....
Abu Rawash
E. P. Uphill
[now Abū Ruwāsh]
Site of necropolis in Egypt, 9 km north of Giza, which flourished c. 2925–c. 2450 bc. Mud-brick mastaba tombs of 1st Dynasty nobles are the earliest buildings at Abu Rawash. The largest mastaba (26×14 m) has eight large recesses in its long walls and is flanked by eight servants’ burials on its eastern side. Two funerary boats are associated with Tomb M25. The pyramid of King Radjedef of the 4th Dynasty dominates the site. Reached by a gigantic causeway, it is spectacularly situated at a height of c. 157 m above the level of the Nile Valley. It was originally c. 67 m high and 105 m square. The 1500 m causeway originally supported a stone corridor, which, with its side walls, measured 14 m wide, while the embankment below widened to 31.5 m at its base and reached a height of 12 m in places. Most of the stone has been quarried away, but the burial-chamber pit (now open to the sky) gives a good impression of the pyramid’s former splendour. The pyramid stood in a large enclosure (267×217 m) on levelled rock. The funerary temple was never completed as designed, but a boat trench (37×9 m) lies beside the pyramid, and a smaller ritual pyramid stood near by. The easternmost promontory of the mountain range was thought by the German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius to be the rock core of an enormous mud-brick pyramid called by him Pyramid No. 1. In the 1980s the site was worked on by Nabil Swelim, who considered it to be the remains of an enormous step pyramid, with about a quarter of its mass being natural rock. He dated it to the end of the 3rd Dynasty, possibly having been built by King Huni, although other writers have suggested a later date, during the 4th Dynasty....
R. G. Morkot
Site in Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile in Lower Nubia, 280 km south of Aswan. With the construction of the Aswan Dam in the early 1960s, the temple complex was one of a number of ancient monuments saved by being moved to a new site. Having been cut into pieces and reassembled, it now stands on the shores of Lake Nasser, 64 m higher and 180 m west of its ancient site. It is not known whether any small rock-cut chapels already existed at Abu Simbel, but inscriptions from the Middle Kingdom show that it was already an ancient sacred site when Ramesses II (reg c. 1279–c. 1213 bc) chose it for his most grandiose, and most famous, Nubian monument.
The construction of the Great and Small Temples of Abu Simbel began in the early years of Ramesses II, and they were completed by around the 25th year of his reign. The Great Temple (...
Miroslav Verner
[Egyp. Per-Usir; Gr. Busiris]
Ancient Egyptian royal necropolis that flourished during the 5th Dynasty (c. 2465–c. 2325 bc). The site is 25 km south-west of the centre of Cairo and has been intermittently excavated since the beginning of the 19th century by teams of English, French, German, Egyptian and Czech archaeologists.
In the 5th Dynasty the sun cult reached its climax, and, according to legend, the first kings of that dynasty were considered the direct descendants of the sun god Re. Sahure (reg c. 2458–c. 2446 bc), the first king who established his pyramid complex at Abusir, presumably wished to be buried in the vicinity of the sun temple of his predecessor, Userkaf, which stood at the northern outskirts of the necropolis. Sahure’s pyramid was small, and its core was built of poor quality limestone. His pyramid temple, however, was carefully executed in different kinds of stone and richly decorated with reliefs, the whole representing a new stage in the evolution of this type of monument. A small subsidiary pyramid, an enclosure wall, a causeway and a valley temple also originally belonged to the pyramid complex....
John Baines
[anc. Egyp. Abdjw]
Egyptian site, c. 50 km south of Sohag, and necropolis of the ancient city of This (perhaps modern Girga), which was briefly the capital of the newly united Egypt in the Late Predynastic period (c. 3000–c. 2925 bc). As the country’s most ancient capital, it remained significant throughout Egyptian history, becoming the principal cult centre of Osiris, a funerary deity who embodied the tradition of kingship. From the later Middle Kingdom (c. 1750 bc), the Early Dynastic period (c. 2925–c. 2575 bc) royal necropolis was believed to contain the tomb of Osiris; because of this, it was visited by pilgrims until Roman times (30 bc–ad 395). Large cemeteries continued to accumulate, and they were characterized in the latest period by a distinctive Greco-Egyptian type of stele. These merged Egyptian and Classical styles with a largely Egyptian decorative repertory and were increasingly inscribed in Greek. Thus for two millennia Abydos was an important centre of non-royal art, as well as the location of major temples....
Ahhotpe
J. H. Taylor
(d c. 1550–1530 bc). Egyptian queen and patron. Perhaps the wife of King Kamose, she should be distinguished from the later Ahhotpe, mother of King Ahmose (reg c.1540–c.1514 bc). Her intact burial was discovered at Thebes in 1859. The massive anthropoid coffin with gilded lid (Cairo, Egyp. Mus., CG 28501) was of the rishi type, characteristic of the 17th and early 18th dynasties (see Egypt, ancient §XII 2., (i), (c)). Four lidless alabaster vases, which probably served as canopic jars, were also found, but most important was the large collection of gold and silver jewellery and ceremonial weapons discovered inside the coffin. These pieces, all of which are in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, constitute the prime evidence for goldsmiths’ and jewellers’ techniques at the beginning of the New Kingdom (see Egypt, ancient §XIV 4.).
The principal pieces included an inlaid golden pectoral, two collars, a massive golden armlet (possibly belonging to King Ahmose) and a variety of bracelets of gold, precious stones and beadwork. There were three daggers, including a particularly fine specimen of gold (CG 52658), with ornamental handle and inlaid blade. Of the three axes, the finest (CG 52645) has a gilded blade, richly inlaid with figured scenes and royal names; it is secured to the cedar-wood handle by a lashing of golden thongs. There were also three large golden fly pendants on a chain and two model boats, one of gold and the other of silver. The silver model boat is mounted on a four-wheeled carriage of wood and bronze. Perhaps the finest piece, technically, is an inlaid scarab on an elaborately constructed gold chain of very small links....
French term for openwork, used in the decorative arts principally with reference to metalwork, bookbinding and heraldry. In metalwork, it denotes the piercing or perforation of sheet metal, a practice found as early as the ancient Egyptian period. In bookbinding, the term ajouré binding refers to a style that emerged in late 15th-century Venice in which bindings were embellished with pierced or translucent patterns, typically open designs of foliage. In heraldry, an ...
R. Krauss
[Amenophis IV, Neferkheperurewaenre]
(reg c. 1353–c. 1336 bc).
King of Egypt in the late 18th Dynasty, son of Amenophis III and husband of Nefertiti. His reign was characterized by revolutionary changes in religion and art. Soon after his accession, Amenophis IV, as Akhenaten was at first known, began to build a temple complex at Thebes for the Aten, the disc-shaped manifestation of the traditional sun-god Re. In the fifth year of his reign, he founded a new capital in Middle Egypt at the site now known as Amarna, (Tell) el-: the period roughly encompassed by Akhenaten’s reign is therefore usually known as the Amarna period. Thereafter the King changed his name to Akhenaten (‘Beneficial to the Aten’), and throughout Egypt the worship of traditional gods was neglected, while the cult of the previously pre-eminent god Amun was actively persecuted.
Akhenaten’s name is inextricably associated with the Amarna style created during his reign, according to which the King, his family and their relationship to the sun-god were the only proper subjects for art. Reliefs in the earlier Amarna style are known from reused fragments (the so-called ...
Akhmim
Janice W. Yellin
[anc. Egyp. Khent-Min; Gr. Chemmis; Lat. Panopolis]
Site of the capital of the 9th Upper Egyptian nome, 200 km north of Luxor, which flourished from Early Dynastic times to the Roman period (c. 2925 bc–ad 395). Apart from a few excavations during the 20th century, the ruins of the town, as well as temples and extensive cemeteries, have never been completely surveyed or excavated.
Only one of the temples—a rock-cut chapel with relief decoration, dedicated to Min, the principal local god—has survived even partially intact. It was built by a local priest of Min during the reign of the 18th Dynasty king Ay (reg c. 1323–c. 1319 bc) and restored by another priest of Min during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphos (reg 285–246 bc). Within the main city there were two large temples with pylons (ceremonial gateways), one in the north-west area built by Tuthmosis III (reg...
Amarna style
Ian M. E. Shaw
Ancient Egyptian art style that takes its name from Amarna, (Tell) el-, the site of the capital city during the reigns of Akhenaten (reg c. 1353–c. 1336 bc) and Smenkhkare (reg c. 1335–c. 1332 bc). Amarna-style painting and sculpture were characterized by a move away from the traditional idealism of Egyptian art towards a greater realism and artistic freedom. This new sense of vigour and naturalism is most apparent in surviving fragments of paintings from the walls and floors of palaces (Cairo, Egyp. Mus., and Oxford, Ashmolean; see Egypt, ancient §X 2.). The statuary and reliefs, mainly from el-Amarna, Thebes and Hermopolis Magna, represent the royal family and their subjects in a style that was initially grotesque and often crude, as the artists struggled to come to terms with the new approach (see Egypt, ancient §IX 3., (viii)). However, they eventually reached a high degree of sophistication and beauty, exemplified by the painted limestone bust of Queen ...
Amarna, (Tell) el-
[anc. Akhetaten]
Site of an Egyptian city of the mid-14th century bc, on the eastern bank of the Nile, c. 90 km north of Asyut. The site, which has given its name to the Amarna style of art, was chosen by the 18th Dynasty king Akhenaten (reg c. 1353–c. 1336 bc) for his new capital, which temporarily replaced Memphis and Thebes as the nucleus of the Egyptian empire. It was dedicated to the solar god Aten, thus its ancient name Akhetaten (‘Horizon of the Aten’), whose cult was intended to replace worship of the traditional Egyptian pantheon. The city was occupied for no more than 25 years, from the fifth year of Akhenaten’s reign until some time in the reign of Tutankhamun (reg c. 1332–c. 1323 bc). Because of this relatively brief period of occupation and the lack of prior and subsequent settlement, the site is a rare example of ancient Egyptian urban ...
Amenhotpe, son of Hapu
(b Athribis, nr Benha, c. 1440 bc; d c. 1350 bc).
Ancient Egyptian architect and patron. Amenhotpe rose to prominence in his home town during the reign of Amenophis III (reg c. 1391–c. 1353 bc) as a royal scribe and chief of the priests of the local god Khentekhtai. About 1390 bc he moved to the royal court at Thebes and was rapidly promoted by Amenophis III to the position of chief royal architect, responsible for the whole process of temple construction, from quarrying to the sculpting of relief decoration, as well as the commissioning of royal statues. The full list of buildings for which Amenhotpe was architect is not known, but he certainly supervised the construction of a huge temple at Soleb near the second cataract of the Nile in Lower Nubia, where several of the reliefs depict him standing alongside the King during the temple consecration ceremony. He also built two tombs and a mortuary temple for himself on the west bank at Thebes (...
Amenophis III
[Nebmaatre]
(reg c. 1391–c. 1353 bc). Egyptian ruler and patron. He reigned in the late 18th Dynasty (c. 1540–c. 1292 bc), a time of great national peace and prosperity. Amenophis III was a prolific builder: it was during his reign that Amenhotpe, the greatest Egyptian architect since Imhotep, rose to a position of power and influence as ‘Overseer of all the King’s Works’.
Although Amenophis III constructed numerous temples, from Memphis and Bubastis in the north of Egypt to Soleb and Sedeinga in the south (see Nubia, §III), only a small number of these have survived. His mortuary temple, built in fine white limestone on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes, must have been one of the most impressive buildings of the time, but it was systematically dismantled in the 19th Dynasty (c. 1292–c. 1190 bc). Only a few items of sculpture and stelae have been preserved from it, notably the celebrated ‘...
Ammenemes III
Claude Vandersleyen
[Amenemhet III; Nymaatre]
Egyptian ruler. Both architecture and sculpture have survived from his reign in the 12th Dynasty (for chronological chart of Egyptian kings see Egypt, ancient, fig.). He built two pyramids, one at Dahshur and the other at Hawara in the Faiyum region, where is also a small temple, finished by Ammenemes III’s successor, Ammenemes IV; the reliefs in this temple have not been published in detail. Some reliefs of Ammenemes III were also found at Abydos (Philadelphia, U. PA, Mus.); they display little of the quality and interest of the reliefs of his predecessor, Sesostris III.
There are more than 50 statues and heads of Ammenemes III, easily identifiable because of his distinctive physiognomy. As with the statues of Sesostris III, they appear to correspond to various ages of the King; however, this progression is probably complicated by wider variations of style and dimensions. The characteristic traits of these heads are large eyes (always serious and impassive), exceptionally large ears and a nose that is far less prominent than that of Sesostris III and hooks back into the face after the bump of the nasal bone. His mouth has thick, curled lips, the corners of which turn up to end against fleshy protuberances. The cheek-bones are very high and wide and are cut by a wrinkle leaving the inside corner of the eye at an angle of 45°....
Antinoöpolis
Dominic Montserrat
[Antinoë; now el-Sheikh Ibada]
Egyptian site 75 km north of Asyut. The town was officially founded by the Emperor Hadrian in October ad 130 to commemorate his favourite, Antinous, who had been drowned there. However, there was a Late Predynastic (c. 3000 bc) cemetery on the site and Ramesses II (reg c. 1279–c. 1213 bc) built a temple there using decorated blocks and columns from buildings at Tell el-Amarna. The Roman town was designed on a grid plan and boasted an amphitheatre and hippodrome, a temple to the deified Antinous and a colonnaded main street with a triumphal arch: the last, now destroyed, was still standing when Edmé Jomard (1777–1862) visited and drew the site in 1803. The necropolis of Antinoöpolis has yielded important Roman artefacts, particularly illustrated papyri, textiles (e.g. Lyon, Mus. Hist. Tissus, 28.927 and encaustic mummy portraits of distinctive shape and technique. The last were produced by a local school of artists and often embellished with gilded wreaths and stucco jewellery before being bound into the mummy wrappings (e.g. Detroit, MI, Inst. A., 25.2); their style and iconography blends Egyptian and Hellenistic elements. Brick tombs of the 6th century ...
Armant
M. S. Drower
[anc. Gr. Hermonthis; Copt. Ermont]
City in Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile, some 10 km south of Luxor. It was at first called Iunu-Shema (Egyp.: ‘the southern Heliopolis’) and Iunu-Montu (Egyp.: ‘Heliopolis of the war-god Montu’), from which subsequent names derive. It was the capital of the fourth nome (administrative province) of Upper Egypt throughout the Old Kingdom (c. 2575–c. 2150 bc), until the rise of the city of Thebes. Armant was the original home of the Mentuhotpe family, the founders of the 11th Dynasty. Preliminary excavations in the town area (1935–7) uncovered stone relief blocks of many periods; a few delicate reliefs of the 11th Dynasty show Sankhkare Mentuhotpe III in the company of Montu and his consorts the goddesses Iuniyt and Teneniyt. Some lower courses of a New Kingdom temple were uncovered, including the base of an 18th Dynasty Pylon bearing a depiction of a lively procession of Nubian captives headed by a rhinoceros. A granite stele, found near by, records various exploits, such as the capture of a rhinoceros by Tuthmosis III....
Edda Bresciani
[anc. Egyp. Abu, Swenet; Copt. Sawan; Gr. Syene]
Egyptian city at the northern end of the first Nile cataract, c. 900 km south of Cairo. The modern town chiefly stretches along the eastern bank of a sandstone valley, which also contains numerous islands formed by the granite outcrops of the cataract; its ancient monuments are found on both the east and west banks and on some of the islands.
In ancient times Aswan was a garrison town marking the traditional boundary between Egypt and Nubia; as such it served as the capital of the first nome (province) of Egypt and the seat of its governors. The town’s wealth was generated by its position on an important trade route between the Nile Valley and the African lands to the south and by its granite quarries, which provided the material for countless ancient monuments. The islands of the cataract enjoyed religious status as the mythological source of the annual Nile inundation, while the Temple of Isis at ...
Diana Magee
[Assiut; anc. Djauty, Gr. Lycopolis, Arab. Siūt]
Capital city of the 13th Upper Egyptian nome (administrative province), situated on the west bank of the Nile at the end of the caravan route from the el-Kharga oasis. The ancient town, with its temple dedicated to Wepwawet, the local canine deity, probably lies under the modern one. The necropolis was excavated by Emile Chassinat in 1903. The most important periods at Asyut were the Herakleopolitan (c. 2130–c. 1970 bc), when Asyut supported the northern kings against Thebes, and the Middle Kingdom (c. 2008–c. 1630 bc), although two Ramesside tombs have also been found.
The rock-cut tombs of the Herakleopolitan nomarchs are single-chambered, containing biographical inscriptions describing campaigns against the south. The Middle Kingdom tomb of Hepdjefa I, famous for its texts of contracts with funerary priests, introduced a new type: a series of chambers leading to a central shrine at the rear. The scanty remains of the reliefs indicate that a school of fine craftsmen was established in the Herakleopolitan period, producing good, formal work at a time when other provincial art was eccentric. A scene of soldiers in the tomb of ...
Athribis
Ann Bomann
[anc. Egyp. Hwt-hery-ib; now Tell Atrib]
Site in Egypt, just north-west of Benha in the Nile Delta. The capital of the 10th nome administrative province of Lower Egypt, the town’s religious name, Kemwer (the ‘Great Black One’), was applied to the original local god (personified as a bull), the nome and the city itself. Subsequently the major deity was Khentekhtai, at first represented as a crocodile and additionally, from the 12th Dynasty (c. 1938–c. 1756 bc), as a falcon; mummified falcons dating from the Late Period (c.750–332 bc) have been found. The heart of Osiris was believed to be buried at Athribis, and Isis, Hathor, Sekhmet and Khwit, the major goddess after the New Kingdom (c. 1540–c. 1075 bc), also had cults there. It was also the birthplace of Amenhotpe, son of Hapu, royal architect to Amenophis III (reg c. 1390–c. 1353 bc). Apart from partial soundings and occasional discoveries by the Napoleonic expedition (...
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Coach accused of fatal punch of Boca man in New York City is out of jail
Julius Whigham @JuliusWhighamOlivia Hitchcock @ohitchcock
The Wake Forest University basketball coach accused in the death of a Boca Raton man was released from a New York City jail on his own recognizance Thursday night.
Jamill Jones, an assistant men’s basketball at the university in Winston-Salem, N.C., was released shortly after he turned himself in, his attorney, Alain Massena, told The Palm Beach Post on Friday.
MORE: College basketball coach arrested in fatal attack on Boca man in New York
Jones, 35, is scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 2. He faces a third-degree assault charge after authorities alleged that he punched 35-year-old Sandor Szabo during an encounter early Sunday on a street corner in the borough of Queens.
Jamill Jones (Wake Forest University website)
Szabo hit his head on the pavement as he fell and died two days later. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Szabo’s death to be a homicide. He died from "blunt impact" injuries to his head and brain, the office said.
Szabo was in New York City for the weekend to attend a wedding and was waiting for a ride from Uber at about 1:15 a.m. Sunday after he left his brother’s hotel room, members of his family said this week.
They said he tapped on the windows of cars as he tried to determine which was his Uber ride. New York City police said that one of those vehicles was an SUV driven by Jones, who allegedly got out of his vehicle and punched Szabo during a brief encounter.
It was not clear why Jones was in New York City or what his motive for throwing the punch may have been.
Szabo’s mother, Donna Kent, and stepfather, Bob Kent, appeared Friday morning on NBC’s Today show to speak about Jones’ arrest.
"He just tapped on the wrong guy’s window," Donna Kent said in the NBC interview about her son. His cellphone had died, she said, and he couldn’t find his driver.
MORE: Boca-area man dies after altercation on New York street; employer reacts "with a very heavy heart"
Bob Kent added that Szabo had been hit so hard that his one of his upper teeth was pushed through his lip.
Jones and his family released a statement through his attorney extending condolences to the Szabo family for their son’s loss. The statement asks for the case to be tried in a court of law -- not "the court of public opinion."
It states that Jones is a "wonderful son and father - a good-hearted man who protects his loved ones from harm."
Bob and Donna Kent reacted to the statement by wondering why Jones left without trying to help.
"If you’re this good father, son, husband, why not try to take him to the hospital and see if you could save his life?," Bob Kent asked in the NBC interview
Added Donna Kent: "I’m sorry, your condolences are a little bit too late."
The Wake Forest athletic department announced Friday afternoon that Jones had been placed on leave.
Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman spoke to Jones Friday and Jones "agreed that the decision is appropriate at this time given the circumstances," the university said.
"Wake Forest University expresses heartfelt condolences to Sandor Szabo’s family and friends following his tragic death," the university’s statement read.
The Jones family’s statement mentioned his work as a basketball coach and called Jones "one of the top assistant college basketball coaches in the country."
He joined Wake Forest in 2017 after previously working as an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida, Virginia Commonwealth University and Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
Szabo worked as a marketing professional and "did everything" at What If Media, a digital marketing firm, according to the company’s CEO, Josh Gillon. Gillon said Szabo lived with his brother in Boca Raton and worked remotely for What If, which is based in Fort Lee, N.J., near New York. He said Szabo had been a Boca Raton-based company’s liaison to What If for about five years before moving over to the firm.The company posted a notice of his death on the company’s Facebook page. "He was critical in helping our our company’s recent rapid growth," the Facebook posting said. "Our company has about 25 employees, all of whom are very close; he was part of our family."
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By the President -
Naracoorte Lucindale Council - Effluent Disposal - Waste Control System - Plan Amendment Report.
By the Minister for Environment and Conservation (The Hon. G. E. Gago) -
Reports, 2004-2005 -
Commissioners of Charitable Funds.
Medical Board of South Australia.
Creating the Future Together - ACT Partnership Report to the Premier - June 2006.
The Hon. J. M. Gazzola brought up the Sixth Report, 2006 of the Legislative Review Committee.
Sixth Report,
The Hon. J. M. Gazzola brought up the Seventh Report, 2006 of the Legislative Review Committee, which was read by the Clerk as follows -
The By-laws listed hereunder were not tabled in Parliament in accordance with section 10(3) of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1978 and are at present being considered by the Legislative Review Committee. Evidence is being taken on these matters and it is necessary for Notices of Motion for Disallowance to be given in both Houses before the expiration of 14 sitting days, to allow the Committee time to complete its deliberations.
Honourable Members are warned that after further consideration has been given to the
By-laws, the Committee may decide to take no further action.
By-laws referred to -
Local Government Act 1999 - Kangaroo Island Council -
No. 5 - Dogs.
No. 8 - Cats.
Seventh Report,
The Minister for Police (The Hon. P. Holloway), by leave, tabled a copy of a Ministerial Statement made by the Premier (The Hon. M. D. Rann, M.P.) concerning the State Government’s Vision for Adelaide to become a World-Class “University City”.
The Minister for Police, without notice, moved - That the Standing Orders be so far suspended as to enable Question Time to be extended to enable the Hon. R. D. Lawson to ask a question of him and for the Minister to complete his reply.
In accordance with Sessional Standing Order, the President called on Members to make Statements on Matters of Interest.
Ordered - That Notices of Motion (Private Business) No. 1 to No. 3 be Orders of the Day for Wednesday, 30 August 2006.
Ordered - That Notice of Motion (Private Business) No. 5 be an Order of the Day for Wednesday, 30 August 2006.
The Hon. N. Xenophon, pursuant to notice, moved - That he have leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to amend the Victims of Crime Act 2001.
The Hon. N. Xenophon then moved - That this Bill be now read a second time.
On motion of the Hon. I. K. Hunter, the debate was adjourned until Wednesday, 30 August 2006.
(Victim
Participation)
The Hon. N. Xenophon, pursuant to notice, moved - That he have leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to amend the Local Government Act 1999.
(Open Space)
The Hon. N. Xenophon, pursuant to notice, moved - That he have leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to amend the Electricity Act 1996.
(Compensation
for Blackouts)
The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins, pursuant to notice, moved - That he have leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to amend the Family Relationships Act 1975 and the Reproductive Technology (Clinical Practices) Act 1988.
The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins then moved - That this Bill be now read a second time.
(Surrogacy) Bill.
On the Order of the Day being read for the adjourned debate on the motion of the Hon. R. P. Wortley - That the Report of the Environment, Resources and Development Committee on Upper South East Dryland Salinity and Flood Management Act 2002, July 2004-June 2005 be noted, be now resumed:
on Upper South East
Dryland Salinity and
Act 2002 be noted -
Ordered - separately - That Orders of the Day (Private Business) No. 2 to No. 4 be Orders of the Day for Wednesday, 30 August 2006.
On the Order of the Day being read for adjourned debate on the motion of the Hon. S. G. Wade - That the Social Development Committee inquire into and report on reform of the South Australian Certificate of Education -
I. with particular reference to the seven principles for reform laid down in the SACE Review - responsive, credible, inclusive, worthwhile, futures oriented, connected, supportive; and
II. any other related matter:
Education -
Committee to
Inquire into -
Ordered - separately - That Orders of the Day (Private Business) No. 6 to No. 10 be Orders of the Day for Wednesday, 30 August 2006.
On the Order of the Day being read for the adjourned debate on the motion of the Hon. N. Xenophon -
I. That, in the opinion of this Council, a Joint Parliamentary Committee be appointed to inquire into and report on -
(a) the conduct of any Department of Education and Children’s Services employee or officer involved in the selection process for the positions of principal and acting principal, respectively, at the Elizabeth Vale Primary School since December 2003, including any process relating to the appeal of the former Principal, Ms. O’Connor;
(b) the conduct and involvement of the Minister and Ministerial staff in this matter;
(c) the conduct of any Australian Education Union representative involved in the appointment process of a principal and acting principal, respectively;
(d) the conduct of any person identified above involved in the management or operation of the school since January 2006, with particular emphasis upon the -
(i) management of family grievances;
(ii) provision of learning programs;
(iii) management and duty of care of students;
(iv) management of the school’s budget; level of consultation with the school’s governing council;
(v) level of consultation with the school’s governing council;
(e) establishing appropriate selection guidelines and processes for future appointments of principals and acting principals in all public schools, including increasing the level of community representation in the process; and
(f) any other relevant matter.
II. That, in the event of a Joint Committee being appointed, the Legislative Council be represented thereon by three Members, of whom two shall form a quorum of Council Members necessary to be present at all sittings of the Committee.
III. That the Joint Committee be permitted to authorise the disclosure or publication, as it thinks fit, of any evidence or documents presented to the Committee prior to such evidence being reported to the Parliament; and
IV. That a Message be sent to the House of Assembly transmitting the foregoing Resolution and requesting its concurrence thereto:
The Hon. C. V. Schaefer moved to amend the motion in paragraph I, by leaving out “That, in the opinion of this Council, a Joint Parliamentary Committee” and inserting “That a Select Committee” and by leaving out paragraphs II, III and IV, and inserting new paragraphs as follow:
“II. That Standing Order No. 389 be so far suspended as to enable the Chairperson of the Committee to have a deliberative vote only.
III. That this Council permits the Select Committee to authorise the disclosure or publication, as it sees fit, of any evidence or documents presented to the Committee prior to such evidence being reported to the Council.
IV. That Standing Order No. 396 be suspended to enable strangers to be admitted when the Select Committee is examining witnesses unless the Committee otherwise resolves, but they shall be excluded when the Committee is deliberating.”.
The Hon. A. M. Bressington moved to amend the amendment moved by the Hon. C. V. Schaefer in paragraph II, by inserting prior to “That Standing Order No. 389” the words “That the Committee consist of six Members and that the quorum of Members necessary to be present at all meetings of the Committee be fixed at four Members and”.
for Principal at
Primary School -
Motion for Joint
Committee on.
Question - That the amendment moved by the Hon. A. M. Bressington to the amendment moved by the Hon. C. V. Schaefer, be agreed to - put and passed.
Question - That the amendments moved by the Hon. C. V. Schaefer and as amended by the Hon. A. M. Bressington, be agreed to - put.
The Hon. C. V. Schaefer (Teller)
Question - That the motion moved by the Hon. N. Xenophon, and as amended by the Hon. C. V. Schaefer and the Hon. A. M. Bressington, be agreed to - put and passed.
The Hon. N. Xenophon moved - That the Select Committee consist of the Hon. A. M. Bressington, the Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins, the Hon. B. V. Finnigan, the Hon. C. V. Schaefer, the Hon. R. P. Wortley and the mover.
The Hon. N. Xenophon moved - That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers and records, to adjourn from place to place and report on Wednesday, 20 September 2006.
Select Committee Appointed.
Ordered - That Orders of the Day (Private Business) No. 12 and No. 13 be Orders of the Day for Wednesday, 30 August 2006.
Ordered - That Notices of Motion (Government Business) No. 1 to No. 3 and Orders of the Day (Government Business) No. 1 to No. 5 be postponed and taken into consideration after Order of the Day (Government Business) No. 6.
On the Order of the Day being read for the adjourned debate on the question - That the Statutes Amendment (Road Transport Compliance and Enforcement) Bill be now read a second time:
(Road Transport
Compliance and
Enforcement) Bill.
At sixteen minutes past six o’clock the sitting was suspended until the ringing of the bells.
At eight o’clock the sitting was resumed.
The Minister for Police, pursuant to notice, moved - That he have leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to amend the Development Act 1993 and to make related amendments to the Local Government Act 1999 and the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991.
The Minister for Police then moved - That this Bill be now read a second time.
On motion of the Hon. R. I. Lucas, the debate was adjourned until next day of sitting.
(Development Plans)
The Minister for Police, pursuant to notice, moved - That pursuant to section 58 of the Fair Work Act 1994, the nominee of this Council to the Panel to consult with the Minister for Industrial Relations about an appointment to the position of Employee Ombudsman be the Hon. B. V. Finnigan.
Fair Work Act 1994 -
section 58 -
Council Nominee
for Panel -
The Minister for Police, pursuant to notice, moved - That he have leave to introduce a Bill for an Act to amend the Commission of Inquiry (Children in State Care) Act 2004.
The Hon. Minister for Police then moved - That this Bill be now read a second time.
Commission of
Inquiry (Children
in State Care)
(Privileges and
Immunities)
The Minister for Police, according to order, moved - That the Statutes Amendment (Disposal of Human Remains) Bill be now read a second time.
On motion of the Hon. R. I. Lucas, the debate was adjourned and ordered to be resumed on motion.
(Disposal of Human
Remains) Bill.
Ordered - That Order of the Day (Government Business) No. 2 be an Order of the Day for next day of sitting.
Ordered - That Orders of the Day (Government Business) No. 3 to No. 5 be postponed and taken into consideration on motion.
Ordered - That the adjourned debate on the question - That the Statutes Amendment (Road Transport Compliance and Enforcement) Bill be now read a second time - be now resumed.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 6, line 7, to leave out “Part 2 or section 16” and insert “this Act”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 6, after line 7, to insert the following:
“(3) The Minister must not recommend to the Governor that a proclamation be made bringing this Act, or part of this Act, into operation unless the Minister is satisfied that—
(a) an adequate exercise has been undertaken to inform all sections of the public of the contents of this Act and to invite and consider the representations of the public as to contents of this Act and its commencement; or
(b) similar legislation has been enacted in all other States of the Commonwealth.”.
The Hon. R. D. Lawson moved on page 7, after line 32, to insert the following:
“(3a) If a police officer gives a direction under one or more of paragraphs (c), (d) or (g) of subsection (1), the officer must, as soon as reasonably practicable, give the person a written notice in the form prescribed by regulation repeating the effect of that direction and specifying the minimum number of hours that must elapse before the driver may be permitted to occupy the driver's seat, enter the vehicle or drive another vehicle, as the case may require.”.
The Hon. R. D. Lawson (Teller)
The Hon. R. D. Lawson moved on page 8, line 4, after “station” to insert “(which must be the nearest police station or some other police station agreed to by the driver and the officer)”.
The Hon. R. D. Lawson moved on page 8, after line 6, to insert the following:
“(5a) If a police officer takes possession of keys or components, the officer must, as soon as reasonably practicable, give the driver a written notice in the form prescribed by regulation stating the address of the police station from which the keys or components may be recovered.”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 12, line 2, to leave out “residence or”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 17, lines 39 to 43, and page 18, lines 1 to 30, to leave out all words in these lines and insert the following:
“responsible person, in relation to a vehicle, means the owner, operator or driver of the vehicle or any other person who controls or directly influences the operation or loading of the vehicle;”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 20, lines 38 to 41, and page 21, lines 1 to 16, to leave out proposed new section 9.
Clause No. 14 read.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 24, after line 5, to insert:
“Penalty: $1 250”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 24, line 8, to leave out “; or” and insert “; and”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 24, after line 10, to insert:
“(5a) Subsection (5) does not apply if the direction is unreasonable.”.
“(1a) Subsection (1) does not apply in relation to a vehicle that is carrying livestock.”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 29, line 36, to leave out “30” and insert “20”.
The Hon. R. D. Lawson moved -
on page 31, after line 25, to insert the following:
“(4a) If the officer believes on reasonable grounds that the driver is not fit to drive the vehicle because of the consumption of alcohol or a drug and gives the driver a direction under subsection (2)(c) or (d) or subsection (4)(c), the officer must, as soon as reasonably practicable, give the person a written notice in the form prescribed by regulation repeating the effect of that direction and specifying the minimum number of hours that must elapse before the driver may be permitted to occupy the driver's seat, enter the vehicle or drive another vehicle, as the case may require.”.
on page 31, line 34, after “station” to insert “(which must be the nearest police station or some other police station agreed to by the driver and the officer)”.
Question - That the amendments be agreed to - put and negatived.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 32, after line 16, to insert the following:
“(3) If an authorised officer or police officer gives a person a direction under this Subdivision otherwise than in writing, the authorised officer or police officer must cause the person to be given a notice in writing setting out the terms of the direction within 24 hours.”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 39, line 29, to leave out “free of charge” and insert “(provided that an amount equal to the reasonable cost of using the equipment is paid or offered to the occupier of the premises)”.
“(2a) A direction given to a person under subsection (1) must allow the person a reasonable period to obtain legal advice before the time stated when the records, devices or other things are to be produced.”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 46, line 28, to leave out “, but not otherwise” and insert “if the person given the direction is qualified to drive the vehicle, but does not authorise the giving of a direction”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 47, lines 18 to 22, to leave out subclause (2).
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 48, line 8, to leave out “72” and insert “48”.
“(iia) that the powers conferred by the warrant may only be exercised at a reasonable time of the day; and”.
“(5a) If an authorised officer or police officer issues an embargo notice under this section—
(a) in relation to a vehicle otherwise than by serving a copy of it on the registered owner of the vehicle, the authorised officer or police officer must also, as soon as reasonably practicable, cause a copy of the notice to be served on the registered owner of the vehicle; or
(b) in relation to premises otherwise than by serving a copy of it on the occupier of the premises, the authorised officer or police officer must also, as soon as reasonably practicable, cause a copy of the notice to be served on the occupier of the premises.”.
The Minister for Police moved on page 52, line 26, after “taken” to insert “or, instead, at the option of the operator of the vehicle or the occupier of the premises, the Crown must pay reasonable compensation for the damage caused to the vehicle, equipment, load or premises”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 52, line 26, after “taken” to insert “, and the Crown will be liable to compensate any person for loss suffered in consequence of the action taken”.
Question - That the words proposed to be inserted by the Minister for Police, be so inserted - put and passed.
“41NA—Abusive language or wrongful obstruction or use of force by authorised officers etc
If an authorised officer, police officer or person assisting an authorised officer or police officer—
(a) addresses offensive language to any other person; or
(b) without lawful authority, hinders or obstructs or uses or threatens to use force in relation to any other person,
the officer or person is guilty of an offence.
41NB—Improper access to documents or records
If an authorised officer, police officer or person assisting an authorised officer or police officer exercises, or purports to exercise, a power under a road law in relation to a person in order to obtain access to the person's documents or records for a purpose not related to the enforcement of a road law, the officer or person is guilty of an offence.
Penalty: $1 250.”.
Clause No. 14, as amended, agreed to.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 66, lines 12 and 13, to leave out subclause (3).
Clauses No. 25 and No. 26 agreed to.
And it being twelve of the clock:
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 86, lines 7 and 8, and line 13, to leave out “or by an associate of the person”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 95, line 1, to leave out “, and any associate of the person,”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 104, line 24, to leave out “$750” and insert “$400”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 105, line 28, to leave out “; or” and insert “; and”.
The Hon. D. W. Ridgway moved on page 105, after line 30, to insert:
“Maximum Penalty: $1 250”.
“74AC—Abusive language or wrongful obstruction or use of force by police officers
A police officer who—
is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: $1 250.”.
The Minister for Police, pursuant to contingent notice, moved - That the Standing Orders be so far suspended as to enable the Bill to pass through its remaining stages without delay.
The following Messages from the House of Assembly were received and read:
Message No. 23
MR. PRESIDENT - The House of Assembly has passed the Bill transmitted herewith, entitled an Act to amend the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981, to which it desires the concurrence of the Legislative Council.
House of Assembly, 20 June 2006. J. J. SNELLING, Speaker.
The Minister for Emergency Services then moved - That this Bill be now read a second time.
Anangu Pitjantjatjara
Yunkunytjatjara
(Regulated
Substances)
MR. PRESIDENT - The House of Assembly has agreed to the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Natural Resources Management (Transfer of Water Licences) Amendment Bill, without any amendment.
(Transfer of
Water Licences)
MR. PRESIDENT - The House of Assembly has agreed to the Bill returned herewith, entitled an Act to provide for the protection of the River Torrens Linear Park as a world-class asset to be preserved as an urban park for the benefit of present and future generations; to repeal the River Torrens Acquisition Act 1970; and for other purposes, without any amendment.
River Torrens
Linear Park Bill.
MR. PRESIDENT - The House of Assembly has agreed to the Bill returned herewith, entitled an Act to provide for water efficiency labelling and standards as part of a cooperative scheme between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories; and for other purposes, with the amendment indicated by the annexed Schedule, to which amendment the House of Assembly desires the concurrence of the Legislative Council.
Schedule of the amendment of the House of Assembly
New clause, page 25, lines 3 to 9 -
65 Credits to WELS Account
(1) Amounts equal to money received by the State -
(a) in respect of fines, expiation fees or undertakings given under section 42; or
(b) under Division 2,
must be paid to the Commonwealth for crediting to the WELS Account.
(2) The Consolidated Account is appropriated to the necessary extent to enable amounts to be paid to the Commonwealth in accordance with subsection (1).
D. A. BRIDGES, Clerk of the House of Assembly.
Ordered - That the Message be taken into consideration forthwith.
Resolved - That the amendment be agreed to.
The President resumed the Chair, and reported accordingly; whereupon the Council adopted such report.
and Labelling
Standards Bill.
Ordered - That the Council, at its rising, do adjourn until today at eleven o’clock a.m.
Council adjourned at twenty minutes past twelve o’clock midnight until today at eleven o’clock a.m.
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Meta Analysis Of Literature Review
Posted 3 months ago / Theories
IJBCT Volume 6, No. 4
Apr 21, 2015. A Pragmatic Literature Review of Network Meta-Analyses of Disease-Modifying Drugs in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (P3.232).
Feb 25, 2019. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are a reliable type of research. There are set ways to search for and analyze the medical literature.
Research literature, it is often pointed out, is growing at an exponential rate. One study estimated that there are 40,000 journals for the sciences, and that researchers are filling those journals at the rate of one article every 30 seconds, 24 hours a day, seven days a week (Mahoney, 1985).
This literature includes studies that either manipulated. So, after all the voluminous research included in this systematic review and meta-analysis, do intentional (from EQI evidence) or implied.
We performed an extensive literature. Subgroup analysis showed that among sham controlled trials, 24 hr. systolic blood.
Accordingly, we provide a systematic review of studies assessing whether adherence to various dietary guidelines or traditional dietary patterns is associated with depressive symptoms and depression.
Abstract. INTRODUCTION Since the year 2000 fifteen new treatment options came to market for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) after a long.
First, the summary provided in a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature is only as reliable as the methods used to estimate the effect in each of the.
Key Points. Question Does rooming-in with family reduce the use of medications, length of stay, and costs in the inpatient treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome?. Findings In this systematic review and meta-analysis of 6 studies comprising 549 patients, rooming-in was associated with a reduction in the need for pharmacologic treatment and a shorter hospital stay when rooming-in was.
What Do Unions Do to Productivity? A Meta-Analysis CHRISTOS DOUCOULIAGOS and PATRICE LAROCHE* The impact of unions on productivity is explored using meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis.
CONTEXT: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is an intervention aimed at improving outcomes among preterm and low birth weight newborns. OBJECTIVE: Conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis estimating the association between KMC and neonatal outcomes. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, African Index Medicus (AIM), [Latin American and Caribbean Health.
Of the 5683 citations identified, 15 publications reporting on seven clinical trials were identified for data extraction (Figure S1). Two additional trials (DB2116960 and PINNACLE 1), not identified.
BACKGROUND: Although there has been major progress in gout imaging, no gout classification criteria currently include advanced imaging techniques. OBJECTIVE: To examine the usefulness of imaging.
We therefore conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to estimate the overall rates of second HPV-associated cancers following treatment of an initial such tumour. A protocol,
Jan 14, 2016 · Our new meta-analysis of the entire relevant literature shows that e-cigarettes, as used, are associated with less not more quit
Despite a growing body of literature suggesting an increasing burden of COPD. Materials and methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis reporting gender-specific prevalence of COPD was.
Dec 11, 2018. The aim of this systematic literature review and meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of video games for active aging and to examine the.
This meta-analysis indicates heightened impulsivity across a range. Relationship of gambling with tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drug use among adolescents in the USA: Review of the literature.
Two reviewers (RC and MS) independently conducted a literature search of six electronic. reports), leaving 19 articles for the final systematic review (Table 1) and 18 for the primary meta-analysis.
Systematic review and meta-analysis. A comprehensive literature search was performed in five scientific databases for English articles that identified risk factors for dysphagia after a SCI in adult.
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A previous systematic review of the literature describing studies conducted in the. In all, 36 papers, including WHO-related surveys, had sufficient information for meta-analysis. More women.
Narrative reviews had been used for this purpose, but the narrative review is. systematic reviews and meta-analyses that summarize the body of evidence on a.
Methods: A comprehensive literature list was identified from MEDLINE. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta.
Mar 22, 2019. Summary of Types of LIterature Reviews. Evidence maps. Meta-analysis. May be conducted independently or as part of a systematic review.
May 4, 2016. Since systematic reviews are meta analyses are secondary literature, they should not be included.
Feb 25, 2019 · A systematic review is a form of analysis that medical researchers carry out to synthesize all the available evidence on a particular question, such as how effective a drug is.
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The literature search was conducted according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) [].The screening process and results are shown in Fig. 1.We conducted a systematic electronic literature review using PubMed in November 2017, and we updated it in March 2018 and again in August 2018.
The course is also suitable for: Clinicians wanting to undertake their own systematic review PhD Students with a significant. methods No previous knowledge of systematic reviews or meta-analysis is.
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A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed. The MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO, and LILACS databases were searched for articles published from January 1997 to December 2016. The following search.
Author Contributions: R.V.: is the primary author and was involved in all stages of the study; R.A.: devised the concept and directed the project; R.V. and R.A.: performed the systematic review and.
In this systematic review, random-effects meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis, we used findings from literature searches in previously published meta-analyses.
History. The historical roots of meta-analysis can be traced back to 17th century studies of astronomy, while a paper published in 1904 by the statistician Karl Pearson in the British Medical Journal which collated data from several studies of typhoid inoculation is seen as the first time a meta-analytic approach was used to aggregate the outcomes of multiple clinical studies.
Mar 15, 2019. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of minimal residual disease as a prognostic indicator in adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic.
Mar 20, 2019. We firstly perform a systematic literature review on the academ. Then we run a meta-analysis investigation over more than 2,500.
We therefore performed meta-analyses to assess the effect of CM on recovery markers in trained participants. This systematic review was designed and conducted based on PRISMA guidelines and its.
This article systematically reviews the available literature to improve our understanding of the physiological basis for orthoses under the kinematic, shock attenuation and neuromotor control.
Mar 15, 2019. An abstract for a literature review or meta-analysis should describe: (1) the problem or relations under investigation (2) study eligibility criteria.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted. This review serves as the first attempt to synthesize scientific literature regarding the glycemic impact of.
Meta-analysis is associated with deductive research approach. Meta-synthesis literature review is conducted usually when following inductive research.
Literature review and basic meta-analysis skills, Public Health Summer School, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington.
Space Exploration Science 9 Empirical Chemical Formula Of X The development of Tide® — "the washing miracle" synthetic detergent — by Procter & Gamble will be designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark in a special. became known in the company as. General Zinc Information : Chemical Formula: Zn : Composition: Molecular Weight = 65.39 gm Zinc 100.00 % Zn:
Howard, M. C. (2017). A meta-analysis and systematic literature review of virtual reality rehabilitation programs. Computers in Human Behavior, 70, 317-327.
Nov 28, 2018. Statistical methods (meta-analysis) may or may not be used to analyse and. "A systematic review is a summary of the clinical literature.
Jan 15, 2018 · Based on our systematic review and examination of high-quality studies on RPM, we found that remote patient monitoring showed early promise in.
It's important to note that not every systematic review includes a meta-analysis but a meta-analysis can't exist without a systematic review of the literature.
Jul 27, 2010 · In a meta-analysis, Julianne Holt-Lunstad and colleagues find that individuals’ social relationships have as much influence on mortality risk as other well-established risk factors for mortality, such as smoking.
An alternative is to conduct a meta-analysis, which is a statistical technique. a traditional literature review, and is excellent for highlighting correlations and links.
Feb 01, 2019 · Reproduced from: Grant MJ, Booth A. A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Info Libr J. 2009 Jun;26(2):91-108. doi.
Sep 30, 2018 · Systematic review and meta-analysis of neural effects of psychotherapies in major depression, all participants were medication-free. • Meta-analysis revealed a significant group by time effect in the left rostral anterior cingulate (rACC) in response to affective visual processing tasks.
Social Sciences Review Of Pakistan
Meta Analysis With Publication Bias
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I have a life to live and a chance to live it
The title of this post is a quote from the BBC show Merlin. I really like this as I think it can inspire anyone who reads it. It can give a reader hope. We all have chances in our lives. Some of us are even lucky enough to get a second chance.
If you don’t take the risk, if you don't take the chance then it’s more than likely you will regret not taking it. It could have led onto to bigger and brighter things. However, it may not have done. It may have been the worst decision you've ever made.
The point is, if you have a chance and you feel passionately about it, then take it. What's stopping you? What's the worst that can happen?
Circling back to the title of this post, I can relate to this as a writer.
Right now, I have my chance to get my work out into the general public and show them what I am capable of. This is my chance to show them my writing and encourage them to read more of my stories. That was the whole point of making this website. To get my work out there and for you all to read it, critique it and share it.
Sometimes I take this chance for granted.
Sometimes I hate writing and want nothing more than to give up, throw the drafts in the bin, delete the word documents on my laptop and go to bed.
Sometimes I hate a piece of work so much that I leave it for a number of weeks and ignore it, I pretend it doesn't exist.
Sometimes I love a piece of writing, but others hate it. They want me to change it, to make it more readable, more believable, and more realistic. But at the end of the day, only I can do that. I'm the one who makes the final decision. Because I am the one who wrote it, who spent hours perfecting it.
I am very lucky to have this chance.
There are some people out there who can't get their work out there. Who keep getting shot down time and time again. There are some people in this profession who are scared to show their work of, because they're frightened about the response. They may feel so protective about their writing that they can't bear to have any criticism, they don't want people to tear it apart and point out the mistakes.
I respect them.
It takes a wide range of people to make this world.
It takes real courage to put your writing out there. It is scary and it takes guts. Because there will be people who don't like the way you write, who don't like the plot of a story or the characters. And that's fair enough.
I believe that in order to make your work better, is to accept criticism and take it on bored.
Of course we feel protective about our writing. It's only natural.
We spend so much time thinking about the plot, about the characters, about the setting, the action and dialogue. We edit, redraft, edit again and proof read several times. Often pulling our hair out and bursting into tears because we think we can’t do it.
But there has to come a time where we let these stories go. And that can be really hard for some writers. We can do it.
After all.
"There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.” - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice.
This is going to be scary for me.
Below, I’m going to include a poem I wrote during my first year at university. I want to say that I can't write poetry to save my life. I love reading it, but I can't write it. So please forgive me, here goes.
Poem of movement
A long journey by train to London town,
Return ticket, there and back again.
Excitement coursing through my veins,
Anticipation to gaze at the big bright city.
Hannah sat beside me, chattering away,
Awaiting the stop at St Pancras station.
Countryside, hills, lake hurtle past the glass,
An artist’s pallet of green and blue and yellow.
Stuck on the platform, “it’s already too busy.”
Hannah shrugs, smiles and scurries away.
Thoughts? Criticism? Anything?
...Hello?
I am really proud of this piece. I forgot I had it until I looked through my first years stuff.
It took a lot of courage to tell you this. I hope that it has inspired you to take a chance, to push aside your fears and do something scary.
Who knows where you could end up?
I'll leave you with this quote.
"Fear doesn't have to make you cruel or cowardly… fear can make you kind. It doesn't matter if there’s nothing under the bed or in the dark, so long as you know it's ok to be afraid of it. So, listen. If you listen to nothing else, listen to this. You're always going to be afraid, even if you learn to hide it. Fear is like… a companion. A constant companion, always there. But that's ok. Because fear can bring us together. Fear can bring you home." - Clara Oswald, Doctor Who.
Until the next time folks!
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1 Thessalonians 4:15-16 Commentary
1 Thessalonians 4 Resources
1 Thessalonians 4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: Touto gar umin legomen (1PPAI) en logo kuriou, oti emeis oi zontes (PAPMPN) oi perileipomenoi (PPPMPN) eis ten parousian tou kuriou ou me phthasomen (1PAAS) tous koimethentas; (APPMPA)
Amplified: For this we declare to you by the Lord’s [own] word, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord shall in no way precede [into His presence] or have any advantage at all over those who have previously fallen asleep [in Him in death]. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: For we tell you this, not by our own authority but by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who survive until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not take precedence over those who have fallen asleep. (Westminster Press)
Milligan: Regarding this, we say, we are confident, for we have it on the direct authority of the Lord Himself that we who are surviving when the Lord comes will not in any way anticipate those who have fallen asleep. (St. Paul's Epistles to the Thessalonians. 1908)
NLT: I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: Here we have a definite message from the Lord. It is that those who are still living when he comes will not in any way precede those who have previously fallen asleep. (Phillips: Touchstone)
TLB: I can tell you this directly from the Lord: that we who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves.
Weymouth: For this we declare to you on the Lord’s own authority—that we who are alive and continue on earth until the Coming of the Lord, shall certainly not forestall those who shall have previously passed away.
Wuest: For this we are saying to you by the Lord's word, that as for us who are living and are left behind until the coming of the Lord, we shall by no means precede those who fell asleep, (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: for this to you we say in the word of the Lord, that we who are living -- who do remain over to the presence of the Lord -- may not precede those asleep,
FOR THIS WE SAY TO YOU BY THE WORD OF THE LORD THAT WE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN UNTIL THE COMING OF THE LORD: Touto gar humin legomen (PAI): Touto gar humin legomen (1PPAI) en logo kuriou, hoti hemeis oi zontes (PAPMPN) oi perileipomenoi (PPPMPN) eis ten parousian tou kuriou: (1Kings 13:1,9,17,18,22; 20:35; 22:14) (1Corinthians 15:51, 52, 53; 2Corinthians 4:14)
This I say to you by the Word of the Lord - With the phrase "by (literally in) the Word of the Lord" Paul introduces not only a new subject but also new revelation he had received from the Lord. This is not Paul's idea but comes from and with the authority of the Lord Who gives us one of the most detailed accounts of His return for His Bride, the Church. The Lord is the Source of this truth. The Word of the Lord is a Word of promise. Believe it and be blessed.
The pronoun this introduces all that follows the word that in this verse.
To you - A special message to his readers from their Lord. Moffatt thus renders it…
For we tell you, as the Lord has told us.
Stedman adds that…
I take those words to mean that this is something he had not taught them when he was in Thessalonica. He had taught them about Jesus' death and resurrection and how that would affect them, but he did not give them details of time and circumstance of his coming again. Now the apostle is revealing further truth.
We who are alive - Clearly indicates Paul was living in the light of the imminent return of His Lord. How do we reach this conclusion? The use of the plural pronoun we indicates that Paul himself expected to be alive at the parousia. It supports the teaching that the apostle Paul believed that the Rapture was imminent (the condition of being about to occur) and implies that no preceding signs or events had to occur prior to the Bridegroom's return for His Bride, the Church.
James alluded to the imminency of the Lord's return writing…
Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. (James 5:9) (Comment: Many Scripture passages depict the return of Christ as an imminent event - Mt 24:42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48; Mark 13:33, 34, 35, 36, 37; Luke 12:35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40; Romans 13:12 (note); 1Cor 7:29; Philippians 3:20 [note]; Php 3:21 [note]; Php 4:5 [note]; 1Th 1:10 [note]; Titus 2:13 [note]; He 9:28 [note]; 1Pe 4:7 [note]; 1Jn 2:18; Jude 1:21; Re 3:11 [note]; Re 22:7 [note], Re 22:10 [note], Re 22:20 [note])
A practical application of the doctrine of imminency (click here for more detail) is that one cannot know the day or hour of our Lord's return and therefore one must strive to always be ready to meet Him in the air. It is interesting that even those who do not accept this doctrine, acknowledge it as one held by many Christians over the past two millennia. For example the amillennialist Adam Clarke (see critique) in his notes on Revelation 20:2 writes…
It has long been the idle expectation of many persons that the millennium, in their sense, was at hand; and its commencement has been expected in every century since the Christian era… (Clarke then goes on to add in a declaration that speaks for itself)… Yet there is no doubt that the earth is in a state of progressive moral improvement; and that the light of true religion is shining more copiously everywhere, and will shine more and more to the perfect day. (Ref)
Hiebert defends the premise that Paul believed in the imminent return of Christ beginning with his rebuttal of Calvin's attempt to explain away this idea…
Calvin ingeniously explains that although Paul knew by "a special revelation that Christ would come at a somewhat later date," he yet here speaks as though he would be among the living "to arouse the Thessalonians to wait for it, and to keep all the godly in suspense." But Paul's indication that he was looking for the Lords return was no pious pretense perpetrated for the good of the church. He sincerely lived and labored in the anticipation of the day, but he did not know when it would come.
The time of the return remains unrevealed (cf. Matt. 24:36; Acts 1:7).
"The last day is hidden, that every day may be regarded" (Augustine).
It cannot be demonstrated from his letters that later on Paul gave up this hope and expected death instead. As he grew older he well realized that the chances of his survival were diminishing, but that did not eliminate the hope.
In 2 Corinthians, written some five years later, Paul deals with his personal attitude to the alternatives of death and the coming of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:1-10). In it he again uses "we." In 2 Cor 5:2-4 he expresses his yearning for that which cannot take place until the Lord's return; in 2 Cor 5:6 he asserts that he is of good courage in the face of death, and in 2 Cor 5:8 he reasserts that he "would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
Clearly he still yearns for the parousia, which is certain to come, but is unafraid of death, which may come first.
In the epistle to the Philippians, written perhaps some five years later still, he describes his own attitude toward death in language akin to that in 2 Corinthians and indicates that death for him is no remote possibility (Php 1:21, 22, 23, 23-see notes Ph 1:21; 22; 23; 24). Yet in 1Thes 3:20 he uses "we," and "our" in 1Th 3:13-note, to describe the characteristic attitude of believers toward the coming of Christ.
Even in the pastoral epistles, written last of all, Paul uses "we" in connection with the hope of the second advent. In Titus 2:11, 12, 13 (notes Titus 2:11; 12; 13) Paul speaks of the grace of God instructing us to live godly lives "while we wait for the blessed hope."
Even in 2 Timothy, where he uses language that can only mean that he was anticipating a speedy execution, he still speaks of the reward awaiting those who love His appearing (2Ti 4:8-note).
Clearly Paul shared that attitude of expectancy that should characterize each generation of believers. He did not know that he would be alive until the parousia, neither could he affirm that he would not be. (Hiebert, D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians: BMH Book. 1996)
And so we see that a number of Scriptures (there is some duplication of the following references with the references in the previous note) support the fact that Paul had a fervent hope and expectation that he might be among those who were alive at the Parousia of His Lord…
For example, in Romans 13 Paul wrote
Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation ("future tense salvation" - glorification - see Three Tenses of Salvation) is nearer to us than when we believed. The night [of man’s sin and Satan’s rule] is almost gone, and the day [of Christ’s return] is near. (Ro 13:11, 12-See notes Ro 13:11; 12)
In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul includes himself among those who might still be alive at the Rapture writing
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed (1Co 15:51,52).
As Paul concluded First Corinthians he wrote
If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed. Maranatha” (1Co 16:22)
Maranatha is Aramaic (maran_atha) meaning “Oh Lord, come!” ("Our Lord come", "Come, O Lord") and expresses Paul’s hope that the Lord would return soon.
The apostle wrote to Titus that he was
looking for (prosdechomai in the present tense = means as the habit of one's life, continually waiting even with a sense of expectancy) the blessed hope and the appearing (cf, the parousia) of the glory of our great God and Savior , Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13-note)
Dear believer in Christ, does you day to day conduct indicate that you are living as if you might see your Bridegroom today? Do your choices reflect an upward look or are you "tethered" to this present world which is passing away? Beloved, don't waste your life. (see Piper's msg - Don't Waste Your Life even better in the Mp3 Audio) What you are looking for will determine what you are living for. Look for Christ and live accordingly. Let our Lord's words motivate you to strive to maintain a future focus…
Behold, I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me to render to every man according to what he has done. (Re 22:12-note)
Alive (2198) (zao) is refers to those who are still physically living on earth when the Lord returns.
Remain (4035) (perileipo from perí = intensifies meaning of the verb + leípo = to leave, lack) means to leave over, to leave all around, (pass.) survive. In Classic Greek the passive voice referred to those who survived and therefore remained or were left behind, the title of a famous novel series! Unlike the book and movie "Left Behind" (which describes unbelievers who "miss" the Rapture), here Paul uses the idea of left behind to describe the ones who will "remain over," or "survive" unto the parousia (cf. 1Th 2:19-note). This is the generation of Christians who will be alive at that time and who will never experience physical death.
The coming (3952) (parousia) is a combination of two Greek words para = with, alongside + ousia = being (ousia is the participial form of the verb eimi = to be) which together literally mean to be alongside.
Most lexicons state that parousia is derived from pareimi (from para = near, with + eimi = to be) which means to be present, to be nearby, to have come.
Parousia literally means a being beside or a presence. The word denotes both an arrival and a consequent presence with.
Parousia conveys the thought of an arrival (advent or coming) of a person to a place plus the idea of their presence at that place until a certain event transpires. The word parousia has no English equivalent and therefore is often transliterated in writings.
John MacArthur writes that…
Parousia refers to more than just coming; it includes the idea of “presence.” Perhaps the best English translation would be “arrival.” The church’s great hope is the arrival of Jesus Christ when He comes to bless His people with His presence. That glorious truth appears in more than 500 verses throughout the Bible. (Macarthur J. James. Moody or Logos) (Bolding added)
Parousia is used 24 times in the NT (and none in the non-apocryphal Septuagint) (Mt 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1Co 15:23; 16:17; 2Co. 7:6, 7; 10:10; Phil. 1:26; 2:12; 1Th 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2Th 2:1, 8, 9; Jas 5:7, 8; 2Pe 1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 Jn. 2:28) and is translated coming 22 times and presence twice.
In an ancient Greek letter a lady speaks of the necessity of her parousia in a place in order to attend to matters relating to her property there. Moulton and Milligan have these secular quotes…
the repair of what has been swept away by the river requires my presence
“we await your presence,” (a man to his “brothers)
it is no use if a person comes too late for what required his presence
In another secular Greek writing we find parousia used to refer to the coming of a king or other noted official (see note below). In the visit of the ruler was accompanied by magnificent ceremonies, delicacies to eat, gifts of money, street improvements, new buildings, addressing of complaints and requests! Sounds like the coming of the King to take His throne in the 1000 year Millennial or Messianic Kingdom!
Moulton and Milligan add that…
What, however, more especially concerns us in connexion with the NT usage of parousia is the quasi-technical force of the word from Ptolemaic times onwards to denote the “visit” of a King, Emperor, or other person in authority, the official character of the “visit” being further emphasized by the taxes or payments that were exacted to make preparations for it. Thus in P Petr II. 39(e)18 (iii/b.c.) mention is made of contributions for a “crown” (stephanou) to be presented to the King on his “arrival” (parousias), and in a letter of b.c. 264 or 227, P Grenf II. 14(b)2, a certain Appenneus writes that he has prepared “for the visit of Chrysippus” (the dioecetes) by laying in a number of birds for his consumption. Other examples from the papyri are P Par 26i. 18 (b.c. 163–2) (= Selections, p. 15), where the Serapeum Twins lay their grievances before King Ptolemy Philometor and Queen Cleopatra on the occasion of their royal visits to Memphi… “the 80 artabae of wheat for the supplies imposed in connexion with the King’s visit” (Edd.).
SHALL NOT PRECEDE THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP: ou me phthasomen (1PAAS) tous koimethentas; (APPMPA): (Job 41:11; Psalms 88:13; 119:147,148; Matthew 17:25)
Not (ou me) is actually a double negative, so that Paul is saying in essence that there is absolutely no way those who are alive will precede those who have died. The revelation that the living believers will not have any advantage over the dead believers at the return of Christ provides the truth that should make any further feeling of grieving for dead believers wholly unjustified. Paul is teaching that both classes of believers at the Lord's return will share the same destiny at the same time.
Precede (5348)(phthano) means go before in time, to be beforehand or go prior to. The idea is to antedate another, which is primary meaning in this verse. Phthano in other contexts means to reach, to attain or to arrive at, as one would arrive at a state or a goal (Ro 9:31-note, Php 3:16-note).
The living believers shall not come into the blessings associated with the return of Christ any sooner than the dead in Christ. In other words there is absolutely no way the living will "get a head start" on those believers who have already died.
Phthano is used 7 times in the NT…
Matthew 12:28 "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Luke 11:20 "But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Romans 9:31 (note) but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
2 Corinthians 10:14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ;
Philippians 3:16 (note) however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
1 Thessalonians 2:16 (note) hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost.
1 Thessalonians 4:15 (note) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep.
Who have fallen asleep - More literally those who have been falling asleep, which refers to believers who had already died.
Fallen asleep (2837) (koimao related to keímai = to lie outstretched, to lie down) describes the state believers who have died prior to the Lord's return.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (NASB: Lockman)
Greek: hoti autos o kurios en keleusmati, en phone archaggelou kai en salpiggi theou, katabesetai (3SFMI) ap' ouranou, kai oi nekroi en Christo anastesontai (3PFMI) proton
Amplified: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud cry of summons, with the shout of an archangel, and with the blast of the trumpet of God. And those who have departed this life in Christ will rise first. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay: For the Lord himself will descend from heaven, with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead who are in Christ will rise first, (Westminster Press)
Milligan: What will happen will rather be this. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet-call of God. Then those who died in Christ, and in consequence are still living in Him, shall rise first. (St. Paul's Epistles to the Thessalonians. 1908)
NLT: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. (NLT - Tyndale House)
Phillips: One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven! (Phillips: Touchstone)
Weymouth: For the Lord Himself will come down from Heaven with a loud word of command, and with an archangel’s voice and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Wuest: because the Lord himself with a cry of command, with an archangel's voice, and with a call of a trumpet sounded at God's command, shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall be raised first, (Eerdmans)
Young's Literal: because the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,
FOR THE LORD HIMSELF WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN: hoti autos o kurios… katabesetai (3SFMI) ap' ouranou: (Isaiah 25:8,9; Matthew 16:27; 24:30,31; 25:31; 26:64; Acts 1:11; 2Thessalonians 1:7; 2Peter 3:10; Revelation 1:7) (Numbers 23:21; Psalms 47:1,5; Zechariah 4:7; 9:9)
For the Lord Himself - He will send not emissaries, envoys, or angels but will come Himself as the Bridegroom for His Bride.
Descend (2597) (katabaino from katá = down + baíno = to walk, to go or to come) means to come or go down and so to descend from a higher to a lower place. It means to move downward. Figuratively it can mean to be brought down (Mt 11:23, Lk 10:15). In this verse it describes descent from heaven.
Katabaino describes God descending to afford aid to the oppressed in Acts…
I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt, and have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.' (Acts 7:34 from Ex. 3:8)
Heaven (3772) (ouranos) describes literally the expanse of space that seems to be over the earth like a dome. In the NT heaven and earth comprise all of creation, though the two are distinctive (Mt 6:9-note). God spoke both into existence and heaven is His realm. In Hebrew thought heaven was Jehovah's dwelling place and is the believer's true and eternal home. (see more detailed discussion)
WITH A SHOUT: en keleusmati:
At the outset it should be noted that some insist on 3 distinct sounds, some distinguish 2 distinct sounds and still others favor one great signal from heaven. These notes will not try to separate between these 3 possibilities.
Hiebert notes that there are
Three prepositional phrases, standing before the verb in the original (Ed note: the verb katabaino or descend follows the 3 phrase below in the original Greek), describe the accompanying circumstances at the Lord's descent, "with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God." "With" in each phrase represents the preposition en, "in, in connection with," denoting the attendant circumstance. (Ibid)
Vance Havner once said…
I’m not looking for signs. I’m listening for a sound.
Let us all be found living and listening for His return…
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Re 22:20-note)
Shout (2752) (keleusma from keleúo = to command or order from kello = to urge on) (Only used here in the NT) refers to a shout of command or an order.
Keleusma was used in classic Greek to describe a shout implying authority and urgency. The idea is of a loud, authoritative cry, often uttered in the thick of great excitement.
Hiebert comments that keleusma…
implies authority and urgency. It was variously used of a general shouting orders to his troops, a driver shouting to excite his horses to greater speed, a hunter encouraging his hounds to the pursuit of the prey, or a captain of rowers exciting them to more vigorous rowing. The shout is left undefined, no definitive genitive being added. Nothing is said as to who gives the shout, or to whom it is directed. (Ibid)
Thayer adds that keleusma was used of
a stimulating cry, either that by which animals are roused and urged on by man, as horses by charioteers, hounds by hunters, etc., or that by which a signal is given to men, e. g. to rowers by the master of a ship (Lucian), to soldiers by a commander (Thucydides)
TDNT adds that…
With a basic sense of “what is impelled,” keleusma has such meanings as “command,” “summons,” “cry of encouragement,” and “cry.” In ordinary speech it tends to be replaced by keleusis, which becomes a technical term for a government decree. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)
The historian Herodotus records a usage of keleusma to describe a signal for engagement in battle.
Keleusma was used in the Roman army at the sound of the third trumpet a herald, standing at the right of the commander, called out times to ask if the soldiers were ready for war. The troops shouted loud out lustily "We are ready!"
Keleusma is used one time in the Septuagint (LXX)…
The locusts have no king, yet all of them go out in ranks (Septuagint reads "march orderly at one command {keleusma}." ) (Proverbs 30:27)
WITH THE VOICE OF… ARCHANGEL: en phone archaggelou: (Jude 1:9 )
Voice (5456)(phone from pháo = to shine from the idea of disclosure) is literally a sound or tone made or given forth. Plutarch calls it "that which brings light upon that which is thought of in the mind."
Archangel (743) (archaggelos from árchon = chief + ággelos = angel, envoy, messenger, one who is sent) refers to the first or highest angel, the archangel, leader of the angels. In the celestial hierarchy, an archangel would describe a spiritual being in rank above an angel.
In the celestial hierarchy, an archangel would describe a spiritual being in rank above an angel. Several New Testament passages imply a distinct hierarchy in the spirit world (Ep 1:21-note; Ep 6:12-note; Col 2:10-note; 1Pe 3:22-note)
The only other use of archaggelos is in Jude (not in the LXX) who records that…
But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you. (Jude 1:9)
In the book of Daniel, Michael is mentioned 3 times…
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. (Da 10:13)
However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince. (Da 10:21)
Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress (corresponds to time of Jacob's trouble in Jer 30:7 and the Great Tribulation in Mt 24:21) the such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. (Da 12:1)
The term archangel denotes a definite rank by virtue of which one is qualified for special work and service.
Vincent comments that
archangels appear in the apocryphal (Ed note: the Hebrew Old Testament canon recognized by Palestinian Jews [Tanak] did not include the fourteen books of the Apocrypha. Since the Hebrew Bible was preferred by the Reformers during the Protestant Reformation in their struggle against the Catholic Church, whose Bible contained the Apocrypha, translators of Protestant Bibles excluded the Apocrypha.) literature. In the Book of Enoch (see on Jude 1:14) four are named, Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel. Michael is set over the tree which, at the time of the great judgment, will be given over to the righteous and humble, and from the fruit of which life will be given to the elect. In Tob. 12:15, Raphael appears as one of the seven holy angels. Comp. Apoc. 8:2. (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament. Volume 4:42)
AND THE TRUMPET OF GOD: kai en salpiggi theou: (Ex 19:16; 20:18; Isaiah 27:13; Zechariah 9:14; 1Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 1:10; 8:13 )
Trumpet (4536)(salpigx/salpinx from salos = vibration, billow or salpizo = to sound a trumpet) is a wind instrument like a bugle that was often used for signaling, especially in connection with war.
TDNT notes that salpigx (or salpinx)
denotes a wind instrument, made of bronze or iron with a mouthpiece of horn, and broadening out to a megaphone, i.e., a “trumpet.” The word may also denote the sound made by the instrument, its signal or playing. Other uses are for thunder as a heavenly trumpet sound or for a human speaker as a trumpet. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans)
There are 11 uses of salpigx in the NT…
Matthew 24:31 "And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Comment: This time period is at the end of the Great Tribulation, punctuated by Christ's triumphant return, the harvesting of believers and then the separation of the sheep and goats, Mt 25:31)
1 Corinthians 14:8 For if the bugle produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle?
1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 (note) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Hebrews 12:19 (note) and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word should be spoken to them.
Revelation 1:10 (note) I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet,
Revelation 4:1 (note) After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things."
Revelation 8:2 (note) And I saw the seven angels who stand before God; and seven trumpets were given to them… 8:6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them… 8:13 And I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe, to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"
Revelation 9:14 (note) one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."
There are 72 uses of salpigx in the Septuagint (LXX) (Ex 19:13, 16, 19; 20:18; Lev. 23:24; 25:9; Num. 10:2, 8ff; 31:6; Jos. 6:5, 8, 13, 20; 1 Sam. 13:3; 2 Sam. 2:28; 6:15; 2 Ki. 11:14; 12:13; 1 Chr. 13:8; 15:24, 28; 16:6, 42; 2 Chr. 5:12f; 7:6; 13:12, 14; 15:14; 20:28; 23:13; 29:26ff; Ezra. 3:10; Neh. 8:15; 12:35, 41; Job 39:24f; Ps. 47:5; 81:3; 98:6; 150:3; Isa. 18:3; 27:13; 58:1; Jer. 4:5, 19, 21; 6:1, 17; 42:14; 51:27; Ezek. 7:14; 33:3ff; Dan. 3:5, 7, 10, 15; Hos. 5:8; Joel 2:1, 15; Amos 2:2; 3:6; Zeph. 1:16; Zech. 9:14)
Exodus 19:16 So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782} ; Lxx = salpigx) sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.
Numbers 10:2 "Make yourself two trumpets (Lxx = salpigx) of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out.
Numbers 10:9 "And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, (Lxx = salpigx) that you may be remembered before the LORD your God, and be saved from your enemies.
Joshua 6:20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and it came about, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782} ; Lxx = salpigx), that the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.
1 Samuel 13:3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782}; Lxx = salpigx) throughout the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."
2 Samuel 6:15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782}; Lxx = salpigx).
Psalm 47:5 God has ascended with a shout, The LORD, with the sound of a trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782}; Lxx = salpigx).
Psalm 81:3 Blow the trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782}; Lxx = salpigx) at the new moon, At the full moon, on our feast day.
Isaiah 27:13 It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782}; Lxx = salpigx) will be blown; and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.
Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782}; Lxx = salpigx) in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near,
Joel 2:15 Blow a trumpet (Hebrew = shophar = ram's horn {7782}; Lxx = salpigx) in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly,
From these Old Testament uses Jewish people were familiar with trumpets or shophars which were used to declare war, to announce festivals and seasons, to gather the people, to announce the giving of the Law
In the Roman Empire, trumpets were used to announce the arrival of a great person.
?SEVENTH =
LAST TRUMPET?
Although the word trumpet does not appear in Revelation 11:15, the seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet, John recording…
And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." (Re 11:5-note)
Comment: Using a literal interpretation of the Revelation a careful analysis of the timing of events identifies the seventh and "last" trumpet at the midpoint of the seven year period marking the onset of the 3.5 year Great Tribulation.
The question one might then ask is whether this "last" trumpet could be identical to the "last trumpet" in 1Corinthians 15:52?
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
From the passages in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 it is clear that the rapture or "catching up" of the Church is also associated with a trumpet.
In light of the repetition of the word trumpet, it is not surprising that some commentators associate the trumpets in 1Thessalonians 4:16 with the "last trumpet" in 1Corinthtians 15:52 and the seventh angel sounding the "last" of the seven trumpet judgments in Re 11:15 (note) which marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation. the last 3.5 years of the 7 year period usually referred to as the Tribulation. They reason that based on these associations, the "timing" of the Rapture corresponds to the seventh angel sounding the last trumpet and thereby arrive at a so-called "Mid-Tribulation" Rapture position.
There is however a significant problem with that interpretation in that the trumpet in Revelation 11:15 is not actually the last trumpet in the end times eschatological events. In fact at the end of the Seven Year Tribulation there is another trumpet associated with the triumphant return of Christ, Matthew recording our Lord's words…
And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (Matthew 24:31)
Furthermore, while the trumpets in 1Thessalonians 4:16 and 1Corinthian 15:52 deal respectively with the Rapture of believers and their resurrection change, the seven trumpets of Revelation deal with God's judgment on unbelievers. In short, the last trumpet that is associated with the rapture of the Church is not equated with the seventh trumpet of Re 11:15-note.
John MacArthur explains the trumpet puzzle in his excellent study of the Revelation…
The seventh trumpet covers an extended period of time, thus distinguishing it from the instantaneous (“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” event of the “last trumpet.” Instead of calling for the moment of the Rapture of the church, as the “last trumpet” does, the seventh trumpet calls for prolonged waves of judgment on the ungodly. It does not parallel the trumpet of 1Corinthians 15:52, but does parallel the trumpet of Joel 2:1, 2: “Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 : The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999.)
Hiebert adds a similar thought concerning the trumpet noting that…
It is clearly parallel to the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 because both passages relate to the rapture of the church. That this trumpet should be equated with the "seventh trumpet" in Revelation 11:15 is highly improbable." The subjects are different: here it is the church; there a wicked world. The results are different: here it is the glorious catching up of the church to be with the Lord; there it is further judgment upon a godless world. Here "the last trumpet signals the close of the life of the church on earth; there the "seventh" trumpet marks a climax in a progressive series of apocalyptic judgments upon the living on earth.
Others would equate this trumpet in 1Thessalonians 4:16 with that in Matthew 24:31; but this too seems improbable.' There is a similarity between the two, since in both the blowing of the trumpet is associated with a gathering of the Lord's people; but there are marked differences. The subjects are different: here the reference is to the church; there the Olivet discourse portrays Jewish believers during the Great Tribulation. The circumstances are different: here the trumpet is connected with the raising of the believing dead; there no mention is made of a resurrection, but it is connected with a regathering of the elect who have been scattered over the earth. The result is different: here the blowing of the trumpet results in the uniting of the raised dead with the living as one body to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air; there the elect are the living believers who are regathered from all parts of the earth at the command of their Lord, who has returned to earth in open glory (Ibid)
AND THE DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE FIRST: kai oi nekroi en Christo anastesontai (FMI) proton: (1Corinthians 15:23,51,52; Revelation 20:5,6)
The dead in Christ - This phrase equates with Paul's earlier description of those who have fallen asleep (1Th 4:14-note). Notice the important phrase in Christ (see discussions of in Christ and in Christ Jesus) indicating that although they are physically dead, they are still in spiritual union with Him. Death cannot sever a believer from Him.
Hiebert notes that…
Those now in heaven in a disembodied state (2 Cor. 5:8-9) Christ will bring with Him (1Thes 4:14) to receive their resurrection bodies. The raising of their bodies will take place "first," the first act in the drama to take place at the parousia. (Ibid)
Dead (3498)(nekros from nékus = a corpse or dead body; English - necropsy, necrophobia, etc) means dead as in one who has taken their last breath. In the present context of dead in Christ this is clearly a reference to the spiritually alive believers who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
Will rise (450) (anistemi from ana = up, again, back + histemi = stand) is used some 123 times in the NT and literally means to stand up or make to stand up as describing a change in physical position (rising from sleep, Mk 1:35)
Figuratively, anistemi speaks of rising up against others (of high priest filled with jealousy rising up to lay hands on the apostles, Acts 5:17; "Theudas rose up" {a seditious leader}, Acts 5:36; of false teachers who would "from your own selves… will arise speaking perverse things", Acts 20:30). In another figurative use anistemi means rising to a position of preeminence ("The Lord shall raise up for you a prophet" Acts 3:22 - admittedly this verse could have a double meaning - raising to preeminence and raising up physically from the dead).
Clearly in the present context, Paul uses anistemi to refer to the rising up or resurrection from the dead (as also in the following passages which specifically use anistemi to refer to Jesus' resurrection - Mt 17:9, 20:19; Mk 8:31; 9:9,10, 31; 10:34; Lk 18:33; 24:7, 46; Jn 20:9; Acts 2:24, 32; 10:41; 13:34; 17:3, 31). Anistemi is used of the resurrection of believers in (John 6:39,40, 44, 54; 11:23, 24; 1Th 4:16) and the resurrection of unbelievers (Mt 12:41).
First (4413)(protos from superlative of pros = before) refers first in time, place, order, importance. The idea of first in this context is that the dead believers (those who have fallen asleep in Christ and are now returning with Him in a "disembodied" state) will be resurrected before the living are caught up or raptured. The survivors or those that remain will have to wait a moment as it were (more like a "twinkling of the eye"!). The upshot is that the saints who have died will not be at any disadvantage when the Lord returns and will not miss out on one of the more spectacular events in all of human history!
THE SEVEN RESURRECTIONS
Order Which Timing Who Description Scriptures
1 First The Third Day Jesus Christ The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Mt. 28:1-7
Mk 16:1-11
Lk 24:1-12
Jn 20:1-18
1Cor. 15:20
2 First Shortly after Christ’s Resurrection A Few Old Testament Saints At the earthquake attending the crucifixion, graves were opened. Shortly after the resurrection of Christ, these saints were raised.6 Mt 27:50-53
3 First Before the Tribulation Church The resurrection of Church-age believers at the Rapture. John 14:3
1Th 4:13-18
1Co 15:50-53
4 First Middle of the Tribulation Two Witnesses God’s two witnesses will be raised after being killed by The Beast. Rev 11:11-12
5 First After Jacob’s Trouble
(After the Great Tribulation) OT Saints Old Testament saints will be resurrected to enter the Millennial Kingdom Da 12:1-2
Isa 26:19 Eze 37:13-14
6 First Beginning of Millennial Kingdom Tribulation Martyrs The Tribulation martyrs will be resurrected so that they can rule and reign with Christ. Revelation 20:4; 20:5; 20:6
7 Second End of Millennial Kingdom Unbelieving Dead
(not found recorded in the Book of Life) End of the millennial reign of Christ, the final resurrection will consist of all unbelieving wicked dead who will be found guilty at the Great White Throne Judgment and cast into the Lake of Fire Revelation 20:11; 20:12; 20:13; 20:14 20:15
Modified from Tony Garland's The Testimony of Jesus
See related topic The Two Resurrections
The Bridegroom will return soon for His Bride, the Church. With that truth in mind it is interesting to compare Scriptures with the customs associated with marriage in Jesus' day…
MARRIAGE CUSTOMS
IN BIBLE TIMES
(1). The father chose the bride for his son
He (God the Father) chose us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world (eternity past), that we should be holy and blameless before Him in love (Ep 1:4-note)
(2). A binding wedding agreement, the betrothal, was made before the marriage was consummated. Paul writes the Scriptural parallel…
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. (2Cor 11:2,3,4).
To break that covenant, a bill of divorcement was required (see Covenant and Marriage). If impurity (any unfaithfulness was considered adultery) was found in the bride, then the bride could be put to death (cf Joseph's desire to put the betrothed, pregnant Mary away secretly, Mt 1:18, 19, 20)
(3). At the appointed time for the marriage, the ceremonies began with the wedding procession, which usually took place near midnight (cf "an hour that you do not expect" Luke 12:40). (1Th 4:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18-see notes 1Th 4:13; 14 15 16 17 18 ).
(4).The bridegroom and his friends went to the bride's home to get her and her attendants and take them to his home. (Mt 25:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13). The bride was taken to the father's home, led to a canopy and beside her husband spoke the wedding vows.
(Jesus said) if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:3)(cf Re 19:7-note; Re 19:8-note).
(6). Following these events, the marriage supper (see Mt 22:1-14) usually took place at the home of the groom and lasted from 3-7 days, the last day being the most elaborate. The marriage supper was the ''bringing home'' of an already accredited bride to her covenanted husband, and to this celebration guests were invited.
And he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These are true words of God." (Re 19:9-note).
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are among the guests at the supper…
Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. "And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt 8:10,11,12).
Probably all the believers who survive the Great Tribulation and therefore enter the 1000 year reign Millennial Reign of Christ will also be guests at the marriage supper (see also Millennial Reign of the Saints).
All 1 Thessalonians Resources
1 Thessalonians Sermons-Alexander Maclaren
Spurgeon on 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians Commentaries & Sermons
1Thessalonians 4-5 Sermon Illustrations
1 Thessalonians Devotionals & Sermon Illustrations
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Invasive lionfish imperiling ecosystem
The South Pacific native with no known predator is eating its way through the Gulf and Caribbean.
By Pam LeBlancAustin American-Statesman
GALVESTON, Texas — It sounds like something from a horror film: A beautiful, feathery-looking species of fish with venomous spines and a voracious appetite sweeps into the Gulf of Mexico, gobbling up everything in its path.
Unfortunately for the native fish and invertebrates it’s eating, this invasion isn’t unfolding on the big screen.
In recent months, news has been spreading of lionfish, a maroon-and-white striped native of the South Pacific that first showed up off the coast of southern Florida in 1985. Most likely, someone dumped a few out of a home fish tank. With a reproduction rate that would put rabbits to shame and no predators to slow its march, the fish swept up the Eastern seaboard and down to the Bahamas and beyond, where it is now more common than in its home waters.
“The invasive lionfish have been nearly a perfect predator,” says Martha Klitzkie, director of operations at the nonprofit Reef Environmental Education Foundation, or REEF, headquartered in Key Largo, Fla. “Because they are such an effective predator, they’re moving into new areas and, when they get settled, the population increases pretty quickly.”
The lionfish population exploded in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas between 2004 and 2010. As lionfish populations boomed, the number of native prey fish dropped. According to a 2012 study by Oregon State University, native prey fish populations along nine reefs in the Bahamas fell an average of 65 percent in just two years.
Lionfish first appeared in the western Gulf of Mexico in 2010; scientists spotted them in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, a protected area about 100 miles off the Texas coast, in 2011. Now scuba divers spot them on coral heads nearly every time they explore a reef. So far, significant declines in native fish populations haven’t occurred here, but the future is uncertain.
‘IMPOSSIBLE BATTLE’
“It’s kind of this impossible battle,” says Michelle Johnston, a research specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Galveston, who manages a coral reef monitoring project at the Flower Garden Banks. “When you think how many are out there, I don’t think eradication is possible now.”
Two nearly identical species are found in the Gulf. They grow to about 18 inches and have numerous venomous spines. Their stripes are unique, like those of a zebra. They hover in the water, hanging near coral heads or underwater structures where reef fish flourish. Ambush predators, they wait for prey fish to draw near, then gulp them down in a flash.
The fish mature in a year and can spawn every four days, pumping out 2 million eggs a year. They live about 15 years.
In the South Pacific, predators and parasites keep lionfish in check. But here, nothing recognizes them as food – those feathery spines serve as do-not-touch warnings to other fish. The few groupers that have been spotted taste-testing lionfish have spit them back out, Johnston says.
In the basement of the NOAA Fisheries Science Center on the grounds of the old Fort Crockett in Galveston, Johnston sorts through a rack of glass vials. Each one contains the contents found in the stomach of a lionfish collected in the Flower Garden Banks.
She points to a fish called a bluehead wrasse in one jar. “This little guy should still be on the reef eating algae, not here in a tube,” she says. Other jars contain brown chromis, red night shrimp, cocoa damselfish and mantis shrimp, all native species found in lionfish bellies. “The amount of fish we find in their guts – it’s really alarming. They’re eating juvenile fish that should be growing up. They’re also eating fish that the native species are supposed to be eating.”
Lionfish can eat anything that fits into their mouth, even fish half their own size. They eat commercially important species, such as snapper and grouper, and the fish that those species eat, too. They’re eating so much, in fact, that scientists say some are suffering from a typically human problem – obesity. “We’re finding them with copious amount of fat – white, blubbery fat,” Johnston says.
They can adapt to almost any habitat, living anywhere from a mangrove in 1 foot of water to a reef 1,000 feet deep. They like crevices and holes but can find that on anything from a coral head to a drilling platform to a sunken ship. They can handle a wide range of salinity levels, too. Their range seems limited only by temperature – so far they don’t seem to overwinter farther north than Cape Hatteras, North Carolina – and their southern expansion extends to the northern tip of South America, although they are expected to reach the middle of Argentina in another year or two.
‘A SNOWBALL EFFECT’
“As long as they have something to eat, they’ll be there,” Johnston says.
The impact of their invasion could become widespread, scientists warn.
In the Gulf, lionfish are eating herbivores like damselfish and wrasse – “the lawnmowers of the reef,” Johnston calls them – that keep the reef clean.
“When you take the reef fish away, there’s not a lot of other things left to eat algae,” she says.
That creates a phase shift from a coral-dominated habitat to an algae-dominated one. “When you take fish away, coral gets smothered, the reef dies, and we lose larger fish. It’s a snowball effect of negativity.”
The only known way to keep lionfish populations in check, scientists say, is human removal.
That’s why lionfish “derbies,” or fishing tournaments of sorts, are popping up around the Caribbean and Gulf.
Locals are encouraged to kill and gather the fish, and in some places, including Belize, cook them up afterward.
The key is getting people to understand that lionfish are safe to eat – and tasty.
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News from Macerich Company A wide array of domestic and global news stories; news topics include politics/government, business, technology, religion, sports/entertainment, science/nature, and health/lifestyle.
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May 02, 2019, 07:00 ET Macerich Announces Quarterly Results
The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) today announced results of operations for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, which included net income attributable...
Apr 25, 2019, 16:30 ET Macerich Declares The Quarterly Dividend On Its Common Shares
The Board of Directors of the Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.75 per share of common stock. The dividend is...
Feb 07, 2019, 07:00 ET Macerich Announces Quarterly Results
The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) today announced results of operations for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, which included net income...
Jan 31, 2019, 16:30 ET Macerich Declares The Quarterly Dividend On Its Common Shares
Jan 07, 2019, 16:15 ET Macerich Announces Tax Treatment Of 2018 Dividends
The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) today announced the tax treatment for dividend distributions taxable in 2018 on its Common Stock. During the...
Dec 13, 2018, 06:00 ET Macerich And Wonderspaces To Bring Innovative Art Installation Concept To Scottsdale Fashion Square
Macerich (NYSE: MAC), one of the nation's leading owners, operators and developers of retail properties in top markets, and Wonderspaces, the...
Nov 16, 2018, 06:00 ET Macerich Launches BrandBox To Bridge Digital And Physical Retail
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Nov 14, 2018, 06:00 ET 5 In A Row: Macerich Earns Nareit's Prestigious Retail 'Leader In The Light' Award For Fifth Straight Year
For a remarkable fifth straight year, Macerich (NYSE: MAC), one of the nation's leading owners, operators and developers of one-of-a-kind retail...
Oct 31, 2018, 16:15 ET Macerich Announces Quarterly Results
The Macerich Company (NYSE Symbol: MAC) today announced results of operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, which included net income...
Oct 30, 2018, 13:30 ET Macerich Adds Crayola Experience, Part Of Major Wave Of Experiential Concepts Signed In 2018
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ – Macerich (NYSE: MAC), one of the nation's leading owners, operators and developers of...
Oct 25, 2018, 16:15 ET Macerich Declares An Increase In Its Quarterly Dividend
The Board of Directors of the Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC) declared an increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $.75 per share of common stock. The ...
Oct 09, 2018, 16:15 ET Macerich Schedules Third Quarter 2018 Earnings Release And Conference Call
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Sep 11, 2018, 06:00 ET Macerich And Simon Form Joint Venture To Create Los Angeles Premium Outlets™
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Aug 08, 2018, 06:00 ET Macerich Partners With Industrious As First Major Mall Owner To Add Flexible Workplaces In Malls Targeting Multi-Property Rollout
Macerich (NYSE: MAC), one of the nation's leading owners, operators, and developers of major retail properties in top markets, today announced a...
Aug 01, 2018, 16:10 ET Macerich Announces Quarterly Results
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Jul 26, 2018, 16:15 ET Macerich Declares The Quarterly Dividend On Its Common Shares
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The Macerich Company (NYSE: MAC), today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Peggy Alford to the Board. Ms. Alford will also be...
Jan 19, 2018, 04:30 ET Macerich Schedules Fourth Quarter 2017 Earnings Release And Conference Call
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Nov 15, 2017, 15:15 ET Macerich Earns Nareit's Prestigious Retail 'leader In The Light' Award For Fourth Straight Year, Leading Industry In Sustainability
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Home News Wladimir Klitschko announces retirement
Wladimir Klitschko announces retirement
Former World Heavyweight champion, Wladimir Klitschko, has retired from boxing, just over 3 months after his loss to Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.
Klitschko was said to have been ready to challenge Joshua for a rematch, which was embedded within his contract clause, a fight that would have taken place on November 11th in Las Vegas.
But the 2 time former champion has decided to hang up his gloves after 69 fights and a successful 21 year career. News broke on the Ukranian’s website of his retirement, which eventually crashed.
A statement on his website read, “I deliberately took a few weeks to make my decision, to make sure I had enough distance from the fight at Wembley Stadium. As an amateur and a professional boxer, I have achieved everything I dreamed of, and now I want to start my second career after sports.”
“I would have never imagined that I would have such a long and incredibly successful boxing career. I’m very thankful for this. Thanks to everyone who has always supported me, especially my family, my team and my many fans.”
Klitschko defeated by Joshua at Wembley Stadium in his last fight Photo Credit: skysports.com
Klitschko’s manager, Bernd Boente, spoke about the Ukranian’s decision. “Especially after this terrific fight at Wembley Stadium it was a very tough decision for Wladimir to make. But he has always emphasized that he wanted to retire if he didn’t have enough motivation anymore. Therefore this is definitively the right decision.”
“Wladimir accomplished everything in his unique boxing career. He dominated the Heavyweight division for over a decade. He fought in sold-out arenas and stadiums worldwide and millions of fans around the world watched his fights on TV. It has been a privilege for me to accompany Wladimir on this unique journey.”
Here is the full statement from Wladimir Klitschko regarding his retirement, from his website klitschko.com, via youtube.com.
bernd boente
unified heavyweight champion
wladimir klitschko
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Ukraine civil war death toll 1,100, over 3,500 wounded - UN
The aftermath of an artillery shelling of Slavyansk by the Ukrainian military (RIA Novosti / Andrey Stenin) © RIA Novosti
Some 1,129 people have been killed and nearly 3,500 wounded in eastern Ukraine since the start of the Kiev's military operation in April, according to UN estimates.
Live updates on the Kiev's bloody campaign in the east
The report also states that these are the minimum casualty toll estimates by the UN monitoring mission and WHO.
The report says that the cause of the rising death toll is intensified artillery shelling of the civilian residential areas and the so-called “collateral damage” of the armed actions in the heavily-populated areas.
Also, 100,000 people were forcibly displaced in eastern Ukraine.
The Kiev authorities are using heavy weaponry and artillery in strikes on residential areas, while the armed rebels are firing back, the report states.
“Both sides must take great care to prevent more civilians from being killed or injured,” she added. “Already increasing numbers of people are being killed, with serious damage to civilian infrastructure, which – depending on circumstances – could amount to violations of international humanitarian law. The fighting must stop,” the report stated.
On Friday, Human Rights Watch alleged that Kiev is using indiscriminate Grad missiles to attack densely populated areas in Donetsk, which violates international humanitarian law, and also blames the militia for taking cover in the same areas.
“Although Ukrainian government officials and the press service of the National Guard have denied using Grad rockets in Donetsk, a Human Rights Watch investigation on the ground strongly indicates that Ukrainian government forces were responsible for the attacks that occurred between July 12 and 21,” HRW stated.
'Downing of MH17 may constitute a war crime'
The downing of the Malaysian MH17 plane may amount to a “war crime,” the UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said.
“The horrendous shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines plane on 17 July came just after the cut-off date of this report,” Pillay said.
“This violation of international law, given the prevailing circumstances, may amount to a war crime. It is imperative that a prompt, thorough, effective, independent and impartial investigation be conducted into this event,” she added.
Due to ongoing violence in the area of the plane crash, investigation teams, including Dutch and Australian police, can't get to the scene.
On Sunday, at least 13 civilians and likely dozens more were killed by ongoing artillery strikes, as government troops closed in on militia positions around the city of Gorlovka.
Among the dead were a 1-year old and a 5-year old, according to information published by the Donetsk regional administration. The 1-year-old girl was killed next to her parents.
Trends:Ukraine turmoil
Eastern Ukraine crisis
HRW blames Kiev army for indiscriminately killing civilians with missiles
Dozens, including 2 children, die as Kiev troops shell Gorlovka in E.Ukraine (VIDEO)
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Jamaica's Entire Anti-Doping Commission Resigns
The move follows complaints of less than aggressive drug testing.
By Peter Gambaccini
PhotoRun
Less than a month after World Anti-Doping Agency officials visited Jamaica to conduct what the nation’s minister for sport called an “extraordinary audit,” the entire board of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission and its chairman, Dr. Herb Elliot, have resigned. The board members will step down on December 31.
As Simon Hart of the Telegraph in the UK reports, JADCO’s former executive director, Renee Anne Shirley, revealed in a Sports Illustrated article that the organization conducted only one out-of-competition drug test in the five months leading up to the 2012 Olympics, that it had never conducted a blood test on an athlete, and that it was perpetually understaffed.
WADA President John Fahey had charged that JADCO officials were engaged in “farcical” attempts to delay his organization's inquiry for a year, and hinted that such behavior could result in sanctions that might have included Jamaica’s expulsion from the Olympics Games. It was soon determined that a timetable for WADA’s inspection visit to Jamaica was indeed in place, a fact that undercut Fahey's claims.
In 2013, six Jamaican track and field athletes have been banned for positive drug tests, including three-time Olympic gold medalist Veronica Campbell-Brown, former world 100-meter record holder Asafa Powell (seen above), and relay gold medalist Sherone Simpson.
Campbell-Brown was found to have used a diuretic that Jamaican athletic officials determined was not for performance enhancement. Powell and Simpson tested positive for oxilofrine, a stimulant found in certain dietary supplements.
JADCO Chairman Elliott’s alleged academic credentials, a master's degree in chemistry from Columbia University and a medical degree and Ph.D. in biochemistry from Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, had been questioned in a recent article in the Wall Street Journal; the reporter’s research did not verify that he had attended those universities. Though Elliott disputed the claims, he said he was resigning to protect JADCO’s reputation.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt, the two Jamaican sprint superstars who are the 2013 IAAF Athletes of the Year, have aired complaints about the perception of how “clean” Jamaica’s track programs may or may not be. Fraser-Pryce, according to the Telegraph, threatened to lead an athletes’ strike of the sport’s major championships unless Jamaican officials were more active and aggressive in countering what she called “untrue” allegations of doping by the country’s athletes. She claimed to be making progress in setting up a union to give athletes a greater voice in track and field matters in Jamaica.
Bolt, who is by all accounts the most well-paid track and field athlete in the world and a steady presence in a host of advertising campaigns, said that he’d lost one lucrative sponsorship because the would-be sponsor was led to believe, apparently by Fahey’s comments, that he would not be eligible for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
“That information is not correct,” stated Bolt. “There are a lot of things that are going on with this drugs thing that I really feel they need to clarify because, for me, it’s causing problems for me when it comes to making money from my sport. We really need to get this out of the way and move past this, get the rules down, get everything straight.”
World Marathon Majors Adopts Tough Anti-Doping Policy
World Anti-Doping Agency is “Dismayed” With New Russian Allegations
Deceased Russian Anti-Doping Official Wanted to Write a Book
Anti-Doping Agency Gives Amnesty for Positive Meldonium Tests
Anti-venom
Russia, Five Other Countries Non-Compliant with Anti-Doping Code
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08/27/2014 Echo
Compensation for contract children
The victims of compulsory administrative measures should not just receive an apology but also compensation. A popular initiative aiming to achieve this objective was launched on 31 March. It calls for a 500-million-franc compensation fund to be created. The money should be used to help the worst-affected victims and make amends for the injustice they suffered. Parliament adopted a law at the beginning of March that recognises this injustice. It also governs access to records and an historical reappraisal but does not provide for any financial compensation. This is now to be achieved through a popular initiative.
Members of Parliament fond of travel
Swiss Members of Parliament spent more time travelling abroad last year than ever before: 466 person travel days were booked compared with just 302 days in 2012. Out on his own at the top of the travel list was Filippo Lombardi, who visited 22 countries as the Council of States President. Travel costs for Members of Parliament amounted to 520,200 francs in 2013. They totalled 328,900 francs in the previous year.
More Swiss wine drunk
The Swiss consumed just under 107 million litres of Swiss wine in 2013. According to details from the Federal Office for Agriculture, that is almost 10 million litres more than in the previous year. The market share of Swiss wine amounts to 39% of a total of 273 million litres consumed. Among Swiss wines, consumption of white and red wines, standing at 53 million litres and 54 million litres respectively, is almost identical. Among foreign products, significantly more red wine – 183 million litres – is consumed.
Disclosure of bank data for US clients
Swiss banks must obtain approval from their US clients to provide data to the US authorities under the FATCA agreement. They must also inform clients about a possible administrative assistance procedure in accordance with this agreement. The FATCA agreement with the USA will enter into force before 1 July 2014, according to the Swiss Federal Tax Administration. If a bank does not receive from a US client a declaration of consent to the transfer of account details to the US Internal Revenue Service within a stipulated period, the account will be classified as a “non-consenting US account”. The US authority may request details of the “non-consenting US accounts” from Switzerland on the basis of this information using the administrative assistance procedure.
Ambiguous advertisement
The advertisement by soliswiss, not clearly labelled as such, that appeared on the back page of the April 2014 issue of “Swiss Review” caused some confusion. Some readers got the impression that the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) was supporting the petition launched by soliswiss for the integration of soliswiss into the new law on the Swiss abroad and for a default guarantee from federal government. However, this was simply a paid-for advertisement that had nothing to do with OSA.
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Switzerland during the First World War
Swiss literature – a presentation in Leipzig
At the best possible moment
Change at the top of the Consular Directorate
The Swiss people must provide clarity
Cut-out images
Gripen fighter jets suffer crash landing
Lessons in democracy
He put the small town of Grignan in the south of France on the map of world literature – Philippe Jaccottet
Information on the right to participate in votes and elections
Youth Seminar at the Congress of the Swiss Abroad
92nd Congress of the Swiss Abroad in Baden – 15 to 17 August 2014
Little gems
An outside perspective on national history
Globi becomes an organic farmer
Untouched nature
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Mr Brechbühl is Looking for a Cat
07/14/2017 Books
Sixty-five short stories that make up a novel – Tim Krohn’s new book is set in a Zurich apartment building at the beginning of the 21st century. Students, single women, immigrants and pensioners live in this typically Swiss rental accommodation. Right at the outset we are introduced to the retired tram driver Brechbühl, who feels he is living a pointless existence, and later the single mother Julia, who is juggling her career with bringing up her child. The tender relationship of Mr and Mrs Wyss, an elderly married couple, and the illness-plagued marriage of the Costas, an immigrant couple, are sensitively portrayed. Every reader will be able to identify with one or other of the residents. It emerges that while living in an apartment block can be torment, it is also a place where new friendships can be forged. The characters – with their desires and fears – are described in great detail. The novel – constructed like a TV series – produces a pleasurable, riveting whole. Readers will not want to miss the follow-up.
The story has a fascinating background. The author started a crowdfunding appeal online to fund the project by selling the stories before they had even been written. The project is still running successfully today. Buyers select a human feeling from the list which the author is continually adding to. Expressions like cheerfulness, pride, tranquillity and happiness were chosen in this novel. The buyer can also give three personal words or numbers which are then woven into the story. The buyers, or the readers, therefore provide input into a story which the author skilfully creates and narrates, and incorporates into his plot for the residents. The author’s language is colourful, humorous and straightforward. This book is not just highly recommended for homesick Swiss but for anyone who enjoys an entertaining read and is able to laugh at themselves. How and why does a cat find its way into Brechbühl’s life? We will leave that to the reader to discover. This novel is the first volume of a work that will eventually comprise 15 volumes. The second volume will be published in the autumn.
Tim Krohn, who was born in Germany in 1965, grew up in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. The author himself lived in an apartment building in Zurich for many years. Today he works as a freelance writer and lives with his family in Santa Maria Val Müstair in the canton of Grisons. He writes novels, stories, plays and radio dramas.
Ruth von Gunten
Tim Krohn: “Herr Brechbühl sucht eine Katze” Publisher: Verlag Galiani Berlin. 480 pages; around CHF 28.90/EUR 24
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The music’s black…
Ueli Steck
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Home » #CommunityMedia » ‘Can You See That I’m Black?’ Racism Loses Ground to Recognition of Blackness in Rio’s Favelas
‘Can You See That I’m Black?’ Racism Loses Ground to Recognition of Blackness in Rio’s Favelas
For the original article in Portuguese published by Agência Narra, click here. Reporting by Ana Paula Souza, Bruno Sousa, Laerte Breno, and Thaynara Santos. Edited by Elena Wesley and Pedro Lira. Photos by Patrick Mendes, Júlio César, and Taís Sales de Moraes. Graphics by Washington Santana. Produced by Priscilla Souza.
This article is part of Agência Narra’s journalism training program, a project of Observatório de Favelas in partnership with data_labe.
Resistance is the watchword. The new generation of children in Rio’s favelas shows that racism is losing ground to the recognition of blackness and the development of self-esteem in early childhood.
“This one here is for the black girls. I’m black—can you see that I’m black?” These are the affirmative and empowering words of Luiza Alves, who at the age of five launched her career as a YouTuber. In a tutorial, the young girl presents personalized foundation to match her skin tone—along with tips on lipsticks, earrings, and wigs—with effusive ease and charisma.
From the streets of Caixa D’Agua—a favela in Mesquita, in the Baixada Fluminense—Luiza confidently confronts taboos that adults avoid. Offended by a neighbor, the young girl reacted. “I ran after him to tell him off, shouting to my mom that he’s a racist. He had called me ‘pão de careca‘”—a pejorative term to describe a woman’s short afro hair.
Unlike the person who insulted her, the little girl admires these features and proves this in describing her mother: “Look, she’s so beautiful: beautiful hair, beautiful skin, and a beautiful face.” All of this beauty belongs to 22-year-old Fernanda Alves, who works to empower black women through her brand of wigs, Queen Laces. However, as a student at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), she didn’t always see in herself the virtues described by her daughter.
“As an eight-year-old, I would go home crying—I didn’t want to go back to school. My grandmother raised me and was the primary person I had to look up to. She was racist on a bizarre level. She doesn’t approve of afro hair, nor the fact that I had a daughter with a black man with dark skin and African roots. She rubs this in my face all the time,” she vents.
To educate Luiza, Fernanda Alves takes a different approach. She seeks to be a role model for her daughter and introduces her to audiovisual content with black protagonists. Asked about the cartoon on her shirt, Luiza emphatically states: “This is Princess Moana, isn’t that obvious? You don’t know who that is? Tiana, Moana, Pocahontas…” Her mother interrupts and points out that Pocahontas is not black. “Hey! Pocahontas isn’t black, she’s indigenous,” she corrects her daughter.
It’s among this new generation that being black and proud is on the rise. Their young age is no longer a barrier to bringing up the subject at home. Thais Ferreira, a resident of Irajá in Rio’s North Zone and the mother of João, Athos, and Zion—two, four, and six years old, respectively—explains how racism works in Brazil. “The elite sustain themselves through the racial and social oppression of black favela residents. If this racist logic continues, in less than fifteen years, my children will be victims of a genocide that is already underway. They will be the target of many deaths, whether social or lethal,” she states. The 2017 Atlas of Violence shows that for every 100 deaths in Brazil, 70 of the individuals are black. The research was conducted by the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety in partnership with the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA).
Ferreira ran for state representative for the first time in 2018 and gained more than 24,000 votes. Her campaign platform prioritized strengthening racial identity so that the new generation can assert themselves as heirs of African ancestral culture. “Yesterday, the dream was to be a white pop star, today, it’s to be King or Queen of Wakanda. This is freedom!” says the social entrepreneur, in reference to the success of the first superhero film featuring black protagonists.
Lesson of the Day: Blackness
To the sound of jongo drums, nine-year-old Cauê Santos connects with his ancestors. The discovery of this Afro-Brazilian cultural expression was a gateway to reflecting on his identity as a black child. “We talk about how he identifies himself, white privilege, and why it’s necessary for him to study,” explains his mother, 36-year-old Leticia Santos.
The fourth-grader carries these teachings from jongo to the classroom. During a discussion about race, Cauê owned his blackness—but his attitude was challenged by his classmates. “Some said that I’m white, but I said, ‘I’m not white—I’m not,” says Cauê, whose mother is black and father is white. Santos made the most of the incident to introduce another aspect of racism, colorism, explaining that “those who are the darkest skin tones suffer the most.”
“My mother always told me: ‘You’re a black, large woman from the favela and you need to stand out—otherwise you’ll struggle throughout your life.’ I pass this on to my son because sadly this is the reality that we experience,” recounts Santos, who is an educator.
Fifteen-year-old Tammylis de Souza had a similar experience. Throughout her childhood, she saw school as a hostile environment. “I’d look at myself in the mirror and I’d see that I was different because I was darker and I had afro hair, while all the other girls were white with straight hair. I was ashamed and avoided the topic. For this reason, I relaxed my hair. When they asked about my skin color, I would deny it and say ‘I’m white, right?’ recounts Tammylis, who lives in the Carobinha favela in Campo Grande, in the West Zone of Rio.
In 2016, an extracurricular activity helped Tammylis to discover her black identity. Ever since then, she has hosted discussions on the issue with her classmates at the Ministro Alcides Carneiro Municipal School, where she is in the 9th grade. “When children’s identities are respected, racial consciousness stops being a problem and becomes a source of pride,” she says.
Tammylis emphasizes that self-acceptance contributes to the ability to occupy spaces usually frequented by middle-class white people. “In my neighborhood, I don’t know anyone who goes to college—but I want to be a doctor, to help people and to be a role model like my teachers are for me,” she envisions.
Who Is Black in the History Books?
The neighborhood where Tammylis lives is not the only one that lacks black representation in positions of influence. Furthermore, the lack of representation is evident in instructional materials. Flávia Pinto, a sociologist and Umbanda priestess, observes that the mention of black people is restricted to discussions about slavery without considering their contributions to fields of knowledge like science, art, and politics.
These factors motivated Pinto and other activists to draft Federal Law 10.639/2003, which made it compulsory to study Afro-Brazilian history and culture in elementary, middle, and high schools. Though the law has been in effect for fifteen years, there are still several obstacles to implementation, such as the lack of teacher preparation in these areas and prejudice.
A 2015 study by the Ministry of Education confirmed that only 7.6% of the 105 schools in the sample report using teaching materials related to Afro-Brazilian culture, while 92.4% did not report whether or not they use the content. Yet more, Pinto highlights the difficulties of incorporating the materials into the curriculum. According to Pinto, who is a sociologist, discussions on race are usually encouraged by teachers who are more sensitive to the issue and therefore argue in favor of creating specific classes on Afro-Brazilian culture. “I explain to my children that we belong to an ancient tradition, the Yoruba tradition and the tradition of orixás. This is something very powerful that propels them into the world,” she emphasizes.
The book Cora’s Hair by Ana Zarco Camara tells the story of a young girl with afro hair who overcomes her classmates’ criticisms and begins to like her physical traits. The book became a favorite among students at the Estrelinha School in Complexo do Alemão, where journalist Carolina Marinho teaches Afro-Brazilian literature to students aged seven to ten. The curriculum includes literature by Carolina Maria de Jesus and Conceição Evaristo, as well as Brazilian folklore. According to Marinho, the problem of racism is portrayed in a fun and playful way.
This Isn’t Bullying, This Is Racism
When asked what constitutes racism, Cauê explains that “it’s like when someone calls another person a monkey.” Cauê has a step-by-step approach to dealing with offensive situations: “Breathe. Don’t cry in front of the other person. Talk to the person.” This is what he tried to do when he was called a “whale” by another child. “I said, ‘Where are we? In the sea or on land? Then I asked, ‘So what are you? A shark?’ Then I said, ‘I could eat you too.’”
Vanessa Menezes de Andrade, a specialist in social relationships and human rights, affirms that cultural racism affects all individuals but in different ways. “White children are conditioned to be racist due to the information they receive on a daily basis, such as through games, TV shows, and differential treatment from teachers. Black children, on the other hand, learn to devalue their own identities and see whiteness as the ideal,” she assesses.
Contrary to popular belief, racism is not a type of bullying. Andrade, who has a Ph.D. in social psychology from the Fluminense Federal University (UFF), highlights that racism is not specific to schoolchildren. “Bullying is a form of institutionalized violence in the school environment that aims to frighten the victim. Racism, on the other hand, is a historical process. It has to do with the way our country is structured—it’s present everywhere, not exclusively in schools. Hence the importance of a permanently anti-racist educational system and of dealing with acts of racism as political rather than individual actions,” she argues.
This is the legacy that Fernanda Alves hopes to provide for Luiza, an education without taboos. “We have to speak about homosexuality, about drugs, about everything—and to stop thinking that mollycoddling and instilling prejudice are good ways to raise children. In reality, in doing so, you’re creating men who are sexist and women who lack a sense of their potential.
Afro-Brazilian culture
creative tech
cultural preservation
cultural production
jongo
Morro do Caixa d’Água
narrative shifting
This article was written by Ana Paula Souza, Bruno Sousa, Laerte Breno, Thaynara Santos, and published on December 27, 2018.
Translation provided by Leila Lak. This article originally appeared on Agência Narra. in #CommunityMedia, *Highlight, by Community Contributors, Favela Culture, Solutions, Translated by RioOnWatch
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(AP/Amy Sancetta)
5 life lessons from J.D. Salinger's "Franny and Zooey"
With Salinger estate set to publish five new books, we look back on one of his most seminal works
Check out this article! https://www.salon.com/2013/09/12/5_life_lessons_from_j_d_salingers_franny_and_zooey_partner/
Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn
This article originally appeared on Policy Mic.
When middle schoolers first encountered Holden Caulfield, one of our favorite antiheroes, in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, it's often an important moment. It's refreshing and eye-opening to encounter a young misanthrope who recognizes just how phoney people can be. Holden Caulfield’s musings and misadventures have come to symbolize teenage rebellion and disaffection, and the loss of innocence, themes that are prominent throughout Salinger’s work.
While Catcher in the Rye is Salinger’s most celebrated and well-known book, Franny and Zooey, a novella about the brilliant but tortured Glass family, is a close second. Divided into two stories, Franny and Zooey follows the near-mental breakdown of Franny, the youngest Glass child, and the series of conversations that ensue. Though it’s fair to criticize the book for being somewhat self-indulgent, the classic contains hidden nuggets of important advice. Here are the five life lessons that Franny and Zooey has to teach.
1. Brilliance Can Be Brutal.
There’s no denying the brilliance of the Glass family. All seven of its “extra-precocious” children make appearances on the It’s A Wise Child radio show at young ages, and demonstrate a genius that drives them to their individual — and often secluded — corners of the world. There’s also no denying that their smarts don’t exactly make them happy. Both Franny and Zooey bemoan the fact that they demand too much of the world. They cannot bear the mundane and the accepted and the conventional, nor can they bear the phoniness and inauthenticity of the people around them. Their intelligence and intense self-awareness not only make them hate most everything (Zooey can barely bring himself to converse with most people), but also, especially in Franny’s case, hate themselves. As one of the brothers, Buddy, tells Zooey, cleverness can be a permanent affliction.
2. Don't Take It Personally.
One of the reasons that Franny drops out of college and breaks down is because she just can’t stand the people she meets. She’s come to see most of her professors and classmates as pretentious, and college itself as, "just one more dopey, inane place in the world." But, as Zooey tells her, there’s no point in taking it personally. You can despise what people represent, but not the people themselves. In Zooey's words, "If you’re going to go to war against the System, just do your shooting like a nice, intelligent girl — because the enemy’s there, and not because you don’t like his hairdo or his goddam neck-tie.” Fixating on people’s annoying little habits won’t get you anywhere, so we should avoid getting sidetracked, and referring "every goddam thing that happens right back to our lousy little egos."
3. Just Act, and Do It With All Your Might.
In addition to quitting college, Franny also decides to quit her one passion, theater, because she's encountering too much ego, and not enough genius or real beauty. In a speech echoing the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, Zooey again admonishes Franny, telling her that the most important thing is to be detached, and to act, regardless of the outcome: "Somewhere along the line — in one damn incarnation or another, if you like — you not only had a hankering to be an actor or an actress but a good one. You’re stuck with it now. You can’t just walk out on the results of your own hankerings. … The only thing you can do now, the only religious thing you can do, isact."
4. Make Your Own Standards, and Forget the Rest.
In the same speech, Zooey also tells Franny that there’s no point in concerning yourself with your audience, or other people’s standards. Instead, he suggests that Franny should only concern herself with her own ideals, saying, "you raved and you bitched when you came home about the stupidity of audiences. The goddam 'unskilled laughter' coming from the fifth row. And that's right, that's right — God knows it’s depressing. I'm not saying it isn't. But that’s none of your business, really. That's none of your business, Franny. An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's."
5. The Mundane is Sacred, and the Sacred is Mundane.
Franny and Zooey ends with a simple, yet satisfying revelation: for all the hatred of phonies and unintelligent audiences, and for all the talk of religious figures, philosophy, and enlightenment, the most sacred things can be found right at home, and right in front of you. As Zooey says, "if it’s the religious life you want, you ought to know right now that you're missing out on every single goddam religious action that’s going on around this house. You don’t even have sense enough to drink when somebody brings you a cup of consecrated chicken soup — which is the only kind of chicken soup Bessie ever brings to anybody around this madhouse.”
Zooey further seals this lesson with the metaphor of the Fat Lady. Both Franny and Zooey have, on separate occasions, been told by their eldest brother, Seymour, that they should perform their best for the Fat Lady. Given no explanation of who or what the Fat Lady is, Franny and Zooey come up with imaginary Fat Ladies who are old, cancerous, and ugly. Yet Zooey comes to realize that everyone is the Fat Lady. There is no need to paralyze yourself searching for an exalted figure to follow or believe in. If the image of the ugly Fat Lady on her porch gets you going, maybe that's all you need.
MORE FROM Kanyakrit Vongkiatkajorn
Franny And Zooey Holden Caufield J.d. Salinger Policymic The Catcher In The Rye
Author of GOP tax bill: Who knows?
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Man whose car hit UK parliament barriers has been arrested on terrorism charges
FILE PHOTO – The Union Flag flies near the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, June 7, 2017. Photo: Reuters
British police arrested a man on suspicion of terrorism offences on Tuesday after he drove a car into security barriers outside parliament and injured at least two people.
London’s Metropolitan Police said the incident, the latest apparent attack on Britain in the last 18 months, was being treated as a terrorism incident and its Counter Terrorism Command unit was in charge of the investigation.
Police said a silver Ford Fiesta had collided with a number of cyclists and pedestrians before crashing into barriers outside the Houses of Parliament at 06:37 GMT.
“The driver of the car, a man in his late 20s, was arrested at the scene by armed officers,” police said in a statement. “He was arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences. There was nobody else in the vehicle, which remains at the scene and is being searched. No weapons have been recovered at this stage.”
London’s Ambulance Service said it had treated two people at the scene and they had been taken to hospital. Their injuries were not believed to be serious.
Armed police swarmed the scene and cordoned off a large area around the parliament in central London, usually bustling with tourists and government workers.
Witness Jason Williams said the car had struck a barrier on a lane used for access to the parliament building with force. He said he thought it was deliberate.
“It’s a very serious incident,” he told reporters. “There was smoke coming from the vehicle.”
Injured cyclists
Images shot by a Euronews journalist showed police pointing their guns at a vehicle. Footage on social media showed a handcuffed man being led away by heavily armed police. Other footage showed a cyclist lying on the street.
“I saw the cyclists, injured cyclists. I’ve seen people, about 10, on the road, lying down, but I haven’t seen any fatalities,” Williams said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May, who like other lawmakers is on holiday during parliament’s summer recess, said her thoughts were with the people injured in the incident.
Westminster Underground station, close to parliament, was closed to the public and the building cordoned off.
In March 2017, Khalid Masood, 52, killed four people on nearby Westminster Bridge before he stabbed to death an unarmed police officer in the grounds of parliament. He was shot dead at the scene. It was the first of five attacks on Britain last year which police blamed on terrorism.
Britain is on its second highest threat level of “severe”, meaning an attack by militants is considered highly likely and the authorities say a dozen Islamist plots had been foiled since Masood’s attack.
Last week, a Muslim convert admitted plotting to kill more than 100 people by driving a truck into pedestrians on London’s Oxford Street, the capital’s major shopping thoroughfare.
In October last year, 11 people were injured when a car collided with pedestrians near London’s Natural History Museum, raising fears of an attack, but police later said the incident was a road traffic accident.
TOPICS: Global
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Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images News/Getty Images
How To Watch The Solar Eclipse If You Can't See It In Your City
By Azure Hall
The 2017 solar eclipse is almost here. People all over the U.S. are already planning to bust out their stargazing blankets to see it. But if you're one of the geographically cursed, like me, here's how to watch the solar eclipse if you can't see it in your city. Don't worry, NASA has us covered with a sick live-stream.
Unfortunately for the rest of the country, optimum viewing of the solar eclipse is limited to those living within a narrow path of continental U.S., where the eclipse's shadow will sweep across from Oregon to South Carolina. Those areas of totality, wherein the moon will completely obscure the sun's rays, is expected to include only 14 states. Depending on where viewers are, they will be able to witness the effects of the eclipse for anywhere between a few seconds and a few minutes. As this will be the first total solar eclipse the world has seen since 1918, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you won't want to miss.
If, for reasons of geography or viewing brevity, you will be unable to see the astronomical phenomenon in person, NASA has blessed us with a live stream of the 2017 solar eclipse. The next best thing to watching the shadow pass over your own location is to watch it live, recorded by the probably-super-high-tech cameras at NASA.
NASA is so high-tech, in fact, that viewers around the world can access a variety of images taken before, during, and after the eclipse by an impressive 11 spacecraft, a minimum three NASA aircraft, over 50 high-altitude balloons, and the brilliant astronauts currently aboard the International Space Station. The NASA website assures viewers that every one of these locations will be "offering a unique vantage point for the celestial event."
Along with videos and images, viewers will also be treated to expert commentary and presentations given by NASA scientists. The webcast of the event will last for hours — much longer than the puny two odd minutes of darkness that the "optimum viewing" cities can expect. That being said, even if you can watch the eclipse in your current city, you may still want to tune into NASA's broadcast for the added benefits. It can be watched through NASA Edge, NASA TV, Ustream, Youtube, and other platforms.
Of course, NASA will not be the only option for digitally viewing the eclipse. There are a number of other providers as well. Slooh, an online community observatory in Stanley, Idaho, is hosting an exciting three-day-long celebration of the event and is providing live coverage as well. The webcast can be viewed at Slooh.com or Space.com.
The last platform that I'll mention here (although there are still many more great choices) is Exploratorium. It is a science museum in San Francisco that is also planning to livestream the eclipse from two locations. Additionally, Exploratorium will feature a version of the livestream in Spanish; a telescopic view from Oregon and Wyoming; and a string quartet production to accompany the event.
Any one of these options would make an excellent alternative, or addition, to watching the eclipse firsthand. That being said, if a webcasts are not enough for you, there is always the option of taking a trip to one of the viewing locations. Many places are hosting special viewing events, and it would definitely be worth a drive. Regardless of how you choose to enjoy the eclipse, it is sure to be quite the show.
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Kentucky reports drop in drug overdose deaths in 2018
The Latest: Judge berates China scholar's killer
Troves of photos culled from web improve facial-recognition tools
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Administration-backing-off-on-Cuba-s-germ-warfare-2693292.php
Administration backing off on Cuba's germ warfare ability / New intelligence report says bio-weapons program uncertain
Steven R. Weisman, New York Times
Published 4:00 am PDT, Saturday, September 18, 2004
2004-09-18 04:00:00 PDT Washington -- The Bush administration, using stringent standards adopted after the failure to find banned weapons in Iraq, has conducted a new assessment of Cuba's biological weapons capabilities and concluded that it is no longer clear that Cuba has an active, offensive bio-weapons program, according to administration officials.
The latest assessment contradicts a 1999 National Intelligence Estimate and past statements by top administration officials, some of whom have warned that Cuba may be sharing its weapons capability with "rogue states" or terrorists.
It is the latest indication that in the wake of the Iraq intelligence failures, the CIA and other intelligence agencies are taking a closer look at earlier threat assessments and finding fault with some of the conclusions and the way the reports were prepared.
The new assessment says the intelligence community "continues to believe that Cuba has the technical capability to pursue some aspects of an offensive biological weapons program," according to an intelligence official.
Administration officials said the new assessment had been prepared at the request of the State Department for a report it will be making to Congress and that it had adopted tougher standards because the assessment on Iraq had been proved wrong.
"The new assessment is the product of a fresh, hard look at the reporting, " said an intelligence official. He added that the new standards were "exceptionally stringent in how we treat our sources, evidence and analysis."
The Bush administration's assessment accusing Cuba of producing germs for possible biological warfare has been disputed since it was disclosed in the spring of 2002. Cuba angrily rebutted the charges, and some experts suggested that Cuba's large pharmaceutical industry involved conventional activities and materials that were misinterpreted as a threat by opponents of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
In March 2002, John Bolton, undersecretary of state for nonproliferation, asserted that "the United States believed that Cuba had at least a limited offensive biological warfare research and development effort" and had also "provided dual-use biotechnology to other rogue states."
A month later, he escalated his comments that Cuba remained a terrorist threat to the United States and that its biological weapons program should be seen in that light. Bolton declined to comment on the revised assessment Friday.
The new assessment was described by an intelligence official and a second government official. Both said they had been briefed on it. They spoke on condition that their names and agencies not be identified.
Both said they believe the new assessment is more accurate than the old one and reflectes a welcome effort by U.S. intelligence agencies, in the wake of the Iraq experience, to acknowledge uncertainties in their analysis.
At the time of Bolton's assessment in 2002, his office declined to elaborate on what sort of weapons might have been the focus of Cuba's program. Other administration officials were quoted in the New York Times as saying that Cuba had been experimenting with anthrax and other deadly pathogens that they declined to identify.
Cuba, however, has a major drug and biotechnology program and has been involved in making vaccines for an extensive immunization program that has been widely praised by scientists and physicians. Many of these products are sold to other countries.
Some of these sales have been cited by some experts as evidence of a potential threat from Cuba, although the latest assessment is likely to be seen as supplying a cautionary note.
Berkeley pol calls Fox News host a 'goblin' in scathing email
Tom Cruise drops first trailer for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
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Fellow in Focus: Fresh Air, Foul Odors, and the Growth of American Cities
Fellow in Focus
Can a city be healthy? During the 19th century American cities grew in size and number. Booming cities powered economic growth but also suffered from epidemic diseases and high mortality rates. As a result many Americans associated city life with ill health. Believing that bad smells caused disease, city residents pinched their noses and picked bouquets. Their search for “fresh” air and health led to the establishment of boards of health, the founding of public parks, and the development of our first household disinfectants.
On this olfactory tour historian Melanie A. Kiechle will explain just what smells and stinks meant to 19th-century Americans and how their desires for healthful fresh air shaped the cities we live in—and the air we breathe—today.
Melanie Kiechle.jpg
Melanie A. Kiechle.
Photo by Dennis P. Halpin.
Melanie A. Kiechle is an assistant professor of history at Virginia Tech, where she writes and teaches about American history, environmental history, and the history of science and medicine. She is the author of Smell Detectives: An Olfactory History of Nineteenth-Century Urban America, for which she received support from the American Antiquarian Society, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Science History Institute, the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for Humanities, and Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library.
The Rohm and Haas Fellow in Focus lecture series gives the Institute’s scholars an opportunity to present their work to a broad audience interested in history, science, and culture. Fellow in Focus lectures are presented by the Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry.
For more information about this event please contact Carin Berkowitz at 215.873.8289 or cberkowitz@sciencehistory.org.
Image credit: Lament of the Albany Brewers: After the Verdict in the Libel Case of Taylor vs. Delavan, broadside ca. 1840. American Antiquarian Society.
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Difference between revisions of "2018 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship"
CM000003 (talk | contribs)
(→News: typo)
(→News: room rate)
; 2018-04-23
: We still do not have a room block available at the hotel, but I have updated the accommodation section to list a player in Mississauga who has a guest room available at their house.
: We almost have a room block at the hotel (waiting for one minor contractual adjustment), and it looks like our rate is going to be $219. There will only be ten rooms available at this rate, and bookings will have to be made within a week of the rate becoming available, so please stay tuned.
== Player Roster ==
The 2018 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship (CNSC), the tenth such event since its inception in 1996, is tentatively planned to take place in Toronto in June.
1 Web Coverage
3 Player Roster
5 How to Compete
6 Format of 2018 CNSC Finals
7 Spectators
9 Venue
9.1 Parking
10 Dining
12 Equipment
Web Coverage
The championship will receive major event web coverage typical of recent national and international championships, including photography and commentary and live annotated games from Board 1.
When the event begins, please take a look at the live webcast site.
While no contracts have yet been signed, we are looking at holding the championship on June 15-18 at the Bond Place Hotel. We are not looking at any other candidate dates or venues, and if negotiations proceed as smoothly as usual, we should have a formal announcement ready by the end of February.
Contracts remain unsigned, but approvals are expected soon. The Canadian Committee has finished deliberating about proposals to change the format of the event, which will be published shortly.
Draft qualification system posted. Registration opened.
We have budgetary approval and are waiting for contracts to be reviewed.
Contracts have been approved with minor changes, and are awaiting signatures.
All contracts have been signed, the event is confirmed. Email will go out this weekend to all Canadian players, regardless of registration status.
I’ve followed up with my hotel contact asking about the status of a guest room block, and expect to hear back in a day or two. I have queued up email to go out to all Canadian NASPA members announcing the tournament.
I will be incommunicado while travelling to Malta beginning at about 16:00 ET on 2018-04-25; I estimate now that the final player roster will be ready on the evening of 2018-04-26, as long as I can get a report about what arrived in my mail on 2018-04-25 and who made entry fee payments at the Toronto Scrabble Club that night.
We still do not have a room block available at the hotel, but I have updated the accommodation section to list a player in Mississauga who has a guest room available at their house.
We almost have a room block at the hotel (waiting for one minor contractual adjustment), and it looks like our rate is going to be $219. There will only be ten rooms available at this rate, and bookings will have to be made within a week of the rate becoming available, so please stay tuned.
You can follow the registration and qualification process in the qualification standings chart. Players marked with a ‘y’ are paid registrants; those with a dollar sign have informed us that their payment is en route, but will not be considered registered until payment is received and cleared.
Here is an overview of what happens when. Please also see the more detailed full schedule.
Warmup 2018 Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship Early Bird (optional)
Rounds 1–3
Rounds 4–11
Rounds 12–18
Finals (best-of-five between top two finalists)
Please note that everyone is welcome to attend the regular weekly meeting of the Mississauga SCRABBLE® Club on the evening of Thursday, May 14th.
The CNSC is an invitational event for the top 52 players who qualify according to a qualification system (QS) developed in consultation with the NASPA Canadian Committee. As described in the QS, competitors must play a minimum number of games during a qualification period (QP), be Canadian citizens or permanent residents and be members in good standing of NASPA.
One place goes to defending champion Adam Logan, the next 51 places are awarded based on a combination of peak ratings and geographical allocations.
Regardless of how you wish to qualify, you must register by making sure that John Chew receives your $75 entry fee (and if you would like an event T-shirt, your size) no later than April 25, 2018. You may pay by cash, cheque or INTERAC e-Transfer, but not PayPal or credit card. Cash and cheque payments may be made by mail (9 Fulton Avenue, Toronto ON M4K 1X6) or in person at the Toronto SCRABBLE Club. If you are not sure whether or not you will qualify, please pay by cheque, so that your cheque can be destroyed or returned if you do not qualify.
As usual, to participate in the CNSC, you must comply with the CNSC rules, which set out in legal terms the agreement that you are entering into as a participant in the event.
The CNSC is an invitational tournament of fixed size, so holding a place and then withdrawing can lead to a situation where the player who should have replaced you cannot make travel arrangements in time. You should therefore only register to play if you are sure that you can compete.
Format of 2018 CNSC Finals
The top two finishers in the preliminary round will earn berths in the best-of-five CNSC finals which will be held on Monday, June 18. The first player to win three games will be declared the CNSC champion for 2018.
The player who finishes first in the preliminary round will go first in games 1, 3, and 5 of the finals. The player who finishes second in the preliminary round will go first in games 2 and 4.
Any tie games will be considered, as is usual in NASPA tournament competition, a half game won and a half game lost for both players. If each player has 2.5 wins after five games, the player who has the superior point spread in the finals will be declared the winner. If both players have identical points spreads, a sixth game will be played with the player who went first in games 2 and 4 also going first in game 6.
A scheduled lunch break will take place after the third game.
Spectators are invited to attend the finals on Monday, where the best-of-five match will be relayed play by play onto a projection screen. Admission is free.
Spectators are also welcome to take a look at the preliminary rounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but space is extremely limited. They should introduce themselves to tournament officials on arrival, and take care not to disturb games in progress.
The $12,150 prize pool donated by Hasbro Canada will be awarded according to the same distribution as at the 2013 CNSC.
Possession of the trophy
High Play
$25 (daily)
Best Daily Record
Michael Wise
Exterior photo showing Bond Place Hotel at left, east end of Yonge-Dundas Square at right
The Bond Place Hotel is located in downtown Toronto, one block east of Yonge-Dundas Square, the “Heart of the City”, in a popular neighbourhood known for shopping, dining and entertainment. Within a 200-metre radius are such other Toronto landmarks as the Eaton Centre (the largest mall in the region), Massey Hall (a century-old performing arts theatre), St. Michael’s Hospital and Ryerson University.
A limited number of rooms will be available at a discounted rate of TBA, per room per night, based on single or double occupancy, not including 16% tax. This rate is available until TBA by calling the hotel at 1-800-268-9390 and giving the group name Canadian National SCRABBLE Championship.
A player in Mississauga has a guest room available for out-of-town players, especially those who have room for a passenger in their car.
The hotel’s guest parking is located catercorner to the hotel on the northeast corner of Bond and Dundas (enter off Bond). It is not cheap, but hotel guests are entitled to 24-hour rates with in/out privileges.
In general, parking rates in the area vary according to the day of the week, and whether or not there is a special event (such as a theatre production, or public event at Yonge-Dundas Square) nearby. Most lots have separate maximum rates for day and night parking, but they differ as to when the night rates begin. Some lots are cash only; most accept Visa and Mastercard. It would not be unusual to be charged $35-$40 to park for 24 hours in this area.
There are websites that let you calculate how much parking rates are at different times in different lots, that can save you quite a lot of money. As of mid-April, the best rate for parking from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M. on Friday, June 15th is $22 in the hotel garage; on the weekend, IMPARK at 209 Victoria Street offers an unbelievable $8 rate for 12 hours of parking.
There is a parking lot on the southeast corner of Bond and Dundas which may be convenient to players who are running late on arrival, but is one of the more expensive lots in the area.
If you park on-street, make sure you pay careful attention to the signage, and are aware of a remote possibility of being ticketed under an unposted time limit of three hours’ parking on city streets unless otherwise signed. You can conveniently pay for on-street parking using the Green P app, which will let you renew/extend parking sessions for exactly the duration that you need without having to return to your car. On-street parking costs between $2.25 and $4.00 per hour, depending on how close you are to Yonge Street.
If you’re driving in from the suburbs, please carefully consider the possibility of parking at a suburban subway station and taking public transit to Dundas subway station.
Dining area outside the playing room, lower level, Bond Place Hotel
During the main event, breakfast and lunch will be provided to contestants in the lounge. For both the early bird and main event, coffee and tea breaks will be served in the morning and afternoon.
The nearest food courts are in the malls on the other three (NE, NW and SW) corners of Yonge and Dundas.
Marisa Pedatella, Melanie Grant
& Web Designer
Mad Palazzo
If you are interested in working at this event, please contact John Chew.
Players should take careful note of what equipment they will be provided, and what equipment they should bring.
Players must bring their own boards, but may if travelling from outside of the greater Toronto area arrange to borrow a local player’s board. If neither player in a scheduled game has a board, both may forfeit their game.
Racks will be provided at this event; players may choose to use their own racks instead.
All players will be given a set of 2018 CNSC Protiles at registration. Please check their distribution carefully before playing your first game; as per NASPA rules, no changes may be made once a game has begun. Games must be played using CNSC Protiles, but players may bring and play with Protiles from past CNSC events if they wish (and are encouraged to do so to avoid having to play with two sets of the same colour at the same table).
Tile Bags
NASPA tile bags will be available; players may use these or their own. If using their own, the provided tile bag should stay at its table.
Players are requested to bring their own digital game timers. A limited number of timers will be available on a first-come basis; if neither player in a game can find a clock, both may forfeit the game.
Scoresheets
A limited number of standard NASPA scoresheets will be available for player use, as well as plentiful supplies of blank paper.
Pens/Pencils
A limited number of writing implements will be available for player use, but we strongly recommend that players bring their own.
If you have questions about the 2018 CNSC that are not answered on this website, please contact CNSC Director John Chew.
Retrieved from "http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/wiki/index.php?title=2018_Canadian_National_SCRABBLE_Championship&oldid=13387"
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The A.I. Age
Government auditor rules against $950 million cloud award to Amazon partner
Originally published June 1, 2018 at 9:00 am Updated June 2, 2018 at 12:37 am
AARON GREGG
WASHINGTON – Government auditors have ruled that the Pentagon “did not properly exercise authority granted to it” when it awarded a $950 million cloud computing contract to Rean Cloud, a Virginia-based start-up that migrates legacy computer systems to the cloud and advertises itself as an Amazon Web Services partner. The decision, announced Thursday, upheld an earlier protest brought by Oracle.
The ruling lent clarity to the Defense Department’s March 5 decision to abruptly slash the contract to a fraction of its earlier value, cutting the contract ceiling from $950 million to $65 million and dramatically limiting the scope of work. The Defense Department offered little explanation for its decision at the time, and the contractor did not know about the decision until it was contacted by reporters.
The contract had been awarded by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) office, a California-based agency set up to help the U.S. military reach out to commercial tech companies. It was initially pushed forward under a specification known as Other Transactional Authority, a procurement vehicle that allows agencies to rapidly scale up specific contract wins after an initial prototype is proven to work. Such agreements are seen as a faster alternative to traditional competitive procurement processes, which can take months or years.
In this case, Rean Cloud won a competitively procured award from the U.S. Transportation Command. It was then granted a contract with up to a $950 million ceiling that would have allowed it to move a range of defense agencies’ legacy systems to the cloud.
Pentagon delays release of disputed cloud proposal
Rean Cloud functions as an all-purpose integrator that moves legacy computer systems onto a cloud-based format, facilitating agencies’ migration to cloud services offered by companies like Amazon Web Services, Oracle and Microsoft.
But the award drew immediate criticism by companies that compete with Amazon Web Services, which emerged as an early leader in the government cloud computing space thanks to an earlier $600 million award from the Central Intelligence Agency. (Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)
In response to the award, software giant Oracle filed a bid protest with the Government Accountability Office calling the contract an “egregious abuse” of established procurement processes in favor of a company that it said “serves as a front for [Amazon Web Services].”
Rean Cloud founder Sekhar Puli disputed the characterization in a February interview with The Washington Post, saying that agency officials would ultimately decide which cloud service to use.
“There is a perception that this is an Amazon contract, but there is little to no truth on that,” Puli said. Customers “can pick any cloud they want, and our platform would support all of that.” He acknowledged, however, that almost all of the company’s federal work leading up the contract award had involved Amazon.
In its decision Thursday, the Government Accountability Office determined that the Pentagon did not comply with the preconditions required for entering into an “Other Transaction Agreement,” recommending that the Army end the contract and either follow a competitive procurement process or “review its other transaction authority” to determine whether it can comply with those preconditions.
The full decision was not released because it contained proprietary or sensitive details, the GAO said in its release.
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Home > Other Search Topics > Search News > Full Page Article on Danny Sullivan in USA Today
Full Page Article on Danny Sullivan in USA Today
Aug 2, 2006 • 7:42 am | (1) by Barry Schwartz | Filed Under Search Engine Industry News
Prev Story Next story
USA Today published an article last night named Got a search engine question? Ask Mr. Sullivan. Yea, you got that right, they wrote a whole article on the most respected, looked up to and most down to earth man in the search engine marketing community, Danny Sullivan. Here are some quotes;
Google's Matt Cutts considers Danny Sullivan's Search Engine Watch website "must reading." To Yahoo's Tim Mayer, it's simply the "most authoritative source on search."
When the world he writes about arrives at work in Silicon Valley, Sullivan has just finished dinner with his wife and two boys. He then retires to his den, parks himself in front of three computer monitors and spends the remaining evening hours trying to decipher the mystery of how online search engines rank listings.
He was born and raised in Newport Beach, Calif. After graduating from the University of California, Irvine, he spent a year in England, where he was hired by the BBC to type articles for reporters.
He met his future wife, Lorna, at the BBC. They married and moved back to California, where Sullivan worked at the Los Angeles Times and The Orange County Register in their graphics departments.
Then search came into his life. At the time, a friend had put up a website and couldn't make sense of how to be found in search listings. Sullivan tried to help him and was so successful, he went to work with his friend helping others with their sites.
Meanwhile, Lorna missed home, and Sullivan agreed to leave California behind for this village near her family. Chitterne is so small that it got high-speed Internet access only last year.
Well, I can't quote the whole article, read it all at USA Today.
This is just great for everyone in this community.
Forum discussion at Search Engine Watch Forums.
Previous story: SEOs Share One Secret Each
$35, Need a Quick easy Logo!
$50 Logo contest 48 hours - Dog breeder logo
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> West-North Central
> Iowa
Related topics: Wrestling
USA Wrestling Hosting Preseason Nationals in Des Moines this Weekend
More than 2,550 out-of-state wrestlers and 450 in-state wrestlers will flood into Greater Des Moines this weekend for the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, setting a new event record. 2018 marks the first time Des Moines has hosted this championship event, previously held in Cedar Falls.
“We are thrilled to welcome the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals to Des Moines this weekend,” said Greg Edwards, President & CEO at Catch Des Moines. “With over 3,000 wrestlers registered and 40 states represented, this will be the largest Preseason Nationals event ever. Factoring in all divisions, this will be one of the largest wrestling tournaments in the world and we can't wait to showcase all that Greater Des Moines has to offer.”
Edwards credited Catch Des Moines’ relationship with Brian Keck and USA Wrestling, plus extensive work over the past 12 months to secure the event in Greater Des Moines. The team is now focused on ensuring the athletes have an easy transition to a new city and a new venue.
“This is a major event for Greater Des Moines, with more than 2,500 hotel room nights utilized over the weekend and an estimated $2.8 million in economic impact,” said Ryan Vogt, National Sales Manager (Sports) at Catch Des Moines.
“USA Wrestling and myself are super excited to bring the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals to the great city of Des Moines, said Brian Keck, USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals Tournament Director. “I’ve personally been hosting events in Des Moines for the past 12 years and I knew this would be the ideal place to host a tournament of this size. The Catch Des Moines staff has been outstanding to work with during this whole process and I look forward to bringing this event back to Des Moines in future years.”
Catch Des Moines
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The History of the Juvenile Justice System
Ise Lyfe
Upcoming Dates & Events
SmallasaGiant
Walking with GIANTS: A Living History of Juvenile Justice Systems
In the United States, the development of a juvenile justice system begins on the east coast—in New York and Massachusetts—and moves west to Illinois, and then emerges in California’s first moments as a state.
In the 1850s and 1860s, recent Euro-American immigrants pressured California state officials to establish a system to tame what they perceived as a growing menace to society: youth crime. Social and political leaders studied the existing policies and systems of incarceration across the United States, proposing new and innovative approaches to youth crime. State officials instead chose to adopt outdated, less costly methods, paving the way for the crimnalization and institutionalization of children and youth that continue today in detention, long-term sentencing, and life sentences without parole for youth who commit crimes.
In recent years, California has been leading the way on reform efforts and creating a model for the nation. In particular, California has adopted several bills that have radically reshaped age requirements on various crimes and take a bold stance on recognizing the importance of ensuring that children, whose brain development are not yet complete, are protected from being treated as adults by the criminal justice system. Despite these efforts, there are still 6,500 people who were under the age of 18 at the time of their crime currently serving time in California prisons.
small as a GIANT aims to shed light on this important human rights issue, to support communities in better understanding the plight of children in the justice system, and to move all of us to continue to take action and protect the most vulnerable members of our society: children.
A History of Juvenile Justice across the Nation
The New York House of Refuge is established to address child poverty through detaining and housing poor, vagrant youth who are thought to be on the path to delinquency. The House of Refuge provides youth with education, religious training, and trade apprenticeships. As the number of houses of refuge grow across the country, they eventually form the structure of the juvenile justice system in America.
The first juvenile court was established in Cook County, Illinois.
An influx of immigrants to the United States in the 19th century helps pave the way for the development of a separate system of justice for juveniles. Urban youth and the children of immigrants are thought to be more prone to deviant and immoral behavior than other youth. The state, by taking on the functions and responsibilities of a parent, can intervene and interrupt the bad influences of immigrant parents and urban settings.
Two principles from the English court system influence the US juvenile justice system:
• Parens Patriae (parent of the country) was adopted by 15th century English courts to provide the state with the power to substitute their authority for that of birth parents in order to intervene in the lives of children whose deceased parents passed on an estate.
• In Loco Parentis (in place of the parents) was a legal doctrine to allow an individual or an organization to take on the responsibilities of the parent in order to assist needy women and children.
In Prince v. Massachusetts, the Supreme Court rules that no minor boy under 12 or girl under 18 shall sell newspapers, magazines, periodicals, or other articles of merchandise in the streets or other public places. The ruling is followed by many laws that target juveniles for acts of vagrancy and pauperism.
In Kent v. United States, the Supreme Court rules that children considered for transfer to adult court need a judicial hearing to document findings and cause to transfer.
In In re Gault, the Supreme Court rules that juvenile offenders are entitled to the same due process as adult offenders, including the right to timely notification of charges, the right to confront witnesses, the right against self-incrimination, and the right to counsel.
In In re Winship, the Supreme Court increases the burden of proof in juvenile court cases from “preponderance of the evidence” to “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
In McKeiver v. Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court rules that juveniles are not entitled to trial by jury in a juvenile court proceeding.
Beginning in 1985, a series of lawsuits are filed on behalf of immigrant children who have been detained by the former government agency Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Flores v. Reno challenges the process of detention, treatment, and release of children, as well as the conditions of facilities where children are held. After more than a decade in the court—including an appeal to the Supreme Court—the US government agrees in the 1997 Flores Settlement to set standards for immigration detention centers where children are held, to release children from immigration detention centers without unnecessary delay and, if a suitable placement is not immediately available, to place children in the “least restrictive” setting appropriate to their age and any special needs.
In 2018, as part of a zero-tolerance policy towards undocumented immigrants crossing the border to seek refuge, the Trump administration proposes regulations to terminate safeguards for immigrant children under the Flores Settlement.
Following the death by overdose of University of Maryland basketball star Len Bias, the federal government establishes mandatory minimum sentences for possession of specific amounts of cocaine. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 also sets a 100:1 sentencing disparity for distribution of cocaine—someone would have to distribute 500 grams of powder cocaine to receive the same five year federal sentence for distribution of 5 grams of crack cocaine. Because of its relative low cost, crack cocaine is more accessible to people of color and those living in poor communities, while powder cocaine is more expensive and more often used by affluent white Americans.
Though not particularly directed at juveniles, this law has a devastating impact on poor communities of color across the country. It would not be until 2010 that Congress passes the Fair Sentencing Act—not to eliminate disparity in sentencing, but only to reduce it to 18:1.
As part of the 1990 Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Agreement to End Juvenile Life Without Parole states that no child should be “subjected to torture or other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment.” The human rights treaty also rules that neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without the possibility of parole should be allowed for anyone under the age of eighteen. The United States is the only country in the world that permits youth to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Between 1992 and 1997, in an attempt to combat juvenile crime, new laws make it easier to transfer juvenile offenders to the adult system, provide juvenile courts expanded sentencing options, and remove confidentiality provisions—making juvenile records and proceedings accessible to more individuals and agencies.
The idea of “super-predators”—a generation of young people who are more ruthless, vicious, and less amenable to change —is popularized by the book Body Count, written by John DiIulio, William Bennett, and John Walters. A public discussion about violent youth—particularly Black teenagers—leads to increasing sanctions and the criminalization of youth, accompanied by the implementation of policies and practices that dramatically increase the transfer of youth to the adult system.
In Roper v. Simmons, the Supreme Court outlaws the death penalty for juveniles, deeming it a disproportionate punishment. The court takes into account youth immaturity, diminishing their culpability or responsibility for their actions, and recognizing youth susceptibility to outside pressures and influences.
In Graham v. Florida, the Supreme Court rules that juveniles not convicted of homicide cannot be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
In the Fair Sentencing Act, Congress reduces the sentencing disparity for distribution of crack cocaine and powder cocaine from 100:1 to 18:1.
In Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs, the Supreme Court rules that mandatory juvenile sentences of life without the possibility of parole are unconstitutional and violate the Eighth Amendment.
In Montgomery v. Louisiana, the Supreme Court rules that the 2012 Miller decision will be applied retroactively. This ruling does not require states to re-litigate every case where a juvenile received a mandatory life sentence, but requires that those serving juvenile life without parole sentences for homicides would have a parole hearing.
The Trump administration begins a “zero-tolerance” policy at the US border. In April 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announces a policy that directs federal prosecutors to criminally prosecute all adult migrants entering the country illegally. Families are separated and children are held in detention facilities without their parents; “tender age” facilities are used for children under the age of thirteen. Two months later, President Trump signs an executive order to keep together immigrant families detained at the border. Within a week, a California Federal Judge orders US immigration authorities to reunite separated families within thirty days. As of January 2019, more than 10,000 migrant minors are still held in over 100 shelters across the country; at least one for-profit facility is housing nearly 1,600 migrant children.
For the first time in sixteen years, Congress passes a bill reauthorizing the 1974 Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The Act addresses racial inequality in the criminal justice system and aims to keep children out of adult jails. Though this is a progressive step, potential new additions to the bill could strengthen these protections further and mandate that states develop programs to address high rates of arrest and detention of youth of color.
History of Juvenile Justice in California
California becomes an official state of the Union.
By the 1860s, recently arrived Euro-American immigrants to California perceive rates of juvenile crime to be increasing and eventually pressure California representatives to deal with this “growing menace to society.” State leaders begin studying prison policies already in place across the country with the intention of modernizing the system and taking control of their youth population. Several cutting-edge approaches are proposed but officials ultimately adopt outdated methods that lead to increased institutionalization of juveniles. This system grows to become the current model used where racial and ethnic minorities are systematically marginalized and criminalized.
Arthur, an eleven-year old Mexican American from San Francisco, was a resident at the Whittier State School. Although Arthur was intelligent, he was seen as a troublemaker. The reform school housed delinquent and dependent children between the ages of 10 and 18. A few months after being released from the school, Arthur was arrested for burglary. As Arthur was believed to be too old for reform school, he was sent to San Quentin State Prison, established in 1852. Sadly, arrests and detentions became a pattern for Arthur. After his release from San Quentin, Arthur was picked up again and sent to Folsom State Prison. He was eventually released from Folsom, but little else is known of what became of him. (Adapted from States of Delinquency by Miroslava Chavez-Garcia, 2012).
Several moments in history led to a significant increase in the negative impact of all systems of government—including the justice system—on people of color and those struggling with poverty.
Postwar Migration
Due to the rapid growth of industrial employment opportunities during World War II, a nationwide migration of 8–10 million workers occurs; 1.3 million people arrive in California. Many migrants move west from the Southern states; it is estimated that 5 million Black people moved west in the postwar years.
Housing Crisis & Segregation
Between 1940 and 1970, the US population grows by more than 50 percent. Due to government incentives, home ownership soars to unprecedented levels after World War II and the majority of the United States becomes a suburban nation. In the 1960s and 1970s, with the extension of metropolitan freeways, a second phase of suburban growth unfolds.
Racial segregation in major cities continues as a consequence of wartime migration. In Los Angeles, Black people are segregated in the south-central portion of the city and in Little Tokyo—now called Bronzeville—following the 1942 incarceration of the Japanese American community in internment camps. Property owners in adjacent white cities block expansions of their districts by refusing to sell or rent to people of color.
In the Bay Area, Black people are segregated to West Oakland, Richmond, and a few San Francisco neighborhoods. This segregation increases the existing wartime housing shortage, which results in severe crowding in Black neighborhoods.
After World War II and the subsequent housing boom, white families move to suburban areas. People of color are stopped from joining the migration to the suburbs due to discrimination and segregation. This dramatically alters the racial demographics of cities across the US and cities become increasingly associated with people of color.
The 1980s bring an increased interest in and crackdown on “gangs.” The federal definition of gangs used by Department of Justice is adopted by individual states, and throughout California —including the Los Angeles Police Department:
“An association of three or more individuals whose members collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity, which they use to create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation, frequently by employing one or more of the following: a common name, slogan, identifying sign, symbol, tattoo or other physical marking, style or color of clothing, hairstyle hand sign or graffiti. Whose purpose in part is to engage in criminal activity and which uses violence or intimidation to further its criminal objectives. Whose members engage in criminal activity or acts of juvenile delinquency that if committed by an adult would be crimes with the intent to enhance or preserve the association’s power, reputation or economic resources.”
Gang Injunctions
By the mid-1980s, Los Angeles law enforcement begins to use gang injunctions—restraining orders that apply restrictive rules to a group’s behaviors and activities. These orders have requirements that include: evidence that an identifiable gang is engaging in “nuisance activity” within a specific geographic area; that this activity includes violence, drug dealing, illegal weapons, destruction of property, harassment of community members, or retaliation; and that the use of a gang injunction will reduce this activity.
In Los Angeles, gang injunctions are used to blanketly arrest people of color: prosecutors file a civil lawsuit claiming that the gang behavior harms the community. As gangs are not considered formal organizations and typically do not have legal representation, the targeted gang members do not appear at trial. Because the indiviuals are not present in court to represent themselves and argue against the injunction, injunctions are granted by default. Law enforcement then serves assumed gang members with a copy of the injunction days (and sometimes years) later. Although it is possible to challenge an injunction, gang members must first prove they are not gang members without knowing why the city claimed they were gang members in the first place.
The 1988 California Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act (STEP Act) states that anyone who commits a felony on behalf of a gang will receive a mandatory sentence of 2–15 years both in addition to and consecutive to the sentence received for any original felonies.
1980s–1990s
The Crack Epidemic & Tough on Crime
Over the last forty years, beginning in the 1980s, rates of incarceration for people of color have quintupled and drug offenses account for more than half the increase in state prison populations.
Even though drug crime is declining during the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan declares a renewed commitment to the War on Drugs. The war is primarily waged in poor communities of color, particularly Black communities, even though research shows that white youth were (and are) significantly more likely to use and sell drugs than black youth. With racial politics driving this war, Black people are targeted, arrested, and disproportionately fill prisons and jails.
A major driving factor of this racial disparity is the 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine; a person would have to possess 100 times as as much powder cocaine versus crack cocaine to trigger the same mandatory sentence. Because of its low cost and greater availability in Black communities, Black people are being arrested for crack cocaine offenses at disproportionate rates. It would not be until 2010 when Congress would pass the Fair Sentencing Act that the ratio would drop from 100:1 to 18:1.
Between 1988 and 1996, President Clinton cracks down harder on drug offenses, delivering a “tough on crime” agenda that devotes billions of dollars to the drug war and passes harsh mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes.
Though not all these policies were specifically directed at youth, and many were federal level policies, they serve to further devastate entire families and communities, creating more pathways for youth to become involved with the system in California and across the nation. Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow, writes that, “There are more African Americans under correctional control today—in prison or jail, on probation or parole—than were enslaved in 1850, a decade before the Civil War began.”
Farrell v. Harper is filed against the California Youth Authority, citing widespread abuse and neglect of youth in state facilities. When the case settles in 2016, the Department of Juvenile Justice has already taken over the California Youth Authority and implemented a comprehensive system to address education, medical care, sexual assault and harassment, safety, and effective rehabilitation services.
Senate Bill 81, also known as the Juvenile Justice Realignment Bill, limits the types of nonviolent offenders who can be committed to state youth correctional institutions and provides funding to county probation systems to improve their capacity to handle higher risk offenders.
The California Little Hoover Commission is established to examine the efficiency of state government operations and consists of a bipartisan board and a subcommittee that supervises public hearings regarding juvenile justice issues. The Commission recommends the closure of the Division of Juvenile Facilities.
Assembly Bill 1729, also known as the School Suspension and Expulsion Bill, expands and re-defines the list of school-based behaviors, including bullying, that constitute grounds for student suspension or expulsion. AB 1729 also authorizes school districts to document additional responses to this behavior in the student’s official record. School suspensions and expulsions are linked to higher rates of juvenile detention and incarceration and contribute to the school to prison pipeline.
Senate Bill 9, also known as the Juvenile Life Without Parole Sentences Bill, provides for periodic review and resentencing of Juveniles Life Without Parole sentences. Because of this ruling, anyone who was under the age of eighteen at the time of their crime can petition the court to consider a re-sentencing of their case.
Senate Bill 260, also known as the Youth Offender Parole Hearings Bill, requires the Board of Parole to conduct a “youth offender parole hearing” instead of an adult parole hearing and to consider release of offenders who committed specified crimes and were sentenced to state prison prior to being eighteen years old. The youth offender hearing takes the age and brain maturity of the offender into consideration when deciding on their release.
Proposition 47 classifies “non-serious, nonviolent crimes” as misdemeanors instead of felonies unless the defendant has prior convictions for murder, rape, certain sex offenses, or certain gun crimes.
Senate Bill 261, a revision of SB 260, requires the Board of Parole to conduct a “youth offender parole hearing” instead of an adult parole hearing, to consider release of offenders who committed specified crimes and were sentenced to state prison prior to being twenty-three years old.
Senate Bill 527, also known as the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Grant Program, is written under Proposition 47 to establish the Learning Communities for School Success Program. This program controls the allocation of Department of Education funds used to support evidence-based, non-punitive practices that keep vulnerable youth in schools by addressing school climate, student engagement, and healthy accountability.
Senate Bill 1391 repeals a prosecutor’s authority to transfer a minor, who is alleged to have committed certain serious offenses, from juvenile court to adult court if he or she were fourteen or fifteen years old at the time of the offense.
In August 2018, Senate Bill 10 is signed into law. SB10 aims to change California’s pretrial release from a money-based system to a risk-based release or detention: defendants would complete a risk assessment of low, medium, or high risk to determine their likelihood of returning for court appearances. The money bail industry, which would have been put out of business under the new system, collects enough signatures to put SB10 on the November 2020 ballot for a direct voter decision. Many advocates who oppose money bail also stand in firm opposition to risk assessment tools as they are likely to exacerbate already existing racial disparities in the system.
In Los Angeles, the American Civil Liberties Union files a lawsuit against the use of gang injunctions. As individuals rarely get the opportunity to challenge the injunctions in court, these individuals suffer a due process violation of their constitutional rights. As a result of a consent decree, the city is barred from enforcing nearly all of its remaining gang injunctions. These injunctions disproportionately target Black and Latino communities because of their broad nature, including otherwise legal behavior like being outside after dark or wearing certain clothes or colors and their ability to sweep up anyone who knows or is related to a gang member.
Alexander, M. (2010). The War on Drugs and the New Jim Crow. Race, Poverty, and the Environment, 17(1), 75–77.
American Bar Association Division for Public Education. (n.d.). The History of Juvenile Justice: Part 1. Dialogue on Youth and Justice, 4–8.
American Civil Liberties Union (2010). “Fair Sentencing Act.”
Ballotpedia. (2014). California Proposition 47, Reduced Penalties for Some Crimes Initiative (2014).
Burnett, J. (2019, January 17). “Federal Immigration Agents Separated More Migrant Children Than Previously Thought.” NPR.
California Department of Transportation. (2011). Tract Housing in California, 1945–1973: A Context for National Register Evaluation.
Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. (2018). Juvenile Justice History. CJCJ.
Chavez-Garcia, M. (2012). States of Delinquency: Race and Science in the Making of California’s Juvenile Justice System. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, University of Michigan Law School (n.d.). Case Profile:
Farrell v. Harper.
Commonweal: The Juvenile Justice Program. (2012). Juvenile Justice and Youth Crime & Violence Prevention Bills: Summary of Bills Signed or Vetoed by the Governor.
Commonweal: The Juvenile Justice Program. (2016). Juvenile Justice and Related Youth Program Bills in the 2016 Session of the California Legislature. COMJJ.
Custer, L. B. (1978). The Origins of the Doctrine of Parens Patriae. Emory Law Journal, 27, 195.
Feld, B. (2004). Juvenile Transfer. Criminology and Public Policy, 3(4), 599-604.
Fuller, T. (2018). California is the First State to Scrap Cash Bail. The New York Times.
Hegarty, A. (2018). Timeline: Immigrant Families Separated at the Border. USA Today.
Jordan, M. (2019). Trump Administration to Nearly Double Size of Detention Center for Migrant Teenagers. The New York Times.
Lawrence, R. & Hemmens, C. (2008). Juvenile Justice: A text/reader. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
McGough, M. (2019). The Fate of California’s Cash Bail Industry Will Now be Decided on the
2020 Ballot. The Sacramento Bee.
National Conference of State Legislatures (2017). Miller v. Alabama and Juvenile Life Without
Parole Laws.
Nelson, L. & Lind, D. (2015). The School to Prison Pipeline, Explained. Justice Policy Institute Retrieved from http://www.justicepolicy.org/news/8775
Ochoa, M. (2018). LAPD Gang Injunctions Gave Cops a License to Harass and Control Black
and Latino Residents. ACLU. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/blog/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices/lapd-gang-injunctions-gave-cops-license-harass.
Prison Law Office. (2019). Major Cases. Prison Law.
Prison Public Memory Project. (2014). House of Refuge for Women, 1887–1904. Prison Public Memory.
Torbati, Y.T & Cooke, K. (2019, February 14). “First Stop for Migrant Kids: For Profit Detention Center.” Reuters.
Rovner, J. (2017). Juvenile Life Without Parole: An Overview. Washington, DC: The Sentencing Project.
Senate Committee on Public Safety. (2018). SB 1391 Juveniles: Fitness for Juvenile Court.
Shouse California Law Group. California’s Gang Sentencing Enhancement Law Penal Code 186.22 PC Explained by Criminal Defense Lawyers. Shouselaw.
Snyder, H. N., & Sickmund, M. (2006). Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National Report.
Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, & Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Stracqualursi, V., Valencia, N. & Kopan T. (2018). Toddlers, Babies Held in ‘Tender Age’
Facilities After Separated from Families. CNN.
Superior Court of the State of California, County of Alameda. (2016). Farrell v. Kernan Stipulation and Order Dismissing Consent Decree with Prejudice. PrisonLaw.
US Supreme Court. (1944). Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158. SupremeJustia.
US Supreme Court. (2015). Senate Bill No. 261. California Legislative Information.
US Supreme Court. (2018). Senate Bill No. 10. California Legislative Information.
Vagins, D. J. & McCurdy, J. (2006, October 26). “Crack in the System: Twenty Years of Unjust Federal Cocaine Law.” ACLU.
Research and timeline done by the avalan Institute
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“Mr. Scrooge!” remakes old-fashioned Christmas tale into modern musical
Posted on November 21, 2016 June 4, 2019 by Lisa Ware
The familiar story of Ebeneezer Scrooge will be recast as a stage musical this December at Spartanburg Methodist College.
“Mr. Scrooge!” a modern and occasionally whimsical take on the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,” will be presented at SMC Dec. 6 and Dec. 7 at 7:00 p.m. in Gibbs Auditorium of Ellis Hall. The public is invited and the performance is free.
The musical was written and scored by SMC music professor Lanny Lanford while he was in graduate school at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. This will be the 36th consecutive year it has been staged – and the fifth in a row at SMC.
“I remember I did it my second year here and everything went well,” Lanford recalled. “Then they said they’d like me to do it again the next year. I said, ‘Why?’ They asked me to make it a tradition.”
By Lanford’s description, the musical features a variety of styles, from rock to salsa to “the cheesiest love song you’ve ever heard.” But it all moves along at an action-packed pace, he said, noting that he worked hard to condense the original story without losing its meaning or leaving Dickens purists upset.
Playing the lead role for the second year is Carl Gibson, who is a graduate of SMC and Furman University. Gibson will be joined by a cast made up primarily of current SMC students. Lanford said community members will take part in the chorus of carolers. In fact, he is still accepting participants. Those interested are encouraged to call 587-4275.
Lanford is a popular figure on the SMC campus, known as an enthusiastic and engaging classroom teacher as well as a talented chorus director. He leads SMC’s instrumental and choral ensembles, including the college’s travelling chorus, the Troubadours. Lanford earned his doctorate of musical arts in composition from the University of South Carolina. He achieved international acclaim by winning the International Composition Competition for “Les Chevaliers du Tastevin,” written in both French and English.
He said he loves working with students at SMC. As a two-year college, he noted, students “don’t have to wait long for an opportunity. And there’s always fresh talent to work with.”
It is always exciting to see a performance come together, Lanford said. “It’s a constant joy to see a group come so far in a short amount of time. There’s always fear and trepidation at first, but by the end of it they really feel like they’ve accomplished something. That’s one of the things I wake up for every day.”
Posted in SMC News
“Routine Maintenance” Art Exhibition Opens November 17
Students Named to Dean’s and President’s Lists
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Wawrinka eases into 3rd round at Monte Carlo Masters
Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland plays a return to Juan Monaco of Argentina during their match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament in Monaco, Wednesday, April 15, 2015. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
Lionel Cironneau
MONACO (AP) Rafael Nadal is back on the clay he loves so much.
Nadal, who has a mediocre 16-5 record this year, got the flawless start he was hoping for Wednesday at the Monte Carlo Masters, beating 21-year-old wild-card entry Lucas Pouille 6-2, 6-1 in the second round.
The Spaniard won eight consecutive titles in Monte Carlo from 2005-12 but has been struggling recently, dropping to fifth in the rankings. Now in the European clay-court season, the nine-time French Open champion is biding to regain his old form ahead of another shot at the title at Roland Garros.
After recovering from a wrist injury and an appendectomy, Nadal lost in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. He then enjoyed a good week in Buenos Aires, where he won the title, but struggled on the hard courts of Indian Wells and Miami.
Following his loss to Fernando Verdasco in Florida, Nadal returned home to practice.
On Wednesday, the 14-time Grand Slam champion was in total control. He limited his mistakes to five unforced errors and did not face a single break point against an opponent ranked 108th by the ATP.
A forehand passing shot gave him a 3-1 lead in the second set, and he broke again in the sixth game and served out the match at love.
The switch to clay was also enjoyable for Stan Wawrinka, who won his maiden Masters tournament last year at the Country Club. The seventh-seeded Swiss produced a convincing 6-1, 6-4 win over clay-court specialist Juan Monaco to join Nadal in the third round.
Wawrinka won 15 of the first 20 points and broke twice to build a 5-1 lead before serving out the first set at love.
After conceding only two points on his serve in the opener, Wawrinka was made to work harder in a second set featuring five breaks of serve.
Wawrinka, who arrived in Monte Carlo on the back of early losses at Indian Wells and Miami, is hoping for better results on clay ahead of the French Open.
''The past two months were really difficult, both with my game and confidence,'' Wawrinka said. ''But I have much ambition for this clay-court season. I grew up on this surface and it's easier for me than for other players to switch to clay.''
Next up for Wawrinka will be ninth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4.
Also, Tommy Robredo progressed with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Marcel Granollers and Tomas Berdych defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4, 7-6 (2).
Second-seeded Roger Federer opened his campaign against Jeremy Chardy later Wednesday.
More Tennis
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Amyl & The Sniffers are pleased to share their cheeky new video for ‘Some Mutts (can’t be muzzled)’. The video was directed by Dikayl Rimmasch. Dikayl is a film-maker and photographer. He has worked with Adele, Beyonce, Jay – Z, Lenny Kravitz, Blondie, and as a contributing director on LEMONADE he won an MTV best […]
Sleaford Mods have announce their self-titled new EP ‘Sleaford Mods’ which is released via Rough Trade Records on September 14th 2018. The EP will be available on 12”, CD & DL. This is the band’s first new music since last year’s top 15 album “English Tapas” The EP was recorded in Spring 2018 in Nottingham, […]
SLEAFORD MODS – HEAR NEW TRACK + NEW EP DETAILS
NEW ALBUM ‘MOONSHINE FREEZE’ DETAILS FROM THIS IS THE KIT ALONGSIDE ITS ROUGH TRADE SESSIONS VIDEO
Recent Rough Trade signings This Is The Kit will release their new album Moonshine Freeze on Friday 7th July 2017. This Is The Kit’s new album and Rough Trade debut, Moonshine Freeze, produced by John Parish (PJ Harvey, M Ward, Perfume Genius), began in the immediate wake of its predecessor, Bashed Out, when days after coming off tour […]
Starcrawler have recently announced their debut single ‘Ants’, which will be coming out on Rough Trade Records on Friday 12th May 2017. The single will be backed by B-side ‘Used to Know’ and will be released on limited edition blood splattered white vinyl 7” – 500 only world wide. The band are also set to play their […]
NEW ROUGH TRADE SIGNEES STARCRAWLER RELEASE DEBUT SINGLE & VIDEO FOR ‘ANTS’
HINDS ANNOUNCE UK TOUR AND SHARE NEW VIDEO
Hinds offer fans another glimpse into world, in the form of a double music video/ short film for their cover of Thee Headcoatees’ ‘Davey Crockett’ and The Parrots’ cover of ‘All My Loving’, which was released earlier this year for Record Store Day as a split 7 inch single. Hinds and The Parrots spoke to Pitchfork about the making of […]
Palma Violets complete their amazing year with a massive 14 date headline UK tour. Since the release their debut album 180’ back in February, the London four-piece have toured America, supported the likes of Alabama Shakes, Django Django and Savages, and appeared on Jools Holland and Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel. Plus they received accolades […]
NEWS: PALMA VIOLETS – UK TOUR DATES
VIDEO: PALMA VIOLETS – ‘BEST OF FRIENDS’
Up until now Rough Trade’s Palma Violets have had minimum online presence and no songs recorded, instead preferring for people to come and experience their raucous live shows at their Lambeth art studio / squat Studio 180, and then later on a UK co-headline tour with Savages. As of today, the London four-piece’s debut single ‘Best Of Friends’ is available to buy from iTunes. […]
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the birth of Bella Union Records, and to celebrate they have teamed up with Rough Trade Shops to compile 145 minutes and 52 seconds minutes of music, old and new, that reflects fondly on the beginnings of the label and looks towards the prospects of the future. As […]
NEWS: BELLA UNION – 15TH ANNIVERSARY COMPILATION WITH ROUGH TRADE
NEWS: EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS – NEW ALBUM ‘HERE’ + MAKING OF VIDEO
Edward Shape & the Magnetic Zeros will release their second studio album ‘HERE’ on 28th May via Rough Trade Records. The album, which is the follow-up to the LA group’s 2009 debut ‘Up From Below’, was self-produced and recorded in Bogalusa, LA and in their studio in Ojai, CA. Of the new album, frontman Alex Ebert says: “The making of this album has […]
The London-based label has unleashed it’s annual hardware upgrade of all things electronic and this year features everything from Nicolas Jaar to Rustie to the already legendary collab between Flying Lotus and Thom Yorke, but also the likes of Solar Bears, Ayshay, Modeselektor and Hercules & LoveAffair. For specifics you can find the track listing […]
Rough Trade Shops – Electronic 11
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Parliament: Large polluters must improve energy efficiency or risk heftier penalties
With the new changes, companies in the industrial sector have to be more energy efficient or risk being slapped with heftier penalties. PHOTO: ST FILE
Apr 3, 2017, 6:38 pm SGT
http://str.sg/48RM
Audrey Tan
Environment Correspondent
audreyt@sph.com.sg
SINGAPORE - Large polluters in the Republic will have to step up their green efforts, now that a law governing energy conservation has been enhanced.
Changes to the Energy Conservation Act, which were passed in Parliament on Monday (Apr 3), will require companies in the industrial sector to be more energy efficient - or risk being slapped with heftier penalties.
For instance, companies will have to be more active in looking for opportunities to improve energy efficiency in workplace processes, and ensure that common industrial equipment and systems, such as motors, meet minimum energy performance standards.
They will also have to adopt a structured measurement, reporting and verification system for their greenhouse gas emissions, a move which will help pave the way for the carbon tax scheme the Government plans to impose from 2019. The scheme will tax power stations and other large emitters based on the amount of greenhouse gases they produce, likely in the range of $10 to $20 per tonne.
The enhanced law also requires all new industrial facilities and major expansion projects to undergo design reviews to incorporate energy efficiency measures from 2018.
Previously, the Act only required large energy users to appoint an energy manager, routinely monitor and report energy use and annual emissions, as well as submit annual energy efficiency improvement plans to the National Environment Agency.
In outlining the changes to the law in Parliament on Monday, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said: "As a result of these enhancements, we will be raising penalties for several non-compliances to reflect the higher value of industrial goods, and to bring them in line with other legislation."
He did not give details on the heftier fines, but said companies can benefit from long-term cost savings, and increased competitiveness, if they comply with the new measures.
For instance, during the debate on his ministry's budget in March, Mr Masagos had cited the example of electronic component manufacturer Murata Electronics Singapore. The firm will be replacing 50 motors with higher-efficiency ones, helping it save $21,000 on electricity a year.
The enhanced law will help Singapore tackle climate change by tackling the largest emitters here - the sector is the largest energy user, consuming about two-thirds of the nation's total energy consumption, and contributing about 60 per cent of Singapore's carbon emissions. "Improving energy efficiency, or EE for short, in the industrial sector, is thus key to achieving our climate change goals," said Mr Masagos.
Under the Paris climate pact inked in December 2015, Singapore pledged to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to achieve each dollar of gross domestic product by 36 per cent from 2005 levels, come 2030. It has also pledged to stop any increase to its greenhouse gas emissions by around 2030.
The enhancements to the Act will also see a new Vehicular Emissions Scheme, which will replace the current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme. Under the old scheme, only carbon dioxide is taken into consideration in determining the emissions level of a vehicle. But the new Vehicular Emissions Scheme will also consider other harmful pollutant emissions in addition to carbon dioxide.
READ MORE STORIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE
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Egypt army plan would scrap constitution, Parliament
Jul 3, 2013, 12:22 am SGT
http://str.sg/ZWXE
CAIRO (REUTERS) - Egypt's armed forces would suspend the constitution and dissolve an Islamist-dominated Parliament under a draft political roadmap to be pursued if Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and his opponents fail to reach a power-sharing agreement by Wednesday, military sources said.
Sources said the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) was still discussing details of the plan, intended to resolve a political crisis that has brought millions of protesters into the streets. The roadmap could be changed based on political developments and consultations.
Chief-of-staff General Abdel Fattah El-Sisi called in a statement on Monday for Mursi to agree within 48 hours on power-sharing with other political forces, saying the military would otherwise set out its own roadmap for the country's future.
The president rebuffed the ultimatum and the main liberal and leftist opposition alliance has refused to talk to him, demanding along with youth activists that he resign.
The sources said the military intended to install an interim council, composed mainly of civilians from different political groups and experienced technocrats, to run the country until an amended constitution was drafted within months.
That would be followed by a new presidential election, but parliamentary polls would be delayed until strict conditions for selecting candidates were in force, they said.
The armed forces planned to open talks with the main opposition National Salvation Front and other political, religious and youth organisations once a deadline set for Mursi to reach a power-sharing agreement expires on Wednesday.
The sources would not say how the military intended to deal with Mursi if he refused to go quietly.
The emerging roadmap could be amended as a result of those consultations, they said. Among figures being considered as an interim head of state was the new president of the constitutional court, Adli Mansour.
The emerging army blueprint closely resembles proposals for a democratic transition put forward by the NSF, which appointed former UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei on Monday to negotiate with the military on the way forward.
The military sources said the new transition arrangements would be entirely different from the military rule that followed the overthrow of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak in a 2011 popular uprising.
Then, the armed forces' council held effective power but was widely criticised by liberal and left-wing politicians for failing to enact vital economic and political reforms, and siding with the Muslim Brotherhood.
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Home | Studying Abroad | Study in australasia | Study in Australia | study in sydney
STUDY IN SYDNEY
CITIES IN AUSTRALIA
Study In Sydney - Explore Universities in Sydney
Study in Sydney?
Study in Sydney, and find the best universities in Sydney.
Come study a degree in Sydney, Australia’s most populous city, capital of New South Wales and one of the world’s most exciting tourist destinations.
Sydney brims with history, culture, nature, art and fashion. Its forty beaches and multiple tourist attractions means you will never be short of something to do in the city. This is the city that gives you the Sydney Opera House, Bondi Beach and the Harbour Bridge.
Sydney is used to welcoming visitors. More than 10million people come to visit Sydney each year, while a third of the city’s permanent population were born overseas. International students will be joining a city that is cosmopolitan and diverse, which is reflected in the number of different restaurants, bars and cafes in the city.
Sydney is home to some of Australia’s best places to study and is also the site of Australia’s first ever university, the University of Australia. You can study a degree in Sydney at some of the following institutions:
University of Notre Dame Australia
University of Wollongong
Undergraduate degrees in Sydney typically take between 3-4 years to complete, depending on the subject and mode of study.
In order to start at a university in Sydney, students will need to get a student visa. The Department for Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) grants visas to students whose courses are registered and full time.
The student visa allows for study at Sydney universities, as well as the freedom to work part time. It also provides access to:
Subsidised student health cover in Australia
Possibilities to study in Australia for longer than first planned
Students can apply for their Australian visas as soon as they have received Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from their university. To do this they should contact the Australian Government Office Overseas in their own country, for details on how to apply and what documents are required. This varies from country to country.
The easiest way to settle into life in Sydney as a student is to live in dedicated halls of accommodation, which are normally provided on campus. This will allow you to settle into student life easily and quickly.
However, Sydney offers adventurous students plenty of other options when it comes to finding flats and the chance to mingle with tourists and other students.
Popular student areas in Sydney include:
Expect to pay around AUS$140-$200 (£92-£131) per week for a room in a shared house.
If you would like to find out more about how to study a degree in Sydney, fill out our Free Application Service and we'll get back in touch.
Universities and Colleges in Australia
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Federal System in India
India is a federal state. There are generally two types of states in the world. The state that has only one government for the entire country, which is known as unitary state. The United Kingdom has a unitary system. But there are states like United States of America and Canada which have governments at two levels: one at the central level and the other at the state level.
Besides having two sets of government, a federal system must have three other features:
A written constitution
Division of powers between the central government and the state governments
Supremacy of judiciary to interpret the constitution
India also has a federal system having all these features, but with a difference.
Characteristics of the Indian Federal System
1. Two-tier Government
There are two sets of government created by the Indian Constitution: one for the entire nation called the union government (central government) and another for each unit or State, called the State government. Besides the Union and State governments, local governments-both rural and urban- are also said to constitute another tier.
But constitutionally India has a two-tier government. The Constitution does not allocate separate set of powers to the local governments as these continues to be under their respective State governments.
2. Division of Powers
Like other federations, both the Union and the State governments have a constitutional status and clearly identified area of activity. The Constitution clearly divides the powers between the two sets of governments, so that the Centre and the States exercise their powers within their respective spheres of activity. None violates its limits and tries to encroach upon the functions of the other.
The division has been specified in the Constitution through three Lists: the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List. The Union List consists of 97 subjects of national importance such as Defence, Railways, Post and Telegraph, etc. The State List consists of 66 subjects of local interest such as Public Health, Police, Local Self Government, etc. The Concurrent List has 47 subjects such as Education, Electricity, Trade Union, Economic and Social Planning, etc. On this List both the Union government and State governments have concurrent jurisdiction.
However, the Constitution assigns those powers on the subjects that are not enumerated under Union List, State List and Concurrent List to the Union government. Such powers are known as Residuary Powers. If there is any dispute about the division of powers, it can be resolved by the Judiciary on the basis of the constitutional provisions.
3. Written Constitution
India has a written Constitution which is supreme. It is also the source of power for both the sets of governments, the Union and the State. These governments are independent in their spheres of governance. Another feature of a federation is the rigid constitution. Although the Indian Constitution is not as rigid as the US Constitution, it is not a flexible constitution. It has unique blend of rigidity and flexibility.
4. Independence of Judiciary
Another very important feature of a federation is an independent judiciary to interpret the Constitution and to maintain its sanctity. The Supreme Court of India has the original jurisdiction to settle disputes between the Union and the States. It can declare a law as unconstitutional, if it contravenes any provision of the Constitution. The judiciary also has the powers to resolve disputes between the Union government and the State governments on the constitutional and legal matters related to the division of powers.
Indian Federal System with a Strong Centre
The Indian system appears to have all the features of a federal system. India is federal in form but unitary in spirit. Indian federal system has a strong Union government. This was deliberately done in the context of the prevailing situation on the eve of independence and in view of the socio-political situations. Apart from India being a vast country of continental dimensions, it has diversities and social pluralities.
The framers of the Constitution believed that we required a federal constitution that would accommodate diversities and pluralities. But when India attained independence, it was faced with challenges like maintaining unity and integrity and bringing about social, economic and political change. It was necessary for the Centre to have such powers because India at the time of independence was not only divided into Provinces created by the British but it also had more than 500 Princely States which had to be integrated into existing States or new States had to be created.
The Central government has been made strong deliberately. Besides the concern for unity, the makers of the Constitution also believed that the socio-economic problems of the country needed to be handled by a strong central government in cooperation with the States. Poverty, illiteracy, social inequalities and inequalities of wealth were some of the problems that required unified planning and coordination. Thus, the concerns for unity and development prompted the makers of the Constitution to create a strong central government.
1. The First Article of the Constitution itself hints at Indian federal system being different. It states that India shall be “a Union of States”. Nowhere does the Constitution describe India as a federal state. The Central government has sole power on the territory of India. The very existence of a State, including its territorial integrity is in the hands of the Parliament.
The Parliament is empowered to ‘form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States. It can also alter the boundary of any State or even its name. However, the Constitution provides for some safeguards.The Central government must secure the view of the concerned State legislature on such decisions.
2. Secondly, the division of powers is in favour of the Union government. The Union List contains all the key subjects. Besides, even in relation to the Concurrent List the Constitution has assigned precedence to the Centre over States. In the situation of a conflict between laws made on any subject of the Concurrent List by a State and also by the Parliament, the law made by the Parliament would be effective. The Parliament may legislate even on a subject in the State List, if the situation demands that the Central government needs to legislate. This may happen, if the move is ratified by the Rajya Sabha.
3. Thirdly, the federal principle envisages a dual system of Courts. But, in India we have unified or integrated judiciary with the Supreme Court at the apex.
4. Fourthly, the Union government becomes very powerful when any of the three kinds of emergencies are proclaimed. The emergency can turn our federal polity into a highly centralised system. The Parliament also assumes the power to make laws on subjects within the jurisdiction of the States. In yet another situation, if there are disturbances in any State or part thereof, the Union Government is empowered to depute Central Force in the State or to the disturbed part of the State.
5. The Governor of the State is appointed by the President of India, i.e. the Union government. He or She has powers to report to the President, if there is a constitutional breakdown in the State and to recommend the imposition of President’s Rule. When the President’s Rule is imposed on the State, the State Council of Ministers is dismissed and the Governor rules over the State as a representative of the Central government.
The State legislature also may be dissolved or kept in suspended animation. Even in normal circumstances, the Governor has the power to reserve any bill passed by the State legislature for the assent of the President. This gives the Central government an opportunity to delay the State legislation and also to examine such bills and veto them completely.
6. The Central government has very effective financial powers and responsibilities. In the first place, items generating revenue are under the control of the Centre. The States are mostly dependent on the grants and financial assistance from the Central government. Moreover, India has adopted planning as the instrument of rapid economic progress and development after independence. This also has led to considerable centralisation of decision making.
7. Finally, according to the constitutional provisions, the executive powers of the Centre are superior to those of the States. The Central government may choose to give instructions to the State government. Moreover, we have an integrated administrative system. The All-India Services are common for the entire territory of India and officers chosen for these services serve in the administration of the
States. Thus, an IAS officer who becomes the collector or an IPS officer who serves as the Commissioner of Police, are under the control of the Central government. States cannot take disciplinary action nor can they remove these officers from service.
There is a tilt in favour of the Centre at the cost of the States. The States have to work in close co-operation with the Centre. This has lent support to the contention that the Indian Constitution is federal in form but unitary in spirit. Constitutional experts have called it a ‘semi-federal’ or a ‘quasi federal’ system.
Demand for Greater Autonomy to States
The working of the Indian federation over the last six decades clearly shows that primarily because of the centralised federal system, the relations between the Centre and the States have not always been cordial. It is quite natural that the States would expect a greater role and powers in the governance of the State and the country as a whole. Which is why, from time to time, States have demanded that they should be given more powers and more autonomy.
With a view to seek solution, the Administrative Reforms Commission, Sarkaria Commission and several other Commissions were appointed by the Government of India. The core of important recommendations of various Commissions has accepted that there is no need to bring about changes in the fundamental fabric of the Constitution.
However, the need to have a permanent Inter-State Council has been felt. In addition, it is desired that both the Centre and the States should have the concern for the development of backward territories or areas. If economic development of these backward regions is undertaken in a planned manner, the separatist tendencies will be automatically controlled.
Differences between the Union and the States should be resolved by mutual consultation. The view on the demand of the States to provide more financial resources at their disposal has found favour. In order to improve Centre-State relations in the country, recommendations have been made for economic liberalisation and suitable amendments to the Constitution.
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Back to overview Back to Maps & more
Georeferencing
Most comprehensive collection of Swiss historical geodata
With the official maps produced from 1840 onwards, together with their largely hand-drawn documentation, swisstopo’s map collection contains Switzerland’s oldest geographical reference data. The approximately 29,000 printed maps and 23,000 manuscript maps (hand-drawn originals) form the most comprehensive collection of historical geodata in Switzerland.
Cultural treasure and landscape memory
Although it was originally conceived as a pure archive of outdated maps, since 1838 swisstopo’s collection has evolved into a cultural treasure of national importance. Taken together, the items in the collection represent a comprehensive record of the development of Switzerland’s landscapes.
Visualisation of Switzerland's landscape and settlement development
With the aid of the sets of historical maps it is possible to trace the evolution of Switzerland’s landscape and the history of its residential development right back to the era before the founding of the Swiss Confederation. swisstopo introduced a visualisation service in 2013 that enables users to embark on a fascinating and informative journey through history. With the aid of the sets of historical maps it is possible to trace the evolution of Switzerland’s landscape and the history of its residential development right back to the era before the founding of the Swiss Confederation. swisstopo introduced a visualisation service in 2013 that enables users to embark on a fascinating and informative journey through history. A journey through time is available in the federal geoportal that can be used for viewing maps dating from any desired era.
View a journey through time
swisstopo as authority responsible for the collection of national maps
swisstopo is required by law to permanently place this national treasure at the disposal of the public for a broad variety of uses, and it fulfils this requirement in the following ways:
swisstopo places the collection of national maps at the disposal of the public by posting them on the various portals. Users can search for any desired historical map sheets via the online catalogue of federal administration libraries Alexandria, by visiting the website Kartenportal.ch or by clicking on the historical maps using a journey through time
referred to above.
swisstopo has produced high-resolution scans of the original historical analogue maps, and these digital products can now be ordered from swisstopo. The Dufour Map, Siegfried Map and sets of national maps are also available online via map.geo.admin.ch, where they can be compared with the present-day maps with the aid of a variety of tools.
Protection and preservation measures
swisstopo’s map collection is protected in specially enclosed and air-conditioned premises which are not open to the public. The maps are kept in special flat, acid-free receptacles. swisstopo personnel repair and restore any damaged items wherever necessary.
The 1:100 000 Topographic Map of Switzerland (Dufour Map) was the first official series of maps that encompassed the whole of Switzerland. It was published in the period from 1845 to 1865 and thus...
The National Maps of Switzerland that are in use today are based on the provisions of the legislation dating from 1935. The National Maps were implemented in varying scales up and subsequently...
The original surveys for the Dufour Map were used for the publication of the 1:25 000 / 1:50 000 Topographic Atlas of Switzerland (Siegfried Map), which was produced between 1870 and 1926 as a...
The geodata produced by swisstopo are stored in a defined geodetic reference system.
A journey through time on map.geo.admin.ch
Online catalogue Alexandria
Kartenportal.CH: The specialist portal for maps
Search for geodata and geoservices in geocat.ch
Cartographica Helvetica: The journal on the history of cartography
The working group on the history of cartography
Old National Maps
Siegfried Map
Dufour Map
Dufour Map - facsimile
Once and today 1:25000
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Defense Secretary Ash Carter Looks To Strengthen Washington’s Relationship With Silicon Valley
12 May 2016, 11:12 am EDT By Krystle Vermes Tech Times
In an interview with CNBC on May 11, Defense Secretary Ash Carter stated that, through discussions with tech innovators, he has identified brewing tension between Washington, D.C. and Silicon Valley. Now, he is calling for change within the government to address these issues.
Carter stated on CNBC's Power Lunch that Silicon Valley perceives the government is "slow," and therefore, challenging to work with on all things tech. He perceived this as a signal to initiate change within the government in an attempt to "stay agile." Carter also specified the need to compete with those around the world who intend to harm the U.S.
"We've got to be the best because we're protecting the greatest country on Earth," Carter said on the news program.
While speaking to a group of reporters on May 11, Carter gave a prime example of the government's move to use more tech, citing electronic techniques used by U.S.-led coalitions to disrupt jihadist forces. At the event, he noted that these tactics could potentially be used by other U.S.-led efforts against the Islamic State in various countries.
The U.S. Secretaries of Homeland Security and Commerce were also present at the news brief, which was held at the headquarters of the Intel Corporation. Carter continued to speak about the government's tech efforts, announcing an expansion of the Pentagon's technology innovation unit. A new facility will be constructed in Boston, and a recruiter will be hired to bring in tech company leaders.
The over-arching goal is to recruit more innovative tech experts for the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental. The DIUx was initially formed to strengthen relationships with tech innovators and Silicon Valley. Over time, participants will work on scouting breakthrough and emerging technologies that could potentially help the Department of Defense. Reserve Military Lead Doug Beck, Army Lead Karl Gossett, and U.S. Cybercom Lead Ernie Bio are just some of the many individuals leading the DIUx team, which is made up of about 20 experts.
At the event held at Intel, tech and security company officials expressed hope that the government would hasten the adoption of private-sector innovation, specifically in the areas of robotics and machine learning.
Department of Defense, Ashton Carter, Cybersecurity
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Tenable CISO Ranum to Speak at 16th USENIX Security Symposium
Marcus Ranum, an internationally recognized expert on security system design and implementation, will present “They Really Are Out to Get You: How to Think About Computer Security” at the UNENIX Security Symposium.
This tutorial is a high-level mental toolkit for thinking about security in applications and administration. It’s aimed not at the tactical level of security (where most of us spend our time) but at the strategic level, and how to think about security as a problem, overall, rather than getting mired in the details.
An early innovator in firewall technology and the implementer of the first commercial firewall product, Ranum has served as a consultant to many FORTUNE 500 firms and national governments. He also has been a technology adviser to startups, established companies, and venture capital groups.
He is chief security officer for Tenable Security, where he is responsible for research in open-source logging tools and product training.
Marcus Ranum, Chief Security Officer, Tenable Network Security
August 7, 20079:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Colonnade Hotel120 Huntington AveBoston, MA 02116Tel: (617) 424-7000
For additional information, please visit http://www.usenix.org/events/sec07/
or contact:Patrice Bourgeois (410) 872-0555
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Christopher Nolan's Intimate, Yet Epic, New War Movie Dunkirk
British soldiers awaiting evacuation at Dunkirk faced unceasing air attacks.
From The Bridge On the River Kwai to A Bridge Too Far, the British have a fondness for their disasters when it comes to war movies. That fondness never quite became part of the American DNA, and perhaps it's a kind of national maturity that Great Britain long ago arrived at, which countries like the United States – a comparatively "moody teenager" among nations at 241 years old – still haven't been able to embrace in themselves.
Perhaps a part of that maturity is taking defeats and disasters and finding the lessons and heroism in what are otherwise dark and desperate hours. And as vividly illustrated in Christopher Nolan's new movie Dunkirk, there's also the characteristic British quality of quietly enduring in the face of despair, tragedy and rotten luck.
Dunkirk was a military disaster in that the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), sent to France at the outset of World War II in Sept. 1939, was forced to retreat from the Germans nine months later in the spring of 1940 in a humiliating rout. As a final insult, British forces were forced to leave all of their artillery, tanks, heavy guns and equipment on the beach in France in order to save themselves.
The Germans, already aware of the general Allied strategy, designed their invasion of Holland and Belgium in May 1940 to also serve as a trap for the BEF and the French. It worked perfectly. When the Germans attacked, the BEF and three of the best French armies moved north to fight to fight the Wehrmacht in Belgium – just as the Germans expected them to.
While Holland and Belgium were important to Hitler, it was also something of a decoy. The main thrust of the German offensive was to conquer France, and it came several days later through the hilly, forested region of the Ardennes along the Belgian-French border to the south – an area naively thought to be impassable by French commanders who still thought in terms of static World War I battles. The Germans, however, came fighting the mobile, Blitzkrieg war of 1940.
The effect was shattering. The Germans quickly took Sedan and crossed the Meuse River – something they'd never been able to accomplish in four years of fighting in World War I – and made a beeline for the sea at the English Channel, cutting off the BEF and French armies to the north from the weaker armies in the south, which had been left to guard Paris.
French leadership, immersed in political power struggles instead of focusing on a strategy beyond their Maginot Line fortifications, exacerbated the problem. As chaos reigned in Paris, German forces moved in to annihilate the trapped British and French armies in the north. They nearly succeeded.
The result was a decision by the British high command to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force, understanding that once France fell, England would be next on Hitler's invasion list. Great Britain needed its army back – they would soon be fighting Hitler alone (the Soviet Union and United States wouldn’t enter the war until the following year). Ultimately, Britain also evacuated thousands of trapped French and Belgian soldiers.
In a modern miracle, dozens of commercial transports, along with a flotilla of thousands of so-called "little ships" made up of fishing vessels, trawlers, yachts and other pleasure craft steamed across the English Channel to the besieged French port to rescue their army. The British were reluctant to commit the bulk of the Royal Navy to the rescue, in part because they needed to conserve their resources to defend the home islands, and because smaller boats were less likely to be attacked by enemy submarines and aircraft – a point illustrated early in the Dunkirk operation in several calamitous sinkings. Those rescues and the risks at sea make up one portion of Dunkirk, which opens in theaters this weekend.
In the film, Nolan introduces us to mostly unnamed characters in the air, on the sea, and on the beach, sometimes finding their way onto ships, only to have them torpedoed out from under them and ending up on the same beach again. A minimum of dialogue is used, with a persistent, pulsating score that ratchets the tension to unbearable levels and highlights the episodic dilemmas on-screen. Several audience members near my wife and I were visibly fidgeting in their seats with anxiety during these intense scenes.
This isn't like any war film you've seen. The closest approximation may 1998's The Thin Red Line, except there is never a dull moment in this briskly-paced film. Like other Christopher Nolan efforts, the narrative has an elastic, non-linear quality, as the different air, sea and beach scenes often land at different points along the film's timeline. It's an effective device that worked in Nolan's Memento, as well as Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, and it punctuates the disorienting situations the characters find themselves in.
The film is also a sensory experience. The IMAX photography is incredible and the sound design is a revelation. The gunshots are jarring and ear-splittingly loud, the soundtrack works in relation to the sense of space on the screen, and the scenes of Stuka dive bombers swooping down upon ships and men are made even more excruciating – as they certainly would’ve been in 1940 – by the use of sound (the Germans fitted Stuka aircraft with sirens intended to terrify those on the ground).
The aerial scenes involving Tom Hardy's cool, professional RAF pilot who has to constantly gauge the gasoline supply in his Spitfire are like nothing you've seen. You immediately get some idea of how difficult it would've been to fly these airplanes and engage in air-to-air combat against equally resourceful and well-trained Luftwaffe pilots, flying equally state-of-the-art Messerschmitt ME-109s.
Keep in mind too, there's no CGI used in this movie – those are real ships sinking on-screen, real stunts, and real aircraft. That the filmmakers were able to get their hands on working Supermarine Spitfires over 70 years after the end of World War II is impressive. For war movie fans, it's akin to the production team of 2014's Fury getting a still-working, albeit restored German Tiger tank on-screen.
Incredibly, the filmmakers also found working versions of the Heinkel-111 bomber and Messershmitt ME-109 fighters. While almost all of those original German-operated aircraft were destroyed during and after the war, the production team located several models that had been built under contract in Nazi-allied Spain during the 1940s, but with generally unseen engine and structural modifications added by Spanish engineers.
The lasting effect of this surprisingly quick movie (one hour, 40 minutes) is of tired soldiers on the beach, patiently waiting to go home, who are also irritable and quick to turn on each other when they've had enough. This leads to several small-scale scenarios that quickly escalate, highlighting what Oliver Stone called the "dog tired, don't-give-a-damn" attitude of sleep-deprived infantrymen who are still 19-year old kids armed with the power of life and death – and conditioned by combat not to play nice.
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Vatican approach to child abuse in Ireland absolutely disgraceful, says PM
Enda Kenny says laws being drawn up making it impossible for anyone to avoid obligation to report abuse allegations
Henry McDonald in Dublin
Thu 14 Jul 2011 13.52 EDT First published on Thu 14 Jul 2011 13.52 EDT
Enda Kenny has called on the Vatican to repeat its commitment to always following civil law in matters relating to child abuse. Photograph: Isopix/Rex Features
Ireland's prime minister has denounced the Vatican's approach to allegations of child abuse in the republic as absolutely disgraceful.
Enda Kenny said new laws are being drawn up that will make it impossible for anyone – even those high up in the Roman Catholic church – to avoid their obligations regarding reports of child abuse.
"The law of the land should not be stopped by crosier, or by collar," Kenny said.
He added that he hopes the response from the Irish government to the Cloyne report will clarify to everyone that the law of the land applies in situations where appalling actions took place.
Kenny called on the Vatican to repeat its commitment that civil law should always be followed. The Irish Catholic church and the Vatican have faced severe criticism over repeated attempts to deal with incidents of abuse behind closed doors rather than by handing over suspects to the Garda Síochána.
The Irish deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Eamon Gilmore, met with the Vatican's ambassador to Ireland to discuss the report's findings.
"There's one law in this country. Everybody is going to have to learn to comply with it. The Vatican will have to comply with the laws of this country," Gilmore said after the meeting.
Gilmore said the report would be debated in the House next Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the availability of ministers and spokespersons.
He said the failure of the church to co-operate with the law was one of the greatest problems and that the coalition government was determined that there would be consequences for any institution which failed to work with the legal authorities of the state when it came to child abuse.
The Socialist party's Joe Higgins said people were "throwing their hands in the air" at the revelations in the Cloyne report.
Irish prime minister attacks Vatican
Enda Kenny says Cloyne report on child sex abuse by priests highlights dysfunction and elitism in Rome
Northern Ireland police ombudsman in call for clerical child abuse investigation
Irish report on child sex abuse berates Vatican
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Bangladesh factory fire puts renewed pressure on clothing firms
Blaze follows collapse of Rana Plaza complex in Dhaka last month which left hundreds dead
Syed Zain Al-Mahmood in Dhaka and Jason Burke in Delhi
Thu 9 May 2013 10.57 EDT First published on Thu 9 May 2013 10.57 EDT
Bangladesh's crisis-stricken garment industry suffered its second serious accident in a fortnight when eight people were killed in a fire at a factory in Dhaka that was producing clothes for western retailers, including Primark.
Among the dead were the factory's managing director and principal owner and a senior police officer. Police said the fire started on the ground floor of the Tung Hai Sweater factory in the Mirpur suburb of Dhaka at around midnight on Wednesday.
The incident follows the collapse of the Rana Plaza complex near Dhaka on 24 April. The death toll from that disaster rose to more than 950 yesterday. The illegally constructed, eight-storey building collapsed while thousands of people were working inside. An engineer had declared it unsafe a day before.
The news that the Tung Hai factory supplied western firms will again focus attention on their role in the booming garments industry in Bangladesh. A website for Tung Hai boasted of supplying retailers in Germany, Ireland, Spain, Canada and the UK with products including cardigans, jumpers and pyjamas.
The factory's manager, Jabedur Rahman, said the owner and the other victims – including a member of the youth wing of the ruling Awami League political party and bodyguards – were having a meeting on the ninth floor when the fire broke out. Workers had left after their shift finished at around 8pm.
"The owner and his friends were found on the stairs but pronounced dead after they were taken to hospital," said Rahman. "They may have died of smoke inhalation while trying to find their way down."
On Thursday The facade of the 11-storey Tung Hai building, which towers over the blue-collar neighbourhood of Mirpur, was blackened by smoke. Workers crowded around the entrance, kept at a distance by police officers.
Piles of yarn as well as finished garments lay strewn on the ground floor. Among them were items appearing to be for well-known western labels. These included Cedarwood State and Atmosphere, both owned by Primark.
The head of compliance at Primark's Dhaka office, Arafat Kabir, confirmed that Tung Hai was a long-term supplier. "This was an active factory," he said. "It wasn't a ramshackle building. It was structurally sound and had adequate firefighting equipment. We offer condolences to the families of the deceased." He said that Primark executives had done a series of compliance audits at the factory and the last audit had been around six months ago.
This week the Bangladesh government said it had closed 16 garment factories in Dhaka and two in the south-eastern port city of Chittagong for safety reasons after the collapse of Rana Plaza.
"These factories will only be allowed to reopen after they have made structural and safety improvements," a senior official of the labour ministry said. "Every factory in the country will be inspected as part of a government initiative to ensure safety."
There are concerns that corruption and political influence may allow owners to evade regulations.
Bangladesh is the second biggest garment maker in the world, with 4 million workers, mostly women, employed in the industry. Many of them face chronically unsafe working conditions – with blocked or non-existent fire exits and shaky foundations – and receive barely subsistence wages.
More than 700 workers have died in fires in garment factories since 2005, according to labour groups who complain that neither retailers nor factory owners give enough importance to safety.
Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity, said western brands must do more to improve safety in Bangladesh. "Fires are happening in modern factories as well as old ones," she said. "We must build a culture of safety in Bangladesh and international retailers must be part of this."
Mannan Kochi, vice-president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the fire in Dhaka was another blow to the image of the country's garment industry.
"This is a terrible accident and the owner himself lost his life," he said. "This was a modern factory. We will co-operate fully with the government to make sure we get to the bottom of what happened."
At the Rana Plaza site, army bulldozers uncovered 100 bodies on Thursday. Families continued to crowd around the site, clutching photos of those still missing. Army officials co-ordinating the rescue said the decomposition of the bodies meant relatives would have to wait for DNA tests, which they said could take up to six months.
Roughly 2,500 people were rescued from the building, including many injured, but there is no official estimate of the numbers still missing.
The government has blamed the collapse on the owners and builders for using shoddy building materials, including substandard rods, bricks and cement, and not obtaining the necessary official clearances.
Primark and its Canadian counterpart Loblaw have announced they will compensate the victims of the disaster, the world's worst industrial accident since the Bhopal gas leak in India in 1984.
Rana Plaza
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HELKER-NYGREN: Restricting Caster Semenya is just the latest example of limiting women in sports
Ottawa Citizen (letters@ottawacitizen.com)
Published: May 16 at 7:30 a.m.
Updated: May 16 at 8 a.m.
Caster Semenya - Reuters
Those who don't fit or don't want to operate within the narrowly defined roles that society has given them are met with resistance.
At the start of this month, Caster Semenya lost the legal battle against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which means that she must take medication to decrease her naturally high testosterone levels if she wants to continue to compete in 800- and 1,500-metre races. The IAAF concluded that it would be unfair towards all other female athletes if it did not restrict Semenya’s natural hormone composition.
Ironically, the IAAF doesn’t seem to care to limit men’s natural testosterone levels to ensure that the situation is fair for all competing men. Nor does the IAAF have any issues with other types of natural advantages for either women or men, such as extraordinarily tall people in basketball and those with unusually high levels of oxygen uptake capacity in aerobic sports. Why? Because that’s how sports work. Sports are competitive and those with noteworthy talents or genetical advantages are more likely to succeed than others. Sports are inherently unfair.
Ironically, the IAAF doesn’t seem to care to limit men’s natural testosterone levels to ensure that the situation is fair for all competing men.
So why is the IAAF concerned with restricting Semenya? Its actions suggest that natural advantages are acceptable until they challenge some fundamental aspect of society – in this case, the idea of what constitutes “women.” The IAAF is trying to hold on to the status quo; it is doing precisely what others in powerful positions have done before them throughout history – they try to limit women.
In the past, women have been pulled off courses in running races just because of their gender. Today, we consider that unacceptable and ultimately illegal, but we might not have come as far as we’d like to think.
Just a few months ago in Belgium, a female cyclist was forced to stop mid-race because she had caught up to the male cyclists who started ahead of her. Her performance was not met with admiration and encouragement – she was forced to stop, which ruined her race. Last year, when the French tennis player Alizé Cornet briefly took off her top on the tennis court, she was issued a code violation , while players like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic recurrently do this without anyone raising eyebrows.
These are not unique events; examples of women being limited when men can roam freely are abundant. As in Caster Semenya’s case, women who don’t fit or don’t want to operate within the narrowly defined roles that society has given them, are met with resistance.
The IAAF’s proposed limit on women’s testosterone levels is also problematic from a purely scientific perspective. Recent studies have shown that the human brain, which controls the production of testosterone and other hormones, has a composition that can not usefully be gendered. There are larger brain differences within the category of women and men separately than between them. Other studies have exposed that sociocultural factors, not just biology , have effects on the level of testosterone that is produced, which further supports the inadequacy of rigid sex and gender categorizations.
The differences between men and women, both in terms of behaviour and biology, are not as clearly distinct as some would like to think. In the case of Semenya, this has created confusion as people cannot grasp the concept of her being a woman and having higher levels of testosterone than what is traditionally seen as “normal” for women. But what if our definition of a woman does not reflect the reality?
Instead of further restricting the biological and social characteristics of women, we should take this opportunity to expand them. Forcing a woman to lower her natural testosterone level artificially is a desperate effort to limit her being. The IAAF is willing to fight against what nature gave Semenya, to hold on to norms and standards that humans themselves have created. It is not just discriminatory; it lacks any resemblance of logic.
Women who have more of what is considered “male” characteristics are every day told by society to suppress these features. The IAAF has now taken the first step to institutionalize this for the distances in which Semenya competes. This is a step back for women and gender equality.
Ellen Helker-Nygren is a 26-year old student at the University of Ottawa.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
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Menu Our Communities
Resident Payments
Senior Living Nears Completion
Construction has been underway all summer just south of the Sisters Post Office, as The Lodge in Sisters rises from the meadow. The senior living facility is well on its way to completion – reservations are available.
Owner Peter Hoover told The Nugget last week that there are 62 total units – 28 studios; 28 one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units. “We’ve been taking reservations and we’re about 30 percent committed as of right now,” he said. “Construction-wise, we should finish up in December.”
After that, the facility must pass a state inspection, after which it can open.
Hoover, who has a back-ground in financial planning, experienced first-hand the need for appropriate local care for seniors when his parents moved here from California to live across the street from Hoover and his family. He and his father were the sole caregivers for his mother as she declined in ill health.
The intention for The Lodge in Sisters is to provide a quality, hospitable residence for both independent seniors and those requiring some assistance with their daily activities such as medication management. There will be no memory care of skilled nursing care available; however, there will be a full-time registered nurse on staff.
For residents who no longer drive, transportation will be available. Hoover hopes to work in partnership with a medical transport company to get residents to doctor appointments.
Interest in The Loge was immediate, as soon as plans were filed with the City of Sisters.. “We knew there was a desire and need for a facility but we’re stunned by the positive reception and enthusiasm we have seen.” Hoover told The Nugget earlier this year.
Hoover told The Nugget that it’s an honor and a commitment to be able to say, “You can be with friends and family and maintain community connections which are important to retain. Honoring our seniors is a wonderful experience to be part of.”
More information is available at www.thelodgeinsisters.com. Hoover can be reached at 541-549-5634 or by email at THRIVIFYLLC@gmail.com.
The Lodge in Sisters
411 E. Carpenter Lane Sisters, OR 97759
Monday - Sunday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Copyright © The Lodge in Sisters
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Filed 11:30 a.m.
‘Trust Nobody, and Proceed with Caution’
Two new safety videos aim to protect New York inmates from prison rape.
By Eli Hager
In the upcoming months, New York state will take an unusual step towards preventing prison rape: Prisons will show inmates — both male and female — an orientation video offering advice on how to identify, and avoid, sexual predators behind bars.
The videos, funded through a grant from the federal government under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), are directed by T.J. Parsell, a former prisoner who was also raped in prison. They will be premiered for the inmates who participated in the filming — at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, Fishkill Correctional Facility, and Downstate Correctional Facility — then rolled out in prisons across the state.
New York has had an uneven record on prison rape. In 2010, according to PREA surveys, three of the eleven prisons in the U.S. with the most staff-on-inmate sexual violence were in New York. Since 2009, three corrections officers at Bedford Hills alone have been charged with raping inmates.
The orientation videos are an attempt to confront that legacy and to change a prison culture in which sexual assault, and the code of silence surrounding it, remain all too common.
The Marshall Project has obtained exclusive access to the videos. Below, a selection of clips from each (or watch the full videos).
The vulnerability of being new.
Parsell, the director, informs the viewer that he was drugged, dragged to an empty cell, and gang-raped during his first day in prison.
Misconceptions.
A detailed, up-to-date schedule of upcoming executions in the United States
The videos focus on dispelling common fears — primarily, that prisoners can expect to be immediately and brutally assaulted. Instead, predators now employ subtler tactics: giving gifts to new inmates to make them feel dependent.
The targets.
An effeminate male prisoner and a gay female prisoner acknowledge that they are seen as “fair game.”
Guard-on-inmate abuse.
In a remarkable sequence, several female prisoners explain that staff can be predatory, too, and offer tips on identifying when a corrections officer is behaving inappropriately. Minutes later, a corrections officer tells viewers that they have “an absolute right to report [assault] and to be free from retaliation.”
Situations to avoid.
Both films offer practical advice, including, in these two clips, how to tell whether your weight-lifting partner is a making sexual advances and how to behave in the shower.
Prison “mothers” and “daughters.”
The orientation video for women emphasizes the social stressors inside prison and how they may turn inmates into easy targets. Several female inmates explain how, upon arrival, you may “feel guilty for leaving your family.” Predators, sensing your low self-esteem and loneliness, may offer to be your prison “mother” or “sister.”
Destigmatizing snitching.
A major goal of the videos, according to Parsell, was to “carve out an exception to the stigma, among most male prisoners and many female ones, against snitching.” If the code of silence is breached, he says, and “the men say rape is not going to happen, it’s not going to happen.”
Watch the full videos:
Originally Filed Friday, February 20, 2015 at 11:30 a.m. ET
Prison Rape
PREA
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Musician, storyteller Livingston Taylor to appear at Thrasher
Musician, storyteller Livingston Taylor to appear at Thrasher April 11.
Musician, storyteller Livingston Taylor to appear at Thrasher Musician, storyteller Livingston Taylor to appear at Thrasher April 11. Check out this story on thenorthwestern.com: http://oshko.sh/1D1TMEe
Martha Janz, reader submitted Published 6:30 p.m. CT April 3, 2015
Livingston Taylor(Photo: Submitted)
Livingston Taylor picked up his first guitar at the age of 13, beginning a 40-plus year career that has encompassed performance, songwriting and teaching. Born in Boston and raised in North Carolina, Livingston comes from a very musical family that includes Alex, Kate, Hugh and folk/pop singer-songwriter icon, James Taylor.
The consummate musician and musical storyteller will entertain us with his exuberant personality and warm charm at a Wisconsin-exclusive performance at the historic Thrasher Opera House at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11.
Livingston recorded his first record at 18 and has continued to create well-crafted, introspective and original songs that have earned him listeners worldwide. He has recorded 18 albums to date, with his latest being Blue Sky in 2014. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres – folk, pop, gospel, and jazz – and from upbeat storytelling to touching ballads.
In addition to maintaining an active touring schedule, Livingston is a full professor at Berklee College of Music, where he has taught a stage performance course since 1989. He teaches young artists invaluable lessons learned over the course of an extensive career on the road.
Tickets for this special concert are available at the Thrasher office, Horicon Bank (Green Lake), Pick N' Save, Ripon Drug (Ripon), Twister (Princeton) or by calling (920) 294-4279, or online at thrasheroperahouse.com.
Read or Share this story: http://oshko.sh/1D1TMEe
The Grand Oshkosh's 2019-20 season lineup includes The Four Phantoms
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Francesca Hegyi named new executive director of Edinburgh International Festival
Francesca Hegyi
by Thom Dibdin - Oct 29, 2018
Edinburgh International Festival has appointed Francesca Hegyi as its new executive director, from February 2019.
She is taking over from Joanna Baker, who steps down at the end of this year after 12 years in the role and 26 years at the EIF.
Hegyi joins the EIF from Hull City of Culture 2017, for which she was also executive director. She was appointed an OBE in the 2018 New Year honours, having secured funding for and delivering 2,800 events over the year.
After studying at Edinburgh University, Hegyi began her career in the museum sector, first at the Science Museum in London, then as a policy adviser to the Scottish Museums Council in Edinburgh.
In 2005 she was appointed senior adviser to the London organising committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Hegyi said she felt “privileged and excited” to take up the role, adding: “I first experienced the International Festival as a student in Edinburgh nearly 30 years ago and have watched and admired its growth since then.
“As well as being the cultural highlight of the year, it plays a vital role in the life of the city, for residents as well as the many visitors it attracts.”
Welcoming Hegyi’s appointment, EIF director Fergus Linehan said: “Fran has a strong connection with our city and has a reputation for delivering work of an international standard that creates lasting value in the communities in which it is performed.”
BECTU appoints Philippa Childs as first female leader in its history
Fight director Malcolm Ranson: 'Actors sometimes get hit through lack of concentration'
Thom Dibdin
Currently Scotland Correspondent for The Stage, Thom has been a freelance contributor to the paper since 1994
Edinburgh International Festival extends Fergus Linehan's contract...
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Big Ideas: Ways to make Toronto a better place to learn
By Rachel MendlesonInvestigative Reporter
Tues., April 22, 2014timer4 min. read
The blueprint for a unique push to talk to students about cyberbullying, coercion and sexual harassment is sketched out in colourful markers on chart paper in Ken Jeffers’ office.
Jeffers, 41, heads the gender-based violence prevention program at the Toronto District School Board, the only one of its kind in Canada. For months, he has been working on a guidebook on healthy relationships to fill what he sees as a gaping hole in programming from kindergarten through Grade 12.
But he envisions a much bigger intervention: What if lessons on trust, communication and boundaries were considered essential parts of the curriculum for which teachers received training, as they do for math, history and geography?
“Right now, we are graduating teachers across the country without one mandatory course on equity or bullying, and the expectation is they come to class equipped to deal with those things,” said Jeffers. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
Jeffers is one of three “hidden experts” who met with the Star to discuss big ideas to improve learning in Toronto. His proposal resonated with Kate Gatto, 29, who works for a non-profit peer tutoring program called Licensed to Learn, and Isaac Weber, 27, co-founder of the Native Vision Productions Collective, which gets aboriginal youth involved in art projects around the city.
Their aim is to create a more inclusive education system that empowers students to help each other and sees kids as more than future workers.
The discussions, held throughout March and April, are part of the Star’s ongoing Big Ideas project. In partnership with the Martin Prosperity Institute and Evergreen CityWorks, the Star has embarked on a city-wide brainstorming effort aimed at uncovering transformative proposals to make Toronto a city that works once again.
Here are some of the ideas these hidden experts — front-line workers with deep knowledge in education — believe would improve the way we mold young minds.
Bring peer-tutoring to every school. Gatto’s organization runs peer-tutoring programs in about 10 per cent of Toronto schools. For the majority of participants, “It’s about helping,” she said. To make the most of this “untapped resource,” she believes every student should have access to a structured peer-tutoring program. It would take buy-in from staff and funding (her program, for instance, costs about $2,500 per school) but she said the leadership it fosters is worth the investment. “Trusting them to take on a challenge like helping another kid not fail in school … I think that’s a big responsibility, and I think kids are ready to take that on at all levels.”
Teach kids to meditate. Growing up on a reserve on the French River, near Parry Sound, spirituality was “very important” to Weber. Instead of focusing solely on giving students the skills they need to get a degree and a job, he says schools should spend time teaching kids to tap into their emotional and spiritual sides with “alternative supports” such as meditation. “It can create different balances,” he said.
Increase accountability and transparency. Jeffers says the province and school boards are “great” at coming up with policies, but often, these are “never enforced properly until some major crisis happens.” To change that, he wants better checks and balances. For example, although all schools boards in Ontario are now required to conducts “school climate” surveys of students, staff and parents that look at issues of equity and bullying, they are not required to publish the results. “We’re collecting it anyway,” he said. “Why wouldn’t you be able to go online as a parent or community member and look at an individual school to see … reported instances of being bullied?”
(Brad Wheeler, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, said the schools are “free to share this information publicly if they wish to do so,” and said parents are encouraged to ask the school principal about the results of the survey.)
Pair aboriginal students with non-aboriginal peers. There is no better way to dispel stereotypes and break down barriers than by spending time with a member of another cultural group, says Weber. He was struck by the positive impacts of pairing aboriginal students with non-aboriginal peers during the Caledonia standoff in 2006. “Seeing those kids join together to make artwork, and conversations that they have — although that was just a moment in time — I still saw a great opportunity to take that as example that might be applicable in different places,” he said.
Train teachers to create healthy global citizens. The hidden experts agreed that more attention should to be paid to teaching kids to better navigate the road ahead, beyond preparing them for the work world. Lessons on bullying and healthy relationships are already woven into learning beginning in kindergarten. But Jeffers said the key is to make these core subjects in the curriculum, so teacher education includes training in everything from mental health and eating disorders to texting and sexual harassment.
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Jenny Lewis endured her mother’s death, a breakup and a brush with #MeToo scandal en route to new album
By David BauderThe Associated Press
Tues., March 19, 2019timer4 min. read
LOS ANGELES—Life hasn’t been easy for singer Jenny Lewis since the sunnier days when she performed in support of a 2014 album while wearing a rainbow-hued pantsuit and carrying a guitar with similar bright colours.
Her mother died, and a 12-year relationship ended, sending Lewis on a cross-country journey in search of herself. Finally, with a new album finished and awaiting a Friday release, she has had to deal with the uncomfortable story of occasional collaborator Ryan Adams’ alleged mistreatment of women.
Spending much of the upcoming year on tour may seem like a relief.
The uptempo songs “Red Bull & Hennessy” and “Heads Gonna Roll” from her On the Line album, with Lewis’ unerring sense of tunefulness, will get the initial attention. But the work’s emotional core emerges in quieter, more introspective material like “Dogwood,” ‘’Rabbit Hole” and “Taffy.” Those are the songs that will stick.
Much of the material was written in stolen moments on borrowed pianos, in friends’ apartments and hotel lobbies, where she had to keep quiet to avoid making a disturbance.
“I don’t think of this record as being a breakup record,” she said. “It’s more of a rebound record. It’s kind of the space in between.”
The Southern California native relied on a network of friends during her post-breakup travels, staying in musician St. Vincent’s New York apartment, for example. She and two friends formed a band and wrote songs in a Manhattan storefront, where pedestrians mistook them for an art installation. She spent time in Nashville and Minnesota.
Even when she returned to California, Lewis used Airbnb to explore different parts of Los Angeles.
“I ran away,” the 43-year-old said. “I really just got back here a couple of months ago. It was a three-year adventure.”
How much of an adventure? It’s hard not to notice all the references to alcohol and other substances sprinkled throughout the album’s lyrics. There’s Hennessy, of course. Grenadine. Bourbon. Beaujolais. Red wine (unspecific). Amphetamines. Paxil. A bong. Part of it is a good writer’s attention to detail, but still ...
“It’s relevant,” she said.
She brings a bottle to a restaurant in the heart of Hollywood where she talked about her music. Not to drink: it’s a gift for a friend, singer Nikki Lane, who’s performing later that night nearby. A former child actress who turned to music and was a member of the group Rilo Kiley before going solo, Lewis has a wide circle of friends and admirers in the business.
None of that could have prepared her for the surreal experience she had at Los Angeles’ Capitol studio while making On the Line, however.
Lewis played on the piano that Carole King used to make “Tapestry,” which is intimidating enough. Her band included former Tom Petty keyboard player Benmont Tench, record executive and bassist Don Was and the drum duo of Ringo Starr and stellar session man Jim Keltner, who has recorded with everyone from Barbra Streisand to the Bee Gees to Bob Dylan.
“That’s one of my favourite moments in my whole life,” she said. “Standing in the control room and watching Ringo and Jim play together, I was mesmerized. Of course I am thrilled, honoured. Shocked, really. I kept thinking, ‘Is someone doing somebody a favour here?’ ”
She believes it was Was who called in Starr. “I don’t know exactly,” she said. “He was just there with his drums.”
Beck and Adams were two other big names who helped out. Adams, who produced Lewis’ 2014 album Voyager, produced some of the new music, too.
The association with Adams became noteworthy when the New York Times reported that he allegedly pursued younger female artists for sex and sometimes became verbally and emotionally abusive when turned down. Adams has denied the accusations.
Lewis was not included in the Times’ story, and her interview with The Associated Press took place before the story was published. She declined a followup request to talk about it, and tweeted a statement: “I am deeply troubled by Ryan Adams’ alleged behaviour. Although he and I had a working professional relationship, I stand in solidarity with the women who have come forward.”
Lewis subsequently held an online album-release party that doubled as a benefit for the Los Angeles Women’s Center, and it raised more than $10,000.
For Adams, the fallout has been swift: a cancelled concert tour, an album release put on hold. Could the controversy hurt Lewis by association?
Jason Lipshutz, senior director of music for Billboard magazine, said it might have been an issue if Lewis had publicly defended him or been part of the Times’ story. The women’s centre benefit was a smart strategic move, he said.
“I do think that it is something that people are going to be able to separate from her music,” Lipshutz said.
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Man charged with second-degree murder in death of his father
By Jackie HongStaff Reporter
Sam ColbertStaff Reporter
Nicholas KeungImmigration reporter
Sun., Jan. 18, 2015timer2 min. read
Police have charged an 18-year-old man with second-degree murder after his father’s body was found in their shared condo in North York.
Toronto police responded to a call about a young man with a knife at Finch subway station around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday after receiving “various calls” from the community, said homicide detective Robert North.
Officers from 32 Division along with the Emergency Task Force attended two locations in the Finch Ave. W. and Yonge St. area.
“The first location being the Finch Ave. subway station, once on scene, officers located a male who was suffering from apparent self-inflicted wounds. Fortunately, our ETF officers were able to negotiate the surrender of that male successfully. He was taken into custody,” North said at a news conference Sunday.
A short time later, officers went to a condo near Finch subway station where they found the body of a 61-year-old man with “blunt-force trauma injuries to his body.”
Police have identified the man in custody as Uchenna Onochie, the 18-year-old son of the deceased man, Aloy Onochie. Both men lived in a 12-storey upscale condo building in the gated community on Pemberton Ave., a five-minute walk from the subway station.
The younger Onochie is facing one count of second-degree murder and is scheduled to appear in court at 1000 Finch Ave. W. on Monday.
Residents said they were shocked when they heard the sirens and saw an army of police cruisers descending on the condo complex Saturday night, closing off all traffic west of Kenneth Ave. A command post and a forensics investigative team were at the scene overnight.
“It’s the first time I saw so many police cars. The police came by last night knocking on everyone’s doors, asking questions,” said resident Yasir Khan, who has lived in the building for three years. “We had no idea someone was killed.”
Another resident said the community is fairly safe and usually quiet.
“Nothing of this nature ever happened. I tried to come back to my house last night but they won’t let us in. They told us to come back within a few hours and we did,” said the resident, who has lived there for 10 years but asked his name be withheld. “It is nothing for me to be worried about. Of course, I’m concerned for myself and my family, now that I hear the severity of the matter.”
Det. North refused to speculate on the motive or say if there are others who lived at the address but confirmed the older Onochie was found dead at the scene. Police are not seeking any other suspect.
The younger Onochie surrendered to police and was arrested around 2:20 a.m. Sunday at Finch subway station. Toronto Paramedics said he had stab wounds to his torso. The body of the deceased man was removed at noon for a postmortem examination.
“We had officers from various divisions responding,” said North of the Finch arrest. “We secured the area and, fortunately, we secured the safety of (Uchenna) Onochie as well.”
This was the city’s second homicide of the year.
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Presents a point of view reflecting the company’s progressive values on an issue of public interest. Editorials are written by staff within the Star’s editorial board, which is independent of the newsroom.
Ontario must target violence in its jails: Editorial
Mon., April 7, 2014timer1 min. read
No one expects a stint in jail to be a peaceful experience. But in Ontario, correctional facilities have increasingly become institutions of violence and, for some prisoners, even worse.
As the Canadian Press reports, data obtained through a freedom of information request shows that attacks in the province’s 29 adult correctional institutions have jumped by almost one-third, with 3,000 assaults in 2012-13 compared to 2,300 five years earlier. That’s a big move in the wrong direction.
Given that Ontario Ombudsman André Marin published a damning report on jailhouse violence just last year, the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services must make improvements by targeting the source of violence. It should start with overcrowded living conditions, where the problems are well-documented and can no longer be ignored.
To its credit, the ministry has acknowledged problems by promising a crackdown on violence, as well as better staff training, surprise audits and zero tolerance for violence from both inmates and guards. By the end of this year, the ministry says it will have two new correctional facilities that promise to create a more “humane” environment by focusing on personal interaction between inmates and guards. The Toronto South Detention Centre is already open and a similar facility in Windsor is expected to be operating soon.
It’s a start, but little will change without major improvements to overcrowding. The ministry’s own figures show that most of Ontario’s 29 jails hold more prisoners than they were designed for, and cells meant for two people can hold three or more.
It’s become a sadly familiar story. The government has had ample warning of this festering problem and a fix is long overdue.
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Stealth roboplane set for take off
The high-tech roboplane, which has taken four years to build, is designed in a way that makes it difficult for enemy radar to detect
Dominic O’Connell
July 11 2010, 1:01am, The Sunday Times
Britain’s first high-tech roboplane able to attack targets as far away as Afghanistan will be unveiled tomorrow by BAE Systems, the defence contractor.
Taranis, named after the Celtic god of thunder, has taken four years and cost £143m to build. The trial aircraft, which is about the size of a Hawk trainer jet, will start flight tests next year. BAE hopes the Ministry of Defence will follow up with an order for planes to enter service with the Royal Air Force.
Nigel Whitehead, BAE’s managing director for programmes, said Taranis broke new ground. “This is absolutely at the cutting edge of what the UK defence and aerospace industry can produce.”
The biggest breakthrough, Whitehead said, was an ability to fly without intervention from the ground.…
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Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ Just Smashed Another Record
Holiday song sets a new one-day streaming record on Spotify
Itay Hod | December 26, 2018 @ 12:14 PM
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia
Mariah Carey’s Christmas juggernaut “All I Want for Christmas” is the gift that keeps on giving.
The singer’s holiday classic, which was released 24 years ago, set a new one-day streaming record on Spotify on Christmas Eve.
The song was played 10.8 million times Monday on Spotify, besting the record previously set by rapper-singer XXXTentacion, whose song “SAD!” had 10.4 million streams on the day after his death in June, according to Spotify’s Chart Data.
Also Read: Mariah Carey to Join 'The Voice' as a Key Advisor for Knockout Rounds
Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment if Carey is the new record holder. The singer seemed surprised by the news, calling it “an amazing Christmas gift” in a tweet on Tuesday.
Wait… What?! ???????????? https://t.co/C2zw3hGQeK
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) December 25, 2018
Earlier this month, “All I Want For Christmas” hit another milestone, becoming the highest-charting yuletide hit in 60 years on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song’s official music video has racked up more than half a billion views.
8 Awkward Lip Sync Fails, From Mariah Carey to Garth Brooks (Videos)
Whether we like it or not -- safe to say most of us do not -- lip syncing is a common practice for singers during live televised performances. For the producers of those shows, it helps make running the show go more smoothly. But as Mariah Carey discovered, weird things can happen when things get out of sync.
Before New Years' Eve 2016, arguably the most infamous lip-sync slip came in 1989, when the R&B duo Milli Vanilli bolted off the stage during an MTV performance after the track they were miming to began skipping. Soon after, the LA Times revealed that all of Milli Vanilli's work was actually the vocals of other artists.
In 2004, Ashlee Simpson had the most awkward performance in "Saturday Night Live" history. During the second musical segment of the show, a track for a song Simpson had performed earlier in the night played over the speakers. The flub exposed that Simpson was lip syncing -- something she later claimed was an emergency decision due to acid reflux -- leaving the vocalist to do an awkward jig and walk off the stage.
Some artists hate lip syncing so much they can't bear it. One such group is the heavy metal band Iron Maiden, who during a performance of their song "Wasted Years" in 1986, decided they weren't even going to try to pretend they were actually playing their instruments, with vocalist Bruce Dickinson swapping guitars with his bandmates and running to the drum kit to do a duet with drummer Nicko McBrain.
But that's nothing compared to the chaos Johnny Rotten pulled when his post-Sex Pistols band, Public Image LTD, was invited to perform on "American Bandstand" in 1980. At least Dickinson held a microphone at some point. Rotten just wandered through the audience before inviting them up onto the stage for an impromptu party. On the bright side, it gave Dick Clark a chance to show what a true professional he is.
One of the most common places for producers to use lip syncing is the Super Bowl, but it was controversial the first time such practices were revealed. In 1991, tabloid rumors began circulating that Whitney Houston's famous performance of the national anthem had been pre-recorded prior to the game. The producers confirmed this, saying that Houston was actually singing, but into a dead mic. This was done to prevent any technical problems from ruining the anthem.
Preventing glitches was also the reason why Beyonce lip synced the National Anthem during the presidential inauguration in 2013. But when news of the lip syncing reached the conservative blogosphere, Beyonce decided to nip it in the bud by coming clean at a press conference...and then letting loose a surprise performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the media to prove she could do it.
A lip sync collection cannot be complete without a nod from "Lip Sync Battle." Even on a show where the practice is fully acknowledged and embraced, Mike Tyson found a way to make it weird by abandoning any attempt to mouth the words to "Push It" and instead breaking out into an old man dance for the ages.
Garth Brooks won Entertainer of the Year at the 2017 CMA Awards, but most will remember that night for when he decided just before showtime to lip-sync his performance on the show. Fans caught on quickly and weren't happy.
Sometimes lip sync is a necessary evil. Other times, it leads to total chaos.
Mariah Carey on Her ‘American Idol’ Tenure: ‘It Was a Bleak Experience’ (Video)
By Jennifer Maas | June 7, 2018 @ 7:47 AM
Ratings: Mariah Carey’s ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Do-Over Wins End of 2017 for ABC
By Jennifer Maas | January 1, 2018 @ 10:39 AM
Watch Mariah Carey’s Return to ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ Go Off With Only Small Tea-Related Hitch
By Phil Owen | December 31, 2017 @ 9:50 PM
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Zimbabwe seeks Berlin talks to resolve $739 mln debt it owes Germany
HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwe is planning talks with Germany on how to resolve a $739 million debt it owes to euro zone’s biggest economy, the southern African nation’s finance minister said on Tuesday.
President Robert Mugabe’s government owes foreign creditors, including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, $9 billion and is intensifying efforts to have the debt cancelled or rescheduled to allow it to access new loans.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said Harare wanted to restore ties with Germany, the largest Paris Club creditor before the European Union and United States slapped Mugabe’s government with travel and financial sanctions in 2000.
“We have also agreed that they (Germany) are going to invite us to Berlin… to talk about debt, to talk about our economic relationship and how we can move on,” Chinamasa told reporters.
Georg Schmidt, Germany’s regional director for Sub-Saharan Africa and the Sahel said at the briefing Berlin would take a cue from the southern African country’s engagement with the IMF.
On investment, Schmidt said German investors were more concerned with whether Zimbabwe respected the rule of law.
Mugabe’s government in 2000 seized commercial farms from whites to resettle black farmers, but critics say mostly Mugabe’s allies benefited and put into question Zimbabwe’s commitment to upholding property rights and the rule of law.
Mugabe is championing indigenisation, a programme that forces all foreign-owned companies to sell majority shares to black Zimbabweans, raising concern among foreign investors. – Reuters
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CEA Chief Economist on 2014 Tech Trends Every Retailer Should Watch
January 2014 Retail, Technology, Data & Measurement
Since 1967, the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has been hosting the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a global trade show that highlights innovation in consumer technologies. Beyond this annual event, taking place this week in Las Vegas, the CEA plays a crucial role in the industry, sharing market research, forecasts, legislative news, and more. Helping guide these efforts is Shawn DuBravac, the CEA's chief economist and senior director of research. If you want to know what's happening in technology and consumer behavior (and what marketer doesn't?), DuBravac is your man. He spoke to us about the impactful trends he's watching, including the explosion of sensors, the digitization of information, mass customization and the "third industrial revolution."
Part of your job is directing market research initiatives for the CEA. What are the big trends you're seeing among your 2,000 member companies?
One of the most impactful trends I'm seeing right now is the digitization of everything. This trend is being empowered by the sensorization of consumer technology. History shows us, when things move from scarcity to surplus, we begin to waste those resources. This is especially true in technology.
Take computing power, for example. In the late 1970s, computer processing power was considered a scarcity, something we rented or borrowed from computer labs. Then, beginning in the 1980s, computing power began to move from scarcity to surplus. In 1981, Xerox introduced the first graphical user interface, and three years later, Apple brought the Macintosh to market, the first commercially successful computer to utilize a graphical user interface. Prior to this, we never would have wasted computing power on rendering graphics for things such as folders or mouse icons.
Today, a similar evolution is underway with sensors. Prices have dropped significantly and as a result, we are now wasting them by including them in a host of devices and applications. Take, for example, camera sensors. Ten years ago, camera sensors were expensive and used sparingly. But as they moved from scarcity to abundance, we began to embed camera sensors into phones. Today, it's common to see multiple camera lenses embedded in devices like your smartphone. In 2006, we began to see the first smartphones with embedded accelerometers. Today, your smartphone probably has an accelerometer, gyroscope and multiple cameras, along with a digital microphone. We are now seeing this trend expand to biometric sensors, as we add even more sensors to these devices. Each of these sensors gathers contextual data, an important element of the sensorization of consumer tech. We're at a point, technologically, where everything is measurable; everything around us can be turned into data. Harnessing the usefulness from data and implementing its power into our daily lives is the next wave of technological application and innovation.
These trends will have a profound impact on the way we live, on the way we interact and certainly, on the way we shop.
What impact is this sensorization having on retailers and the retail shopping experience for consumers?
Now that sensors are becoming ubiquitous in consumer electronics, we're starting to sensorize and, ultimately, digitize the retail experience. Tech companies are working on communication protocols that enable retailers to engage in new ways with consumers through their smartphones. For example, a retailer could pull contextual sensor data from a smartphone and use that data to push appropriate content back to a consumer.
I also think we're at a really interesting point when it comes to the digitization and sensorization of everyday objects. These trends will have a profound impact on the way we live, on the way we interact and certainly, on the way we shop. The ways in which we experience things will forever be changed as information becomes more and more digitized.
You mentioned pushing relevant content to shoppers' smartphones. How else could retailers use this digitized information?
An easy application would be the digitizing of stores' glass cases — convenience or grocery store refrigerators, for example — with transparent LCD screens. The shopper still has a traditional shopping experience of looking through the glass and browsing the shelves, but now the retailer has the ability to display information on that glass case.
Manufacturers and service providers who sell online tell me that their prices adjust multiple, sometimes hundreds of, times in a given week based on market dynamics, promotions and supply and demand. But the process is quite different — almost static or certainly less frequent — in a traditional brick-and-mortar store because it takes time and resources to physically change prices in-store. But, if the glass case in front of a product was a digital display, prices could change in a physical store like they change online. Price changes could be driven by local consumer preferences or the inventory levels of a specific store location. New advertising and promotional campaigns could be deployed to stores in seconds or minutes instead of weeks or months. When aspects of the physical store experience are digitized, information can be deployed and updated faster.
Whether information like this is related to product pricing, inventory levels, advertising campaigns or other product specs, it creates an improved shopping experience for the consumer. I used a store's glass cases as an example, but ultimately, this innovation could extend to smartphones as well.
Could that information then be used by consumers to make smarter purchase decisions and, perhaps, power things like recommendation algorithms?
Yes, exactly. Digitization opens up opportunities for both retailers and consumers. Both parties benefit. Look at Netflix and how it uses a series of algorithms to make user recommendations based on the digital information it collects. Netflix knows what you and I are watching and what we like. Based on that data, its algorithms can make movie recommendations to someone based on shared traits that have been teased out of the data.
Let's look at how this could work on the retail side. An algorithm looks through your historical fitness data and sees that you do a lot of running. The algorithm then infers that because you're active, you may like a certain type of outfit or shoes. And if you like those shoes, you'll like this song and this magazine and this sports drink.
That level of personalization is a win for both buyers and sellers, right?
Right. I refer to this trend as "mass customization," which sounds contradictory but is a new frontier for retailers. It's one of the trends I see playing out in the years to come — and I mean as soon as this year.
I see us entering an interesting time that I refer to as the "third industrial revolution." The first industrial revolution was about taking small, independent factories and consolidating them and then trying to create economies of scale for production. The original model of apprenticeships had the apprentice making or buying a set of his own tools as his final assignment. In the first industrial revolution, we produced some of these economies of scale by simply sharing tools across workers.
The second industrial revolution was largely about applying new technologies to that structure to achieve mass production. We added electricity, more advanced machinery and telecommunications.
I see the third industrial revolution building on the mass production processes of the past 250 years and then adding the ability to customize for individual consumers. Mass customization takes all of the things we've learned about mass production and adds this boutique element, allowing us to get exactly what we want. That's largely possible because of the digitization of information. Today we can customize our Moto X smartphone, personalize postage stamps or design our own unique pair of sneakers.
What does this third industrial revolution mean for retailers? How would multi-channel retailers take advantage of this digital information boom?
The retail environment is competitive. Consumers have more choices than ever. And it's important to recognize that you're trying to satisfy a relatively fickle consumer — one who can easily shift purchase patterns and preferred vendors. In our research, we're finding that consumers are going online before they make a purchase. Interestingly, they're not just going to a manufacturer's website but to retailers' websites as well. They're visiting, shopping and researching all aspects of the purchase, not just the actual logistics of picking out the product. They want to learn about the product, and they want to have a rich experience. And this is great for retailers because they can deliver that rich experience. They are able to give every consumer a personalized shopping experience thanks to the infusion of digital information, much of which comes directly from the consumers' own shopping habits.
Therefore, multi-channel retailers should think about the consumer in a holistic sense and curate an experience — including post-purchase — that ties together and even transcends all of the channels.
But this is by no means easy to do, given all the variables at play. If you look at the online platforms that have been successful, it's because they've removed friction from a particular market. For instance, LinkedIn removed friction from the process of keeping in touch with people you've met at conferences or used to work with. Netflix removed the friction from finding the perfect movie to watch. Google removed the friction from finding relevant information online. There's a huge opportunity for retailers to remove friction from the shopping experience and to harness digitized information to deliver the right product and the right experience at the right time.
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The Gunpowder Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal
Asian Wars and Battles
Figures & Events
Ancient History and Culture
Medieval & Renaissance History
Humanities › History & Culture
by Kallie Szczepanski
Kallie Szczepanski has a Ph.D. in history and has taught at the college and high school level in both the U.S. and Korea.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, three great powers arose in a band across western and southern Asia. The Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal dynasties established control over Turkey, Iran, and India respectively, in large part due to a Chinese invention - gunpowder.
In large part, the successes of the western empires depended on advanced firearms and cannons. As a result, they are called the "Gunpowder Empires." This phrase was coined by Marshall G.S. Hodgson and Willian H. McNeill. The gunpowder empires monopolized the manufacture of guns and artillery in their areas. However, the Hodgson-McNeill theory isn't regarded as sufficient for the rise of these empires, but their use of the weapons was integral to their military tactics.
The Ottoman Empire in Turkey
Mark A Paulda / Getty Images
The longest-lasting of the Gunpowder Empires, the Ottoman Empire in Turkey was first established in 1299, but it fell to the conquering armies of Timur the Lame (Tamerlane) in 1402. Thanks in large part to their acquisition of muskets, the Ottoman rulers were able to drive out the Timurids and reestablish their control of Turkey in 1414.
The Ottomans used artillery during the reign of Bayazid I in the sieges of Constantinople in 1399 and 1402.
The Ottoman Janissary corps became the best-trained infantry force in the world, and also the first gun corps to wear uniforms. Artillery and firearms were decisive in the battle of Varna against a Crusader force.
The battle of Chaldiran against the Safavids in 1514 pitched a Safavid cavalry charge against Ottoman cannons and Janissary rifles with a devastating effect.
Although the Ottoman Empire soon lost its technological edge, it survived until the end of the First World War (1914 - 1918).
By 1700, the Ottoman Empire extended across three-quarters of the Mediterranean Sea coast, controlled the Red Sea, almost the entire coast of the Black Sea, and had significant ports on the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, as well as many modern-day countries on three continents.
The Safavid Empire in Persia
The Safavid dynasty also took control of Persia in the power vacuum that followed the decline of Timur's empire. Unlike Turkey, where the Ottomans fairly quickly re-established control, Persia languished in chaos for around a century before Shah Ismail I and his "Red Head" (Qizilbash) Turks were able to defeat rival factions and reunite the country by about 1511.
The Safavids learned the value of firearms and artillery early, from the neighboring Ottomans. After the battle of Chaldiran, Shah Ismail built a corps of musketeers, the tofangchi. By 1598 they had an artillery corp of cannons as well. They successfully battled the Uzbeks in 1528 using Janissary-like tactics against the Uzbek cavalry.
Safavid history is rife with clashes and wars between the Shi'a Muslim Safavid Persians and the Sunni Ottoman Turks. Early on, the Safavids were at a disadvantage to the better-armed Ottomans, but they soon closed the arms gap. The Safavid Empire lasted until 1736.
The Mughal Empire in India
The third gunpowder empire, India's Mughal Empire, offers perhaps the most dramatic example of modern weaponry carrying the day. Babur, who founded the empire, was able to defeat Ibrahim Lodi of the last Delhi Sultanate at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. Babur had the expertise of Ustad Ali Quli who coached the military with Ottoman techniques.
Babur's victorious Central Asian army used a combination of traditional horse cavalry tactics and new-fangled cannons; the cannon fire spooked Lodi's war-elephants, which turned and trampled their own army in their hurry to escape the fearsome noise. After this victory, it was rare for any forces to engage the Mughals in a pitched battle.
The Mughal Dynasty would endure until 1857 when the incoming British Raj deposed and exiled the last emperor.
Biography of Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Biography of Tamerlane, 14th Century Conqueror of Asia
Safavid Empire in Persia Ruled Over Most of the Western Silk Road
Facts and Map of the Ottoman Empire
Horses or Elephants: Who Won the First Battle of Panipat?
Biography of Babur, Founder of the Mughal Empire
Biography of Akbar the Great, Emperor of Mughal India
See A Historical Timeline of India's Glorious Mughal Empire
The 1400s and 1500s Were Shaped by Joan of Arc and Wars in England
Do You Know the Longest-Lasting Empire in History, and Why It Fell?
The Sultans of the Ottoman Empire: 1300 to 1924
History of the Delhi Sultanates
Facts and History of Turkey
Biography of Aurangzeb, Emperor of Mughal India
Timeline of Muslim Expansion into Medieval India
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The Last Days of Tent City
As authorities prepared to evict its residents, a reporter spent six weeks in Dallas’ biggest homeless camp.
By Dick J. Reavis
The murders were the catalyst. Now the authorities had to do something. On February 17, a Dallas Morning News headline declared that “Dallas officials want Tent City shut down after 2nd killing in a month.” In early March, the City Council approved a plan to empty the homeless encampment, a five-block stretch beneath I-45 at the point where it meets I-30, about a mile south of downtown.
“This is no way for any human to live,” Mayor Mike Rawlings declared. “I don’t care if someone says, ‘I want to live underneath this bridge.’ That’s just not acceptable in Dallas, Texas.”
Many of the mayor’s liberal fans were puzzled by the ultimatum. Rawlings had formerly held a volunteer position as the city’s “homeless czar” and was widely credited as the force behind the erection of The Bridge, an extensive donor- and tax-supported shelter that bills itself as the area’s “homeless recovery center.”
The idea of leveling the encampment didn’t square with administrative objectives, either. Last fall, the camp’s population boomed from about 60 to about 300. A dozen Tent City residents told me the police urged them to move there, and in a way that made sense: The area had long been home to several shelters and soup kitchens. It was as if bureaucrats and cops wanted to centralize the problem of people living on the streets.
Activists with the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA), an umbrella of some six dozen aid organizations, persuaded the council to place dumpsters and portable toilets on each of Tent City’s blocks. The encampment quickly became a hub, not only for the unsheltered homeless, but for aid workers as well. Every day at noon, church groups delivered meals, some from food trucks and some from the trunks of cars. Caseworkers combed its lairs each Wednesday, urging residents to apply for subsidized housing vouchers.
The seeming unity of the homeless organizations may have been more situational than real, however. Most of the food delivery organizations are Christian groups, pledged to helping the homeless, whatever their circumstances. Most shelter operators, on the other hand, oppose tolerating or aiding encampments. Instead they want to see street people indoors, where they can benefit from treatment for their various afflictions and apply for jobs and the like. Under pressure from the scandal of the murders, Rawlings may have been predisposed to clearing Tent City because of his time at The Bridge, whose COO, Sam Merten, denounces aid and improvement to encampments as “enabling homelessness.”
The council’s move-out plan was written by the MDHA and supported by shelter operators including Merten. “We’re of the mind that when you get above 50 people in an encampment, you’re in danger,” he said. The murders dramatized that claim, even though the first of them had not really taken place at Tent City, but at what amounted to a suburb of the encampment, six blocks away.
Public discussion of the move-out did not focus, as it should have, on Tent City’s residents as “chronically homeless” or “shelter resistant” — terms that social workers use — or on the dearth of alternatives for housing them. A census organized by the MDHA in January showed that while nearly 4,000 people in the Dallas area were homeless, about 80 percent of them had a roof over their heads, thanks to shelters of various kinds. Only three children were listed as unsheltered in that count. Most of the 739 people sleeping outdoors — many of them at Tent City — are leery of shelters. One can’t drink, copulate, smoke dope or keep pets in a shelter. They would have happily accepted what social workers call “permanent affordable housing,” but that’s in short supply. Only 40 percent of Dallasites who are qualified for subsidies can find a landlord to accept them, Merten pointed out.
For nearly 30 years, Dallas has been pocked with encampments despite repeated attempts to remove them. In 1992, 1994 and 2005, before tents became the style, Dallas cleared residents of bedroll and shanty towns beneath freeways near downtown. But the camps always came back, if not in the same spots, then in places not far away. Dangerous as it may have been, Tent City was an attempt by the homeless to solve their problems themselves, in the only way they’d found. But it was also a daily reminder that Dallas, like cities everywhere, has fallen short in campaigns to resolve the problem of the shelter-resistant. And for that reason, the authorities found it intolerable.
Ghaleb Hasan with his dog Brownie, in Dallas’ Tent City in April. Patrick Michels
A few days after the mayor made his move-out threat, I decided to take the measure of Tent City’s dangers and witness the ugly eviction that was drawing near. I took a bus that dropped me a block away, then walked the length of Tent City, end to end. Strips of grass, about 10 yards wide, lay on both sides of I-45’s overpasses, which narrowed overhead as they split into exits leading to downtown. When vehicles entered or dogs ran about, they kicked up gritty clouds. What were once brightly colored nylon tents, most of them donated by the Christian groups, were streaked and smeared in shades of tan and gray.
Some people had placed their tents in clusters of circular or half-moon pods, five or six tents at each site, with their flaps turned inward, toward a center point. Others put them in lines, one or two tents in depth, their flaps facing in the same direction. The clusters, many fenced with shopping carts or bicycles, served to warn strangers to keep their distance, whereas the lines invited passersby to stop and chat.
As I was wandering about, a thin African-American woman in tattered tight pants approached me to say hello. I told her I wanted to move into the place but needed a tent. She led me into an adjoining block, where she announced herself at the pod of a man we’ll call Matt. Only seconds later, a younger man, apparently a lackey or assistant of some kind, came out of the cluster to stand at Matt’s shoulder, keeping an eye on me.
Matt was tall, dark and trim. His black T-shirt and jeans were dustless, even his shoes were clean, and he spoke in a measured basso voice that added dignity to his words. I thought maybe he was the head honcho, an ersatz mayor for his block. He was businesslike, “professional,” one might say. I didn’t know that whenever Matt spoke, he had a quick buck in mind.
He pointed me to a two-man tent with a couple of gashes in its fabric. For $10, it was mine. I told him I’d be back to get it the next day.
I had noticed vehicles parked next to about a dozen of the tents, and that had given me an idea: I’d bring my car, a 1974 Volkswagen Beetle, and my dog, Valjean, a Chow mix. I knew that both would draw the curious, making interviewing easier. Not being ready to occupy the tent the next day, I called at Matt’s abode to explain.
“Well, if you’re not going to take it ’til tomorrow, I gotta tell you, man, things do get stolen around here,” he said. “Why don’t you buy me a beer, $2? Just $2, man.”
I took that as a threat, that if I didn’t oblige, my tent would disappear. So I reached into my billfold and pulled out two bills. But I hadn’t arranged my bills in order, and I withdrew a one and a five. Matt had his fingers on my money before I could retract.
“Hey, that’s all right, man, I need that five,” he said. “I’ll pay you when you come back tomorrow.” I was pretty sure I’d never see that $5 again.
A couple of times during the week that followed, Matt offered me ways to redeem myself for being his creditor. I could go to a mall, buy five cellphones on credit and then, he said, he’d resell them and we’d split the proceeds. Either that, or he’d connect me with a woman who would take me, along with several others, to a clinic where we’d be given prescriptions for “hydro” — hydrocodone, an opiate. The lady would keep the pills herself and pay us $50 each, he said.
Matt, it turned out, was not only a merchant of tents, but a recruiter for the rackets as well.
I had planned to introduce myself at the camp as a reporter looking for a story. I’d even ordered business cards that said “Dick J. Reavis, aka ‘Pops,’ Journalist.” But my instincts — the result of reporting on wayward people in years past — told me not to identify myself to him. People like Matt don’t usually talk to reporters, and when they do, what they share isn’t always reliable. Police officers and social workers said gangs had infiltrated Tent City; indeed, one of the murders had been attributed to a drug deal gone bad. I decided that if I told Tent City’s residents I was an outsider, some might suspect I was an informant for the police. And if one person knew I was a reporter, I believed, soon the whole encampment would know.
I wanted my own look at life in the camp, not a few quotes based upon what sources volunteered to disclose. So I shelved my business cards, still in the box from the printer.
Dangerous as it may have been, Tent City was an attempt by the homeless to solve their problems themselves, in the only way they’d found.
Someone had told me I could locate my tent anywhere a spot was open because “around here, it’s every man for himself,” a statement far more pregnant than I imagined at the time. After I claimed the tent, I dragged it to a line about 15 yards from the street on the block where Matt lived. Then I took Valjean for the first of many daily walks through the encampment.
Most of the line tents had what can only be called front porches. Every morning or afternoon their inhabitants swept the loose dirt around their tents into tiny dike-like piles that marked what in effect were property lines. Almost all of them placed inverted 5-gallon plastic buckets, discarded at restaurants or construction sites, at the sides of their flaps for use as seats. Some kept folding chairs in their tents as well, along with basic tools.
If Tent City had a paramount virtue, it was the camaraderie of front-porch chats, a bygone pastime elsewhere. In visits that began at midmorning every day, its residents joked, bragged and gossiped about recent events in their neighborhood. But they rarely mentioned their pasts. After all, they had begun new lives when they took to the streets.
Soldiers in the two world wars of the 20th century named their trenches after cities — “Los Angeles,” “Baltimore,” etc. — and American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War gave them New York City borough names. But the residents of Tent City hadn’t named their blocks. It was the authorities who did that, by assigning a letter to each block, A through E. The northernmost block, A, was where the druggies lived. Residents of other blocks said the place was trouble and that they stayed away, wary especially of people who used the drug K2. Those who lived on Block A were younger than elsewhere, and their eyes were trained on me when I walked by.
Sections B and C were predominately African American. Until the move-outs began, I never saw a white person quartered there. Quite by chance, I’d bought my tent, and had placed it, in Block D. That was a stroke of luck. A and D were probably the most racially integrated neighborhoods in all of Dallas, and besides that, D was the most densely populated sector of Tent City. One morning, a social work team counted 215 tents, and by my calculations, more than 60 of them were in Block D. By contrast, fewer than a dozen stood in E.
Daily life was a matter of routines, as anywhere. A comparison of daytime and night counts showed that about a quarter of the population left Tent City early in the mornings. Some headed for The Bridge, or for churches or 12-step centers that offer daytime refuge, coffee and breakfast. Some went panhandling. Others went to attend to bureaucratic hassles that arose from their requests for housing, medical care, food, cellphone or transportation subsidies. A few went to appointments or answered calls for odd jobs.
Those who remained in Tent City fell into another routine, at least on Block D. Between 9 and 10 a.m. they traipsed to a liquor store three blocks away. By noon, they were flying. By 3 p.m., when those who’d left Tent City in the morning began to trickle home, the babble and shouts of drunks were more than I could take. That’s usually when I went home.
Ron S., who did not give his last name, builds a barrel fire for his neighbors at Dallas’ Tent City in April. Patrick Michels
Two tents south of me lived a man called Luke, a cheerful, teetotalling African immigrant who slipped references to God into almost every conversation. In the mornings he’d usually disappear, to go downtown, he said. He’d come back about sundown, and with a moist cloth he’d wipe the dust off his tent and sponge off his shoes.
One afternoon, I found Luke cleaning a two-man tent adjacent to his, and thinking I might hire him for a dollar to do the same for mine, I approached to ask how much he charged.
“Oh, no, this is my tent, too,” he said. “I am a king. This one is my guest house!”
A few afternoons later, I found him hand-washing some clothes in two of the ubiquitous plastic buckets, one filled with soapy water, the other for rinsing. “Where did you get that much water?” I asked him. “Oh, when the truck comes to empty the toilets,” he said, “it comes with a water truck for refilling them. I get them to fill my buckets, too.
“Cleanliness is next to godliness,” he added.
Then there was Paul, a graying, muscular white guy of 61, waiting for his Social Security early-retirement age. He hailed from a nearby East Texas town and something about him told me that he’d been raised on a farm. He’d once had a job at a shelter operated by a church group, and that indicated he’d made a serious effort to quit drinking. His alcohol consumption in Tent City was moderate. Every morning he disappeared for several hours, saying that he was going to a church-affiliated center nearby “to charge my cellphone.” I suspect that he was still attending 12-step meetings. One morning, during a front-porch conversation with me and another neighbor, he bid us adieu by saying, “I’m looking forward to a sober day.”
About 10 yards from me lived a slightly built, balding man with a narrow, reddish face and a few missing teeth. I’ll call him Pete.
His story was that he’d been building a cellphone tower some three or four years earlier with a steel beam cradled in his arms, and he took a fall that shattered several vertebrae. He complained that one of his legs was 2 inches shorter as a result, and that he had chronic pain in his upper back. To keep his miseries at bay he spent his days as many people did, with a 40-ounce bottle of beer at hand.
A little to the north and east of Pete sat a three-person tent in which a middle-aged African-American couple, Henry and Celeste, had made their home. Their “porch” featured a vinyl-covered couch.
Between them and me lived Mark, a blue-eyed, graying, glib and seemingly fit white man in his early 50s who told me that before he moved to the streets three years ago, he’d been an ag-machinery mechanic. He was a back-slapping, cheerful sort who knew everybody and everything. His two-person tent was equipped with a mattress. At the front door, a half-sheet of plywood was mounted atop crates as a visitors’ bench, next to a gold Schwinn bicycle. Mark was so tidy that he always removed his shoes before entering his tent.
He claimed he’d arranged for a subsidized apartment by plying computers at a library, and that before the move-out came, he would abandon his tent for the new digs.
A frequent visitor to our line was a man of around 40, a long-haired redneck hippie I’ll call John. From one of the small towns in the region, he had been on the streets for three or four years. One Saturday afternoon, he entertained us with a grand tale about what he would do after the looming eviction. He owned a vintage 10-speed, lightweight bicycle with a matching trailer, and said he was going to ride to Seattle at a pace of about 60 miles a day.
“I’ll spend the summer because I’ve got friends there,” he said, “and when winter comes, I’ll get me a job on a fishing boat.”
“Most of those boats spend the winters in Alaska and the work is tough,” I warned him.
“I don’t care,” he said. “I’m a Texan. I can take it. In one winter I can earn enough to carry me for two years.”
The evacuation of blocks A and B the following week was memorable for its scenes of people rolling up sleeping bags under the watch of officers, women pushing belongings in shopping carts, men bent beneath mattresses on their backs.
One Thursday, someone on the block had a birthday, and the usual tipplers got started early.
No sooner had I sat down at Mark’s tent than Henry showed up, loud, drunk and profane. He stood, leaning toward Mark, shaking his finger and nearly spitting from his mouth. While Henry had been out somewhere that morning, Mark had given a bottle of beer to Henry’s wife, Celeste, and Henry thought Mark made the gift in an attempt to seduce her. “I’m telling you for the last time, don’t fuck with my wife!” he shouted. “I know you want to fuck her, but she don’t want nothing to do with you. I’m telling you — leave her alone!”
A cross and balloons mark the site of a fatal stabbing in Dallas’ Tent City. Patrick Michels
At every stanza of Henry’s tirade, which must have lasted about three minutes, Mark, in a low and calm voice, muttered a defense, saying that out of friendship he’d given Celeste “a drink.” Finally, Henry wheeled and stomped back to his tent, and Mark, in an almost teacher-like way, explained to me what had happened.
“Henry is always going off like that, but he’s all bark and no bite,” he said. “The son of a bitch thinks he can intimidate me, just by hollering. But I know how to handle guys like that.”
Then, taking a bottle of iced tea from my hand, he sat it on his end of the bench and began explaining a strategy.
“You see,” he said, pointing at the tea bottle, “these guys, they push on you. It’s like they’d pushed this bottle right back to where I am. I let them push until they get just so far. Then I start pushing back.” He inched my bottle toward me. “And little by little, I keep pushing back, until…” He nudged the bottle to the end of the bench. I reached over to stop its fall.
“You see, I push until they come to a point where they’ve got to do something,” he said. “Usually, 95 percent of the time, they’re like Henry. They just go away. Of course, 5 percent of the time they beat the shit out of me, but I’ve been through that before.”
A few minutes later, John and Pete walked over to Mark’s tent and posted themselves at its flap. Two African-American men who were passing by had meanwhile sat down with me on the bumper of my VW. They wanted to make friends with Valjean. We could see that behind his back, Pete was holding a steel camping hatchet. Shortly, we heard him cursing at Mark. Pete said that early in the day he’d left a bottle just outside his tent. He and John had decided that Mark had taken it and given it to Celeste. Mark denied anything of the kind, and the dispute continued.
The two visitors and I kept our eyes trained on the trio because Pete still had the hatchet behind his back. He then handed it to John and left. Soon, John was shouting, “Get out! Get the hell out of here! Right now! I mean it!”
Soon, a walking chase was underway. Mark tried to distance himself, but John kept following him. At points where John caught up, he punched Mark a time or two. Then he went back to Mark’s tent and dragged the gold Schwinn to the street, letting it drop on the curb. As Mark returned, he approached John and said, “For God’s sake, let me get my backpack before you throw it away.” Strangely, John stopped in his tracks and let Mark proceed.
Mark carried his backpack to the grassy area, pulled out a cellphone and raised it to his ear. “Go ahead, call the cops!” John hollered. “That’s what I’m doing,” Mark said.
Tent City lay about three blocks from a district police headquarters, and all day and night, cop cars whizzed along the street. Indeed, two had passed during the walking chase, but the officers hadn’t looked or seen anything. Now they came in a flash, entering on the south end of the block, trailing dust as they moved north. John, drunk as he was, knew what “assault with a deadly weapon” means and tossed his hatchet into the dirt several yards away. But by then the cop cars were drawing close. The police spread John against one of their vehicles, and when a cop found the hatchet, they put him in cuffs.
Someone had told me I could locate my tent anywhere a spot was open because “around here, it’s every man for himself,” a statement far more pregnant than I imagined at the time.
All of us who had watched the event stayed where we were. No one intervened, no one volunteered to testify, and the cops didn’t question us. In Tent City, at least when it came to fights between males, “every man for himself” meant that nobody saw anything.
Friday morning, John was back. The police had only put him in a drunk tank. When I asked Mark what he thought, he said, “Well, I didn’t want to press charges. Why should I? John is my best friend.”
After I had spent weeks in Tent City, its casual violence no longer startled me. Nor was it surprising when men who’d been fighting one minute returned to being fast friends the next. The demons that afflicted so many of the people in Tent City were always near at hand, threatening to disturb the fragile peace that held among its denizens.
Mark’s acquiescence to assault, like the indifference of the police, was the rule in Tent City, not the exception. From January 1 to May 1, police records show 58 calls to Block B. One of them, in January, was designated “Major Dist (Violence),” but all of the others, including the call about the hatchet incident, were logged as “Routine Investigation.” The casual handling of assaults showed that the police, like social work agencies, were resigned to violence, as long as it did not make headlines. When it did, their response was not to implement measures to discourage, control or interrupt outbursts, but to evict, moving the problem elsewhere.
Jasmine Ingram (right) of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance helps a man move his belongings from a section of Tent City closed by authorities. G.J. McCarthy/Dallas Morning News
In early April, the city adopted a plan for the eviction of Tent City, block by block, over a period of weeks. Drawn by the MDHA from a model by a Canadian homelessness guru, it also called for the arrest of residents who refused to vacate. Nobody was sure where the displaced would go.
The social service agencies, old intimates of the intractability of the problems of the chronically homeless, endorsed the idea of a move-out, but expressed misgivings about setting a deadline, especially because the housing market is so tight. Shelter operators asked the City Council for a half-million dollars to expand their capacities, but the council didn’t even consider their proposal. Yet it came up with a $3 million subsidy to locate a Costco store in North Dallas, and Dallas County is eyeing $138 million for the restoration of JFK landmarks. It’s an old story: Expenditures to promote tourism and “economic development” win favor, while proposals to alleviate misery are dismissed.
The prevailing school of thought about chronic homelessness is called Housing First. Its central innovation is providing homes to the homeless, without drug tests, alcohol bans, or requiring beneficiaries to enroll in rehabilitation or job-search programs. Dallas has tried this on a limited scale and soon will open a 50-unit project under the concept. It is a departure — and at $136,000 per unit, an expensive one — that will stand in contrast to the city’s time-honored policy for the chronically homeless: Concentrate those with the most serious addictions, mental health afflictions, criminal records and countless unnamed traumas — and then look away for a while. Dallas isn’t willing to try a full-fledged Housing First approach, nor is it willing to provide a measure of security in encampments such as Tent City.
After two postponements, the move-out of thinly populated block E was accomplished on the morning of April 19. When the police showed up, nobody was there. Those who intended to stay in Tent City simply moved into Block D.
The evacuation of blocks A and B the following week was memorable for its scenes of people rolling up sleeping bags under the watch of officers, women pushing belongings in shopping carts, men bent beneath mattresses on their backs. MDHA CEO Cindy Crain was on hand, using her SUV to help residents transport their possessions. As many as half of the refugees left Tent City for parts unknown, but the others just crowded into the blocks that weren’t slated for clearing yet. Officials in black shirts bearing the words “Crisis Intervention Team” supervised their exodus, and men with vests labeled “Hazmat” began cleaning operations once everybody was gone. A few of the displaced whimpered or shed tears, but nobody refused to go.
Tent City’s final week, when only blocks C and D remained, was unpleasant for everyone. A stabbing had occurred in Block A just days before it was evacuated, and rumors circulated of another on Block C.
On Friday, April 27, I watched an old lady assault a younger woman as the pair crossed the street between C and D. Both were residents of D and well-known to my neighbors, who were watching with me. Two bystanders joined in the fray, which did not end until seven police cars and two ambulances came. The police accompanied the elder woman to her tent and led the younger woman away to a shelter.
On Block D, I had a couple of times chatted with a lady in her 50s who was usually accompanied by a 5-month-old Chihuahua that sometimes snapped and played with laid-back Valjean. Like many Tent City residents, she didn’t keep her dog on a leash. On the southern end of the block lived a man who had two dogs, usually unleashed, a friendly German Shepherd and a quarrelsome bitch of untraceable lineage. That weekend, the Chihuahua wandered into the mutt’s territory and the mutt killed it with a bite to the spine.
“For the Dallas civic mind, human frailty is not their thing. They think you can see everything from a skybox, and so they don’t take the ground view.”
As the move-out drew near, a few people were persuaded to examine the circumstances that led them into Tent City. On the Saturday afternoon before the eviction, in a share-the-bottles session, one man, let’s call him Andy, vowed, “I’m going to go back to my family, yessir, over in Oak Cliff. I may get back in the church, too, do right. A little bit of drinking won’t hurt you, you know, but the way it is around here, that’s too much.”
But for most of the people on Block D, eviction wasn’t a specter dire enough to inspire any vows. Until its eve, people said they’d deal with the move-out when it came, as if leaving wasn’t certain or a big deal. Paul, who had moved to Tent City from an encampment near Fair Park at the urging of the police, said, “Well, they always move us around, but usually that happens at State Fair time.”
Pete told me that he, too, had been evicted before, in North Carolina. “You see,” he said, “the thing is, we don’t pay any property taxes. It’s the money.” He said his North Carolina relocation had come about because “we were on private property, you see. The owner wanted to build a development there. So they found another place for us, and we moved.” A street preacher who frequented the camp tried to find volunteers to join him in passive resistance to the eviction, but he found no takers.
By Sunday afternoon, a few Block D residents were ready to leave. “It’s about time they break this place up,” a neighbor said. “There’s a little too much action around here.” Nobody was really fond of Tent City; they’d have rather been indoors. The toilets and dumpsters at Tent City were convenient, but almost everyone on Block D had lived without them before. More important, they knew that wherever they were, the church group’s food trucks would find them.
Pickups belonging to relatives and the church groups came to take a couple of people away, but everybody else stayed put, business as usual. Andy, who had sobered, didn’t move anywhere. When nightfall came, some of the more hardened types, including Matt and his cronies, simply vanished, leaving their tents behind. Pete toted his belongings to an encampment about a mile away.
The Dallas skyline looms behind the homeless encampment a few weeks before city officials cleared it. Patrick Michels
The move-out came Tuesday, May 3, right on time at 8 a.m. The refugee scenes of the previous evictions were repeated, but policemen didn’t roust anybody. Social workers handled the whole show, even handing out plastic trash bags. I counted 32 of the bags, standing full, in front of Luke’s tent. Staffers from the MDHA dispatched some residents, mostly women, to apartments, motels and shelters.
A count by the MDHA showed that when the move-out began, Tent City’s population had declined to 204. By the time it was finished, housing had been found for 53 of its residents. Another 32 had entered shelters. But 88 of Tent City’s former residents merely shifted to two smaller encampments, one about half a mile away under I-30, another a few blocks away, beneath I-45.
I looked for some of my Tent City friends for a couple of weeks following their diaspora. Several of the women, including the Chihuahua lady, were still in motel or shelter lodgings. Mark checked into a shelter pending an inspection of his much-vaunted apartment, or so he said. Luke had moved into a fleabag motel; for how long, only he can say. But most of the others, including Paul, were at the nearby encampments. On May 26, there was a shooting at one of the nearby encampments, said to be related to a K2 sale.
A new MDHA survey showed the populations of the two burgeoning encampments as 63 and 79, about the same as blocks C and D had been. The city’s response to the growing camps was to announce the formation of a new commission to draw proposals for housing the homeless; the current plan was supposed to have been implemented by 2014.
Old hands were unimpressed with the whole affair. One of them was John Fullinwider, a 64-year-old graybeard who spent a decade as a housing activist, but is now better-known for protesting police brutality and Confederate monuments. Fullinwider served on the first Mayor’s Special Committee on the Homeless. It culminated in a thorough plan for easing the problem — back in 1985 — but its full implementation was delayed for more than 20 years. After his stint with officialdom, Fullinwider became an aide to Prince Johnson, a homeless man who in 1993 and ’94 sparked protests against the city’s anti-homeless ordinances and the bulldozing of an encampment called Shantytown. But in the years since, Fullinwider has been disheartened.
“For the Dallas civic mind,” he says, “human frailty is not their thing. They think you can see everything from a skybox, and so they don’t take the ground view. What’s important to them is the big picture, where they figure out how they’re going to manipulate everything and come up with a ‘world-class’ view.”
The April and May evictions moved some people from Tent City, the urban core of the homeless, into its villages, and even dispersed a few to rural settlements in the wooded crannies of Dallas. As in small towns, their social networks and opportunities for hostile encounters have been reduced in their new locales. Despite the shooting that followed Tent City’s closure, a few conflicts that would have been settled by firearms, fists and blades have probably been avoided. But the only plan underway for the two growing freeway camps where Tent City’s people fled calls for their evacuation too. The first of them was emptied on July 19.
The names of homeless people mentioned in this story have been changed to protect their privacy.
Categories: Featured Stories, News, News, The Issue
Tags: Crime, Dallas, homelessness, Mike Rawlings, Poverty
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The Running of the Bulls
Every year, the Festival of San Fermin attracts thousands of visitors to Pamplona, Spain. Over the course of nine days, the festival hosts many bullfights, a carnival, fireworks, and of course, the encierro, or "running of the bulls." Held since 1591, San Fermin remains a popular, if also dangerous and controversial event: Several people have been gored already this year, and the festival continues until July 14th. Collected below are some scenes from the first few days of this 2011's Festival of San Fermin.
A Torrestrella ranch fighting bull is seen during a bullfight at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain, on July 7, 2011. #
AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza
Chilean Alonso Ceardi poses with a picture that shows when he was severely gored during the running of the bulls at the 2010 San Fermin Festival in Pamplona. Ceardi nearly died from the goring, but said he would run again at this year's festival. #
Reuters/Eloy Alonso
Attendees hold up traditional red scarves as tens of thousands of people packed Pamplona's main square in Spain, on July 6, 2011 to celebrate the start of Spain's most famous bull-running festival with the annual launch of the "chupinazo" rocket. #
AP Photo/Ivan Aguinaga
Participants hold traditional red scarves during the 'Chupinazo' to mark the start at noon sharp of the San Fermin Festival on July 6, 2011. #
Pedro Armestre/AFP/Getty Images
Festival goers celebrate during the Chupinazo on July 6, 2011 in Pamplona, Spain. #
Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Participants react as water is thrown from a balcony during the 'Chupinazo' in Pamplona, Spain, on July 6, 2011. #
AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos
Festival goers gather during the 'Chupinazo', the official opening of the 2011 San Fermin Festival on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 in Pamplona, Spain. #
Revelers smile during the 'Chupinazo', in Pamplona, Spain, on Wednesday July 6, 2011. #
A man celebrates during the 'Chupinazo' on July 6, 2011 in front of the Town Hall of Pamplona, northern Spain. #
A woman drinks wine during the 'Chupinazo', on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 in Pamplona, Spain. #
A festival goer jumps from a fountain at the Plaza de Navarreria during the start of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, on July 6, 2011. #
Reuters/Susana Vera
A man lies injures on the ground after leaping from the Navarre, a fountain in Pamplona, Spain Wednesday July 6, 2011 at the start of Spain's most famous bull-running festival. The man was not caught by other revelers and fell directly to the ground seriously injuring himself. At the time of the photograph, there were no further details on his condition. #
A man sleeps after the first running of the bulls, on July 07, 2011, in Pamplona, Spain. #
Workers carry the stuffed body of a bull named Bravio to stand in a hall at a hotel in Pamplona, Spain, Friday July 1, 2011. #
A couple kiss after the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Friday, July 8, 2011. #
A "Kiliki" tries to calm down a frightened boy during San Fermin Festival's "Comparsa de gigantes y cabezudos" (Parade of the giants and the big heads) in Pamplona, on July 8, 2011. Enormous puppets accompanied by brass bands parade daily through the city during the nine-day-long festival made popular by U.S. writer Ernest Hemingway. #
Participants run next to Torrestrella ranch fighting bulls on Estafeta street during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Thursday, July 7, 2011. #
A tourist takes photos from a balcony on Calle de la Estafeta before the first running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Thursday July 7, 2011. #
A man falls next to a steer during the first bull run of the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, on July 7, 2011. #
Festival goers run on the Estafeta corner ahead of Jose Cebada Gago ranch bulls during the second running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Friday July 8, 2011. #
A photographer prepares his camera on the famous Estafeta Corner before the start of the second running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Friday July 8, 2011. #
Revelers run on the Estafeta corner as one bull falls during the second running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona northern Spain, Friday July 8, 2011. #
Men are pinned by a leading bull, used to drive the fighting bulls during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival, on Thursday, July 7, 2011. #
Two policemen arrest a man too drunk to take part in the second San Fermin Festival bull run, on July 8, 2011. #
Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images
A man tries to avoid a steer that broke away from the pack of fighting bulls during the second day of the San Fermin running-of-the-bulls on July 7, 2011. #
Participants run with Cebada Gago's fighting bulls during the second San Fermin Festival bull run, on July 8, 2011. #
A calf jumps into the arena after the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival on Thursday, July 7, 2011, in Pamplona, Spain. #
A runner is trampled in the bullring following the second running of the bulls of the San Fermin Festival, on July 8, 2011. #
Bullfighter assistants wait before a bullfight at the San Fermin Festival, on Thursday, July 7, 2011. #
Mexican bullfighter Arturo Saldivar prepares for the start of the first bullfight of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, on July 7, 2011. #
Mexican bullfighter Arturo Saldivar performs during a bullfight at the San Fermin Festival, on Thursday, July 7, 2011. #
Rejoneador (bullfighter on horseback) Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza performs at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 6, 2011. #
Reuters/Joseba Etxaburu
Spanish novillero bullfighter Jimenez Fortes falls in front of the horns of a bull during a bullfight in Pamplona, Spain, on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. Fortes fell in front of the bull and managed to roll over to avoid the horns, lucky to be unhurt in the incident. Novilleros, is the stage prior to becoming a 'matador' where bullfights are performed with young bulls. #
Mexican bullfighter Arturo Saldivar performs a pass with a bull during the first bullfight of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 7, 2011. #
A dead bull is dragged away following a bullfight by Rejoneadores at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, on July 6, 2011. #
Mexican bullfighter Arturo Saldivar performs during a bullfight at the San Fermin Festival, on July 7, 2011. #
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Upper Room Community Church Vaughan
The Initiative BlogFaith Baptist Church Indianapolis
Living Faith Church International
Faith Baptist Church Indianapolis
Welcome to Faith Baptist Church of Greenwood, Indiana ! "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
(BP)–The nomination of Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville. As they progress in their faith, we must equip them to serve through their giftedness in the church,
The mission of United Faith Baptist Church is to fulfill the Great Commission (Mathew 28:18-20) and to equip God’s people for works of service. Mission: Hosea 4:6 New American Standard Bible (NASB) “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The Body of Christ, the true Church, needs to be operating from an understanding concerning God.
Indianapolis, IN 46226 United States. MAP IT. Service Times (317) 547-3533. Reverend Larry M. Groves. No Reviews. 0. Write a Review. About Faith Baptist Church. Denomination / Affiliation: Baptist Bible Fellowship International. MAP. Faith Baptist Church is a Baptist Church located in Zip Code 46226. CLAIM THIS LISTING Are you on staff at this.
He was born on May 18, 1955, in Indianapolis, to the late Ignatay and Jacqueline. A familiar face in Greenfield, he frequently volunteered and was a faithful member of the Faith Baptist Church. In.
Abundant Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 10050 E. 38th St., Indianapolis, IN 46235 Our guest will be Pastor David L. Johnson, Jr. and Greater Prince of Peace M.B.C. Share
Prayer Of Forgiveness For Adultery Is Adultery Forgivable?, by Nancy C. Anderson – Christian Marriage advice and help. Find biblical, helpful Christian resources relating to marriage at Crosswalk.com! 11 And the Lord himself taught us to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses,"12 linking. murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline, according to which. Adultery is sexual relations in
Find 17 listings related to Word Of Faith Baptist Church in Indianapolis on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Word Of Faith Baptist Church locations in Indianapolis, IN.
Kendra Carter started attending Faith Church in the 2 nd grade when her parents, Doug & Robyn Thornton first moved to Indianapolis. She met and married her husband Nick at Faith Church, and the two of them led our “20-Somethings” ministry until they left to plant Village Life Church.
Learn more about Faith Baptist Church in Mc Cordsville, Indiana. Find service times, program times, giving opportunities, photos, and more.
The copper-clad steeple of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is visible for miles. including the historic St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Indianapolis. The church was built for $300,000 during the.
The church’s letter to the Executive Committee acknowledged that not every member of Broadway is "in agreement about the propriety of homosexual behavior or the language regarding homosexuality in.
Christian Faith Missionary Baptist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana. 492 likes · 1 talking about this · 1,280 were here. A Progressive Ministry on the move.
Passion for God. Compassion for others. Desire to serve both.
This Kind Needs Prayer And Fasting 7 Basic Steps to Successful Fasting and Prayer By Bill Bright. I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest around the world. Jan 06, 2014 · Keys
An experienced gospel musician, Jamar Esaw has served as assistant minister of music at Minneapolis’ New Salem Missionary Baptist Church and as main campus music director at Indianapolis’s Eastern.
The Buck Creek Players will continue their 40th Anniversary Season "Fabulous at 40" with the Indianapolis premiere of Carrie: The Musical, opening tonight. In 2002, the church was sold to United.
"Jamie was 9 years old when we came here to Tampa," Dungy, now the coach of the Indianapolis Colts, told a gathering of about 2,000 at Idlewild Baptist Church. "When we would. the unfaltering man.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH. vigil at 7 p.m. Monday at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, at 1003 W. 16th St., for the Coleman family, the Rev. Carl Liggins Sr. confirmed to News 8 on Sunday. "Tia’s.
A minister in Indianapolis was caught trying to steal. His excuse? "It was in our ignorance of just being a little old Baptist church and trying to have a. of Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith and their.
Find 14 listings related to Faith Baptist Church in Indianapolis on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Faith Baptist Church locations in Indianapolis, IN.
INDIANAPOLIS — Amanda and Davey Blackburn’s church. No further information, including details on a possible suspect or suspects, has been released. Church staff at First Baptist Church in Elkhart.
Also nominated for term to expire in 2015 is Steve McNeil, team leader at the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana and member of Northside Baptist Church, Indianapolis. Hart, layperson and.
Upper Room Community Church Vaughan For Morgan, a 16-year old student of Christ Church. in the Upper Junior Bodybuilding category, where she placed fourth. As she is only 16, she is planning on competing in the competition up to the. Residents near the scene of the tragedy in the Upper Weston district of Bath told how. reportedly ran an after-school
Welcome to Church Finder® – the best way to find Christian churches in Indianapolis IN. If you are looking for a church JOIN FOR FREE to find the right church for you. Churches in Marion County Indiana and zip code 46201 are included with reviews of Baptist churches, Methodist churches, Catholic churches, Pentecostal and Assembly of God churches, Lutheran churches and other Protestant and.
it’s just a church thing," Acosta said. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said these gatherings are fine, as long as the churches stay within certain guidelines. That’s where Fall Creek Baptist Church went.
Faith Ministries in Lafayette, Indiana We are a family of Christ-followers in Lafayette, Indiana, desiring to do life together—together with Christ, and together with one another.
INDIANAPOLIS — As families and friends of those killed in Saturday’s horrific bus crash struggled to. victims remembered with love, faith The impact killed three people: Chad Phelps, the youth.
Join A Group Find hope together in a Small Group. Find a Group. College Park Church. 2606 W 96th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268. Phone: 317.875.0282
Abundant Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Indianapolis, reviews by real people. Yelp is a fun and easy way to find, recommend and talk about what’s great and not so great in Indianapolis and beyond.
will be nominated as president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the June 15-16 annual meeting in Indianapolis. retired minister of evangelism at the church, created the FAITH outreach that.
Nuckols, a 20 year old Indianapolis resident and Hanover College Junior. Parker Elementary School on the near northeast side. The other, at Rock of Faith Missionary Baptist Church off 38th Street.
Prayer Of Jabez Book Free Download Dec 25, 2015 · Bruce Wilkinson is the founder of Walk Thru the Bible Ministries and Walk Thru the Bible International. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Prayer of Jabez and Secrets of the Vine as well as 30 Days to Experiencing Spiritual Breakthroughs and numerous other books. Shop for the
Faith Baptist Church is located in Avon, IN, and is a place you will experience experience inspiring music, helpful Bible teaching, and friendly people.
April 12, 2007 In response to the recent exposure that the nation’s largest Protestant denomination has received concerning clergy sexual abuse, Oklahoma pastor Wade Burleson of Enid’s Emmanuel.
It has been their faith that has been their rock. But, could it possibly be used for a First Baptist Church Park? At Amanda’s funeral at Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis last November.
Following his education, Pastor John has served in a variety of ministries, including music and youth leader at Open Door Baptist Church in Indianapolis, music and youth pastor at Hanover Baptist Church in Glen Allen, Va., music pastor at Woodcrest Baptist Church in Fridley, Minn., and most recently as the music and children’s evangelist with.
Though Ms. Franklin performed several sold-out shows across the country alongside Mr. Nelson in 2017, he found time to figure out all the major components of the couple’s wedding at New Faith Baptist.
The hungry in Indianapolis have a new hero to thank. Two more locations are set to be installed at Rock of Faith Missionary Baptist Church, 10302 E. 38th St., and the Martin Luther King Community.
MINNEOLA – The love of sharing faith has brought a south Lake pastor back. He also worked with Southwood Baptist Church in Indiana, not far from his Indianapolis birthplace. There, Knight developed.
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Gascony wine, food and hidden treasures
Clare 02 July 2018
A bucolic landscape of fertile farmland, celebrated vineyards and poplar-lined roads, Gascony promises tranquillity and nature in abundance. While time here seems to take a slower pace, adventurers will be gratified by the prime surf spots along the spectacular coast and the adrenaline-fuelled activities on offer in the Pyrenees.
The area of Gascony is no longer defined by regional boundaries; it is an historic territory which lies mainly within the modern French department of Gers, encompassing Bordeaux to the north, Landes to the west and the Pyrenees to the south, stopping just short of Toulouse to the east.
The landscape resembles an embroidered patchwork of viridian and emerald, which, when examined closely, reveals hidden lakes, ancient woods, fields of delicate wild flowers, myriad small family farms and somnolent villages.
Much less populated than a lot of France, its potential as a holiday destination has yet to reach the attention of the masses in the same way as Provence or the Dordogne, making it a joy for those who choose to visit.
Read on to discover the secrets of this beautiful area.
The wines of Gascony are considered some of the best in the south west of France, so it’s only fitting that you should taste a few while you’re there. The wines of the Côtes de Gascogne are the most well known; they are mostly white wines which are fruity and dry. Besides sampling the wares of the numerous vineyards, try a few of the more distinctive tipples produced in Gascony:
Made from distilled wine, Armagnac is produced in the region of the same name, mainly by independent distilleries. The resulting spirits taste subtly different from each other, so if you’re thinking of bringing some home, it’s a good idea to try several before settling on your favourite.
Floc is an aperitif which is made from grape juice fortified with Armagnac and kept in a cellar for 10 months before going through an approval process to be sold under the appellation Floc de Gascogne.
Madiran is a rich red wine which is very dark and known as the healthiest of red wines thanks to its high levels of procyanidins, so no need to feel guilty as you drink it!
If there’s one thing you can guarantee in Gascony, it’s that you’ll never go hungry. Delicious delicacies are served up everywhere, from anonymous rural restaurants to acclaimed fine-dining establishments.
Food in Gascony is rich; duck fat is a staple for cooking and dishes are hearty and wholesome, with pork, ham, sausage, duck and veal. Below are some of the gastronomic delights you can look forward to on your Gascony holiday.
Made from duck legs which are cured in salt and cooked in their own fat, duck confit is one of Gascony’s most popular delicacies and a key ingredient in cassoulet.
A delicious dish combining confit de canard, sausages and beans, cassoulet was once a staple meal for peasants and remains a hearty winter warmer.
A rich duck liver paté which is controversial due to the force-feeding process required to produce it, foie gras divides opinions but remains big business.
Saucisson
A dry-cured sausage of seasoned pork meat which can be combined with cheeses, garlic, dried fruit or nuts, olives or pepper.
Canelé
A little pastry which is flavoured with rum and vanilla and has a concealed custard centre. The outside is thick and caremelised and it is made in a fluted mold.
Noir Gascon pork
Used in charcuterie and as a salted meat, the pork from the black pigs of Gascony is said to be full of flavour and of an exceptional quality.
Prunes à l’Armagnac
Most of France’s prunes are cultivated near Agen, which is just over the Gascony border. A Gascony delicacy sees them cooked and soaked in Armagnac and served up after dinner, although they seem to be combined with anything to produce a fabulous range of dishes.
Porcini mushrooms and cepes can be found in the wild in Gascony. They are delicious in cooked dishes.
The fertile land around the rivers of Gascony are prime territory for orchards which produce plums, apples, peaches, nectarines and kiwis.
The coast of Gascony provides several delicacies, including eel elvers (a thin, worm-like fish), peppery furrow shells (a type of mollusc in a shell), oysters, lampreys (a long, blood-sucking fish) and shad.
Gascony is dotted with many captivating towns, villages and the occasional vibrant city. Many of the smaller towns and villages are bastides: fortified settlements which were originally built under Raymond VII of Toulouse, supported by lords and landowners as they made taxation easier and more profitable. Nowadays, these bastide towns make scenic stops for your holiday itinerary, sleepy enclaves where you can while away a few hours with an obligatory stop at a café in a square for lunch.
Here are some of our favourite places to visit in Gascony.
The capital of Gers, Auch is an attractive city, particularly its medieval centre which is graced by an elegant Renaissance-style cathedral. Don’t miss the Escalier Monumental (Great Staircase) which has over 200 steps - and your reward for climbing them? An impressive view over the Gers valley and beyond to the Pyrenees. Enjoy wandering around the city at your own pace, and when you feel like escaping the hustle and bustle you can take your meanderings to the riverside (at the foot of the Escalier Monumental) and stroll along its banks.
When you’ve got past chuckling at its name, you’ll find Condom to be a scenic market town, with key sights being the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre and pretty medieval streets. It’s a good spot to try the local drink, Armagnac, which is a significant export for the town.
Larressingle
Larressingle is the smallest fortified village in France and was the former home of the Bishops of Condom. Walk over a small bridge to enter its foreboding stone walls and you’ll find a charming collection of buildings, including a small church, castle and houses, many of which are now shops in the summer. To feel like you’re truly stepping back in time, pay a visit to the Pilgrim’s Halt Museum which shows life in the Middle Ages with staged rooms and waxwork characters dressed in period clothes.
Fourcès
Another bastide town, Fourcès is arranged in a circle around a shady square which would have once housed a castle. The half-timbered buildings are exquisite and you can’t help get the feeling that life passes a little slower here. If you’re lucky enough that your visit coincides with the annual flower festival in April, you’ll be in for a treat!
Enjoying an elevated position above the Gers river, Lectoure offers beautiful countryside views and some interesting buildings along the length of its main street. Stop to marvel at its cathedral at one end and walk along, taking in the sights to the other end where the chateau of the Counts of Armangnac has been converted into an antique shopping centre. Lectoure also boasts a thermal spa, perfect for a rejuvenating treatment after a day of sightseeing.
Montréal-du-Gers
This village, as well as several others cited in this section, has earnt the accolade of one of the most beautiful in France. Montréal-du-Gers is again, a bastide village with a peaceful café-lined central square and shady arcades.
Set on the Saleys River, Salies-de-Béarn is a photogenic village whose underground salt-water source has helped it become recognised as a spa village. Besides treating yourself to a salt-based therapy, there are many other pursuits to be enjoyed here, from kayaking on the nearby rivers of Gave de Pau or Gave d’Oloron, to eating your way from one inviting café to the next.
Sarrant
Another one of France’s most beautiful villages, Sarrant is set around a central church and exhibits some beautiful medieval houses and buildings and sights, including a small garden which features plants specific to the era.
Labastide-d’Armagnac
If there’s one thing you’ll need when you visit this charming fortified village, it’s your camera. The Place Royal, the central square, couldn’t be more picturesque, lined with arcaded houses adorned with climbing flowers and exquisite examples of half-timbered architecture.
Other picturesque towns and villages to add to your itinerary are Fleurance, Nérac, Bazas, Eauze, Saint-Antoine, Mont d’Astarac, Lavardens, Valence-sur-Baise and Vic Fezensac.
Adventures on the coast
With such a rich variety on offer for visitors inland, the coast of Gascony can sometimes be passed by, but with its own gems to share, there’s every reason to add the coast to your itinerary.
Dune du Pilat
Europe’s tallest sand dune is a spectacle to behold, a colossal ridge of sand which separates the azure waters of the Atlantic Ocean from the forests behind.
Arcachon Bay
Arcachon Bay is an inland sea which is renowned for its oysters. Pretty villages surround the bay, including L'Herbe, Piraillan or Le Canon and are the perfect place to sample the freshest bounty of the sea. The main towns in the bay are Arcachon, Le Cap-Ferret and Andernos-les-Bains. Besides admiring the bay from land, there are kayaks and powered boats such as pinnaces, on board which you can discover the stilted houses of l’Ile au Oiseau (Bird Island) and the oyster parks.
While you’re in the area, a trip to the Zoo du Bassin d’Arcachon is a must for animal lovers. A sprawling wildlife park with over 800 animals, it’s sure to provide a day to remember.
Côte d’Argent
Beginning at Mimizan Plage and stretching south as far as the eye can see lies a sweeping stretch of golden sand, an oasis for water sports lovers of all kinds.
Right on the edge of Gascony (according to some maps), Biarritz is an elegant resort and the surf capital of France. If you’re not captivated by the promise of some of the best waves in Europe, the charismatic city is sure to capture your heart. With excellent restaurants, numerous sports facilities, thalassotherapy spas and 16 golf courses within a 100km radius, the city has something to charm everyone.
Landes Forest
An epic man-made forest, Landes is not only a peaceful destination for visitors, but also a hive of activity for industries such as forestry, joinery and paper making. To the north, the forest shelters the acclaimed Medoc wine regions from the winds coming off the sea, with vineyard tours and tastings bringing you to the epicentre of its production.
The forest itself can be explored on foot or by bike, the dappled woodland providing welcome respite from the summer sun. The Ecomuseum of La Grande Lande Marquèze is worth a visit to find out about the history of the region and its various industries.
We’ve covered countryside and coast, so now it’s the turn of Gascony’s mountainous region to take the spotlight. Gascony encompasses part of the Pyrenees up to the border with Spain, a distinctive landscape which offers yet more variety.
Nestled into the foothills of the Pyrenees, the large town of Lourdes is a significant pilgrimage site for Catholics due to the belief that the Virgin Mary appeared before the 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. The site of this miracle, The Grotto of Massabielle, is visited by millions of pilgrims each year, hoping for their ailments to be cured. Even for non-Catholics, the town is an interesting place to visit, with shops selling religious-themed souvenirs contrasting with historical sites which include a hilltop castle.
Framed by beautiful mountains, Pau is distinct in that it has experienced British influence since the Victorian times, with vestiges including the wooded gardens of Beamont Palace Park and the stunning examples of horticulture surrounding the resplendent villas. Explore the cobbled streets on foot, admiring the 17th and 18th century architecture and pausing to appreciate the glorious mountain views from the Boulevard des Pyrénées.
Awe-inspiring natural landmarks, incredible views and a plethora of wildlife await in this beautiful national park. Explore on two feet or two wheels, or hop on board the Train d’Artouste to rumble along the dizzying narrow-gauge railway from La Sagette to Lake Artouste, taking in the views without the effort.
Journey up to this magnificent summit by cable car and you’ll find yourself rewarded by tremendous views over the mountain tops. There’s a small museum, restaurant and observatory up there, but be advised that children under three are not permitted to visit due to the atmospheric pressure.
The Pyrenees are the Alps more affordable cousin. The largest resort here is Barèges and La Mongie (Tourmalet) while the highest is Superbagnères. The higher you go, the better the reliability of the snow, but nowadays there are some areas which have snow-making machines to keep you skiing even if the snow’s not falling.
Besides skiing in the summer, the landscape of they Pyrenees lends itself to a plethora of outdoor experiences, including walking, mountain biking, rafting, canoeing and paragliding for the really adventurous!
Country Music Festival, Mirande
Bringing the Wild West to Gascony, this well-attended annual festival in July unites country music with Harley Davidsons, cowboys and American cars.
Jazz in Marciac
With 200,000 visitors, Jazz in Marciac is a major festival in the jazz world. Playing host to many internationally famous musicians, there are nightly concerts in a giant marquee as well as galleries, craft shops and delicious food. It is held over two or three weeks in late July to early August.
Armagnac Festival, Labastide d’Armagnac
Taking place over the last weekend of October to celebrate Gascony’s much-loved tipple, Armagnac en Fête features tastings, demonstrations, cookery classes and chefs at work.
Tempo Latino, Vic Fezensac
You’ll be forgiven for thinking you’ve stepped out of France and into Latin America at this vibrant and welcoming festival. With music Latin music including salsa, jazz, hip hop and Afro-Cuban, Tempo Latino features artists from all corners of Latin America and beyond.
Bandas à Condom
Bringing together brass, woodwind and percussion musicians over the second weekend in May, Bandas à Condom has been running for four decades. Tens of thousands of festival goers line the streets, united in their love for band music and having a good time.
Wine festivals
Many towns and villages host wine festivals throughout the year, from the Fête des Vins de Madiran in August to the Fête des Vendanges in Jurançon in December. We recommend you enquire locally during your stay to discover what’s on near you.
The romantic, laid-back atmosphere of Gascony makes it an incredible location for a country wedding. With rich, delectable food served up by French chefs, quality wine from local vineyards and some of the most stunning rural venues imaginable, the region naturally has all the elements necessary for the most memorable of weddings.
If you’re planning your big day and want to wow your guests with a stunning venue and on-site accommodation to match, take a look at Big Domain’s selection of wedding venues in Gascony.
It would be remiss to sail through this guide without mentioning the famous tale of The Three Musketeers! D’Artagnan, the most famous of the musketeers, was dreamt up by author Alexandre Dumas based on the real-life Charles de Batz de Castelmore who was born in the small village of Lupiac and became captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. D’Artagnan is actually the fourth musketeer who joins Aramis, Athos and Porthos to fight for the French king Louis XIII.
References to d’Artagnan are plentiful in Gascony, and fans of the book can visit the village of Lupiac where there is a museum dedicated to him and a summer festival when villagers wear period dress and organise games, competitions and performances, all in celebration of their favourite musketeer.
Your group holiday in Gascony
With so much to explore, from somnolent villages to international music festivals, Gascony has all the ingredients for the perfect group holiday. Take a look at our stunning large villas in Gascony and find the perfect base for your special celebration or big family getaway.
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Mount Etna: BBC crew caught up in volcano blast: Mount Etna Europe's tallest active volcano erupted for the third time this year
Photo Strangesounds.org
A BBC team and a number of tourists have suffered minor injuries after being caught up in an incident on the erupting volcano Mount Etna in Sicily.
"Many injured - some head injuries, burns, cuts and bruises," tweeted BBC science reporter Rebecca Morelle.
Lava flow mixed with steam had caused a huge explosion, which pelted the group with boiling rocks and steam, she said.
About eight people had been injured, with some evacuated from the mountain by rescue teams, she added.
The Catania operation centre of Italy's volcanology institute confirmed that three of its volcanologists had been on the mountain when the explosion took place, and said some had suffered injuries, but gave no detail.
Mount Etna, which is Europe's tallest active volcano, spewed lava up into the sky in the early hours of Thursday morning, for the third time in three weeks.
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School is providing a good education
Headteacher Sally Edwards with pupils at Hitchin Girls School
EDUCATION inspectors have given a school a good rating in a recent report. Ofsted says Hitchin Girls School provides consistently good education to its pupils and has improved since the last inspection five years ago. Staff were praised for their goo
EDUCATION inspectors have given a school a "good" rating in a recent report.
Ofsted says Hitchin Girls' School provides "consistently good education" to its pupils and has improved since the last inspection five years ago.
Staff were praised for their good and sometimes outstanding teaching, and pupils reached standards above the national average.
Areas within the school, for example care, guidance and support, are given a rating out of four, with one being "outstanding" and four "inadequate". Hitchin Girls' received a grade two "good" grade for every area inspected.
Headteacher Sally Edwards said she was pleased with the report and recommendations. The school had carried out a self-assessment not long before the Ofsted inspection took place and both reports reached similar conclusions.
She said: "It reflects our own assessment of the school's performance and recognises the hard work and involvement of our students, staff, governors and parents.
"Any areas for improvement identified by the report are areas we were already aware of and are already looking to improve."
The inspectors did make several recommendations including ensuring effective and consistent implementation of behaviour management policies and the need to improve wheelchair access, which Mrs Edwards agreed with.
She said: "The school's very poor for wheelchair access and it's going to cost around £100,000 to put right. It's a nightmare for people who may have broken their leg. Again, we are working towards this.
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Politics The U.S. dumps a problem on Ottawa, with Omar Khadr’s return
The U.S. dumps a problem on Ottawa, with Omar Khadr’s return
A Canadian Forces plane stands on the tarmac at CFB Trenton on Saturday, September 29, 2012. Omar Khadr is back in Canada after spending nearly a decade in the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has confirmed that Khadr landed this morning at 7:40 a.m. ET at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont.
Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press
John Ibbitson
Published September 29, 2012 Updated May 3, 2018
For the Conservatives, Omar Khadr was an opportunity. Now he's just a problem.
Mr. Khadr has finally returned to Canada, to serve out the remainder of his sentence for crimes committed against the United States in Afghanistan. Stephen Harper's Conservative government had done everything in its legal power, short of a diplomatic breach with the U.S. government, to keep him interned at Guantanamo Bay, America's problem.
But those efforts ran out, and now Mr. Khadr is coming home, where he will earn more than his share of unwelcome attention.
When Mr. Khadr was first apprehended on an Afghanistan battlefield by American forces and sent to Guantanamo, the Liberal government of the day treated him like the embarrassment he was. Foreign and Justice ministers spoke about him only when pressed, and then only in the most guarded of sentences. Ottawa was happy to let the Americans prosecute his crimes.
The Conservatives were less circumspect. Mr. Khadr was a wedge, one they were happy to exploit.
Human rights advocates saw Mr. Khadr not as a criminal or terrorist, but as a victim. At worst, he was a young offender, duped by his family into joining a war he was too immature to comprehend.
He was, in their eyes, a child soldier, no more complicit than the children impressed into the armies of African warlords. And his detention at Guantanamo was part and parcel of the Bush government's abusive war against terrorists.
Conservatives have no truck with such talk; nor, they believe, do most Canadians, especially those Canadians inclined to vote Conservative.
Not only did the Harper government continue its predecessors' policy of not assisting Mr. Khadr's efforts to return to Canada, they made it abundantly clear that he could languish in Guantanamo for the rest of his life, as far as they were concerned.
But for the Obama administration, Guantanamo is a political liability, its continued existence a promise not kept. Prosecutors secured a guilty plea, and under a treaty between the two countries that allows each other's nationals to serve their sentences in their home country, the Americans hoped Canada would take their unwelcome guest back.
But not only was the Harper government in no hurry to expedite Mr. Khadr's repatriation, it used every means it could think of to delay it. In acknowledging Saturday morning that he had approved the prisoner's return, Mr. Toews was tacitly admitting that he had run out of options.
From now until he completes his sentence in 2018, Mr. Khadr will be in the news. There will, doubtless, be incidents in prison. There will be parole applications. There will be petitions for his release. Both the left and the right will demand that justice, as each side perceives justice, be done.
The Conservatives will continue to portray Mr. Khadr in the least flattering light possible. But the fact remains that, despite this government's best efforts, Mr. Khadr is back on Canadian soil, out of the Obama administration's hair, and in the Harper government's.
He's their problem now.
Khadr 'relieved' as return to Canada puts his fate in prison system's hands
U.S. hands over Omar Khadr material; Toews urged to make transfer decision
Follow John Ibbitson on Twitter @JohnIbbitson
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An Expert in Murder
Joanna Hines
Fri 20 Mar 2009 20.14 EDT First published on Fri 20 Mar 2009 20.14 EDT
"To write fiction about historical fact is very nearly impermissible," claimed the writer known to posterity as Josephine Tey. She should have known, because her stage play based on the life of Richard II was the 1934 hit that made her name. In Upson's debut novel, the playwright is at the centre of the action, which focuses on the New Theatre and its occupants as the play's run draws to an end. A stage-struck young woman, to whom Tey had been talking on the journey from Edinburgh, is murdered at King's Cross in such a way as to seem to contain a threatening message for Tey herself. Luckily her old friend and sort-of admirer Detective Inspector Archie Penrose takes charge of the murder investigation, which soon fans out to involve not just the flamboyant stars of theatreland, but wartime treachery and even pre-war betrayal. The characters have a slight tendency to declaim even at moments of crisis, perhaps justified by their thespian background, but apart from that, this is an affectionate homage to crime fiction's golden age.
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New Technology At Munson Prevents Stroke Risk
Munson Medical Center is among the first hospitals in the country to introduce the Sentinel Cerebral Protection System, which helps protect patients from the risk of stroke during minimally-invasive heart valve surgery, known as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
TAVR is proven effective in treating aortic stenosis without open heart surgery. However, recent studies have shown that during the procedure, calcium deposits from the heart valve or tissue can become dislodged and travel to the brain, creating a stroke risk.The Sentinel system is the first FDA-cleared device available in the U.S. to capture and remove any dislodged calcium before it reaches the brain. The device has been shown to reduce strokes by 63 percent during the procedure and in the first 72 hours after it, when most strokes occur.
Munson has been offering TAVR since 2012, says Nicklaus Slocum, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, a cardiologist at the hospital. “Use of cerebral protection devices takes an already safe and effective procedure and makes it even safer.” A U.S. clinical trial of the technology showed that the device captured dislodged calcium in 99 percent of TAVR cases, with no added risk for the patient. To date, more than 3,500 patients worldwide have been protected with the technology.
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UNICEF Global
Unicef default logo Lebanon
Explore UNICEF
Tanya Chapuisat
Search UNICEF
UNICEF Lebanon and Generation Unlimited - empowering a young generation to support women in society
“Women in Lebanon are an active and valuable capital for the future of this country. We need to be allowed to show this. It’s time to give women a chance. We can do it”.
Simon Balsom
UNICEF/Lebanon 2019/Stephen Gerard Kelly
Together For Women
with Samar and Yara from Tripoli
Changing perceptions and challenging society through the realization of a very straightforward entitlement to freedom lies at the heart of Samar and Yara's ambition. Business management students at the Lebanese University in Tripoli, both have grown within a society they feel no longer serves the needs of its women. Held back by the traditions and, as they insist, unfounded fears of their parents’ generation, it is time someone came along and shook things up – even if just a little.
“We’ve been at school from the age of three. By any standards, we believe we are well educated - but we've been taught within a system that restricts the female half of the population. Even at school, from some of our teachers, they try to persuade us that we shouldn’t strive to be a manager. It’s not a woman’s role.
It must be difficult for most people to comprehend the challenges faced on a daily basis living life as a woman in Lebanon in 2018. There are so many challenges across much of our society today, and we’re not equipped to tackle them all – but one area we identified as being ripe for a fresh look was transportation.
Our solution is simple – to introduce women-only taxi services. The driver will be a woman, and the passengers only women. The service we propose will facilitate the daily opportunities of every woman’s life.
We know of women who have received jobs offers away from their hometown, but through family and societal pressure they don't feel able to travel using public transport. Nor do they feel ready to get into a regular taxi with a male driver. Like we said… it's hard for most people to imagine living like this.
The inspiration for this is found within our own lives. We are restricted in our movements. We have been prevented from achieving our potential for the silliest of reasons. Imagine just how many young women’s lives can we change this way!
Even our drivers will be role models. They’ll need to be strong. They’ll need to be prepared to stand up against gender stereotyping. But this is our generation’s time, and we have women amongst us with the strength to do precisely these things. We have women in the army now. Who would have imagined this happening not so long ago?
Gender Rights
Gender socialization
Using LSTD to respond to gender-based violence
“I felt something change within me after just one session”
Capacity building for Lebanon’s students
Improving employability and access to career opportunities
More than 1000 people joined UNICEF Child Rights Festival at the opening of the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Lebanon
Visit the page
Ensuring every child’s place in education
“I’ve changed, and it’s being at school that has changed me”
UNICEF Home
Related UNICEF sites
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Dec. 4, 2017 / 7:46 AM
Energy and conservation groups split over U.S. tax overhaul
Inserted into a 479-page tax reform bill are measures to expand oil and gas drilling in a wildlife refuge in Alaska.
A measure inserted in a bill meant to overhaul the U.S. tax code includes a provision to open up parts of a wilderness refuge area in Alaska to oil and gas drillers. File photo by Kathryn Hansen/NASA | License Photo
Dec. 4 (UPI) -- As with the partisan divide, the stance on the U.S. tax overhaul was split evenly between oil and gas support and opposition from renewable and climate groups.
A $1.4 trillion, 479-page, tax reform bill passed along partisan lines early Saturday morning with Republican leaders in the Senate pushing the measure through with a 51-49 margin. No Democrats voted for the bill and Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., was the lone "no" vote among the GOP. He said he voted against it because of deficit concerns after the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated it would increase the deficit by about $1.4 trillion over the next 10 years.
Among other things, the bill contains a section drafted by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that would open up a section of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drillers.
"Opening the 1002 Area [in ANWR] and tax reform both stand on their own, but combining them into the same bill, and then successfully passing that bill, makes this a great day to be an Alaskan," she said in a statement after the measure passed.
RELATED Italian oil company given drilling permit in Alaska
Competing claims were made after the U.S. Senate passed a budget reconciliation proposal in November to open the 2,000-acre ANWR up to oil and gas drillers. The Arctic Slope Regional Corp., a title holder in the North Slope advocating for fossil fuels, pointed to an unspecified poll that showed a "clear majority" of those living in the region want responsible development.
The CBO estimated that implementing the legislation would bring about $1.1 billion in royalties to Alaska, while costing about $10 million for environmental reviews and administrative costs through 2022.
Advocacy group Earthjustice said Republicans in the Senate moved in stark contrast to constituents who seemed to be in favor of conservation over oil and gas interests.
RELATED Expect more U.S. oil on the global market
"There is some Republican opposition in the House to including this poison pill in the final budget, and Earthjustice will fight hard to defeat this measure and preserve this treasured landscape for future generations," Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen said in a statement.
Alaska's government in 2014 awarded oil and gas drilling licenses after clarifying authority near the border of the wildlife refuge.
Meanwhile, Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat once considered a candidate for energy secretary under U.S. President Donald Trump, said he was in support of efforts to overhaul a complex tax code if it benefited the economy and raised wages, but the one that passed Saturday was a "rushed bill" that represented "nothing more than a sugar high with an old fashioned bait and switch."
The American Petroleum Institute, the oil and gas industry's main lobby group, said in a comment emailed to UPI that Senate leadership should be applauded for adopting pro-development reforms. By their metric, the decision to lower the corporate tax rate and add provisions for the oil and gas industry could lead to "billions of dollars" in investments and add "10 million" jobs to the U.S. economy.
A joint statement from six renewable energy and conservation groups said there were laudable provisions for the clean energy sector and the reduction in the corporate tax rate was a welcome step for business. On balance, however, they said there were provisions that would have a negative impact on clean energy investments that have been critical to growth.
"If these provisions are retained, they will result in broad instability and uncertainty for businesses and investors across many sectors, including the clean energy sector," they said.
President Trump has so far been a clear and vocal supporter of the oil and gas industry. House and Senate leaders still need to reconcile each version of their tax reform bills in committee before they hand anything over to the president for his signature.
Bob Corker
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Joe Manchin
Women's World Cup: Team USA defeats Netherlands for second title
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Learning from the mistakes done by famous investors
It’s easy to make huge mistakes in business. Even if you’re good at your job, and you have all the variables in mind, it’s impossible to know for sure how the future will turn out. And sometimes that makes for gigantic blunders, as these next eight entries will show you.
Most organizations believe they have a great idea or a strategy or a plan or product that will take them into the stratosphere… they're all wrong! Companies that make their people feel valuable have the most value in the marketplace
From a start-up formed in the garage of Steve Jobs' parents to a tech giant with market valuation at $1 trillion, Apple Inc has seen plenty of highs and lows. In recounts the journey Apple took that led to a destination never reached before. Amazon has become the second company to reach a stock market value of $1 trillion just weeks after Apple hit the same milestone. It surged past the trillion dollar mark this afternoon, prompting experts so say it could become even bigger than Apple. In two decades the company expanded far beyond its bookseller beginnings, combining its world-spanning retail operation with less flashy but very profitable advertising and cloud computing businesses. In the case of NOKIA, there are Several reasons are behind the failure of Nokia, certainly one of the most important being failure to respond to the iPhone and consumer demand that came with it. As the years passed, the symbian platform aged, and that age really showed when compared to iOS and, later, Android. They had the phone market share in their hands…now they are history, because they just couldn’t keep up with the competition and with this a missed opportunity of $478.7bn industry.
The bottom line is all investments have some risk. If Apple failed, Wayne may have had to work hard for a couple of years to help pay off their debts as he did before, but by bailing he missed out on untold riches as a part of one of the most successful companies ever. If you cannot handle risk, do not invest, because every investment has some risk.
With today's rapid technological change, companies rise and fall faster than ever before. The list below represents 10 companies that were once the most innovative in their industry, then lost their edge. History has seen such examples of missed opportunities.
1. Sony rejected Marvel movie rights
2. Netflix is rejected by Blockbuster, goes bust
3. Ronald Wayne sells back an Apple fortune for $800
4. Xerox invented the PC (Computer) and gave it away
5. Yahoo passed on buying Google for $1 million
6. Viacom thought a $2 billion Facebook buyout was too expensive
7. Warren Buffett's portfolio doesn't include Google stock, and that's something he regrets.
8. International Car Makers Refused to Buy Volkswagen (1945)
9. Ross Perot Refuses to Buy Into Microsoft for $60 million (1979)
10. George Bell Undervalues Google and Refuses to Buy It (199
The NASDAQ fell from a high of 5,132 in March 2000 to just 1,470 a few months later, as giddy investors suddenly sobered up after figuring out that web businesses with little or no revenue were fundamentally worthless. Companies worth billions when they IPO'd went to zero. Good companies were dragged down with them: Cisco lost 86% of its market cap. Amazon stock fell from $107 to just $7.
A global recession kicked in within a year. Few who lived through it will forget it. The 2000 crash remains one of the defining features of modern economic life.
It is not necessary to know who are the software companies is stealing your data. It is not fair to blame only facebook, Twitter and WhatApp for stealing your data for business continuity or to give better service by understanding the user’s behaviour . The fact is they would require to understand your behaviour then only they can suggest the best. Like through machine learning, machine is learning us on our behaviour and attitude. Finally, It’s been 10 years, in October 2007 since Microsoft invested $240M in Facebook, then Facebook buys Instagram for $1 Billion in April 2012,then may 2012,Facebook went to IPO, further in February 2014,Facebook buys WhatsApp for whopping $ 19 Billion and crossed 2 Billion monthly active users, Mark Zuckerberg, Founder, Facebook said, we're making progress connecting the world, and now let's bring the world closer together. - now Facebook is worth almost as much as Microsoft.
Today, every company is said to be a software company and Marc Andreessen once famously said that “software is eating the world.” What he didn’t say was that increasingly sophisticated APIs were driving the rapid creation of software.
Lastly, I would say, companies have to continue to innovate or they will be left behind, particularly in tech.
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it's magic Jan. 19, 2017
David Blaine Went on an Epic Quest to Learn How to Regurgitate Frogs
By Tolly Wright
David Blaine has accomplished many feats that seem to defy the laws of human nature — holding his breath for 17 minutes, living in a transparent box for 44 days on nothing but water, withstanding 100 million volts of electricity discharged continuously over 72 hours — but learning how to regurgitate living frogs from his stomach out through his mouth might be his most complex accomplishment to date. The stunt, which he debuted last November in his ABC special Beyond Magic, wowed the likes of Drake and Dave Chappelle. While it seemed to happen instantaneously mid-conversation, the trick took the magician years to learn and perfect.
Speaking to the New York Times as part of their Times Talks series on Wednesday, Blaine explained that he first got the idea from a book by Harry Houdini. “There was this one act, a regurgitation act — a hundred years ago — that he said was kind of poetic,” Blaine said. “It wasn’t like all the other regurgitation acts. So, based on this little paragraph about Mac Norton ‘The Human Aquarium’, I started thinking, ‘Maybe this is true. Maybe it really did happen — I don’t think he was fooling Houdini.” Norton, however, hadn’t left behind any written account of how he did the trick, because, according to Blaine, “probably for reasons beyond worrying about the show. He probably didn’t want people getting Salmonella poisoning or all the stuff that can go through when you start putting frogs in your mouth.” Blaine started to learn how to swallow swords, but that esophagus-controlling trick wasn’t enough. He had to travel around the world to crack this enigma:
“I went to Liberia to meet a guy who is a water spouter. [He] learned how to do it for survival, because they were so poor where he grew up and lived in Liberia, so that when they went to the well they could only bring back a certain amount of water. But if he could put the water inside [his stomach] and fill the bucket up he could go back with more and wash his shoes — you know, whatever it was. So, we saw a video of him online, on YouTube, and it took me five years to track him down. He lived in a mud hut, but there were some numbers scratched on the wall and we put posters up all over Liberia. And after a couple of years we found him and I flew there immediately and convinced Winston [the water spouter] to show me how to do it. I came back and started playing with this concept that water can be stored in your stomach, you empty out the system, then I realized you can put a gallon of water in your stomach. He could put out fires with it or whatever — his mom wouldn’t let him do it because she thought it was black magic.
And then one day I decided to do it with a fish. I did it in front of Woody Allen actually, because I was talking to him years earlier about ‘there’s this guy who’s able to do this thing!’ so when I was able to do it, it was still not right, because it had to come out with the water. Then I started thinking magic would be if I could just be hanging out and then have the creature appear at any moment. So then I realized there’s a way to control my stomach to bring the fish or the frog up with nothing and that was by doing bronchoscopies and checking out where bingo balls would float in my stomach. So then we converted it from a human aquarium feat into magic.”
So, it’s pretty clear Blaine will do anything to accomplish a feat he knows — or at least suspects — is possible, but what’s the one stunt he can’t do? “There’s one [trick or stunt] that I’ve been obsessed with forever and I just haven’t figured it out and it’s how to stay awake for long periods of time,” says Blaine. “I’m also borderline narcoleptic.”
How David Blaine Learned to Regurgitate Frogs
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Home>Government>Boards & Commissions>Plan Commission
Regular meetings of the Plan Commission (PC) take place on the fourth Wednesday of every month. All meetings are held at Village Hall and start at 7:00 p.m.
Public Hearing Notice for April 3, 2019
The PC consists of nine Winnetka residents appointed by the Village President with the advice and consent of the Village Trustees. The Village President also designates one member of the Commission to serve as chairperson. Members of the Plan Commission serve for terms of three years, which are staggered to assure the Commission’s continuity.
The PC’s membership consists of one representative from each of the following public bodies: Village Council, Zoning Board of Appeals, Environmental and Forestry Commission, and Landmark Preservation Commission.
The remaining five members of the Plan Commission are chosen from among the Village’s residents. There are no other specific requirements for membership, although it has been the practice of Village Presidents to appoint at-large members based on a demonstrated expertise, experience or interest in historic preservation, architecture, architectural history, urban planning, building construction, real estate, finance, engineering or neighborhood organization.
All Commission members vote, with two exceptions. Since most matters that come before the Plan Commission ultimately come before the Village Council for final action, the Village Trustee is not a voting member of the Plan Commission. Similarly, if any matter before the Plan Commission is a zoning application that will also be considered by the ZBA, the ZBA representative is not allowed to vote on the matter when it is before the PC.
The key functions of the PC are to:
Consider, prepare and make recommendations to the Village Council on the adoption or amendment of the Comprehensive Plan for the present and future development or redevelopment of the Village;
Assist Village officials charged with directing projects for improvements embraced within the Comprehensive Plan, to further the making of those improvements, and generally to promote the realization of the Comprehensive Plan;
Conduct an annual review of Appendix 6 of the Comprehensive Plan and to submit proposals to the Council and to the Board of Local Improvements for specific improvements;
Consider and make recommendations to the Village Council on applications for land subdivisions as provided in the Subdivision Ordinance;
Review and make recommendations to the Village Council on applications for special use permits, wireless telecommunications facilities and planned developments, as provided in the Zoning Ordinance;
And report to the Village Council from time to time on the Commission’s work.
Below is a list of the current members of the PC, including their position, contact information, and terms:
Tina Dalman Chair 847-784-8727 2/19/2022
Mamie Case At-Large 847-446-8948 10/6/2020
Jay Vanderlaan At-Large 312-799-0259 5/1/2021
John Golan At-Large 847-446-6062 3/15/2020
Layla Danley At-Large 847-386-6005 2/6/2021
Bridget Orsic At-Large 312-399-0246 10/3/2020
Chris Foley EFC Representative 847-784-8661 10/20/2021
Matt Bradley ZBA Representative 847-624-6498 2/5/2022
Louise Holland LPC Representative 847-446-1681 10/15/2014
John Swierk Council Representative 847-446-6460
Brian Norkus Staff Liaison 847-716-3522
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Checked Projects 344
Collected Errors 12 970
PVS-Studio Analyzer
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Search for bugs in C, C++, C# and Java
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Examples of errors detected by static code analysis
Myths about static analysis
Static code analysis is the process of detecting errors and defects in a software's source code. Static analysis can be viewed as an automated code review process. Let's speak about the code review now.
Code reviewing, is one of the oldest and safest methods of defect detection. It deals with joint attentive reading of the source code, and giving recommendations on how to improve it. This process reveals errors, or code fragments that can become errors in future. It is also considered that the code's author should not give explanations on how a certain program parts work. The program's execution algorithm should be clear from the program text and comments. If this is not the case, the code needs improving.
The code review usually works well, because programmers can notice errors in somebody else's code much easier than in their own. To learn more about the code review method, please see a wonderful book, "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell [1].
The only major disadvantage of the joint code review method, is an extremely high price: you need to gather several programmers at regular times to review a fresh code, or re-review a code after recommended changes have been applied. The programmers also need to rest regularly, as their attention might quickly weaken if they review large code fragments at a time, so there will be no use in code review then.
It appears that - on one hand - you want to review your code regularly. On the other hand, it is too expensive. Static code analysis tools are a good compromise. They can tirelessly handle the source texts of programs, and give recommendations to the programmer on what code fragments he/she should consider. Of course, a program can never replace a complete code review, performed by a team of programmers, but the ratio of use/price makes usage of static analysis a rather good practice which can be exploited by many companies.
The tasks solved by static code analysis software, can be divided into 3 categories:
Detecting errors in programs. We will speak about that in detail further on.
Recommendations on code formatting. Some static analyzers allow you to check if the source code corresponds to the code formatting standard accepted by your company. What we mean by this, is control of the number of indents in various constructs, use of spaces/tabs and so on.
Metrics computation. Software metrics, are a measure that let you get a numerical value of some property of software or its specifications. There are lots of various metrics which can be computed with the help of certain tools.
There are also other ways of using static code analysis tools. For instance, static analysis can be used as a method to control and teach new workers, who are not yet familiar enough with the company's programming rules.
There are a lot of commercial and free static code analyzers. The Wikipedia website contains a large list of static analyzers: List of tools for static code analysis. The list of languages static code analyzers support is quite large as well: C, C++, C#, Java, Ada, Fortran, Perl, Ruby, etc.
Like any other error detection methodology, static analysis has its strong and weak points. You should understand that there are no ideal software testing methods. Different methods will produce different results for different software classes. Only the combination of various methods will enable you to achieve the highest quality in your software.
The main advantage of static analysis is this: it enables you to greatly reduce the cost of eliminating defects in software. The earlier an error is detected, the lower the cost of fixing it. Thus, according to the data given in the book "Code Complete" by McConnell, fixing an error at the stage of testing costs ten times more than at the code writing stage:
Figure 1. The average cost of fixing defects depending on the time they have been made and detected (the data for the table is taken from the book "Code Complete" by S. McConnell).
Static analysis tools allow you to quickly detect a lot of errors at the coding stage, which significantly reduces the cost of development for the whole project. For example, the PVS-Studio static code analyzer can run in the background right after compilation is done, and tell the programmer about potential errors, if there are any (see incremental analysis mode).
Other static code analysis' advantages are as follows:
Full code coverage. Static analyzers even checks code fragments which get control very rarely. These code fragments usually cannot be tested through other methods. It allows you to find defects in exception handlers, or in the logging system.
Static analysis doesn't depend on the compiler you are using and the environment where the compiled program will be executed. It allows you to find hidden errors which may reveal themselves only a few years after they were created. For instance, undefined behavior errors. Such errors can occur when switching to another compiler version, or when using other code optimization switches. Another interesting example of hidden errors is discussed in the article "Overwriting memory - why?".
You can easily and quickly detect misprints and the consequences of Copy-Paste usage. Detecting these errors through other methods is usually extremely inefficient, and a waste of time and effort. It's a pity when you have spent an hour on debugging, just to find out that the error is in an expression of the "strcmp(A, A)"-kind. People usually don't remember such troubles when discussing typical errors. But practice shows that it takes a lot of time to detect them.
Static code analysis' disadvantages
Static analysis is usually poor regarding diagnosing memory leaks, and concurrency errors. In order to detect such errors, you actually need to execute a part of the program virtually. It is too difficult to implement. Such algorithms take too much memory and processor time. Static analyzers usually limit themselves to diagnosing simple cases. A more efficient way to detect memory leaks and concurrency errors, is to use dynamic analysis tools.
A static analysis tool warns you about odd fragments. This means that the code can actually be quite correct; we are call these 'false-positive' reports. Only the programmer can know if the analyzer points to a real error, or if it is just a false positive. The necessity to review false positives takes work time, and weakens attention to those code fragments which really do contain errors.
Errors detected by static analyzers are rather diverse. Here, for example, is the list of diagnostics implemented in the PVS-Studio tool. Some analyzers focus on a certain area, or certain types of defect, while others support certain coding standards, for instance, MISRA-C:1998, MISRA-C:2004, Sutter-Alexandrescu Rules, Meyers-Klaus Rules, etc.
The sphere of static analysis is actively developing; new diagnostic rules and standards appear regulary, while some rules become obsolete. This is why there is no sense in trying to compare analyzers on the basis of the defects they can detect. The only way to compare tools, is to check them on a set of projects, and count the number of real errors they have found. This subject is discussed in detail in the article "Difficulties of comparing code analyzers, or don't forget about usability".
90 errors in the open-source projects;
PVS-Studio vs Chromium;
PVS-Studio: analyzing Doom 3 code;
PVS-Studio vs Clang;
Intel IPP Samples for Windows - error correction.
The first myth. A static analyzer is a single-use product;
The second myth. Expert developers do not make silly mistakes;
The third myth. Dynamic analysis is better than static analysis;
The fourth myth. Programmers want to add their own rules into a static analyzer;
The fifth myth. A small test program is enough to evaluate a tool.
Steve McConnell, "Code Complete, 2nd Edition" Microsoft Press, Paperback, 2nd edition, Published June 2004, 914 pages, ISBN: 0-7356-1967-0.
Wikipedia. Static code analysis.
Coverity. A Few Billion Lines of Code Later: Using Static Analysis to Find Bugs in the Real World.
By Walter W. Schilling, Jr. and Mansoor Alam. "Integrate static analysis into a software development process".
John Carmack. Static Code Analysis.
Bugs Found
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On the Difference Between strlcat and strncat
While we are working hard on writing big articles on code check of the Haiku operating system, I'd like to ...
Errors that static code analysis does not find because it is not used
Readers of our articles occasionally note that the PVS-Studio static code analyzer detects a large number of errors that are ...
PVS-Studio wanted but couldn't find bugs in robots.txt
The other day Google revealed the sources of the robots.txt parser. Why not give a run for the already far ...
Why We Don't Write Articles Comparing PVS-Studio with Other Static Analyzers
People ask us every now and then if we compared PVS-Studio with other static analyzers and wrote any articles about ...
PVS-Studio in the Clouds - Running the Analysis on Travis CI
At the moment, cloud CI systems are a highly-demanded service. In this article, we'll tell you how to integrate analysis ...
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Plan a Group Visit
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Lyle W. Dorsett
Home / Academics / Academic Centers / Marion E. Wade Center / About / History / Biographies / Wade Directors / Lyle W. Dorsett
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Lyle W. Dorsett was the second director of the Marion E. Wade Center, serving from 1983 to 1990. A prolific author and accomplished speaker and teacher, Dr. Dorsett received his B.A. in history (1960) and M.A. in history (1962) from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia (1965). He began his teaching career at the University of Missouri, moving briefly to the Univ. of Southern California and University of Colorado at Denver, before he joined the history department at the University of Denver.
Specializing originally in urban history, Dr. Dorsett's academic career took a turn after he published a biography of Joy Davidman (C.S. Lewis's wife), titled And God Came In. His great interest in the writings of Lewis led him to accept the position of director of the Wade Center after Dr. Kilby's retirement. During Dr. Dorsett's tenure at the Wade, he began the oral history project which is a significant resource of original material relating to the seven Wade authors and which now numbers over 90 recorded interviews.
In 1990, Dr. Dorsett left the position of Wade Center director in order to return full-time to the classroom. He served for a brief time as the Director of Urban Studies at Wheaton, but eventually, his developing interests in evangelism and revival led him to join the Wheaton College Graduate School as Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry. In 2005, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama to become the Billy Graham Professor of Evangelism at Beeson Divinity School. He retired from Beeson in spring 2018.
The author of eighteen books, including three works on C.S. Lewis, Dr. Dorsett's most recent Wade Center related work is Seeking the Secret Place: The Spiritual Formation of C.S. Lewis. He and his wife Mary have two children and four grandchildren. Dr. Dorsett continues to be connected to the work of the Wade as Director Emeritus of the Wade Center, and Emeritus member of the Wade Board.
Dorsett Publications Bibliography
Marion E. Wade Center
For mail: Wheaton College, 501 College Ave.
Street address: 351 E. Lincoln Ave.
wade@wheaton.edu
501 College Avenue
Wheaton, IL 60187-5501
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Next Graphic Novels & Manga Books
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Science Fiction 9781421579283-01-000 9781421579283-01-000 9781421579283
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/yugioh-3in1-edition-vol-5-includes-vols-13-14-and-15-5/kazuki-takahashi/paperback/9781421579283-01-000.html
Yu-Gi-Oh! (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 5 Includes Vols. 13, 14 & 15 5
By Kazuki Takahashi (Author)
Yu-Gi-Oh! (3-in-1 Edition), Vol. 5: Includes Vols. 13, 14 & 15 (Yu-Gi-Oh! (3-in-1 Edition) 5) is rated 5.0 out of 5 by 1.
loc_en_GB, sid_9781421579283, prod, sort_[SortEntry(order=RELEVANCE, direction=DESCENDING)]
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https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/yugioh-3in1-edition-vol-5-includes-vols-13-14-and-15-5/kazuki-takahashi/paperback/9781421579283-01-000.html £7.19 rrp £9.99 Save £2.80 (28%)
Description Reviews About the Author More Details
Tenth-grader Yugi always had his head in some game--until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, an Egyptian artifact containing the spirit of a master gambler from the age of the pharoahs! Possessed by the puzzle, Yugi becomes Yu-Gi-Oh, the King of Games, and challenges evildoers to the Shadow Games...weird games with high stakes and high risks! The second of the Egyptian God Cards is unleashed! Using one of his brainwashed pawns to fight for him, the mysterious Marik traps Yugi in a deadly cage match against one of the most powerful cards in the world...Slifer the Sky Dragon! Then, duels rage around Battle City, and up first, Jonouchi fights Ryota Kajiki, Duelist of the Sea, on his home turf at the Domino City Aquarium! Then Marik's henchmen, the Rare Hunters, force Kaiba and Yugi into a tag-team duel on top of a skyscraper! But the worst is yet to come when Mai and Jonouchi become possessed by Marik! Now, Yugi must fight Marik's mind inside Jonouchi's body. And the rules of this duel say only the the winner comes out alive.
Rated 5 out of 5 by ashleywilkinson from Good read This book is a great read for anyone of all ages and for fans of yugioh like I am.
Original Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi first tried to break into the manga business in 1982, but success eluded him until Yu-Gi-Oh! debuted in the Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1996. Yu-Gi-Oh!'s themes of friendship and competition, together with Takahashi's weird and wonderful art, soon became enormously successful, spawning a real-world card game, video games, and six anime series (two Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, and Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V).
Contributor: Kazuki Takahashi
Imprint: Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc
Packaged Dimensions: 127x191x33mm
Packaged Weight: 370
Publisher: Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc
Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! (3-in-1 Edition)
Biography: Original Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi first tried to break into the manga business in 1982, but success eluded him until Yu-Gi-Oh! debuted in the Japanese Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1996. Yu-Gi-Oh!'s themes of friendship and competition, together with Takahashi's weird and wonderful art, soon became enormously successful, spawning a real-world card game, video games, and six anime series (two Japanese Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal, and Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V).
Kazuki Takahashi
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/yugioh-3in1-edition-vol-5-includes-vols-13-14-and-15-5/kazuki-takahashi/paperback/9781421579283.html £7.19 rrp £9.99 Save £2.80 (28%)
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January 29, 2018 at 10:30 am EDT | by Lou Chibbaro Jr.
Jim Graham estate auction set for Feb. 3
Some of the items available from Jim Graham’s estate that are currently on display. (Blade photo by Lou Chibbaro Jr.)
More than 1,000 historically or artistically significant objects ranging from antique furniture and pottery to male figurative paintings that belong to the estate of the late gay D.C. Council member Jim Graham will be available at auction on Feb. 2 at the Sloans & Kenyon auction house in Chevy Chase, Md.
Stephanie A. Kenyon, president of Sloans & Kenyon, said the Graham estate objects have been on display at the auction house gallery at 7034 Wisconsin Ave. in Chevy Chase since Saturday, Jan. 27 and will remain on display until the Feb. 2 auction.
She said a second auction for additional items of the voluminous Graham estate will take place in March. Among the items up for auction in March will be Graham’s car, an extensive collection of black and white photos, and the bowties that he wore to work at the D.C. Council that became his trademark.
A description of the Graham estate items up for auction on Feb. 3, which are listed in a catalogue released by Sloans & Kenyon, include “Bronzes and Other Sculptures, Paintings and Prints, Extensive Collection of Arts and Crafts Movement Furniture, Lamps and Accessories by Roycroft and others, Ceramics including Vintage Decorative Tiles, and Other Decorative Items, Documents, Collection Vintage Bookends, Advertising, Oddities and Unusualia.”
Among the numerous framed oil paintings and drawings from the Graham collection on display this week at Sloans & Kenyon are male nudes that Kenyon said fall into the category of erotic art.
“He had such an eye for imaginative originals,” said Kenyon, who noted that she first inspected many of the objects when invited by Graham’s family members to visit Graham’s seven-room condo in the Ontario, a Beaux Arts apartment building in Adams Morgan, where Graham lived for many years.
Graham served as executive director of the then Whitman-Walker Clinic before winning election to the Ward 1 D.C. Council seat in 1998. He served on the Council until 2015.
A description and photos of some of the Graham estate items can be accessed here.
Chevy ChaseD.C. City CouncilD.C. CouncilgayJim GrahamSloans & KenyonStephanie A. KenyonWhitman-Walker Clinic
Lou Chibbaro Jr. has reported on the LGBT civil rights movement and the LGBT community for more than 30 years, beginning as a freelance writer and later as a staff reporter and currently as Senior News Reporter for the Washington Blade. He has chronicled LGBT-related developments as they have touched on a wide range of social, religious, and governmental institutions, including the White House, Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, the military, local and national law enforcement agencies and the Catholic Church. Chibbaro has reported on LGBT issues and LGBT participation in local and national elections since 1976. He has covered the AIDS epidemic since it first surfaced in the early 1980s. Follow Lou
NBA star Dwight Howard opens up about sexuality rumors by Mariah Cooper | posted on July 18, 2019
Gilead hit with more lawsuits over harmful side effects of AIDS drug by Lou Chibbaro Jr. | posted on July 18, 2019
Mayor Pete, the A-Peck-olypse, and what we should be talking about by Brian Gaither | posted on July 18, 2019
AOC and Pelosi — youth vs. age and knowledge by Peter Rosenstein | posted on July 18, 2019
Gay male parents cited as beneficiaries of ‘diaper changing’ bill by Lou Chibbaro Jr. | posted on July 18, 2019
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Top U.K. official against Iraq war
By - The Washington Times - Sunday, January 12, 2003
LONDON, Jan. 12 (UPI) — A senior member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Cabinet has said Britain should not join a unilateral U.S. military action on Iraq without U.N. approval.
International Development Secretary Clare Short is the senior-most British official to have come out against Blair's support of Washington on the Iraq issue.
"I think all the people of Britain have a duty to keep our country firmly on the U.N. route, so that we stop the U.S. maybe going to war too early, and keep the world united," she told ITV's Jonathan Dimbleby program.
She cautioned against unilateral military action to rid Iraq of its suspected weapons of mass destruction.
"I think it's very dangerous," she said. "I'm very, very worried."
Short's comments follow last week's Daily Telegraph report that said some senior members of Blair's government do not believe there is enough clear evidence that Iraq is developing such weapons to justify an invasion in the immediate future, and that an attack during the searing heat of summer would not be practical.
Top officials told the newspaper any plans to invade Iraq should be put off until next fall so U.N. weapons inspectors in the country will have plenty of time to conduct a thorough search for any weapons of mass destruction.
The Telegraph also said support in Britain's Parliament for an invasion would fade unless there was concrete proof that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime was producing chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
"The Prime Minister has made it clear that, unless there is a smoking gun, the inspectors have to be given time to keep searching," a senior Whitehall source told the newspaper.
U.N. weapons inspectors are at present in Iraq in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 to ascertain whether Saddam's regime possesses proscribed weapons of mass destruction.
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RFP for Cumulative Effects Monitoring Programs Review
The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) is now accepting proposals for Project 607-2018 – Cumulative Effects Monitoring Programs – Key Elements Review. Proposals...
Federal Gov Announces Cleantech Program for Natural Resources
Today, Jim Carr, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, announced a $155-million program that will fund clean technology projects in the areas of energy, mining and forestry, helping...
Nexen Water License Revoked in the Horn River Basin
Oil and gas company Nexen has been ordered by the B.C. Environmental Appeal Board to cease taking water out of the Tsea watershed within...
Natural Resources Canada’s Largest Water User: Report
The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRT) says that if Canada is to ensure the sustainability of its water supply,...
The Networked Field
By 2030, the world’s farms will have to produce almost 50 per cent more food than they currently do. By 2050, agricultural yields will...
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Headworks recognized for local, national achievements in diversity
DiversityBusiness.com has ranked Headworks® International as a top business for national and local honors for the 9th consecutive year.
HOUSTON, TEXAS, April 9, 2013 -- The nation's leading multicultural business website, DiversityBusiness.com has ranked Headworks® International for the 9th consecutive year, as a top business for both national and local honors. The Div500 is an annual listing of the nation's top 500 women-owned businesses whose revenue size ranges from $5 million to over $1 billion. These companies continue to blaze a trail and confront the long-held notion that women-owned businesses are small or insignificant.
Headworks has received recognition for both their local and national achievements in not only one category but four. The Div500 ranked Headworks at #255 out of the Top 500 Women Owned Businesses in the country. Headworks was also ranked #23 among the top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in Texas (Div100) which is 11 places higher than in previous years. Adding to the accolades, Headworks was ranked #51 in the Top 100 Diversity Owned Businesses in Texas and #75 of the Top 100 Privately-Held Businesses in Texas.
"Small businesses are a growing force in the U.S. economy, and a force to be reckoned with," said Kenton Clarke, CEO of Computer Consulting Associates International, the company that built DiversityBusiness.com. "It's no longer only about the Fortune 1000. This is a whole business segment that can carry its own, that provides jobs, products and services, and generates wealth for their communities. These are the new leaders in American business."
The "Top Businesses in America" program was established by DiversityBusiness.com as part of its ongoing commitment to remain in the forefront in championing the entrepreneurial spirit. The "Top Businesses in America" program recognizes and honors individuals who have established themselves as a world class community of entrepreneurs that continue to transform the way we live and move our economy forward. The businesses are selected for the awards based on a selection committee which evaluates the eligibility for all submissions in each award category. The selection committee based their decision on an extensive set of criteria which includes: reviewing each entrant's business profile, website and gross annual sales submitted.
The 13th Annual National Business Conference and Awards Ceremony hosted by DiversityBusiness.com will be held at Wynn Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada and attendance is expected to include over 1000 of America's Top Business Owners and Top Fortune 500 companies. There will be a special awards ceremony to honor Headworks International and the other businesses on April 24-26, 2013.
Michele LaNoue, CEO of Headworks stated, "These awards are significant to all of us and serve to underline the success of our commitment to maintaining a diverse team bringing new ideas to our business and our customers from their varied perspectives. At Headworks, we strive to break boundaries and defy expectations and our diversity hiring program is one of the keys to accomplishing that every day worldwide."
About Headworks
Headworks International, Inc. is a leading provider of advanced wastewater treatment processes and equipment for municipal and industrial facilities globally.
For over 20 years, Headworks has been engaged in the design and manufacture of highly robust screens and screenings handling equipment, which are used to remove debris from wastewater during the preliminary treatment phase. With its patented self-cleaning mechanism and proven reliability, Headworks is the market leader in bespoke, large screen applications.
Complementing its screens division, Headworks operates in the rapidly expanding MBBR industry for secondary treatment. Through its technical engineering expertise and command of process design, Headworks provides specialized biological treatment systems based on Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Headworks has sales and engineering offices in Canada, the Middle East and India, and has over 1,100 installations in more than 20 countries around the world.
Website: www.headworksinternational.com
About DiversityBusiness.com
Launched in 1999, DiversityBusiness is the largest organization of diversity-owned businesses throughout the United States that provide goods and services to Fortune 1000 companies, government agencies, and colleges and universities. It also produces the country's largest conference on diversity education and training for major corporations and small business. Its research on top businesses appears in Fortune, Forbes, and numerous magazines and media publications.
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DuPont Water Solutions delivers low conductivity water for UAE production facilities
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New on-line platform unites stakeholders on water stewardship projects
The UN Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate initiative has announced the launch of a global Water Action Hub...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Aug. 30, 2012 -- The UN Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate initiative announced the launch of a global Water Action Hub -- the world's first on-line platform to unite companies, governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders on a range of critical water projects in specific river basins around the planet.
The launch of the Water Action Hub was accompanied by the release of a beta version of the CEO Water Mandate's Guide to Water-Related Collective Action, which provides a step-by-step approach to water-resource-related collective action.
The launch of the Water Action Hub and the Guide took place at the CEO Water Mandate's ninth working conference during World Water Week in Stockholm.
"Given the scale of water challenges, there is a need for organized and readily accessible information to help businesses understand their options for collective action on water issues, particularly whom they can work with in a particular region of interest," said Gavin Power, Deputy Director of the UN Global Compact, and Head of the CEO Water Mandate. "The Water Action Hub is designed to help companies and other organizations more effectively understand which stakeholders are active in particular river basins and any relevant water-related initiatives these stakeholders are undertaking. It is potentially transformational."
The core of the Water Action Hub online tool is a map-based data management system that facilitates match-making by allowing users to identify potential collective action opportunities via river basins, organizations, projects, and collaboration action areas.
"With the Water Action Hub to help companies identify potential collaborators to improve water management in regions of critical strategic interest, and the Guide to Water-Related Collective Action to help them effectively develop a collective action engagement, the CEO Water Mandate is helping companies move into strategic partnerships that safeguard water resources, while delivering value to economies, business, and the community," said Jason Morrison, Program Director of the Pacific Institute, which serves as part of the Secretariat of the CEO Water Mandate.
The Water Action Hub was developed by the CEO Water Mandate in partnership with the International Business Leaders Forum; Deloitte; GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development; and the Pacific Institute.
While the Water Action Hub provides a platform for local project implementation, the companion beta version of the Guide lays out how effective collective action in sustainable water management is both the key to approaching shared risk successfully and addressing a substantial point of vulnerability for many companies.
"The CEO Water Mandate is producing this Guide because collective action done right leads to a strong sense of shared interests, shared responsibility, and shared benefits," said Morrison of the Pacific Institute and co-author of the Guide. "The collective action process emphasizes joint, proactive engagement that leads to better and stronger outcomes than available through unilateral action."
The Guide was developed by the CEO Water Mandate in partnership with Ross Strategic; Pegasys Strategy and Development; the Pacific Institute; and the Water Futures Partnership.
The CEO Water Mandate Guide to Water-Related Collective Action can be downloaded free of charge from the Pacific Institute website at www.pacinst.org/reports/water_related_collective_action and on the CEO Water Mandate website at www.ceowatermandate.org. The Water Action Hub is live at www.wateractionhub.org.
About the United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is a both a policy platform and a practical framework for companies that are committed to sustainability and responsible business practices. As a multi-stakeholder leadership initiative, it seeks to align business operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and to catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals. With 7,000 corporate signatories in 135 countries, it is the world's largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative. www.unglobalcompact.org
About the Pacific Institute
The Pacific Institute is one of the world's leading independent nonprofits conducting research to create a healthier planet and sustainable communities. Based in Oakland, California, the Institute conducts interdisciplinary research and partners with stakeholders to produce solutions that advance environmental protection, economic development, and social equity. The Pacific Institute works to change policy and find real-world solutions to problems like water shortages, habitat destruction, global warming, and environmental injustice. www.pacinst.org
Sewage flowing from Mexico prompts California beach closures
Potable Water Management 4.0
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Hemp revival: An opportunity for stressed Wisconsin farmers
By By BARRY ADAMS |
LONE ROCK, Wis. (AP) — At their annual meeting in February 2018 to discuss the next planting season, a group of farmers expressed mixed reactions to Sam Liegel’s advice on how to supplement their plummeting income.
“Some of them looked at me like I was smoking the product, as they would say, and then there were progressive farmers who would really grow any crop to make a dollar,” Sam Liegel said. “And this crop has plenty of margin so it piqued their interest.”
Liegel and his family, who sell seeds for corn, soybeans, alfalfa and other traditional crops, bring in farmers each year to talk about the previous year’s crops, look ahead to the next planting season and discuss topics such as hybrids, weeds and pest management.
Now, they’re adding hemp to their inventory.
The land is fertile here where the Wisconsin River dissects the undulating terrain but farmers are not immune to the devastatingly low corn, soybean and milk prices that resulted in the closure of 691 dairy farms across the state in 2018. An additional 212 closed in the first three months of this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and hundreds more will likely shutter before the year ends.
So when Sam Liegel, 31, brought up the idea of planting hemp, some farmers, 40 years older than Liegel, shook their heads and had no interest. Others, maybe out of desperation, frustration or who knew something about the economics and uses of the plant, were more open.
Interest in hemp farming has blossomed into a full-blown business plan by the Liegels, other family members, close friends and 106 investors who have ponied up $2.5 million to create Driftless Extracts. It includes a greenhouse for starting hemp plants, as well as a massive hemp drying machine that was ordered from the Czech Republic and is scheduled to arrive in August. Processing equipment to extract CBD is set to arrive in November.
And it’s all going into the seed warehouse that will also serve as a storage facility for the 100 acres of eight varieties of hemp planted for the first time this year by the Liegels. Driftless Extracts was also created to process hemp grown by other farmers who want to diversify their crop rotations and increase their farm incomes, a service that will begin this fall. For 2020, the Liegels plan to have the ability to process up to 2.5 million pounds of hemp grown on their own land and hemp grown by other farmers on contract who need their product readied for market.
“I’m one of those guys that doesn’t like the oceans being full of plastic,” said Ed Liegel Sr., 68, who has farmed his whole life near Plain and is the former director of the state soil testing laboratory. “If we can bring hemp back into importance in agriculture and boost up the local agriculture community a bit, that would be a win for everybody, wouldn’t it? Hemp is kind of a big deal.”
Hemp and marijuana are both forms of cannabis, but hemp lacks enough of the active ingredient THC to get people high. Hemp is bred to contain less than 0.3% of THC, while marijuana averages about 12% THC. Any hemp crop that is above the 0.3% threshold for THC must be destroyed, according to the Wisconsin State Journal .
Hemp is widely being used for CBD oil, which is used to treat childhood epilepsy syndromes that typically don’t respond to anti-seizure medications, according to Harvard University.
CBD also is commonly used to address anxiety, and for patients who suffer insomnia or have chronic pain. Side effects of CBD use, according to Harvard’s Dr. Peter Grinspoon, include nausea, fatigue and irritability.
Scores of shops selling CBD oil and CBD-infused products have popped up across Wisconsin, including in some of the smallest towns, while convenience stores including Kwik Trip are now actively promoting CBD products such as topical rubs, oral pouches and tinctures and drops. Some ingest the CBD oil straight while others mix it with food or nutritional supplements. Food, drink and cosmetic manufacturers are also adding CBD to their products.
However, most of the CBD sold in the state comes from hemp grown in Oregon, Kentucky and Colorado, leaving the CBD supply market wide open for Wisconsin farmers. The Liegels believe they can get 1,000 pounds of usable biomass material per acre which would result in about 60 to 80 pounds of dried CBD that they would sell to manufacturers.
But the primary draw for Wisconsin farmers is economic yields that dwarf that of corn and soybeans.
Revenues from an acre of corn or soybeans can range between $500 and $800. But an acre of hemp creates gross yields that can range from $15,000 to more than $30,000. The input, harvest and processing costs per plant may range from $10 to $30 but can still produce profits that may be 10 to 20 times that of traditional crops, said Phillip Scott, who in early 2018 founded the Wisconsin Hemp Farmers & Manufacturers Association.
In 2018, the first year hemp could legally be grown again in Wisconsin, 247 licenses were issued to growers and 100 licenses to processors, according to the state Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection.
This year, the number has ballooned to 1,405 growers and 692 processors. In 2018, about 1,875 acres were planted in hemp, and Scott estimates that number this year could rise to well over 10,000 acres and possibly hit 30,000 acres.
Nationally, the number of licensed acres of hemp jumped 204% from 2017 to 2018, according to Vote Hemp. And the market for CBD is expected to grow from $618 million in 2018 to $22 billion in 2022.
“Wisconsin has a chance with its land mass and its farmers to be one of the industry leaders,” said Scott, who lives in Madison and is growing 182 acres of hemp on plots throughout the state. “Wisconsin was a leader at one point so why not bring that heritage back?”
Large-scale hemp production in Wisconsin began in 1908 and by 1918 accounted for 7,000 of the 42,000 acres grown in the U.S., according to a report from UW-Madison. Rope was a leading product then, but hemp was also used to make clothing and shoes for those serving in the military. The Waupun area was a hub for hemp production but the crop was also grown in Dane, Fond du Lac, Green Lake and Racine counties, among others.
And, just like today, the then-fledgling industry had to overcome a lack of infrastructure needed to plant, harvest and process hemp. By 1918, hand labor was no longer needed as machinery was introduced. The state also had 70% of the hemp mills in the country at that time. However, the hemp industry died out after World War II and production was later banned.
That is no longer the case, which is opening the door for entrepreneurial and enterprising farmers.
“If corn was $7 (per bushel) and beans were $15 (per bushel) and milk was $25 (per hundred weight) it would be a tough sell,” Liegel Sr. said of convincing farmers to grow hemp.
But it’s not all about CBD oil.
The Liegels are also growing hemp for fiber that can be used in a wide range of products including shoes, clothing, insulation and, when mixed with other materials, panels and parts for the automotive, aerospace and military manufacturing industries. Their plan is to harvest about 8 tons of fiber biomass per acre.
“We don’t know what all of the uses are,” said Simon Liegel, 35, one of Ed Liegel’s sons, who has a background in finance and is one of the founders of Driftless Extracts. “The (tension) strength is really, really strong in hemp because of the length of the fiber. And if you can (process) it in an efficient manner and create a good raw material, there’s lots of uses for it.”
The planting at Driftless began in April with 200,000 seeds that cost about $1 each being started in a 6,300-square-foot greenhouse. Once they reached about 4 to 8 inches tall, they were planted in May by crews using a mechanical planter that was hand-fed plants by laborers. Some varieties used for CBD were planted 4 feet apart and will resemble more of a bush at harvest this fall. Industrial hemp was planted with seeds with a traditional planter only inches apart to encourage the plants to grow tall and lean to create the long fibers.
Ed Liegel Jr., 36, president and CEO of Driftless Extracts, said his company is hoping to work with the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory in Madison to develop composite products containing a mix of hemp and carbon fiber. Liegel Jr. sees hemp fiber production as a long-term effort that will make his company sustainable.
“There is this really cool opportunity right now to make some money in CBD so we want to capitalize on that and put in some long-term infrastructure that will allow us to make that money and then flip that money into the (research and development) needed to make the industrial space a reality,” Liegel Jr. said. “There are a lot of industrial applications for hemp but it’s not a fully fledged-out market.”
Driftless Extracts is the combined efforts of those with backgrounds in agronomy, finance, engineering and computer technology. The diversity of the founders was a selling point to investors along with the built-in client base that already consisted of farmers with years of trust in the Liegels because of their seed businesses and farming backgrounds. In December, Driftless hosted 80 growers interested in hemp, some of whom will likely have their products processed by the Liegels.
“Net farm income is at the lowest level since the 1980s farm crisis, and I know that because I do the math on my own books on my own farm and it’s hard to pencil out actually running the acres,” said Sam Liegel, who farms near Plain near the farm where he grew up. “The numbers are brutal but this is an agricultural revitalization using hemp as the centerpiece. Agriculture is depressed enough already and this might be a way for true conventional agriculture to find another crop to put in the rotation.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Information from: Wisconsin State Journal, http://www.madison.com/wsj
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Jun 26 Staying Soft Through the Hardening
Najya Williams
lovegodherself2
“Sometimes, life has a way of making you hard, baby.” - My mama, C.R.M.
I remember it like it was yesterday. It felt as if my mom’s truck pulled up to the doors of my new home in slow motion. I was no longer the wide eyed freshman with wonder in her eyes and marvel at being a student at te Harvard University. What awaited me beyond the doors of my assigned upperclassman house was the identity of a second-year student who was supposed to have her concentration (Harvard term for major) decided and a clear idea of what her future was supposed to hold.
This is the year that you come into your own, find your voice and stand firm in your academic prowess. I can recall the many conversations I had with my older friends prior to the start of my sophomore year, where they all shared their glittery memories of new friendship, love and life. However, now that I am at the end of my sophomore year, I can say with much certainty that embarking on adulthood, and especially womanhood, is one of the hardest things you can do, and the transition from being a freshman to a sophomore only amplifies these growing pains.
At the start of the year, I was on top of the world in terms of my academics, social life, spirituality, and many other facets that made up my reality. I served in leadership positions in spaces that I cared about, I worked in positions that made me happy, and I was on the heels of a successful book release. I thought life couldn’t feel any rosier, and then I was invited to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in Boston! I couldn’t believe that my work as a scholar, activist, and writer were not only being recognized on a consistent basis, but that my work was blossoming by proxy of my own personal growth. I breathed in every second of those moments, hoping that I’d never fall off the wave. I was convinced that nothing could or would steal my joy and sense of pride of the work I’d accomplished for myself.
It wasn’t until I was on the other side of the crumble that I realized how quickly things changed for me. Leadership stretched me in ways I hadn’t anticipated. Activism was met with more inequality, pain, and brutality. My voice as a Black woman was muffled by those who wanted me to fix some of the problems that existed on a campus, city, and national level, while simultaneously making room to resent me for doing so. I felt trapped in between who my family and friends knew me to be prior to college and who I wanted to be as an Afro-Caribbean woman who had pushed herself toward success at Harvard. Poetry didn’t come as easily to me, and selling my chapbook, Cotton, fell down on my list of priorities. My classes were inconceivably difficult to juggle. Adjusting to life in my new upperclassman house tasted foreign. The reduction in support I received as a sophomore compared to when I was a freshman was palpable. I couldn’t feel Christ as intensely as I had always felt Him.
Growth isn’t fun. It’s not easy. But it’s worthwhile.
My life did an entire backflip, and I didn’t know where to begin to pick up the pieces. My mother used to always tell me that life could make you hard and I didn’t understand what she meant until I had to.
For many college students, middle aged workers and older souls who bust their butts to get to where they are, this undoing is paralyzingly scary and unexpected. What do you do when your life seems to come apart at the seams? What happens when it seems like there’s no one else who understands it? Who can validate you when your anger, frustrations, and pains are valid? What do you do when life seems easier when you stop caring or “check out”? What should you do when your problems seem easier to tackle when you detach?
You stay soft.
This may seem like the exact opposite of what you’d expect, but you have to grab hold of life by the horns and remain malleable to the experience. The real growth and elevation in self and life comes in the ugliness and pain of growth. My best friend, Lex, said the most profound thing to me: “Growth isn’t fun. It’s not easy. But it’s worthwhile.” I am my own first home, and by honoring the good, bad, and genuinely unpleasant parts of walking into womanhood, I am allowing myself to be sensitive to the best version of myself.
It is my hope that this piece serves as the first steps to your peace, joy, and radical healing. Take this with you as you journey: stay soft through the hardening, no matter what form it may take.
Growth, Life advice, Twenty something, Black womanhood, College, Student
Najya Williams is a sophomore at Harvard College studying sociology as a pre-medical student. Outside of her academic pursuits, she is an avid social activist and spoken word artist. She aspires to change lives, one word at a time. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @NajyaTheAuthor.
Jun 28 How You Know You’re Ready to Live with Your Partner
Jun 25 greatness
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Michigan's Medicaid Expansion Impacts Washtenaw County Residents
By Rose Carver • Sep 19, 2013
The Medicaid expansion bill signed into law by Gov. Snyder earlier this week will have a major impact on health care in Washtenaw County.
Both it and the upcoming state health insurance marketplace will affect many of the people already receiving coverage through the Washtenaw Health Plan. Many people currently receiving health coverage through the Washtenaw Health Plan will lose that coverage and be required to get it instead through either the newly expanded Medicaid or the upcoming health insurance marketplace.
Krista Nordberg is the Director of Enrollment and Advocacy at Washtenaw Health Plan. She says there will likely be timing issues with these changes.
Norberg explains that there's all hands on deck in preparation of this plan.
The Washtenaw Health Plan helps people get the health care services they need, like doctor and clinic visits, outpatient lab and X-ray tests, prescriptions, hospitalization and mental health services.
You can learn more at their website: www.ewashtenaw.org
Washtenaw Road Commission Seeks Representative
By Andrew Cluley • Sep 19, 2013
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners is taking applications to fill a recently vacated seat on the Road Commission. The selected applicant will represent the general public for the remainder of a six year term that ends in 2018.
Resumes must be submitted by September 25. The commissioners will choose an applicant during their October 2 meeting, and the appointment will take effect on January 1, 2014.
More information at http://www.ewashtenaw.org/
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ELD Staff
Understanding ELD Assessments
English Proficiency Levels
A Parent's Guide to Registration
Legal Foundations
ELD Acronyms
ELD DAC Meetings
The West Shore School District’s Department of English Language Development (ELD) [formerly known as English as a Second Language or ESL] provides eligible students that are linguistically and culturally diverse with English language instruction and ensures compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. A student's English language proficiency and academic background, are taken into consideration in order to deliver appropriate English instruction as well as content support at their level.
Our goal for English Learners (ELs) is to become independent learners in a school environment. We help ELs gain proficiency in the English language by focusing on the development of academic skills in the domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. We also strive to help ELs and their families successfully adapt to our district and culture while maintaining and valuing their own culture.
The population of ELs varies throughout the year. Our students represent many different cultures and their native languages include: Albanian, Arabic, Bambara, Bulgarian, Burmese, Cham, Chinese, Croatian, Filipino, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Hungarian, Japanese, Karen, Kinyarwanda, Lingala, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamazight, Telugu, Thai, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
The District offers ELD instruction in buildings where a significant EL population is present. The following buildings have ELD programs: Cedar Cliff High School, Allen Middle School, New Cumberland Middle School, Highland Elementary, Hillside Elementary, Lower Allen Elementary, Rossmoyne Elementary, and Washington Heights Elementary. In the event where an English learner moves into the attendance area of a building with no ELD program, the student is transferred to a building with an ELD program.
Eligibility for the ELD Program
Upon entry into the West Shore School District, families are required to complete a Home Language Survey. If a language other than English is noted, a district screener will contact the family and prior school district for additional information. If necessary, the student will complete the W-APT (Kindergarten) or WIDA Screener (grades 1 - 12) English language proficiency assessment to determine his or her level of English proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Parents will be notified of placement within thirty days if enrolled at the beginning of the school year, or within fourteen days if enrolled during the school year.
Direct Instruction and Support
The ELD department provides instruction at two levels: direct instruction and support. Students who qualify for direct instruction have daily ELA instruction provided by an ELD teacher.
Additionally, direct instruction students can receive support in other content classes such as mathematics, science, and social studies. Support students receive ELA instruction by a grade level teacher, but can receive support in all content areas as necessary.
Descriptions of Elementary, Middle, and High School Programs
At the elementary level, English learners receive ELA instruction through a pull out program. Direct instruction students receive instruction by a certified ELD teacher during their literacy block. Additionally, support in all content areas is available through multiple models. ELD aides push into content area classes to provide support and/ or students may leave their classrooms at designated times for additional support from the ELD teacher.
At the middle and high school levels, English learners receive ELA instruction through a sheltered program. ELs are assigned to an ELA class taught by an ELD teacher. Three levels of classes are offered: Level 1 (Beginner), Level 2 (Intermediate), and Level 3 (Advanced). Opportunities for support in all content areas are available during homeroom and Academic Advisory at the middle level and during flex at the high school level.
At all levels, content area teachers are responsible for modifying and adapting instruction and assessment.
For further information, please contact Dr. Ryan Argot, Director of Federal Programs, at 938-9577.
WSSD Board Policy
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Filtering by Tag: Winter Olympics
YFU - In the Spirit of the Games
A note from YFU USA President, Michael HillToday, the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, will capture the time and imaginations of viewers worldwide. While the media has focused a great deal around issues of human rights and safety in the lead-up to these games, I can't help but think of the parallels between the Olympic movement and the goals and aspirations of international exchange. The Olympics aim to create peace and understanding by bringing people from different cultures and backgrounds together for sporting events. Emphasizing what is common and good among our cultures, the Olympics themselves attempt to break down walls through friendly competition while preserving pride for one's place of origin.
Our work in international exchange sets its eyes on this prize, as well. Every time we send a YFU student to another nation for a semester or a year, we are asking them to bring the best of their culture and be open to learning about the best of other cultures. Our students are on an endurance race of high emotions with great payoff, and success will set them on a dynamic path for the rest of their lives.
So as you gather around televisions to watch the 2014 Olympics — or if you're lucky enough to watch in person — let's use the games as a shared celebration of trying to understand one another a bit better. Truly, in this way, perhaps we can shrink the globe for a time, just as YFU students do year round.
categories General Stories
tags intercultural understanding, Michael Hill, olympics, peace, Winter Olympics, YFU
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Tigers sprint past Lions in District 11-2A standings
By NATHAN BURAL E-T Sports Staff
HICO - In a Cross Timbers match-up of 11-2A playoff hopefuls, the signal callers turned to show stealers as Hico beat Dublin by the final score of 41-19.
Westin Williams led Hico past rival DeWayne Keith and Dublin Friday night to lock up Hico's 10th playoff berth in Head Coach Wade Williams' 18 seasons at Hico.
Williams was dominant in every aspect of the game. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 171 yards and threw for three touchdowns and just one interception.
Sean Shipman was the "go-to-guy" for Williams. Shipman had three big catches for over 25 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown on fourth-and-19 in the second quarter. He hauled in four passes for 103 yards. Andrew Wise also aided Williams by catching six passes for 51 yards.
Williams racked up most of his yards on the ground by keeping it 12 times and chalking up 191 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown run to seal the deal for Hico in the third quarter.
Jordan Turner was a nice compliment to Williams on the ground with 101 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
"Our offensive line did a great job," said Coach Williams. "They made the blocks and all he (Westin) did was carry the biscuit."
Hico totaled 489 yards in the contest.
On the other side of the ball was DeWayne Keith. Coming into the game Keith was looking to surpass the 1,000-yard mark passing for the season. He accomplished this feat by completing 10 of 24 passes for 97 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Keith now has 1,065 yards on the season.
Keith has also been a solid runner for Dublin, entering the contest with 641 yards on the ground. He added 135 yards on 17 carries Friday.
However, the Hico defense was able to contain the rest of the Lions by only allowing only 79 yards to everyone not named Keith.
"The defense played well," said Coach Williams. "We've been giving up the big plays all year long and we shut those down, but Dublin played great. After watching film on the Keith kid, he was more impressive here. He has a lot of speed, and I didn't know he was as good of a defensive player as he is. We tried to put him in a bind because they had the injuries there, and all night he stopped us so we had to throw the ball instead of running it."
Injury-plagued Dublin tried to hit a few big plays but just couldn't haul in the deep passes, and the big plays they did get were forced to return due to penalties.
"We moved the ball offensively," said Dublin Head Coach Dwayne Ross. "We had a couple of big plays called back and dropped a few passes, and of course Westin (Williams) was just unconscious. He threw the ball really well and we had way too many missed tackles."
Hico is in the 2A State Playoffs and will travel to Grandview next week. If Hico upsets Grandview, then it will mean the Tigers are District 11-2A Co-Champions.
Dublin will host Itasca next week with hopes, for their first playoff berth in four years still alive.
"We got Itasca next week," said Coach Ross. "I think we'll have to beat Itasca by 10 to put us ahead of them."
Kickoffs for each game will be at 7:30 p.m. next Friday.
Nathan Bural is a member of the sports staff at the Empire-Tribune. He can be reached at (254) 965-3124, ext. 241.
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Lindley Brainard: WWC Alum and Instructor
By Chrissy Bellmyer, Student Services & Outreach Manager
For years, Lindley Brainard had dreamed of becoming a furniture maker, but struggled to find a way into the field. One day in 2010 she realized that she had flagged five different emails from Yestermorrow, advertising its first-ever Woodworking Certificate 12-week intensive course, to be read later.
She was working as a scientific researcher at the time, but knew she wanted to be working with her hands instead of sitting behind a computer all day. Taking her email sorting as a sign, she enrolled in the WWC just a month before it began. “I took three months off with the intention of going back to my job, and never went back,” she recalls. “Eight years later I’m still doing woodworking full time. To me it says Yestermorrow was the right place to get me on my feet and get me going.”
Today, she is an independent woodworker and leads the educational programs at ShackletonThomas, a maker of fine handcrafted furniture in Bridgewater, Vermont. She guides customers through the entire process of crafting a piece of furniture, from selecting and milling the wood to selecting and applying finishes. Lindley also teaches several courses at Yestermorrow, where she is not only an alum, but also a former design/build intern. “I give Yestermorrow a huge amount of credit in my ability to be where I am today,” she says. The WWC has evolved and changed since that first year, she notes. But the core elements remain the same: giving students the fundamental skills they need to become professional woodworkers, while providing them with space and support to explore their own creative interests.
“I could really drive what I was interested in. If you brought the instructors something and said 'I want to learn this technique', they went out of their way to make it happen. I try to do that now when I instruct a Yestermorrow class. I left with 100 different potential projects in my brain and needed time to build them. The course got me energized, engaged and excited to explore woodworking in a way I hadn’t expected I would be able to.”
Lindley has learned the hard way that running a woodworking business requires some skills that can’t be learned in the woodshop. “It’s not an easy field or business to break even, let alone make money. So it’s encouraging to see that now the WWC focuses even more than when I was there on how to build a shop, do machine maintenance, and how to think about running your business.” That includes the perennial challenge of finding the overlap or sweet spot between making the things she wants to make, and making something that people want to buy. “You need to find something you can make that’s profitable – and that can sustain you to make the things you do want to make. It helps that instructors come in and are honest about that, and are willing to share what they’ve learned.”
In March, she’ll get a chance to share her own hard-won lessons as a business owner, when she teaches a new course, Build Your Woodworking Business, with WWC lead instructor Justin Kramer. “This had been a goal of mine for a long time, to do a dedicated course at Yestermorrow on how to do this, and what are the templates for knowing if a piece of furniture is even profitable.”
Another exciting venture lies even nearer on her horizon. This month, she and her wife will close on the purchase of a historic building in Bethel, Vermont, that will eventually become home to her own woodshop and a community incubator space. Lindley has a vision of outfitting the space with hand tools and teaching hands-on sessions for local kids. “The goal is to be able to host teaching events for kids, a space for weekend woodworking projects,” she says, “getting kids using their hands, interacting with something that isn’t a computer or a phone.”
Looking back on her own unfolding journey to date, Lindley has advice for those considering taking the plunge and pursuing intensive woodworking study at Yestermorrow. “It’s such a cool eye-opening experience, and you’ll get more out of it if you’re mentally ready. Come in with ideas of what you want to learn and try new things. Your mistakes are sometimes your biggest discoveries – so give yourself the space to make mistakes.”
“I would not be where I am today without Yestermorrow. It gave me the confidence in myself to go out and figure it out. It didn’t give me all the information and all the how-tos, but all the tools to get there. What did it for me was being given enough information to get started, and then that drive and passion takes over from there.”
Check out all the courses Lindley will be teaching in 2018:
Build Your Woodworking Business
Curious Cabinetry
Intro to the Woodshop
Powertools for Women
Certificate in Residential Design and Construction
You might also be interested in these 2018 courses:
Advanced Woodworking Certificate
Woodworking Certificate
Designing and Building a Successful Design/Build Business
Rhythm, String, and Wind: Small Instrument Making
Woodworking Unplugged
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Trump Asked Saudi Arabia To Boost Oil Production By 1 Million Barrels Per Day
It all started on April 20, when having tweeted at and about virtually everything else, President Trump realized that surging oil and gasoline prices are wreaking havoc on his economic agenda and eating away at the benefits from his tax cuts, and so he made it clear when he lashed out on twitter against OPEC which he said was "at it again. With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!"
Looks like OPEC is at it again. With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018
The result was instant, sending the price of oil sharply lower....
... and effectively capping the price oil, which is now at the level when Trump made his warning.
Since then Trump's stance has only hardened, and because the US president has become an especially good friend with the ruling Saudi regime, there has been a dramatic reversal within OPEC, whose next meeting is now expected to see the cartel and Russia modestly boost oil production to comply with Trump's demand.
But by how much?
This morning Bloomberg reported the answer, when it said that the Trump administration has quietly asked Saudi Arabia and other OPEC producers to increase oil production by about 1 million barrels a day, or - not surprisingly - just enough to offset expected Iran oil export declines as a result of Trump's renewed embargo on Tehran.
The rare request came after U.S. retail gasoline prices surged to their highest in more than three years and President Donald Trump publicly complained about OPEC policy and rising oil prices on Twitter. It also follows Washington’s decision to reimpose sanctions on Iran’s crude exports that had previously displaced about 1 million barrels a day from global markets.
As Bloomberg adds, while U.S. lawmakers have habitually criticized the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at times of high oil prices, and the government has on occasion encouraged the cartel to pump more, it’s unusual for Washington to ask for a specific output hike, although not that unusual when one considers just how much effort Trump has put into becoming a BFF with the Saudi rulers. Also, Bloomberg notes that it was not clear precisely how the request was communicated.
The disclosure of the American request emerged over the weekend, when some Arab oil ministers discussed oil production in Kuwait City. The meeting was followed by a statement which pledged to “ensure stable oil supplies are made available in a timely manner to meet growing demand and offset declines in some parts of the world.” And, as reported at the time, Saudi Arabia and Russia last month proposed a gradual production increase, although other members of the group have yet to agree.
While the White House refused to comment on any specific conversations with Saudi Arabia, a spokesman told Bloomberg that "we welcome any market-based action that increases energy access and fosters a healthy global economy."
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin hinted last month that Washington had "various conversations with various parties about different parties that would be willing to increase oil supply to offset" the impact of U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil output. Only four countries among OPEC and its allies hold enough spare production capacity to offset that impact: Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
A formal revision to the cartel's oil output is expected to be proposed in 2 weeks when OPEC and its allies will meet in Vienna on June 22 and 23 to discuss their production policy for the second half of the year. Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih last month said the kingdom shared the "anxiety" of consuming nations about high oil prices and added that OPEC and its allies were "likely" to boost output, undoing nearly 2 years of "progress" following the Vienna oil output deal which cut 1.6 mmb/d from world production in an attempt to eliminate the record inventory overhang, and nearly doubling the price of oil from $45/barrell to $80.
As Bloomberg concludes, the most recent comments by Trump and the request for extra oil are among the most forceful U.S. intervention in OPEC affairs since Bill Richardson, the energy secretary during the second administration of Bill Clinton, phoned the Saudi minister in the middle of an OPEC meeting in 2000 asking for a production increase.
The intervention enraged other members of the cartel, exacerbating a schism between Saudi Arabia and Iran. This time around, it appears that Trump's peculiar brand of diplomacy may have achieved its goal without angering anyone.
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Category Archives: The Left Banke
“Desiree”: 30 Hours in the Making
Posted on March 27, 2019 by Zeroto180
I met John Simson around the time Zero to 180 had first hung out a shingle and was grappling with its mission and scope. After explaining the website’s concept to Simson, I remember asking if he might suggest any overlooked songs worthy of celebration. Much later, I would learn the depth of Simson’s involvement in DC’s multi-faceted music scene over the last few decades, in the course of pulling together first one and then another long-form tribute to Silver Spring recording studio, Track Recorders. It’s probably a good thing that I waited until I had more experience under my belt before following up on Simson’s recommendation, though a part of me still needs to ask: What took me so long to examine the back story behind “Desiree” by The Left Banke?
For one thing, digitization efforts in recent years have increased access to music industry publications, such as Billboard and Cashbox, making it easier to piece together history from primary sources. Thanks to a tip from 45Cat contributor davie gordon, anyone with web access can read Claude Hall‘s original front page story from the September 2, 1967 edition of Billboard, “Long Sessions Required for ‘Serious’ Pop,” in which we learn that “the Left Banke just spent more than 30 hours in planning and producing their new single – ‘Desiree’ – for Mercury Records.”
“Desiree” The Left Banke 1967
“Charlie Fach, director of record product for the label,” notes Hall (who coined the term, easy listening), “thought this set a record for the firm, but considers the group ‘the most creative act in our corporate history.”
Given the considerable time and expense that went into this song, 45Cat contributor RecordDragon rightly asks, “Does a true stereo version of the A-side exist?” Sadly, that does not appear to be the case, at least judging from streaming audio available on YouTube, not to mention the LP label itself [see image further down the page].
Rear text of 45 picture sleeve:
“Putting it rather mildly, you are about to listen to a major achievement. The Left Banke (and this is the same Left Banke that gave you “Walk Away Renee” and “Pretty Ballerina“) has created a masterpiece. Dozens of hours in the recording studio have resulted in this, their greatest creation — “Desiree.” Since their first record, the avowed policy of the Banke has been that each successive record must be better than the last. A lofty goal, yes; but one that they definitely have reached. Much of the success lies with Michael Brown, who has quit performing with the group to devote his full energies to composing-producing-arranging for the Left Banke. The other reasons are Steve Martin, Rick Brand, Tom Finn, and George Cameron. Listen carefully. You’ll begin to wonder how they’ll outdo themselves the next time.”
Music historian (and member of St. Etienne) Bob Stanley, in his appreciation of the Left Banke’s recorded legacy for the 20 March 2015 edition of The Guardian, bitterly notes the group’s cleaving into two factions (“one of the most pointless and depressing scraps in pop history”) that resulted in the simultaneous release of two singles in 1967 [“Ivy Ivy” vs. “She May Call You Up Tonight“], both bearing the name, Left Banke. By the time Michael Brown had rejoined the group in late 1967, “the momentum was lost.” Futhermore —
The real tragedy of this was that the Left Banke then released arguably their greatest single, Desiree. Urgent strings played “Eleanor Rigby” line at double speed, a bassoon was used as percussive counterpoint. There was a booming brass bridge – or is it a first chorus? – of Wagnerian import before massed harmonies sang out the title. “Desiree” was a masterpiece; it dared radio not to play it, laughed at contemporaneous efforts like the Stones’ Satanic Majesties and the Beatles’ lightweight “Hello Goodbye“, urged other groups to follow its lead, and then peaked at No 98 in November 1967.
Oh, dear: Label says, “Electronically re-recorded to simulate stereo”
Simson himself — in a Zero to 180 exclusive — provides additional historical context:
One of my band mates from my high school band, the Valhalla Chemists, was a member of Stories, a great early 70’s band that Mike Brown started with Ian Lloyd, my good friend, Steve Love and drummer Brian Madey (Brian and Steve were my rhythm section when I opened for Jethro Tull in 1971 [debut album released]). Their first record had a Beatlesque single, “I’m Coming Home” that did fair, but the follow up album had some amazing tracks on it and was not doing well so the label forced them to cover a big hit in England by Hot Chocolate called “Brother Louie” and it was a number 1 smash. Mike Brown hated it and left the band.
Mike then produced another version of ‘Desiree’ in 1976 (I think) with a group called Montage, and it was a pretty faithful version to the original Left Banke. The Banke played my High School in 1967 and did a great version of “A Day in the Life” in addition to their repertoire.
44 years after the song bubbled under the Top 100, “Desiree” would finally receive proper recognition when performed by The Left Banke, with NYU’s All University Choir, Drama Cantorum, on December 10, 2011 (thanks to Music Director, Ralph Affoumado, for uploading this video):
“Desiree” The Left Banke + NYU’s All University Choir, Drama Cantorum 2011
Pop Music Time Capsule
Excerpt from Billboard‘s Sept. 2, 1967 “Serious Pop” feature article
The talk of the industry is the amount of time spent in the studio — and the astronomical studio costs that have resulted — by the Beatles and the Beach Boys. But other long hours inside studio walls have been chalked up by such artists as Oscar Toney Jr., Aretha Franklin, The Youngbloods, Eric Burdon and the Animals, The Music Explosion, the Mothers of Invention, and Simon and Garfunkel, just to name a few …
The first Aretha Franklin hit — “I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You” — took almost three days of work in a Muscle Shoals, Ala., studio. Papa Don Schroeder, independent producer, said it took 23 hours in a studio to come up with “I’m Your Puppet” by James and Bobby Purify and 27 hours for “Shake a Tail Feather.” Felix Pappalardi, who produced an album by the Cream recently in New York for Atlantic Records, said it took six hours to do “Strange Brew,” a big British hit.
45 – Italy EP – Portugal
The reason that it is taking longer to produce records, according to MGM Records producer Tom Wilson is that the record business today is an “intensely creative business.” Songwriters are trying to say more and the producers and performers are trying to say more in their records. Any record by the Mothers of Invention takes two weeks to record and two weeks to edit, he said. And this occurs in spite of the fact that Frank Zappa, leader of the group, sometimes writes out a full script to an album, so the group knows exactly what it’s doing.
At the Monterey Pop Festival, Simon and Garfunkel said they’d been working 51 hours on their current single — “Fakin’ It.” At that point, they had not finished the record.
45 – France 45 – Netherlands 45 – Italy
The Beatles freed everybody, Wilson said. “And many people don’t realize what fantastic musical growth there has been in a group like the Beach Boys. Motown product never stays the same, each new record is a little different, a little more sophisticated.”
Innovation is the key element. Bo Gentry and Richie Cordell taped the sound of a kettle drum backward to get a unique sound on their production of a recent Tommy James and the Shondells hit. And this is one of the reasons, Wilson felt, why Bob Crewe is such a great producer. “If he hears a bluebird flying by the window, he’ll stick a microphone out and record it and use it on a record if he likes the sound.”
Records are becoming more and more an art form, says Pappalardi, who has produced records by the Cream, the Youngbloods, the Vagrants and others. “There’s a great deal of thought put into a record before ever going into a studio, then you’re constantly fighting in the studio to reach your ideal. I try to get the absolutely best production every time and expect the B side to be as good as the A side. The time for throwing away the B side is past.” He said he already spent six hours in the studio with “Sparrow Tune” by Bo Grumpus and hasn’t finished the session yet.
While studio costs have gone up, because many groups do their experimenting in front of a mike, recording costs as a whole have not gone any higher than in previous years, said Wilson. The reason is that most of the music is made by a small group today; whereas in the old days a record company had to hire 30-35 musicians for a session.
1967: Year of the Guitar-Phonograph Combo
Just below the fold in that same September 2, 1967 issue of Billboard is an oddball item that almost escaped unnoticed: “Phono-Guitar Combo Hits.” Ray Brack reports:
“The hottest phonograph promotional gimmick to emerge with the 1968 lines is the offering of low-priced portable phonograph-guitar combinations. Three companies are making available this package, guitar and phonograph included, for about $100. Several other phonograph manufacturers have models with jacks capable of accepting amplified guitar input.”
What prompted this innovation is “the realization that the millions of guitar players in the U.S. do most of their learning by listening to records.”
Posted in "Desiree", Mercury Records, The Left Banke | 1 Reply
The Left Banke: Clavinet ’67
A big breakthrough in Zero to 180’s lifelong quest to identify the “first clavinet recording“: Michael Brown plays a Hohner clavinet on “Let Go of You Girl” from The Left Banke’s debut album, released February, 1967 (i.e., 2 months before John Sebastian’s “6 O’Clock“):
“Let Go of You Girl” The Left Banke 1967
Steve Martin–Caro: Lead vocal
Tom Finn & George Cameron: Harmony vocal
Tom Finn: Bass
George Cameron: Drums
Rick Brand: Guitar
Michael Brown: Hohner Clavinet
What’s interesting is that this information would not come to light until 2011, when Sundazed included very detailed credits in its CD ‘gatefold digipak’ reissue. The credits for the original 1967 LP, by comparison, make no mention of the clavinet.
Just for a laugh, go back to those “detailed credits” above and note the choice of keyboard played by Michael Brown on the very next track — that’s right, an electric harpsichord!
But alack and alas, those fine folks at Sundazed confirm that Michael Brown, indeed, was privileged to have had the opportunity to test drive a “pre-release” Clavinet:
“The strain of the road weighed heaviest on the mercurial Michael Brown, who eventually opted out of the Left Banke’s touring lineup; his place was filled by Emmett Lake. ‘Being on the road was hard for Mike,’ says [Tom] Finn. ‘He had the first prototype of the Clavinet on the road, and it sounded great. But it went out of tune very easily, and that became a nightmare for him. We’d throw it in the back of a U-Haul trailer, and by the time we got to the gig it sounded horrible.’”
Left Banke fans are willing to pay more than $200 for the original debut album on vinyl in glorious monophonic sound – with one person in the UK who would dole out £278 ($441).
Is this really the end of Zero to 180’s clavinet history quest?
Posted in "Let Go of You Girl", Clavinet, Michael Brown, The Left Banke | Leave a reply
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Home » Health » 5 Killed as Thousands Rally in Sudan to Demand Civilian Rule
5 Killed as Thousands Rally in Sudan to Demand Civilian Rule
KHARTOUM - A Sudanese doctors group says five people have been killed and several seriously wounded in a day of demonstrations against continued military rule in Sudan.
Tens of thousands of protesters rallied across the country Sunday calling for a civilian government nearly three months after the army forced out the long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
Marchers demand the generals who took over power from al-Bashir make way for civilians.
The protesters, some of them waving Sudanese flags, chanted "Civilian rule! Civilian rule!" and "Burhan's council, just fall," targeting General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the head of the military council. Security forces fired tear gas at the demonstrators.
"We're fed up with the military. For decades, this country has been ruled by the military. It didn't work and it will not work," one demonstrator said.
Sunday's protests were the first since June 3 when security forces violently broke up a protest camp in Khartoum. The opposition says at least 128 were killed while the government puts the death toll at 61.
"Despite what they did at the sit-in, despite the people they killed...the revolution will not die in the hearts of the youth," the demonstrator said.
General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, deputy head of the military council, said the generals want to reach an "urgent and comprehensive agreement with no exclusion. We in the military council are totally neutral. We are the guardians of the revolution. We do not want to be part of the dispute."
The European Union and several Western countries have called on the generals to avoid bloodshed.
The June 3 raid followed the collapse of talks on a new government, whether it should be led by a civilian or soldier.
Ethiopia and the African Union have offered a plan for a civilian-majority body, which the generals say could be the basis for new negotiations.
June 30, 2019 Web Desk Health, Medical Comments Off on 5 Killed as Thousands Rally in Sudan to Demand Civilian Rule
«48th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly: 51st Session
Protesters Around the World Rally to Support Sudan’s Revolution»
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You are here: Home / Staff / Community Area / People / Bereavements / 2017 / Dr Anthony M Evans
Dr Anthony M Evans
Posted by crm28 at Jul 18, 2017 04:45 PM | Permalink
The University has learnt, with regret, of the passing of Dr Anthony (Tony) Evans.
Anthony Meredith Evans was born on February 17 1929 in Chester and went to Ruthin School in North Wales. He obtained his higher School Certificate in 1947 and did his military service in the RAF where he qualified as a wireless mechanic. He then went to Liverpool University where he read geology and physics obtaining an honours degree in Geology in 1953. He followed this with study at Queen’s University, Ontario from where he did 4 summers of field work with the Ontario Department of Mines in the Haliburton-Bancroft mining area. Whilst in Ontario he gained experience in surface and underground mapping and in the evaluation of mineral deposits. Tony's PhD considered the mineralogy of the copper-nickel ores of Sudbury after which he was appointed as Senior Lecturer at the University of Leicester where he stayed and worked for the rest of his career.
The funeral for Dr Anthony Evans will take place on Wednesday 2 August:
12:15 Service at St Andrews Church, Prestwold. LE12 5SH
13:15 Farewell at Loughborough Crematorium followed by refreshments at the adjacent Cedars hostelry.
It would be appreciated if you would inform Nick Evans at nickevans59@virginmedia.com if you intend to attend
Family flowers only. If you wish, donations in lieu can be sent to Christian Aid via the undertakers - Swanns of Loughborough, 4 Bridge Street, Loughborough LE11 1NQ.
Tony Evans, a versatile economic geologist and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geology until he retired in 1990, died on July 11th at the age of 88 after a long illness. He was appointed in 1957 to an Assistant Lectureship to join Mac Whitaker and Trevor Ford in teaching all branches of Geology up to the standard required by London University External Honours Regulations. Tony’s duties included teaching mineralogy, igneous and metamorphic petrology, geophysics, economic geology, map interpretation, geochemistry, Precambrian stratigraphy and structural geology. The new university was keen to build up its Science faculty and by 1961 a Department of Geology had been established, Professor Peter Sylvester-Bradley having been appointed in 1959, the number of staff had trebled and Tony was able to concentrate on teaching mineralogy, economic and structural geology.
As the youngest geology department in the country at the time it aimed to put on new and imaginative courses. Tony foresaw a growing global demand for base metals at the same time as there was a shortage of exploration geologists, applied geology being largely ignored in British Universities. He boldly proposed a one year Masters Course in Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology which was welcomed by the university which took his advice by providing space, and appointing additional staff in applied geochemistry (Cliff James) and geophysics (Aftab Khan). He set about masterminding its implementation by acquiring ore suites from mining companies and building up a polished section collection for studying the mineralogy of opaque ore minerals for teaching. The course started in 1965 and was an instant success. The only comparable University courses elsewhere in the world were at Imperial College and the Colorado School of Mines. It became well known internationally and attracted students from the UK who were sponsored by the NERC. However, the great majority were sponsored by mining companies and government departments all over the world. The ratio of annual applications to places rose to over 15, the highest for any MSc course in the UK. Eventually, in 1975 separate Masters courses in both Mineral Exploration and Mining Geology and a BSc degree in Mining Geology including some existing geology modules, emerged.
Tony took his teaching seriously and unusually for the time, took great care in the preparation of lecture summaries which were greatly appreciated by students. He was enthusiastic about the courses but not about the books available to teach the subject, so in 1980 he wrote his own Ore Geology and Industrial Minerals: An Introduction, which has become a classic. It provides an excellent introduction to the morphology, textures, structures, geothermobarometry, and metallogenesis of mineralisation, and will long stand as one of the most successful textbooks produced by the Department. It went into a 3rd edition in 1993. In 1995 he edited the equally successful complementary Introduction to Mineral Exploration which went into 2 editions.
He was a great leader of field courses which he took to well known mining areas in Europe with help from colleagues from nearby Universities. This led to exchange visits and international collaboration in both teaching and research, with EU funding in later years. He supervised research students and published over 50 papers on topics including radiometric dating, fluid inclusions, ore mineralogy, sulphide mineralisation, ore genesis, the structural control of mineralization, and education in Applied Geology.
Anthony Meredith Evans was born on February 17th 1929 in Chester where he grew up and went to Ruthin School in N Wales. He obtained his higher School Certificate in 1947 and did his military service in the RAF where he qualified as a wireless mechanic. He then went to Liverpool University where he read geology and physics obtaining an honours degree in Geology in 1953. He followed this with study at Queen’s University, Ontario from where he did 4 summers of field work with the Ontario Department of Mines in the Haliburton-Bancroft mining area. There he gained experience in surface and underground mapping and in the evaluation of mineral deposits. He did his PhD on the mineralogy of the copper-nickel ores of Sudbury. He was then appointed by the University of Leicester where he stayed and worked for the rest of his career.
Tony participated in University affairs and was an active member of the local AUT. He spent a good deal of his spare time obtaining concessions for members. He was instrumental in holding regular minuted departmental staff meetings long before they were adopted by the rest of the University and became the norm. He also initiated departmental reviews by an external Geological Advisory Panel (GAP) of experts from industry and research establishments. Their reports were most useful in the refining of the teaching programme and informing the University of the performance of the department. It is notable that in the first national departmental review carried out by the UGC in 1989, which was in the Earth Sciences, Leicester was one of only 3 departments rated as outstanding, Leeds and Cambridge being the others.
Tony was an elegant and cultured gentleman with interests ranging from classical music and theatre to Test cricket. He has been known to umpire in inter-departmental games. He was kind and considerate not only to his students but also to his younger colleagues to whom he was most welcoming and helpful. They all remember him with great affection. He was a devout Christian and a dedicated family man. He was active in the Church where he lived in Burton-on-the-Wolds. In recent years he was rarely seen in the University due to ill health. His students from many parts of the world always ask about him.
He is survived by his devoted wife Jo and children Nick and Caroline. He will be sadly missed by his many friends and colleagues.
Obituary written by Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, Professor Aftab Khan.
Read an obituary for Dr Evans in Geoscientist magazine
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