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Home Chiropractic Staff Schedule KTX Contact Press
HomeChiropracticStaffScheduleKTXContact
Chiropractic and Fitness Studio
Andrea Lawent
Andrea moved to Hollywood, California in 1978 after representing her home state, Wisconsin, as a contestant on the TV show, Dance Fever, and never looked backed! Andrea brought her talents to Los Angeles and enjoyed a successful career as a dancer and choreographer with notable performances including, choreographing the 1991 Super Bowl, and Whitney Houston’s “Welcome Home The Troops Tour”.
Throughout her career, teaching dance was a prominent and passionate part of it. So it seemed a natural fit to team up with her dance mentor, Billy Goodson to tackle the fitness industry. Together they created Cardio Funk, a fusion of hip hop / funk and aerobics.
Andrea made the very tough decision to stop working in the entertainment industry when she found herself a single parent of two very young children, ages 1 and 4 at the time, and could no longer travel. Being a parent to them was first and foremost. /p>
The indoor cycling world was in its early stages at this time, there were only 15 hand made bikes in existence. Andrea was fortunate enough train with the creators of Spinning, Johnny G, and Debbie Rocker.
She developed a very strong following of people that veered away from the usual “aerobic” music experience and became the go-to place if you wanted the rock-n-roll experience. With that came the clientele of the same soul with the likes of Steve Jones from the sex pistols, Seal, Rod Stewart, Joey Castillo, Scott Weiland, the owners of Epitaph Records and Bad Religion, to name a few, followed Andrea wherever she taught. She has graced the covers of US Magazine as Hollywood’s Hot 100, and billboards throughout Los Angeles.
Yolanda Thomas
Yolanda specializes in teaching and building confidence in beginner dancers and performers. She teaches private lessons and courses in Los Angeles and guest workshops when in Sydney, Australia. She is also a performance coach for original artists and singers.
She offers your first class free so sign up and come learn some hip hop dance moves and get a great workout!
You’ve seen him go viral on social media, you’ve seen him featured on television and news stations across the US, now is your chance to take one of his ultra high energy hip hop cycling classes.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Keith began teaching step and cycling classes eleven years ago. His naturally contagious energy and positive attitude leaves his class experience unmatched and enthralling. With passion for helping others and an approach very much his own, Keith birthed KTX Fitness. KTX Fitness has received incredible support both inside and outside the classroom reaching over one million shares on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and over 100,000 followers on Instagram! He travels the world teaching and inspiring individuals to transform their lives while having fun doing it. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia he is bringing his energy and incredible classes to the Made in LA family in Hollywood, CA! We are so pleased that Keith and KTX fitness have made Made In LA his home!!
Debi Noel
Teaching under Kieth Thompson, Debi Noel is a wonderful addition to our teaching roster.
“I have been on my spin journey for many years now and absolutely adore teaching. Whether you’re in need of a kick-ass workout or a stress-relieving experience, my class has something to offer to all that attend! Let’s have a party on the bike with good music, good vibes and positive energy only!” - Debi
Rafael Garcia is A Johnny G. Certified Spin Instructor. He started his illustrious career teaching at Todd Tramps in West Hollywood, eventually riding the Teacher’s Bike all around the city, from Spinning Pasadena to Revolution, Gold’s Gym to Made In LA, even going transcontinental proving his skills on German soil.
A classically trained dancer, Rafael understands the intricate flow of the human body, his many years of work as a professional Dancer, Choreographer and highly respected Jazz Teacher providing immeasurable knowledge and wisdom. He believes that indoor cycling, like dancing, incorporates technique, movement, musicality, rhythm, and maintains the same supportive yet demanding classroom energy. Nowhere else has he found a more physically and mentally challenging cardio workout that lays you out like dance class! In class, Rafael expects each and every student to give 110% of their focus, commitment and desire to get everything they can out of all 60 minutes!
& Certified Aides
Adedayo N. Laoye
NASM certified for 5 years. Adedayo is a Los Angeles based trainer that has background in many training modalities. Including HIIT, sports performance, weight loss and gain, and group training. An athlete himself, Adedayo ran track and played football through college. A motto he lives by and passes on to all he meets is that “You’re stronger than you think”
Chelsea Badoo
Chelsea is a certified personal trainer by The National Academy of Sports Medicine. With over three years of experience as a trainer, Chelsea has helped numerous clients reach their fitness goals! With a background in Sports Nutrition, Corrective Exercise, Weight Loss, Senior Fitness as well as Youth Exercise, Chelsea is equipped to take on any challenge. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to lose inches, gain muscle mass or reduce your body fat, or just overall be healthier, Chelsea will help you get there!
Bryce Guerovich
Bryce is originally from Perth, Western Australia. His passion for sport and exercise has stemmed from a young age when he began competing in Australian Rules Football, Basketball, Tennis and Swimming. He has been working as a Fitness Trainer for over 7 years and has trained a range of clients including those associated with weight loss, athletic training, injury and cancer rehabilitation, the elderly, event preparation and pre/post natal training.
He has gone through a 3 year Exercise and Health Science University degree where nutrition is taught extensively throughout. He has a Bachelor of Exercise and Health Science degree, NCSF Certification, Kettlebell Level 1, Cross Core Level 1 and is CPR/AED Trained.
George King
Find a Class or
Schedule an evaluation
chiropractic evaluation
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Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Press Release Baker-Polito Administration Announces Transition at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Media Contact for Baker-Polito Administration Announces Transition at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Colleen Arons , Communications Director
Call Colleen Arons , Communications Director at 857-324-0499
Email Colleen Arons , Communications Director at colleen.arons@mass.gov
BOSTON — Today, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy announced the departure of Undersecretary of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation John Chapman, and announced current Deputy Chief Secretary of Boards and Commissions, Edward A. Palleschi, as incoming Undersecretary, effective March 1, 2019. Palleschi brings over two decades of experience serving in various roles in state government as well as expertise in business development from the private sector.
“John has worked tirelessly to protect the Commonwealth’s consumers, leveraging his extensive legal and regulatory expertise, and we appreciate his contributions, counsel, and public service,” said Secretary Kennealy. “In addition to serving together in the administration’s first term, I worked directly with John on the Financial Services Advisory Council, where his knowledge and abilities were evident and well respected by industry. We thank John and wish him the best, and look forward to Ed building upon the progress made during the administration’s first term.”
As Undersecretary, Chapman oversaw five agencies and nearly 600 people, launching initiatives that modernized and streamlined government operations and processes, increasing accountability and responsiveness to consumers and industry.
“I have truly enjoyed the opportunity to work with Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, and Secretary Kennealy these last four years, but it is time to pursue new projects and give others the opportunity to take on leadership roles,” said Undersecretary Chapman. “I am especially excited to launch an initiative to establish a public-private partnership focused on FinTech and innovation. As FinTech is now an integral part of the financial services industry, and the policy and regulatory issues need to be developed, it will be an exciting way to utilize my knowledge and background in the emerging market as well as leverage my prior experiences.”
“It has been an honor to serve as Deputy Chief Secretary of Boards and Commissions for Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito, and I am excited to serve in a new capacity at Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation,” said incoming Undersecretary Palleschi. “It is critical that we continue the efforts to protect consumers, regulate industry and enable professionals to do business in a straightforward manner. I look forward to furthering the Governor’s economic vision and working with Secretary Kennealy.”
As Undersecretary of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), Chapman’s initiatives have included:
Updating infrastructure with the establishment of the Office of FinTech and Innovation at the Division of Banks, implementing e-Licensing and e-Permitting system for DPL’s licensing boards and establishing online systems for both the Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) program and data breach notifications.
Improving fraud prevention through multiple public awareness campaigns, enhancement of enforcement processes throughout OCABR agencies and establishing a Senior Financial Abuse and Fraud prevention working group with other State agency partners (AGO, Elder Affairs, Veterans Affairs).
Empowering and educating consumers with the establishment of two financial literacy programs at the Division of Banks, one to fund high school Credit for Life Fairs throughout the Commonwealth, reaching over 30,000 students, and the other, Operation Money Wise, to support members of the Military, Veterans and their families.
About Edward A. Palleschi:
Edward A. Palleschi has served as the Deputy Chief Secretary of Boards and Commissions for Governor Charlie Baker since January 2015, advancing the Governor’s vision of delivering a more accountable, capable, and representative government, leading the recruitment and appointment of a diverse group of more than 2,000 Massachusetts residents to over 700 boards and commissions.
Palleschi combines private sector experience with a deep commitment and expertise in state government. He worked in business development in the insurance, advertising, and financial services industries, including five years as Director of Business Development at Community Credit Union until 2014. Palleschi has previously worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as Executive Director of Professional Licensure, in addition to earlier roles at the offices of the State Treasurer, Lottery Commission, and Retirement Board.
A graduate of Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, Palleschi and his family reside in his native Swampscott. He has served two terms on the Swampscott School Committee and was a 2018 recipient of the Massachusetts Women’s Political Caucus Good Guys Award, which honors male leaders for working to advance gender equality.
About John Chapman:
John Chapman is an attorney with expertise in corporate and regulatory matters gained through federal experience at the Office of the Counsel to the President in the George H.W. Bush administration and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, serving in state government as an Agency Commissioner and then Undersecretary of Economic Development under Governor Mitt Romney and private sector leadership in financial services as in-house counsel at a leading financial services firm and as a partner at the law firm of Duane Morris LLP, where he advised corporate clients on enforcement and compliance issues, corporate governance and regulatory matters. Prior to joining the Administration in January 2015, Undersecretary Chapman was the Republican nominee and candidate for U.S. Congress in the 9th Congressional District.
About the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation:
The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR) oversees five regulatory agencies: Division of Banks, Division of Insurance, Division of Professional Licensure, Division of Standards, and the Department of Telecommunications and Cable. These agencies have a combined operating budget of over $76 million and together have approximately 600 employees. OCABR also oversees the state’s Lemon Laws and Lemon Law Arbitration, Data Breach reporting, Home Improvement Contractor Programs, and the state’s Do Not Call Registry. OCABR helps Massachusetts consumers, home improvement contractors, people seeking help with a recently purchased car, tenants and landlords, and businesses seeking to report a data breach or interested in the data breach notification law. Learn more about OCABR at mass.gov.
The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development promotes vibrant communities, growing businesses, and a strong middle class.
The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation protects and empowers consumers through advocacy and education, and ensures a fair playing field for the Massachusetts businesses its agencies regulate.
Thanks, your message has been sent to Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development!
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UK's 'Independent' Closes Print Edition
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, February 12, 2016
One of Britain’s better known, if not biggest, newspapers is going digital-only.
The Independent will cease publishing its print edition in March, but will continue publishing on its Web site and a new app, according to publisher ESI Media, which announced the news on Friday. The move to digital-only publishing will entail an unspecified number of layoffs.
Founded in 1986 to compete with The Guardian and as a counterweight to conservative newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch, the center-left Independent had achieved a print circulation of over 400,000 by 1989. But that number has steadily eroded as readers have migrated to digital media.
Today, the newspaper’s average weekday edition is around 58,000.
Conversely, the newspaper’s Web site has seen traffic surge, with the total number of unique visitors increasing by a third over the last year to 70 million per month. Advertising revenue is set to increase 50% this year.
The shift to digital will create 25 new positions; the newspaper is also launching a new subscription mobile app.
On the business side, the last decade has been eventful for The Independent. After transitioning from broadsheet to tabloid format in 2003, the newspaper was acquired by Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev in 2010. Two years ago, Evgeny Lebedev, the billionaire’ son, said he would be open to selling the newspaper, but wasn’t actively looking for buyers.
While it’s probably not much comfort, The Independent is hardly alone in its woes, as other British newspapers struggle to reinvent themselves.
While no one has mentioned closing the print edition, The Telegraph has hired outside consultants Deloitte to consider options, which may include a selloff or redundancies. In January, The Guardian revealed it plans to slash costs by around 20% in order to “safeguard” the newspaper’s future, requiring layoffs.
On a positive note, growing U.S. traffic has been a bright spot for some British newspapers.
The Daily Mail recently revealed that 40% of the total monthly audience of 212 million unique visitors to Mail Online comes from the U.S. -- a larger figure than it gets from its home audiences, which contributed 35% of the total. And the Guardian announced that its U.S. readership had grown 30% year-over-year to 30.2 million in September, representing over a third of the company’s total global audience, while revenue increased 80%.
death of print, employment, newspapers, uk
Erik Sass is editor of Publishers Daily. You can reach Erik at eriksass@gmail.com.
More from The Daily Blog
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'High Times' Magazine Sold, New Options For Print, Digital
'NYT' Drops Public Editor, Counts On Public To Vet News
'NYT' Gets Traction With Newsletters
'Smore,' New Science Mag For Girls Launches
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Drake Drops "One Dance" & "Pop Style" Featuring Jay Z, Kanye West off 'Views From the 6'
So it isn't Views From the 6 just yet, but at least we're getting some new music from Drake. On Tuesday, the rapper shared two new songs — available on iTunes — and it's likely both will be on his forthcoming album, whenever it makes its way to us.
The singles are both collaborative works. "One Dance" features Wizkid and Kyla, while "Pop Style" features "the Throne" — a reference to Jay Z and Kanye West's 2011 album Watch the Throne. Drake announced the news in two separate tweets, both sharing the hashtag #VIEWS alongside links for the songs.
Read more: Two New Drake Songs Leaked Online and Fans Went Crazy
With the new singles, here's to hoping Drake doesn't wait much longer to release Views From the 6 — though it's expected to come sometime in April. If not, fans will have to get increasingly creative with their memes.
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So in between reading Keats's letters to Fanny and mouthing the words to "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" or "To Autumn," another missing piece has tumbled out. It's not quite the grand secret of pretty prose that I'm looking for--though, now that I've been re-reading the book, it's not terribly written--could use a little more variety sentence-wise and word choice-wise. I haven't made much progress on the synopsis--my right wrist and by extension, my entire right arm aches.
Here's the missing link: It's called negative capability. Keats was a prolific letter writer. Seriously, if he was alive now, he'd be blogging it up and Facebooking, emailing, and IMing like the rest of us distracted, procrastinating writers. He wrote a letter in 1817 to his brothers, where he discussed and defined negative capability: "When a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.&quo…
I've been reading a YA novel today, from internship, and it helped me solve a small but vital part of the book.
Astral projection, ladies and....ladies.
Quoi? You ask.
It's basically a form of an outer body experience. (As Eva says, she is having the MOTHER of all outer body experiences). According to wikipedia: The idea of astral travel is rooted in common worldwide religious accounts of the afterlife[2] in which the consciousness' or soul's journey or "ascent" is described in such terms as "an...out-of body experience, wherein the spiritual traveller leaves the physical body and travels in his/her subtle body (or dreambody or astral body) into ‘higher’ realms."[3] It is therefore associated with near death experiences and is also frequently reported as spontaneously experienced in association with sleep and dreams, illness,[4] surgical operations, drug experiences, sleep paralysis and forms of meditation.[5]
That, along with some quick Googling and…
Characters Who Float
I knew it had to happen at some point. The other day, I open my internship email and look at the stuff under my pretty blue label to be read. Lo and behold, there's a YA novel and it's about a girl who goes into a coma and her spirit is floating around, watching her family and particularly connecting with her sister.
So I had a total "Holy shit" moment. It's all right, though, because it didn't have body switching. Or, as Brixton says, "Your spirit got...transferred." I mean, hell, I re-watched "Just Like Heaven" before starting this story just to see how they did it and to be sure I didn't do it the same way.
I'm writing the synopsis--it's coming along quite nicely, thanks for asking--and I'll post it when I'm done with it. Then it's on to read-through and looking for contests!
Here's something I was wondering about though. You know those characters in books who are there, maybe say a few lines, but don't r…
Entered my ass into a writing contest...
On a whim, after joking about how I seemed to be reading a lot about Brooklyn, I mentioned something like, "Oh, I should write about Queens. I'll call it 'Pink House in the Middle of the Street.'"
I started it. Then I searched for memoir/ personal essay contests. And I found one, run by Writer's Digest. The due date happened to be today, so I entered it. Ha. Is it my best essay ever? No. But it's better than whatever personal essays I was writing in college, that's for sure. Here's the deal:
For 79 years, the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition has rewarded writers just like you for their finest work. We continue the tradition by giving away more than $30,000 in cash and prizes!
Win a trip to New York City !
GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. Writer's Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple, where you'll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. …
New Blog Name...and Other Things
Note: Changed the name of the blog today. Again. What can I say? I get bored easily.
Yesterday, I went to the Brooklyn Children's Museum with my cousin, his wife, their son and our niece. The niece is almost 2, the nephew almost 1, and with my aunt (the kids' grandmother) in Japan for the moment, enjoying a richly deserved vacation, the parents have each taken a week off to watch both kids. Thus, museum trip yesterday.
It's a great museum, honestly. It's big and there's lots for kids to do. The niece loved the slide (and the tunnel below it). They had an exhibit on Japanese culture, including koi no bori (banners of colorful flying cod, for Children's Day) and Japanese dolls behind a case (to which I took my niece and said, "Look, like Baba's house!") and even a Japanese dinner table set up with chopsticks and tea pots and miso soup bowls. (Once again, prompting me to hold up the kids and say, "Like Baba's house!")
I don't know B…
Practicing some query writing.
I saw your listing in Writers' Digest and noted your interest in edgy, contemporary women's fiction with a fantasy twist. I have completed a 85,000 word manuscript titled Last Request. I hope you will consider me for your list.
For Eva Fontaine, living as another person has suddenly become reality. It only takes one ill-fated meeting with her estranged father and one ill-considered step into a Boston street for Eva to be launched out of her comatose body. She awakens in a young woman's body, one she has never seen before, unsure of how she got there. In trying to decipher whether she is dead, in an in-between world, or a reincarnation gone wrong, Eva recalls her life from the age of fourteen until twenty-six, analyzing her life for signs that this spiritual displacement may have happened before, analyzing the effects of her mother's death and her father's estrangement--and most of all, recalling how she and her best friend Brixton Da…
Marginally OK Second Draft: C'est fini!
12:07 am, May 7, 2010...
And I just wrote the last sentence to the second draft of the soul swapping/ paraweirdo book that I've tentatively given the working title My Last Request to.
It came out at 84, 831 words, double-space, 327 pages. I'd like it to be up at 330 pages, honestly, but that'll have to come in the 3rd draft--whenever I get to that. Think I'll do a read-through tomorrow in between reading other people's manuscripts, then, perhaps, have a few other people read it.
But, for now, c'est fini. This is the third second draft I've done from February 2009 til now.
The next draft of this? Tweaking. Trying to learn the art of pretty prose, etc. The pejorative nickname?
The Hopefully Better Third Draft.
Bringing something over from Word Wenches. It's a post about racial diversity in romances:
*Insert your preferred Gerard Butler in loincloth photos here*
Yes, page 300. A love scene, if you will.
-Chapter 34. Present Day. Boston. Eva has gone a little off the deep end and she and Brix have an argument. -First word: #78, 229 of 83, 353 words -Last Word: #78, 534 of 83, 353 words
First sentence: The bra clasp snaps open and the constriction around my shoulders disappears. Last sentence: The darkness behind my eyes tips to the side, the shakes up and down and then I no longer feel Brix inside of me, on top of me.
Dun, dun, dun...
Next update will be when I finish. Almost there! Word tells me I have 321 pages.
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Portsmouth Comic Con 2019 will be “even bigger and better"
Portsmouth Comic Con
Organisers promise Portsmouth Comic Con 2019 is shaping up to be “even bigger and better than last year.”
Spokeswoman Kate Gordon said: “Taking place on May 4-5 at the Portsmouth Guildhall, the Con will welcome some of the greatest artists and writers in the industry alongside stars of screen and cosplay.
“Portsmouth Comic Con – International Festival of Comics 2019 is continuing to add fantastic names, activities and events from the world of comic, film, TV and pop culture entertainment to this year’s line-up, which follows hot on the heels of the success of the inaugural event in 2018.
“Portsmouth Comic Con, produced in partnership with Tripwire Magazine and GoGeek Events, will welcome some of the greatest artists and writers in the industry from across the world, alongside stars of the screen and the world of cosplay. If you’re serious about comics, love Marvel films, Star Wars and cult series like Doctor Who, or you’re simply looking for a family fun day out, this is the event for you!
“This year’s Comic Con will explore the science of comics through a range of panels, exhibitions and displays. There will be the opportunity to pay homage to the legend that is Stan Lee by joining Lee’s right-hand man, Roy Thomas, with his seminal Marvel counterpart, Steve Englehart, as they reminisce about their time with the legend who revolutionised the comic world and defined popular culture as we know it. Alongside this, there will be an opportunity to see and buy a number of signed limited edition artworks inspired by Stan Lee and created by Alex Ross, in a special exhibition held in partnership with Bournemouth’s Westover Gallery.
“This year’s Comic Con will also be celebrating Batman’s 80th birthday with a unique exhibition that showcases the Dark Knight’s evolution and development from his first appearance in 1939 through to the modern day, in a fascinating collection of high-resolution reproductions.
“The Guildhall is delighted to welcome GoGeek Events as a partner to this year’s Con as they run the Carnival of Cosplay stage, where adults and children can amaze with their creativity and imagination in daily competitions that celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of the spectacular world of cosplay and costuming. A host of guest cosplayers including Elmo Spike, Jax Parrow and Ironman will feature alongside a range of GoGeek’s own Icons.
“The University of Portsmouth’s emerging student talent with will be on hand to help visitors of all ages explore virtual reality, motion capture, screenings, game demos, robots and more in a showcase of state-of-the-art technology. There will also be the opportunity to experience VR Motion Simulators and gaming with Novatech, official sponsor and one of the largest retailers of computer products in the UK.
“The Interactive Zone will enable games fans to have some fun, offering over 40 years of gaming, from Pong to Pac Man and Mario to Minecraft, with an unbeatable selection of consoles from Portsmouth’s Game Over, while Dice Portsmouth offers hundreds of exciting board games from family classics to modern hits.
“The Wonder Zone will take visitors behind the scenes of film and TV with a fascinating range of displays, props and costumed characters from cult series including Doctor Who and a remarkable selection of screen accurate Star Wars props from The Isle of Wight Prop Crew.
“The Gosport Steampunk Society will this year be pitting themselves as the Heroes of the Resistance in a War of the Worlds to protect Portsmouth against Martian Invaders and indulge in the magnificent and Steampunk staple, Tea Duelling.
“An expanded Comic City marketplace will offer an even greater range of comics, art, prints, crafts, toys, collectables, merch and more.”
Tickets at http://www.portsmouthcomiccon.com or 0844 847 2362.
Starry line-up in new season at Brighton Dome
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Downton star Hugh Bonneville on why Shadowlands is just for Chichester
Cold Feet star James Nesbitt opens Chichester Festival Theatre summer season
Plans unveiled for a new 3,500-capacity music venue in Chichester
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Fantastic line-up unveiled for 2019 Festival of Chichester
See who's coming to this year's Festival of Chichester - picture gallery
Haywards Heath school praised for turning school around
Agony of Haywards Heath mum, 35, devastated by dementia
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Creech Air Force Base
Creech AFB Base Guide
On June 20, 2005, Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field officially changed its name to Creech Air Force Base in honor of Gen. Wilbur L. "Bill" Creech. As the commander of Tactical Air Command from 1978 to 1984, General Creech shaped the Air Force of today with a call for new weapons and tactics.
The 432nd Wing consists of combat-ready Airmen who fly the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft to support American and Coalition warfighters. The unmanned aircraft systems provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time-critical targets.
Creech Air Force Base Visitors Center
Creech Air Force Base Information and Referral Services
Creech Air Force Base ID/CAC Card Processing
Creech Air Force Base Family Advocacy Program
Creech Air Force Base School Liaison Office
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You are here: Home / Podcast Episodes / Phil Pallen Offers 7 Tips to Help You Become a Social Media Super Star #433
Phil Pallen Offers 7 Tips to Help You Become a Social Media Super Star #433
July 27, 2016 by Stuart Collyer
Phil Pallen is a brand strategist who seems to turn everything into a smash hit. He’s been instrumental in creating personal brands and social media strategies for every sort of person you can think of.
He travels the world, helping people and businesses to position, promote and build their brands. He thrives on being creative and playing a part in making things more beautiful. And he also enjoys seeing the reaction and facial expressions of the people having that ‘a-ha’ moment.
As one of the lucky few who doesn’t define work and pleasure separately, he wants to help people feel exactly the same way as he does. And that’s a source of motivation for him.
Click here to grab the Phil Pallen interview transcript >>>
Phil Pallen Offers 7 Tips to Help You Become a Social Media Super Star #433Stuart Collyer
https://traffic.libsyn.com/owners/433PhilPallen.m4a
It’s also this which has enabled him to travel the world, working with new clients and speaking at different conferences. For Phil, his freedom is far more important than making money.
And this passion shines through in everything he does. You can see a little part of him in his business and those he works with. And it is that which has made him the one person everyone wants to work with. However, he vows to only work with nice people.
In fact, Phil has been nice enough to give us a quick crash course in creating a memorable brand and making your social media unique to you.
#1 Scouting For Opportunities
Just as Phil was finishing Grad School in Florida, his friend Lauren Moore told him about Charlie Sheen holding a competition to find an intern. Along with 90,000 other people, Phil put his name down to be Charlie Sheen’s social media intern.
That was back in his ‘Tiger Blood’ period.
But Phil managed to make it to the top 50. And that’s when he turned it into a social media campaign which wasn’t just for him. It was also for others to live vicariously through the crazy experience.
He produced videos daily and got himself on TV, radio, and in print. In the end, he had over 100 interviews worldwide.
That’s when he was then offered an internship with Ryan Seacrest.
However, he turned down those opportunities, moved to LA and set up his own business, with Lauren, as a brand strategist. After all, he’d already proven his worth at building and promoting his personal brand.
Now he has a range of clients. From luxury brands to the world of celebrity. He’s worked with personalities, TV hosts, politicians, real estate, lawyers, doctors and even a marine biologist. And it’s taken him from Nigeria to Sweden and Asia.
My leading ladies and me 👧🏼👦🏻👧🏼
A photo posted by Phil Pallen (@philpallen) on Jul 9, 2016 at 4:28pm PDT
However, when it comes to corporate work, he finds that far too boring.
#2 More Than Just A Logo
But whoever he is working with, the process is always the same. He has a proven system that, once implemented, helps them to get closer to what they want to achieve. Branding is far more than just stamping a logo on a pen, football or any other kind of merchandise. These days, it is about achieving consistency between the in-person experience and online version of you. It’s your responsibility to ensure that the version of yourself you put online represents who you are more accurately. Brands are no longer exclusive for big corporations with lots of money. Anyone can have a personal brand. Before you start, there needs to be a decision about how much of yourself you want to put online. It may be that you’re happy to be completely virtual or you may want to intentionally keep the two separate. However, you still need to be visible with your wonderful personality shining through. Phil is always present in his business, even when he’s the other side of the world. If you work with his business, but never interact with him, the processes in place still make you feel as if he is part of the experience. However, the version of his personality which the company has adopted is different from his personal brand. It has to be otherwise nothing would get done.
#3 Super Powers
Phil talks about how choosy he and Lauren are when it comes to which projects they work on and the clients they work with. If they are failing to get excited about it, then they decide it’s not for them. After all, if you’re not enjoying something, you’re not going to produce your best work. But they also decide who they work with based on their niceness. At the end of every introductory meeting he has with a potential client, Phil rates how nice they are.
It’s good to be home 🛩 A photo posted by Phil Pallen (@philpallen) on Jul 18, 2016 at 10:26am PDT
That way, they know they are compatible with each other. After all, if you hire Phil and Lauren to boost your brand, you need to have complete trust and faith in what they do.
In return for being nice, they’ll show you how to harness the full powers social media gives you.
For example, he helps his marine biologist client in producing a new program. Social media provided proof which was otherwise missing when they were looking for funding.
The following they had on Facebook and Twitter showed that there was an interest in what they were trying to achieve. People were already invested in the brand they were creating. It made the investors sit up and listen, and it earned them the money they needed.
#4 Where Are We All Going Wrong?
It’s hard to admit when we’re doing something wrong. But if you’re an entrepreneur just starting out, you have to accept that it’s possible.
And a common mistake which people make is thinking that branding is just about making something look nice.
However, if you rebrand correctly, you’ll have it as a tool at your disposal. Bring in meaning and purpose, and that will help to get you closer to that end goal.
Your brand shouldn’t just be a reflection of who you are now, but also who you want to be. Then with a presence, you will become that.
If you’re not remembered, then the brand isn’t working.
#5 Get Straight To The Message
Phil’s not a fan of the lengthy bios you see on people’s websites. And nor does he like it when you write them in the third person…
You’re fooling no-one, we know you wrote it yourself.
The longer the bio, the more people will think you’re self-obsessed. The shorter the bio, the more likely people are to read it.
We have shorter attention spans these days, purely due to the fact there is so much content available to us. So the message needs distilling. Get through the nitty-gritty and say the most important things. That way, people are more likely to actually find out what you’re trying to say.
In fact, your brand will benefit. It helps to keep your brand as something you enjoy, but also as something which people need. And when that’s the case, you won’t have to advertise as much.
The need you’re satisfying for people is already built into the brand, and you don’t need to do extra work to make people aware of it.
A great way of getting to the nuts and bolts of your business is to find someone you don’t know and spend one minute telling them who you are. Then, get the listener to sum up your business in just one sentence.
It isn’t easy, but you can get an objective view of the business. And they will tell you what they felt the most important fact was from what you said.
Do it a few times with other people and, hopefully, you should start to notice some commonalities.
It provides you with a better reflection of who you are. And when you use the specific words they used, then you can actually write your bio in the language of the customers.
#6 Twitter Vs Facebook
In Phil’s opinion, no tool comes close to Twitter. Which means even two years after releasing the book Shut Up and Tweet, he still believes it’s where you need to be.
It’s great for hitting a targeted audience, without having to spend money.
With Facebook’s algorithm, advertising has become pointless unless you’re prepared to spend money. And let’s be honest, it’s still cheap – especially compared to LinkedIn.
But only 1% of those you target are likely to actually see your post on Facebook unless you’re willing to promote it.
Although possible, advertising on Twitter isn’t necessary. It’s a powerful platform for growing an audience, for anyone. In fact, Twitter is the No.1 source of sales for his book.
Twitter isn’t a broadcast tool, but it is instead conversational.
Becoming friends with someone on Facebook you don’t know is practically frowned upon. On Twitter, you can strike up a conversation with someone you’ve never heard of before. And the search tool allows you to find like-minded others. It’s the best way of using it and actively encouraged.
#7 How To Actually Use Pinterest
Unlike Twitter, Pinterest is much more of a mystery for people. It isn’t just a place for saving a recipe you like the look of or an inspirational quote.
Last year, Phil was only on there because he felt he should be. But he didn’t really understand how to use it and barely pinned one thing a month with 800 followers.
Now he has over 22,000 pins and nearly 18,000 followers. And he only spends 5 minutes a day on it.
He gave it a purpose and helped to clarify it for himself and his audience. Now he pins great examples of branding because that’s what his audience are expecting from him.
Not only is he helping thousands of people get ideas, but it’s also where he goes for inspiration every time he starts a new project.
In the future, Phil wants to focus more on educating people by speaking, through his podcasts and hosting webinars. That presents himself with a challenge.
He’ll soon have to overcome his neuroses about the day-to-day running of his business and learn the art of delegation. He needs a rebrand.
And that’s something you shouldn’t avoid and find scary. Brands do it all the time. Your company may have changed and the current personality doesn’t quite fit anymore.
Or perhaps you’ll just benefit from a fresh look. But when it comes to taking your next steps, make sure Phil is there to help you out.
His book Shut Up and Tweet, written with Lauren Moore, will help you to grow and captivate your audience by standing out so you can cash in.
If you’re doing Twitter marketing – and you should be – his book will give you the best chance possible.
And by visiting his website, you’ll open yourself up to many more learning opportunities, from blog to podcasts. From there, you can also discover the latest events he’s attending and find out more details about chances to work with Phil.
Connect with Phil Pallen
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Sasol Achieves Beneficial Operation of Second Lake Charles Chemicals Project Production Facility
Published: June 3, 2019 2:44 a.m. ET
Ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol unit second of seven units to come online
LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana, Jun 3, 2019 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- Sasol today announced beneficial operation of its new ethylene oxide (EO) production facility at its Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP). As announced on 22 May 2019, Sasol achieved beneficial operation of the ethylene glycol (EG) facility. The combined ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol (EO/EG) unit is the second of the seven LCCP production facilities to come online.
"The LCCP continues to transform North America into a major part of Sasol's global business, delivering value for all Sasol's stakeholders," said Bernard Klingenberg, Executive Vice President for Operations. "Our team of Sasol employees, contractors and industry partners continues to deliver the LCCP with the start-up of our second process unit."
He added, "We are working diligently to deliver the remaining five LCCP manufacturing units throughout 2019 and early 2020."
"Ethylene oxide production plays an important role in our alcohol and surfactants growth strategy," said Fleetwood Grobler, Executive Vice President for Chemicals Business. "The startup of this unit allows Sasol to be fully integrated from ethane to ethylene to alcohols to surfactants at our Lake Charles site. It also enables us to produce ethylene glycols using our world-class manufacturing capability and leveraging the expertise and global reach of our marketing partner Helm AG. Together these products will create significant value for our customers."
The unit, which uses Scientific Design technology, has a nameplate capacity of 300,000 tons per year (300 ktpa) of ethylene oxide (EO). EO is used as a raw material to produce two main products: surfactants, which are the active ingredient in many household and industrial cleaners; and ethylene glycols, which are used to make polyester fiber for clothes, upholstery and carpet, as well as automotive engine antifreeze and coolant.
The EO/EG plant will also supply ethylene oxide as a feedstock for Sasol's existing 130 ktpa Lake Charles ethoxylates (ETO) unit, as well as the new 100 ktpa LCCP ETO plant under construction. Beneficial operation of this unit is expected by the end of calendar year 2019.
About Sasol:
Sasol is a global integrated chemicals and energy company. Through our talented people, we safely and sustainably create superior value for our customers, shareholders and other stakeholders. We integrated sophisticated technologies in world-scale operating facilities to produce and commercialise commodity and specialised chemicals, gaseous and liquid fuels, and lower-carbon electricity.
Forward looking statement:
Sasol may, in this document, make certain statements that are not historical facts and relate to analyses and other information which are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These statements may also relate to our future prospects, developments and business strategies. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding exchange rate fluctuations, volume growth, increases in market share, total shareholder return, executing our growth projects (including LCCP), oil and gas reserves, cost reductions, our Continuous Improvement (CI) programme and business performance outlook. Words such as "believe", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "seek", "will", "plan", "could", "may", "endeavour", "target", "forecast" and "project" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and there are risks that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved. If one or more of these risks materialise, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. You should understand that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors are discussed more fully in our most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed on 28 August 2018 and in other filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The list of factors discussed therein is not exhaustive; when relying on forward-looking statements to make investment decisions, you should carefully consider both these factors and other uncertainties and events. Forward-looking statements apply only as of the date on which they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sasol-achieves-beneficial-operation-of-second-lake-charles-chemicals-project-production-facility-300860417.html
SOURCE Sasol Limited
View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2019/03/c6747.html
SOURCE: Sasol Limited
Alex Anderson, Head of Group Media Relations,Direct telephone: +27 (0) 10-344-6509; Mobile: +27 (0) 71-600-9605;alex.anderson@sasol.com Matebello Motloung, Senior Specialist: Media Relations, Direct telephone: +27 (0) 10-344-9256; Mobile: +27 (0) 83-773-9457,matebello.motloung@sasol.com
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This Privacy Policy illustrates the purpose and processing methods used by the Data Controller to process personal data. It applies every time a user browses the pages of the website www.misssixty.com , regardless of whether the same decides to take advantage of the services proposed by the same and/or purchase any of the displayed products. This document shall be regarded as an integral part of the Site's General Conditions of Use as they provide information on privacy and the security systems adopted by the Site.
The processing of Personal Data of Site users will be performed in Italy and conducted in accordance with applicable European legislation and Legislative Decree 30 June 2003, No. 196 providing the Personal Data Protection Code.
This document drawn up in accordance with the provisions of Art. 13 of the CODE by SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL, with registered office in via Lungotevere De Cenci 9 - POST CODE City, tax code, VAT number and Business Register number PIVA 12038631003 and Triboo Digitale S.r.l., with registered office in Milan (Italy), viale Sarca 20126, edificio 16, Post Code 336, tax code, VAT number and Milan Business Register number 02912880966, who act as joint Data Controllers, and, via the same, intend to supply all useful information pursuant to the processing of the personal data of those visiting the Site.
1. THE POLICY
All Data subjects are entitled to the protection of their Personal Data. Triboo Digitale and SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL respect the rights of users to be informed on the collection and subsequent processing operations concerning their Personal Data. The Joint Data Controllers undertake to respect a strictly necessary principle when processing data that can identify the user, even indirectly. For this reason, the Site has been configured so that the use of personal data is kept to the minimum necessary and exclude the processing of personal data when the purpose of the specific activity can be achieved using anonymous data or other means, identifying the person only when needed or at the request of the authorities and police forces. This Privacy Policy will provide all useful information to understand how we collect and use the information that identifies users on the Site .
2. WHO PROCESSES YOUR PERSONAL DATA, HOW AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES
Triboo Digitale is the joint Data Controller in charge of processing the personal data of Site users, exclusively as regards the managing, completion and executing of the commercial transactions involving the purchase of products via the same Site. TD decides the scope and processing methods to be implemented and the tools to be used as far as security measures are concerned. Therefore, the Data Controller for the processing of personal data in relation to all the other activities, including those which are not functional to the sale of products via this website (such as, by way of example and not limited to, the delivery of products, RMA management, mailing of advertising materials on products and services other than those which may have been purchased on the Site) is exclusively SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL. For purely organisational and functional requirements, we have appointed some Chief Data Processors to manage user Personal Data, for purposes strictly linked and related to the provision of services on the Site, including the sale of products. Such Chief Data Processors have been selected on account of their experience, capabilities and reliability, thorough compliance with the provisions in force applying to the processing of personal data, as also related to security matters.
Please contact the Customer Care service for a complete list of the Chief Data Processors assigned to processing the personal data of Site users, or send an e-mail to: customercare@misssixty.com for SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL; privacy@triboo.it for Triboo Digitale.
In particular, to achieve the aforementioned purposes, and as part of the process when purchasing products on the Site, TD collects Personal Data (e.g. name and surname, e-mail address, mailing address, credit card and bank details, telephone number) via the product order form available on the Site.
Personal Data are mainly processed in electronic format and in certain cases also in paper format, such as for instance, when the processing of personal data is necessary to prevent fraud on the Site.
Personal Data shall be retained in the form that allows users to be identified for the time strictly necessary for the purpose for which the data were collected and subsequently processed and, in any case within the limits foreseen by the laws in force. To ensure that Personal Data is always accurate and updated, pertinent and complete, Users are asked to kindly notify us of any changes to the same sending us an e-mail to: privacy@triboo.it.
Further to what already provided for above, the personal data of Users shall not be disclosed to third parties for purposes not permitted by law or without their express consent.
Personal data may be made available to third parties, for ancillary purposes related to the provision of services required by the user (for example, for purchase related transactions). For further details on this aspect, please consult paragraph 4 below.
User personal data can be disclosed to Police forces or Judicial authorities, for instance pursuant to Site anti-fraud services, in accordance with the laws in force and whenever requested. Personal data will not be transferred abroad to Countries other than those belonging to the European Union, which do not guarantee a sufficient level of privacy protection. If the above should be necessary to achieve the purposes posed by Triboo Digitale, we will ensure that the transfer of Personal Data to Countries which do not belong to the European Union and do not guarantee adequate levels of protection, will only be implemented after such parties and Triboo Digitale have all signed specific contracts containing clauses for the protection of Personal Data, in accordance with applicable law and regulations.
The purposes for which Personal Data are requests and processed shall be specifically disclosed each time in the Information Note text provided on the page where the same are requested to confer their Personal Data.
There may be cases where Triboo Digitale processes third-party personal data communicated directly by Triboo Digitale users, e.g. when the user intends to tell a friend about a service or product on sale at the Site, or when the user purchases a product to be sent to a friend or when the subject paying for the purchase is different to the subject to whom it will be delivered.
In the above cases, Triboo Digitale, to the extent required by law, shall fulfil its disclosure obligations to the indicated user and, where necessary, request relative consent, upon registration of the relevant data in its Personal Data archives, or the next useful contact.
3. DENYING CONFERRAL OF PERSONAL DATA AND RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES
Conferral of Personal Data to Triboo Digitale and, in particular, personal data, email address, mailing address, credit card/debit card and bank details and phone number, is required in order to fulfil the aforementioned purposes.
Some of the aforementioned data may be indispensable so as to fulfil the obligations imposed by the law or other regulations, or to provide other services you may have requested as provided on the Site.
Refusal to disclose certain essential Personal Data, identified on the Site by an asterisk (*), may make it impossible to complete all purchase contract phases, and/or fulfil all obligations required by the laws and regulations in force. Failure to disclose certain Data can therefore, according to individual circumstances, constitute a legitimate and justified reason preventing the execution of the purchase contract on the Site or the supply of services via the same.
On the other hand, conferral to Triboo Digitale of additional Personal Data, other than those which are compulsory, is optional and has no impact on the purchase of products on the Site.
4. TO WHOM PERSONAL DATA IS DISCLOSED
Personal Data may be disclosed and made available to third party companies that provide specific services on behalf of SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL and/or Triboo Digitale, as Chief Data Processors or disclosed to other recipients of the data collected by SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL and/or Triboo Digitale, who process data independently for the sole purpose of executing the purchase contract for products on the Site (such as, for instance, Global Collect, for the execution of remote electronic payment services, via credit card/debit card) and only when such a purpose is not inconsistent with the purposes for which the Personal Data was collected and subsequently processed and, in any case, in full compliance with the laws in force.
No Personal Data shall be disclosed, assigned or otherwise transferred to third parties without informing users and obtaining their consent in advance, when required by law.
5. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL DATA ON THE SITE
Triboo Digitale collects Personal Data and other information during the online registration process or when sending order forms to purchase products on the Site so as to execute e-commerce transactions. These data are processed by Triboo Digitale within the limits and purposes illustrated in the Information Note presented to users in the relative data collection section.
Triboo Digitale has taken all suitable security measures to minimise the risk of destruction or loss, even accidental, of such Data, further to unauthorised access or processing that is not authorised or does not comply with the scope and purpose of collection indicated in this Privacy Policy.
However, as it is impossible to guarantee that such measures for the security of the Site and the transmission of data and information on the same Site limit or exclude any risk of unauthorised access or dissemination of data, we recommend users check that they have an updated antivirus protection system installed on their computer, which protect incoming and outgoing data, and that their Internet provider uses firewalls and anti-spamming filters where suitable for the security of data transmission on the web.
7. RIGHTS TO ACCESS PERSONAL DATA AND OTHER RIGHTS
Users are entitled to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning them exists, regardless of their being already recorded, and communication of such data in an intelligible form.
They are also entitled to receive information concerning the origin of the Personal Data; the purpose and processing methods; the logic used in the case where the data is processed using electronic equipment; the personal data of the Data Controllers, information on the subjects or categories of subjects to whom the personal data may be disclosed or who may become aware of such data in their capacity, for instance, as Chief Processors or Designated Officers. Part of this information is contained in our Privacy Policy; if users wish to receive further details, simply send an e-mail to privacy@triboo.it, and to SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL at customercare@misssixty.com
Users are always entitled to obtain from each Joint Data Controller:
- updating, rectification or integration of Personal Data;
- erasure, anonymisation or blocking of data that have been processed unlawfully, including data whose retention is unnecessary for the purposes for which they have been collected or subsequently processed;
- certification to the effect that the operations indicated above have been notified, as also related to their contents, to the entities to whom or which the data were communicated or disseminated, unless this requirement proves impossible or involves a manifestly disproportionate effort compared to the right that is to be protected.
Users are also entitled to oppose, totally or partially:
- on legitimate grounds, to the processing of personal data concerning them, even though they are relevant to the purpose of the collection;
- to the processing of Personal Data concerning them, where it is carried out for the purpose of sending advertising materials or direct selling or else for the performance of market or commercial communication surveys.
- Users are entitled to exercise their rights at any moment in time, within the terms and conditions of the law, sending such requests by e-mail to Triboo Digitale at privacy@triboo.it, to SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL at customercare@misssixty.com; we will respond to your mail as soon as possible.
Triboo Digitale does not control or monitor the operations of such websites or their content linked within the Site. Triboo Digitale shall not be held liable for the web content of such sites or the rules adopted by the same regarding the processing of Personal Data whilst browsing their website. We therefore recommend Users pay attention when visiting such websites and read their terms and conditions of use and privacy policy carefully. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third party websites and Triboo Digitale is under no circumstances liable for the privacy policy applied by those websites.
The Site provides links to these websites exclusively to assist users in their search and browsing activities and to facilitate links to other websites on the Internet. Posting of such links does not infer that Triboo Digitale recommends the use or browsing of these websites, nor any guarantee of their content, services or merchandise supplied and sold to Internet users.
Cookies shall be set by the above or by third parties consisting of Triboo Digitale's commercial partners. Such settings are required to as to ensure normal Site functions and to allow us to provide the very best browsing experience.
For further information, users are invited to view the Cookie Policy made available by the Joint Data Controller using the following link.
Users wishing to receive further information on how their Personal Data is processed by the Joint Data Controllers should send an e-mail to the following email address: for Triboo Digitale to privacy@triboo.it, for SIXTY DISTRIBUTION SRL to customercare@misssixty.com. To receive further information and be updated on the rights and the regulations concerning the protection of persons in relation to the processing of Personal Data, please visit the website of the Authority for the Protection of Personal Data at http://www.garanteprivacy.it
This Privacy Policy is governed by Italian law and in particular by the Data Protection Code which regulates the processing of personal data - including those retained overseas - carried out by anyone who is resident or located in Italy or using instruments located in Italy.
The Code ensures that Personal Data are processed by respecting data subjects’ rights, fundamental freedoms and dignity, particularly with regard to confidentiality, personal identity and the right to Personal Data protection.
12. CHANGES AND UPDATES TO THE PRIVACY POLICY
The Joint Data Controllers may amend or simply update all or part of this Privacy Policy also when amendments are made to laws or regulations that govern protection of personal data and user rights. The changes and updates to the Privacy Policy shall be notified to the users in the Homepage of the Site as soon as they become applicable, and they will be binding once published in this section. We therefore recommend users access this section regularly in order to check the most recent and updated version of the Privacy Policy.
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Natasha Raskin Bio, Husband, Age, Net Worth, Marred, Salary, Height and Wiki
Birth: How old is Natasha Raskin?
Education and early career
Net worth and Salary
Personal Life: Is Natasha Raskin married or single?
The well-known Scottish TV presenter, Natasha Raskin has been known for her work in UK and USA programmes like Baggage Battles, Antiques Road Trip, Flog It!, and For What It’s Worth. She is of Scottish nationality and white ethnicity.
Natasha Raskin was born in 1986 in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. She was born to parents Philip Raskin and Barbara Raskin. She has two siblings and is the middle child. Her family loves arts and are all art collectors. Her father is an artist.
Natasha Raskin went on to study law. However, due to a lack of interest, she left her degree only after a year. Eventually, she went on to attend Glasgow University. From Glasgow, she received a degree in the History of Art and French.
She began her career as a fulltime auctioneer. She worked at the McTear’s in Glasgow as a Head of pictures, valuer, and auctioneer. While there she dealt with contemporary Scottish art. She is also currently working as a part-time auctioneer.
Natasha Raskin began her TV career working for BBC. She was a regular expert contributor on Antiques Road Trip. She eventually went on to work on other shows like Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, and Flog It! Looking at her dedication in the field, she was given a position of a lead presenter as well. She has appeared on BBC’s Bargain Hunt as well as Baggage Battles. She is known to have also worked for BBC Radio Scotland. Natasha appeared on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Music Match as a guest presenter and as a reviewer of the exhibition on the Janice Forsyth Show. She is also remarked for her presentation on BBC 1’s The One Show. Natasha has recently also appeared on the show, For What It’s Worth.
Natasha Raskin net worth is known to be more than a million dollars which can be proved from her tremendous amount of hard work and dedication to the field of Arts and entertainment. Natasha Raskin salary is known to have been amassed from her remarkable career with BBC.
Natasha Raskin married details show that she is a married woman but does not have any kids to date. Natasha Raskin husband is Joe Sharp. Sharp is an award-winning producer and director. The couple got married on 18th September 2016. They have been in a relationship for a long time now and have never had any marital issues to date.
Natasha Raskin height is 5 feet 8 inches. Natasha Raskin age is 32 years, but she has still maintained her baby face and her perfect hourglass shaped figure. She has lovely brown hair and complementary brown eyes. She is loved by her audience for her adorable smile. Natasha has a slim built figure. Through her looks, it is almost possible to know that she is in fact Scottish. She looks exceptionally good in boots and tight jeans which she has been flaunting for years on TV.
Natasha Raskin wiki shows that she is also dubbed as Natasha Raskin Sharp. Apart from her TV and auctioning career, she is also known to have a placement with the Alice Temperley fashion House.
Natasha Raskin is not so active on social media sites. However, due to her prominence in the field of media, her pictures and information can be found throughout the internet. Natasha Raskin bio is available on numerous social media sites like Wikipedia and IMDB.
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The Killers announce plans to release covers album
News Reporter Jun 25, 2009 2:00 pm BST
Credit: Dean Chalkley
Band tell NME.COM who they're planning on covering for the album
The Killers‘ Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vanucci have told NME.COM that the band are planning to record an album of covers before the end of the year.
Speaking in this week’s issue of NME (out nationwide on June 24) about their plans for the release, the two said they’ve been thinking hard about which acts they’d like to include on the album.
“It’s something that we’ve always talked about doing and we’re still talking about,” Flowers said. “It’s difficult for each of us to pick songs that represent us as individuals. I mean, I have a lot of personalities myself! I’ve gone through everything from Neil Diamond to The Cars.”
Vanucci cited acts including “Genesis, Tom Waits, a little Cyndi Lauper, Iggy Pop” as his preferred choices for the album, adding that he’s also been “messing around with a couple of Fleet Foxes songs” recently.
The drummer continued by saying that the band are planning to work on the album while on their current tour, explaining that The Killers have taken a mobile recording rig on the road with them. “It sounds excellent,” he noted.
The Killers are set to headline Hard Rock Calling in London tomorrow (June 26).
To read the full interview with Flowers and Vanucci, make sure you pick up this week’s issue if NME (available on newsstands across the country from June 24).
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18 Dec 2018 - 17:46 CET
NN Investment Partners and ING Bank Slaski strengthen partnership in Poland
NN Group today announces that it has reached an agreement to strengthen the long-term partnership between NN Investment Partners (NN IP) and ING Bank Śląski S.A. in Poland. Under this agreement, ING Bank Śląski will acquire a 45% stake in NN IP in Poland for a total consideration of approximately EUR 41 million, and will distribute NN IP investment funds to the Polish retail market through its extensive branch network.
Satish Bapat, CEO NN IP: ‘The partnership will further strengthen our position in the Polish market and will support our growth strategy of attracting third-party assets. NN IP and ING Bank Śląski will jointly offer investment funds to ING’s retail client base and also provide pension solutions for ING’s corporate and individual clients. Together we are well positioned to continue to build a strong and sustainable business in Poland.’
The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on the operating result and Solvency II ratio of NN Group. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval, and is expected to close in the first half of 2019.
NN Group profile
NN Group is an international financial services company, active in 18 countries, with a strong presence in a number of European countries and Japan. With all its employees, the Group provides retirement services, pensions, insurance, investments and banking to approximately 17 million customers. NN Group includes Nationale-Nederlanden, NN, Delta Lloyd, NN Investment Partners, ABN AMRO Insurance, Movir, AZL, BeFrank and OHRA. NN Group is listed on Euronext Amsterdam (NN).
About NN Investment Partners TFI S.A.
NN Investment Partners TFI S.A. in Poland (NN IP Poland) is part of NN Investment Partners, an international asset management company and a subsidiary of NN Group. Present on the Polish market since 1997, NN IP Poland has EUR 4.1 billion (at current exchange rates) of assets under management. Its core activities are the management and administration of investment funds, institutional portfolios and third pillar pension programmes (PPE, IKE, IKZE). The company is licenced and regulated by the Polish Financial Market Authority (KNF).
All figures in this document are unaudited. Small differences are possible in the tables due to rounding. Certain of the statements contained herein are not historical facts, including, without limitation, certain statements made of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to, without limitation: (1) changes in general economic conditions, in particular economic conditions in NN Group’s core markets, (2) changes in performance of financial markets, including developing markets, (3) consequences of a potential (partial) break-up of the euro or European Union countries leaving the European Union, (4) changes in the availability of, and costs associated with, sources of liquidity as well as conditions in the credit markets generally, (5) the frequency and severity of insured loss events, (6) changes affecting mortality and morbidity levels and trends, (7) changes affecting persistency levels, (8) changes affecting interest rate levels, (9) changes affecting currency exchange rates, (10) changes in investor, customer and policyholder behaviour, (11) changes in general competitive factors, (12) changes in laws and regulations and the interpretation and application thereof, (13) changes in the policies and actions of governments and/or regulatory authorities, (14) conclusions with regard to accounting assumptions and methodologies, (15) changes in ownership that could affect the future availability to NN Group of net operating loss, net capital and built-in loss carry forwards, (16) changes in credit and financial strength ratings, (17) NN Group’s ability to achieve projected operational synergies, (18) catastrophes and terrorist-related events, (19) adverse developments in legal and other proceedings and (20) the other risks and uncertainties contained in recent public disclosures made by NN Group.
Any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of NN Group speak only as of the date they are made, and, NN Group assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or for any other reason.
This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities.
Press enquiries NN Group
Investor enquiries NN Group
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Cervélo TestTeam: Hushovd wins green jersey
by admin · July 27, 2009
© Tim de Waele
26-Jul-2009: Cervélo TestTeam concluded its highly successful Tour de France debut Sunday with a view from the podium in Paris.
Cervélo’s durable sprinter Thor Hushovd didn’t take any unnecessary risks in Sunday’s thrilling finale on the Champs-Élysées and crossed the line sixth in the bunch sprint behind winner Mark Cavendish to secure the green points jersey.
That guaranteed him a trip to the most prestigious podium in cycling, winning his second points jersey since 2005.
“I started this morning with one aim, to keep the green jersey,” Hushovd said. “I battled throughout the race to win this jersey. I didn’t take any risks in the final sprint. There are a lot of things that can happen to that final rush to the line.”
Hushovd wins the so-called sprinters jersey with 280 points, 10 more than arch-rival Cavendish.
Key to Hushovd’s victory was his consistency in the sprints and his dramatic solo breakaway in the queen’s stage across the Alps when he won 12 points at two intermediate sprints completely uncontested.
“I won this jersey because I’m more experienced. I know how to win it,” Hushovd said. “I’ve done it before and I’ve fought for the jersey many, many years. Cavendish is the fastest sprinter, but I am the most consistent, and that’s why I won the jersey.”
Hushovd earned a spot on the final podium in Paris as one of four categories that are awarded jerseys during the Tour. The others are the yellow jersey for the GC, the white jersey for the best rider under 25 and the polka-dot jersey for the best climber.
“It’s very emotional to stand on the podium and receive this jersey. I’m proud of what I’ve done,” he said. “It was a hard battle to get more points than Cavendish, but that’s what I’ve done in the end. His big goal is to win the green jersey and I know he’s going to get many of them in the future, but I am going to give him a big fight in the next few years.”
The podium spot for Hushovd culminated a highly successful Tour for Cervélo, racing in its first Tour in its first year as a team.
The squad won two stages (one with Hushovd and another with Heinrich Haussler into Colmar) and notched a handful of top-5s with Hushovd in the sprints and Hayden Roulston in a breakaway.
Defending champion Carlos Sastre rode with the honor of having the No. 1 start bib, but struggled to stay with the decisive attacks in the Alps in the final week of the Tour.
The proud Spanish climber simply ran out of gas to finish 17th at 26:21 back.
“I’ve realized a number of things. Perhaps the first and for me the most important is that I’ve come to the conclusion that one can’t perform at a very high standard for so long. In my case, I haven’t stopped since I won the Tour de France,” Sastre said. “I’ve competed in four grand tours in less than a year: Tour, Vuelta, Giro and Tour, plus the Olympic Games, as well as an incredible number of events and acts, and that hasn’t left me any time to rest. I think that’s the reason for my tiredness and for the fact that at the moment I feel as if my body has nothing left to give. So the only thing I can think of right now is resting.”
Rest is just what Sastre and seven other Cervélo teammates will get. José Angel Gomez Marchante is the lone Cervélo rider not to make it to Paris after being forced out following a high-speed crash in the Alps.
The Tour is over and it’s time to relax, celebrate with family, friends and teammates and enjoy the success of a great Tour.
For complete TestTeam results and more pictures, click here.
Tags: Cervélo TestTeamCyclingThor HushovdTour de France
Connections for life
by admin · Published June 29, 2012
Norwegian Cultural Heritage Day & Taste of Norway in Seattle, Wash.
a-ha returns with new album
by admin · Published August 3, 2009
Next story Swine flu shuts down summer youth camp in Norway
Previous story Election time in Norway
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Fiona McIntosh reveals how a mid-life crisis helped her become a best-selling novelist
And how her gay son inspired her latest book.
By Samantha Trenoweth
Fiona McIntosh lives life the same way she writes books – in fifth gear, with never a backward glance.
“Don’t wait for the universe to deliver,” she says, “go out and get it, make it happen. Don’t worry about learning to walk, just run – if you fall over, at least you’ll have fallen over trying.”
Fifteen years ago, Fiona was working in the travel industry and raising twin boys, but she wanted more. So, she enrolled in a workshop with the late Australian author, Bryce Courtenay. Four months later, she had written her first novel and scored a three-book publishing deal. Today, she has written more than 33 books (such as the hit, The Perfumer’s Tale, and her latest, The Chocolate Tin). Between novels, she leads tours in the footsteps of her characters and hosts sell-out writers’ workshops.
“It’s a bit fairytale-ish,” Fiona says of that moment in which her life turned around. “I decided I wanted to write and I had a go. It opened up a whole new world for me.”
Fiona tries to give her publisher an idea of the plot before she begins writing, but “they usually get something very different. They’ve learnt to trust me.” Take The Chocolate Tin. Fiona started convinced that it would be about chocolate and temptation. There would be romantic destiny because “I believe in love at first sight,” she says.
So there was no doubt The Chocolate Tin would be a romance but, as Fiona wrote and researched, its themes became more complex. This is no simple love story. It also explores pressure on women at the turn of the 20th century “to make a good, strategic marriage”, the intolerance towards pacifists and the persecution of homosexuals.
“When that thread appeared while I was writing,” Fiona says, “I was as surprised as anyone and that set me off on a whole new path of research.”
She had already travelled through Europe, studying chocolate-making. Now she visited York in the UK, the home of both British chocolate and a notorious “lunatic asylum” in which gay men were once incarcerated and tortured in pursuit of a “cure”.
“It was hideous,” she says. “They used shock treatment and surgery. Homosexuality was seen as a condition that was treatable and gay men were left in institutions to rot. It resonated with me very powerfully.”
Fiona was struck by the contrast between the experiences of gay men in 1920s York and 21st century Adelaide, where she lives. One of her sons came out as gay just before she began writing The Chocolate Factory.
“He came out at 21,” she explains. “It is amazingly powerful when a young man of 21 finds his confidence and his sense of who he is. My son is living in a much better time to be gay. Most of his friends said, ‘So what?’ It’s not an issue. You are who you are.”
Her sons, Will and Jake, have both left home now. Indeed, everyone’s leaving home. Fiona and her husband, Ian, have bought a stone cottage in the Clare Valley, north of Adelaide, to become both their home and the venue for her writer’s retreats.
“We found this old farmhouse that had sheep living in it,” she says. “I said to Ian, ‘This is what a writer needs, to be among the vineyards.’ He said, ‘At our age, don’t you think we want to be nearer the city and doctors?’ I said, ‘No, that’s an old person talking.’ I’m in my mid-50s and he’s a bit older, but I said, ‘Let’s just live the dream’.
“I’m determined to have a goat, a donkey and chooks. I’m going to become that beanie-wearing woman in Wellington boots. I know I am.”
To celebrate the release of The Chocolate Tin, Penguin Random House is offering readers the chance to win a trip to York. Enter here.
Celeb NewsProlific author Jackie French delivers the fifth exciting instalment in the popular Matilda series
Homes16 Christmas gifts that can be cherished forever
undefined: Samantha Trenoweth
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Conservationists Protest New Airport Near Machu Picchu Ruins The government is banking on more tourism after it replaces the outdated airport in Cuzco with a gleaming new facility near the mouth of the Sacred Valley. And that's what conservationists fear.
International Protests Mount As Peru Moves Ahead With New Airport Near Machu Picchu
International Protests Mount As Peru Moves Ahead With New Airport Near Machu Picchu 3:39
Vanessa Romo
Tourists visit the Machu Picchu complex, the Inca fortress in the southeastern Andes of Peru in April. The government hopes a new airport will attract more tourists to the ancient site. That draws opposition from conservationists. Pablo Porciuncula Brune /AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Pablo Porciuncula Brune /AFP/Getty Images
Tourists visit the Machu Picchu complex, the Inca fortress in the southeastern Andes of Peru in April. The government hopes a new airport will attract more tourists to the ancient site. That draws opposition from conservationists.
After decades of deliberation and planning, the Peruvian government has broken ground on a multibillion-dollar airport expected to connect Machu Picchu, the country's historical jewel, more easily with the outside world. But conservationists are outraged over the potential impact of a massive, state-of-the-art international facility on the ancient site and surrounding rural communities.
The Inca marvel, designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, was built in the 15th century in the misty peaks of the Peruvian Andes. On average, about 1 million people a year visit to take in the mountaintop citadel, which remains challenging to reach. Replacing the outdated airport in Cuzco, about 75 miles from Machu Picchu, would change that by allowing direct international flights into the heart of Peru's tourism industry.
Construction on the controversial Chinchero International Airport began earlier this year. Bulldozers are clearing the site at the mouth of the Sacred Valley to make way for a gleaming new structure that is expected to become the nation's second-largest and most modern hub, accommodating more than 7 million passengers per year.
Abel Traslaviña, a Peruvian archaeologist and Ph.D. student in Vanderbilt University's Department of Anthropology, says the airport poses an irreversible threat to the already fragile ruins and surrounding areas.
He is one of nearly 50,000 people, including archaeologists, historians and anthropologists, who have signed an online petition launched by art historian Natalia Majluf urging President Martín Vizcarra to block plans for the airport and find it a new home.
"The airport planned to be built in Chinchero, Cusco, endangers the conservation of one of the most important historical and archaeological sites in the world," the petition says. "An airport in the surroundings of the Sacred Valley will affect the integrity of a complex Inca landscape and will cause irreparable damage due to noise, traffic and uncontrolled urbanization."
Traslaviña described the outskirts of Cuzco and the picturesque Inca town of Chinchero as an unspoiled landscape. Ancient terraced pastures, dotted by small huts that are occupied by llama herders, stretch between the two districts, he told NPR. The local economy relies almost entirely on tourism, textile production and farming.
"The Royal Road, called Capac Ñan, is not a site protected by UNESCO, but it is like a massive landscape," Traslaviña said of the 500-year-old path that has been considered "the grandest engineering achievement of the pre-Hispanic Americas."
For conservationists, the terraces themselves are archaeologically significant, as are the stepped granite roads that connect them. Opponents also say the new plane routes would lead to low-passing flights over Ollantaytambo, site of another centuries-old Inca city.
According to Traslaviña, technical surveys of the region by the Ministry of Culture omit the existence of at least four similar roads crossing through the area. They also fail to note nearby lagoons, terraces and wildlife that would be affected by the construction, he said.
But government officials dispute these arguments.
Following reports by The Guardian about ongoing protests against the president in May, Vizcarra said years of research have gone into limiting any negative environmental impacts.
A number of studies and evaluations were conducted over the past 15 years, Vizcarra told reporters. "This is not an improvisation," he exclaimed, adding, "The Chinchero Airport moves ahead!"
Government officials have assured the public they are approaching the project "with transparency and with the highest-quality standards."
Minister of Transportation Edmer Trujillo said the process is adhering to construction laws.
They also argue the airport is a necessity that cannot be put off any longer. Hotelier Juan Stoessel, who is also vice president of Cuzco's tourism agency, told El Comercio that the existing airport there is "poorly located within the city, impossible to be expanded and will reach its limit of operations in three or four years."
Stoessel added that it cannot support future tourist growth.
Traslaviña is baffled by that logic, maintaining that Machu Picchu already teeters on the verge of chaos, overrun by too many tourists. While it was built by the Incas to occupy fewer than 1,000 people at any given time, in 2016 more than 1.4 million people climbed its steps.
It has been years since the government increased the number of daily maximum visitors to more than double the number recommended by UNESCO.
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#1063 – 1954 3¢ Lewis and Clark Expedition
$0.50FREE with 130 points!
- MM420245x30mm 50 Horizontal Clear Bottom-Weld Mounts
3¢ Lewis and Clark Expedition
Issue Date: July 28, 1954
City: Sioux City, IA
Printing Method: Rotary Press
Perforations: 11 x 10.5
Quantity: 116,078,150
Color: Violet brown
U.S. #1063 commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Lewis and Clark Explore the American Northwest (1804-06)
When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, he and his private secretary, Army Captain Meriwether Lewis, began to plan an expedition to explore the American West. Jefferson had many goals for the expedition. He hoped to establish a land-and-water route from the Atlantic to the Pacific, make contact with Indian tribes, and gather scientific information. In 1803, Congress appropriated funding for the expedition. Then, with the surprise acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase, the necessity of a survey of the West increased the importance of the journey. It was also hoped that the expedition would make land claims to the Oregon Territory.
Jefferson named Lewis the head of the expedition, and Lewis in turn named William Clark as his co-commander. The expedition members traveled about 8,000 miles on their journey. They departed from a camp near St. Louis, Missouri, in May 1804 and returned to the city in September 1806. The explorers had traveled up the Missouri and Jefferson Rivers, crossed the Rocky Mountains (with the help of the female Indian guide Sacajawea), then followed the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers down to the Pacific Ocean. On the return trip, the party split up to cover more ground. Lewis went down the Marias River, and Clark descended the Yellowstone. The expedition was greeted by cheering crowds as they returned to St. Louis on September 23, 1806.
An enormous success, the Lewis and Clark expedition allowed the U.S. to claim the Oregon region, which included the modern states of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. It established peaceful contact with many Indian tribes, and described the area’s natural resources. As a result, it opened vast new territories to American settlers.
1953-54 Commemorative Stamp Year Set
1950-59 Commemoratives, 118 stamps
1954 3¢ Kansas Territory
1954 3¢ Nebraska Territory
1954 3¢ George Eastman
1953 3¢ General George S. Patton, Jr.
1953 3¢ New York City
1953 5¢ Opening of Japan Centennial
1953 3¢ Louisiana Purchase
1953 3¢ Gadsden Purchase
1952 3¢ Mt. Rushmore Memorial
1954 3¢ Columbia University
1953 3¢ Ohio Statehood
1953 3¢ Sagamore Hill
1953 3¢ Future Farmers of America
1953 3¢ Washington Territory
1952 3¢ Betsy Ross
1952 3¢ B. & O. Railroad
1953 3¢ American Bar Association
1953 3¢ Trucking Industry
1953 3¢ National Guard
1951 3¢ Colorado Statehood
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25 Christmas Movies To Watch Up Until Christmas On Netflix Canada To Get In The Holiday Spirit
A movie for every day up until Christmas!
It's safe to say that the holiday season is one of the best times of the year. From local holiday markets to seasonal treats, there are tons of reasons to be excited about the holidays. Though one part of the season in specific that's especially fun is watching a good holiday movie or two. Thankfully, Netflix Canada has a ton of options to enjoy if you are looking to get in the festive spirit.
READ MORE: Netflix's Newest Christmas Movie "The Princess Switch" Is Awful But You'll Love It Anyway
So if you are looking to enjoy a holiday movie every day up until the big day, we've got you covered! From holiday-themed romances to belly bursting comedies, we've compiled 25 of the best Netflix Canada holiday movies for you to ring in the Christmas season with!
We might as well start off strong with one of the most iconic holiday titles there is when it comes to the festive season. Following the lives of several Brits throughout the holiday season, this movie deserves all the praise it gets considering you don't just get a heartwarming story but also a ton of laughs and even a few tear-jerking moments (happy ones, that is!)
If you are looking for a flick that balances romance and comedy to a near T, The Holiday is the perfect movie for you. The story follows two women played by Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet where one is based in Los Angeles and the other in London. Both of them have gone through rough breakups near the holiday season so they decide to swap lives and move into each other's homes where they each find themselves caught up in whirlwind romances. The movie is as hilarious as it is heartwarming!
While Once Upon A Deadpool is set to hit theatres this December, there is another movie from Ryan Reynolds' past that features his Deadpool-esc humour but has a more contemporary holiday flick storyline. In Just Friends, you watch Reynolds play a former fat kid in high school turned hot shot who returns home for the holidays to try and win over his high school crush.
Four Christmases
Any late 2000's movie starring Vince Vaughn is a good one, and his holiday movie with Reese Witherspoon is no exception. Four Christmases follows a couple who spend each Christmas away on vacation in an effort to avoid their families. When their flight gets cancelled and their families find out about their excuses, they're forced to attend four family Christmases. As a result, you're taken through each insanely dysfunctional get-together with each one funnier than the one before it!
The night before Christmas, three best friends come together for one last crazy drug-fulled night where they attempt to celebrate every religion's Winter holiday before they become real adults. Starring Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie and Mindy Kaling, this movie is way too funny to miss out on.
Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman star in this holiday flick that follows employees who have had their company Christmas party cancelled by their boss. That is until they decide to turn it into an undercover rager in an attempt to win over some clients they invite in a last ditch effort to save the company. This movie is all kinds of crazy and hilarious in the best way possible!
Billy Thornton plays Willie, arguably the worst mall Santa there could ever be, but when a kid continues to visit him throughout the holiday season after being bullied, Willie decides to help him stand up for himself. In the end, they both learn something from each other in this hilarious but also heartwarming flick!
The best way to describe The Family Man is that it's a twist on It's A Wonderful Life. The story follows Jack Campbell, an investment banker who thinks he has everything he wants but gets to experience what his life could have been if he married his high school sweetheart. The heartwarming flick set during the holiday season reminds you that money isn't everything.
What's funnier than watching Shrek attempt to hold his very first Christmas?! The animated favourite is perfect for all ages and is just as hilarious as the original series of movies, just with a holiday twist perfect to watch while you hide from the cold!
The Christmas Chronicles
This latest Netflix Original starring Kurt Russell has been compared to the iconic Santa Claus series and is sure to warm your heart as well as earn a few laughs. The story follows Santa as he enlists the help of local children to help him save the holidays.
Holiday Breakup
The Holiday Breakup follows a couple who have broken up right before the holiday season but decide to pretend to stay together in order to feel less victimized during the most romantic time of the year. The movie is as awkward as it is funny and for any fans of David Dobrik, this movie actually features Jason Nash, a frequent member of the Youtuber's vlogs.
Merry Kissmas
Merry Kissmas follows a woman who is dealing with a relationship that is losing its spark after pushing her holiday wedding back later in the year. While trying to figure out her feelings, she finds herself caught in a love triangle after meeting a caterer. As a result, you get to watch her attempt to choose between the perfect life or the perfect guy.
Christian Mingle
If you are on a bit of a Mean Girls kick after watching Ariana Grande's Thank U, Next music video, you can watch Gretchen Weiners in action in her own holiday flick! Watch as she turns to Christian Mingle after being unsuccessful in finding love, even though she isn't Christian. She ends up finding a man she falls for but has to figure out how and when to tell the truth, and if he will still love her after what she's done.
A Holiday Engagement
In an effort to fend off her family's questions during the holidays on why she is still single, Hillary decides to hire a man named David to come to her home for the holiday season to pose as her fiancé. Soon the charade turns into something real but Hillary has to find out if David feels the same way, or if he's just really good at his job.
A Christmas Prince
Hailed as the worst movie from last Christmas, this movie is so unbelievably bad that it's good and you should take this holiday season as yet another excuse to watch it again. Viewers get to follow a writer who travels to Aldovia undercover to learn more about a controversial prince for a story but ends up falling for him.
Angel Of Christmas
Angel of Christmas follows a woman whose family owns an angel Christmas tree topper that her parents believe is a magical heirloom that brings people together. While she isn't as convinced when she finds love with a man throughout the holiday season, she realizes maybe the magic of Christmas isn't so far-fetched after all.
Once Upon A Holiday
If you are looking for a movie along the lines of The Princess Diaries but with a holiday twist, Once Upon a Holiday is perfect for you! The story follows a royal princess who runs away from the castle for a few days during the holidays to escape her obligations. In the process, she runs into a man who has no idea who she is and ends up falling in love.
Christmas Crush
Yet another Mean Girls alumni can be spotted on this list but this time it's none other than Aaron Samuels! While Jonathan Bennet plays Ben, the love interest yet again, in this movie he is at a holiday school reunion where Georgia, a 28-year-old fashion designer, is torn between earning the love of her old fling Craig back or discovering a love she never knew was there before.
Christmas Inheritance
If you are in the mood for a heartwarming cheesy flick, definitely add Christmas Inheritance to your list. The movie follows a trust fund child who in an attempt to show her father she is ready to inherit the CEO position of his company, returns to Snow Falls, the town where it all began to give some letters to his brother. In the process, she gets stranded in the town as a result of a snowstorm and learns that the high life isn't the only way to be happy, and must choose between the man she meets and falls for in Snow Falls or the man she has back at home.
Christmas Ranch
Lizzy, who gets kicked out of her own house for Christmas is left to spend the holidays with her grandmother on her ranch. While she initially hates it, she begins to love the ranch and is heartbroken when she discovers it will soon be shut down because her grandmother can't afford to keep it running. As a result, viewers get to watch Lizzy attempt to save the ranch in this heartwarming flick!
The Princess Switch
The Princess Switch follows Vanessa Hudgens who plays two different characters who are doppelgangers of each other, where one is a baker and the other is royalty. When the baker is invited into the castle to compete in a competition and meets her look alike, they both decide to swap lives for a few days and in the process fall for the men they meet.
This movie follows a woman named Crystal who comes across a little girl's letter to Santa where she asks for him to make her father happy again after dealing with the loss of his wife. Crystal takes the letter as a sign that she is meant to fall in love with this man so she sets out to find the pair and finds herself in an unlikely romance.
The Holiday Calendar
This Netflix Original follows Kat Graham, known for her role on The Vampire Diaries, as Abby when she realizes the advent calendar her grandfather gave her is magical. As a result, she earns several gifts such as a new job opportunity and even a chance at love throughout the holiday season.
You Can't Fight Christmas
This flick follows a family run hotel that relishes in the Christmas spirit but as a result of falling attendance, a Scrooge of an executive comes in and demands an overhaul. In an attempt to show the true meaning of Christmas and save the hotel, the workers band together to show the beauty of Christmas and family.
Christmas Wedding Planner
Remember The Wedding Planner starring Jennifer Lopez? Think of this as the Christmas version with a twist that follows a planner named Kelsey who is planning her cousin's wedding. While everything is initially going smoothly, a private investigator shows up and attempts to overthrow Kelsey's plans for his own investigation. The pair ends up banding together and in the process fall in love.
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Tag: 557th WW
2 WS shares Halloween down under
On Halloween, nearly 430 people from Exmouth – a town of about 2,000 located on Western Australia’s Northwest coast – visited a haunted house built by Airmen from 2nd Weather Squadron’s Detachment 1. The popularity of the detachment’s haunted house is underscored by the fact that Australia isn’t known for celebrating Halloween, however, its popularity has been on the rise in recent years.
557th WW Airmen find innovative cyber solutions
Innovation is more important than ever. The 2018 National Defense Strategy has called for rapid innovation and to “deliver performance at the speed of relevance.” 557th Weather Wing Airmen have a history of finding ways to innovate, working smarter to save money and deliver new capabilities and their efforts are benefiting the Air Force Weather community and the Air Force at large.
2nd WXG holds change of command
The 2nd Weather Group held its change of command ceremony July 11, 2018, at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Col. Patrick Williams assumed command from outgoing commander Col. Jason Patla in a ceremony officiated by 557th Weather Wing Commander Col. Brian Pukall.
Weather wing under new leadership
The 557th Weather Wing held a change of command ceremony in their auditorium June 24.U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Mark C. Nowland, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) commander, presided over the event as U.S. Air Force Col. Steven Dickerson took command of the 557th WW from U.S. Air Force Col. William Carle.When searching through possible wing
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Fox's O'Reilly Lands Super Bowl Sitdown with Obama
By Greg Wilson
Published Jan 7, 2011 at 2:18 PM | Updated at 2:30 PM EST on Jan 7, 2011
Fox newsman Bill O'Reilly has landed a Super Bowl Sunday sitdown with President Obama.
The president has a custom of granting a pre-game interview to the network that is broadcasting the Super Bowl, according to White House spokesman Josh Earnest. Last year, it was with Katie Couric on CBS. O'Reilly is the "fair and balanced" network's biggest personality, and he interviewed Obama two months prior to his election in 2008.
The White House has sparred with Fox, which many perceive to be a conservative-slanted network run by former Republican operative Roger Ailes. But Obama did have a sit-down with Fox anchor Bret Baier last March.
The Feb. 6 interview will be taped at the White House.
Selected Reading: The Associated Press, Fox, Time.
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Home » News & Publications » News » Science News » 2019 DOE Performance Portability Meeting Breaks New Ground
2019 DOE Performance Portability Meeting Breaks New Ground
NERSC Staff Share their Expertise at Annual Best Practices Conference
Contact: Kathy Kincade, kkincade@lbl.gov, +1 510 495 2124
Some 150 representatives from national labs, academia, and the vendor community attended the 2019 DOE Performance, Portability, and Productivity in Denver, Colo., in April.
The 2019 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Performance, Portability, and Productivity Annual Meeting in Denver, Colo., once again brought together representatives from national labs, academia, and the vendor community to share ideas, progress, and challenges in achieving performance portability across DOE’s current and future supercomputers.
Scientists and engineers running application software on DOE supercomputers face formidable challenges getting their codes to run at top performance across a variety of systems and architectures. This forum was launched in 2016 by Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Sandia, Argonne and Oak Ridge national laboratories to develop strategies on how to achieve performance without having to individually tune each application for each specific target platform. The conversation involves developers of applications, software libraries, and frameworks as well as computer language and compiler experts and staff from supercomputer facilities.
What started as a meeting among facility staff in 2016 has become much broader in its scope and goals, noted Doug Doerfler, an HPC architecture and performance engineer in the Advanced Technologies Group at NERSC who co-chaired the meeting and led the program committee. For example, this year’s meeting included a number of talks from invited speakers, and attendees came from a more extensive vendor and international base than in previous years.
“We intentionally expanded our outreach to vendors who aren’t necessarily just vendors for our machines,” Doerfler said. “In addition, we had representation from Pacific Northwest and National Renewable Energy national laboratories, the Atomic Weapons Establishment in the UK, and leading researchers from academia in the U.S. and Europe.”
The speaker presentations covered a broader swath of topics as well, featuring experts in a number of individual topics, including compilers, programming frameworks, and programming environments. “We had 12 invited speakers, all experts in their respective fields,” Doerfler said. “These are the people who sit on the standards committees and define what’s going on.”
Several NERSC staff also participated in this year’s meeting; Jack Deslippe and Rebecca Hartman-Baker were on the program committee and each chaired a session, as did Thorsten Kurth. Brian Austin, Chris Daley, Rahul Gayatri, and Kevin Gott gave presentations on topics ranging from “Evaluation of OpenMP performance on GPUs” and “AMReX: Enabling applications on GPUs” to “Does domain-specific hardware spell the end for performance portability?”
“The importance of this meeting is really coming from the fact that, within the DOE, among the large HPC facilities, we are seeing a number of different types of computer architectures being deployed,” Deslippe said. “And it’s not uncommon that our users would have accounts on many of these systems, systems even outside the DOE. As a result, our users have consistently told us is that portability is important for them – they don’t want to have to write a separate version of their code for each of these systems.”
Equally important is longevity, he added; users don’t want to have to rewrite their code every few years when something new comes out. “This plays into NERSC’s transition to exascale architectures,” Deslippe continued. “As we go from Edison (a fairly traditional system), to Cori (a manycore Intel architecture), to Perlmutter (a GPU-accelerated system), to eventually whatever NERSC-10 is going to be it has been really important for us to be able to provide guidance around a portable transition strategy for our users so that they are making improvements to their codes that will pay off for many years to come.”
Preparing for HPC's Next Generations
Attendees at the Performance Portability meeting come away with a plethora of best practices recommendations that help guide their development efforts and influences the direction of future architectures and applications.
“For application developers, one of the things they get out of this is recommendations for the best way to portably target different architectures,” Deslippe said. “But then there’s another aspect to it, where the people who are developing programming models and libraries and frameworks are learning from each other and pushing these frameworks toward production-quality tools that the community can rely on – things like getting these concepts into the standards and increasing the maturity of the available tools and frameworks that code teams can take advantage of.”
“It’s an opportunity for them to see how their tools are being used and issues that are coming up,” Doerfler added. “It’s a venue for the customers and the tool developers within industry and within the DOE to get together and have face-to-face interaction.”
Hartman-Baker, who leads NERSC’s User Engagement Group and has been participating in the performance portability meeting since its inception, noted that her group is especially focused on the usability of HPC systems. “Without this important effort focused on portability,usability across HPC systems could be drastically impaired,” she said. “I enjoy the discussions across vendors and their customer base that enable us all to share perspectives and adopt new ideas.”
Participating in these collaborative performance portability efforts has an additional positive effect when it comes to the NERSC Exascale Science Applications Program, Deslippe noted. “We are learning what teams at other facilities are doing; we are learning some of the new features that are available in these tools, libraries, and frameworks that our community can take advantage of; and hopefully we are also influencing the computer scientists who are putting together these tools that the domain scientists are using,” he said.
For NERSC staff who attended, this year’s meeting also served as a way to prepare not just for the Perlmutter/NERSC-9 system due in 2020 but for NERSC-10 as well. “While Perlmutter will have its GPUs and CPUs, with NERSC-10 we anticipate even more heterogeneity in our architecture,” Doerfler said. “So we need to learn as much as we can about all this now, to be ready.
About NERSC and Berkeley Lab
The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility that serves as the primary high-performance computing center for scientific research sponsored by the Office of Science. Located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the NERSC Center serves more than 7,000 scientists at national laboratories and universities researching a wide range of problems in combustion, climate modeling, fusion energy, materials science, physics, chemistry, computational biology, and other disciplines. Berkeley Lab is a DOE national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified scientific research and is managed by the University of California for the U.S. DOE Office of Science. »Learn more about computing sciences at Berkeley Lab.
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Archives|Man to Be Tried on Charge Of Slaying Father in Prison
https://nyti.ms/1OUadJu
Man to Be Tried on Charge Of Slaying Father in Prison
May 27, 1972, Page 60Buy Reprints The New York Times Archives
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa.. May 26 (AP)—An Indiana man will be tried in Federal court on a charge that he murdered his father during a visit to Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary, where his father was imprisoned on an espionage conviction.
United States Magistrate William H. Askey, after a preliminary hearing today, ordered the Federal trial for Robert Lee Johnson, 22 years old, of Greenwood, Ind. He is charged with the stabbing death of Robert Lee Johnson Sr., 51, who was sentenced in 1965 to 25 years for giving Government secrets to the Soviet Union.
Two prison guards testified about the younger Johnson's visit with his father, on May IS. Neither guard, however, said he saw the stabbing take place. They did say that they saw knife on the visiting room floor.
Johnson was ordered held without bail.
A version of this archives appears in print on May 27, 1972, on Page 60 of the New York edition with the headline: Man to Be Tried on Charge Of Slaying Father in Prison. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Theater|At the Tonys, Moments to Remember
At the Tonys, Moments to Remember
From left: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom Jr., Cynthia Erivo and Daveed Diggs.CreditCreditSara Krulwich/The New York Times
In a Tony Awards night shadowed by the tragedy in Orlando, Fla., prizewinners and other performers worked hard to strike a balance between joy and reflection. Here are some moments to remember:
The Hardest-Working Man in Showbiz
Soon after delivering a tremulous speech addressed to the TV audience (“Hate will never win”), the Tonys host, James Corden, dove into a breathless mash-up of 20 Broadway hits, concluding with some elegant hoofing to “We’re in the Money” from “42nd Street.”
#TonysSoDiverse
“Think of tonight as the Oscars, but with diversity,” Mr. Corden joked in his opening monologue. And the show delivered: In a first for Broadway, Tony voters gave the four musical performance awards to black actors: Cynthia Erivo of “The Color Purple” and Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry and Daveed Diggs of “Hamilton.”
A Poem for the Moment
In his acceptance speech for best score for “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda provided the broadcast’s emotional high point, reading a sonnet he had written that cited “senseless acts of tragedy” and included the repeated “and love is love, is love, is love, is love” that brought down the house.
Asked later why he decided to address the situation this way, he said: “We live in this world where beautiful and horrible things exist at the same time. You can’t let that go by, particularly when theater doesn’t exist without the L.G.B.T. community.”
Not only did a pregnant Audra McDonald tap her heart out in the “Shuffle Along” production number, she later presented the prize for best actress in a musical — a category in which she was overlooked. With six Tonys already, it’s easier to take things in stride.
Frank Langella’s four Tony Award wins, from left: “Seascape” (with Rita Moreno, who won for her role in “The Ritz”); “Fortune’s Fool” (with Alan Bates); “Frost/Nixon” and “The Father.”CreditFrom left: Getty Images; Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Caitlin Ochs for The New York Times
A Record-Breaking Win
In winning best leading actor in a play for “The Father,” Frank Langella tied Boyd Gaines for the most Tonys won by a male actor. He used his acceptance speech to movingly remember the victims of the massacre in Orlando, Fla.
“I’m now a 78-year-old man, and I react to things a lot more profoundly than I did when I was 60, when I was 50 or 40,” Mr. Langella said. “This constant violence and sense of madness that seems to be pervading this country is terrifying.”
He continued: “I urge you, Orlando, to be strong. I’m standing in a room full of the most generous human beings on earth, and we will be with you every step of the way.”
Mr. Langella’s other Tonys were for his roles in “Seascape” (1975); “Fortune’s Fool” (2002) and “Frost/Nixon” (2007).
Silver ribbons worn at the Tony Awards by, top left, Brandon Victor Dixon; top right, Justin Mikita, left, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson; bottom left, Emilio and Gloria Estefan; bottom right, Lin-Manuel Miranda.CreditPhotographs by Larry Busacca/Getty Images
A Last-Minute Addition
The costume designer William Ivey Long said he scrambled to make some 3,000 commemorative ribbons in the basement of the Beacon Theater, where the ceremony was held.
In an interview on the red carpet, Mr. Long said the ribbons were a small way for Broadway to show its support for the victims and their families in Orlando.
”You’re helpless because you’re here,” he said. “We wanted to open our arms and show love, that we understand.”
Barbra Streisand and Daveed Diggs at the Tony Awards ceremony.CreditLeft: Sara Krulwich/The New York Times; Right: Evan Agostini/Invision
Mr. Diggs almost upstaged his own acceptance speech by wearing a jacket with gaudy patchwork sleeves that you almost couldn’t take your eyes off. Meanwhile, Barbra Streisand’s vintage-lace look seemed almost a spoiler, giving the nod to “Hamilton” as best musical before she’d even opened the envelope.
She joked, “Thank God I picked the right outfit.”
As the camera panned to show nominees for best director of a musical, it focused on the actor Christopher Fitzgerald, not Michael Arden, the director of “Spring Awakening.”
Mr. Arden later tweeted:
“If you know anything about me I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life — what some would consider the lifeblood of a woman’s career — just trying to have children. And I get to testify in front of all of you that the Lord gave me Benjamin and Brielle and then he still gave me this. Thank you.”
— Ms. Goldsberry accepting her Tony.
In Praise of Theater Parents
From the show’s opening number, in which Mr. Corden glanced back fondly on his formative years as a bespectacled kid with big dreams, parents were paid tribute throughout the night for the encouragement they offered and sacrifices they made for their now-successful sons and daughters. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Diggs thanked his father for joining him in a preschool gymnastics performance in which they both wore “matching rainbow tights,” and his mother for “permission to do something that everyone else wasn’t doing.”
Later in the program, Mr. Corden found his father in the audience and asked him how he thought the show was going. “It’s great, mate,” he replied, “but it’s going on a bit, isn’t it?”
Compiled by Mike Hale, Scott Heller, Charles Isherwood, Dave Itzkoff and Erik Piepenburg.
Tonys Draw Almost 9 Million Viewers to CBS
Tony Awards Hail ‘Hamilton’ and Denounce Hate
The Tonys: A Polished Night of Selling Broadway, With Nods to a Tragedy
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History of Cricket - Prior to World War 1
Cricketnext Staff |December 25, 2018, 3:11 PM IST
Cricket is the second most watched sport in the world after football. It originated in South-East England in the late 16th century before becoming the national sport of England in the 18th century. However, it started developing globally only in the 19th and 20th centuries. Matches between countries have taken place since 1844 while the first Test match took place between Australia and England in 1877.
Let us attempt to trace the evolution and growth of cricket from its infancy through the years up to World War I.
The first definite reference to cricket was in the year 1598, according to the modern calendar. Initially, it was played by children before it was taken up by adults in the beginning of the 17th century. While there have been numerous match-fixing scandals in cricket since the mid to late 1990s and even after the turn of the new millennium, most cricket fans will react with amusement and outrage to know that gambling in cricket has been prevalent since 1660. In 1664 the Parliament passed the Gaming Act 1664 which limited stakes in cricket to 100 GBP. Cricket had become a significant gambling sport by the end of the 17th century with a match involving Sussex in 1697, played for as high as 50 guineas a side.
By the 18th century, cricket was introduced to other parts of the globe. It was introduced to the West Indies by colonists and to India by the British East India Company mariners. It arrived in Australia by 1788 and in New Zealand and South Africa by the early years of the 19th century.
The basic rules of cricket such as bat and ball, the wicket, pitch dimensions etc. have existed since time immemorial. In 1728, the Duke of Richmond and Alan Brodick drew up the rules of agreement which determined the code of practice in a particular game. In 1744, The Laws of Cricket were codified for the first time and then amended again for the first time in 1774 when innovations like LBW, middle stump and maximum bat width were added. These laws stated “the principals shall choose from amongst all the gentlemen, two umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes”. Ultimately the MCC was formed at Lord’s in 1787. The MCC immediately became the custodian of the Laws and has made periodic revisions and recodifications.
All modern-day county clubs in England were formed in the 19th century with Sussex being the first in 1839. The original form of bowling involved rolling the ball along the ground as in bowls, before bowlers began to experiment with changes of line, length and pace sometime after 1760. The emergence of the railway network in England in the mid and late 19th century helped in making the game more popular as teams could play each other without a prohibitively time-consuming journey and that also meant that more spectators could view the matches thereby enhancing the popularity of the game.
In 1864, another bowling revolution took place with the legislation of overarm bowling and that was also the year that the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack was first published. Around this time, William Gilbert Grace became the first truly great superstar of cricket and his feats, particularly in batting did much to revolutionize the game.
The first ever international cricket match between countries took place between the USA and Canada at the St George’s cricket Club in New York. In 1859 a team of English professionals set off to North America for the first ever overseas tour and in 1862 the first ever English team toured Australia. Between May and October 1868, the first ever Australian Aborigines team toured England and this was the first ever Australian team to tour overseas.
In March 1877, the first Test match was played between Australia and England in 1877 and the tense finish between the two teams at the Oval in 1882 gave birth to the Ashes. The Ashes is a Test series between England and Australia usually of 5 Tests. The term originated in a satirical obituary in the British newspaper, ‘The Sporting Times’ after Australia’s victory at the Oval in 1882, which was their first ever Test victory in England. The obituary stated that English cricket had died and that the body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia. England’s captain Ivo Bligh, vowed to win back those Ashes during his team’s tour of Australia in 1882-83. The English media therefore dubbed the tour as the quest to regain the Ashes. England won 2 out of the 3 Tests on that tour and a group of women from Melbourne presented an urn to the English captain which contained the ashes of a wooden bail and which were said to be the ashes of Australian cricket. The urn has never been the official Trophy of the Ashes but replicas of the urn are held aloft by the teams that won the Ashes in subsequent series.
In 1889, South Africa became the third team to play Test cricket and another significant development took place when the County Championship was instituted in England in 1890. Australia instituted the Sheffield Shield in 1892-93 and a lot of other countries followed suit by introducing their own national competitions soon. These included the Currie Cup in South Africa, the Plunkett Shield in New Zealand and the Ranji Trophy in India. The period between 1890 till 1914 is nostalgically called the Golden Age because it marked the emergence of a number of superstars in cricket apart from WG Grace. They included Wilfred Rhodes, Ranjitsinhji and Victor Trumper.
Without being condescending, even a six or seven-year-old today knows that an over in cricket constitutes 6 balls but this was not always the case. Cricket started with 4 balls an over and in 1889 it became 5 balls an over. In 1900 it became 6 balls which is what is prevalent currently. Some countries experimented with 8 balls an over. The most recent version of the Laws of cricket permits only 6 balls an over. The ICC which was originally called the Imperial Cricket Conference was founded in 1909.
In later years there have been Triangular Series in ODIs and T20Is between nations, but not many know that there was a Triangular Test series in 1912 between the 3 Test playing nations at that time. In 1909, at a meeting of the ICC, the tournament was proposed to be played every 4 years with the first being played in England in 1912. During those days, Tests in England were played over 3 days rather than 5 and the month of August 1912 was considered to be the wettest summer in the entire 20th century. Moreover, pitches were uncovered in those days which meant that batsmen were at a distinct disadvantage. Australia sent a weakened side without 6 of its top players due to a dispute between players and management. Therefore, a lack of popularity meant that no further editions of this tournament were held. The reasons for the lack of popularity were the poor crowds, an unusually wet English summer and uncompetitive cricket caused mainly by a weakened Australian team. Each team played the other two teams twice and England were adjudged the victors of the tournament with 4 wins from their 6 Tests. The Daily Telegraph said that ‘Nine Tests provided a surfeit of cricket and that contests between Australia and South Africa were not of much interest to the British public.
These days due to the advent of satellite television and the amount of money in the game, all champion cricketers are household names and are the most recognizable faces from almost any profession, in all the major cricket playing countries. Prior to the first World War, WG Grace was without doubt the most famous cricketer of his generation. No article or documentary on cricket will be complete without mentioning some of his exploits. He was a doctor by profession and is known not just for his cricketing feats (of which there were many) but also for his quirky nature, sense of humour and at times atrocious behavior.
He played cricket for a record equaling 44 seasons, from 1865 to 1908. He was an outstanding all-rounder but excelled primarily as a batsman. Grace was also extremely good in soccer, golf, lawn bowls and curling. He was extremely famous for his cricketing ability but was also considered highly controversial because of his gamesmanship. One of his most famous quotes was “If you win the toss bat, If you are in doubt, think about it, then bat, If you have very big doubts, consult your colleagues, then bat”.
Once when he was dismissed in a match, without the umpire knowing, he calmly replaced the bails and told the bowler that the crowd had come to watch him bat and not to watch the bowler bowl. Once when an umpire gave him out LBW he told the umpire, that the crowd had come to watch him (Grace) bat and not to see the umpire. However, nothing can take away from the fact that he was a great cricketer and a great personality. He was cricket’s first ever superstar and until around 1899 he was the game’s most famous superstar. Also, because pitches were uncovered in his era, noted batsmen of the era up till World War I, can only be judged on beauty of batsmanship and elegance rather than statistics as the runs they scored would pale in comparison with that of other batsmen who played during the 1930s and beyond.
Victor Trumper was another great batsman who died tragically young of Bright’s disease in 1915 at the age of just 37. He is widely regarded as one of the truly great Test batsman before World War 1. He was famous for playing match-winning innings on wet wickets, on which his contemporaries were found wanting. Another great batsman of Trumper’s era, Archie MacLaren said “Compared to Victor I was a cab-horse to a Derby winner”. There can be no greater praise than that from one’s peers.
These days when cricket pundits and aficionados select all-time great XIs, they go by the usual parameters like batting averages and runs scored away from home and against different opposition. Sadly, for those reasons Grace and Trumper do not feature in those XIs, because they played on uncovered pitches and therefore have lower averages, and there is no television footage of their stroke play and technique. However, that should not in any way diminish their greatness. In fact, no cricketer from the 19th century features in the selection of these all-time XIs, which does not do justice to their skills.
In the first 37 years of Test cricket prior to the World War I, there were just 135 Tests played which is lesser than just 4 Tests per year, which is understandable to a certain extent as there were only 3 Test teams and anything more would be repetitive and boring. But there were enough developments in cricket as a sport from its initial days and enough great cricketers and great cricketing achievements to establish it as one of the premier sports in the world.
History of cricketpodcast
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Game of Thrones: Managing a merger as the zombies close in
by Paul Wiseman, Josh Boak And Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — It was never going to be easy to pull together a motley band of warrior eunuchs, Wildling anarchists, nomadic horse lords, fire-belching dragons and, most of all, north country folk who don’t much like or trust outsiders.
Not even when they face near certain death at the hands of an army of ice zombies.
But the “Game of Thrones” hero Jon Snow shouldn’t abandon hope. Forging cross-cultural mergers is difficult — but can pay off for those with the perseverance to see them through.
In the Associated Press’ weekly “Wealth of Westeros ” series, we’ll be following the HBO fantasy show’s latest plot twists and analyzing the economic and business forces driving the story. This week, as Snow tries to rally the realm against the Night King and his White Walkers, we look at real-life efforts to bring different cultures together in common cause.
In Episode 1 of the series’ eighth and final season, Snow is getting pushback, even from his (ostensible) sisters, as he tries to rally the North under the command of an exotic outsider: Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains, etc. And Snow has learned the hard way how risky it can be for Northmen to accept change. In fact, back in the fifth season, it got him killed (and eventually resurrected — but that’s another story).
In the actual business world, combining different cultures can be tricky. Desperation mergers, like the one Snow is trying to pull off, can be especially difficult. Struggling retailers Sears and Kmart came together in 2005 but the resulting company found itself in bankruptcy proceedings late last year. And facing competition from highways and airplanes, the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. and New York Central Railroad Co. merged in 1968 — and found themselves seeking bankruptcy protection two years later.
In a report last fall, the Harvard Business Review argued that Amazon’s much-ballyhooed takeover of Whole Foods has run into trouble because the two companies’ cultures don’t mesh. Amazon is highly structured, disciplined and known for top-down decision-making. Whole Foods traditionally took a looser approach, built around self-managing teams. The problems in combining those cultures, the authors wrote, “were completely predictable.”
The culture clash can get more complicated when mergers cross borders. Many companies don’t even try. A 2012 study in the Journal of Financial Economics found that “the volume of cross-border mergers is lower when countries are more culturally distant.”
And yet, the authors note, “Cross-border mergers occur because they create value.” Indeed, returns from cross-border mergers, they found, are 44% per cent higher than returns from domestic mergers.
Overall, University of Chicago economist Steve Kaplan rejects the widely held view that most mergers fail. When looking at the shareholder value created for both buyers and sellers for the past 30 years, “the overall value of both acquirer and acquired increases, which indicates that the market believes the announced deals will create value,” he wrote in 2016 for the “Chicago Booth Review,” a publication by the university’s business school.
Even if Sansa dislikes Daenerys, she’s still better off with dragons as part of an allied army. Likewise, Daenerys lacks the logistical know-how to feed her eunuch troops and dragons during a Westeros winter.
Yet mergers can also be fundamentally painful for those without golden parachutes, stock holdings — or, in the case of “Game of Thrones,” the right bloodline.
Consider Hoover, the famed vacuum cleaner company once based in North Canton, Ohio. It employed roughly 3,000 people around northeast Ohio in 2000, a figure that began to fall in 2004 after being acquired by Maytag. But then Whirlpool purchased Maytag a few years later, selling Hoover to Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries. Those Hoover jobs around North Canton were ultimately cut or sent to other parts of the country.
In a sense, the shareholders saw it was in their best interest not to be loyal to the community that nurtured the vacuum company. And this is part of the challenge for Jon Snow in this ad-hoc merger as the Stark sisters wonder where his loyalties ultimately lie.
At least Jon Snow has a role model as he tries to bring together Wildlings, the Unsullied, the Dothraki and the bickering houses of the North: Mance Rayder managed to unify the lands beyond the Wall against the White Walker menace, convincing such unsociable folk as giants and man-eating Thenns to join his Wildling army.
True, Rayder wound up being burned alive for refusing to accept someone else’s leadership. But grisly death is one of the risks you take when you play the Game of Thrones. Tread carefully, Jon.
Follow Paul Wiseman on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/PaulWisemanAP
Follow Josh Boak on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/JoshBoak
Follow Christopher Rugaber on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/ChrisRugaber
Read the Wealth of Westeros archives: https://www.apnews.com/WealthofWesteros
Paul Wiseman, Josh Boak And Christopher Rugaber, The Associated Press
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EU Trade Commissioner Malmström says New Zealand and the EU are "like-minded partners" when it comes to trade. Photo: Getty Images.
JUNE 18, 2018 Updated June 15, 2018
Sam Sachdeva
Sam Sachdeva is Newsroom's political editor, covering foreign affairs, trade, defence, and security issues.
EU Trade Commissioner makes case for NZ deal
After years of discussions, the European Union is officially launching trade deal negotiations with New Zealand. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström is headed to New Zealand this week, and spoke to Sam Sachdeva ahead of her visit about what the EU will get out of the deal - as well as the shaky state of international trade.
With 28 member countries, each with their own agendas, no decision comes easily for the European Union.
It was October 2015 when the EU and New Zealand first started work on a possible FTA: now, nearly three years later, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström is heading to New Zealand for the official launch of negotiations.
Speaking to Newsroom from Brussels ahead of her visit this week, Malmström admits it took longer than expected to receive a mandate from the EU Foreign Affairs Council, but says she is keen to make up for lost time.
While improved access to the 500 million people in the EU market holds an obvious appeal for New Zealand, what the EU nations get out of the deal is less obvious; the EU’s own assessment estimates a boost to New Zealand’s GDP of up to 0.5 percent, but just 0.02 percent for itself.
Malmström describes New Zealand as a “small but very powerful economy”, pointing to the ability to improve not only trade in goods and services, but public procurement and cooperation on standards.
“I read this morning in your [website] about this company who is doing skin replacements - I mean this is fantastic, and of course if we talk about standards when it comes to clinical trials and so on, these are the kinds of companies who could also sell to each other.”
EU, NZ 'like-minded' on trade
There’s also a symbolic element to a deal with New Zealand, who she describes as “a friend, an ally, a very like-minded partner” on trade issues.
Trade and Export Growth Minister David Parker has talked about the EU negotiations as a chance to set a “gold standard” for FTAs, and Malmström says the two parties are of a similar mind when it comes to labour standards and environmental protections.
“We have the same strategy, we have the Trade for All strategy which we launched in the European Union and which the New Zealand Government launched, which also contains more of the same, I would say, ideology on trade.”
The EU also shares the current Government’s concerns about the Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanism for foreign investors, which “clearly has a lot of loopholes”.
While investment will not be covered as part of a trade deal, Malmström says she is keen to gauge New Zealand’s interest in the EU proposal for a multilateral investment court.
“[We want to] make sure that we could have some sort of international system that would take over the existing thousands of bilateral investment treaties that exist and have it on an international basis with a clear code of conduct for the judges, transparency, appeals systems and so on, but this is work that is going on in parallel.”
“Agriculture of course is important for us, it’s also a very big part of the New Zealand economy, you’re really a superpower here, so that will be tricky."
That doesn’t mean there won’t be some areas of contention: Malmström acknowledges that Europe’s agriculture sector is “almost always the trickiest thing” during negotiations.
“Agriculture of course is important for us, it’s also a very big part of the New Zealand economy, you’re really a superpower here, so that will be tricky.
“Both of us will have to make concessions and compromises but we talk that through so we know where the sensitivities are - it will not be easy, but I’m sure we can find a way.”
Separate to trade negotiations, but likely to come up during her visit, is the issue of how tariff rate quotas will be split between the UK and the EU post-Brexit.
Malmström says Brexit is “complicating life for all of us”, but is confident a solution can be found through the WTO.
Shaky picture for global trade
While she is positive about the New Zealand talks, the bigger picture is less certain when it comes to global trade.
Recently, Malmström's time has been consumed by the EU’s response to US President Donald Trump and his decision to impose trade tariffs on steel and aluminium; it has already lodged a case against the US at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
“It is obviously very worrying what the US is doing,” she says, “because they are embarking in actions that we think are not compatible with the international trading system and the WTO rulebook…
“It’s not yet a trade war but it’s a situation that could escalate and it’s very worrying.”
“[The international trade system] has served us well, it has served the US well, and it's even more important that we defend it, because if we don’t and it falls apart, then we are totally lost, it will be the total Wild West.”
On the other hand, countries like New Zealand are stepping up their negotiations and “standing up for the multilateral system” at the WTO and through trade deals, she said.
“That’s why it’s so important that we create these alliances right now and show the US that you can make good trade agreements, you can make win-win trade agreements, and if they are not participating in the system they will also lose out because their companies will not get the beneficial access that everyone else will get.”
But is the US likely to get that message? After all, the Trump administration hardly seems inclined towards the benefits of the rules-based international order.
“No, that’s correct, and that worries me of course, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of us can give up because we have created this international rules-based system together.
“It has served us well, it has served the US well, and it's even more important that we defend it, because if we don’t and it falls apart, then we are totally lost, it will be the total Wild West, and that is not beneficial for everybody.”
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Exciting new tourism initiative
The North Highland Regeneration Fund (NHRF) is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new initiative offering support to accommodation providers in the North Highlands who are serving the North Coast 500 route.
Launched on 30 June 2017 at the Queen Elizabeth Castle of Mey, the new initiative is open to both existing providers and to those looking to start up a new business. It offers low-interest loans of up to £25,000, along with access to advice, support and mentoring, with the aim of increasing the quantity and quality of accommodation within the region.
The initiative will run as a pilot project for a year from 30 June 2017, and there is a limited quantity of funding available, so those interested in applying are encouraged to get in touch with the NHRF team as soon as possible.
Lord Thurso, NHRF Chair, said: “The North Coast 500 initiative has brought real benefits to the North Highlands, and there is strong evidence that visitor numbers and tourist spend within the region are up. It’s important that we do everything we can to help the region take advantage of this growth, and to prepare for future developments.
“I have long believed that the North Highlands is one of Scotland’s hidden gems. The tourism industry in this area has a fantastic ‘can-do’ attitude, and makes every effort to provide visitors with a warm, welcoming reception. By providing assistance to this industry now, NHRF can help ensure that the North Highlands sees successful, sustainable growth for the future.
Those interested in finding out more about the initiative should visit www.nhrf.co.uk or contact the NHRF team on 01847 500103 or enquiries@nhrf.co.uk.
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Harvard Studies Marquee Nightclub
In April, Harvard Business School released the first case study conducted on the business of nightlife with a 22-page document researching the business success of New York City’s ultra-popular Marquee Nightclub, which ranked #32 on the 2009 Nightclub & Bar Top 100. Several students at the post-graduate university took an interest in the concept and pitched it to their professor, who agreed it was an absolutely relevant topic. The students met with the club’s partners: Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg, who opened up their business to the students, even divulging information that the nightlife industry usually tries to protect as if it were classified government documents.
“Obviously we were tremendously honored,” says Strauss, who accepted the students within the venue even with the understanding of the responsibility it placed on the venue. “In the past, nightlife has been perceived as a dark cloud, as a business not to be taken seriously, but we wanted to show the positive side of the business, that amazing things are happening and that real operators are running these venues the same as operators in the hotel and restaurant side of the industry.”
The students conducted a series of interviews with many members of the Marquee team, including not only Strauss and Tepperberg but also the club’s accountants, doormen, general manager and VIP services manager Andrew Goldberg. “The success of nightlife venues in New York, Las Vegas and Miami have helped bring the nightclub business to a more reputable place,” Strauss continues. “This case study helps further legitimize the industry.” Strauss and Tepperberg have played a tremendous role in the industry, not only in New York, but also in Las Vegas where the pair are co-managers of the highly successful TAO Asian Bistro, Beach Club and Nightclub (#1 on the 2009 Nightclub & Bar Top 100) and the popular LAVO Italian restaurant and nightclub.
When the case study was released, Strauss and Tepperberg were invited to Harvard to watch the presentation of the study as well as to participate in 45-minute Q&A sessions with two classes, each consisting of 75 graduate students. “It was pretty amazing, as an owner, to see some of the top young business minds in the world debate and discuss the nightlife business, where it’s going and its strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. It really sunk in that top business graduates from all over the world will be studying this as a true discipline of hospitality and that one day it will be recognized on equal footing with hotels and restaurants in the hospitality world.” When asked about his triumphant return to the Bean-town area where he studied at Boston University, Strauss laughed and noted: “I was never smart enough to cross the river when I was a student there; now they invite me to come and talk about my business. What an honor. It really was fun!”
Although it was only released within the last month, the case study has been a tremendous hit, garnering publicity and national recognition from media sources like Page Six of the New York Post. With their second Big Apple venue on the way — Avenue Lounge, which opens at the end of May and is described by Strauss as offering “cocktail cuisine in a vintage chic environment”— the pair have again offered to open their venue for a follow-up study, should the business school be interested. “A follow-up would be very interesting,” Strauss says, nothing that Avenue will open only 10 blocks down 10th Avenue from Marquee. “It would allow them to cover not only the opening of the new venue, but also the impact it has on the business at Marquee and how we handle the expansion of our company. It would be really interesting to watch and analyze the new business, especially how it affects the existing business,” Strauss says.
With a case study completed by arguably the nation’s top business school, it begs the question of the future of academic involvement in an industry that had been too quickly dismissed for many years. “Maybe sooner rather than later we will see someone really step out there with the understanding that this truly is a business, operated successfully and honestly by businessmen,” Strauss pines optimistically. “Hopefully Cornell or Stanford will be one of the first to [start a curriculum program] because they both have successful hospitality programs.” With TAO Nightclub perched atop Nightclub & Bar Magazine’s list of Top 100 grossing nightlife venues and Marquee enjoying renewed success in its sixth year of operations, one wonders if they shouldn’t just save all that tuition and go study with the ‘Deans of the Scene’ instead. Besides, wouldn’t that be much more fun?
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Aaron Rodgers putting thoughts of contract extension on back burner
Aaron Rodgers didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing a contract extension this year, but said his thoughts are elsewhere.
Aaron Rodgers putting thoughts of contract extension on back burner Aaron Rodgers didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing a contract extension this year, but said his thoughts are elsewhere. Check out this story on packersnews.com: https://pck.rs/2NJZnYE
Ryan Wood, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Published 8:41 a.m. CT July 26, 2018 | Updated 4:59 p.m. CT July 26, 2018
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws during training camp practice at Ray Nitschke Field on Thursday, July 26, 2018 in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin(Photo: Adam Wesley/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)
GREEN BAY – Aaron Rodgers didn’t dismiss the possibility of signing a contract extension this year, but now that the offseason has come and gone the Green Bay Packers quarterback said his thoughts are elsewhere.
The Packers embarked on their training camp Thursday with one major item on their offseason to-do list unresolved. Rodgers has two years left on the $110 million extension he signed in 2013, but for months the plan has been to extend Rodgers — presumably before the 2018 season.
Rodgers opened the door to a deal being reached after the regular season begins, but contract extensions usually are signed before then. To hear Rodgers discuss his situation Thursday, there’s a good reason why.
“I don’t know if there’s a timetable,” Rodgers said. “The feelings haven’t changed. Obviously, I’d love to be here, and I think they’ve spoken at length about wanting to extend my deal. But now that I’m here, my focus is definitely on other places. It’s on my teammates, my leadership role, my performance on the field. That’s why I have (agent) Dave Dunn to take care of all that stuff.”
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Five months ago at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, general manager Brian Gutekunst said it was a “high priority” to extend Rodgers’ contract. Gutekunst didn’t set a deadline for reaching a deal, and negotiations are ongoing.
There is still time to extend Rodgers’ contract before the season starts. After the Packers shareholders meeting Wednesday night, president Mark Murphy said he isn’t disappointed or concerned an extension has yet to be signed and expressed confidence a deal will be reached.
Murphy did not, however, give any indication when that might happen.
“I don’t want to put a time frame on it,” Murphy said, “but I’m confident we’ll work it out.”
Rodgers’ contract doesn’t expire until after the 2019 season. The Packers could then use the one-year franchise tag during the 2020 and 2021 seasons before costs would become prohibitive.
That the Packers could retain Rodgers’ rights for at least the next four seasons gives the team leverage, but Rodgers’ extension is still expected to set the market for NFL players. The bigger mystery is whether a new deal will follow a traditional structure — where some money is guarantee, but not all — or if the two sides will get creative. Examples of alternative structures could include tying Rodgers’ salary to a percentage of the cap, or perhaps fully guaranteeing the contract.
Murphy declined to say whether the Packers are willing to use a nontraditional contract structure.
“It’s all part of a negotiation,” he said.
Those negotiations, Rodgers said, didn’t entice him to hold out from training camp. Rodgers might have gained leverage to force the Packers into arriving at a deal with a lengthy absence. Around the league, fellow NFL stars such as Atlanta Falcons receiver Julio Jones and Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas took that approach.
Rodgers said he didn’t entertain the idea of a holdout, and his relationship with the team remains strong.
“I don’t really operate like that,” Rodgers said. “I have two years left on my deal. They’re obviously more than willing to talk about an extension. There wasn’t any animosity on either side.”
Buzz: Does Wilkerson still make sense for Packers?
Packers could see Manning or Giants rookie QB
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Christian Kellett (WG'09)
President - Wharton
Christian graduated with an MBA and MA from the Wharton School and the Lauder Institute in 2009. While there, he was the captain of the men’s crew team and a co-president of Out4Biz. Prior to Wharton, Christian spent seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving on ships in Japan and then in Belgium as a NATO exchange officer. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Rochester. He is currently the General Manager of Decoustics, a manufacturer of custom acoustical wall and ceilings that is part of Saint-Gobain S.A. of France. Christian is an avid cyclist. He and his partner Ralph live in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto.
For more detailed bio information, please click here.
Derek Smith (C'97)
President - Penn
As our IUCT Relations Director, Derek expands our ties to alumni from the other schools in the International University Clubs in Toronto. Derek founded Canadians at Penn, the university-wide undergraduate club, in 1995. He received his BA in 1997, then came home for law and graduate school. He has been a Bay Street lawyer for over a decade, and currently is senior counsel for TD Asset Management.
Geoffrey Gakundi (WG'15)
Geoffrey graduated in 2015 with an MBA from the Wharton School. While there he was actively involved in the Wharton African Students Association and the Wharton African American MBA association. After graduation, he lived in Philadelphia and worked at Blackrock, before moving to Toronto. He currently works in the real estate sector in Toronto at Tricon Capital Group, a real estate asset management firm focused on the residential real estate sector in North America.
GuangPing Wang-Emery (GLA'05)
GuangPing graduated in 2005 with a Master of Landscape Architecture from PennDesign. Prior to Penn, she worked at AECOM China as an urban design project manager. After graduating from Penn, GuangPing spent the next 12 years in New York City where she consulted on landscape architecture projects in Asia, North America and Middle East. While in NYC, she was was active at the Penn Club, Harvard Club, Yale Club and Asia Society. She is a UNESCO competition winner, a LEED Accredited Professional for green buildings, and a Penn Alumni Interviewer with the Secondary School Committee. GuangPing moved to Toronto in 2017.
Kim Yeung (WG'12)
Director of Wharton MBA Relations
As Director of Wharton MBA Relations, Kim acts as a touch-point between incoming Wharton MBA candidates as well as recent graduates and the alumni community in Toronto. Kim completed her MBA at Wharton in 2012 and is currently at Kensington Capital Partners, an investment firm in Toronto where she's focused on growth and venture investing.
Andrew Tiffin (WG'16)
Director at Large
Andrew graduated with an MBA from the Wharton School in 2016. While there, he was Prime Minister of the Canada Club, which grew to 192 members (only 22 Canadians!) and was voted 'Best Club on Campus' (because of the parties). Prior to Wharton, Andrew spent four years as a strategy consultant at Monitor Deloitte and his undergraduate degree is from Queen's University. He is currently the Chief of Staff to the head of North America for Uber Eats and loves to play hockey and travel in his spare time.
Rekha Sampath (WG'02)
Director of Membership
Rekha is the Director of Membership for the Penn Wharton Alumni Club of Toronto. Rekha completed her MBA at Wharton in 2002, and has since worked at a number of organizations, including Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Sun Life, Broadridge Financial and Scotiabank. She is currently Managing Director of Enterprise Initiatives, Infrastructure and Innovation at BMO Financial Group. Prior to Wharton, Rekha worked at IBM and Goldman Sachs. Rekha lives in Toronto with her husband, Manish, and their two daughters.
Daniel Yeh (SEAS'99, GEN'03)
Daniel received his undergraduate degree from Penn in Mechanical Engineering with minors in Economics & Mathematics and later his graduate degree (Masters) in Telecom engineering also from Penn. His background includes managing systems implementations and leading consulting engagements at telecom, cable companies in North America. Areas of expertise also involve supply chain consulting to the semiconductor /hi-tech manufacturing sector, internal business strategy & real estate development.
Giselle De Grandis (C'06)
Giselle is the President of the Penn side of the club.
Giselle graduated in 2006 with a BA from the College of Arts and Sciences. At Penn, Giselle was involved with the Kite and Key Society and the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project. She also worked as an editorial assistant at the Penn Press and as a research assistant at the School of Medicine while a student. After graduation, she lived in the Netherlands for several years, completing a master's degree in public policy and working for the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy. Currently Giselle is a senior business advisor with the Ontario government in a role related to energy and environmental policy and programs. Giselle is a Penn Alumni Interviewer through the Secondary School Committee.
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Perth boy makes good on Glorious opportunity
PG News @PerthGloryFC 1447837816
After making his Hyundai A-League debut as a second-half substitute in Round 4 against Western Sydney Wanderers, Aryn Williams was given his first start on Sunday against Brisbane Roar while regular right back, Josh Risdon was away en route to Bangladesh earning his first Socceroos cap.
Despite the 1-0 loss against the Roar, Williams put in a solid performance in his first A-league start, negating much of the attacking threat posed by Roar’s danger man Thomas Broich.
“I watched a couple of videos, knew what he was going to do and did my best. But obviously with Rizzo away, I got given a chance and I thought I did quite well,” said 22-year-old Williams.
A son of Western Australia Football Hall of Fame inductee and former state coach Eric Williams, Aryn grew up around the game from a very young age. He moved to England as teenager to pursue his professional career, suiting up for the Burnley youth teams from 2010 to 2013.
However, at 19 years old Burnley cut ties with the young full back.
“It’s not easy being released. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done, play football, and coming back to Australia and going into full-time work it was always a shock to the system but you know you just have to take it on the chin and I was young, only 19 and I still have a lot of years left in me to play football so I didn’t give up, and that’s the main thing that kept me going was that I just didn’t give up.”
After playing in the state league with Floreat Athena, Williams was ready to test himself on a bigger stage.
“I called up the club (Perth Glory) and just asked if they minded if I came down and trained. Just came down, was here for a little while and the opportunity came and I took it.
“I’ve known Kenny for a long time. They know what I’m about. They thought I was good enough to come down and then I’ve just shown them that I’m improving and getting fitter and stronger.”
Since coming back to Perth, Williams has been supported by his older brother Rhys who has been a regular fixture at Middlesbrough since 2007 and has appeared 14 times for the Socceroos. Aryn’s twin brother Ryan is also a footballer, currently playing for Barnsley.
“We’re very close, me and Ryan and Rhys. We talk on a regular basis. We talk about keeping your mentality and keeping your head. And if something goes wrong I just talk it out with them and there’s always ways around that. Never beat yourself up about a bad decision or anything you’ve done in the game.”
Aryn will continue to push for minutes, but with the return of Glory’s latest Socceroo Josh Risdon, Williams may have to find a different spot on the field.
“Obviously it’s down to the gaffer and it’s always good to give him a headache. I’m comfortable at other positions, but I’m most comfortable at right back.
“I’ve got to this point now by working hard, so if I work even harder I don’t know where it can take me, but I just have to show everyone that I’m capable of playing in the A-League and the rest is in the club’s hands really.”
Perth Glory hosts Sydney FC at nib Stadium on Saturday in what will be a match aimed at celebrating Perth Glory Women
Kick-off is at 4:30pm and tickets can be purchased HERE
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U.S. Producer of Recycled Coated Paper Acquired by Private Equity Firm
LEXINGTON, MA—11/09/2009—The Watermill Group announced today that it has acquired the Alsip manufacturing facility of the Madison Paper Company from Myllykoski Group. Watermill Group has renamed the newly acquired paper manufacturer FutureMark Paper Company in alignment with the company’s intent to cater to the fast-growing, underserved North American market for environmentally friendly paper. FutureMark Paper Company has the only manufacturing facility in the United States capable of producing up to 100 percent recycled coated paper for magazines and catalogs.
Located just outside Chicago, in the heart of the U.S. print market, FutureMark Paper Company’s innovative manufacturing plant was designed and equipped to produce high-quality paper in the most environmentally sustainable way. The facility’s sustainable manufacturing practices and superior paper products – made with the highest percentage of recycled fiber available anywhere in the world – are attractive to magazine publishers, catalog companies and the growing number of other organizations interested in printing on environmental-grade paper. In addition to the traditional #5 coated paper, a new premium #4 grade and food label products have been recently introduced. All products are made from recovered fiber and have been very well received by the market.
“We were drawn to this paper manufacturer for its green technology and its ability to offer a one-of-a-kind product in an otherwise commoditized market,” said Steven Karol, Founder and Managing Partner of The Watermill Group. “We believe FutureMark Paper Company is well positioned and well capitalized to make tremendous gains in the emerging market for environmentally friendly paper. We’re pleased to add FutureMark Paper Company to our investment portfolio.”
The Watermill Group brings strong assets to FutureMark Paper, including new management, an infusion of marketing expertise and capital investments to expand capacity. The new company will be led by newly appointed President and CEO Stephen Silver, an experienced chief executive with a successful
track record of leading companies through marketing transformations that result in dramatically improved sales and profits. Most recently Mr. Silver drove the successful turnaround of office furniture manufacturer Teknion LLC. Prior to that, he held leadership positions in the printing and paper industry including President and CEO of Azon Corp. and North American President of International Paper’s Ilford Photo business. FutureMark Paper intends to retain the Alsip workforce and key senior management including Steven C. Smith, VP and plant manager and Brendan Lesch, VP of Sales and Marketing.
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Back to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona
Current: Meet Our Candidates: David Schapira for ...
Meet Our Candidates: David Schapira for Superintendent of Public Instruction
By Elizabeth Hannah | April 30, 2018, 7:10 p.m.
The time to fight back — and fight forward — for reproductive justice is fast approaching. The stakes are high in this year’s state election, with candidates for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and other races on the ballot. The Arizona primary election will be held August 28, 2018, and voters need to be registeredby July 30 to cast their ballots. Reproductive health has been under attack, both nationally and statewide, but Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona has endorsed candidates who put our health and our rights first. Get to know them now in our series of “Meet Our Candidates” interviews, and make your voice heard in 2018!
David Schapira is not a newcomer to education or politics in Arizona. A passionate educator and lifelong Arizonan, Mr. Schapira has advocated for public education as an elected official for more than a decade. He has served in a diverse array of roles — ranging from the Tempe Union Governing Board to the state Senate — and this November he will challenge Republican incumbent Diane Douglas for the office of superintendent of public instruction.
Sexual and reproductive health care education are critically important to the overall well-being of Arizona’s students. Our state’s current laws regarding sex education fail students by limiting access to medically accurate information, disingenuously promoting abstinence above other contraceptive methods, and actively perpetuating homophobic myths about HIV. Our next superintendent of public instruction should be someone who will help guide Arizona out of the Stone Age and into the modern world, where young women and men are empowered to make informed decisions about their bodies and their futures.
Mr. Schapira has a track record that speaks to his support for reforming Arizona’s outdated sexual education statutes. As both a member of the Senate and a member of Tempe Union’s Governing Board, he spearheaded campaigns to include LGBTQ students in anti-bullying and anti-discrimination protections. He has also volunteered for Planned Parenthood since childhood, and played an integral role in the 2014 overhaul of Tempe Union’s sex-ed curriculum.
If elected, Mr. Schapira says he will work to restore respect to the teaching profession, which he believes has eroded as a result of the Arizona Legislature’s animosity toward public education. His open support for the #RedForEd movement stands in stark contrast to that of his opponent — Diane Douglas — who on April 24 threatened punitive action against teachers who participate in a walkout. Douglas’ stance reflects her general disdain for traditional public education, which continues to be starved by her ongoing efforts to funnel public funds into private and charter schools.
Arizona’s next superintendent of public instruction should be someone who wholeheartedly believes in the value of public education and is committed to a brighter future for all children in our state. Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona is proud to endorse David Schapira as a candidate who fulfills those ideals. On April 12, Mr. Schapira spoke with us via telephone to discuss his campaign and his vision for education in Arizona.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you are running for office.
I am an Arizona native. My family has been here for four generations — my kids are the fourth generation of Schapiras to go to public school in Arizona. The education system in this state has given so much to my family that when I got out of college, I really wanted to give back. I started my career as a high school teacher, and I loved it. Like any job, there are difficulties to being a teacher, and there are great moments. But in this state, one of those difficulties became more than I was willing to accept, and that was the lack of support from the folks at our state Capitol.
I decided to get more politically engaged and started working on behalf of other candidates who were big supporters of public schools, and when I was old enough to run for the state Legislature, in 2006, I ran for the state House against a 10-year incumbent Republican in a Republican district. I went door-to-door across my community and talked about my vision for changing and improving things in our public school system, and for restoring respect for educators at the state Capitol. It was enough for me to win my election, but there are 90 members of the Legislature, the majority of whom truly do not respect our profession.
For six years I served in the Arizona Legislature, and for four of those six years I was the ranking member of the House Education Committee. After that point, I had enough of the folks at the Capitol. I then served on my school district governing board (Tempe Union High School District), because for me it’s about trying to have as much impact as possible on the public school system in this state. A lot of people run for school board as a springboard to run for the Legislature, but I did it the other way around. For me it wasn’t about being in an important or well-recognized office, it was about having as much positive impact on schools as I could.
Last year — about this time — I found out David Garcia was running for governor, and that we really didn’t have an experienced, viable candidate running for superintendent to challenge an awful incumbent. I just felt like it was time for me to head back to the Capitol in a different capacity. It’s been 24 years since we’ve had an educator lead our education system in Arizona, and I’m ready to see that long streak end.
On that note, I wanted to ask you about the #RedForEd movement in Arizona. What effect do you think it will have on Arizona, and how will you address it if elected to office?
I actually participated in five #RedForEd actions yesterday, and have attended many others in recent weeks. Educators are out there marching for the same reason that I decided to leave the classroom and get involved in trying to change our political system. They are fed up with lawmakers who give lip service to students, teachers, parents, and schools during election years, and then actively work to dismantle the public education system once they’re elected. I think — more so than ever before — that community members across this state have come to realize that the real motivation of the folks in power in Arizona is to dismantle the public schools. People are not willing to let that happen.
These protests are about preserving opportunities for the next generation of young people in this state. We have to ensure that kids in Arizona have the same chance my grandparents had going to public schools in Tucson, and that my parents had going to public schools in Phoenix, and that my siblings and I had in Arizona public schools. Preserving that path for opportunity is so critically important that people are marching in the streets, wearing red, and calling on their elected leaders to act. I’m very supportive of those calls for action, and I’ll continue to march alongside my fellow educators from now until we start to see the changes that we believe need to happen in this state.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos recently dismissed discrimination claims from transgender students, and Arizona’s current superintendent of public instruction, Diane Douglas, has done little to address bullying in Arizona schools, even though 65 percent of LGBTQ students in Arizona report daily harassment. How will you work to address bullying and harassment in public schools, not just against transgender students, but against LGBTQ students in general, and more broadly students who come from very diverse backgrounds?
This is an issue that I’ve worked on throughout my career. In fact, during my last year in the Legislature, one of the things that I really devoted my time to was trying to pass a comprehensive anti-bullying bill. There were a few key things that I was focused on.
First, I think schools need a consistent definition of what bullying is. Some schools have their definitions tailored so narrowly that students are able to get away with really mistreating each other. For example, a definition might say that an action must include physical contact to be considered bullying, or that an instance of bullying must include a demonstrable power imbalance in favor of the bully. I think we need to do away with some of these really narrow definitions.
Something else I’ve worked on, in terms of student discipline, is to move away from tactics like detention, suspension, and expulsion. Those tactics just don’t work. They discourage students who are being bullied from reporting acts of bullying because they’re afraid of retaliation. Instead of suspending and expelling students, what we need in our schools are more restorative practices, where bullies can come to understand the impacts their actions have on other students.
We need to facilitate an environment where students who are being bullied feel like they’re being heard and that their issues are being addressed. We also need bullies to understand how their actions affect others. We hear a lot about students who commit suicide as a result of bullying, and afterward the bully says something like, “If I had only known, I never would have done it,” or “I was just joking, I didn’t know it was getting to her.” Part of the problem is that, in our school system, we just are not good at helping people understand the consequences of their actions. And the consequences aren’t just detention; the consequences are the psychological impacts that bullying has on classmates.
My bill also included an expansion of the classification of groups that are bullied. In our anti-discrimination laws in Arizona, our legislators tend to omit LGBTQI folks. I really wanted to see them protected by law, along with other groups who are bullied for varying reasons.
Additionally, the bill included training requirements to prepare teachers and administrators to address instances of bullying that come up in schools. Learning how to identify and respond to such issues is a critical component that is not always taught in colleges of education. Although our colleges of education are getting better about it, a lot of anti-bullying training does not come until graduate-level programs, so educators who have not taken graduate-level courses are often unprepared when those situations arise. One component of anti-bullying legislation is ensuring that districts have sound policies relating to bullying, intimidation, and harassment, but another is making sure that teachers and educators have access to professional development so that we’re prepared to address issues when they come up.
Presumably some of these expansions that you’re talking about come with, simply, increased funding and resources for education in Arizona.
Absolutely. This can’t be an unfunded mandate — we have to provide the tools.
Note: Despite being approved by the Arizona Senate, Mr. Schapira’s anti-bullying bill ultimately died in the Republican-controlled House. It was killed in large part by lobbying efforts on the part of Cathi Herrod and the Center for Arizona Policy. Read a full account here.
Arizona is one of six states — along with Russia — that outlaw the positive portrayal (or “promotion”) of the “homosexual life-style” in HIV education. This archaic law marginalizes LGBTQ students, who are at increased risk for bullying and suicide. What would you do to support nondiscriminatory HIV, suicide, and sexual abuse prevention education?
It is disheartening that we live in a state where a law like that is still on the books. Basically, we have discrimination written into our state statutes, and that can be very difficult for school districts. I served on the Tempe Union Governing Board, and while I was there we worked on some really critical issues to serve our students. During my time on the board, we went through every single policy in our district — which took a few months to do — and one of the policies that I had a lot of input on and pushed really hard to change was our discrimination policy. We actually added sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to our discrimination prohibitions in our district policy, and we were one of the first districts in the state to include that language. I’m very proud of that.
I am also proud of the work I did with a couple of my colleagues on the district board to pass a comprehensive, medically accurate, age-appropriate sex education program for the district. We had a ton of opposition. I was the only Democrat on the governing board at the time. Even though it’s a nonpartisan office, the Republicans on the board were getting a lot of pressure from local conservative groups not to amend our sex-ed policy and implement a comprehensive, medically accurate, age-appropriate program. We worked hard over about a year to repeal the old policy and adopt a new program that met those criteria, and we had a lot of discussions about that “promotion of a homosexual lifestyle” statute. We had to be very careful to walk the line imposed by the statute, and it was difficult.
There is another section of the statute related to sex education that essentially says if you teach students about abortion, you must state that “childbirth and adoption [are] preferred options to elective abortion.” So there are a lot of stringent guidelines in our statutes — some of them very ill-conceived — that we had to operate within the bounds of. Data shows that abstinence-only programs just don’t work. If your goal is to reduce teen pregnancy and abortions, then the best way to accomplish those two goals is to have comprehensive sex ed.
We had a very long, diligent process of trying to create data-driven policy that was best for our kids, while staying within the bounds of the law. We’re very fortunate that we were able to get that done in 2014. I think Tempe Union has perhaps the most comprehensive sex-ed program of any district in the state, and a lot of districts have recently modeled their policies after Tempe Union’s.
What do you hope to accomplish for Arizona’s K-12 students as superintendent of public instruction? What do you see as the most pressing issues facing our state?
The No. 1 goal has to be, without question, filling the 2,000 teacher vacancies in this state. It’s going to take three things to make that happen.
First, it’s going to take better pay. I can’t believe there is even a question — that we even need to debate — over whether or not that would address our issues. I served with a lot of very fiscally conservative legislators who considered themselves to be “economic experts,” and they are ignoring very clear indicators of market forces. The median teacher salary has gone down in the last 15 years, and we have 2,000 vacant teaching positions in this state — more than we’ve ever had. If that is not a clear indication that you’re not offering a high enough wage to bring people into the classroom and keep them there, I don’t know what else can convince them. If you’re an economist and you believe in market forces, it’s pretty obvious that teacher pay has to go up in this state if we’re going to fill those vacancies.
Second, we need to dramatically improve working conditions. In part, by filling teacher vacancies, we’ll improve working conditions through reducing class sizes. Another part of working conditions is student to counselor ratio. We have the highest student to counselor ratio in the country by far, with 924 students per counselor. That is about 164 more students than the state above us in the rankings, so we’re in last place by a large margin. By reducing that ratio, we can reduce the pressure on teachers from whom we’re already asking so much.
The third issue that I think we have to address in order to fill teacher vacancies is respect. Right now, having participated in five protests just yesterday, educators across the state feel completely disrespected by this governor, by the current superintendent of schools, and by the majority in the Legislature. In part, it is because it seems clear that those folks do not view education as a profession. This governor and the majority in the Legislature believe that anybody with a pulse should be able to teach. That was clear when they passed SB 1042 last year. So we need to restore respect to the profession, and that respect has to start at the top with our state’s elected leaders.
Ultimately, I really think that filling those teacher vacancies is the most critical issue. If I had to pick a second issue that I believe is critical, in addition to filling teacher vacancies, it would be equity of opportunity for students across the state. That will require equitable funding. Currently, we have a really disproportionate funding structure. Some districts can pass overrides and bonds, some can’t; some can raise tax-credit contributions, some can’t.
We also have equity issues for students living in poverty. Eighty percent of white kids have access to preschool, whereas only 50 percent of black and Latino kids do. Less than 30 percent of children living in poverty have access to preschool. Some students are starting school with two years of a head start on their classmates, so there is no wonder we have an achievement gap in our schools.
There are further equity issues when it comes to student discipline. African-American students in some schools are disciplined at 10 times the rate of white students, and Native American and Latino students are also disproportionately disciplined compared to their white classmates. I think we have to address those issues as well.
As educators we need to get away from the old idea of deficit-based thinking, and instead of looking for deficits within our students, we should be concentrating on their assets and using them as starting points for growth.
The last equity issue I’ll raise, which unfortunately I think is often ignored, is the fact that there are still a lot of educators out there who believe that females don’t have the same ability as their male classmates to perform well in science and math classes. It is deficit-based thinking, I believe, that has held back countless female students over generations in this country. We as educators have got to be better about equitable treatment for all of our students.
Why was it important for you to be endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona?
Planned Parenthood has always been a big part of my life. I started volunteering for Planned Parenthood when I was a kid, and I was a member of the Positive Force Players. We were an acting group in Arizona — made up primarily of high school students — who wrote, directed, and acted in skits and one-act plays that we performed across the state. The plays were about contraception, teen pregnancy, and things of that nature, but we also talked about date rape, abuse, drugs, and all kinds of other issues that teens confront. My brother and I were both in the Positive Force Players, and it was such an inspiring group to be a part of.
One of the things that really stands out from my childhood is riding the bus down 7th Street and walking from the bus stop to the Planned Parenthood building. Pretty consistently, there would be protesters out there screaming obscenities — and sometimes throwing rocks — at women going to get their health care. Sometimes they would harass pregnant women who were not going to get abortions, but just to get well-checks. That experience taught me at a young age that issues that should not be political can be easily politicized and used to drive wedges between us. It really encouraged me to get involved and protect the rights of women to have access to health care, and the rights of people to make their own health care decisions. Planned Parenthood is an organization that does incredible work, and it’s been an honor for me to be involved in Planned Parenthood since I was a kid.
Tags: superintendent of public instruction, No Promo Homo, age-appropriate sex education, comprehensive sex ed, Betsy DeVos, Center for Arizona Policy, achievement gap, Planned Parenthood, education, gender identity, harassment, discipline, comprehensive sex education, Arizona, HIV, David Schapira, charter schools, public school, private schools, gender expression, SB 1042, abstinence only, public schools, #RedForEd, homophobia, David Garcia, Red for Ed, sex education, Meet Our Candidates 2018, public education, Tempe Union High School District, Cathi Herrod, bullying, LGBT, suicide, teacher, preschool, comprehensive sexuality education, sexual orientation, Diane Douglas, abstinence, teen pregnancy, anti-discrimination laws, House Education Committee, medically accurate sex education, counselor, Discrimination
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THE LONDON ELECTIONS DEBATE: WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE CAPITAL?
Stefanie Lehmann
Launch Event Review
Last week, we launched the PLMR and Snapdragon event series on the 2018 London Elections. An audience of highly engaged Londoners joined us for our panel discussion about what the capital might look like after polling day, which is rapidly approaching on 3rd May. As YouGov’s Joe Twyman, one of our panellists, pointed out, attendees represented a unique subset of Londoners who are actively involved and interested in local politics.
Because all 32 of London’s councils will be up for grabs on the same day, the London locals are likely to enjoy a higher profile than those in the rest of the country. By contrast, in 30 metropolitan boroughs including Bradford, Liverpool, and Sheffield, only one third of council seats are up for election. London also tends to enjoy more media spotlight – for better or for worse, depending on who you ask – so this launch event came at the right time to get everyone thinking about what’s next for the capital.
Our panel was chaired by Pippa Crerar, outgoing Evening Standard Political Editor and soon-to-be Deputy Political Editor at The Guardian. She was joined by outgoing YouGov Head of Social Research Joe Twyman, who will shortly be moving on to exciting new ventures, Buzzfeed UK’s Political Editor Jim Waterson, and Snapdragon at PLMR’s Managing Director Rebekah Paczek.
Setting the context, Pippa Crerar outlined her key boroughs to watch – Barnet, Wandsworth, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Kingston, which the Liberal Democrats are hoping to re-gain. The panel agreed that Barnet and Wandsworth are the most likely to change hands from Conservative to Labour control – and that no one, at the moment, is confident enough to call what may happen in Kensington and Chelsea in the wake of the Grenfell tragedy. While Westminster was also considered a possible Labour gain, the panel felt that Council Leader Nickie Aiken had got the Conservative campaign off to a strong start; and Bexley may prove a very interesting test for Labour to demonstrate whether it can take on the UKIP vote.
Live polls during the event revealed that for our audience, housing was overwhelmingly the key issue going into this election.
As the panel pointed out, the Conservatives are facing the problem of wanting to lower house prices across the UK but struggling to make this a reality; whereas Labour have always been elected on their promise of tackling the housing crisis, but as the controversy over the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) in North London shows, opinions are splitting within the Party on how this should be done in practice.
The panel agreed that the difficulties facing the Conservatives in London are at least in part due to the high profile of the national housing crisis, and that Brexit will also likely have a significant impact – not least because of London’s 1 million EU citizens, who can vote in these elections. Other issues include council tax, increasingly a political issue in the wake of Grenfell, and, in digital campaigning, the recent change to Facebook’s algorithm, which may just make it more difficult for Labour to achieve the high digital reach it had in last year’s General Election.
While it is likely too early to tell what will happen in London, especially given traditionally low voter turnout for local elections, and the many high-profile events and issues that move London’s diverse population every day, the event offered a timely glimpse of which key issues are likely to dominate the agenda as we move closer to polling day.
Follow this site for our analysis and updates on key topics, people, and places ahead of the London locals. If you would like to discuss in more detail how the London elections might impact you and your business, get in touch with the team on info@plmr.co.uk.
If you missed the event, read on below for the take on the event from some of the PLMR team who were in the audience:
Duncan Flynn, Senior Account Director, Snapdragon at PLMR: The challenge for the Conservatives is to hold as much of their ground as possible. For Labour, the challenge is twofold – to win marginal boroughs such as Barnet and Wandsworth from the Conservatives and not to have too many public divisions between moderates and Momentum, which could damage Labour’s national reputation. There was a broad consensus that housing is the number one policy issue for voters in the capital, and a sense that the Government was reluctant to take the radical steps on housebuilding required to address London’s housing crisis.
Caroline Mayberry, PR and Marketing Account Manager, Mango at PLMR: The discussion ranged from the housing crisis to air pollution, and overall it left me feeling much more prepared for the upcoming elections – not only knowing what topics I’ll be voting on but knowing which areas will be key drivers for change. The wide range of audience members cannot be understated – everyone came from different sectors and backgrounds and was keen to be involved in the discussion.
Sam Dalton, Account Executive, PLMR: The event provided a fascinating insight into the local London elections in May, and which boroughs we should be paying close attention to. It was interesting not only to learn about the potential swings from the Conservatives to Labour, but also about swings from moderate to more left-wing factions of Labour, and what this might mean for London. Overall, an excellent and highly engaging overview of the key political issues facing the capital at this pivotal time.
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Sculpting a healthy future: industry-supported art competition gets kids trying new produce
by Rachel Anderson
Children have fun creating characters and giving them a voice
Fruit and Veg for Kids at School is a fresh-produce themed art competition that is capturing the imaginations of dozens of London schoolchildren – some of whom will be visiting the forthcoming London Produce Show and Conference (LPS 2016) where the winning school will be announced. Supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in London, the Worshipful Company of Gardeners (WCG) (a City of London livery company), and Holland Fresh Group, Produce Business UK finds out more about this pioneering initiative
As the saying goes, the simplest ideas are often the most effective and this is arguably the case with Fruit and Veg for Kids at School – a new competition that is seeing pupils from seven central and east London schools have oodles of fun creating colourful sculptures out of fruits and vegetables. The idea began with a conversation between two like-minded colleagues – Stephen Bernhard, immediate past master of the WCG and owner of turf specialist Bernhard & Co, and Henk de Jong, agricultural counsellor for the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in London.
Colourful creations
The pair had in common a wish to both ignite children’s interest in horticulture and increase youngsters’ likening for fruits and vegetables. Bernhard explains: “Education was one of my focuses during my year as Master. I instigated a new programme for a Nuffield Horticultural Scholar, and I promoted Future Gardeners, which I set up to help give disadvantaged people the opportunity to work in the horticulture sector. But there remained a gaping hole. How could we encourage kids to show an interest in horticulture as a potential career? I had it in mind that if we could find a way of getting kids excited about horticulture it would open their eyes to it.”
De Jong adds that he and Bernhard also wanted to address the fact that most people do not eat the optimum quantity of fruits and vegetables, particularly those who are from less affluent backgrounds. De Jong says: “It's an important social issue in the UK as well as the Netherlands. How can we do something about it? The answer is by encouraging children to eat more fruits and vegetables, because educating kids is a good starting point.”
“Weightlifting okra man”
Just as seeds require the right combination of soil, sunlight and water to germinate, good ideas also need a bit of nurturing in order to be transformed into something tangible. Jong and Bernhard therefore enlisted the expertise of Cassie Liversidge – a gardener, author, artist and mum-of-two whose Grow Your Own Playground business sees her create gardens for London schools. These little urban oases offer pupils the opportunity to harvest and then eat their own home-grown food.
Bernhard explains: “During my year as Master I became acquainted with Cassie, who is very creative with her educational outreach programme for school children. I found Cassie’s ideas about engaging children in growing fresh produce very interesting.” Clearly accustomed to helping children better connect with different foods, Liversidge devised the concept of the competition and has since been busily running her sculpture workshops. She says: “I’ve been working with different sized groups of children and a whole range of different ages – from age four or five up to age 10. The children have loved making different characters and they have given them voices and have talked to their friends’ characters.”
She reveals that the creations have so far included “Carrot Man,” “Miss Choi,” and “Weightlifting Okra Man.” “Often children only eat certain varieties of fresh produce so this is about getting them to explore a whole range of new fruits and vegetables without thinking about it. I’m using loads of different produce like olives, plums, and apricots. Some of the time we use produce that we've grown ourselves, or products that are going to waste. Other times we have to buy the food. It's been working so well because it’s something really fun. They have been occupied for a whole hour and really enjoyed the idea of making their own characters. They forget that they are learning about healthy eating.”
Win, win, win
Fittingly, the winning school – which is being chosen by judge, London Produce Show Ambassador and Henri le Worm creator Oli Blanc (son of chef Raymond Blanc)– will receive a state-of-the-art glasshouse purchased by Holland Fresh Group and supplied by Elite Greenhouses. Meanwhile, the runners up will receive a year’s supply of seeds from Dutch firm Rijk Zwaan.
Aside from the fact that The Netherlands is this year’s featured nation at the London Produce Show, De Jong explains that there a several other reasons why the Dutch horticulture trade is keen to support such an initiative. “We [the Dutch] are the second largest exporters of fruits and vegetables to the UK [the largest supplier being Spain]. We also supply a lot of the greenhouses for the English market. And so, as large suppliers and exporters, we are interested in increasing sales of fruits and vegetables in the UK. It’s good for health and good for turnover. This project is a way of combining commercial interests with charity work and improving the health of children. It’s win, win, win.”
De Jong adds that those who are supporting the initiative are hoping to expand it – first, London-wide and, in the longer-term, nationwide. Bernhard says: “We want to roll this competition out to several hundred schools next year. We want to see if we can grow this.”
With this aim in mind, Fruit and Veg for Kids at School is this month being championed by the Fresh Produce Consortium, which is also advocating the competition, at the FPC Fresh Awards on June 9 in London. De Jong says: “The founders of the initiative will be happy to discuss concrete plans with potential sponsors.”
Given that the UK is already suffering from an obesity crisis, any project that promotes healthy eating has to be a step in the right direction and will no doubt attract the support of the sector.
The Dutch produce industry’s drive to increase the global consumer's daily intake of fresh produce is the central theme of the first session in the stage 1 seminar programme at this year’s London Produce Show: Fresh From Holland: Innovative Concepts.
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SCHWAB CUP
PGA TOUR Champions and Dominion Energy announce historic 10-year extension of Dominion Energy Charity Classic
By PGATOUR.COM
The Dominion Energy Charity Classic is played at The Country Club of Virginia. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)
RICHMOND, Virginia – PGA TOUR Champions and Dominion Energy announced a 10-year extension of the Dominion Energy Charity Classic through 2029. In addition to the title sponsor extension, The Country Club of Virginia, James River Course was also announced as host venue for 10 years. The joint agreements establish history as the longest simultaneous extensions announced between title sponsor and host venue in PGA TOUR Champions history.
“Dominion Energy has a long tradition of putting goodwill into action,” said Chairman, President and CEO Thomas F. Farrell, II. “So it is incredibly gratifying to seal our already-strong partnership for the next decade. This agreement ensures that our three organizations, along with those who contribute so generously during the golf tournament, will continue jointly supporting the great work of groups that help veterans and other worthy causes. And it ensures that Dominion Energy will carry forward its tradition of goodwill for years to come through one of the most enjoyable sporting events in the country.”
Since debuting in 2016, the tournament has become one of the most popular and successful Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs events. With an extended partnership, the Charity Classic will continue to generate financial contributions to support Richmond veterans’ organizations and other local community causes. Since the tournament’s inception, with support from sponsors and patrons, more than $600,000 has been contributed to Virginia Values Veterans, Richmond Fisher House and 60 other non-profit organizations in Central Virginia. Tournament organizers expect total charitable proceeds from the Charity Classic to surpass $1 million at the end of the 2018 event.
“Since joining the PGA TOUR Champions family a little more than two years ago, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic has quickly become one of the premier events on the schedule for our players, partners and fans, and we are excited to continue building on that strong foundation with today’s announcement,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Dominion Energy has been a tremendous partner, helping to rally the entire RVA community around a tournament that boasts world-class golf from the top names on PGA TOUR Champions.”
Each of the last two years, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic has received the Players Award as voted by PGA TOUR Champions players. The award recognizes a tournament annually for going above and beyond in the experience provided to PGA TOUR Champions players. Notable efforts from the Dominion Energy Charity Classic include the engagement from Dominion Energy, the outstanding year-round community support in RVA, the hospitality from the members and staff of The Country Club of Virginia, as well as over 1,200 volunteers that donate their time to work at the event. Over 140 primarily-locally-based corporate partners also contribute to the tournament’s success, including TowneBank, The Riverstone Group and VCU Health, the event’s three Founding Partners.
"The partnership between PGA TOUR Champions, Dominion Energy and The Country Club of Virginia brings many of the world's best champions to Richmond to compete at the highest level,” said Pierce Walmsley, President of The Country Club of Virginia. “We are proud to host this Playoffs event on our James River Course and look forward to continuing to support the sport of golf, the Richmond community and the veterans’ organizations that benefit from this exciting tournament."
The James River Course – one of three courses that make up The Country Club of Virginia – was founded in 1928 and designed by famed architect William Flynn. The course underwent a full renovation by Rees Jones in 1991 and was restored in 2003 by Lester George. The Charity Classic has further added to an impressive list of prestigious tournaments hosted on the James River Course, including the 1955 and 1975 U.S. Amateur Championships.
In its inaugural year, the Charity Classic delivered one of the season’s most exciting finishes with a playoff between Scott McCarron and Tom Byrum, and McCarron capturing victory with a birdie on the first extra hole. In similarly dramatic fashion, the 2017 event was won by World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer after he converted an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 finishing hole to win his sixth title of the season. This year’s event begins tomorrow morning at The Country Club of Virginia and features the top 72 players on the Charles Schwab Cup points list.
“Dominion Energy has provided a wonderful experience for both players and fans, and with their long-term support I’m excited to see the Dominion Energy Charity Classic continue to grow over the next 10 years,” Langer said. “The Country Club of Virginia is a phenomenal venue and Richmond is a great community for the start of the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.”
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David Duval
6 ft, 0 in
Wife, Susie; Deano, Nick, Shalene, Brayden, Sienna Violet
Cherry Hills, CO, United States
Korn Ferry Tour: Veteran Members on the PGA TOUR in order of their number of combined career cuts on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour.
Father, Bob, is a former Champions Tour player. Caddied for his dad at the 1996 Transamerica, Bob's first Champions Tour event. Son and father, respectively, won THE PLAYERS Championship and Emerald Coast Classic (Champions Tour) on the same day in 1999.
Inducted into the Georgia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.
Reading, fly fishing, snowboarding, spending time with family
PGA TOUR Victories (13)
1997 Michelob Championship at Kingsmill, Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic, THE TOUR Championship
1998 Tucson Chrysler Classic, Shell Houston Open, NEC World Series of Golf, Michelob Championship at Kingsmill
1999 Mercedes Championships, Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, THE PLAYERS Championship, BellSouth Classic
2000 Buick Challenge
Korn Ferry Tour Victories (2)
1993 NIKE Wichita Open, NIKE TOUR Championship
International Victories (1)
2001 Dunlop Phoenix [Jpn]
Additional Victories (3)
1998 Fred Meyer Challenge [with Jim Furyk]
1999 Franklin Templeton Shootout [with Fred Couples]
2000 World Golf Championships-EMC World Cup [with Tiger Woods]
1996, 1998, 2000 The Presidents Cup
1999, 2001 Ryder Cup
2000, 2001 World Cup
1990, 1992 World Amateur Team Championship
1991 Walker Cup
Made just two cuts in sixPGA TOUR starts. Continued to spend time working as an on-air personality and analyst for Golf Channel.
The Open Championship: Shot a 67 in the third round of The Open Championship, briefly sitting inside the top 20 on the leaderboard. Closed with a 73 in his first made cut at The Open Championship since 2008.
Finished the season No. 202 in the FedExCup standings, with three made cuts in 15 starts. Worked as a Golf Channel analyst throughout the season and for ESPN during The Open Championship.
Zurich Classic of New Orleans: Finished a season-best T25 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, his first top-25 since a T23 at the 2011 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
Made only one of eight cuts on the PGA TOUR and finished No. 248 in the FedExCup standings. Only played 15 rounds on TOUR, his fewest since 1992 when he played 14 as an amateur.
Finished the season No. 238 in the FedExCup standings, failing to advance to the Playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.
PNC Father-Son Challenge: In December, teamed with his stepson Nick Karavites to finish T4 at the PNC Father/Son Challenge.
Valero Texas Open: Finished T60 at the Valero Texas Open, his best Regular Season finish.
Made the cut in nine of 24 starts on the PGA TOUR. Finished outside the top 125 on the official money list for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.
Northern Trust Open: Final round, 4-under-par 67 led to a T9 at the Northern Trust Open, his only top-10 of the season.
Finished inside the top 125 on the money list (No. 106) for the first time since 2002.
Frys.com Open: Matched his low round of the year with a 6-under 65 in the second round of the Frys.com Open en route to a T6. Finish marked just third top-10 since a T6 at the 2002 Invensys Classic at Las Vegas, where he held the 72-hole lead in the five-round event. Clinched PGA TOUR card for 2011, climbing from 109 to 99 on the official money list, marking his first season inside the top 125 since 2002.
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am: After earning a spot into the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am field via 1999 PLAYERS Championship win, he recorded four consecutive rounds in the 60s to finish T2, one stroke behind Dustin Johnson. The last time he posted four sub-70 rounds was at the 2001 Buick Challenge, where he lost to Chris DiMarco in a playoff. Birdied par-3 17th to pull within one of the lead and failed to birdie par-5 18th. Johnson birdied the final hole two groups later to win.
Playing out of the Top-50 all-time money exemption category, made the cut in six of 22 starts on the PGA TOUR, with a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open his only top-25 effort.
PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament: At the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament, failed to attain fully exempt status for 2009 and 2010.
Children's Miracle Network Classic: Entered the season-ending Children's Miracle Network Classic No. 125 on the money list, but missed the cut to fall to No. 130 on the money list.
U.S. Open Championship: Recorded the 13th runner-up finish of his career with a second-place showing at the U.S. Open. At 2-under 278, finished two strokes behind champion Lucas Glover. Recovered from a triple bogey in the final round on the par-3 third hole after his tee shot buried in the lip of a bunker. Moved into a tie for the lead with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 14-16 before a bogey on the par-3 17th hole ended his chances for his first victory since the 2001 Open Championship. It was his first top-10 finish since a T6 at the 2002 Invensys Classic at Las Vegas, a streak of 116 tournament. His last top-10 finish in a major championship was a T10 at the 2001 PGA Championship.
Playing on a Major Medical Extension, made the cut in five of 20 starts, but finished outside of the top 125 (No. 219) for the sixth consecutive season.
Viking Classic: Finished T22 at the Viking Classic for his first top-25 finish since the 2006 U.S. Open (T16), a span of 31 starts between top-25 finishes.
Stanford St. Jude Championship: Made first cut of the year at the Stanford St. Jude Championship in early June, finishing T60. It was his first made cut since the 2007 Viking Classic.
Played on Top-25 all-time money exemption in 2007, but was limited to seven events (five through mid-February) due to the difficult pregnancy of wife, Susie. Granted Major Medical Extension (family crisis) and had 20 events in 2008 to earn $713,235 (combined with 2007 earnings of $71,945, would equal 2007's No. 125 earnings of $785,180) and receive Major Medical Extension status for the remainder of the 2008 campaign. Played in two events after the birth of daughter Sienna in August.
Made strides after battling back and swing issues the past several years, posting three top-25s.
U.S. Open Championship: Made his first cut in a major championship since the 2002 PGA Championship with a T16 at the U.S. Open. The finish was his best in a major since a T10 at the 2001 PGA Championship. Had missed 11 consecutive major cuts entering Winged Foot.
Wachovia Championship: Finished T22 at the Wachovia Championship, first top-25 finish on TOUR since a T13 at the 2004 Deutsche Bank Championship.
Valero Texas Open: Former Open Championship winner made one cut (T60 at Valero Texas Open) in 20 starts.
Deutsche Bank Championship: Finished T13 at Deutsche Bank Championship, his best finish since a T6 at the 2002 Invensys Classic at Las Vegas, and first cut made since 2003 FBR Capital Open.
U.S. Open Championship: Made comeback after seven-month break with his first start of the season at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, his first pro competition since he withdrew from a tournament in Japan in November 2003. Had not played on TOUR since he missed the cut in Las Vegas in October 2003. Missed cut at U.S. Open shooting 83-82.
Fell from 80th to 211th on the money list, making only four cuts in 20 starts.
FBR Capital Open: Set course record at TPC Avenel with 9-under 62 during second round of the FBR Capital Open. Finished T28 for best finish of campaign.
Failed to win for the first time since 1996 and had his lowest position on the money list (No. 80) since 1994. Recorded two top-10s.
Invensys Classic at Las Vegas: Finished T6 at the Invensys Classic at Las Vegas.
Ryder Cup: Member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team and compiled a 1-1-1 record, his victory coming in four-balls with Mark Calcavecchia, defeating Niclas Fasth and Jesper Parnevik. Halved his singles match with Darren Clarke.
Memorial Tournament: Finished T4 at the Memorial.
Finished eighth in earnings, the sixth consecutive year in the Top 10. Forced to withdraw from Bay Hill Classic and THE PLAYERS Championship due to tendinitis in right wrist.
Buick Challenge: Lost a one-hole playoff to Chris DiMarco in the Buick Challenge after firing a closing 63.
PGA Championship: Finished T10 in the PGA Championship.
The Open Championship: In his 27th major championship, won first major at The Open Championship. Third-round 65 put him in a four-way tie for the lead. Closing 67 produced a three-shot victory over Niclas Fasth. Took the lead for good with a birdie on hole No. 6 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
U.S. Open Championship: A T16 in the U.S. Open prevented him from posting a top-10 in all four majors.
Masters Tournament: Returned to action, after a five-week layoff, to post a second in the Masters. It was his second runner-up finish and the fourth consecutive top-10. Trailed by three strokes after 36 and 54 holes. Finished two behind Tiger Woods after a closing 67 where he was tied for the lead on the back nine until a bogey at No. 16.
Sidelined for 10 weeks by back problems. First felt back pain following U.S. Open and was forced to withdraw during first round of THE INTERNATIONAL. Continuing pain caused withdrawals from PGA Championship and World Golf Championships-NEC Invitational
World Golf Championships-EMC World Cup: Completed the year by teaming with Tiger Woods in the World Cup in Argentina.
The Presidents Cup: Member of his third Presidents Cup Team.
Buick Challenge: Rebounded with 12th TOUR victory at the Buick Challenge. Made birdie on three of last four holes for a two-stroke victory at the Mountain View Course at Callaway Gardens, GA. With $414,000 paycheck, went over $2 million in a season for third time in career.
U.S. Open Championship: T8 at U.S. Open.
Buick Classic: In June, lost Buick Classic in playoff with Dennis Paulson.
Became first player since Johnny Miller in 1974 to win four times before the Masters. Also first player since Nick Price (1993-94) to earn at least four victories in consecutive years.
Ryder Cup: Played in his first Ryder Cup, with the United States taking a one-point win against Europe in Massachusetts. Had a 1-2-1 record, winning his singles match over Jesper Parnevik, 5 and 4.
Sprint International: Was also runner-up at the Sprint International, losing to David Toms in the Modified Stableford scoring event.
BellSouth Classic: Won the following week, outside Atlanta, at the BellSouth Classic, with four under-70 rounds.
THE PLAYERS Championship: Won THE PLAYERS Championship not far from his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. The victory came on the same day his father, Bob, won the Emerald Coast Classic on Champions Tour. Moved to No. 1 in Official World Golf Ranking, snapping Tiger Woods' string of 41 consecutive weeks in first.
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic: Eagled the last hole to win Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and shoot 59, which matched Al Geiberger (1977) and Chip Beck (1991) for the lowest 18-hole score in TOUR history.
Mercedes Championships: Opened the year with back-to-back victories, shooting nine consecutive under-par rounds. At the Mercedes Championships, took control of the tournament with a second-round 63 and coasted to a nine-stroke win over Billy Mayfair and Mark O'Meara.
Led The Presidents Cup team eligibility list. Earned the Byron Nelson Award and Vardon Trophy with lowest scoring average (69.13) and the Arnold Palmer Award for earnings ($2,591,031), thanks to four victories.
The Presidents Cup: Had a disappointing 0-4-1 record in the International team's rout of the U.S. team at The Presidents Cup in Australia.
Michelob Championship at Kingsmill: Successfully defended his Michelob Championship at Kingsmill title. His 16-under 65-67-68-68 gave him a three-shot win over Phil Tataurangi.
NEC World Series of Golf: Win No. 3 came at the NEC World Series of Golf in Akron, OH, a two-shot win over Phil Mickelson.
Shell Houston Open: Recovered from a disappointing T2 at the Masters Tournament to win the Shell Houston Open, thanks to a final-round 64.
Tucson Chrysler Classic: First win of the year was at the Tucson Chrysler Classic. Shot a second-round 62 and despite a final-round 73, he still easily outdistanced Justin Leonard and David Toms.
Won last three events to finish second in official earnings. First player in PGA TOUR history to win playoffs in consecutive weeks. Also became first player since Billy Andrade in 1991 to win his first two titles back to back.
THE TOUR Championship: Won THE TOUR Championship.
Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic: Won the Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic.
Michelob Championship at Kingsmill: Won Michelob Championship at Kingsmill for first TOUR title.
Had his fourth and fifth runner-up finishes since joining the TOUR. Also had three third-place performances.
Bell Canadian Open: At the weather-shortened Bell Canadian Open, shot 69-65-69 at Glen Abbey GC to finish a stroke behind Dudley Hart.
Memorial Tournament: For the second consecutive year, was second at the Memorial Tournament.
GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic: Finished third at the GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic (finished 64-68-65 outside Dallas.)
Shell Houston Open: Finished third at the Shell Houston Open (shot a final-round 72).
BellSouth Classic: Finished third at the BellSouth Classic (shot a final-round 76).
In rookie season, just missed winning four times in his rookie season, with three runner-up showings and a third-place performance.
Memorial Tournament: Final runner-up finish came at the Memorial Tournament. Fired rounds of 64-68 on the weekend at Muirfield Village however still finished four strokes behind Greg Norman in Ohio. His year resulted in a then-rookie earnings record on TOUR.
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic: At the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, he had rounds of 67-68-65-67-69 to finish 24-under, a stroke behind Kenny Perry.
AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am: At the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, he opened with a 72 and then recorded consecutive 67s, which left him two strokes behind winner Peter Jacobsen.
Enjoyed one top-10 in his six PGA TOUR starts. Played 22 Korn Ferry Tour events and finished eighth on the money list. Was T3 three times. Earned his 1995 PGA TOUR playing privileges.
NIKE TOUR Championship: T6 in defense of his Tour Championship title.
NIKE Tri-Cities Open: Was T4 at the Tri-Cities Open.
NIKE Utah Classic: A runner-up finish at the Utah Classic in Provo his best performance on the Korn Ferry Tour. In Utah, finished a stroke behind Chris Perry at Riverside CC after taking a one-stroke lead into the final round.
NIKE New Mexico Charity Classic: The week after Texarkana, he finished 69-66 to T4 at the New Mexico Charity Classic, two shots behind winner Jim Carter.
NIKE Texarkana Open: T3 at the Texarkana Open.
NIKE Ozarks Open: T3 at the Ozarks Open.
Motorola Western Open: T8 at the Motorola Western Open. Shot a final-round 68 at Cog Hill G&CC to move up 28 places on the final day.
NIKE Carolina Classic: T5 at the Carolina Classic.
NIKE Alabama Classic: T3 at the Alabama Classic.
NIKE Pensacola Classic: T5 at the Pensacola Classic.
Finished 11th on Korn Ferry Tour money list despite playing in only nine events.
NIKE TOUR Championship: At the Web.com Tour Championship at Pumpkin Ridge GC in Oregon, came from three strokes back on the final day to overtake Danny Briggs and win by one stroke.
NIKE Wichita Open: Won the Wichita Open in August by a stroke over Jeff Lee and John Morse.
Federal Express St. Jude Classic: Best performance in five PGA TOUR starts was a T19 at the Federal Express St. Jude Classic in August.
BellSouth Classic: Held two-stroke lead through 54 holes at 1992 BellSouth Classic in his PGA TOUR debut before closing with 79 and finishing T13.
1993 Collegiate Player of the Year and winner of Dave Williams Award.
Is part of a select group of four-time Division I first-team All-Americans. The others are Wake Forest's Gary Hallberg, Arizona State's Phil Mickelson and Georgia Tech's Bryce Molder. Won the 1989 U.S. Junior Amateur.
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Phnom Penh, 4 June 2018. At the invitation of the Parliamentary Institute of Cambodia (PIC), H.E. Attorney Cesar Strait Pareja, Secretary General of the House of Representatives of the Republic of the Philippines, will arrive in Phnom Penh on 4 June 2018 for a three-day official visit to discuss capacity strengthening for parliamentary staff.
The Secretary General will be accompanied by Dr. Rumulo Emmanuel Miral, Jr., Deputy Secretary General of the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department.
During the three-day visit, H.E. Attorney Cesar Strait Pareja will meet with the Secretary General of the Cambodian Senate and the Secretary General of the Cambodian National Assembly to strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the Parliaments of both countries.
Mr. Dararith Kim-Yeat, the Executive Director of PIC, commented that PIC had worked towards developing a needs-oriented Knowledge Sharing Program aiming, on request, to contribute to the strengthening of parliamentary institutions in the ASEAN region. He emphasized that the technical cooperation between the House of Representatives and PIC would help to strengthen the capacity of parliamentary staff in the region.
| Download the Press Release in Khmer | Download the Press Release in English |
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‘The Clearing’: Opening a space for modern piano music
Portland Piano International presents its first-ever four-day festival of 20th and 21st century classical music
November 7, 2016 // FEATURED, MUSIC // Oregon ArtsWatch
By CLAIRE SYKES
Over a hundred years ago, dense evergreen forests surrounded a small community that called itself The Clearing, also known as Stumptown and now, Portland. Our city’s first settlers, back then in the early-1840s, opened up that wild terrain with their axes and two-man saws, promising population growth. Likewise, Portland Piano International (PPI) invites listeners to open their ears to post-World War II classical music and expand their minds—with their upcoming four-day festival called The Clearing.
Tamara Stefanovich curated Portland Piano International’s ‘The Clearing.’ Photo: Marco Borggreve.
Held November 10-13, 2016 at Portland State University’s Lincoln Recital Hall, The Clearing is a first for PPI. It’s also the latest among several PPI programs that the 37-year-old organization has launched since Brazilian pianist Arnaldo Cohen became its Artistic Director in May 2013. The Clearing’s five evening recitals join daily master classes, films and panel discussions. Also, each day there’ll be “Conversations” with young composers. Their scores will be projected for everyone to see while they’re performed by the festival’s curator, Yugoslav-born pianist Tamara Stefanovich.
She’s coming all the way from Berlin to share the stage with Cohen in presenting works by some of the 20th century’s most-honored composers—among them, Pierre Boulez, György Ligeti, Olivier Messiaen and Elliott Carter—as well as those by our own, local and regional artists. Pianists from around the globe will be performing — including a late-surprise special guest, the great Pierre-Laurent Aimard, one of the world’s most visionary and accomplished pianists.
Here, Stefanovich and Cohen talk about the world of the womb and the stars in the sky, and how The Clearing can change the way we listen to music.
Music as an Evolving Language
Arnaldo Cohen: Music starts with the heartbeat, the sounds you can hear before you’re born. And then the impact of being born, getting air into your lungs for the first time, the first cry and hearing that. Music itself is a language that was invented, created. When you invent a language, there’s a reason for that. It’s because the language you have doesn’t say all that you want to say, so you have to create a new vocabulary. Music is a language that you can say anything you want with, and people can listen to it in any way they wish.
Along with it being a former name for Portland, [The Clearing] also means, to me, a clearing of the mind, of preconceived ideas. When you’re clear, you’re open-minded, you can see clearly, think clearly, and play clearly, cleared of any negativity. We all can have ideas that are so structured and crystalized. But we have to move, especially when you talk about music, piano music, with its emphasis on old, classical composers. For me, “clearing” also has to do with freshness. We have to clear out the old to make way for the new.
Connecting to the Past
Tamara Stefanovich: I needed to create a galaxy of the most extraordinary planets of composers, and show the relationships, and the distances, between them. Everything in art and music comes from somewhere; no one is a completely new creator. Boulez wouldn’t be who he was if Debussy and Stravinsky didn’t exist. Ligeti and Kurtág without Bartok, [contemporary British composer George] Benjamin without Messiaen, and Carter without Ives—they wouldn’t be possible. This doesn’t mean that they borrowed or used something of the older generation. They went further, but somewhere in a given or chosen direction. And it’s this need to go further that I believe is the most important in creators.
Small Portions
TS: I chose miniatures and études in the hopes that a shorter form enables us to cover and showcase a wide range of composers and styles, and also entices younger pianists to tackle one or two pieces, themselves. I am very aware that the curriculum of pieces needed to be played in a school or university doesn’t leave much time for the music of the 20th and 21st centuries, unfortunately, here in the United States as well as in Europe. So putting on pieces between 30 seconds to five minutes doesn’t leave any room for an “excuse” to not play them! And from among the roughly 15 different composers we’re presenting, it is really impossible to not like at least four or five of them.
More than Music
TS: We wanted to open the discussions without any preconceived need for answers or to impose a philosophy. Having only recitals leaves the audience on one side and puts the interpreter on a pedestal—something I passionately dislike about today’s portrayal of so-called “stars“ of the piano. Where would we all be without a composer?
The idea is to go behind every corner, to hear from young composers, from two composers at an advanced age in films about Carter and Kurtág, and to see how an interpreter is the glue that needs to reconcile both worlds—creation and communication. I know for myself what I want to play, hear and look for in composers, but it is crucial to hear what they are dealing with. We are at a moment in history that is on one side very democratic, meaning there is less necessity to be a rebel, but on the other, leaves too much room to choose from. I am curious to hear how composers see their roles in this society, compared to mine, as an interpreter.
Changing the Audience Experience
TS: I am grateful to be given a playground to share my passion for the music of our time. I am also adamant that we have to reconnect with the art and creation of our time, so we find our pride not only in our nations and ourselves, but also in this collective moment in history that is so rich in courageous, extraordinary, talented and brave creators. And I am profoundly grateful to my team for working so hard and sharing in this adventure.
Portland Piano International artistic director Arnaldo Cohen. Photo: Felix Broede.
AC: What I’d like this festival to achieve is to create some sort of curiosity in people’s minds. I see the whole thing as a virtual temple, a place where they can clear their minds, where they can be free to understand anything they want from this music, and not go with any prejudged idea, or wait for something they already know is going to happen. The Clearing is an adventure, a new experience. It doesn’t matter whether you love the music or not. But even those who know they love it might be surprised.
The important thing is that you bring something to yourself in the listening of it. Our mission, you could say, is to create a bridge between you and yourself, and have that happen with a different language. My advice to anyone not familiar with new music is that you open your heart, open your mind, open to your fantasy. The fantasy is the most important thing. When you listen to this music, you can elaborate on a film, an emotion, an image, a situation or a specific sentiment. And you can be sure: It’s going to be attached to your life, your past, your emotional history.
And this is what is phenomenal about music. It’s like when you look at the night sky. In the stars, you’re looking at the past, now arriving after billions of years. Without understanding those stars, they’re still beautiful. So what is there to understand about music? Perhaps it’s something that can simply stir up feelings in us, neither right nor wrong. You listen to music according to yourself, as you wish, because it has everything to do with you—with the planet inside of your mind.
THE CLEARING
Claudia Chan. Photo: Nadine Targiel.
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ~ Opening Recital: Miniatures (short pieces by new music masters, performed by Tamara Stefanovich)
10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Master class with Tamara Stefanovich
1:45 p.m. – 3:30 – Film: Elliott Carter
3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. – Conversations: A Bridge Beyond the Score
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Panel: “Physiology and Psychology of Playing Contemporary Piano Music”
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Recital: Claudia Chan and Yihan Chen, pianists (short works for solo piano)
1:45 p.m. – 3:30 – Film: György Kurtág The Matchstick Man
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Panel: “Composition – Demystifying the Process”
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Recital: Piano + (performed by Tamara Stefanovich, Claudia Chan and Yihan Chen; and cellist Nancy Ives, violinist Emily Cole and flutist Amelia Lukas—and special guest?
Yihan Chen performs at Portland Piano International’s ‘The Clearing.’
1:45 p.m. – 3:30 – Film and Other Sources: Pierre Boulez
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – Panel: “The Future of New Music”
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Recital: Students
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. – Closing Recital: Études (performed by Tamara Stefanovich)
Portland Piano International’s The Clearing runs Thursday-Sunday. All events are held in the Lincoln Recital Hall at Portland State University. Click here for more event details. Tickets online and at Call 503.228.1388 or email tickets@portlandpiano.org.
Claire Sykes is a freelance writer in Portland. Copyright 2016 by Claire Sykes. All rights reserved.
One Response.
bob priest says:
A fine preview of a very exciting festival here in Global Village PDX. Ligeti, Boulez & Messiaen are among my fave composers.
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Buffalo, N.Y., metal fabricator faces an additional $75,000 in penalties from U.S. Labor Department's OSHA for failing to correct amputation hazards
08-1709-NEW/BOS 2008-351
Mon., Nov. 24, 2008
Contact: Ted Fitzgerald
Phone: : 617-565-2074
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A Buffalo metal fabrication shop faces an additional $75,000 in penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for failing to fully correct hazards cited during a prior OSHA inspection.
In May, OSHA cited ATECH-S.E.H. Metal Fabricators Inc. for serious violations of safety standards after two employees at the company's 103 Norris St. plant lost parts of their fingers when a mechanical power press they were setting up for operation unexpectedly activated.
OSHA found that the power press had not been de-energized and physically locked out as required under OSHA's hazardous energy control, or lockout/tagout, standard and that the employees had not been adequately trained in lockout/tagout procedures. ATECH-S.E.H. subsequently paid $6,000 in penalties and agreed to correct all cited hazards.
However, a follow-up inspection by OSHA to verify compliance determined that unsatisfactory corrective action had been taken. OSHA found that the lockout/tagout training was incomplete and lockout/tagout procedures were not followed, including one instance in which another employee was injured by the unexpected startup of a power press. As a result, OSHA issued the company two failure to abate notices, which carry $75,000 in new penalties.
"The sizable penalty proposed in this case reflects both the severity and recurrence of these hazards, and the employer's failure to properly correct them," said Arthur Dube. OSHA's area director in Buffalo. "Partial measures don't get the job done. Proper lockout/tagout training and procedures must be implemented and maintained completely, effectively and continuously to safeguard employees against possible injuries."
"In addition, one means of maintaining a safe workplace is to establish a safety and health management system through which employers and employees work together in a systematic and effective manner to evaluate, identify and eliminate hazardous conditions before they cause injury or illness," said Dube.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its failure to abate notices to meet with OSHA or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. This inspection was conducted by OSHA's Buffalo Area Office; telephone 716-551-3053. Detailed information on lockout/tagout including an interactive e-Tool is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/controlhazardousenergy/index.html.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to promote 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 (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department 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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Red Hill Fire Tower
Sundown Wild Forest
Nick Catania
Adventure Guides » United States » New York » Snowshoeing + Microspikes
There-and-back
Red Hill is a 2,990-foot mountain nestled in the Neversink Highlands and the Sundown Wild Forest. This 27,000-acre parcel forms the southeasterly border of the Catskill Park and acts as the Watershed divide between the Delaware and Hudson River basins.
The trail begins at the DEC Parking Lot off of Dinch Road, a dirt and gravel roadway. Yellow markers line this 1.4-mile and 850-foot hike to a picnic area and ranger station. Along the way you’ll pass through forests of sugar maples, shining pine, and ground cedar. There is a natural spring located about 250-feet off the path at about a mile in. Overall, this trail ascends at a slow rate for the first half and then follows a steep climb to the fire tower at the summit.
This peak’s fire tower stands 60-feet high and was constructed in 1921 to fill a missing link in the region’s forest fire detection network. It was the last staffed fire tower in the Catskills, and it closed in 1990. Today, it is one of five remaining fire towers in the Catskill region. (The four others are Hunter, Overlook, Tremper, and Balsam Lake.) It was set be torn down, but preservationists and forest historians campaigned to restore it and have it listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Eventually it was reopened to the public in 2000.
To the north you can see the Big Indian and Slide Mountain wilderness. To the south and southeast there is the Rondout Reservoir and the Shawangunks. You can even see the faint outline of Skytop Tower and the Mohonk Preserve.
This trail was constructed when the private landowner closed the vehicle road to the south. While open to the public, groups larger than 20 require a permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Note that the snow is not plowed after the intersection of Dinch and Rudolph roads in the winter months. Therefore, adventurers at this time of year should plan for an additional mile of trail and an approximately 325 feet of decent to the starting point kiosk.
Great views of the surrounding mountains.
Steep dirt road to the parking lot.
2,465.00 ft (751.33 m)
Wittenberg + Cornell Mountains
Catskill Mountains, New York
Slide, Cornell + Wittenberg Mountains
Slide Mountain Wilderness
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REVIEWS | HARDWARE REVIEW
New Nintendo 2DS XL review - "A worthy swansong for the 3DS?"
By Chris James
When Nintendo announced the New Nintendo 2DS XL, I think it's fair to say that the entire world was taken aback. Not only had the Nintendo Switch just launched, but it was difficult to tell who it was aimed at.
Nintendo claims that the 2DS XL (which I'll refer to it as for the remainder of the review) is supposed to fit snugly between the premium 3DS XL and the original 2DS. What Nintendo seems to have forgotten though, is that we already had that with the regular 3DS.
So we aim to answer the question once and for all: who is the 2DS XL really aimed at? And is it the swansong that the excellent 3DS deserves?
Let's find out.
The 2DS XL is Nintendo's best 3DS design yet. It closely resembles the 3DS XL, but with a few improvements.
Let's start with the best - the lip. In previous models, the two panels of the 3DS didn't close snugly, which allowed dust and other nasties to get trapped inside.
Not so with this model, as the top screen is slightly concave and features a lip. As a comparison, it's not a far cry away from the excellent DS Lite.
It's a looker as well. The top panel is embossed matte with a shiny border, while the base is just a slab of matte plastic. It may have been designed for the kids, but adults will love it too.
Much like the 3DS XL before it, the 2DS XL is a very comfortable device. It fits snugly in the palms and doesn't cause discomfort over longer playing sessions.
The button placement is largely the same as well, except for the home button and volume slider. These have both moved to the face, and left hand side of the lower panel respectively.
All cameras have also moved, with the forward facing one sitting on the hinge, and the reverse sitting on the base of the unit. This doesn't affect functionality.
There are also some smart ease of use changes. The stylus has shrunk, and sits right next to the headphone jack, and the Micro SD and game card slots now sit under a flap.
This is great on two levels. You no longer need a screwdriver to change your Micro SD, and games won't accidentally pop out in your pocket.
The 2DS XL has the same insides as every 'New' model of 3DS. You can play any of the exclusive titles like Xenoblade Chronicles or The Binding of Isaac Rebirth, as well as all SNES ports.
You've also got the c-stick, zr and zr buttons, and amiibo support, providing enhancements to a bunch of 3DS games.
There are no performance enhancements exclusive to the 2DS XL that you haven't already seen on the New 3DS or XLs, so if you've previously owned those there's nothing to see here.
But if you're upgrading from one of the original models, you'll generally find faster loading speeds, smoother gameplay, and a larger library of games.
The New Nintendo 2DS XL is the finest 3DS design yet. It's equally as comfortable as the 3DS XL, though several improvements - like the card flap and lip - make it arguably even more so.
Most impressively, it includes all of the hardware enhancements already seen in the other 'New' models but at a fraction of the price. If you wanted to increase your library but not pay a premium, this is an excellent choice for you.
The 2DS XL might be aimed at kids, but I'd argue that it's simply for everyone - and much better than any design that came before it.
All you're missing out on is the 3D functionality really, and not very many people use it anyway.
The New Nintendo 2DS XL is the finest 3DS iteration yet, and sends the much-loved handheld off in style
| June 21, 2017 |
Tiny Touch Tale's upcoming card game Miracle Merchant is looking for beta testers
Pocket Gamer's best games of May giveaway - Jaipur
The 2DS XL deals keep coming with Game's own take on the three-game bundle
Amazon is matching Nintendo's 2DS XL deal this Cyber Monday
New Nintendo 2DS XL preview - Who is this aimed at?
Etherborn review - "A striking visual experience that lacks weight"
Stranger Things 3: The Game Switch review - "Boring things"
Dota Underlords review - "The best auto chess"
AoT 2 Final Battle review - "Decent Attack on Titan fan service"
Dr. Mario World review - "Easily Nintendo's weakest game in years"
Dragon Quest Builders 2 review - "An inventive and engrossing sequel"
Selected fans can play Minecraft Earth now as the AR take on the phenomenon enters closed beta
Explore the culture of arranged marriages in Arranged - a visual novel for mobile
iOS + Android + Steam
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The First Part Last (Paperback)
By Angela Johnson
Not On Our Shelves—Ships in 1-5 Days
This little thing with the perfect face and hands doing nothing but counting on me. And me wanting nothing else but to run crying into my own mom's room and have her do the whole thing.
It's not going to happen....
Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.
With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson looks at the male side of teen pregnancy as she delves into one young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. No matter what the cost.
Angela Johnson has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels The First Part Last, Heaven, and Toning the Sweep. The First Part Last was also the recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award. She is also the author of the novels Looking for Red and A Certain October. Her books for younger readers include the Coretta Scott King Honor Book When I Am Old with You, illustrated by David Soman; Wind Flyers and I Dream of Trains, both illustrated by Loren Long; and Lottie Paris Lives Here and its sequel Lottie Paris and the Best Place, both illustrated by Scott M. Fischer. Additional picture books include A Sweet Smell of Roses, Just Like Josh Gibson, The Day Ray Got Away, and All Different Now. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio. Visit her at AJohnsonAuthor.com.
U.S. News and World Report Johnson has carved a niche writing realistically about young people's issues.
SLJ, starred review Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting.
Publishers Weekly, starred review Readers will only clamor for more.
Booklist, starred review Poetry.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 5th, 2010
Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Pregnancy
Young Adult Fiction / Coming of Age
Young Adult Fiction / Family / Alternative Family
Hardcover (June 2003): $17.99
Mass Market (January 2005): $7.99
Prebound (January 2005): $18.80
Compact Disc (August 24th, 2004): $19.99
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"As an undocumented immigrant, you do have constitutional rights here in the United States."
— Florida Immigrant Coalition on Monday, March 27th, 2017 in a Florida House subcommittee hearing
Do undocumented immigrants have constitutional rights?
By Amy Sherman on Wednesday, March 29th, 2017 at 3:08 p.m.
Dozens of immigrant advocate groups gathered at the Florida Capitol for a press conference on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 to oppose anti-immigrant bills lawmakers are considering this spring. (Miami Herald)
As the Florida Legislature considers legislation to increase penalties for undocumented immigrants who have committed certain crimes, legislators and activists have pondered this question: What are the constitutional rights of these immigrants?
HB 83 would increase penalties for certain violent offenses -- including sexual battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, murder, and the use of a destructive device such as a bomb -- if the defendant was in the country illegally. The bill still has several hurdles before it reaches Gov. Rick Scott’s desk.
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, argued at a March 27 House subcommittee hearing that the courts will ultimately have to rule on whether the legislation is constitutional.
Based on some court decisions, Eagle said it is "unclear if non-citizens can enjoy the same constitutional rights as citizens" although he said that everyone is entitled to constitutional protections for due process.
Francesca Menes, director of policy and advocacy for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, disagreed with Eagle.
"As an undocumented immigrant, you do have constitutional rights here in the United States," she said, "and that has been said over and over in the courts, that they do have constitutional rights."
We found that undocumented immigrants do have constitutional rights -- but not all of the rights of citizens. (We have previously fact-checked a claim about whether unlawful presence in the United States is not a crime, a claim we ruled Mostly True.)
Some rights, but not all
A spokeswoman for the Florida Immigrant Coalition pointed to an article by an author of immigration books about constitutional protections for undocumented immigrants.
We interviewed several legal scholars who agreed that undocumented immigrants have many constitutional rights, such as freedom of speech and religion, and if arrested, a right to a Miranda warning.
"There is no question that all persons in the United States including unauthorized migrants enjoy the protections of the Constitution," said Gabriel (Jack) Chin, law professor at University of California-Davis. "There is no debate about that among legal scholars."
The Fifth Amendment, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment protects everyone from deprivation of life, liberty or property without due process of law, Chin said.
There have been several court decisions dating back more than a century that outline the rights of undocumented immigrants.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Zadvydas vs. Davis (2001) that "once an alien enters the country, the legal circumstance changes, for the due process clause applies to all persons within the United States."
In a Texas case, Plyler vs. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1982 that non-citizen children must get a free K-12 education.
But undocumented immigrants don’t share all of the rights held by citizens -- for example, they can’t vote in state and national elections.
And Fordham law professor Jennifer Gordon said that some undocumented immigrants get almost no due process in removal proceedings.
In 1996, Congress created expedited removal for undocumented immigrants without a hearing. Initially it only applied at the U.S. border. Then it was expanded to within 100 miles of a border for undocumented immigrants who had been in the country less than 14 days.
President Donald Trump announced in January that his administration will apply the program anywhere in the United States to undocumented immigrants present less than two years.
"In the past, the government has largely prevailed when such programs have been challenged," Gordon said. "However, the Trump administration is proposing to expand some of these programs to include many more undocumented immigrants; it remains to be seen if the expansion will be upheld."
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule by June on whether undocumented immigrants in custody for deportation proceedings have a bond right to a hearing if their cases haven’t been dealt with in a timely manner. The ACLU filed the case on behalf of immigrants detained for more than six months.
While defendants in criminal proceedings have a Sixth Amendment right to a government-appointed attorney if they are poor, that right doesn’t extend to immigration court, where the violations are considered civil and not criminal, said Cornell law professor Stephen W. Yale-Loehr.
"Yes, immigrants do have constitutional rights, but those rights are not equal to U.S. citizens," he said. "They have due process rights, but when it comes to immigration court proceedings, those rights are often watered down by courts."
Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute, said that although undocumented immigrants have constitutional rights, the question with the Florida law is whether it "intrudes into the federal regulatory scheme."
When ruling on a case involving Arizona’s immigration law, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can't enhance penalties for immigration violations but can ask for immigration status or ask the federal government to verify a suspect's status.
"Now, if the bill punishes criminal felonies, not immigration infractions, giving harsher punishments to illegal aliens, then I think it would be vulnerable to an equal protection challenge under the Fourteenth Amendment," Shapiro said.
Menes, speaking on behalf of the Florida Immigrant Coalition said, "As an undocumented immigrant, you do have constitutional rights here in the United States."
Undocumented immigrants have many constitutional rights such as freedom of speech and religion. But they don’t share all the constitutional rights of citizens.
For example, some undocumented immigrants in removal proceedings have not gotten due process in court, and they don’t have a right to a government-paid lawyer in immigration court.
We rate this claim Mostly True.
Florida Immigrant Coalition
Published: Wednesday, March 29th, 2017 at 3:08 p.m.
Edited by: Katie Sanders
Subjects: Immigration, Legal Issues
Florida Channel, House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, March 27, 2017
Florida House, HB 83, filed Dec. 6, 2016
Florida Senate, Staff analysis of SB120, February 2017
Lobby tools, Summary of HB 83, 2017
The Hill, "Yes, illegal aliens have constitutional rights," Sept. 29, 2015
Forbes, "Does The Constitution Protect Non-Citizens? Judges Say Yes," Jan. 30, 2017
Miami Herald, "Put Florida Supreme Court in position of telling us that we’re wrong,’ lawmaker says," March 15, 2017
Miami Herald, "Plan to treat undocumented migrants more harshly in criminal court unlikely to go far," Feb. 3, 2017
Miami Herald, "Vote on constitution change fuels dispute," (Accessed in Nexis) Oct. 16, 1998
The Gainesville Sun, "State changes course on immigration policy," March 19, 2017
ACLU, "The rights of immigrants position paper," Accessed March 28, 2017
Florida Bar Journal, "Protecting Basic Rights of Florida Citizens," October 1998
PolitiFact, "Is being in the United States unlawfully a 'crime'?" March 15, 2017
Interview, Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow in constitutional studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, March 27, 2017
Interview, Gabriel (Jack) Chin, professor and director of clinical legal education at the University of California-Davis law school, March 27, 2017
Interview, Kermit Roosevelt, law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, March 27, 2017
Interview, Jennifer Gordon, Fordham Law School professor, March 28, 2017
Interview, Stephen W. Yale-Loehr, Miller Mayer, LLP and Professor of Immigration Law Practice, Cornell Law School, March 28, 2017
Interview, Paola Calvo Florido, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Inc. spokeswoman, March 28, 2017
Interview, Rep. Dane Eagle, R-Cape Coral, March 28, 2017
Interview, Steven Camarota, Center for Immigration Studies spokesman, March 28, 2017
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New York Edition
The New York Truth-O-Meter
Farmers "are now dumping milk into the ditches" because of a trade dispute with Canada
— Chris Collins on Friday, April 28th, 2017 in an interview with Bloomberg
New York farmers close to dumping milk over Canadian trade dispute
By Dan Clark on Thursday, May 18th, 2017 at 9:09 a.m.
Dairy producers in New York fear the worst over a trade dispute with Canada. (Mark Mulville/Buffalo News)
You’re not supposed to cry over spilt milk -- unless you’re a dairy farmer in upstate New York.
Rep. Chris Collins says a trade dispute with the Canada has forced New York state farmers to dump their milk "into ditches" because they can no longer sell it across the border.
"They’ve now taken something they call ultra-filtered milk. They effectively with a pricing move, our dairy farmers are no longer able to get that product into Canada," Collins said in an interview with Bloomberg. "They are now dumping milk into the ditches. The travesty there is beyond belief to see tankers of milk being dumped because there’s no market to sell them in."
The dispute began last year when the Canadian dairy industry created a new pricing class for ultra-filtered milk, a protein-heavy version of the milk you buy at the supermarket. It’s typically used to produce yogurt and certain cheeses.
The new pricing class lowered the price of ultra-filtered milk from Canadian dairy producers, making it cheaper for companies in Canada to buy the product domestically instead of importing it from New York state. The new pricing class took effect at the beginning of April.
Both Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and President Donald Trump have criticized Canada for the action, saying it hurts the state’s dairy industry.
But is Collins right that the dispute has forced farmers to dump milk into ditches?
Dairy processors
A spokesman for Collins’ office could not point to any farms that have dumped milk because of the trade dispute, but did say the congressman was talking about farmers in New York state.
There are two major processing facilities in New York state that export ultra-filtered milk to Canada: Cayuga Milk Ingredients in Auburn and O-AT-KA Milk Products in Batavia.
O-AT-KA is mostly supplied by Upstate Niagara Cooperative but also receives milk from Dairy Farmers of America. Cayuga Milk Ingredients, itself a cooperative, receives milk from 30 local dairy farms.
The cooperatives are responsible for marketing their members’ milk to processors and elsewhere. If a member’s product has to be dumped, the loss is spread across all members of the cooperative instead of an individual farmer.
Craig S. Alexander, vice president for dairy ingredients and regulatory affairs at O-AT-KA, said no milk from Upstate Niagara Cooperative has been dumped because of the Canada issue.
"We haven’t dumped any milk yet," Alexander said. "However, it’s an evolving situation and the milk supply hasn’t peaked seasonally yet so it’s really week to week to see if we can make ends meet."
Alexander says the dispute could lead to a loss of $20 million for the company if it’s not resolved.
Dairy Farmers of America did not reply to our inquiry.
The situation is similar in Auburn.
"We’ve been close to dumping but we’ve been able to manage it," said Kevin Ellis, CEO of Cayuga Milk Ingredients. "I’m responsible for marketing the milk, and I’ve been able to effectively market it."
Ellis says the trade dispute threatens $30 million of its annual sales to Canadian markets, about 25 percent of total revenue.
The New York Farm Bureau, the Northeast Dairy Producers Association, the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, the American Dairy Association Northeast, and the state Department of Agriculture did not know of any farmers dumping milk because of the problem.
Dumping data
Some milk has been dumped in the Northeast.
Neither the state nor federal Departments of Agriculture tracks how much milk is dumped by state, but federal data shows the amount of milk dumped in a specific region. In the region that includes part of upstate New York and other states in the Northeast, 44.8 million pounds of milk were dumped in the first three months of this year, about 40 percent of the total milk dumped in the U.S. during that time. That’s more than twice the amount of milk dumped in the first three months of last year, but still less than 1 percent of the milk produced in the region.
The numbers include more than just milk that was dumped because it couldn’t be sold. It includes milk dumped in all circumstances, like milk used for animal feed.
Dumping milk is rarely a total loss for farmers. Processors will often take the cream from milk to sell, leaving only the skim part to be dumped. When processors have no demand for any part of the milk, cooperatives will dump the extra product.
But there are rules for how this is done. State regulations require farmers to dispose of excess milk by either adding it to their manure storage structure or by directly applying it to fields to recycle the nutrients. Any dumping that may lead to a waterway, like a ditch, would be a violation of the state Environmental Conservation Law.
Collins said farmers "are now dumping milk into the ditches" because of a trade dispute with Canada.
The Canadian dairy industry's new pricing for ultra-filtered milk affects dairy processors and farmers in upstate New York, but we could not find any who have dumped their milk because of the trade dispute. It has been more difficult for dairy producers to find a market for their product for the last few years because of a persistent milk glut in the United States.
Collins points out the dispute has made it harder for processors to bring milk to market. Indeed, farmers might begin dumping their milk soon if the trend continues. But we found no evidence, and he has not provided any, that it has happened yet. We rate his claim False.
Congressmember
Published: Thursday, May 18th, 2017 at 9:09 a.m.
Researched by: Dan Clark
Edited by: Patrick Lakamp
Subjects: Agriculture, Economy
Rep. Chris Collins on Nafta, GOP Tax Plan and Health Bill, Bloomberg video interview, April 28, 2017
Phone conversation with Michael Kracker of Rep. Chris Collins’ office
Phone conversation with Craig S. Alexander, vice president for dairy ingredients and regulatory affairs at O-AT-KA Milk Products
Phone conversation with Kevin Ellis, CEO of Cayuga Milk Ingredients
Phone conversation with Steve Ammerman of the New York Farm Bureau
Phone conversation with Tonya Van Slyke of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association
Phone conversation with Jon Greenwood, chair of the Northeast Dairy Producers Association
Phone conversation with Bruce Krupke, executive vice president of the Northeast Dairy Foods Association
Email conversation with Diana Dibble, spokesperson for the American Dairy Association North East
Phone conversation with Andrew Novakovic, E. V. Baker professor of Agricultural Economics at Cornell University
Email conversation with Michelle Person from the Public Affairs Office at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Email and phone conversation with press office staff at the New York state Dept. of Agriculture
Email conversation with press office staff at the New York state Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Dairy consumption per capita in the United States (annual), Accessed May 5, 2017
Milk Production totals in New York from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Accessed May 5, 2017
Letter from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, October 2016
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Jon Carapiet
Peter Wills
Peter Wills is a Theoretical Biologist in the Department of Physics, University of Auckland.
He gained a BSc in Chemistry and Biochemistry in 1973, his PhD in Biochemistry in 1977, and has held full time positions at a variety of leading overseas institutes.
Dr Wills’ most recent research has been concerned with the early stages of biological evolution, especially the origins of genetic coding and biological information processing. Some of his collaborative research work into prions - the infectious agents active in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies - has involved the contained laboratory use of microbial genetic engineering for gene amplification and functional protein analysis.
He has published widely in the international scientific literature covering a number of different fields: biochemistry, theoretical physics, molecular genetics and complexity theory.
Since the mid-1980s, Dr Wills has written and spoken extensively about genetic engineering, both in New Zealand and abroad. His analysis has been published internationally. He was an invited speaker at the 1994 Third World Network Conference in Penang that resulted in the scientists’ statement, “The Need for Greater Regulation and Control of Genetic Engineering” and in 1999 he was the only foreign invitee to the first Australian Consensus Conference on “Gene Technology in the Food Chain.”
He was a Witness to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification on behalf of PSRG and a number of other New Zealand organisations. He has also been a Witness on genetic engineering to the Waitangi Tribunal.
Dr Wills is a Trustee of Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility, previously Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Genetics New Zealand, a Charitable Trust. He was Co-founder of Scientists Against Nuclear Arms (1983), and Chair of Greenpeace New Zealand (1993-1996).
Peter Wills - The Biological Complexity and Genetic Engineering Web Site
http://www.physics.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/associate-professor-peter-wills
Genetic Engineering: Policy and Science since the Royal Commission: Insoluable Problems Summary (pdf); Full Report (pdf)
'Harnessing our very life' Peter R Wills, David L F Williams, Denys Trussell and L R B Mann
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Home > Asia > Amendments to Malaysian anti-corruption law
Amendments to Malaysian anti-corruption law
By Wilson Ang (SG) and Samuel Leong (SG) on December 13, 2018 Posted in Asia, Enforcement
Earlier this year, the Malaysian Parliament amended the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (MACC Act) to incorporate a new Section 17A on corporate liability for corruption. The new section not only establishes a new statutory corporate liability offence of corruption by a commercial organisation, but also deems any director, controller, officer, partner or manager to be personally liable for the same offence unless the relevant individual can prove that the offence was committed without their consent and that they had exercised the requisite due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence.
In legislating these amendments, the Malaysian Parliament has adopted features of the UK Bribery Act into the MACC Act. The amendments are not yet in force and will come into force upon a gazette notification by the Minister.
Key takeaways about the recent amendments to the MACC Act
Corporate offence of corruption committed by an associated person: Section 17A(1) of the MACC Act provides that a commercial organisation commits an offence if a person associated with it corruptly gives, offers or promises any gratification to any person with an intent to obtain or retain business or a business advantage for said commercial organisation.
Persons considered to be “associated” with a commercial organisation include directors, partners and employees of the commercial organisation, as well as any person “who performs services for or on behalf of the commercial organization”. This means that a commercial organisation will not only be liable for bribery by its directors or partners, but also its employees, agents, distributors, and potentially even its joint venture partners.
Parallel personal criminal liability for senior personnel: Section 17A(3) of the MACC Act provides that senior personnel, such as a director, controller, officer, partner or person who is concerned with the management of a commercial organisation found to be liable for corruption at the time of the commission of the offence, shall be deemed to have also committed the same offence, unless the individual proves that the offence was committed without their consent or connivance; and that they had exercised “due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence as he ought to have exercised, having regard to the nature of his function in that capacity and to the circumstances.”
In other words, if a commercial organisation is found to be liable under Section 17A, its senior personnel holding office at the time of commission of offence will be deemed to have personally committed the offence as well.
Comparison with the UK Bribery Act 2010: The UK Bribery Act was expressly cited as the model for the new Section 17A of the MACC Act. However, Section 17A goes beyond the UK approach. This is because the UK Bribery Act provides for two distinct statutory offences:
First, the offence of failure by commercial organisations to prevent bribery (Section 7), where a commercial organisation would be liable if a person associated with it commits bribery in order to obtain or retain business or a business advantage; and
Second, the personal criminal liability of senior officers of corporations and partnerships for bribery committed by the relevant corporation or partnership (Section 14),
which the MACC Act has merged in the new Section 17A. Thus, a senior manager of a company operating in Malaysia will be deemed to be personally liable for bribery committed by a person associated with the company (including third parties such as agents), unless the senior manager can prove that the bribery was committed with his or her consent or connivance and that he or she had exercised sufficient due diligence to prevent the offence.
Statutory defence against corporate offence of corruption: Like the UK Bribery Act, the amended MACC Act has also incorporated a statutory defence against the offence of corruption by a commercial organisation. Section 17(4) of the MACC Act states that a commercial organisation shall be acquitted of a charge if it proves that it “had in place adequate procedures designed to prevent persons associated with the commercial organization from undertaking such conduct.” This provision is in pari materia with Section 7(2) of the UK Bribery Act.
The new provisions have effectively reversed the burden of proof – by creating a presumption of criminal liability through a deeming provision which then requires the accused person to disprove his or her liability by showing that the offence was committed without his or her consent or connivance, and that he or she had exercised the necessary due diligence in the circumstances.
The recent amendments are a clear signal of the Malaysian government’s intention to hold managers accountable for corrupt acts perpetrated through their organisations.
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Market integrity and misconduct
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Two Girls and a Guy
Two Girls and a Guy (1998)
Robert Downey Jr. as Blake
Natasha Gregson Wagner as Lou
Heather Graham as Carla
Written and Directed by
Rated R For A Strong Sex Scene, Strong Language and Sexual Dialogue, and For A Violent Image
Sometimes the story behind a movie can bring an angle to what's on the screen. Consider “Two Girls and a Guy,” written and directed by James Toback, and starring Robert Downey Jr. The story involves a two-timing actor who returns to his Manhattan apartment to be confronted by both of his girlfriends, who've just found out about each other.
Here's the background: * Toback and Downey worked together before, in “The Pick-Up Artist” (1987), where Downey played a compulsive womanizer who bounded through the streets of New York, fast-talking pretty girls. He was a cad and a liar, but likable; Pauline Kael wrote that “Downey, whose soul is floppy-eared, gives the movie a fairy-tale sunniness.” * James Toback himself is, or was, a notorious pickup artist. How notorious? The late Spy magazine once printed a double fold-out chart of his activity during just one month. With the names of his female targets running down the left-hand side of the page, the magazine used a grid to chronicle his various approaches, and how many of his favorite pickup lines (“I work closely with Warren Beatty”) he used on each woman.
* When Downey was shown on television, being led to jail in handcuffs on drug charges, Toback was watching, and says he sat down immediately to write a screenplay for his old friend. “When I saw him in that orange jail jump suit, I knew he was ready to play this role,” Toback told me at the 1997 Toronto film festival. Of course, perhaps Toback (whose screenplays include “The Gambler” and “Bugsy”) was also ready to write it; the film is confessional and contrite.
* “Two Girls and a Guy” was written in four days and filmed in just 11, mostly inside a single apartment in SoHo. Not long after, Downey went back to court and eventually to jail, only to be released this month.
Downey is not floppy-eared or sunny in this film as Blake, but he is resilient and unbowed. Confronted with both of his girlfriends, Carla (Heather Graham) and Lou (Natasha Gregson Wagner), he talks and thinks quickly, saying he meant it when he told them both he had “never experienced real love” before.
“He decided consciously to start with both of us at the same time!” Lou says. And as they work it out, it appears he did meet them at about the same time. He saw each girl three nights of the week, excusing himself on the other nights because of the illness of his mother, who neither one ever met.
The two women meet on his doorstep, break into his apartment and are hiding there when he returns from a trip and leaves phone messages for them both. When he sees them, he's at a loss for words, but soon they come tumbling out; Toback in person is a torrential talker, and here Downey is as persuasive as a snake oil salesman and Wagner (Natalie Wood's daughter) fires out high-energy dialogue like Robin Williams.
What can be said, really? He's a cheating, lying SOB, and both women find even more colorful terms to describe him, both as a person and in terms of his various parts. The movie is essentially a filmed stage play, one of those idea-plays like Shaw liked to write, in which men and women ponder their differences and complexities. Is it true that men are polygamous by nature? It's much more complex than that, the movie suggests, especially after Lou suggests that her interest in Blake might expand to include Carla.
Downey, whatever his problems, is a fine actor, smart and in command of his presence, and he's persuasive here as he defends himself: “I'm an actor. And actors lie.” There is a show-stopping scene when he looks at himself in a mirror and warns himself to get his act together. There are some notes in the movie that I could have done without, including an offstage gunshot and a tearjerker ending. But I enjoyed the ebb and flow of their time together.
What shows Toback has learned something since his days as a Spy cover boy is that the movie doesn't pretend any of these three people is really in love. They're playing at being in love, but essentially all three are soloists, looking out for themselves, and the women can sustain outrage only so long before they begin to seek additional amusements and possibilities. As for the man, well, he always told them his favorite song was “You Don't Know Me.”
Drawing success
Telluride earns trust of film fans
Chicago Film Fest lines up eye- popping array of films
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July 21, 2015 1:05PM ET
From Kewpies to Minions: A Brief History of Pop Culture Cuteness
Seven examples of aggressive adorability that took over the mainstream
David Ehrlich
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It’s seldom an accident. It’s not a lightning strike or a shooting star — more like a mad science. It’s specifically designed to make viewers weak in the knees and unable to suppress an “Awwwww” while held in its thrall. (Resistance is futile.) It’s the art of manufacturing mass-produced, all-consuming Pop Culture Cuteness — and it’s huge business.
For the most part, the cuteness-industrial-complex runs parallel to the zeitgeist, but sometimes — when the stars align to shine a certain twinkle down upon us — it violently butts into the mainstream. The recent arrival of Minions, the Despicable Me spinoff that focuses on the instantly iconic and possibly inbred creatures that exist to serve history’s greatest villains, typifies how such incursions refuse to be ignored. The $593 million promotional blitz leading up to the release of the film made the little yellow agents of death more ubiquitous than any celebrity in the world: There were Minions Tic Tacs, Minions Chiquita bananas, Minions Twinkies, Minions McDonald’s fries… for a brief period of time, the average American diet was basically just eating various shapes of Minions. And the marketing didn’t stop at food products — Amazon got in on the action as well, shipping their items in boxes that looked like coffins for the balding Doctor Moreau rejects on their sides.
America's Other, Cuter Super Bowl: The Story of the Puppy Bowl
But there’s a good reason why Comcast and its partners felt comfortable spending such an ungodly amount of money to publicize a movie that features Jon Hamm voicing a character named Herb Overkill: It’s undeniably cute. And cuteness, as the $625 the film has earned at the international box office so far might suggest, is the universal language (we used to think it was math, but we’ve since evolved from such an ignorant and naïve understanding of the world). It’s also immediate. Cuteness instills brand recognition without requiring any, relying on particular shapes in order to trigger the biological impulse for affection that Nobel Prize–winning physiologist Konrad Lorenz referred to as an “innate releasing mechanism.” As if it wasn’t already clear before Minions opened to more than $115 million, the culture of pop cuteness is real — call it “Pop Cute-ture” — and there may be nothing we can do to stop it.
The most surprising thing about such aggressive adorableness is that these phenomena don’t happen more often. Perhaps that’s because America has erected barriers to protect us from such things, making cuteness one of the few areas where high and low art are encouraged to stay in their respective pens and every niche knows its place. But when the pop world is so rigidly segregated, the rare instances of spillover can have a profound effect. By looking at several landmarks of both foreign and domestic Pop Cute-ture, perhaps we can learn something about how they occurred, what they became, and why some forces might remain beyond our control.
Kewpie Dolls (1909)
The aforementioned Mr. Lorenz believed that the Kewpie, a hyper-cherubic character first conceived by illustrator Rose O’Niell for a comic strip that was printed in Ladies’ Home Journal, was “the maximum possible exaggeration [of cuteness]…which our perception can tolerate without switching our response from the sweet baby to that elicited by the eerie monster.” In other words, the Kewpie — which looks like what might happen if God got drunk and combined the body of a toddler with the ditzy sex appeal of Marilyn Monroe — is the boiling point of cuteness. As anyone who’s seen The Strangers can attest, push any of the Kewpie’s features even a little bit and you’ll be staring into the face of pure evil.
Of course, it wasn’t long before the dolls were put to work — by 1914, they were already slathered on boxes of products ranging from Jell-O to Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, and even became an icon for the suffrage movement. The era of modern cuteness-as-cash-cow had begun.
Mickey Mouse (1928)
Essentially just three black circles (the red pants and white gloves are just for sex appeal), Mickey Mouse has grown from a lovelorn dollop of cuteness to a rodent as intrinsic to our culture as Coca-Cola — a universal symbol of an empire worth nearly $100 billion (for reference, that’s almost Jurassic World money).
Beyond the money, however, Mickey is also valuable for what he revealed about the relationship between cuteness, capitalism and corporate branding. The correlation may seem obvious, particularly to modern consumers, but it’s fascinating to look back at the character’s physical reverse evolution as he Benjamin Button-ed from his recognizably adult appearance in Steamboat Willie to his more childlike look in Fantasia and beyond. Eventually, the rodent’s cuteness became so pure that his innate releasing mechanism was too strong to sustain a narrative work. As a result, he transcended space and time to become a mascot in the material world, and today he can be found roaming the grounds of Disneyland, waiting for strangers to hug him.
The Banana Splits (1968)
The missing link between between the Monkees and the Teletubbies, The Banana Splits was an hour-long variety show that represented Hanna-Barbera’s first attempt at combining animation with live-action. There was Drooper (essentially a permanently stoned version of the Cowardly Lion), Fleegle (a giant beagle in a bow-tie), Snorky (a shaggy elephant), and Bingo (a primate Shriner, right down to his love for tiny cars).
The show solidified a new live-action stronghold for the Saturday-morning TV kids — a primo advertising demographic — and helped launch Sid and Marty Kroft’s empire (the duo designed the costumes for the anthropomorphic quartet, as well as the set production). The good folks at Hanna-Barbera also jumped giant-overstuffed-head first into marketing the hell out of the show, which — in addition to the usual lunchboxes, dolls, comic books et al. — included releasing the insanely catchy theme song “The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana)” as a single, as well as an entire power-pop album of Splits tunes. And when a wave of late Sixties/early Seventies nostalgia started to crest during the Clinton era, the show’s oddball combination of lysergic zaniness and furry-cosplay shenanigans fueled a mini-industry of ironic t-shirts and Nineties alt-rock “Tra La” cover versions. It was cuteness that somehow managed to bilk a generation out of its bucks twice. [Cue slow clap]
Hello Kitty (1974)
”It’s easy to accept [Hello] Kitty because it’s so dumb and expressionless. It doesn’t demand that you make any reference.” That’s how critic Midori Matsui, interviewed for a 2005 New York Times piece about artist Takashi Murakami and his theory of a Superflat culture, explained the unfathomable popularity of the ubiquitous cartoon cat in her native country. “Humanism is dead! Because people are weak and scared,” she said, presumably moments before pledging allegiance to Lord Humungus, painting her face with the blood of her enemies, and wandering into the wasteland in anticipation of the new world order.
Even amongst less dramatic critics, scholars, and fans, there’s some debate as to what the creature really is: not a cat, but not not a cat. (Perhaps she’s best thought of as Schrodinger’s Kitty, dead in our world but alive in our hearts.) Designed by Yuko Shimizu in 1974, the adorably round feline — who established the overalls-to-exposed-cartoon-flesh ratio that Minions would exploit four decades later — is as ubiquitous in Japan as guns are in the United States. Once just on coin purses, she’s now a seven-billion-dollar-a-year business that includes stationary, debit cards, Ferris Wheels, etc. She has her own wine, she has her own plane, she has her maternity hospital — she even has her own murder!
But her coup de grâce, and perhaps the most stunning achievement in the history of organized cuteness, is that in 2008, Hello Kitty became the ambassador of Japanese tourism in China — it took a set of adorable bow and whiskers were dispatched to smooth over one of the most fractious international relationships in recorded history. And yet, to this day no adult can rock her gear in the US without being placed on a government watch list.
Tickle Me Elmo (1996)
It all seemed so innocent at first. Quietly released in July of 1996, Tyco’s talking plush doll of America’s favorite falsetto monster was meant to please children. It was not, however, meant to tear their communities apart in an orgy of Christmas-fueled violence, one which saw the streets of suburbia awash in blood as red as the beloved Sesame Street character in whose name it had been spilled. It wasn’t like the popular kids’ TV show didn’t have its fair share of endearing residents (big up our man Cookie Monster!), or the helium-voiced muppet wasn’t adorable from the get-go. But this was different. This wasn’t just capitalistic cuteness. This was chaos.
The trouble began with Rosie O’Donnell. “Tickle Me Elmo” dolls had been selling well through the start of the school year, but it wasn’t until that fateful October afternoon, when O’Donnell so blithely mentioned her love for the toy on her talk show, that the frenzy set in. There weren’t enough. There just… weren’t…enough. Barely a million had been produced. The Wal-Mart doors opened and daddy… he just disappeared into the mob of humanity. They call it “New Jersey Quicksand.” It was priced at $29.99, but that furry bug-eyed jester of death cost so much more. Black Friday? No, the blackest. We haven’t tickled anything since.
Pokémon (1996)
Turning little kids into unrepentant addicts since 1996, Satoshi Tajiri’s Game Boy RPG — in which the player assumed the role of an unsupervised child traveling around Japan and forcing wild animals to fight each other for his personal gain and amusement — has since evolved into a $38-billion-dollar entertainment brand. Toys, TV series, feature films, trading cards, comics: “Gotta catch ’em all!”
Pokémon (or “Pocket Monsters,” for those of you who have never tasted the glory of completing the Pokédex and defeating the Elite Four in surrogate bloodsport), has always relied less on cuteness than it has the compulsion it inspires from its fans. In 1999, two nine-year-old boys sued Nintendo by claiming that the Pokémon Trading Card Game had turned them into chronic gamblers. Nintendo, the suit argued, was engaging in “a pattern of racketeering activity.” The suit failed, but only because it turns out that companies don’t have to pay you money when you accuse them of capitalism.
Still, the game’s training mechanics have certainly encouraged a nurturing dynamic between player and digital killing machine. It’s tell that the cuddly Pikachu, a Pichu who evolves when leveled up with high friendship, quickly became the face of the franchise despite not being a “starter” Pokémon or one of the game’s more powerful monsters.
Puppy Bowl (2005)
The Cutest Lie Ever Told, Animal Planet’s annual Puppy Bowl is not — despite appearances — a live televised sporting match between the most poorly coached football teams on the planet. It is, rather, a meshwork of incidental canine tomfoolery that’s cut together from three separate days of shooting. The Puppy Bowl truthers were right.
Conceived about two weeks before most of its original participants and debuted during the halftime ceremony of the 2005 Super Bowl, Puppy Bowl was designed to provide a viewing alternative for people who needed a reprieve from the sight of grown men concussing each other. Ratings have gone up as the main event’s halftime acts have gotten worse (it’s been reported that literally every American tuned in to the PB when the Black Eyed Peas performed in 2011), with an alleged aggregated audience of 12 million viewers and an off-the-charts social media presence; Michelle Obama even taped a kickoff intro in 2014. And lest you think it’s not diabetically sweet enough, recent editions have added penguin cheerleaders [awww] and a kitten interlude in between quarters [AWWWWWWW!]
Big-name sponsors are all over it — Geico has bought the naming rights to the miniature stadium — and according to an Ad Age article, the 2014 edition increased its advertising revenue by 30%. The Puppy Bowl is a nearly perfect model of how cuteness functions in American culture: isolated, simultaneous, undeniable, and able to produce a profit bigger than the gross national product of some countries.
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The National Give Choir-Backed Performance of ‘Oblivions’ on ‘Fallon’
Band performs I Am Easy to Find track with nearly 30 people on stage
Claire Shaffer
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The National made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night to perform “Oblivions,” a track from their latest album I Am Easy to Find and its accompanying short film.
The contemplative song was co-written by frontman Matt Berninger and his wife Carin Besser, and features the vocals of Mina Tindle and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Both Tindle and members of the Chorus appeared alongside The National on The Tonight Show, along with an orchestral sextet. Even though the five-piece band had ballooned into nearly 30 people onstage, The National managed to make the performance of “Oblivions” feel as intimate and meditative as it sounds in the studio version, anchored by Berninger and Tindle’s central performances.
The National previously made appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to perform two other I Am Easy to Find tracks, “Rylan” and “You Had Your Soul With You.” They’re currently on tour in North America in support of the album.
In This Article: Jimmy Fallon, The National
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The Sorrows of young werther
Tolstoy's Last Days
jules verne: from the earth to the moon
emily dickInson: herself to her a music
click title for updated production history
Written by Eve Wolf
Directed by Donald T. Sanders
Set & Costumes by Vanessa James
Lighting Design by Beverly Emmons
Elebash Recital Hall
CUNY Graduate Center
November 9, 10 & 13, 2005
The Kosciuszko Foundation
15 E. 65th St.
This theatrical concert recounts the dramatic final days of Tolstoy’s life when at the age of 83 he fled his wife and estates only to die tragically eleven days later at the Astapovo train station. A narrative based on diaries and letters of Tolstoy and his wife, combined with excerpts from his short story, The Death of Ivan Ilych, recounts his final predicament, during which the imagined life and death of a fictional character closely parallels the writer’s own personal voyage.
The text, intertwined with music by Rachmaninoff for violin, cello, and piano, including the Trio Elégiaque and the haunting Vocalise, creates a theatrical concert that epitomizes Russian tragedy and soulfulness.
Written by James Melo
March 5 & 7, 2008
Emily Dickenson: Herself To Her A Music
Emily Dickinson was one of the most elusive artistic personalities of the 19th century, living as a recluse for most of her adult life. Dickinson’s self-imposed solitude allowed her to construct a world of images, sensations, emotions and thoughts ruled solely by the breadth and refinement of her imagination. By delving deep into her inner world, she produced a body of poetry that remains exceedingly haunting and mysterious.
Music figures prominently in Dickinson’s poetry, and this concert offers a journey through her soul from the perspective of music. A dramatic monologue based on her letters and poems forms the textual backdrop for the magnificent music of Amy Beach, an artist whose musical talents resonate with Dickinson’s otherworldly poetic language.
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Luba Malina
When Universal Pictures brought the Broadway musical Mexican Hayride to the screen in 1948, they threw away a big chunk of Herbert and Dorothy Fields' book -- and all of Cole Porter's score -- and they rebuilt it all around the talents of rotund, roly-poly movie comic Lou Costello in place of Bobby Clark, who'd done it on Broadway. The only thing they kept from the play, apart from its title and a few character names, was Luba Malina. In the play, she was Dagmar Marshak, the overeager phrenologist who torments Bobby Clark, and in the movie she was the gorgeous, tempestuous confidence woman Dagmar, who torments Lou Costello. It was Malina's only feature-film role, but it was enough to leave generations of young male Abbott & Costello fans totally enamored with the fiery actress. Luba Malina was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, the daughter of Vatali Malina, a member of the Moscow Art Theater. She started her career on-stage at the age of five, as a member of Anna Pavlova's children's ballet. The family fled the hardship of post-revolutionary Russia when she was seven and came to America after seven years in Shanghai and three years in London and Paris. Malina studied in Greenwich Village, and her good looks opened lots of doors for her as a performer, although she was initially looked upon as a very serious singer, rather than a comedienne. She appeared in musicals produced by the Shuberts and sang in clubs such as the Copacabana and the Versailles in New York, and the Chez Paree in Chicago. Malina also showed up in a handful of "soundies" during the early '40s, including Cuban Pete, Minnie From Trinidad, and A Gay Ranchero, playing Latina roles of the Carmen Miranda type, although, with her physique, she more resembled Charo crossed with Katy Jurado. In fairness, those appearances, for which she was billed as Luba "Molina," and the fact that she was also apparently billed at one point as Raquel Malina, and some inconsistencies in the dates and accounts of her family's Russian and Shanghai travels, raise some questions about her background. Regardless of the details, however, she made her Broadway debut in Mike Todd's production of Priorities of 1942, in which she first showed off her comedic, tempestuous side. Her subsequent credits, in addition to Mexican Hayride, included Marinka, Festival, Roberta (as Scharwenka), and Noel Coward's Nude With Violin. Malina worked steadily through the 1940s and '50s, juggling her career -- which included engagements in Las Vegas alongside veteran comic Bert Wheeler -- and a marriage to prominent New York attorney (and one-time Congressional candidate) Myron Sulzberger Jr. Among her later credits was the topical comedy Julia, Jake and Uncle Joe, with Claudette Colbert. She was a guest on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town early in its run, and her last small-screen appearance was a role in an episode of Diagnosis: Unknown in 1960. Whatever her origins, Malina proved in Mexican Hayride that she could mangle the English language as comically as Carmen Miranda, declaring to the hapless Lou Costello, "I will work my bones to the finger."
No Score Yet Mexican Hayride Dagmar — 1948
QUOTES FROM Luba Malina CHARACTERS
News & Interviews for Luba Malina
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June 19, 2019 / 2:20 PM / a month ago
Explainer: Who pays Trump's tariffs, China or U.S. customers and companies?
(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump says China pays the tariffs he has imposed on $250 billion of Chinese exports to the United States.
FILE PHOTO: People shop at Macy's Department store in New York City, U.S., March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
But that is not how tariffs work. China’s government and companies in China do not pay U.S. tariffs directly. Tariffs are a tax on imports and are paid by U.S.-registered firms to U.S. customs when goods enter the United States.
Importers often pass the costs of tariffs on to customers - manufacturers and consumers in the United States - by raising their prices. U.S. business executives and economists say U.S. consumers foot much of the tariff bill.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow has said that both sides suffer with tariffs.
The tariff bill will rise further if Trump is unable to make progress on U.S. demands for reform in China when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. Trump has said he would impose tariffs on the remaining $300 billion of goods imported from China that are not yet subject to import taxes.
That includes products ranging from cellphones to baby pacifiers, and would mean almost all imports from China would be subject to a 25 percent import tax.
U.S. COMPANIES SEE RISING CONSUMER PRICES
A growing number of U.S. companies has warned about the negative impact of the tariffs on American consumers.
A wide range of companies this week have told government officials at hearings in Washington that they have few alternatives other than China for producing clothing, electronics and other consumer goods. They have said alternatives would cost more, and that the next round of tariffs could wipe out profits and cost jobs.
Nike Inc and 172 other footwear companies have urged Trump to remove footwear from a list of imports facing a proposed extra 25% tariff, warning the move could cost consumers an additional $7 billion a year.
Walmart Inc, the world’s largest retailer, and department store chain Macy’s Inc have warned that prices for shoppers will rise due to higher tariffs on goods from China.
WHAT THE ‘TARIFF MAN’ SAYS
Trump, who has called himself the “Tariff Man,” has often repeated that China pays for U.S. tariffs on its goods.
“We have billions of dollars coming into our Treasury — billions — from China. We never had 10 cents coming into our Treasury; now we have billions coming in,” he said on Jan. 24.
On May 5, he tweeted: “For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA.”
As well as imposing tariffs on Chinese goods, Trump has also imposed a tax on global steel and aluminum imports and shipments of washing machines and solar panels.
Trump and top members of his Cabinet have said that the tariffs are accelerating a move of manufacturing out of China.
HOW TARIFFS REALLY WORK
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects the tax on imports. The agency typically requires importers to pay duties within 10 days of their shipments clearing customs.
Through May 1, Washington has assessed $23.7 billion in tariffs since early 2018, according to data from the CBP.
Total tariff revenue - including levies that predated Trump - shot up by 89% in the first half of the current fiscal year starting Oct. 1, to a total of $34.7 billion, according to U.S. Treasury data.
Every item imported into the United States legally has a customs code. Importers are expected to check the tariffs and other taxes and duties due on the goods they bring in, calculate what they owe, and pay it.
U.S. Customs reviews payments and sends importers a fresh bill if it detects underpayment.
Importers also have to post payment guarantees, or import bonds, with customs. The costs of these bonds have risen with tariffs, an additional burden on U.S.-based firms importing goods from China.
DO CHINESE SUPPLIERS BEAR THE COSTS OF U.S. TARIFFS?
Chinese suppliers do shoulder some of the cost of U.S. tariffs in indirect ways. Exporters sometimes, for instance, may offer U.S. importers a discount to help defray the costs of higher U.S. duties and maintain their contracts and market share.
Chinese companies might lose business if U.S. importers find cheaper, tariff-free sources of the same goods outside China.
And outside of tariffs, the Trump administration’s decision to add China’s Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms equipment maker, to a trade blacklist, has hit that company hard.
But U.S.-based importers are managing the higher tax burden in a number of ways that hurt U.S. companies and customers more than China.
Such strategies include accepting lower profit margins; cutting costs - including wages and jobs for U.S. workers; deferring any potential wage hikes, in addition to passing on tariff costs through higher prices for U.S. consumers or companies.
Most importers use a mix of such tactics to spread the higher costs among suppliers and consumers or buyers.
HIGHER PRICES FOR TRACTORS, WASHING MACHINES
Higher duties on imports of metals and Chinese products, for example, increased Caterpillar Inc’s production costs by more than $100 million last year. In response, the heavy-duty equipment maker increased prices for its products.
Tractor manufacturer Deere & Co estimates a $100 million increase in its raw materials costs this year because of Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports. Deere has cut costs and increased prices to protect its profits.
A Congressional Research Service report in February found that the tariffs boosted washing machine prices by as much as 12%, compared with January 2018, before tariffs took effect.
Steel and aluminum tariffs increased the price of steel products by nearly 9% last year, pushing up costs for steel users by $5.6 billion, according to a study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
U.S. companies and consumers paid $3 billion a month in additional taxes because of tariffs on Chinese goods and on aluminum and steel from around the globe, according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Princeton University, and Columbia University. Companies shouldered an additional $1.4 billion in costs related to lost efficiency in 2018, the study found.
WHAT DO COMPANIES IN CHINA PAY?
China has retaliated against U.S. tariffs by imposing its own tariffs on imports from the United States.
Most importers in China are Chinese. So in the same way the U.S. government collects import taxes on Chinese goods from U.S. importers, the Chinese government takes in taxes on U.S. goods from Chinese importers.
As with tariffs in the United States, Chinese firms can seek to pass on the costs to U.S. exporters. Some U.S. interests have lost business, such as U.S. soy farmers.
Chinese buyers have cut billions of dollars of soybean purchases from the United States because China’s tariffs have made U.S. supplies more expensive than beans from competitors such as Brazil.
Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh and Andrea Shalal, Editing by Simon Webb, Brian Thevenot, Susan Thomas and Jonathan Oatis
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End Times Worldwide Revival
©November 2, 2007 Asher Intrater
Many years ago I wrote an article called, “Second Pentecost.” I had been meditating on the revival recorded in Acts 2, and noticed how Shimon (Peter) described it as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel.
This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. .. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.”
What happened in the first century Messianic Community did not fulfill all the dimensions described in Joel’s prophesy. One issue is the size of the outpouring. Joel described a worldwide outpouring – “on all flesh” -, not a local one in Jerusalem. Another issue is the timing – “before the coming of the day of the Lord”. That “day” is the Second Coming of Yeshua (Jesus). The revival in the first century was right after the First Coming, whereas this revival is to happen right before the Second Coming.
So what did Peter mean when he said, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel”? He meant that they had experienced in Jerusalem the same kind of outpouring that would eventually take place in the end times, encompassing the whole world. They had a campfire that would eventually become a forest fire. It is the same fire, but a different dimension, - the same experience, but a different size and a different timing.
In Acts 2, a greater power of the Holy Spirit had been poured out than what was in the gospels. For example, when the woman with the issue of blood was healed as she touched Yeshua’s garment, the spiritual virtue was like electricity that passed from Him to her. However, when the 120 were gathered together on Shavuot (Pentecost) morning, they were like the “critical mass” of a nuclear explosion. It was like the discovery of atomic energy after using electricity for many years.
The outpouring in the end times revival will be yet another level of spiritual power. There are two kinds of nuclear power. One is called fission – based on the splitting of the nucleus. The other is called fusion – based on the merging of the nucleus. The first century revival was like fission, in which the disciples were scattered out from Jerusalem to evangelize the world. The last century revival will be like fusion, which will bring Yeshua back to Jerusalem to set up His kingdom on earth. The nuclear power of fusion is stronger than that of fission. Likewise the revival of the end times will be more powerful than the first Pentecost.
Note: The leaders of Judah in the end times are referred to as a “furnace” (Zechariah 12:6). The ancient Hebrew word for “furnace” there is the root for the modern term for “nuclear reactor”.
The greater power of the end times revival is connected to the Messianic Jewish remnant in Israel. That connection is referred to by Shaul (Paul) in –
Romans 11:12, 15 -
If their (Israel’s) fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
If their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
The end times Messianic revival will not just be more powerful than that of Acts 2, it will be “much more”. As the first century revival launched the gospel all over the world, the last century gospel will bring the resurrection of the saints – “life from the dead”.
By comparing Acts 2 and Romans 11, we notice that the Messianic Jewish community in Jerusalem – the “remnant” – will be the catalyst for the end times revival just as it was for the Pentecost revival.
Why is it necessary for the Messianic remnant in Jerusalem to be the center of this world revival? Why couldn’t it just be a world outpouring with no focal point or central location at all? The answer is that the very purpose of the end times revival is to usher in the Second Coming of Yeshua; and He is coming back to Jerusalem. Therefore the revival must be focused on Jerusalem. The first century sent the power out from Jerusalem. The last century will bring the power back to Jerusalem.
And why does this worldwide revival have to be connected to Messianic Jews? Why couldn’t it just be a universal outpouring on the Church, with no connection to “Jew or Greek” (Galatians 3:28)? The answer is that Yeshua has promised that He would only return when the Jews in Jerusalem would be ready to welcome Him in as King (Matthew 23:37-39). How could there be an end times revival to usher in the Second Coming if there were no Jewish believers in Jerusalem to receive Him back?
The focus of international prayer on behalf of the Messianic remnant in Israel is therefore also a prayer for world revival and for the return of Yeshua. The Messianic remnant, the world revival and the return of Yeshua are all connected and interdependent one upon the other.
One more proof of this “remnant-revival-return” connection is found in the very prophecy that Peter quoted from Joel. Actually Acts 2 records all but the last verse of that prophecy, which explains that the worldwide end times revival will happen on one specific condition:
Joel 2:32 (3:5 in the Hebrew)
Because in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be a remnant as the Lord has said, among those who have survived whom the Lord calls.
Among those Jews in Israel who have survived the Holocaust, the Islamic Jihad and the end times tribulations, there will be a Messianic remnant of faith. It will be “because” of the Lord’s “calling” upon them that the conditions for the end times revival will be set. When they are in position, the great outpouring on all flesh will be released. That is one of the reasons that we are all called to “pray for the remnant that remains.”
Note: This end times world revival will be the central theme of “The Call” scheduled in Israel for May 2008 in which we are working in cooperation with IHOP Kansas City, God TV, the Messianic Jewish community in Israel, and many key prophetic leaders around the world. Please keep this event in prayer.
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Tallinn - St.Petersburg - Moscow train
The Tallinn-St.Petersburg and Tallinn-Moscow train services, which were terminated in May due to decrease in passenger numbers, have been relaunched as a single Tallinn-St.Petersburg-Moscow route.
The journey from Tallinn to Moscow will last 18 hours, and a return leg 16 hours, both with a stopover in St. Petersburg.
The daily service from Tallinn leaves at 15:20 and arrives at St.Petersburg at 23:07 and at Moscow at 09:32.
The service from Moscow departs at 23:00 and arrives at Tallinn at 13:38 the next day.
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3MATCH URL: https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/F5C589C9C3D944AC81CC91239F2A0A7E/beethoven-april-copy-1.jpg
‘Extremely Beethoven’ evening at U.P. College of Music
PRESS RELEASE: Pianist April Merced-Misa pays homage to Ludwig van Beethoven
Published 5:01 PM, November 25, 2018
Updated 5:10 PM, November 25, 2018
This is a press release from the UP College of Music
MANILA, Philippines – Exactly 240 years ago, on March 26, 1778, the “Wunderkind” Ludwig van Beethoven performed in public for the first time in Cologne, Germany. He was seven. Thus started the career of a legend. “Between Beethoven’s first and last piano concertos, you will really appreciate the contrast and evolution of the great composer’s style,” shares pianist April Merced-Misa, assistant professor of Piano at the University of the Philippines College of Music.
Misa headlines the concert “Extremely Beethoven,” the final concert in the UPCMu’s 2018 Keyboard Department Concert Series. It will be held on December 7 (Friday), 6:00 PM at the Mini Hall of the UP College of Music, Diliman, Quezon City. The evening will feature Beethoven’s Concerto No. 1 in C Major Op. 15 and Concerto No.5 (Emperor) in E-flat Major Op. 73. Assisting artists include Prof. Pia Margarita Balasico and Dr. Michelle Nicolasora. Admission is free.
Photo courtesy of April Misa
April Merced-Misa is Assistant Professor of Piano at the UP College of Music. She was featured as a soloist of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Tetsuji Honna, and as a solo and ensemble pianist for the first-ever Haruki Murakami Festival in Manila. She also collaborated with prominent writer and poet Vim Nadera in composing the kundiman “Pag-ibig”, which won the top prize in NCCA’s kundiman composition competition.
About the UP College of Music Keyboard Department
The Keyboard Department of the UPCMu takes pride in its pool of gifted and accomplished pianists among its faculty and students. In its many years of existence, it has produced pianists and pedagogues that the country can be proud of. These include Angelina Reyes, Jose Ma. Contreras, Raul Sunico, Jovianney Cruz, Aima Labra-Makk, and Albert Tiu, the last five having won prizes in major international competitions. Its pianist-pedagogues par excellence include Rosario Lopez-Garcia, Lucia Francisco, Serafin Magracia, Benedicta Macaisa, Jose Balingit, Perla Suaco, Aida Sanz Gonzales, Asuncion Laureola, Regalado Jose, Nita Quinto, Avelina Manalo, Mauricia Borromeo, and many more. – Rappler.com
Filed under:April Merced-Misa. University of the Philippines•UP College of Music•Ludwig van Beethoven
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Reporters Committee, media organizations challenge FISA court ruling on right to challenge secrecy
A FISA court decision to deny standing to a legal challenge from a law school clinic violates the First Amendment…
A FISA court decision to deny standing to a legal challenge from a law school clinic violates the First Amendment right of access to court proceedings, which all members of the public share equally, and casts an unnecessary shadow over a judicial process already shrouded in secrecy, the Reporters Committee and 25 media organizations argued in a brief to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court today.
In September, the FISA court denied standing to the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic (MFIAC) at Yale Law School, which is working with the American Civil Liberties Union to gain access to FISA court decisions regarding the legal basis of NSA surveillance programs. In addition to challenging the court’s standing decision, the Reporters Committee friend-of-the-court brief calls on the court to grant motions from MFIAC, ACLU and ProPublica to release those opinions.
“Public access to court proceedings is the linchpin of public acceptance of the legitimacy and credibility of judicial institutions. This right has long been understood as one held by the public at large under the First Amendment and at common law, with the news media often acting as a proxy – but never a substitute – for the general public,” the brief argued. “This Court’s decision on September 13, 2013 to exclude the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School (MFIAC) from that right by concluding that the group lacked standing, and to adopt a narrow test under which it found that the ACLU had standing, interferes with the most basic constitutional commandments and common-law traditions underlying the laws of access to courts, and is particularly problematic in a court already so closed off from public view.”
“Though the news media traditionally are at the forefront of access cases, public interest groups such as the ACLU and the Yale law clinic, as proxies for the public, should have no less standing to fight for that fundamental right,” said Reporters Committee Executive Director Bruce D. Brown. “Precedential opinions of the FISA court should be available for public oversight – regardless of who is asking for them.”
Joining the Reporters Committee on the brief were the American Society of News Editors; Atlantic Media, Inc.; Bay Area News Group; Belo Corp.; Bloomberg L.P.; Courthouse News Service; The E.W. Scripps Company; First Amendment Coalition; Gannett Co., Inc.; Hearst Corporation; Investigative Reporters and Editors; Investigative Reporting Workshop at American University; The McClatchy Company; Media Consortium; The National Press Club; National Press Photographers Association; National Public Radio, Inc.; The New York Times Company; The New Yorker; North Jersey Media Group Inc.; Online News Association; POLITICO LLC; Radio Television Digital News Association; The Seattle Times Company; and The Washington Post.
About the Reporters Committee
Founded in 1970, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press offers free legal support to thousands of working journalists and media lawyers each year. It is a leader in the fight against persistent efforts by government officials to impede the release of public information, whether by withholding documents or threatening reporters with jail. In addition to its 24/7 Legal Defense Hotline, the Reporters Committee conducts cutting-edge legal research, publishes handbooks and guides on media law issues, files frequent friend-of-the-court legal briefs and offers challenging fellowships and internships for young lawyers and journalists. For more information, go to www.rcfp.org, or follow us on Twitter @rcfp.
Related Reporters Committee resources:
· Release: Media coalition urges better protection of First Amendment rights in NSA, FISA court matters
· News: ProPublica and ACLU request access to FISA Court opinions
· Release: FISA Court must be accountable, even broadly, to the public, Reporters Committee brief argues
· Brief: FISA Court cases
· Brief: FISA Court cases (ACLU, Yale Clinic, ProPublica)
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Our Products >> MOLLY GOLDBERG starring Gertrude Berg - THE GOLDBERGS
MOLLY GOLDBERG starring Gertrude Berg - THE GOLDBERGS
The program was devised by writer-actress Gertrude Berg in 1928 and sold to the NBC radio network the following year. It was a domestic comedy featuring the home life of a Jewish family in New York City. In addition to writing the scripts and directing each episode, Berg starred as bighearted, lovingly meddlesome matriarch Molly Goldberg. The show began as a portrait of Jewish tenement life before later evoking such growing pains as moving into a more suburban setting and struggling with assimilation while
The Goldbergs was one of the most successful entertainment ventures ever, a radio and television show that reached across every medium. The Goldbergs had a phenomenal seventeen year run, second only to Amos and Andy as the longest-running program of radio's golden years. The move to television in 1949 was (at first) an easy one for The Goldbergs. This was the original "show about nothing," just the ordinary daily frustrations of life as seen through the eyes of patient, wise, resourceful Molly.
For the first TV season on CBS, the show was the third most popular program on the air. The production was very successful in illuminating what the radio show presented so well for the mind's eye. That was no easy task, only a small number of radio sitcoms successfully transitioned to the small screen - and they all tried.
Berg's portrayal of the Jewish mother stereotype emphasized the positive. "This series has done more to set us Jews right with the 'goyim' than all the sermons ever preached by the Rabbis," wrote one Jewish educator.
This set consists of 27 episodes plus two bonus items, a rare MILTON BERLE SHOW featuring Molly Goldberg and another great rare old TV show and a rareHENRY ALDRICH.
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The Heart of a Boy: Celebrating the Strength and Spirit of Boyhood (Paperback)
By Kate T. Parker
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER.
It’s time to celebrate boys.
Against the backdrop of a growing national conversation about how to raise sons to become good people, Kate T. Parker is leading the way by turning her lens on boys. Author of the bestselling book about girls Strong Is the New Pretty, she now shows the true heart of a boy in 200 compelling photographs.
Boys can be wild. But they can also be gentle. Bursting with confidence, but not afraid to be vulnerable. Ready to run fearlessly downfield—or reach out to a friend in need. In this empowering, deeply felt celebration of boys being—and believing in—themselves, see the unguarded joy of a little brother hugging his big brother. The inquisitive look of a young scientist examining a bug. The fearless self-expression in a ballet dancer’s poise. There are guitarists, fencers, wrestlers, stargazers, a pilot. Boys who aspire to be president, and boys whose lives are full of overwhelming challenges, yet who bravely face each day as it comes.
With inspiring and joyful quotes from the boys themselves, this book spreads a heartfelt, uplifting message of openness, self-confidence, and warmth.
“Kate T. Parker’s incredible Strong Is the New Pretty helped us reimagine girlhood as silly, messy, spirited, and fun. Now she turns her perceptive lens on the other sex to expand our definition of what it means to be a boy . . . and presents something desperately needed in our well-meaning cultural conversation about boys—she shows us their enormous, wonderful hearts.”—Michael Ian Black, actor and writer
“Silly, serious, nerdy, athletic, creative, bold—the adjectives describing boys could go on for pages. But if boys are to grow up to be admirable men, the one thing they must be is kind. Kate T. Parker’s book helps clear the way for a time when everyone understands that.” — R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder
“Every parent who picks up this book will be grateful for the impact it will have on their family.” —Gary Vaynerchuk, author of Crushing It!
Kate T. Parker is a mother, wife, former collegiate soccer player, Ironman, and professional photographer who shoots both fine art projects and commercial work for clients across North America. Her Strong Is the New Pretty photo series has led to collaborations with brands like Athleta, Kellogg’s, Oxygen, and Girls on the Run. The project has also inspired Kate to launch a philanthropic arm of Strong Is the New Pretty, partnering with organizations that invest in girls’ health and education. When she’s not photographing, she can be found coaching her daughters’ soccer teams. She lives with her family in Atlanta, Georgia.
“[A] vibrant catalog of portraits devoted to boys. The Heart of a Boy is full of smile-inducing photographs that give readers a deep appreciation of boys in all their variety, bursting the tired stereotype that they need to be “tough,” not vulnerable.” —New York Times Book Review
"…the photos speak for themselves, as do the boys, whose self-aware thoughts accompany their beautifully realized portraits (“I want to be President because I am helpful, kind and nice”). Finally, this beautifully designed book is a feast for browsers. And that’s no small matter."—Booklist
“A beautiful, joy-filled celebration of boyhood and its many facets.”—The New York Post
“Silly, serious, nerdy, athletic, creative, bold—the adjectives describing boys could go on for pages. But if boys are to grow up to be admirable men, the one thing they must be is kind. Kate Parker’s book helps clear the way for a time when everyone understands that.”—R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder
“Every parent who picks up this book will be grateful for the impact it will have on their family.”—Gary Vaynerchuk
“Kate T. Parker's incredible photographic series Strong Is the New Pretty helped us reimagine girlhood. Now she turns her perceptive lens on the other sex to expand our definition of what it means to be a boy. In The Heart of a Boy, Kate shows us that, just like girls, boys are silly, messy, spirited, and fun. But they are also tender and vulnerable and sometimes sad. Kate’s photos present something desperately needed in our well-meaning cultural conversation about boys—she shows us their enormous, wonderful hearts.”—Michael Ian Black
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Photography / Subjects & Themes / Children
Family & Relationships / Parenting
Social Science / Children's Studies
Hardcover (April 2nd, 2019): $30.00
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Unpredictable, never-before-attempted collaborative concert this Saturday
Jazz/gospel family the Blades collaborate with Shreveport Symphony Orchestra
Unpredictable, never-before-attempted collaborative concert this Saturday Jazz/gospel family the Blades collaborate with Shreveport Symphony Orchestra Check out this story on shreveporttimes.com: https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/entertainment/2017/04/06/unpredictable-never-before-attempted-collaborative-concert-saturday/99202496/
Tiana Kennell, tiana.kennell@shreveporttimes.com Published 5:02 a.m. CT April 6, 2017
Pastor Brady L. Blade, Sr. and Brian Blade share details about Saturday night's show with the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. Plus, the minister tells a humorous, enlightening tale about when his musician sons took him to a bar. Tiana Kennell/The Times
The Blade Family: The life, the music, the legacy
Michael Butterman, conductor for the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra.(Photo: Glenn Ross/SSO)
Playing music is about taking chances, making riffs and allowing oneself be vulnerable with every note.
And this weekend, some of Shreveport's great musicians will put their all out on the stage in an ambitious effort to merge the worlds of gospel, jazz and classical music.
Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, Pastor Brady L. Blade, Sr. and The Hallelujah Train and Brian Blade and the Fellowship will collaborate for a one-night-only concert of firsts, bold moves and high-energy entertainment.
"An Evening with the Blades and SSO" will be 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Riverview Theatre in downtown Shreveport.
"Music is universal and to me the kind of joy you get from Beethoven-- that kind of elation is the same kind you get from a rapturous gospel tune or a rock ballad," said Michael Butterman, SSO's conductor.
Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band will perform at 7 p.m. on Dec. 19 at Shreveport House Concert at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. Members: (left to right) Jon Cowherd, Brian Blade, Melvin Butler, Myron Walden and Chris Thomas (Photo: John Abbott/ Special to The Times)
More than a year ago, Butterman had a vision of the orchestra performing along with the legendary Shreveport music family. But despite the decades of experiences from each of the musicians to perform this weekend, never has a show of this nature been attempted by the groups.
Butterman's mission is to bridge a gap between the musical genres and audiences while celebrating local history makers.
"I hope that everyone feels like this is for them," Butterman said. "Admittedly, it's a bit of taking a risk and going beyond and I'm excited about it. You make some of the greatest experiences when you push the envelope a little bit— and that's what we're doing in this concert."
Pastor Brady L. Blade, Sr. and The Hallelujah Train: Pastor Blade made Shreveport history with The Hallelujah Train, a popular gospel television show on air in the 1970s and 80s. The show brought gospel greats to town and on screen, including Al Green. He continues to pastor the congregation at Zion Baptist Church on Hollywood Avenue. The Zion Baptist Church Choir — also known as the The Hallelujah Train — will perform under the direction of Johnny Shepherd Campbell. The group will perform renditions of traditional gospel songs, such as "Louisiana Poor Boy," "Trouble in My Way," "Thank You for the Holy Ghost" and medleys of "Amazing Grace" and "Shine on Me."
Dorothy Blade: The matriarch wears many hats as wife of Pastor Blade, first lady of Zion Baptist Church, retired kindergarten teacher and mother of talented musician sons, Brady Brady, Jr. and Brian Blade. Dorothy Blade will recite readings of scriptures and passages throughout the performance.
Brian Blade: The internationally-acclaimed jazz drummer will join the family affair as the front man of Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band. The jazz ensemble consists of Brian Blade (drums), Jon Cowherd (piano), Chris Thomas (bass), Melvin Butler (tenor and soprano saxophone) and Myron Walden (alto saxophone and bass clarinet). The group has released several albums since formed in 1997, including "Landmarks" in 2014. And as a member of the Chick Corea Trio, Brian Blade won a Grammy Award for best jazz instrumental album in 2015 for "Trilogy."
(Oldest son, Brady Blade, Jr., will not be performing with the ensemble this weekend due to touring schedule conflicts.)
Shreveport Symphony Orchestra/Micheal Butterman: The SSO is Louisiana's oldest, continually operating orchestra, having been founded in 1948. The musicians will perform Saturday under the direction of Butterman. The maestro has conducted for numerous orchestras across the country and continues to do so today. He joined SSO full-time more than 10 years ago, assisting the nonprofit in their mission to embrace and enlighten the community through live music.
Pastor Brady L. Blade, Sr. (Photo: Submitted by Barbara Beaird)
Shaking up the stage
The SSO is known for their classical music skills, but in recent years, the organization has become known for shaking up the traditional formula to incorporate differing performing arts styles — from aerial dancers to rock cover song tributes. In past seasons, they've played the music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. And in January, they played with jazz trumpet player Byron Stripling and his band of drummer and organ player. And now they will embark on the jazz and gospel collaboration.
The SSO works to educate audiences and increase exposure and cultural diversity.
"It's important for orchestras to reflect the communities in which they exist... works that say something particular to the people who are a part of that community," Butterman said. "The entire Blade family is known not just in Shreveport, but all around the world. The chance to feature them and come up with a collaboration was something very different than the normal concerts that we do and different for them, as well, which was something that really appealed to me."
Performing together as a family will be a momentous occasion, as the family doesn't often have an opportunity to perform together, Brian Blade said.
But once together, finding the groove will come as second nature.
Brian Blade drums for The Hallelujah Train at the Stan "The Record Man" Lewis Music Festival Saturday in downtown Shreveport. (Photo: Stan Carpenter/The Times)
"It feels like the most natural thing. It really is a matter of the moment presenting itself because we never really thought of it as performing," Brian Blade said.
Brian Blade and Jon Cowherd-- pianist from The Fellowship Band-- have prepared the arrangements for the symphony.
"We are adding another layer and musical texture and flushing out some of the sounds that they already are incorporating in their music, but we're able to do it with acoustic instruments-- wood winds, brass and strings," Butterman said. "It's a different sound element they're use to working with."
The SSO has had separate, private rehearsals with these arrangements and recordings, but it isn't until this week that they will get to rehearse live, in the same room as The Blades.
While this may seem intimidating to some, it's a welcomed challenge for the professionals that will make Saturday night's show that much more unpredictable, natural and authentic.
"It's going to be a unique experience for the audience and I hope we have a blend of different kinds of folks in the audience then we usually see. And hopefully there's something for everybody," Butterman said.
What: "An Evening with the Blade Family" presented by the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra
Where: Riverview Theatre, 600 Clyde Fant Parkway, downtown Shreveport
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Info: shreveportsymphony.com
Read or Share this story: https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/entertainment/2017/04/06/unpredictable-never-before-attempted-collaborative-concert-saturday/99202496/
Bossier Chick-fil-A announces indefinite closure
Update: The Cub Restaurant follows up with reopening announcement
Shreveport entrepreneurs keep beloved downtown cafe alive
Orlandeaux’s carries on Shreveport food legacy with extensive menu
Your guide to the 2019 Red River Balloon Rally
Shreveport restaurant closing after 40 years of business
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The Lion King (Baby Friendly)
Director(s): Jon Favreau
Cast: James Earl Jones, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Favreau, John Oliver, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director Jon Favreau’s all-new “The Lion King” journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub’s arrival. Scar, Mufasa’s brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba’s exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.
Showtimes for: Silverado 16
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Scientists identify the metabolic features specific to the autistic brain
Skoltech-led team proposes new space-weather forecasting method
Scientists from Skoltech, the University of Graz and the Royal Observatory of Belgium have developed a method that makes it possible to forecast the strength of the 11-year solar activity cycle. The results of this study may shed light into the process by which magnetic fields are generated on the Sun. This is key as these magnetic fields affect our health and the operability of various earthbound devices.
Credits: Solar and Heliospheric Observatory The sequence starts with solar minimum in 1996, shows the progression to solar max in 2001, and the return to solar minimum in 2006
Folollowing the invention of the telescope, astronomers Galileo Galileo, Thomas Harriot, Christoph Scheiner and Jan Fabricius – independently of one another – found spots that appeared on the Sun’s disk. But it would be another 250 years before it was understood that the Sun’s behavior is subject to 11-year cycles. The 11-year periodicity of solar activity was accidentally discovered in the 19th century by German chemist Henry Schwabe. He was fond of astronomy and with the help of an amateur telescope sought to find a hypothetical small planet inside the orbit of Mercury. He never found the planet, but thanks to systematic observations he discovered the cycles of solar activity. At present, such sunspots observations are carried out twice a day throughout the year by observatories around the world and the prediction of the 11-year solar cycle is very important in many areas of human activity in space and on Earth.
At the start of the 20th century, renowned Russian scientist Alexander Chizhevsky proposed the idea of space weather and laid the foundation for the emergence of a new branch of science exploring the relationship between the Sun and the Earth. He theorized that the Earth is constantly in the embrace of the Sun. And the mood of the Sun is transmitted to the Earth through these embraces. Solar wind constantly flows from the solar corona, the atmosphere of the Sun. This wind is a stream of charged particles that blows toward the Earth and other planets of the solar system. The solar wind carries the energy of the Sun, stretches and carries with it the solar magnetic field into outer space. As a result, the entire solar system is filled with a solar wind and a solar magnetic field. And since the Sun rotates, the magnetic field in the interplanetary space takes the form of wavy spiral folds, like a ballerina’s skirt. And the Earth and all the planets of the solar system exist within these folds.
People already regularly take solar activity forecasts into account. The conversion of a satellite into a safe mode during active events on the Sun can prevent disruption of the operation of solar cells and key satellite systems. Space weather can pose a threat to astronauts in space, who face significant radiation exposure, and face the risk of radiation sickness. Active events on the Sun can lead to interference in the propagation of radio signals. Space weather affects the radiation doses that airline pilots and passengers receive, especially with transpolar flights. The timely forecasting of space weather is of great importance for the aviation industry and the protection of a number of ground-based technical systems, as well as for manned space flights and the launching of scientific and commercial satellites.
The solar cycle begins with the birth of sunspots on the Sun’s poles. As the cycle develops, more sunspots emerge, moving from the poles to the Sun’s equator. During lulls in solar activity, when sunspots on the Sun are practically absent, the magnetic field of the Sun looks like an ordinary magnet, with circular magnetic lines and two poles. Since the equator of the Sun rotates faster than the poles, during the rotation of the Sun the magnetic field is tangled like thread. As we approach peak solar activity, the usual magnetic field with two poles turns into a lot of local magnetic fields on the surface of the Sun, in the atmosphere of the Sun, the entangled loops that contain solar matter. They can be thrown out as flares and coronal mass ejections and reach the Earth. Consequently, during peak solar activity, the number of active events on the Sun increases substantially. On the other hand, at the peak of its activity, the solar magnetic field is so strong that it sweeps out galactic cosmic rays from our solar system, which pose a great danger to technological systems in space. Every 11 years, the poles of the Sun change places; the southern one takes the place of the northern one, and vice versa. This is a complex process that has not been fully understood. The solar dynamo model is one of the most complex nonlinear problems in mathematical physics.
Each solar cycle is assigned a number; for example, we are now approaching of the nadir of the 24th cycle of solar activity. The scientific goal is to predict the strength of the 25th cycle as early as possible. Scientists from Skoltech, the University of Graz and the Royal Observatory of Belgium have developed a method that makes it possible to perform forecast the strength of the next 11-year cycle far in advance of what was previously thought possible – namely, during the peak of the current solar cycle. In other words, once the current solar cycle peaks and the poles of the Sun swap places, we’ll know how strong the next 11-year cycle will be.
These discoveries can help us to study the solar dynamo mechanism of action. The analysis revealed that short-term variability of solar activity in the declining phase of a cycle is related with the strength of the following cycle. Sudden variations of activity in the declining phase are associated with a slowdown of the decline of the sunspot number, which can be evidence of activity that manifests itself as a larger amplitude in the next cycle. In the current study a new and robust method is introduced to quantify the short-term variations of sunspot activity already around the peak of a current cycle, and a relevant indicator is constructed that has predictive power for the strength of the ensuing cycle. According to the forecast, the future solar activity will be low and the strength of the next 25th cycle of solar activity will be even lower than the current cycle. The results of the study are published in the The Astrophysical Journal.
“Space weather is the science of the future. It’s what unites us all, makes our lives better, allows us to take care of our planet. This is the next step in the exploration of outer space. And whatever storms are raging, we wish you good weather in space,” said Skoltech Professor Tatyana Podladchikova, the study’s lead author.
Link to the publication: Podladchikova, T., Linden, R. Van Der, & Veronig, A. M. (2017). Sunspot Number Second Differences as a Precursor of the Following 11-year Sunspot Cycle. The Astrophysical Journal, 850(1), 81. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa93ef
Skoltech Communications
Tags: Podladchikova, space, space wheather
2011-2019 © Skoltech
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Home » Internet » Revival Gold amends brokered private placement
Revival Gold amends brokered private placement
Posted by Publisher Internet Thursday, 14. March 2019
NOT FOR DISTRIBUION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES
Revival Gold Inc. (TSXV: RVG, OTCQB: RVLGF) (?Revival Gold? or the \”Company\” – http://www.commodity-tv.net/c/search_adv/?v=298437), a growth-focused gold exploration and development company, announces amended terms to the brokered private placement disclosed in a press release dated February 12, 2019.
Paradigm Capital Inc. and Medalist Capital Ltd. will act as co-lead agents on behalf of a syndicate of agents including PI Financial Corp. and Beacon Securities Limited to complete a brokered private placement of 7,000,000 units (each a ?Unit?) at a price of C$0.72 per Unit for gross proceeds of C$5 million (the ?Amended Private Placement?).? Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a ?Common Share?) and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a ?Warrant?).? Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire one Common Share for C$0.90 for a period of 3 years following the close of the offering.
The Amended Private Placement is expected to close on March 28, 2019 and is subject to regulatory approval. ?All securities issued pursuant to the Amended Private Placement will have a hold period of four months and one day.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Amended Private Placement to fund on-going exploration and development at the Company?s core Beartrack and Arnett Gold projects and for general corporate purposes.
The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the ?U.S. Securities Act?), or any U.S. state security laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with requirements of an applicable exemption therefrom.? This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
About Revival Gold Inc.
Revival Gold Inc. is a growth-focused gold exploration and development company. The Company has the right to acquire a 100% interest in Meridian Beartrack Co., owner of the former producing Beartrack Gold Project located in Lemhi County, Idaho. Revival Gold also owns rights to a 100% interest in the neighbouring Arnett Gold Project.?
In addition to its interests in Beartrack and Arnett, the Company is pursuing other gold exploration and development opportunities and holds a 51% interest in the Diamond Mountain Phosphate Project located in Uintah County, Utah.
Revival Gold has approximately 42 million shares outstanding.? Additional disclosure of the Company?s financial statements, technical reports, material change reports, news releases and other information can be obtained at www.revival-gold.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
For further information, please visit www.revival-gold.com or contact:
Adam Rochacewich, VP and Chief Financial Officer
Andrea Totino, Investor Relations Manager ???????????
Telephone: (416) 366-4100??
Email: info@revival-gold.com
info@resource-capital.ch??
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
This News Release includes certain \”forward-looking statements\” which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company?s future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as ?believes?, ?anticipates?, ?expects?, ?estimates?, ?may?, ?could?, ?would?, ?will?, or ?plan?. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management?s expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Company?s objectives, goals or future plans, statements, completion of the Private Placement, use of proceeds of the offering, receipt of all regulatory approvals and estimates of market conditions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to the inability to complete the Private Placement on the terms as announced or at all, failure to identify mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves, the inability to complete a feasibility study which recommends a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Company?s public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
Peak Positioning Announces Closing of a Brokered Private Placement MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 12/13/11 -- Peak Positioning Technologies Inc., (TSX VENTURE: PKK) ("Peak" or the "Corporation"), is pleased to announce today the closing of the brokered private placement initially announced in the Corporation-s September 26, 2011 news release, with Avenue Capital Markets Inc. (the "Agent") of 9,180,000 units (the "Units") to various investors at a price of $0.10 per Unit for gross proceeds of $918,000 (the "Pri...
Revival Gold Announces $5 Million Brokered Private Placement Not for Distribuion to United States News Wire Services or for Dissemination in the United States...
OneMove(TM) Completes Non-Brokered Private Placement VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/10/12 -- OneMove Technologies Inc. ("OneMove" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: OM), the provider of the leading web-based real estate transaction platform and the creator of the largest and fastest growing online community of conveyancing professionals, is pleased to announce that it has completed its non-brokered private placement of 1,600,000 units ("Units") at $0.2625 per Unit for total gross proceeds of $420,000...
iSIGN Media Announces a Non-Brokered Private Placement of $400,000 TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 06/03/15 -- iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. ("iSIGN" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: ISD)(OTCQX: ISDSF), a leading provider of interactive mobile advertising solutions that serves advertisers, manufacturers, retailers and advertising agencies throughout North America, today announced that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement ("Placement") for aggregate gross proceeds of $400,000 with PowerOne Capital Markets Limit...
OneMove(TM) Announces Non-Brokered Private Placement VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/06/12 -- OneMove Technologies Inc. ("OneMove" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: OM), the provider of the leading web-based real estate transaction platform and the creator of the largest and fastest growing online community of conveyancing professionals, is pleased to announce that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of 1,600,000 units ("Units") at $0.2625 per Unit for total gross proceeds of $420,000. E...
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The Lyons family in Years and Years: excellent cast, poor commentary, photo by BBC (Click to enlarge)
Ian Pattison, East London Socialist Party
The six-part political and family drama Years and Years follows one family from the present day over 15 years.
Creator Russell T Davies also made Queer as Folk and relaunched Doctor Who. He uses his latest show to comment on today's political issues by turning them up to 'eleven' on the dial.
The cast is excellent. And the family dynamic is compelling. It does a good job of engaging the audience in a relatively entertaining wider story.
In good science fiction like Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror, an aspect of advanced technology is thrown into the plot to create extreme circumstances in order to better explore how people interact with one another.
But in Years and Years, Davies just marvels at his own made-up technology as if it's prophetic, or in itself is the centre of the plot. It isn't, and it shouldn't be.
However, fundamentally this is a TV show that sets out to explore populism. Any political art that increases people's real understanding of an issue has done a good job, at least in part. Years and Years does not do that.
It does show normal people being politicised by capitalism's political and economic crisis. That is where the positive political contribution ends.
Like any establishment commentary on the current political situation, recognition of the impact of austerity is absent. With the exception of migrant characters, austerity does not exist, and the main cast aren't affected by it.
Only one of the characters' homes resembles the living conditions of most working-class people. One character does lose her job, then her food-truck business. But it never affects her materially.
Another character constantly complains that her house is falling apart and she can't afford to fix it. But there are no consequences. One character has to use "all my life savings" - £10,000 - for an eye operation. But then it's forgotten in a shrug of the shoulders.
Of course an analysis of the current situation that ignores the economic crisis, class inequality and austerity will misunderstand what is happening.
A Ukip-style party wins a general election. But it doesn't make the electoral breakthrough on an issue that readers of the Socialist might predict - living standards or immigration. Instead there's mass hysteria over mobile technology.
One scene is with the family inside a voting booth. It's something we never normally get to see. But the characters don't vote how they've been portrayed; their nonsensical choices are not explained, just played up for effect.
Davies also has plenty of silly pops at the left. In Spain, a "centre-left government has been replaced by a far-left government." (Presumably the ex-social democratic party PSOE has been replaced by the new left, reformist party Podemos. But this isn't said, because nothing is said.)
The new "far-left" government immediately starts deporting migrants, "because it's like a horse shoe. You go so far left, you become far right." What??
Far-right populists exploit workers' anger at the economic crisis to divide the working class and keep the ruling capitalist class in power. Various populist politicians can sometimes combine elements of left and right programmes when manoeuvring for working-class support while defending capitalism.
But genuine socialists can only achieve and sustain power with a political programme which does not divide the working class against itself, but rather unites it against the capitalist system, the cause of economic crisis and social division.
One of the more authoritative characters warns the audience to be wary of 'clown' politicians - doubtless Johnson, Farage and Trump. But these right-wing capitalists aren't clowns, they are dangerous to working-class people.
In June, the Socialist Party said of Johnson: "The truth is revealed in his record. On the anniversary of the Grenfell tragedy it is worth remembering that he presided over the closure of ten fire stations and the removal of 27 fire engines as London mayor."
The current political and economic crisis is blamed on cheap commodities, consumerism and automation. That's not the real cause - it's the accumulation of massive wealth by a tiny number of rich individuals, based on weakening production and productivity, stemming from capitalism's insatiable drive for profit.
One character gives a speech that the late 1990s and early 2000s were perfect. Where things "peaked." But inequality was rising under Tony Blair's policies of privatisation, selective cutbacks and war.
And the message of the final episode is that if only the working class knew the 'truth' things would change. But Years and Years is wrong that the working class is ignorant. Of course we can see what's happening.
There was a lot of working-class anger against millionaire Boris Johnson among striking members of retail union Usdaw at the Sainsbury's distribution centre in Waltham Abbey on 27 June, for example.
The propaganda of the capitalist class doesn't match up to the reality of working-class living standards. Millions ignored the media and establishment politicians to elect Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in 2015, vote Leave in 2016, and back Corbyn's anti-austerity election manifesto in 2017.
In the show's defence, that could be seen as slightly more progressive than the false argument that ordinary people do know what's going on but are too 'lazy' to change. But don't worry - that reactionary message is present in Years and Years too.
Years and Years is available on BBC iPlayer
Defend free TV licences for over-75s!
TV Review: Chernobyl - Workers' heroism vs sclerotic Stalinism
'Line of Duty' - twists and turns as organised crime meets police corruption
'Traitors': Cold War cloak and daggers as capitalist powers spy on allies
TV: Les Misérables - Hugo's novel and this adaptation both offer a message of hope
A socialist programme to end women's oppression
In defence of socialist feminism
Universal Credit could trap women in violent relationships
Workers in UK do £1.2trn of unpaid housework and care
Working-class:
Protesters condemn Tory candidate
Cuts and chaos. Enough. General election now!
Economic crisis:
May ends in June! Boot out the Tories!
Bosses fear revolt against capitalism
Austerity:
70 years since the publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four: "But if there was hope, it lay in the proles"
Opinion: socialists must link climate struggle to power of organised workers
May 1649 - the Last Stand of the Levellers
More Reviews and comments articles...
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Home > Mathematics > News Articles
Math Professor Makes Division Baseball Predictions - Erroneously Picks Pirates To Finish Last
By News Staff | March 31st 2008 02:00 AM | Print | E-mail
New Jersey Institute of Technolgy math professor Bruce Bukiet is once again opining on outcomes for this season’s Major League Baseball teams. His picks are based on a mathematical model he developed in 2000.
Bukiet’s main areas of research have involved mathematical modeling of physical phenomena, including detonation waves, healing of wounds, and dynamics of human balance. He has also applied mathematical modeling to sports and gambling, in particular for understanding baseball and cricket. Bukiet is an avid Mets fan but no one should hold that against him.
“I use my mathematical model to determine whether it is worthwhile to wager on games during the baseball season,” he said. “But I also use my system to combat math illiteracy. Baseball can be the world’s best math lesson.”
Bukiet admits that his picks are not always correct. “Hey, sometimes the players just don’t perform the way they should, every fan knows that,” he said.
Bukiet’s system for recommending wagers has produced positive results for five of the seven years he has posted results. His model provides the number of games each Major League Baseball team should win in 2008.
Operations Research published Bukiet’s original mathematical model on which his predictions are based. The model computes the probability of a team winning a game against another team with given hitters, bench, starting pitcher, relievers and home field advantage. Bukiet has appeared on CNN Headline News, the Jerusalem Post and Fox Radio’s Roger Hedgecock Show, KOGO, San Diego and others.
His predictions?
“The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels should make the playoffs in the American League (AL) in 2008 with the other teams lagging well behind,” he said.
“The National League (NL) should see much tighter races, with the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves winning the East and the wild card, respectively, while in the Central and West Divisions only the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants have no real shot of making it to the post-season.”
The Yankees and Red Sox should tie for baseball’s best record with 98 wins, with both teams making the post-season, one as AL East winner and the other as the AL wild card team. The next closest team in their division, the Toronto Blue Jays, should wind up 12 games back.
In the AL Central Division, the Tigers should win, besting the Cleveland Indians by 9 games, while the Angels should win AL West by 14 games over the Seattle Mariners.
In the National League Central Division, Bukiet’s model calls for the top five teams to be within five wins of each other. With the model’s typical error, any team but the Pittsburgh Pirates (with 71 wins) could eke out the division championship. Bukiet calls for the Milwaukee Brewers to win 84, the Chicago Cubs to win 83, the Cincinnati Reds to win 81, the St. Louis Cardinals to win 80 and the Houston Astros to win 79 games.
In the NL West, the contest should be closer, said Bukiet, whose model has the top four teams within three wins of each other. The Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres, who had to play a tie-breaker to decide the wild card team in 2007 look like they might have to do it again, playing for the NL West title, both winning 85 games in 2008. The Arizona Diamondbacks should be close behind with 83 wins and the Los Angeles Dodgers can expect 82. Only the San Francisco Giants should lag with 75.
The expected number of wins for each team is:
AL East: Yankees – 98; Red Sox – 98; Blue Jays – 86; Rays – 75; Orioles – 63;
AL Central: Tigers – 96; Indians – 87; White Sox – 79; Twins – 74; Royals 63;
AL West: Angels – 92; Mariners – 78; A’s – 75; Rangers – 70;
NL East: Mets – 92; Braves – 89; Phillies – 84; Nationals – 73; Marlins – 70;
NL Central: Brewers – 84; Cubs – 83; Reds – 81; Cards – 80; Astros – 79; Pirates – 71;
NL West: Rockies – 85; Padres – 85; Diamondbacks – 83; Dodgers – 82; Giants – 75;
"These results give a guide of how teams ought to perform during the season but there are so many unknowns, especially concerning trades, injuries and how rookies will perform that cannot be taken into account,” added Bukiet.
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Home > Environment > News Articles
To Save Forests, Think Blue And Not Just Green
By News Staff | October 5th 2009 10:00 PM | Print | E-mail
'Blue haze' is a natural occurrence over heavily forested areas around the world but natural does not always mean good. Still, while blue haze may be formed by natural emissions of chemicals, human activities can worsen it to the point of affecting the world's weather and even cause potential climate problems, according to a new study.
When you walk through a forest or even a large grassy area, it's not uncommon to be able to smell the plants around you, such as pine trees or other vegetation. That smell is nature's way of naturally making organic gases produced by the plants themselves, often millions of tons per day.
Plants, especially trees, emit such gases through their leaves and when an overabundance of such gases is produced, it creates a blue aura, commonly called a "blue haze." Perhaps the best example occurs in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park area of the Southeast United States, where blue haze exists almost on a daily basis, but the condition also occurs all over the world.
Renyi Zhang, professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M who has studied air chemistry for more than 20 years, says blue haze (tiny particles or aerosols suspended in the air) can be negatively affected by human activities such as power plants or fossil-fuel burning.
"The study shows that the natural way of blue haze formation is rather inefficient and that human activities make blue haze conditions worse," he confirms.
"What happens is that a mix of natural and man-made chemicals speeds up the formation of these particles in the Earth's atmosphere, and there, they reflect sunlight back into space. The results can affect cloud formations and ultimately, much of the world's climate."
When man-made activities emit sulfur dioxide into the air, they contribute to blue haze, usually in a negative way, Zhang explains. Aerosols can be produced by many different processes that occur on land and water or in the atmosphere itself, he notes.
"Weather patterns can be affected worldwide and the blue haze can worsen the breathing problems of many people, such as those who suffer from asthma or emphysema," he adds. "The chemistry of Earth's atmosphere can be directly affected by these aerosols. From cloud formations to health problems and air pollution, much of it can be traced back to these aerosol particles," he adds, noting that aerosol particles can influence the size and rate of cloud droplets, directly affecting cloud cover and precipitation.
Coal plants, Zhang says, often produced sulfur dioxide, a highly toxic substance that reach the Earth's atmosphere and helps the formation of aerosol particles.
The problem is not new. Zhang says former President Ronald Reagan mentioned it during a speech almost 30 years ago.
"About 80 percent of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation," Reagan noted during a 1980 speech to an environmental group. Zhang says more research is needed to "study the full extent of how blue haze is affected by human activities, and perhaps to look at ways to control the situation. It's a problem that can have global consequences."
Team members included researchers from Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, the Molina Center for Energy and Environment in La Jolla, Calif., and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their work is published in the current Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the project was funded by the Welch Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.
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Home > Science Education & Policy > Newswire
Actonel Halves Risk Of Fracture In Osteoporotic Women With History Of Hip Fracture
By Anna Ohlden | September 17th 2007 11:35 PM | Print | E-mail
Anna Ohlden
HONOLULU, Hawaii, September 18 /PRNewswire/ -- New data show that Actonel(R) 5mg (risedronate sodium tablets) reduces the risk of clinical fractures by half versus placebo over three years in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who have suffered a previous hip fracture(1)- a group of patients at high risk of a subsequent fracture. These results are from a retrospective analysis of the Actonel HIP trial(2) and were presented today at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 29th Annual Meeting.
"As physicians we want assurance that a therapy is effective at treating varying severities of disease. In this analysis risedronate effectively reduced fracture risk among patients with severe osteoporosis," said Dr Michael McClung, primary investigator of the study and founding director of the Oregon Osteoporosis Centre in Portland, Oregon, USA.
A history of prior fracture is an important risk factor for future fracture. After a postmenopausal woman suffers a hip fracture her risk is approximately doubled for sustaining another fracture at the hip or elsewhere.(3) Despite this, multiple studies suggest that elderly adults with hip fractures rarely receive therapy for osteoporosis.(4) In one study, only 13% of hip fracture patients received treatment in the year following the fracture.(5)
"It is troubling that so few patients who have had a hip fracture receive appropriate care for osteoporosis" said Dr Steven Boonen, medical director of Leuven University Centre for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Belgium. "Therapies are available that can help reduce the risk of subsequent osteoporosis-related fractures. These high risk patients should be aggressively identified and managed to help prevent further fractures from occurring."
About the Analysis
Patients were identified from the Actonel HIP trial who were between the ages of 70-79 years, had low bone mineral density (BMD, T-score lesser than or equal to -2.5), and had a history of at least one hip fracture prior to the study. The mean age of the patients was 75 years and the mean femoral neck and lumbar spine T-scores were -3.1 and -3.2, respectively. These patients were evaluated for combined incidence of clinical vertebral and nonvertebral fractures by a time-to-event analysis (Kaplan-Meier). All fractures were confirmed by x-ray.
The incidence of osteoporosis-related clinical fractures over three years among patients taking Actonel 5mg versus placebo was 13% (12 of 106 patients) and 28.4% (27 of 111 patients), respectively, corresponding to a 50% reduction (p=0.048) in fracture risk with Actonel.(1)
This study was sponsored by The Alliance for Better Bone Health
- Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease that increases bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Fracture is a devastating consequence of osteoporosis.
- A 50-year-old woman has around a 40% lifetime risk of suffering a fracture from osteoporosis(6) - equivalent to the women's lifetime risk for cardiovascular disease(7)
- Osteoporosis affects an estimated 75 million people in Europe, USA and Japan(8).
- Someone suffers an osteoporosis-related fracture about every 30 seconds in Europe alone(9)
- In 2000, the estimated direct costs of osteoporosis-related fractures in Europe were EUR31.7 billion - this is expected to increase to EUR76.7 billion by 2050 based on the expected changes in the age profile of the European population(10)
Impact of hip fractures in Europe
- Approximately one in five people who suffer a hip fracture will die within the following year(11),(12)
- The annual number of hip fractures will increase from 414,000 in 2000 to 972,000 in 2050(13) - equivalent to nearly two hip fractures every minute, 111 an hour or 2663 a day
- Hip-fracture patients occupy one fifth of all orthopaedic beds and account for nearly 90% of acute hospital costs of osteoporosis-related fractures(14)
About The Alliance for Better Bone Health
The Alliance for Better Bone Health was formed by Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Aventis part of the sanofi-aventis Group, in May 1997 to promote bone health and disease awareness through numerous activities to support physicians and patients around the globe.
About Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG)
Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around The world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella, Gillette(R), and Braun. The P&G community consists of over 135,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis is the world's third-largest pharmaceutical company, ranking number one in Europe. Backed by a world-class R&D organization, sanofi-aventis is developing leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, thrombosis, oncology, metabolic diseases, central nervous system, internal medicine, and vaccines. The sanofi-aventis Group is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).
For sanofi-aventis: This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. These statements include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives, intentions and expectations with respect to future events, operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. Forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "plans" and similar expressions. Although sanofi-aventis' management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, investors are cautioned that forward-looking information and statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of sanofi-aventis, that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. These risks and uncertainties include those discussed or identified in the public filings with the SEC and the AMF made by sanofi-aventis, including those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in sanofi-aventis' annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2006. Other than as required by applicable law, sanofi-aventis does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements.
For P&G: All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this release, are forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on financial data, market assumptions and business plans available only as of the time the statements are made, which may become out of date or incomplete. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other factors. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and investors must recognize that events could differ significantly from our expectations. In addition to the risks and uncertainties noted in this release, there are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by some of the statements made. These include: (i) the ability to achieve business plans, including with respect to lower income consumers and growing existing sales and volume profitably despite high levels of competitive activity, especially with respect to the product categories and geographical markets (including developing markets) in which the Company has chosen to focus; (ii) the ability to successfully execute, manage and integrate key acquisitions and mergers, including (a) the Domination and Profit Transfer Agreement with Wella, and (b) the Company's merger with The Gillette Company, and to achieve the cost and growth synergies in accordance with the stated goals of these transactions; (iii) the ability to manage and maintain key customer relationships; (iv) the ability to maintain key manufacturing and supply sources (including sole supplier and plant manufacturing sources); (v) the ability to successfully manage regulatory, tax and legal matters (including product liability, patent, and intellectual property matters as well as those related to the integration of Gillette and its subsidiaries), and to resolve pending matters within current estimates; (vi) the ability to successfully implement, achieve and sustain cost improvement plans in manufacturing and overhead areas, including the Company's outsourcing projects; (vii) the ability to successfully manage currency (including currency issues in volatile countries), debt, interest rate and commodity cost exposures; (viii) the ability to manage continued global political and/or economic uncertainty and disruptions, especially in the Company's significant geographical markets, as well as any political and/or economic uncertainty and disruptions due to terrorist activities; (ix) the ability to successfully manage competitive factors, including prices, promotional incentives and trade terms for products; (x) the ability to obtain patents and respond to technological advances attained by competitors and patents granted to competitors; (xi) the ability to successfully manage increases in the prices of raw materials used to make the Company's products; (xii) the ability to stay close to consumers in an era of increased media fragmentation; and (xiii) the ability to stay on the leading edge of innovation and maintain a positive reputation on our brands. For additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those projected herein, please refer to our most recent 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports.
(1) McClung MR et al. The Effect of risedronate on risk of clinical fracture among patients with prior hip fracture. ASBMR. 2007. Honolulu. Abstract.
(2) McClung MR et al. Effect of risedronate on the risk of hip fracture in elderly women. N Engl J Med 2001;344: 333-340.
(3) Klotzbuecher, CM, et al. Patients with prior fractures have an increased risk of future fractures: a summary of the literature and statistical synthesis. J of Bone Min Res 2000;15: 721-739.
(4) Sheryl L.et al. Lack of diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis in men and women after hip fracture. Pharmacotherapy 2003;23(2): 190-198.
(5) Orwig DL, et al. Treatment of osteoporosis following a hip fracture: sending results of bone densitometry to primary care physicians does not increase use of pharmacologic therapy (abstr). J Bone Miner Res 2001;15(suppl 1): SA323.
(6) Melton LJ et al. Perspective. How many women have osteoporosis? J Bone Miner Res 1992; 7: 1005-1010
(7) Kanis J A. Diagnosis of osteoporosis and assessment of fracture risk. Lancet 2002; 359: 1929-36
(8) EFFO and NOF Who are candidates for prevention and treatment for osteoporosis? Osteoporos Int 1997;7:1.
(9) International Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis in the European Community: a call to action. An audit of policy developments since 1998. International Osteoporosis Foundation 2001
(10) Kanis JA, Johnell O. Requirements for DXA for the management of osteoporosis in Europe. Osteoporosis Int 2005;16: 229-38
(11) Leibson CL, Tosteson AN, Gabriel SE, et al. Mortality, disability, and nursing home use for persons with and without hip fracture: a population-based study. J Am Geriatr Soc 2002; 50: 1644-1650
(12) Magaziner J, Simonsick EM, Kashner TM, et al. Predictors of functional recovery one year following hospital discharge for hip fracture: a prospective study. J Gerontol 1990; 45: M101-M107
(13) European Commission Report on Osteoporosis in the European Community. Action for prevention. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 1998
(14) World Health Organisation. Prevention and management of osteoporosis. WHO Technical Report Series 921. Geneva: World Health Organisation 2003.
For further information please contact: Helen Crow Ketchum +44-(0)7787-533-023 Peter Impey Ketchum +44-(0)7976-734-493
For further information please contact: Helen Crow, Ketchum, +44-(0)7787-533-023; Peter Impey, Ketchum, +44-(0)7976-734-493
Late-Breaking Analysis In Hypertension Shows That Antihypertensive Treatments Differ In Their Ability To Preserve Lives
Uk.ResellerClub Launches New Promotion Offering Free .CO.UK Domains With Hosting Packages
Wirecard Gains SriLankan Airlines As A New Customer In Asia
Media Relations Executive, PR Newswire Europe...
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enples
14-16, 16-19
Sowing the seeds of science: Helke Hillebrand
Vienna Leigh
Helke Hillebrand has always been fascinated by science, but on the back of a career in plant biology, her urge to work more closely with people helped her decide to go into tending young minds instead of new shoots. Vienna Leigh reports.
Helke in Paris, her favourite city
Image courtesy of Rüdiger Hell
It seemed a given that the young Helke Hillebrand would go into science. “I fell in love with biology in ninth grade,” says the woman who oversees about 200 PhD students at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBLw1), all of whom trust her as an advisor, listener, problem-solver and friend. “I very much appreciated in science that there was no end to asking ‘Why?’ and ‘How does it work?’ – and how astonishing our whole world is if one comes to think of it as a constantly evolving system rather than something ‘given’.”
From there, it was a short hop into plant biology, which also offered something else that Helke, who grew up in the small town of Velbert, close to Essen, Germany, was interested in: a social aspect. “I was amazed by plants’ astonishing biochemical capabilities, and from there I discovered an interest in biotechnology and agriculture, with a specific emphasis on food, nutrition and the co-evolution of the history of mankind with agricultural progress,” she says. “After my PhD I worked as an assistant professor (akademische Rätin) for some time at the university. Then I joined BASF Plant Sciencew2 [a section of the world’s largest chemical company] in Ludwigshafen, Germany, as a senior scientist, where I built up my own group and ran research projects to develop a ‘tool kit’ for plant genetic engineering. I especially liked to get into very basic science deeply but at the same time to have the opportunity to develop a broad overview of agricultural requirements.”
Before long, Helke had become the head of the ‘enabling technologies’ division, switching from her own research activities into technology management. “My work had a very broad strategy – to serve current needs as much as developing a vision on future applications and cutting-edge technology,” she explains. “I enjoyed striving for expertise and excellence on a broader level in one of my favourite research areas: understanding how cells get to ‘know’ what to do when, and how this communication flow is triggered on a biochemical level inside a cell, a tissue or a whole organism.”
Helke discussing experimental
results with a colleague at BASF
Image courtesy of BASF
However, there was one thing that Helke was still missing as a research scientist. “I very much enjoy working with people,” she says. “When I was running research labs I enjoyed having good and close colleagues who turned into dear friends – we had common goals and common targets to meet, and we pursued them by supporting each other – but I often felt that I was missing out a little on really engaging with many different types of people.”
To combat this, Helke got involved with as many outreach and teaching opportunities as possible. “The biggest reward is to see a student’s face glowing with interest for the topic or seeing one of the less interested ones becoming enthusiastic,” she says. “It is great to see talent flourish and to help that process. I especially like explaining complex scientific stories to the public.
“During my last two years at BASF I took on a position as a financial spokesperson with the investor relations department. I also acted as the main contact for investors in Asia and very much enjoyed the contact with people, especially with Japanese professionals, who have a fascinating business culture.”
So, when an opportunity at EMBL came up, Helke jumped at the chance. “In my position as the dean of graduate studies, I look after all aspects of EMBL’s PhD programme, which takes about 50 students from all over the world every year,” she explains. “In addition to the administrative and ‘business’ side, my role here is to act as a mentor and confidant. I have an open-door policy towards EMBL students, who may turn to me with academic or personal problems.
“I’m also very active as part of the ‘external face’ of EMBL, building alliances and establishing partnerships with universities towards the awarding of joint PhD degrees, promoting the PhD programmew3 at conferences, and so on.”
Helke awarding an EMBL special
prize at Jugend Forscht 2010
With this, Helke has found the perfect mix of science and people skills. “I’d never thought before about turning what I had always enjoyed as a side activity into my profession; in fact I’d never even realised that this might be possible,” she says. “What matters most to me is to be able to contribute to the significance or importance of something I believe in. Situations in which commitment counts, where mutual help is appreciated, where people listen to each other and where team success matters are important to me.
Even as a researcher I always kept ties with things I liked doing a lot – like mentoring, especially for young or future female researchers, teaching and interviewing students for fellowships – even though it was far away from my professional scientific assignment.” For example, since 2005, Helke has been a judge for the biology-related submissions to Jugend Forschtw4, the German young scientist contest for students up to the age of 21.
Helke may have chosen to move away from research, but those who stay at the bench can also find their jobs evolving into something that requires a great deal of understanding, diplomacy and a knack for communication. “One of the most challenging aspects of a scientific career is the point where one has to turn from being ‘just’ an excellent researcher at the bench into a team leader guiding a group of people who will invest a period of their lives and careers into your research ideas,” she says. “All of a sudden – often without any training – researchers need to turn into teachers, supervisors, managers, fundraisers – and all at once. True excellence in science requires a lot of people skills, and it’s clear that teachers, universities, institutes and government initiatives should be aware that these skills can and should be learned and trained and could be continuously improved.
w1 – To learn more about EMBL, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, see: www.embl.org
w2 – Find out more about the plant science section of BASF here: www.basf.com/group/corporate/en/products-and-industries/biotechnology/plant-biotechnology
w3 – You can find more information on EMBL’s international PhD programme here: www.embl.de/training/eipp
w4 – To learn more about Jugend Forscht, the German young scientist contest, see: www.jugend-forscht.de
The winners of Jugend Forscht participate in the European Union Contest for Young Scientists. See:Rau M (2009) Discoveries in Paris: the European Union Contest for Young Scientists. Science in School 13: 6-9.
Vienna Leigh studied linguistics at the University of York, UK, and has a master’s degree in contemporary literature. As well as spending several years as a journalist in London, she has worked in travel and reference publishing as a writer, editor and designer. She’s been widening her scientific horizons in recent years as the information and publications officer at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and as editor of its newsletter, EMBL&cetera.
This article clearly shows the importance of grabbing students’ interest in science from an early age. Once students are hooked on a subject, it is not easy to lure them into other fields. Although studying science may be tough, the article clearly shows that it is still worthwhile, as a science degree opens up numerous avenues for further study and career prospects. The article also shows that scientists are only human, with the same traits and characteristics we might experience in ourselves, including the need to be and work with other people.
The article is suitable for students aged 13 and above, mainly in biology classes, but may also be used for integrated / coordinated science, or with any science students as a model of career prospects or to discuss the (supposed) characteristics of scientists.
Paul Xuereb, Malta
Biology, General science
“Admitting to being a physicist isn’t really the best chat-up line”
The science of preserving art
Virtual reality: the Haptic Cow
A search for the origins of the brain
A scientific mind
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By Edmund Lee2013-01-11T22:30:00+00:00
Dir: Wong Kar-wai. Hong Kong, China. 2013. 130mins
Forget about any preconceptions you may have on Ip Man and, indeed, genre conventions. Barely illuminating as a biography and quietly anticlimactic as a kung fu epic, The Grandmaster, Wong Kar-wai’s years-in-the-making project on the real-life Wing Chun master who famously trained Bruce Lee, is nonetheless a kind of cinematic feat. It is at once loyal to the Hong Kong director’s aesthetic sensibilities and the myriad of martial arts traditions that he’s gone to exhaustive length to pay homage to.
As if being pulled back by the gravity of Wong’s insular world of romantic yearning and regrets, the film, in spite of an action-packed first half, climaxes not with a showdown fight but a peaceful heartbreak.
As one of the world’s pre-eminent auteurs of the past two decades, Wong, with his latest effort’s more traditional pacing and top-notch action choreography, looks to have finally found a level of commercial success that’s previously alien to him on his home turf. The film opened in mainland China and Hong Kong this week to very handsome opening box office figures; it will next go on general release on January 18 in Taiwan, to be followed by its international premiere on February 7, when the film will screen out-of-competition as the Berlinale’s opening film.
A sumptuously visualised yet unevenly narrated martial arts drama, The Grandmaster explodes into life with its pre-credit action sequence, in which Tony Leung Chiu-wai, playing Ip Man as a smirking man about town, sees off an incessant flow of challengers in a dimly lit alley drenched in rain. The scene’s staging may bring to mind a similar setting in the Matrix trilogy, which shares the same action choreographer in Yuen Woo-ping, but the moves in this set-piece – and, indeed, the rest of Wong’s film – are rendered with even more clarity and sophistication. Aided by the precise cinematography of Philippe Le Sourd, it’s possible for the audience to recognise the intensive training that the main actors have gone through in their characters’ respective fighting style.
In terms of narrative flow, it is to the director’s credits that he doesn’t once rely on the customary Japanese villains – the kind of stock characters that have been heavily utilised by the other action biopics on Ip released in the last few years, such as the two Wilson Yip-directed, Donnie Yen-starring Ip Man movies, as well as Herman Yau’s 2010 ‘prequel’ The Legend Is Born: Ip Man – to drive the story forward. As if being pulled back by the gravity of Wong’s insular world of romantic yearning and regrets, the film, in spite of an action-packed first half, climaxes not with a showdown fight but a peaceful heartbreak.
In fact, there will be love for The Grandmaster, which appeared to be quite a thematic detour for the auteur when the biopic was first announced a decade ago. While not nearly scaling the emotional heights of In The Mood For Love, the new film is essentially a decade-spanning would-be romance in which Tony Leung, perhaps in an unintended twist, isn’t even the most captivating actor in the story; that honour goes to Zhang Ziyi, whose defiant yet disheartening performance against Leung in 2046 finds its perfect reverberation in this film.
The year is 1936 and the martial arts community in Foshan, an affluent city in southern China, is growing restless over the imminent retirement of Gong Yutian (Wang Qingxiang) at the helm of the Chinese Martial Arts Association. In the hope of finding a worthy successor, the northeastern master sets up a battle of wit with the best fighter from the south – this happens to be Ip Man – and gracefully passes on his authority when the newcomer wins the duel. Incensed by the blemish on her father’s invincible reputation, however, Gong Er (Zhang) seeks out Ip for a follow-up contest – only to clandestinely fall for the married man in the film’s most intimately staged battle.
The unspoken affection between Ip Man and Gong Er will subsequently prove futile, as the former’s livelihood is severely interrupted by the Sino-Japanese War, while the latter, originally engaged to marry, is forced to give up everything to avenge her father’s death at the hands of a former protégé, Ma San (Zhang Jin). In typical Wong Kar-wai fashion, Ip and Gong drift apart towards their destinies for the next decade and a half, before finally – and very briefly – meeting again to contemplate what might have been. Taking the place of his leading lady’s cheongsam in In the Mood for Love, the director’s perfunctory chronicle of Ip Man’s life here seems to function less as an account of the man’s legacy than a marker of the passage of time.
As a biopic, indeed, The Grandmaster is almost pedestrian to a fault. Ip’s background and life philosophy is expounded through the character’s own voiceover, often from a bafflingly omniscient perspective, while the only substantial relationship that he has developed in the film – aside from Gong Er – is that with his wife, who is played by Korean actress Song Hye-kyo in no more than a few nearly-wordless sequences.
Scattered with worldly philosophical musings by veteran martial artists, The Grandmaster may be described simultaneously as a mediocre attempt at biography and an engrossing slice of wisdom that poetically encapsulates the martial arts tradition in which Ip was deeply entrenched. It’s simply not always possible for the audience to know what Mr Ip is thinking – or feeling.
The amendments of the film’s English title in the past few years – from Grandmaster to The Grandmasters back to the newly confirmed The Grandmaster – may also hint at the subtle changes in Wong’s conception of his ambitious tale. Only Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi are currently billed in the opening credits, while the rest of the high-profile cast, including Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan and Song Hye-kyo, end up in parts that leave quite a lot to the audience’s imagination. In particular, Chang’s character The Razor, who is allegedly one of the masters, has a grand total of three scenes throughout – one of them being clearly at odds in tone with the rest of the film, and none being directly connected to the story of Ip.
Rumours continue to persist that Wong finalised his edit in great haste for the local release. (There are noticeable signs: the release dates were repeatedly postponed, a few days at a time, in the past couple of months; there are two different prints in circulation in Hong Kong cinemas, one being with English and Chinese subtitles and the other with only Chinese subtitles.) Seeing that the current version of The Grandmaster – at 130 minutes – was reportedly trimmed down from a four-hour rough cut, fans may hang on to their faintest of hope that the notorious perfectionist will be tempted to return to the editing room for an alternative cut. After all, last time he tried – with Ashes of Time – it had only taken Wong 14 years to finish.
Production companies: Jet Tone Production, Sil-Metropole Organisation
International Sales: Fortissimo Films, www.fortissimo.nl/Wild Bunch, www.wildbunch.biz
Screenplay: Wong Kar-wai, Xu Haofeng, Zou Jingzhi
Original story: Wong Kar-wai
Cinematography: Philippe Le Sourd
Editor: William Chang
Production designer: William Chang
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi
Action choreographer: Yuen Woo-ping
Main cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan, Zhang Jin, Wang Qingxiang, Song Hye-kyo
Berlinale World Cinema Fund selects projects from Argentina, the Philippines, South Africa
The Fund has awarded production and distribution funding of €386,400 to 13 films.
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The City of Springfield’s Planning & Development Department is soliciting public input for its Community Development Needs Survey, which assesses the community in the areas of affordable housing, economic development, public services, public and private improvements and infrastructure and public facilities. Survey results will be used in an assessment of community development needs applied to the FY2020-2024 Consolidated Plan.
The survey will be available until July 31.
“The five-year Consolidated Plan is the City of Springfield’s primary vehicle for identifying and prioritizing housing, community development, public service and economic needs and strategies to guide the use of its entitlement funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),” said Senior City Planner Bob Atchley. “The Community Development Needs Survey is one of the opportunities that will be presented to the community, allowing every member of the public to provide their input regarding the needs of Springfield. We encourage every Springfield citizen to take this opportunity to provide valuable input regarding the community’s most pressing needs.”
The survey is available online at https://communitydevelopmentneeds.questionpro.com and in paper form at the Citizen Resource Center, located on the first floor of the Busch Municipal Building, 840 N. Boonville, and at the checkout desks at the five Springfield-Greene County Library branches:
Midtown Carnegie Branch, 397 E. Central
Park Central Branch, 128 Park Central Square
Schweitzer Brentwood Branch, 2214 S. Brentwood Boulevard
The Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell
The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway.
Please submit completed paper copies of the survey to:
840 N. Boonville
Email: batchley@springfieldmo.gov
Each year, the City of Springfield receives federal funds from HUD due to its population, demographics and available funding. The City estimates it will receive approximately $1.3 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and approximately $967,000 in HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds each of the next five years. These funds primarily benefit low-to-moderate- income households.
This survey is designed to collect public opinion regarding how the City should use funding among the five program areas. The survey is voluntary and will take five to 10 minutes to complete. Answers will be kept confidential and you may choose to not answer any question.
For more information, please contact Assistant Director of Public Information and Civic Engagement Melissa Haase at 417-864-1003 or Senior City Planner Bob Atchley at 417-864-1308.
⇐Previous June sales tax revenues up 11% compared to June 2018Next⇒ City Planning Department launches Comprehensive Planning Process
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Community and Protective Services
Economic and Business Development
2017 Election Candidate Financial Disclosure Statements
Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston delivered the 2019 State of the City address during a State of the Region event at Heritage Park in Stony Plain on March 7, 2019.
Past State of the City Addresses
State of the City 2018
Spruce Grove Mayor Stuart Houston delivered the 2018 State of the City address during a State of the Region event at the Heritage Park Pavilion in Stony Plain on March 8, 2018.
Delivered March 9, 2017
Good evening everyone and thank you for joining me to hear my annual State of the City address. On behalf of my colleagues on City Council, it’s truly my pleasure to be here to highlight our accomplishments from last year, as well as share some of the plans and initiatives on the horizon.
As a municipality, we spend a great deal of time managing the day-to-day tasks of running a city, but we have always made a conscious effort to plan for tomorrow. This pro-active approach has allowed us to realize great success and, in today’s current economy, I believe setting our sights on the future is more important than ever before.
A cooling economy can present challenges, but it’s also much easier to navigate when you have a solid foundation with long-term plans in place to help ensure ongoing investment, development and growth in your community.
In fact, when you look at the overall Capital Region, Spruce Grove has fared very well. According to Brad Ferguson from the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, we continue to outperform many of our neighbouring municipalities in economic development, demonstrating that we are still attracting new residents and business to our city.
Not only that, but last year Alberta Venture magazine highlighted Spruce Grove as one of Alberta's best communities for business and online Canadian business magazine Profit Guide included us in their list of the top 25 places in the country to do business. Profit Guide also identified us as the third most lucrative market across Canada for business owners.
According to last year’s municipal census, we grew by five per cent in 2016, bringing our official population count to 33,640 people. This increase is consistent for Spruce Grove, which has had an average growth rate of 5.1 per cent each year since 2011, and at that rate we expect to welcome our 35,000th resident in the spring of 2017.
The neighbourhoods with the largest population growth were three of our newest – Kenton, Greenbury and Prescott on the city’s northeast side – which indicates that people are not only relocating here, but they are also buying new homes.
Numbers from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation show we had 380 overall housing starts last year. In the Capital Region, outside of Edmonton, we were the second highest in single detached starts at 156 and highest in both semi-detached and row house starts at 146 and 78 respectively.
The building permit value for single detached residential structures was $47 million last year, while semi-detached residential structures came in at $33 million.
On the commercial side, this was the sixth year in a row we surpassed $10 million in building permit value, coming in a $10.6 million in 2016. The value of our industrial development permits also remains high, with an average of approximately $500,000 per permit, indicating we are seeing high quality structures going up in the city.
Overall, we issued 812 building permits with a value of $114 million, 783 development permits and 2,878 safety code permits in 2016, which shows ongoing construction in the community that I fully anticipate will continue this year.
Our major municipal infrastructure, institutional and private construction figures for 2016, combined with construction projects that are planned for 2017, mean a whopping $165.5 million in development! I will highlight a number of these projects that are not only building our future, but also creating significant employment opportunities in our community that add to our economic sustainability.
Work continues on the new $25 million integrated RCMP facility. This co-location of municipal policing services for Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, as well as other provincial policing resources, will not only result in more efficient service to our regional residents, but also allow us to realize construction and maintenance cost savings.
Adjacent to this development, we lived up to our partnership commitment by widening the intersection of Jennifer Heil Way and Highway 16A, which has improved traffic flow in the area and will provide quick and easy access to the new RCMP facility. It’s interesting to note that we anticipated this project would cost $4 million, but because of the shift in the economy, we were actually able to complete this work for $2 million, which is a significant savings for the City.
Furthermore, we will be renovating and expanding the City’s existing Protective Services building in a phased approach that will include an expansion on land east of the current facility, providing room for new administrative offices, equipment bays, dorms and training space. Work on the estimated $21 million project will begin this year, starting with site work and servicing. Construction on the expansion, which will add another 3,300 square metres of space to the building, will get underway next spring.
Last year we welcomed the new $22 million Prescott Learning Centre to the city’s east side and this year, I know many families are anxiously awaiting the still-to-be-named $22 million K-9 school that will be constructed on our west side in the new Copperhaven neighbourhood, which will also be home to a new bus transfer facility.
The Prescott Learning Centre will be enhanced this year with the addition of the adjacent $3.5 million Beaverbrook Wellness Centre, which will provide child care and support services to local families through the YMCA Beaverbrook Child Care Centre. This facility demonstrates a successful and collaborative partnership between the City, the Province of Alberta, Parkland School Division, Beaverbrook and the YMCA of Northern Alberta that will have a positive impact in our community.
On the other end of the spectrum, we certainly understand the importance of helping our residents have supportive options to help them age in place in our community. I’m pleased to say we have a few proposals coming forward for assisted living facilities in Spruce Grove and I’m hopeful we will be able to move ahead with them this year, as this addresses a gap in the accommodations currently available in the city. For those of you in the development industry, we have more than 4,500 residents over the age of 65 in Spruce Grove, which is creating a huge demand for independent and assisted living options, as well as long-term care.
We also had our first post-secondary campus open in Spruce Grove last year. NAIT’s new $17 million Spruce Grove Campus is now home to the school’s popular crane and hoisting equipment operator program. The doors to this 133-acre campus opened in September and I look forward to further developing our partnership with NAIT for potential expansion down the road.
The City’s new Border Paving Athletic Centre opened to the public last year, providing not only a new space for City’s Recreation Services department, but also offering space to non-profit and community groups to gather, collaborate and learn. With rental and lease opportunities, computer and Internet access for the public and groups, and extended operating hours, it’s an ideal spot to host a meeting, have a workshop or just connect with friends. Plus, it is home to the Aerials Gymnastics Club, who run their programs, playschool and administrative office in the centre.
Located near the Border Paving Athletic Centre in the Tri Leisure Village development is a new $16 million medical building that is also scheduled to open this year. This will be the final component of this $75 million development that has brought a hotel, new restaurants and businesses to the area.
This spring we will be completing an update to the City’s Economic Development Strategy to identify our priorities and initiatives for the next five years. This is a key component in attracting new and exciting developments and driving investment interest to our community. We will also be completing an assessment of our broadband requirements as an urban centre, as we realize this is a critical requirement to both businesses and residents, and is necessary to remain competitive.
A big factor in our Economic Development Strategy is event tourism where the sky is the limit! As a tri-municipal region we are poised to take advantage of Alberta’s 4.5 billion tourism industry. During the last week of February alone, we had the 40th annual Sweetheart Ringette Tournament, the Spruce Moose Gymnastics Tournament and the Winter Fest Street Hockey Tournament bring more than 1,500 athletic participants to our region. Add in their parents and other family members, and an estimated 4,500 visitors came to our region in just one week for events that were all run by our grassroots organizations. Wow! This has an incredibly positive impact on our facility rentals and also supports our hospitality industry.
Commercial construction has also started at the Westwind Centre. Two office buildings are already under construction, with secured tenants ready to take occupancy, and as this area develops, it will include grocery, gas, and other retail and service options for both residents and visitors to our community. Westwind Centre has the potential to become the largest commercial development in the history of Spruce Grove and we anticipate it will drive important new investment into our community.
I am extremely pleased with the work the Spruce Grove City Centre Business Association has been doing to reinvigorate, develop and grow this important part of our city. Last summer the association had great success in drawing people to the city centre with events including the Taste of Spruce Grove, Cruise Nights and monthly public markets. Most recently, the Winter Fest event brought residents together for a fun day that included a hockey tournament, ugly toque contest, wagon rides and food venues, attracting an estimated 1,200 people to our city centre.
Through events like this, we are drawing residents to the city centre and reminding them of the many great shops, restaurants and amenities in this part of the community. To assist in this ongoing initiative, the City has committed funding to prepare an area redevelopment plan for the city centre and there will be opportunities for our residents and the business community to participate in that process.
Part of being a great community is providing your residents with a range of amenities they can use and enjoy. I’m very excited that this year we will be opening the City’s new spray park in Jubilee Park. Residents have been asking for a spray park for years, and I am confident that what we have planned will exceed their expectations! At 1,100 square metres in size, it will be a multi-use, multi-age, multi-activity space for people of all ages to play, enjoy and connect with nature.
This new spray park is expected to be open to the public on July 1 as part of our Canada Day Celebration in Jubilee Park. We are celebrating the 150th anniversary of confederation and I know our team at the City is working hard to put on an amazing event this year, so I’d encourage you all to plan to attend. The fireworks show at the end of the night is going to be incredible and will be the largest in the history of the city!
Additional capital projects on the books for this year include finishing the new $14 million new growth water reservoir and completing and $8 million upgrade to Pioneer Road between Grove Drive and Highway 16A that will become an important link to residents on the east side of Century Road and a major component of the City’s Transportation Master Plan. Again, we were able to realize cost savings in the neighbourhood of 30 per cent on these two projects, as construction costs came in under budget.
Work will also begin this year on a $2.5 million extension of Grove Drive west from Harvest Ridge to the new K-9 school that will be constructed, and we are not stopping there as the City has committed funds in our 2017 Capital Plan to complete the engineering and functional design study for the long awaited connection of Grove Drive west to Boundary Road and the Holy Trinity Catholic Church.
While enhancing some of our infrastructure to help people get around our city, we’ve also made a significant investment in our commuter transit service. Thanks to $7.3 million in GreenTRIP funding from the Province of Alberta, we were able to purchase six new transit buses last year, which allowed us to expand our service with a new route that started running in February. Route 562 travels around Spruce Grove with service to West Edmonton Mall, the South Campus/Fort Edmonton Park LRT station and the Acheson Industrial Area south.
Future plans for our transit service include adding more routes, and more trips per day to existing routes, developing a $3.4 million park and ride facility and building a bus storage facility by 2020. We currently partner with Parkland County to provide service to the Acheson Industrial Area and we look forward to continue working with both the County and the Town of Stony Plain on future transit enhancements and opportunities. It’s also interesting to note that for the second year in a row, we were ranked as the safest city to drive in Canada based on the findings from Allstate Insurance Company of Canada’s Safe Driving Study. Of the 86 communities included in last year’s study, we were the safest with a collision frequency rate of just 3.6 per cent.
Collaboration is such an important part of our success as a city. We are a strong advocate for regional cooperation within the Tri-Municipal Region and at the Capital Region Board. We recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding as part of the Metro Mayors Alliance, which is a group of municipalities in the Edmonton region, including Spruce Grove, who have a desire to act as one metro region on regionally significant issues. The priority areas we will be starting with are transit, infrastructure and land use planning, and economic development.
Closer to home, we are part of the Inter-municipal Collaboration Committee with both Parkland County and the Town of Stony Plain. Together we also signed a Memorandum of Understanding and look for ways to negotiate and manage challenges, while identifying projects and opportunities that can lead to benefits for residents of the entire Tri-Municipal Region. I believe we are a region without borders.
A recent resident satisfaction survey, completed in the fall of 2016, showed that overall, residents are proud of this community and have a high level of satisfaction with the City’s programs, services and facilities. In fact, 94 per cent of those surveyed said they would recommend Spruce Grove as a place to live. This backs up the findings from MoneySense magazine that ranked Spruce Grove as one of the best places to live in Canada in 2016 and previously recognized us as one of the country’s top 10 places to raise a family in 2015.
We accomplished a great deal in 2016 and I am excited and optimistic about what’s ahead for us this year and even further down the road. There will certainly be challenges, but I am confident that by setting our sights on the future, City Council and Administration will be able to ensure that Spruce Grove remains the best place to live, work and play.
I’d like to thank and acknowledge City staff for their creativity, dedication and expertise. You are all an invaluable part of making Spruce Grove a successful, vibrant and welcoming city. Thank you to my fellow council members for your ongoing commitment and support of this community that we are all so proud to serve. Thank you as well to our regional partners – the Town of Stony Plain, Parkland County, Parkland School Division and Evergreen School Division – for your dedication and vision. And thank you to the builders and development community for your continued confidence and investment in Spruce Grove.
And a huge thank you to the Spruce Grove and District Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event every year. We certainly appreciate your ongoing work to promote our great city and support the businesses who call Spruce Grove home.
And with that, I'd like to end with a community video that I believe perfectly sums up why Spruce Grove is a place where people choose to live, raise a family and grow a business. Thank you to everyone for your time this evening and I look forward to working with all of you as we celebrate our city, embrace the present, build our future!
Mayor Stuart Houston
Good evening everyone, and thank you for coming out tonight to hear my annual State of the City address. On behalf of my colleagues on city council, it's my privilege to be here this evening to share our accomplishments from the past year and provide a snapshot of what we are working on in the coming year.
It's certainly no secret that we, as well as the rest of the province and the country, are in a different position than the last time I gave this address. The reality is that our economy has slowed down and we find ourselves in a slight cooling off period. However, even with these challenges, I'm proud to be able to report that we continue to have significant, and even record breaking, development and investment in our city.
We are moving forward with implementing the vision outlined in the City's Strategic Plan to ensure Spruce Grove is a place where people choose to live, raise a family and grow a business and I will show you proof of that tonight. I am fortunate to work with a forward-thinking council and dedicated City administration team who are committed to advancing these goals. And as we navigate our way through the current economic landscape, I am confident we can also find ways to up our game in the future to make Spruce Grove a resilient, welcoming and prosperous community.
I mentioned we had some record breaking growth in Spruce Grove last year and that begins with our census findings, which showed an all-time high one-year population gain of 8.5 per cent, which is up significantly from our average annual growth rate of 5.9 per cent.
At the time the census was completed, Spruce Grove was home to 12,025 households and 32,036 residents, which is slightly more than double what our population was in 2001 - that's pretty tremendous growth over just 14 years! It also confirmed that Spruce Grove is a family-oriented community, as our largest population groups are ages 30-34, 35-39 and then children ages 0-9.
In fact, last year MoneySense magazine named Spruce Grove one of the 10 best places in Canada to raise a family and one of the top 100 best places to live in Canada! We already know that Spruce Grove is a fantastic place to call home, but it's also great validation to have it independently confirmed, and publicized, by a respected third-party source.
We will be conducting our annual census again this year to ensure we have the most up-to-date demographic information for our community, as this is invaluable when we are planning for the wants and needs of our residents both today and in the future.
With such tremendous population growth, we also saw healthy numbers in our residential development with $133.7 million in building permit value in 2015, which, given the cooling economy, was more robust than expected. Approximately 92 per cent of the total building permits we issued last year was for residential construction, which is consistent with previous years.
We had 572 housing starts in Spruce Grove last year that were evenly split between multifamily, semi-detached and single detached homes. As a municipality we had the second highest number of housing starts, outside of Edmonton, in the Capital Region according to data released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
On the commercial side, building permits for new commercial structures doubled in 2015 to 10 buildings at a value of $22.8 million, which is the highest activity level we've had since 2010. We also had 64 permits for commercial improvements last year with a value of $7.8 million, which is a new record for the City, bringing our total commercial building permit value to $30.6 million.
This supports the findings from a 2015 report done by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that listed the Greater Edmonton region, including Spruce Grove, as one of the top 10 places in Canada to start and grow a business.
In addition to this commercial development, we also welcomed five new industrial buildings to Spruce Grove last year with $6.2 million in building permit value and I'm pleased to say the average value of both new commercial and industrial buildings has been generally increasing, which reflects the development of larger, high quality structures going up in the city.
When you look at the overall picture, we issued 1,295 building permits in 2015, which is down slightly from last year, but is still more than 16 per cent higher than activity levels in 2013 and with a total permit value of $189 million we're seeing the third best year in the City's history!
We will certainly be watching our development numbers closely in the coming year as we wait for the economy to strengthen, but I'm pleased to say we already have some very exciting - and large - projects on the books for 2016, particularly in the area of institutional development.
As we announced last year, we are thrilled to be welcoming our first post-secondary campus to Spruce Grove with the new $17 million NAIT building. Scheduled to open in June, this 133-acre campus is allowing NAIT to expand its popular crane and hoisting equipment operator program by as much as 80 per cent of its current enrollment. It will be quite a sight with six cranes at the location and the largest having an extension capability equivalent to a 16-storey building! I am confident both the instructors and the students will feel at home in our city as we look for ways to further develop our partnership with the potential for expansion in the future.
Work also continues on the new $25 million integrated RCMP facility, which will be home to RCMP officers from both Spruce Grove and Stony Plain. The co-location of policing services will result in more efficient service to all residents in the region and building one facility will also result in construction and maintenance cost savings.
We are also seeing the completion of the Tri Leisure Village development with the addition of a new $16 million medical building this year. This development has been a great success in the community, bringing a new hotel, as well as several restaurants and businesses to the area. It's located beside our new Border Paving Athletic Centre, which I'll talk about in more detail in a few minutes.
There has been redevelopment in the Westland Market Mall area with several new businesses opening including Pet Valu and Sally Beauty Supply. This year we are seeing additional work inside the mall with the addition of a large Value Village location.
We are also excited that a steering committee made up of members from our chamber and local business community will be implementing a City Centre Revitalization Strategy to attract new development and investment along McLeod Avenue. We are very appreciative of the work this committee will be doing and I am looking forward to hearing their ideas on how we can breathe some new life into our downtown core.
Work continues in the WestWind Centre lands on the northeast corner of the city. This is truly a prime piece of real estate in Spruce Grove and we are expecting development to get started this year as we attract new retailers and tenants to the community.
I am extremely proud of the work our City administration is doing to bring commercial and industrial investment to Spruce Grove. Large organizations and companies are coming here because they recognize the benefits and the value of being part of our community.
Earlier I mentioned that Spruce Grove is a very family-oriented community, which was illustrated in our census findings from last year. With so many young families in the city, it's important we have the necessary programs, amenities and infrastructure in place to support them and help them thrive.
I am thrilled that this year we will see the opening of the first of two new kindergarten to Grade 9 schools in Spruce Grove. Located in the city's east end, the $22 million Prescott Learning Centre will open its doors in September for the new school year. There will also be a $3.5 million Wellness Centre adjacent to the school that will provide, among other things, before and after school child care. This centre is a partnership with the Province of Alberta, Parkland School Division, the development community and the City. On the west side, a $22 million still-to-be named school will be opening to students in 2017.
Access to nearby, quality education is key to having a healthy and engaged community and we worked extremely hard with Parkland School Division and the Province of Alberta to address the need for additional schools in Spruce Grove. We are thankful they also recognized the need, as these new schools are critical to serving our residents. We also look forward to working with Evergreen Catholic Schools in the future as they identify their needs for additional schools in the community.
In addition to having access to educational opportunities, we also believe in the importance of providing our residents with a safe, welcoming place to call home. While construction begins on the new RCMP facility, we have already added new RCMP, Enforcement Services and Fire Services staff both last year and for this current year.
We were also recognized last year in Allstate's 2015 Safe Driving Study as the safest community to drive in Canada! Nationally, motor vehicle collisions increased by 7.3 per cent, while collisions in Spruce Grove decreased by 19 per cent.
Implementation of the new Jubilee Park Master Plan, which includes several short- and long-term enhancements, will also begin this year. This park is one of our community's largest gems and we want to harness its potential to serve as a year-round destination for recreation and leisure.
Near Jubilee Park is our Greenbury neighbourhood, which earlier this year was named one of Canada's top 100 neighbourhoods by Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine. In total 12 neighbourhoods across Alberta were included after being evaluated on factors including average price, vacancy rate and population growth. Greenbury was the first "green" neighbourhood in Spruce Grove and aligns with our goal of being a sustainable community.
To further achieve that goal, we were pleased to receive up to $7.3 million in GreenTRIP funding last year. This will allow us to make enhancements to our transit service, including the addition of six full-size buses by 2017 and four smaller buses by 2020, as well as the development of a $3.4 million park and ride facility and a bus storage facility by 2020.
Additional projects that will enhance the quality of life in Spruce Grove include a $20 million new growth water reservoir, which will service the city to a population of 75,000, $10 million in further development of Pioneer Road and a $2.4 million Campsite Road upgrade.
As we plan for our future, we also recognized an important part of our past last year by renaming a portion of Westgrove Drive to Nelson Drive, after the Nelson family who were pioneers in our community.
We also welcomed several large events to Spruce Grove last year, including hosting the Stage 5 Finish of the Tour of Alberta. With the support and involvement of our neighbours from the Town of Stony Plain and Parkland County, we welcomed cyclists and spectators from across the world to our community for a travelling festival and race that was broadcast in more than 100 countries.
While their own facility was undergoing renovations, the Edmonton Eskimos held their training camp at Fuhr Sports Park last spring. I had a tremendous feeling of pride as I watched them win the Grey Cup last year and, of course, I believe the work they did in Spruce Grove started them on the road to their eventual victory! I'll always remember the council meeting that included a visit from team president Len Rhodes who shared his praise for our city and gave us an opportunity to get an up close look at the coveted trophy.
Last year was also a big year for many of our City facilities. We celebrated the grand opening of our new Public Works Facility, which will meet the needs of the community for the next 25 years and allow us to maintain the high service levels residents enjoy in Spruce Grove. This year we will be developing a Public Works satellite facility in the Spruce Ridge area to store equipment and reduce on-road travel time to work sites on the west end of Spruce Grove, allowing staff to work more efficiently.
The City's office space was expanded into the King Street Plaza facility to accommodate our Planning and Development and Engineering departments. This will facilitate continued collaboration between these departments as they work on overseeing the growth of the community, while also enhancing customer service.
And, of course, we completed work on the new Border Paving Athletic Centre, which is also the new home of the City's Recreation staff and the Aerials Gymnastics Club. An important part of the facility is a new Community Resource Centre, or "Rec Hub", that will provide an environment for sports, recreation and not-for-profit organizations to access resource information and connect to other organizations in the community. There are also great rental opportunities at the centre, from meeting rooms to storage space, which will be a huge help to many of our community groups.
This centre was truly a labour of love for many of those involved and it fills me with a great deal of pride when I see how this facility is meeting the needs of so many in our community - and in particular the Aerials who worked and fundraised for years to achieve the dream of a new location for their members. An official grand opening event will be happening later this year, so stay tuned!
There are many components of our municipality that focus on providing day-to-day core services to our residents, from waste collection and road maintenance to bill payments and utility inquiries. These core services are essential, as they meet the most immediate needs and expectations of our residents. However, we must also take care to plan for the needs and expectations that will be coming several months, years and even decades from now.
Spruce Grove has always been a community with a strong focus on its future. We understand the value of not only dealing with the needs of today, but planning for the needs of tomorrow. To accomplish this, we are conducting a growth study that will look at necessary land requirements for the city for the next 50 years. We are also developing a long-term capital plan that will look at requirements for the city for the next 25 years, which is a pro-active approach to identifying and determining our needs.
The development of a cultural master plan is underway to identify ways we can profile our cultural resources and promote them to both our residents and visitors.
Work is also nearly complete on a social sustainability plan, which will look at the connections between the economy, the environment and society and how they can work together to achieve long-term prosperity and continued quality of life for present and future residents. We know Spruce Grove is a growing community and while we welcome that growth, we also need to take proactive measures to ensure Spruce Grove continues to be a great place to live, work and play. Creating a social sustainability plan will ensure the necessary policies and strategies are in place to anticipate and respond to changing social needs in a rapidly growing community.
We certainly had a busy and productive year in 2015 and it would appear this coming year will be more of the same! We recognize there will be challenges as we proceed in today's somewhat uncertain economic climate and we must be diligent as we find creative and cost-saving solutions to weather this storm, while still maintaining high service levels for our residents. I have absolute confidence in the ability of city council and administration to meet these challenges and come out the other side in a stronger position than before.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge the staff at the City of Spruce Grove for their dedication and expertise. I'd also like to thank my fellow council members for their commitment and passion for our city, as well as our partners, school divisions, community groups, and the business and development community, who play a huge role in our ongoing success. I must also thank the Spruce Grove and District Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event and for their ongoing work in promoting our city and welcoming and supporting the many great businesses in the community.
And thanks to each of you for your time this evening and for the many contributions you make to our city. We are truly fortunate to be part of such a strong and vibrant community. The table is set for success in Spruce Grove and by working together and capitalizing on the opportunities that are in front of us, I know we will achieve great things.
Delivered March 12, 2015
Good evening everyone, and thank you for inviting me to share my annual State of the City address with you. On behalf of City Council, I’m pleased to highlight what we accomplished last year and what’s on the horizon for 2015. We’re already off to a solid start with many projects and initiatives, which is an advantage when facing a busy year. I can assure you that what you’ll hear from me tonight will demonstrate Spruce Grove’s willingness for growth and change as well as our commitment to community-based amenities and services that meet the expectations of our residents, business owners and visitors.
Last spring, Council developed and adopted a new 20-year strategic plan, which serves as the City’s foundation to ensure a long-term plan is in place for the community. It is our blueprint for building an exceptional city, and was used to form the 2015-2017 Corporate Plan, which is the City's principal guiding document for governance, community development and service delivery.
Our overarching focus is to make Spruce Grove a place where people choose to live, raise a family and grow a business. Being the community of choice means that we need to create a dynamic city with an outstanding quality of life. This goal requires excellent municipal services, welcoming gathering places, an active leisure, recreation and sports environment, a respected arts and culture scene and a diversified business community that enjoys a prosperous self-sustaining regional home.
Building an exceptional city is no small feat, but I am excited to be working with a visionary council, an excellent administrative team, our esteemed members of the Chamber of Commerce as well as the builders, developers, investors and entrepreneurs that have shown the confidence to believe in our city and drive an economy of prosperity where we all benefit. There is much to be achieved by working together and we are excited and dedicated to meeting the challenge.
We’ve already seen that more people are choosing to call Spruce Grove home. Results from last year’s municipal census indicated that we have over 11,000 households and a total estimated population of almost 30,000 people. Looking back since the 2011 Federal census, the city has grown approximately 4.25% each year.
Our continuing population growth is accompanied by additional development in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Last year was another record breaking year with $243 million in total building permit valuations, which surpasses the previous record of $194 million in 2013 by almost $50 million.
This equates to about $1 million in building permit investments each and every business day in Spruce Grove!
On the residential side, activity was far more robust in 2014 than predicted. We had a total building permit value of $187 million, which is our highest residential building permit value to date. The types of housing provided remain balanced, seeing an increase in all unit types relative to previous years. The total number of new dwelling units approved increased 24% from 2013 to set a new record. This has also made Spruce Grove one of the fastest growing municipalities in the Capital region.
Our policy-led dedication toward housing diversity, coupled with flexible residential land use districts, has made the City competitive in the regional housing market for all unit types. It has created new and trendy neighbourhoods with a wide range of housing choices and many options for homebuyers to choose from.
The highest percentage of building permits for new units occurred in McLaughlin, which included an apartment building with over 100 units as well as mixed low to medium residential development. Following closely behind were the popular neighbourhoods of Greenbury, Harvest Ridge and Spruce Ridge. We also welcomed the neighbourhood of Tonewood on the east side of our city, and look forward to further construction in that area this year.
A priority for council is to diversify our tax base and we are achieving success in this area. In the commercial sector, our “open for business” attitude, which is eagerly echoed by the Chamber of Commerce, has continued to attract a variety of businesses to Spruce Grove resulting in more options for our residents. Last year’s commercial building permit and improvements number held steady at $19 million with five new buildings. We have averaged about $20 million every year for the last five years translating to an impressive $100 million in commercial building permits and improvements since 2010.
This surge was thanks, in part, to the new Tri Leisure Village development, which saw the opening of the 130-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites as well as a new Boston Pizza in 2014. Growth continues with the addition of Caffé Sorrentino, Rush Nutrition, Taco Del Mar and Subway. In the future, we’re looking forward to welcoming more shops and restaurants to the area as well as a professional building.
At the centre of the Tri Leisure Village will be a new $12 million City-owned sports and recreation facility, which will include a sports museum, multi-purpose flex space, non-profit office and program space, and lease space to the Aerials Gymnastics. This facility will open in late fall of this year, and together with the nearby Fuhr Sports Park and the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, it will create a community hub for sports, recreation and leisure.
Continued commercial growth was also seen at the Century Crossing development. This large-scale retail area saw the openings of Peavey Mart, Coop Gas Bar, Carl’s Jr., Opa Souvlaki and Mattress Mattress in 2014. This year, we are looking forward to welcoming the Sunset Grill restaurant, Tommy Guns Original Barbershop, Smiles Dental Group, Century Crossing Eye and Vision Care and Tirecraft.
We’re not stopping there! We also look forward to continued progress at the Westwind Centre, a 40-acre mixed use commercial and residential development in the city’s northeast corner. Services and infrastructure are being put in place to support commercial opportunities and we anticipate more news on this development in 2015.
We’ve also been examining ways in which we can revitalize the city centre area and make it a vibrant part of our community. As an initial step, we produced a discussion paper that outlined the potential issues that we might experience as we move forward. With this in mind, a group was formed out of the local business community, for the purpose of identifying and considering future direction for the revitalization. We’re grateful to have the involvement of the Chamber of Commerce as well as local business owners and look forward to working together on this exciting project.
Shifting over to our industrial parks, we see that they continue to draw interest from investors and businesses. Last year, we more than tripled our average of three industrial buildings per year to permitting 10 new industrial buildings, the most in our history! This led to a record amount of industrial permit and improvement values, totalling $21.7 million – which is more than double the amount achieved in 2013.
In order to attract more industrial development, we’ve taken strides to strengthen our industrial marketing strategy, including re-facing the industrial billboards along highways 16 and 16A, updating our industrial promotional video to portray current activity in our parks and completing and distributing our award-winning Here We Grow profile series.
In total, Spruce Grove issued 1,392 building permits last year, which is a 25% increase over permit activity in 2013, and a 51% increase over 2012. In fact, 2014 was the busiest year in the City’s history in terms of building permit issuance, and is the second year in a row that permitting activities have set a new record.
Many in the development community have asked my opinion on the recent downturn in oil and gas revenues in Alberta and what effect that may have on Spruce Grove. I believe our calculated, open-minded approach to residential, commercial and industrial development in our city will help us ride out any shifts in the local and national economies. And, in 2008 when I stood before you, I indicated that we believed that by staying the course we would continue to attract more residents and businesses to our city. I think you will agree – this strategy helped us get where we are today and we have faith that our success is recurrent!
To help us achieve what I just mentioned, and keep us focused on the big picture, we’ll be conducting a growth study. This project will help us to identify options and strategies we can apply over the next 25 to 50 years and the impacts of different growth models. The study will begin with an introduction to the work plan in April, and we’ll be hosting various opportunities to gather information and share ideas with our municipal neighbours, development stakeholders and citizens.
Another growth related strategy we’ve invested in is making the application process easier for home builders and developers. We evaluated our residential review process and were able to identify ways in which we could make it more efficient. For example, our new goal is to process home application packages, including lot grading, development permit and building permit procedures, within 28 days from the drop off of a complete application. We will continue to work with home builders and developers to provide consistency in processing timelines.
We also want to make sure that Spruce Grove is a business-friendly community, and part of that is making it as simple as possible for businesses to operate in our city. Our streamlined business licence renewal process gives resident businesses the ability to renew their licence online. Along with this, resident businesses are no longer charged an annual business licence fee, as long as renewals are completed by the required date. This is just one of the ways we have created efficiencies for both the City and our clients that creates a win-win situation for everyone involved.
It’s our job to make sure there is a balance between growth and the service levels provided to our residents. This continues to be a challenge for us, but we know that it is a principle attraction factor for those who live in or are looking to move into our community. People want to live in a place where they can experience a high quality of life and rely on excellent programs and services.
With this in mind, we continue to offer programs like our Canada Day Celebration, which is held at popular Jubilee Park, and the Christmas in Central Park light-up event that has become an annual tradition for many local families.
As an exciting addition to Spruce Grove’s sporting events scene, we’ll be hosting the entire spring training camp for the Edmonton Eskimos this year. This is the result of an existing partnership that brought An Afternoon with the Edmonton Eskimos to Spruce Grove’s Fuhr Sports Park last Father’s Day.
We also continue to participate in the Halloween Mini Monster Bash event, a fantastic example of tri-municipal cooperation with both the Town of Stony Plain and Parkland County.
Collaborative work also continues on an event hosting strategy for the Tri-Municipal Region. The strategy is complete, has been presented to Council and focuses on opportunities to attract more events to the area that can showcase what we have to offer. The next step is to establish a hosting committee that will actively seek to bring one or two major events to the area each year.
In the summer of 2014, we harnessed the opportunity to host the Capital Region Board’s Housing Symposium Tour, which showcased the Greenbury neighbourhood as an example of market affordable housing and a model of urban development that satisfies the vision of this council.
This year, with the support and involvement of our neighbours from the Town of Stony Plain and Parkland County, will host the Stage 5 Finish of the third annual Tour of Alberta, an elite professional cycling race. This is a huge event, requiring hundreds of volunteers, a travelling festival and a race that will be broadcast in over 100 countries.
The list of things that Spruce Grove has to offer continues to add to the quality of life for our citizens.
We were more than pleased to hear that two new kindergarten to Grade 9 schools will be built in our city. The first, which will see construction begin this year, will be located in the Prescott neighbourhood on the east side of Spruce Grove, and the second will be located in the west, south of Grove Drive. We have worked extremely hard with the Parkland School Division and the Province of Alberta and are thankful to them for recognizing this emergent need in Spruce Grove. These schools are an absolute necessity for serving our growing community and providing proper education to the youth in our city.
It’s also important to us to provide residents of all ages with active and healthy pursuits that contribute to a well-rounded lifestyle. Last year we opened a new playground in Jesperdale and replaced the play structures at both the Landsdowne and Greystone Park playgrounds, proudly donating the equipment removed to communities in developing countries. And new playgrounds will be welcomed in Deer Park and Spruce Ridge this year.
We also made upgrades to our outdoor skate park as well as modernized the Brookwood Rink. And, we updated the Jubilee Park Master Plan. This updated plan recognizes opportunities to grow and expand Jubilee Park to harness its potential to serve as a year-round destination for recreation and leisure adding to the quality living we all enjoy. I’m sure you will all agree that this is one spectacular park!
Along with the ongoing and regular maintenance of open spaces and parks, plans for 2015 include constructing rest nodes along the existing Heritage Grove Park Trail, in partnership with our great friends from the Rotary Club. And we’re investing $1.2 million to construct a midget baseball diamond at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic High School and a PeeWee Class A diamond at Central Park to support our focus on quality recreation amenities and healthy lifestyles.
We also made improvements for the benefit of our four-legged friends and their owners. This past December, the Cpl. Jim Galloway Memorial Off Leash Area, received new lighting installations. This improvement allows park goers to enjoy better visibility throughout the park after nightfall.
On the cultural side, Horizon Stage, which we share and partner together with our friends from Parkland School Division and Parkland County, continues its fine tradition of hosting a variety of performances that appeal to all audiences and musical tastes. And, in 2015, we’ll continue to strengthen our vibrant cultural scene by developing a vision and master plan for arts and culture in our city.
To move us forward in reaching our goal of diverting 50% of waste from the landfills, the City introduced the option of a smaller black waste cart as well as year round organics collection. We’ll continue to promote these eco-friendly initiatives in 2015 as well as explore a three-stream pilot program in local schools.
On the City’s capital side, we will continue to oversee and maintain several facilities throughout the community, including the development of new City-owned facilities. Work is expected to wrap up in the coming months on our new $18.6 million Public Works Facility, which will accommodate an estimated 25 years of growth in Spruce Grove. This new facility will allow our staff to proudly continue providing the high quality service that we experience in Spruce Grove.
Other exciting capital projects for 2015 included completing major renovations to the Elks Hall, which recently reopened, and the start of construction to create City office space in the King Street Plaza that will be the new home of our Planning and Engineering departments.
To assist with developing the vision of Spruce Grove as a modern, urban centre, we enhanced the visual appeal of the Highway 16A corridor. The new eye-catching median strip features a combination of retaining walls and raised planter beds containing trees, shrubs and perennials that will have our city in bloom this spring.
Work will also continue in the area of transportation as we collaborate with our municipal partners to study possible improvements to our existing transit program. This will include planning for transit system growth initiatives such as a GreenTRIP funding application for future bus purchases and a permanent park and ride location that has the potential to feed a future connection to the Acheson Industrial Park.
In regards to the safety of our community, we were able to enhance our protective services through the addition of one new full-time RCMP officer in 2014 with another in 2015. We will also seek to hire additional firefighters and a Fire Prevention Officer. Being a safe city is important to us and we continue to make significant investments in this area.
One of the most exciting initiatives was the announcement made a few months ago about our partnership with the Town of Stony Plain on a new RCMP facility. The co-location of policing services will lead to more efficient service to all residents in the region and it also allows for design and construction cost savings, operational synergies as well as longer term maintenance savings. The concept of the building will see it house municipal RCMP personnel as well as provincial rural and traffic units. Construction is scheduled to start later this year with an anticipated opening in 2017.
We are very proud of the accomplishments and progress made last year, and look forward to taking on new challenges this year. Our hands will certainly be full, but we know that the continued support, collaboration and involvement between Council, City staff, residents, regional partners, community groups, school divisions, and the business and development community will produce great results.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge the staff at the City of Spruce Grove for their commitment to being knowledgeable about the work done across the city and their commitment to serving our citizens. I’d also like to thank my fellow council members for their unyielding dedication to this community. We are a future-focused group that is dedicated to accomplishing great things for the benefit of all who live, work and play in Spruce Grove.
I thank you for your time this evening and for the impact you’ve each had within this city. Spruce Grove is a strong, active and growing community that will continue to make strides toward being a truly exceptional city. Realizing this goal will take a collective effort, and I, for one, look forward to working alongside you to achieve it.
Good evening everyone, and thank you for inviting me here tonight to share my annual State of the City address. As we begin a new year with a new council, I’m looking forward to sharing what we accomplished last year, as well as a look ahead to what’s on the agenda for our community in 2014. I can tell you right now it’s going to be a busy year for the City, but it’s also exciting to see the many projects and initiatives that we have planned for Spruce Grove.
Our current council was just elected this past October and while there are several familiar faces, including my own, I can tell you that we are feeling energized and excited about this current four-year term as we focus on making Spruce Grove a great place to live, work and play.
And the reality is that more and more people are choosing to call Spruce Grove home. Based on numbers from last year, we have an estimated population of 29,960 and we anticipate surpassing the 31,000 mark this year, which is up significantly from the 2011 federal census figure of 26,171. Historically, we have seen a five to six per cent population increase each year, making us one of the fastest growing communities in Alberta. Based on this population growth and an average age of 34, we are a very attractive community for young families.
That population growth is accompanied by additional development in residential, commercial and industrial sectors and last year was no exception. We had a record breaking year with $194 million in total building permit values for 2013, which far surpasses the previous record of $169 million in 2007.
That equates to more than $775,000 in development permit investments every business day in Spruce Grove! We also passed an impressive milestone last year, in that our combined residential and non-residential building permits since 2006 passed the $1.14 billion mark.
On the residential side, we had a total building permit value of $146 million, which is our second highest residential building permit value to date. According to research by the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, Spruce Grove was second only to Edmonton in the Capital Region in single and multi-family housing starts in 2013.
Approximately two-thirds of the homes in Spruce Grove are single detached houses. However, semi-detached homes, apartment units and townhomes are becoming increasingly popular, making up 9.5 per cent of our housing inventory. Last year was a record-breaking year for townhouse development with 132 units constructed, specifically popular with young, first-time home buyers. The total building permit value of multi-family housing was $29 million, which is approximately 20 per cent of the City’s total residential building permit value for 2013. Many of our multi-family developments are built near or adjacent to commercial developments providing an opportunity for people to work close to home.
An ongoing priority for the City is to work with developers to provide this range of housing options. In fact, many of our fastest growing neighbourhoods feature a mix of housing styles in one cohesive neighbourhood. This includes Greenbury, McLaughlin, Spruce Ridge, Linkside and Hilldowns. Both Harvest Ridge and Jesperdale are also growing quickly.
Two new neighbourhoods that we’re excited to welcome to Spruce Grove are Kenton and Prescott on the City’s northeast corner. They are adjacent to WestWind Centre, which is a new 40-acre mixed use commercial and residential development that will be visible from the Yellowhead Highway. Residential construction is already underway in these neighbourhoods and the services and infrastructure are being put in place to support commercial development later this year with initial tenants anticipated in 2015.
Commercial development continues in the other corners of Spruce Grove as well. Our “open for business” attitude, which we share with the Chamber of Commerce , is attracting a wide range of businesses to Spruce Grove, which, in turn, is providing more options to our residents.
The $75 million Century Crossing development on the City’s southeast end continues to expand at an impressive pace. Last year we welcomed more businesses to what is currently the largest recent retail area in Spruce Grove, including Mucho Burrito, Cobs Bread, The Chopped Leaf, Michael’s, ATB Financial and State & Main. This year we are looking forward to the opening of Peavey Mart, Carl’s Jr., Opa Souvlaki, Coop Gas Bar and Mattress Mattress.
We also welcomed the opening of the new Diamond Grove RV Campground on the southeast side. Last year the park, which provides fully serviced stalls and a sani-dump facility, opened 90 of its 200-plus sites and we look forward to the balance of those stalls opening this year.
Just down the road from there on Century Road is the new South Century Driving Range . With an on-site golf professional, this dedicated driving range is a welcome addition for local golfers who are looking for a convenient location to work on their game or relax by hitting a bucket of balls.
On the other side of Spruce Grove, construction is well underway at the new 130-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites in the Tri Leisure Village development. This $50 million development will eventually include restaurants, shops and a professional building. It will also be home to a new $10.4 million City-owned sports and recreation facility, which will include a sports museum, multi-purpose flex space, non-profit office and program space, and lease space to the Aerials Gymnastics.
The Westgrove Common area has grown with the official opening of the Nelson Centre complex. New businesses in the area include a new car wash, Menchie’s, Red Chili Leaf, AMEC and Planet Beach and we are anticipating additional development in the area this year.
Our industrial parks continue to draw interest from investors and businesses and last year we had a record breaking $10.7 million in industrial permit and improvement values in Spruce Grove. We are working on developing and implementing an Industrial Marketing Strategy to help attract more industrial development to Spruce Grove and we have completed our Economic Development promotional profile series, which focus on commercial, industrial and community, to highlight the many benefits of doing business in Spruce Grove.
Companies who have finished or relocated to new buildings in the Spruce Grove Industrial Park and the Campsite Business Park include Compass Compression and Precise Crossings. Midwest Pipelines has acquired over 11 acres to build a facility this year and Italian company Primetech Shredding Equipment Ltd. is currently building a facility beside Compass Compression, which will be their Canadian parts, sales and distribution centre.
There was also the ground breaking for the new Premier Garage Condos site, which is expected to open this year, as is a new office building and shop for Thompson Brothers Construction.
We had 1,114 building permits in Spruce Grove last year, which is the highest in the City’s history and certainly indicates that we will continue to have strong growth and development in 2014.
To ensure we continue to have high quality development amidst the highest permitting levels in Spruce Grove history, the City has hired a safety codes supervisor who will be inspecting construction across the community to enforce regulations and make sure developments comply with necessary permits.
We also want to focus on our city centre this year by investigating ways we can revitalize this part of our community. We will be developing a vision and plan for city centre redevelopment and I anticipate working closely with many of you to hear your ideas and insights about how we can reinvigorate this part of Spruce Grove.
We want to make Spruce Grove a business-friendly community and part of that is making it as simple as possible for businesses to operate in our city. We recently streamlined the City’s business licence renewal process by giving resident businesses the ability to renew their licence online. Along with this, resident businesses will no longer be charged an annual business licence fee, as long as renewals are completed by the required date. This is just one of the ways we aim to create efficiencies for both the City and our clients that create a win-win situation for everyone involved.
Speaking of business licences, we just reached an impressive milestone when we recently issued our 1,700th business licence to Brilliant Goldsmiths in Westland Market Mall. We celebrated our 1,500th business licence near the end of 2011, so we have welcomed 200 more businesses to Spruce Grove in two years!
And more than 400 of those business licences have been issued to home-based businesses in our community, which means approximately one in six households in Spruce Grove is involved in a business venture. These home-based businesses speak to the health of our business community, showing diversity and an entrepreneurial spirit. In many cases, home-based businesses eventually evolve into storefront operations.
The growth in our residential and commercial development harmoniously work together to create a community where people can live, work and do business without leaving city limits. We are meeting the demands of our residents and keeping their dollars in Spruce Grove, which boosts our economy and contributes to a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous business community.
Of course, with additional growth comes additional pressure to continue providing quality services to our residents. This is one of our biggest challenges, but we know part of the reason many people choose to live in Spruce Grove is the high quality of life and excellent programs and services they have come to expect from us.
Programs like our popular Canada Day Celebration, which is now being held at the beautiful Jubilee Park, and the Christmas in Central Park light-up event that is an annual tradition for many local families. The Halloween Mini Monster Bash event is a fantastic example of tri-municipal cooperation with both the Town of Stony Plain and Parkland County and last year we were excited to announce a partnership with the Edmonton Eskimos that will see the football club host their 2015 training camp in Spruce Grove.
Last year during our Canada Day Celebration, we were honoured to recognize Gail McGinnis through the City’s Awards of Excellence Program. Nominations for 2014 are now open, and I would encourage you to submit an application if you know anyone who meets the award criteria.
To further recognize deserving groups or individuals in our city, we will be developing a policy for a community and memorial recognition program this year. In addition, we will be collaboratively working with the Town of Stony Plain, Parkland County and the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre to develop and implement an event hosting strategy to see what opportunities are available to attract more events to the tri-municipal region, giving us a perfect opportunity showcase what Spruce Grove has to offer.
And the list of things we have to offer in Spruce Grove continues to add to the quality of life for all our citizens.
I was extremely glad last year to welcome the announcement by the province of a new 900-student kindergarten to Grade 9 school that will be constructed on the City’s east side in the Prescott neighbourhood. With our growing population – and many new families moving to our community – this is a much needed addition to our city. We sincerely thank the diligent work of the Parkland School Division and the Province of Alberta for recognizing this emergent need in our community.
It’s also important to provide residents of all ages with opportunities to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle. Last year we added several new playground structures throughout the city, with more planned for this year, and we will be modernizing the Brookwood rink and making improvements to the Skate Park. We also added new asphalt trail along sections of Calahoo and Century Road to make the areas more pedestrian-friendly and there are plans to update our Jubilee Park Master Plan to develop a long-term vision for this outdoor space.
The lighting system at the Grant Fuhr Area was replaced last year and the construction of a new recreational Midget ball diamond at St. Peter the Apostle High School is on the books. We are also contributing to the development of a new day use park in Parkland County.
On the cultural side, Horizon Stage continues to offer a range of performances that appeal to people of all ages and musical tastes. This world-class performing arts centre, which we share and partner with our friends from Parkland School Division and Parkland County, is truly a gem in our community and now it’s easier than ever to find out what happening with the recent launch of the new Horizon Stage website. We will also be commissioning an Arts and Culture Master Plan this year to further support our diverse and vibrant arts scene.
An event from last year that was of extreme importance to me was the naming ceremony for the Cpl. Jim Galloway Memorial Off Leash Area. Cpl. Galloway made the ultimate sacrifice when he died in the line of duty during an armed standoff in Spruce Grove. Due to his work as a dog handler, we thought it would be a fitting tribute to name our newest off-leash park in his honour. Already a beautiful place to take your dog for a visit, we will be enhancing this off leash park with additional lighting.
On the City’s capital side, work is expected to wrap up this fall on our new $18.6 million Public Works Facility, which will accommodate an estimated 25 years of growth in Spruce Grove. The facility will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standards and incorporate many “green” features, including a solar hot water system and low flow plumbing fixtures.
Of course, the facility will also allow our staff to continue providing the quality level of service that we are proud to provide in Spruce Grove. We take a proactive approach to maintaining the City’s infrastructure and that will continue in 2014 with upgrades to the downtown storm sewer system, various asphalt overlay projects and upgrading the road access to the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre.
We will also conclude work on the improvements to the Century Road and Highway 16 overpass, which complement the work that was finished last year to enhance the intersection at Century Road and Grove Drive.
Another exciting initiative will see the City embark on a $2.5 million upgrade to the Highway 16A corridor. This upgrade will include new planting beds along the highway and enhance our city’s image as a modern, urban centre. We will also be extending Grove Drive east to Pioneer Road and eventually we are looking to bring the sanitary trunk sewer from that area to Highway 16A.
Garbage and recycling collection is not only an important service we provide, but when used effectively, it also helps make our community more environmentally friendly. We have a target of diverting 50 per cent of City waste from landfills by 2016, but we know we have some work to do as a recent waste audit showed that 76 per cent of household waste currently being sent to landfill can be diverted.
To help us reach that goal, we have launched the new Trim Your Trash online tool where residents can go to see if a waste item goes in their garbage bin, organics bin or blue bag.
We were proud to have our Eco Centre recognized last year with a 2013 Collection Site Award of Excellence by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority. We know the facility is well used and this year we will be developing a plan for the evolution of the Eco Centre to ensure it continues meeting the needs of our residents. We will also be completing a feasibility study for a local organics processing facility.
We continue to enhance the safety and security of Spruce Grove with the addition of a new full-time RCMP member and we work within our region on the planning and design of a new integrated RCMP facility. This year we will also be establishing a 24/7 dispatch call answer centre for Enforcement Services and, a new collaboration initiative with the City of St. Albert will see us complete the second phase of enhancing the fire training centre in Spruce Grove.
Our Safe City initiative will carry on with supporting community programs and events, including the Block Party program, Mini Monster Bash event and candy cane check stops, which all help make our community a safer, healthier place to live.
We also wanted to check in with our residents, so we conducted a satisfaction survey last year and were pleased to learn that 88 per cent of our residents are somewhat or very satisfied with our programs, services and facilities and 94 per cent would recommend Spruce Grove as a place to live.
We also know from the same survey that approximately two-thirds of our residents are somewhat or very satisfied with how we communicate with them. Last year we introduced two new mechanisms to share City news with our residents. The first is a formal annual report publication, which was sent out to all residents in June and we’ll be doing something similar this year.
The second is our new CityPulse magazine, which arrived in mailboxes during the holiday season. This magazine is your “one stop shop” for information on City of Spruce Grove programs, services and events. The next issue will be our spring/summer edition, so be sure to watch for it!
We certainly have a full plate for 2014, but I know that both council and City staff are excited about what we have planned for Spruce Grove, as well as what we accomplished last year. We are also fortunate to have residents, regional partners, school divisions, community groups and the business and development community, who play a huge role in our ongoing success. It’s truly a collaborative effort that makes Spruce Grove a place we are all proud to call home.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge the staff at the City of Spruce Grove for their dedication, determination and expertise. I’d also like to thank my fellow council members for their ongoing commitment and passion for this community. Together we have a future-focused and forward-thinking approach to managing the City and I know we will accomplish many exciting things as we help Spruce Grove reach its full potential.
Again, thank you for your time this evening and for the many contributions each of you make to our community. Spruce Grove is a dynamic, vibrant, growing city with an extremely bright future, I look forward to taking that journey with all of you to add to the great quality of life we all enjoy.
Good evening everyone, and thank you for coming out tonight to hear my annual State of the City address. On behalf of city council, it is my pleasure to be here to share what we accomplished last year and tell you about the exciting things we have planned as we continue to focus on making Spruce Grove a great place to live, work and play.
I’d like to begin by asking you a simple question: when you think about Spruce Grove, what characteristics come to mind? Some people would describe us as a friendly and welcoming community, while others would comment on our exceptional recreational and cultural amenities.
But I’d like to tell you my answer to that question, and it’s a message we are continually sharing with our residents and business owners, visitors, investors and other levels of government. When I think about Spruce Grove, I see a vibrant, innovative and growing community that has an extremely bright future ahead of it.
Spruce Grove has positioned itself as one of the communities to watch in Alberta and, in my opinion, across the country. We are one of the province’s fastest growing communities. Our population has grown by a steady five per cent each year since 2001, and that number increased to six per cent in 2011. The most recent federal census numbers show a 33.9 per cent increase from 2006 to 2011.
The City will be conducting our own census this year, which will provide us with an even clearer, more up-to-date picture of our population and the residents who choose to call Spruce Grove home. This census data will be an incredibly important tool as we plan for the future of our community.
This census will also help us prepare for the growth the city is experiencing. Last year the value of all our building permits was $165 million, which is only $4 million shy of breaking the $169 million record previously set in 2007, and we fully expect strong residential and commercial growth to continue in 2013.
Since 2006, residential housing starts have averaged 544 units per year. This equates to a value of $743 million or an average value of $106 million per year. Last year we had 674 housing starts with a total value of nearly $128 million, so we are seeing this trend continue. It’s also interesting to note that according to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association , there are approximately 1,350 people who are employed in Spruce Grove in the home building sector.
These housing starts are providing accommodations for people who are filling the more than 1,100 jobs that were created in Spruce Grove last year. They are happening in existing subdivisions, as well as some that are quite new to the community and include a variety of housing options. We understand people have a range of housing-related needs, so we work with developers to provide home buyers with various options to suit their budget and their lifestyle – from condominiums and townhomes to duplexes and single-detached homes.
In fact, last year a record-breaking 340 multi-family units were built in Spruce Grove, which far surpasses our previous record of 233 units in 2003 and shows the demand for diversified housing options in our city.
Several of our newer subdivisions are definitely “out of the box” when we look at what they are offering prospective buyers. The Greenbury development is certainly our most unique, as it offers a mix of housing styles. Spruce Grove is the first municipality in the Capital Region to introduce this type of development that tastefully integrates single family homes, townhouses and duplexes on the same street in harmony and style. Not only is this development located next to the beautiful Jubilee Park, but it’s pushing the envelope when it comes to green building practices that help preserve the environment.
Two other new neighbourhoods that I’d like to highlight are Kenton and Prescott, which are also in close proximity to Jubilee Park. Kenton includes over-sized estate properties, single family homes and high value duplexes, while the Prescott  community features a creek and walkway system that is not only beautiful to look at, but also supports a healthy, active lifestyle. Both will see new homes constructed this year.
We are pleased to have some new speciality housing developments in our community, including Qualico’s award winning Windsor Estates, which is entering its second phase of development and caters to the 55-plus market. The Copper Sky Lodge is expected to open by mid-year and will provide 130 supportive living units that merge the concepts of independent living and 24-hour support.
As a City, we also recognized the need to provide affordable housing options. We were able to access provincial grants to fund 26 affordable rental units within the new 99-unit Lake Ridge Apartments building, which opened last year on the City’s east side. West Grove Manor, located on the City’s west end on Jennifer Heil Way near the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, is also now open and providing 103 affordable and low income apartment units.
There is truly something for everyone in Spruce Grove and this demonstrates we are managing our development with a sustainable, inclusive and long-term approach that will ensure our ongoing success as the City continues to grow.
In addition to giving people options for where they live, we are also continuing to provide more options for where they can work, shop, eat and socialize. Our “open for business” attitude, which we share with the Chamber of Commerce , is attracting a wide range of commercial development to Spruce Grove.
Since 2006, we have seen non-residential building permits with a total value of $185.5 million, which is an average of $26.5 million each year. In 2011 that number reached $32 million and last year we surpassed that value with $33 million in non-residential building permits.
We have seen this development in every corner of our community and if you combine our residential and non-residential building permits since 2006, we anticipate crossing the $1 billion mark in 2013, which is very exciting. I would now like to talk to you about some of these developments that are planned and others that are already underway.
On the west side of the city, along McLeod Avenue, we have seen development in Westgrove Common and the adjacent McLaughlin area with the opening of a new Mac’s convenience store and the Canadian Brewhouse. Work is also well underway on a new car wash and the Nelson Commercial Centre.
On the east, we continue to see the expansion of Century Crossing. This $75-million development is currently the largest retail area in Spruce Grove, providing a mix of shops and services to visitors and residents.
Last year we were pleased to welcome Winners, Sport Check, Servus Credit Union PetSmart and Save-on-Foods and we have more openings scheduled for this year, including Michael’s, ATB Financial, State and Main and Peavy Mart.
Also on the southeast side of the city is the new Diamond Grove RV Park, which will be opening this summer with 253 fully serviced stalls and a sani-dump facility to accommodate visitors to Spruce Grove. I suspect that even some local residents will take advantage of this beautiful new amenity.
We are also looking at the construction of a new Holiday Inn Express hotel that will be located south of the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre. This hotel will be part of the estimated $36 million Tri Leisure Village development that will eventually include restaurants, shops and a professional building.
On the northeast corner of Spruce Grove, where Century Road meets the Yellowhead Highway, is WestWind Centre, an integrated mix of commercial and residential development on approximately 130 acres. The first phase of residential development, which is the Kenton neighbourhood I previously mentioned, is already underway and will see homes going up this spring. The first phase of commercial development along Century Road will also begin this year with site preparation, servicing and roads, with plans to have the initial tenants in place in 2014.
On the industrial side, we have around 1,600 acres of industrial land in Spruce Grove in existing and new industrial parks.
Approximately half of this land is currently developed or fully-serviced, and our six existing industrial parks are home to 257 businesses, which makes Spruce Grove a hub for this type of activity and is drawing interest from a range of investors and businesses. We are working closely with our industrial park developers to attract new investment.
We are excited about the ground breaking on Feb. 20 of the $6 million Premier Garage Condos on Century Road South. The City is well positioned for industrial growth in Spruce Grove Industrial Park  and the new Campsite Business Park . A number of major companies have recently completed or are undertaking expansions in Spruce Grove including Cargill Value Added Meats, Bee Maid Honey, Entrec Corporation and Thompson Bros. These are all positive signs supporting the growth of our industrial base and I would encourage you to check out Spruce Grove Industrial Park on Golden Spike Road and Campsite Business Park on Campsite Road.
In our economic development strategy, Partnerships for Prosperity, this council has and continues to set objectives to grow our non-residential tax base over the next 10 years to the approved target of 20 per cent.
This is an ambitious target given the rapid growth of our residential sector, but we have already seen an improvement of one per cent last year, putting us at 16 per cent. We are confident we can reach the goal of 20 per cent by working with key industries, developers and our business community to identify and act on opportunities to bring new industrial and commercial development to Spruce Grove, such as the new hotel and many of the businesses in Century Crossing.
Our current retail inventory has a vacancy rate of less than four per cent and we recently completed a retail gap analysis that identifies merchandise categories and retailers that are a compatible fit for Spruce Grove.
This work ensures we are on course to meet that 20 per cent target, and that’s good news for everyone who lives in Spruce Grove. This will help diversify our tax base and create new jobs in the community. Our top 10 employers in Spruce Grove already provide more than 2,400 jobs and by expanding our industrial and commercial base, we will be able to watch that number grow.
Our downtown core is another area we will be focusing on in 2013. We want to investigate ways that we can revitalize this part of our City so we will be developing a vision and plan for downtown redevelopment. As part of this process, we anticipate working closely with the Chamber of Commerce and businesses that are currently operating in our downtown region to gather their ideas and insights.
Together, this creates an environment that enables people to live and work in Spruce Grove, while also being able to do their shopping or find a specific product or service without leaving city limits. We are keeping those dollars in our community and creating an interwoven network of community sustainability and business prosperity.
And while we are excited about the growth we are seeing in Spruce Grove, it’s also one of our biggest challenges. We need to ensure the growth is manageable and sustainable so we can continue to maintain the quality and the level of programs and services that our residents have come to expect from us.
We know these programs and services are the very reason so many people choose to live and work in Spruce Grove. Everything from our road maintenance and our snow removal to our many parks and playgrounds contributes to our quality of life.
One major addition that I was pleased to see officially open to the public last year was Jubilee Park. As the new home of our Canada Day Celebration, this 65-acre park is a space where our residents can come and enjoy the best unstructured recreational opportunities in Spruce Grove. With paved walking and bike trails, picnic areas and a playground that is universally accessible, this park shows our commitment to enhancing open spaces and providing our citizens with the opportunity to have an active and healthy lifestyle. Since 2006, we have invested approximately $18 million in amenities including Jubilee Park, Fuhr Sports Park, Henry Singer Ball Park, the Grant Fuhr and Stu Barnes arenas and the Woodhaven ball diamond.
We have also upgraded existing equipment and built new playgrounds throughout the City, spending more than $2 million over the past seven years on these initiatives. This year we will be modernizing the Brookwood outdoor rink and conducting an assessment of the skate park.
The average age of our residents is 34 years and 28 per cent of our population is under the age of 20. The cool part about that is eight per cent are kids under the age of four, so we know we are home to many young families who enjoy having access to recreational opportunities in their own backyards. But it goes deeper than that. Providing these options is also about creating and maintaining a vibrant community with residents who are proud of where they live and willing to give back. As a City, this has always been one of our top priorities as we look to enhance community development.
Another aspect of that community pride is having a City that is clean and attractive. Each year, we dedicate a significant amount of our budget and staff time to sweeping our streets, maintaining our green spaces and other projects that help beautify our community.
Last year we were fortunate to partner with the Rotary Club of Spruce Grove on an initiative that enabled us to spend $30,000 on ornamental trees. These trees were planted along Grove Drive last fall and this spring we can look forward to seeing them bloom with pink flowers.
This year we are going to be placing temporary planters featuring annual flowers at intersections throughout the community. This is a simple way for us to show that we care about our community in a way that both residents and visitors can enjoy.
Providing both residents and visitors with a safe and healthy community is also a priority for the City. Last year we enhanced our protective services with the addition of four new firefighters and one new RCMP member and we have committed to one additional full-time RCMP member this year. Our budget commitment to our City’s Protective Services, which includes RCMP, Fire Services and Enforcement Services, is more than $10 million each year.
In addition to providing quality recreational opportunities in a beautiful and safe community, Spruce Grove is also well-known for its cultural programs, such as those that come to Horizon Stage. This season marks Horizon Stage’s 30th anniversary and we are truly blessed to have this world-class performing arts centre, which we share and partner together with our great friends from Parkland School Division  and Parkland County , in our city. To mark this occasion, we will be launching a brand new website for Horizon Stage later this year.
The City also takes a proactive approach when it comes to maintaining our roads and sewer systems. Our 10 year capital plan will see us strategically invest approximately $87 million over the next 10 years on new capital assets such as infrastructure, facilities, parks and trails, with more than $12 million planned for transportation upgrades over the next five years alone. One example of a significant project on the books for this year is road upgrades at the Century Road and Highway 16 interchange. This project will include access lanes leading to and from the interchange, an additional turn lane, bridge improvements and an additional lane into Spruce Grove.
This year work will also commence on our new Public Works Facility. Council approved this project in December and it is the largest capital project in the history of the City. Located on the same street as the Century Off-Leash Park, this new facility will enable staff to work more efficiently and accommodate an estimated 25 years of growth in the community.
As an organization, we are always looking for ways we can improve the way we do things so last year the City went through a comprehensive governance review. This review looked at the senior levels of the organization, including council, the city manager and the strategic leadership team to ensure we are making decisions, communicating with stakeholders and providing leadership based on leading practices.
The results of the review were shared with us last year and I’m both pleased and proud to say the City is meeting common practices and many leading practices in the way we function as an organization. However, there is always room for improvement, and we will now be working to implement the recommendations from this review process to help us in our commitment to move from “Good to Great”.
We also want to hear from our residents and find out how they think we’re doing, so we will be conducting a resident satisfaction survey this year. Our last survey told us that over 94 per cent of our residents noted Spruce Grove was either a good or great place to live and we look forward to receiving this year’s feedback. Like the census, the results from this will be extremely helpful as we plan for the future and prioritize what our residents both want and need from the City.
We’ll be looking at creating and implementing an event hosting strategy and action plan. We’ve already had several large events come to Spruce Grove, including sporting events and tournaments, but we want to investigate how we can attract even more people and events to our community.
And, of course, it’s also an election year, which means residents will be choosing their city council this fall. This election will be slightly different from past elections in that the mayor and aldermen will be elected to a four-year term, rather than a three-year term.
When I look at what we have planned for 2013, I am excited at the direction we are going in. I am also extremely proud of all that we accomplished last year as a council and as a City. It’s a reflection of the many relationships and partnerships that we have with our business and development community, the Chamber of Commerce, our regional partners, our residents, and community groups and organizations. You are not afraid to roll up your sleeves and get involved and you should all be very proud of the active role you are taking in the future of our City.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t thank and acknowledge the staff at the City of Spruce Grove. These individuals are truly the ones who make the City run on a daily basis and they all take exceptional pride in their work and in providing a high level of customer service to our residents. I’d also like to thank my fellow council members for their forward-thinking approach and dedication to serving this community. I have no doubt that we have the right team in place to help Spruce Grove realize its full potential.
Thank you to all of you for the many contributions you have made, and will continue making, to our city. We are a vibrant, innovative and growing city that is filled with energy and enthusiasm and by working together we can achieve and enjoy the bright future that is ahead of us.
Good afternoon everyone, and thank you for inviting me to share Spruce Grove’s annual State of the City address with all of you. On behalf of city council, I am very pleased and proud to share with you our accomplishments from last year, as well as our plans and vision for 2012.
Last year was an important milestone for us, as it marked the City of Spruce Grove’s 25th anniversary. It is exciting for me, both as the City’s mayor and as a resident who has lived in the community during that time, to see how far we’ve come in those years.
There was a time when Spruce Grove was thought of as just a bedroom community to Edmonton. I’m proud to say that perception is going through a major shift, and we are now defining our City based on other characteristics and accomplishments. These accomplishments include our commercial and industrial development, our commitment to the environment, our focus on quality recreational and leisure facilities, and the high quality of life we provide our residents.
The numbers from the 2011 Census clearly illustrate this shift and give a strong indication of the City’s future. Over the past five years, our population grew by 6,630 residents for a total of 26,171 people who call Spruce Grove home. That translates into an increase of 33.9 per cent from 2006 to 2011.
This past April, city council established a new three-year Strategic Plan for Spruce Grove. This plan serves as a foundation for the City and provides a long-term vision with goals and strategies to help maximize opportunities, manage pressures and ensure Spruce Grove is the best place to work, live and play.
The City’s Strategic Plan is built on four key themes:
Sustainability;
Economic development;
Partnerships; and
Continuing to enhance services.
These themes are an integral part of everything we do at the City as all our projects, programs and initiatives are directly linked back to one of these topics.
We are currently riding the strongest wave of development in the City’s history with more than $600 million dollars of residential and non-residential development in the last five years. To put this number in perspective, this equates to $330,000 per day, every day, for five years. During this time, the City has also invested an additional $100 million in infrastructure, which includes new arterial and collector roads, sidewalk and water main replacement, recreation, parks and trails, facility enhancements and more. All these elements work together to contribute to the quality of life we enjoy in Spruce Grove.
Our “open for business” attitude, which we share with the Chamber of Commerce, has created an extremely positive investment climate that is attracting a wide range of commercial and residential development to all corners of our community. This is not only exciting news for the vibrancy of Spruce Grove, but also very positive for the investment community.
On the west side of Spruce Grove near the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, we are working toward the proposed Tri-Village Commons development with its unique “village style” design concept. This proposed development will include a hotel, two restaurants, retail shops and a three-storey professional building for medical and therapeutic services, as well as general office space.
On the City’s east side, we continue to see the tremendous development of Century Crossing. This $75 million retail development located just north of Highway 16A will offer residents a wide range of services and stores, including Save-On-Foods, Shoppers Drug Mart, Winners, Michael’s, PetSmart, ATB Financial, Servus Credit Union, The Bone and Biscuit Company, Starbucks, Booster Juice and Famoso Pizza with more on the way.
On the northeast corner of the City, east of Century Road and south of the Yellowhead Highway, initial development is expected to start this year on Westwind Centre. This sprawling 100-acre development will be built out over the next 10 years and will combine major commercial and residential land use. The commercial area will be a regional destination with traffic volumes by the site on the Yellowhead Highway in excess of 35,000 vehicles per day.
We upgraded our infrastructure by completing a major expansion of the Pioneer Trunk Sanitary Sewer line construction from the Yellowhead Highway south along Pioneer Road to service the Greenbury and Westwind lands. In the future, we will look to develop a further sanitary sewer line that will extend south from Greenbury to Highway 16A to service the Melcor and Qualico residential development lands located east of Lakewood and Century Crossing.
Our expansion of the sanitary sewer under Highway 16A to our two new industrial parks, the Spruce Grove Industrial Park and the East Campsite Industrial Park, has opened up hundreds of acres of prime industrial land that sets the stage for the future. The majority of this land is either serviced or ready to be serviced when needed.
Our industrial building permit values in 2011 were higher than the combined building permit values of the previous six years. This is encouraging news, as our council, the Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Development Advisory Committee have identified growth in this sector as a key factor in diversifying our tax base.
These new developments complement the many existing businesses and services we already have in Spruce Grove, creating hundreds of new jobs that will further add to the vitality and sustainability of the entire community.
Together, we are creating an environment where residents will no longer feel like they need to leave city limits to do their shopping or find a specific product or service. We will be able to offer it all to them and by doing so, will keep those dollars in our community, which will support and retain all our businesses. This helps create an interwoven network of community sustainability and business prosperity.
It was exciting for the City to reach a milestone this year, as we recognized Diva Lady Day Spa as the 1,500th business to be licensed within Spruce Grove. This further demonstrates the confidence that so many businesses have shown in choosing Spruce Grove as their community of choice to establish their business, as we continue to be recognized as a regional economic power centre west of Edmonton.
To continue promoting Spruce Grove as a great place to do business, we have developed and launched a new Economic and Business Development website  that will help both potential and existing businesses develop and grow in the community. This website features a range of business-related tools and research, and is an online one-stop-shop for businesses and investors looking for economic, demographic and development information on Spruce Grove.
Residential development also continued to be strong for Spruce Grove, with growth of approximately five per cent in 2011. In our housing sector, since 2006 we are currently averaging almost 520 new housing units each year. We anticipate this trend to carry on in 2012 and will continue to use a future-focused, planned approach when looking at the type and amount of development that is good for both our community and our residents.
One of the City’s biggest challenges is managing that balance between residential and commercial development within our community. We need to ensure we have growth that is manageable and sustainable so we can continue to maintain the quality and the level of programs and services that our residents have come to expect from us.
Spruce Grove is fortunate to work with a range of partners, which allows us to make decisions that benefit the City in a proactive, cost-effective and well-managed way.
We worked with the Town of Stony Plain, Parkland County and Parkland School Division to establish an RCMP School Resource Officer position who serves the region’s two public high schools. We also signed a new three-year cost share funding agreement with Parkland County for Horizon Stage and the Agrena.
We collaborated with both Stony Plain and Parkland County to help bring new, much-need aerial firefighting apparatuses to the tri-municipal region. In Spruce Grove, we welcomed our new aerial fire truck this past November.
Our Tri-Municipal Region cooperation has most recently been seen in our shared hosting of the 2012 Alberta Winter Games, which wrapped up this past weekend with thousands of visitors and volunteers converging on the Tri-Municipal Region. This was an excellent opportunity for us to showcase not only Spruce Grove, but the whole region and tell others about why it’s a great area to work and live.
We also reached out to help a municipal neighbour during a time of need. When the devastating fires ravaged the Town of Slave Lake last year, 31 City employees from Spruce Grove Fire Services and Public Works assisted the town during and following the tragedy. I’m sure I speak for all of council when I say this filled us all with a great sense of pride.
One of the reasons so many people choose to live and work in Spruce Grove is the exceptional programs and services we provide to our residents. Our snow removal, road maintenance, beautiful parks and trails, and our leading practices in waste diversion all add to our quality of life.
As a city council and administration, we feel very proud when we receive feedback on enhancements and improvements, such as our new crosswalk signage, stop sign reflectors, boulevard maintenance, tree planting, expanded green spaces, and our overall community development and cleanliness.
The City’s Strategic Plan shows a commitment to continuing to enhance these services and I’m pleased to say we did that in 2011 and we have more improvements planned for 2012.
One of the unique projects we have planned for this year is a community beautification program in a partnership with the Rotary Club of Spruce Grove that will see us spend $30,000 to plant ornamental trees throughout the City in our parks and trails and along our collector and arterial roadways. This is in addition to the 2,000 we planted around the City last year and is a great example of working with our community members to help us make a difference and bring a vision to life.
The Chamber of Commerce, The Rotary Club of Parkland After Dark and area residents also participated in a beautification program called the Arterial Roadway Fence Painting Project. With some corporate sponsorship from our good friends at McDonalds, we were able to freshen up fences along Grove Drive and we will continue this project in 2012. We accomplished this at no cost to the taxpayer, but it paid off in dividends in community spirit and pride.
Providing our residents with a wide range of recreational options has given us a reputation in our region for being forward thinking in terms of overall community development. It has allowed our community groups to develop programs of excellence for youth and adults alike that not only builds good citizens, but also creates a sense of community pride. This has always been a top priority for the City in terms of our strategic direction and goals.
Our City continues to attract hundreds of young families, which is seen in the numbers from our most recent municipal census. Our largest population groups are adults in their late 20s and 30s, as well as children under the age of four. I’m pleased to say the City has a great working relationship with the local school divisions and we will continue to work with them and the provincial government to ensure we have the schools to accommodate this growing demographic.
To further complement these young families, city council has approved a Parks and Open Space Master Plan, which provides a framework and vision to guide future parks and open space development. Last year we also opened three new playgrounds and one park.
The new Japanese School playground on King Street was developed as a natural playground and mixes elements from nature with man-made materials. In the Deer Park area, a play structure for two to five year-old children was added so that kids of all ages can now enjoy the playground. And in Aspenglen, the old play equipment was completely removed and replaced with new structures offering more unique and creative opportunities for both physical and imaginative play.
This year we are very excited to celebrate the official opening of the new and beautiful 66-acre Jubilee Park. This park is truly one of the City’s gems with paved waking and bike trails, a disc golf course, picnic areas, barbecue pits, two toboggan hills and a great playground that is universally accessible. The grand opening of Jubilee Park will coincide with the Canada Day celebrations that will be relocating there this year.
The new Century Off-Leash Park opened last year and provides dog owners with more than 8.6 acres of fenced off-leash park area and nearly one kilometre of gravel walking trails. When planning this park, we incorporated feedback from the public and created a designated area for small dogs to help ensure everyone feels safe and comfortable using the facility.
Both residents and visitors to our community who enjoy camping will soon have another option available to them. Last year council approved a unique partnership between the City and a developer that set the stage for the development of the Diamond Grove RV Campground, which will be located beside the new off-leash park. Work on the campground commenced last year and we are anticipating it will open in this year. And yes, for those residents who have asked for many years, there will be a sani-dump station.
We continue to enhance our communication with residents, which includes registering for Online Services, a portal where residents can submit service requests for issues to be addressed or reviewed by the City. In the next few months, we will be expanding our Online Services options by providing residents with the ability to sign up for e-bill notifications for their utility bills, which will also help them better track their utility consumption.
Our City’s social media presence continues to grow in popularity. We regularly use Facebook and Twitter to share information on topics such as upcoming council meetings, job postings and featured programs. We’ve also started to make our city council and Committee of the Whole meetings available to the public online via podcast so people can listen to them at their convenience.
This year, the City will also be going through a governance review. This review will look at the senior levels of the organization, including council, the city manager and the strategic leadership team. The review is intended to be a health check for our governance model to ensure we are making decisions, communicating with stakeholders and providing leadership based on leading practices. It also supports the City in its commitment to move from “Good to Great” and build a focused, responsive, resource conscious and results oriented organization.
We are always looking for ways we can improve the way we do things, and I’m looking forward to hearing the results and recommendations from this governance review later this year.
We also continued our commitment to having a clean and green community with the Mayor’s Task Force on the Environment. This task force identified key areas we can work on, including completing a long-term business plan for our transit service and looking for ways to further reduce our carbon footprint through alternative transportation options.
We will conduct a waste stream audit and further educate the public to improve recycling and composting rates and divert more waste from landfill. City council is also committed to keeping the community green through tree planting programs and working with developers in new neighbourhoods.
The City has recently adopted a new water conservation program called Tap into Tomorrow. This program will look at ways to reduce the City’s current water consumption by 15 per cent over the next four years. We have also passed a bylaw that requires low flow appliances to be installed in new homes, as well as any renovations that require a plumbing permit, and we continue to offer rebates on water efficient washing machines and toilets.
It’s important that our residents and visitors feel secure in Spruce Grove and we have taken additional steps to maintain our reputation for being a safe and healthy community. This year, the City will spend $10.2 million on overall protective services, which translates to almost $400 per resident. If you need them, our fire and emergency services will be at your home or business in less than five minutes 80 per cent of the time. This is something to be proud of, as not all municipalities can offer that level of service to their residents.
Through our Safe City initiative, we will continue to work with all agencies within the City, including the RCMP, Spruce Grove Fire Services, community groups and service clubs, to share tips, tools and best practices to build and grow a safe community.
I will be the first to acknowledge that as a City, we do receive criticism on one particular safety program, but I can also tell you that using automated traffic enforcement is making a difference in our community as we have seen a significant decline in serious injury collisions. This year we will be installing and utilizing automated red light and speed on green cameras at four of our most dangerous intersections and our goal is to reduce intersection collisions by an additional 20 per cent in 2012.
As I look back at last year and ahead to our plans for 2012, I am truly amazed at the many great things we have been able to accomplish as a council and as a City. I firmly believe the many successes we have achieved as a City are the result of the partnership for prosperity we have with the Chamber of Commerce and the development industry. We are fortunate to have a strong community base with residents and business owners who are willing to get involved and take an active role in the future of our City.
I also would like to acknowledge and thank the many people who work for the City of Spruce Grove. We have an excellent team of knowledgeable and dedicated staff and they are truly the ones who make the City run on a daily basis. I know they all take extreme pride in their work and the services they provide on a daily basis. Each and every staff member is committed to making Spruce Grove a great place to live.
Together with a city council that is committed to a future focused and forward thinking approach to managing the City, we have a team that is second-to-none and I have complete confidence in our ability to guide Spruce Grove into the future.
Thank you again for inviting me here today and for your many contributions to our community. Together, we all play an important role in making Spruce Grove a modern urban centre that is diverse, vibrant and a City we are all proud to call home.
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Impact of Reform Movements on Indian Society
The reform movements were able to create socio-religious consciousness among the Indians during the 19th century. All these movements laid stress on rational understanding of social and religious ideas and encouraged a scientific and humanitarian outlook.
The reformers felt that modern ideas and culture could be best imbibed by integrating them into Indian cultural streams. The introduction of modern education guided the Indians towards a scientific and rational approach to life.
All the movements worked to improve women’s status and criticized the caste system especially the practice of untouchability. These movements looked for social unity and strived towards liberty, equality and fraternity.
Importance was given to education especially women’s education. Some legal measures were introduced to raise the status of women. For example, Sati Pratha and infanticide were declared illegal. Widow Remarriage was made possible by a law passed in 1856 and condition of widows improved. A law passed in 1872, sanctioned inter-caste and inter-communal marriages.
Marriageable age of girls was raised to ten by a law passed in 1860. Further, Sharda Act was passed in 1929 preventing child marriage. According to it, a girl below 14 and a boy below 18 cannot be married.
The impact of the efforts of these reformers was most evident in the National Movement. A large number of women came out to take part in the freedom struggle. The role of women like Captain Laxmi Sehgal of Indian National Army, Sarojini Naidu, Annie Besant, Aruna Asaf Ali and many others was extremely important in the freedom struggle. Women now came out of the purdah and took up jobs.
The persistent efforts of the reformers had immense impact on the society. The religious reform movements instilled in the minds of Indians greater self-respect, self confidence and pride in their country. These reform movements helped many Indians to come to terms with the modern world. People became more conscious of their identity as Indian. It was ultimately responsible for their united struggle against the British in the freedom movement of India.
In the 20th century and especially after 1919, the Indian National Movement became the main propagator of social reform. Indian languages were used to reach the masses. They also used novels, dramas, short stories, poetry, the press and in the 1930’s used the cinema to spread their views. The movements promoted the feelings of self-confidence, self-respect, awareness and patriotism and thereby developed a feeling of national consciousness.
These reform movements had certain limitations. It affected a very small percentage of the population, mostly the educated class and could not reach the vast masses of the peasantry and urban poor who continued to live in the same conditions.
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The bigger, better SugarHouse Casino
SugarHouse Casino is Philly’s oldest casino and continues to be a premier gaming and nightlife location in the city. A $164 million expansion brought new amenities, featuring six restaurants, including Hugo’s Frog Bar & Chop House, an event space, a seven-story parking garage and more.
An elite dining experience is available at Hugo’s, as the legendary steakhouse icon Gibsons Restaurant Group has opened its first and only Philadelphia restaurant inside SugarHouse Casino. As a member of the only restaurant group in the nation to have its own USDA certification, Hugo’s serves USDA-certified above prime beef.
Gibsons Restaurant Group is also the exclusive caterer for the SugarHouse Casino Event Center, which boasts customizable menus that feature iconic cuts of USDA Gibsons Prime Angus Beef and a pristine selection of fine seafood.
Located on the second floor of the casino, The Event Center is tailor-made for corporate events, wedding receptions, black-tie galas and home to major performances from the likes of Jon Dorenbos and Scotty McCreery It features floor-to-ceiling windows and beautiful panoramic views of the riverfront and the Ben Franklin Bridge.
The Marketplace boasts four dining options at SugarHouse, allowing guests to enjoy the Philly flavors just steps from the gaming floor. The marketplace hosts Saxbys, Tacconelli’s Pizzeria, Geno’s Steaks and Revolution Grill. Each restaurant brings its own unique taste and style to the casino, offering guests sit-down or to-go dining options.
Also Mian, which brings a fresh take on authentic Asian cuisine to the casino’s diverse food lineup. The quick-service restaurant features made-to-order meals including thick, rich broths; fresh vegetable, seafood, beef and chicken dishes; and daily chef’s specials.
SugarHouse Casino features 1,891 slots, 103 table games, a 28-table poker room. The state-of-the-art Poker Night in America Poker Room is the first of its kind and is named after the popular CBS Sports TV program.
SugarHouse employs approximately 1,600 people and has been voted a “Best Place to Work” in the Philadelphia Business Journal and a “Top Workplace” in The Philadelphia Inquirer by its Team Members five years in a row.
New Jersey residents can now enjoy casino gaming at SugarHouse Online Casino, which is available to play at PlaySugarHouse.com. The site features state-of-the-art authentication and encryption technology to secure all personal information and includes a strict age-verification process.
The platform and its games have been tested and certified by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement as being safe and fair to play. Players are welcome to register and fund accounts from any state in the U.S., and they must be 21 years of age or older and physically located in New Jersey in order to wager.
The CASINO4FUN site gives SugarHouse players the chance to play popular online slots titles and table games for free and to buy virtual credits so that they can play even more. Players must me 21 years of age or older to play CASINO4FUN games.
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The Alchemyst
Review of The Alchemyst
Michael Scott’s The Alchemyst tells the tale of Sophie and Josh Newman who are immediately swept up into the immortal Nicholas Flamel’s crazy and magical world. From the moment you start reading this book you will realize that what might feel like a lifetime of conflict is really just a couple of days! How that much conflict could possibly happen in a few days is beyond me, but then again it is magic.
Regarding the characters, I really did enjoy the idea of these twins and their role in the book, although this isn’t established until later in the story line. At the beginning, it was a little difficult for me to get into the characters, especially when Josh was depicted as an extreme scaredy-cat at all times while his sister seemed to not be afraid of anything and seemed to deem herself as the more intelligent of the two. I understand wanting to not fit a stereotype, but it went a bit overboard to the point that it wasn’t realistic anymore. Now, if Scott had written Josh to be scared of things Sophie wasn’t and vice versa that’s believable, or that each twin was smarter in different areas that would have done the same thing. But instead, he made Josh a dumb and scared boy and Sophie the intelligent and brave one. That being said, Sophie’s transformation at the end is beautiful to read and I hope that Josh’s character will also continue to be developed in the following books.
The pacing of this story is very confusing. Sometimes it would feel too fast while at other times it went too slow. For the most part, the story was written from Josh and Sophie’s perspectives, but would switch between them and the villain, Dr. John Dee. Normally I am all for this, however, I thoroughly disliked reading from Dr. John Dee’s POV. For one thing, there were many times where I would find out what Dee was going to do next before it even happened essentially giving everything away. I don’t want to be told what’s going to happen next every other chapter before it actually occurs. I prefer to experience these things as the story develops. It also didn’t seem to add anything to the story until the very end of the book, which is a little bit too late for me.
On the note of Dr. John Dee, he doesn’t seem to be a very strong villain. He is basically a pawn used by the Dark Elders and acts like he is a bad guy, but nothing seemed to convince me to be afraid of him except that he has powers and attacks him. He doesn’t seem to have any reason except that he is doing this because he was told to. It would have been better if the story had switched between the twins perspectives and, say, the Crow Goddess’. Now she’s a villain with potential. Overall, this is a well-written tale with plenty of juicy turmoil to keep you plowing on through the pages. The author’s tone and writing style is lighthearted but becomes delightfully gritty as you go along. Within these pages, you will be swept up into a vivid and imaginative world at every turn.
Star Rating Report Card:
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Labels: authors blog book review books Michael Scott The Alchemyst
Review of Graveyard Rose
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Majority in Former Soviet States Believe Breakup Harmful Mistake: Poll
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – More than two decades after the Soviet Union collapsed a majority of citizens in the independent states believe that the split brought nothing but harm, according to a new Gallup poll.
December, 21, 2013 - 12:01
Gallup a research-based, global performance-management consulting company released a poll conducted in 11 countries of the former Soviet bloc asked participants whether the “breakup of the Soviet Union benefitted or harmed this country?”
Overall statistics revealed that 51 percent of the combined total said that breakup hurt their country’s national interest while only 24 percent argued in favor of independence.
Kazakhstanis, Azerbaijanis and Turkmens are more likely to see benefit than harm from the breakup. In Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Russia people answered they see “harm” three times more often than “benefit.” In Georgia, the people are more or less split, RT reported.
The survey also reveals that those who had conscious experience of living in the USSR are nearly three times more prone to say its collapse harmed the country. People under 30 are split on the issue with 33 percent seeing harm and 30 percent – benefit, while 20 percent admit they don’t know and refused to answer.
The Gallup study concluded that those with higher education are more likely to accept and support the benefits that came from the split with Moscow, with Kyrgyzstan being the exception.
Those states that have witnessed ongoing conflict, violence or ethnic tensions are likely see greater harm from the collapse of the Soviet Union, the research says.
The Gallup study was based on personal interviews of at least 1,000 people conducted between June and August 2013 in each of the sampling countries, aged 15 and older. Uzbekistan, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia despite formerly being a part of the Soviet Union were excluded from the polling.
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Home » Beyond Purchase Price: The Tax Treatment of M&A Deal Costs
Beyond Purchase Price: The Tax Treatment of M&A Deal Costs
By Lou Vlahos on April 24, 2017
Recovering Transaction Costs
It is a basic tax principle that the more a seller pays in taxes on the sale of its business, the lower will be the economic benefit realized on the sale; similarly, the more slowly that a buyer recovers the costs it incurs in acquiring a business, the lower will be the return on its investment.
In most cases, these “truths” are only considered in the context of allocating the consideration paid and received for the purchase and sale of a business among the assets comprising the business. An allocation of consideration to the goodwill of the business, for example, will generate capital gain for the seller, and will be recoverable by the buyer over a 15-year amortization period; an allocation to the tangible personal property used in the business may generate significant ordinary income for the seller (in the form of depreciation recapture), though it will be depreciable by the buyer over a relatively shorter period.
There is another element in every transaction, however, that needs to be considered in determining the tax consequences of the purchase and sale, but that is often overlooked until after the transaction has been completed and the parties are preparing the tax returns on which the tax consequences of the transaction are to be reported.
I am referring to the tax treatment of the various costs that are incurred by the buyer and the seller in investigating the acquisition or disposition of a business, in conducting the associated due diligence, in preparing the necessary purchase and sale agreements and related documents and, then, in completing the transaction. Where these costs may be deducted, they generate an immediate tax benefit for the party that incurred them by offsetting the party’s operating income, thereby reducing the economic cost of the transaction. Where the costs must be capitalized (i.e., added to the basis of the acquired property), they may reduce the amount of capital gain realized by the seller on the sale, whereas, in the case of the buyer, they may be recovered over the applicable recovery periods for the assets acquired (up to 39 years, in the case of nonresidential real property), thereby making the deal more expensive.
According to the IRS
Under regulations promulgated by the IRS, a purchaser must generally capitalize any amounts incurred to “facilitate” the acquisition of a business from a target company or the acquisition of ownership interests from the target’s owners; a similar rule applies as to costs incurred by the target or its owners to facilitate the sale.
Examples of Facilitative Expenses
An amount is paid to “facilitate” a purchase and sale transaction if it is incurred in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing the transaction. Whether an amount is incurred “in the process of investigating or pursuing the transaction” is determined based on all of the facts and circumstances.
The fact that an expense would not have been incurred but for the transaction is relevant, but it is not determinative of whether it was incurred to facilitate a transaction.
On the other hand, an amount incurred to determine the value of a transaction is treated as an amount incurred in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing the transaction.
However, an amount paid to another party in exchange for property is not treated as an amount incurred to facilitate the exchange. For example, the purchase price paid to a target in exchange for its assets is not an amount paid to facilitate the acquisition. Similarly, the amount paid by an acquirer to the target’s owners in exchange for their ownership interests is not an amount incurred to facilitate the acquisition of the ownership interests. (Of course, the amount paid by a taxpayer to another party to acquire the assets of a business or an ownership interest in the business must be capitalized; specifically, it must be added to the taxpayer’s cost basis for the business assets or the ownership interest, as the case may be.)
An amount incurred by a taxpayer to facilitate acquisition financing does not facilitate the acquisition for which the borrowing is incurred.
An amount paid by a target to facilitate a sale of its assets does not facilitate another transaction (other than the sale); for example, where a target corporation, in preparation for a merger with an acquiring corporation, sells assets that are not desired by the acquiring corporation, amounts incurred by the target to facilitate the sale of the unwanted assets are not required to be capitalized as amounts incurred to facilitate the merger.
An amount incurred to integrate the business operations of the taxpayer with the business operations of another does not facilitate an acquisition transaction, regardless of when the integration activities occur.
However, an amount paid to terminate an agreement to enter into an acquisition transaction will constitute an amount paid to facilitate a second acquisition transaction only if the transactions are mutually exclusive.
“Simplifying Conventions”
In order to simplify the determination of whether certain “routine” costs are incurred to facilitate a transaction, the IRS’s regulations provide that employee compensation and overhead costs are treated as amounts that do not facilitate an acquisition transaction and, thus do not need to be capitalized; instead, they may be deducted against the taxpayer’s operating income in the year they are incurred.
The term “employee compensation” means compensation (including salary, bonuses and commissions) paid to an employee of the taxpayer. For this purpose, a guaranteed payment to a partner in a partnership is treated as employee compensation, as is the annual compensation paid to a director of a corporation. However, an amount paid to the director for attendance at a special meeting of the board of directors is not treated as employee compensation. An amount paid to a person that is not an employee of the taxpayer (including the employer of the individual who performs the services) is generally treated as employee compensation only if the amount is paid for administrative support services.
Election to Capitalize
A taxpayer may elect to treat otherwise deductible employee compensation or overhead costs paid in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing an acquisition as amounts that facilitate the transaction and, thus, must be capitalized. For example, a taxpayer may elect to treat overhead costs, but not employee compensation, as amounts that facilitate the transaction.
Facilitative Costs
In general, an amount incurred by the taxpayer in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing a “covered transaction” (other than employee compensation and overhead costs) facilitates the transaction only if the amount relates to activities performed on or after the earlier of:
The date on which a letter of intent, exclusivity agreement, or similar written communication is executed by the acquirer and the target (an “LOI”); or
The date on which the material terms of the transaction (as tentatively agreed to by the acquirer and the target) are authorized or approved by the taxpayer’s board of directors or, in the case of a taxpayer that is not a corporation, the date on which the material terms of the transaction (as tentatively agreed to by the acquirer and the target) are authorized or approved by the appropriate governing officials of the taxpayer.
The term “covered transaction” means the following transactions:
A taxable acquisition by the taxpayer of a target’s assets that constitute a trade or business; and
A taxable acquisition of a significant ownership interest in a business entity (whether the taxpayer is the acquirer in the acquisition or the target of the acquisition).
Inherently Facilitative Costs
This “pre- vs. post-LOI timing rule” provides a helpful bright-line approach to the treatment of many deal expenses. However, the rule does not apply in the case of amounts incurred in the process of investigating or otherwise pursuing an acquisition transaction if they are “inherently facilitative.” Such amounts must be capitalized by the taxpayer regardless of whether they are incurred for activities performed prior to, or after, the execution of an LOI.
An amount is inherently facilitative if the amount is incurred for:
(i) Securing an appraisal, formal written evaluation, or fairness opinion related to the transaction;
(ii) Structuring the transaction, including negotiating the structure of the transaction and obtaining tax advice on the structure of the transaction;
(iii) Preparing and reviewing the documents that effectuate the transaction (for example, a purchase agreement);
(iv) Obtaining regulatory approval of the transaction;
(v) Obtaining shareholder approval of the transaction; or
(vi) Conveying property between the parties to the transaction (for example, transfer taxes).
Success-Based Fees
An amount incurred by a taxpayer with respect to a service provider that is contingent on the successful closing of an acquisition transaction is presumed to be an amount incurred to facilitate the transaction and, thus, must be capitalized, though a taxpayer may rebut the presumption by maintaining sufficient documentation to establish that a portion of the fee is allocable to activities that do not facilitate the transaction.
In lieu of maintaining this documentation, however, the IRS has provided taxpayers a simplified method for allocating between facilitative and non-facilitative activities any success-based fee paid in a covered transaction. Under this safe harbor for allocating a success-based fee, an electing taxpayer may treat 70 percent of the success-based fee as an amount that does not facilitate the transaction; this amount would be currently deductible by the taxpayer. The remaining portion of the fee would be capitalized as an amount that facilitates the transaction.
Capitalized Costs: Basis & Reduction of Gain
In the case of an acquisition that is not treated as a tax-free reorganization, any amount that is required to be capitalized by the acquirer under the preceding rules is added to the basis of the acquired assets (in the case of a transaction that is treated as an acquisition of the assets of the target for tax purposes) or to the basis of the acquired stock (in the case of a transaction that is treated as an acquisition of the stock of the target for tax purposes).
Any amount required to be capitalized by the target is treated as a reduction of the target’s amount realized on the disposition of its assets.
It is important for taxpayers that are contemplating the acquisition or disposition of a business that they not overlook the tax benefits that may be realized from the expenses they incur in connection with such acquisition or disposition.
For that reason, a brief summary of the principles set forth above is in order:
Any non-facilitative fees may be deducted by the taxpayer regardless of when incurred in the acquisition process.
Employee compensation and overhead costs may be treated as deductible, non-facilitative costs.
Any facilitative costs that are incurred prior to the execution of an LOI may also be deducted, provided they are not inherently facilitative.
Inherently facilitative fees must be capitalized regardless of when incurred in the acquisition process.
Success-based fees may be treated as partially facilitative and partially not facilitative.
Armed with this knowledge, an acquiring or selling taxpayer will be in a better position to gauge the true costs of certain expenditures, and should therefore be in a better position to negotiate the true economics of a deal.
Tags: acquisition costs, amortization, amount realized, capitalize, costs of sale, deal costs, depreciation, elect to capitalize, expenses, Facilitative costs, M&A, success-based fees
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December 10, 2014 by Sunny in Emotional Intelligence, Impulse Control
How do you handle potentially volatile situations?
It's as old as time itself.
We've seen it throughout all generations - from antiquity, through medieval, to modern. From the reign of the Egyptian Pharaohs to the rule of the Roman Emperors. We see it in homes when children rebel against parents. We see the results of it in half of all marriages ending in divorce. We see it in the workplace between bosses and those who work for them. It’s in every area of life.
It's the reason that the United States have been rocked with protests from coast to coast over the last few weeks.
It’s the classic struggle for power and control.
While most of us are aware of the high profile incidents that resulted in the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Eric Garner in New York and 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, there are a number of others that are not as popular.
Peter Liang, an NYPD rookie police officer shot and killed Akai Gurley on Nov. 20, 2014 in Brooklyn. This did not make national headlines probably because the family asked Al Sharpton to stay away.
Just 10 days after Brown was killed, a witness captured on video, the shooting death of 25-year-old Kajieme Powell by two St. Louis police officers outside a convenience store. Then, there’s the video footage of a girl being restrained in a choke-hold by a female police officer in Mesa, Arizona.
In many of these cases, those that have power on their side exert their authority by barking out commands or issuing decrees. And they expect nothing short of immediate and unquestioned compliance. I’ll call them the “powerful”. On the other side are those who challenge the authority of the powerful. They don't want to be pushed around. They refuse to comply. They're the “powerless”.
When the two collide, the powerless get the short end of the stick. Lives are lost. Families get devastated. Demonstrations and protests rock a nation.
Which makes me wonder how trivial we treat our most essential possessions. Both the powerful and the powerless treat human lives casually. Sometimes, the powerful demand compliance with whatever order creeps into their heads and threaten punishment for disobedience. The powerless on the other hand play poker with their lives. They challenge the authority of the powerful to dole out punishment.
In a few of the recent police encounters captured on video, you could hear some challenge the officers and dare them to shoot. It’s almost as if they have death wishes. That’s amazing, when you consider the fact that once a life is taken, it cannot be given back. Once destroyed, it cannot be redeemed.
While I’m not advocating blind obedience to every kind of authority, I think it’s important to take a closer look at the situation. The policeman is human. Even though he’s fully trained, you can’t vouch for his state of mind at that specific moment. Or what his experiences have been lately. Did he just have a quarrel with another officer? Or his wife? Is he having some personal issues or struggles? Does he have any prejudices or biases? Maybe. Maybe not.
But what about the experiences and biases on the other side? The perception that you’re a criminal because you’re a black male could be irritating. If not controlled, that irritation could lead to irrational behaviors. Has he been unjustly harassed by a police officer in the past? Did any of his friends or family? Did he keep his cool then, and bottled up his feelings until now? Maybe today is the day he’s chosen to crawl out of his inaction. Today, he will stand his ground.
When neither side considers all the options, and refuses to give the other side some benefit of the doubt, the consequences can be deadly. Some have ended in the most harrowing experiences we've seen recently. Lives pointlessly lost.
You can see the same dynamics at play in the workplace on a daily basis. Yes, it may not be as life-threatening as these police encounters, but it’s equally dangerous. A boss barks out an “order” and demand that things be done his way. Whether or not that furthers the cause of the business is irrelevant. For many of us, we sheepishly comply, probably because we don’t consider the stakes as being high enough for us to take a stand.
Others stand their ground, and go toe-to-toe with the boss for various reasons. Some believe there could be a better way, and they find the best means to convey this. Eventually, they may be able to convince the boss otherwise. Some who also believe in another option go a different route and challenge the boss to a shouting contest. Even though lives may not be lost here, jobs could be. Careers may be ruined. An organization could lose a valuable employee.
What about you? What will you do? Do you have the self-control to restrain yourself and check your impulses even when what you’re experiencing feels unjustified? Can you behave in such a manner that will diffuse a potentially volatile situation? Do you have the skills to influence and change opinions without resorting to violence?
Whether you’re the powerful or the powerless, the boss or the subordinate, it's good to pause. Pause to ponder the situation you’re in. Carefully consider the best way to respond. A lot may be riding on it.
Precious lives may depend on it.
December 10, 2014 /Sunny
Emotional Intelligence, Impulse Control
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Forums > Off Topic > Tin Foil Hat Lounge >
Yet another Bush insider claims 9/11 was an inside job
Discussion in 'Tin Foil Hat Lounge' started by melbo, May 14, 2006.
melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member
Media hide truth: 9/11 was inside job
By Kevin Barrett
Last Saturday, former Bush administration official Morgan Reynolds drew an enthusiastic capacity crowd to the Wisconsin Historical Society auditorium. It is probably the first time in Historical Society history that a political talk has drawn a full house on a Saturday afternoon at the beginning of final exams.
Reynolds, the former director of the Criminal Justice Center at the National Center for Policy Analysis, and the ex-top economist for George W. Bush's Labor Department, charged the Bush administration with gross malfeasance, and proposed the prosecution of top administration officials.
Normally, if a prestigious UW alumnus and ex-Bush administration official were to come to the Wisconsin Historical Society to spill the beans about a Bush administration scandal, it would make the news. The local TV stations would cover it, and it would merit front page headlines in The Capital Times and Wisconsin State Journal.
Reynolds' indictment of the administration he worked for was a stunning, life-changing event for many of those who witnessed it. As the event's organizer, I have received dozens of e-mails about it from people who were deeply affected.
Despite the prestigious speaker and venue, and the gravity of the charges aired, for most Americans indeed most Madisonians the event never happened. Why? Because it was censored, subjected to a total media blackout. Not a word in the State Journal. Not a word in The Capital Times. Not a word on the local TV news. Not a word on local radio news. And, of course, not a word in the national media.
Why the blackout? Because Reynolds violated the ultimate U.S. media taboo. He charges the Bush administration with orchestrating the 9/11 attacks as a pretext for launching a preplanned "long war" in the Middle East, rolling back our civil liberties, and massively increasing military spending.
When a former Bush administration insider makes such charges, how can the media ignore them? Is Reynolds a lone crank? Hardly. A long list of prominent Americans have spoken out for 9/11 truth: Rev. William Sloane Coffin, Sen. Barbara Boxer, former head of the Star Wars program Col. Robert Bowman, ex-Reagan administration economics guru Paul Craig Roberts, progressive Jewish author-activist Rabbi Michael Lerner, former CIA official Ray McGovern, author-essayist Gore Vidal, and many other respected names from across the political spectrum have gone on the record for 9/11 truth.
Are the media ignoring all these people, and dozens more like them, because there is no evidence to support their charges? Hardly. Overwhelming evidence, from the obvious air defense stand-down, to the nonprotection of the president in Florida, to the blatant controlled demolition of World Trade Center building 7, proves that 9/11 was an inside job. As noted philosopher-theologian and 9/11 revisionist historian David Griffin writes: "It is already possible to know, beyond a reasonable doubt, one very important thing: the destruction of the World Trade Center was an inside job, orchestrated by terrorists within our own government."
A growing list of scientists has lined up behind BYU physicist Steven Jones and MIT engineer Jeff King in support of Griffin's position, as evidenced by the growth of Scholars for 9/11 Truth (st911.org) and Scientific Professionals Investigating 9/11 (physics911.net).
As a Watergate-era graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Journalism, I was taught that exposing government lies and corruption is the supreme duty of the Fourth Estate. I simply cannot fathom the current situation. I do not understand the 9/11 truth blackout. I wish someone would explain it to me.
It is time to break the 9/11 truth blackout. Please put pressure on your local media through letters to the editor, call-ins to talk radio, and phone calls to local and national journalists.
And come see Peter Phillips, director of the media watchdog group Project Censored, who will lead a strategy session on breaking the blackout at the upcoming international 9/11 truth conference in Chicago: 9/11: Revealing the Truth, Reclaiming Our Future, to be held June 2-4 at the Embassy Suites Hotel, Chicago-O'Hare Rosemont. Go to http://911revealingthetruth.org for more information.
The event will feature presentations from dozens of 9/11 truth luminaries, from scientists like Steven Jones to intelligence agency whistle-blowers like David Shayler, and promises to be a historic, watershed event. Be there, or resign yourself to a future of endless war, lost liberty, and a craven media that cannot bring itself to breathe a single word of truth.
http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/c...=83698&ntpid=1
40-something and in the best shape of my life: Gone Primal
Survivalmonkey PGP/GPG Public Key
melbo, May 14, 2006
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Andersen Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Published: November 08, 2016 | Author: Ashley Pollock | Category: Arts
On November 5, Southern Utah University’s own Kay Andersen was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Utah Dance Education Organization’s (UDEO) Annual Fall Conference held at Utah Valley University.
Andersen is the current Chair of the Theatre Arts and Dance Department in the College of Performing and Visual Arts. He has worked as a professor at SUU for over 19 years. On hearing that he received the award, he said, “I feel very humbled to have received this recognition. Of course it makes me reflect about how it is possible so many years have passed.”
He has always been a professor with the best interests of his students at heart. Erin, who studied under Andersen’s direction, said, “…[he] encourages me to follow every dream and aspiration because anything is possible in [his] eyes.”
Shauna Mendini, Dean of the College of Performing and Visual Arts, has worked with Andersen longer than his time at Southern Utah University. They both studied under the direction of Burch Mann with the American Folk Ballet. Mendini said, “Kay Andersen is extremely deserving of UDEO’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is an accomplished performer who performed worldwide as a soloist for the Nikolais & Murray Louis Dance Company and participated in the creation of choreography that is now considered legendary in the field. Southern Utah University is fortunate to have an outstanding educator at his caliber who inspires students and peers alike. Following a masterclass in China, a faculty member from the conservatory shared with me ‘we teach our students technique but Kay Andersen teaches them how to express their technique.’ What an exceptional gift.”
When asked about his feelings of receiving the award, Andersen said, “I feel extremely fortunate to have had the variety of rich dance experiences I have had throughout my life. I am grateful to be a minuscule part of the dance experience here in Utah and beyond. Dance for me has truly provided opportunities to give in so many ways, created lifelong friendships, and priceless memories. As one of my lifetime mentors Burch Mann said, ‘It's the feet that carry us but the heart that dances.’ My heart is full.”
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Passages: Former Swimming Benefactor John E. du Pont, 72
by Archive Team
10 December 2010, 02:22pm
SOMERSET, Pennsylvania, December 10. FORMER United States swimming benefactor, John E. du Pont, died in his cell at the Laurel Highlands State Prison at the age of 72 according to the Associated Press.
Du Pont, who is best known for the shooting death of Olympic gold medalist wrestler Dave Schultz in 1996, was the creator of Team Foxcatcher. Du Pont, an heir to the du Pont fortune, built a $600,000 sports training center on his estate Foxcatcher Farms to support wrestlers, swimmers and pentathletes. Germantown Academy's Richard Shoulberg coached at the facility during its heyday.
Du Pont's philanthropy for amateur sports was well-known prior to being found guilty, but mentally ill, in the murder of Schultz in 1996. Du Pont, at one time, had donated more than $3 million to USA Wrestling.
Full text of Associated Press article.
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Number of participants in U.S. high school golf 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school golf from 2009/10 to 2017/18
by Christina Gough, last edited Aug 31, 2018
The statistic shows the number of participants (male/female) in high school golf in the United States from 2009/10 to 2017/18. In the 2017/18 season, about 144 thousand boys participated in a high school golf program.
2017/18 144,024 78,781
Share of golf in the U.S. 2018, by age
Revenue of selected golf equipment/apparel companies worldwide 2018
Average number of U.S. TV viewers major golf tournaments 2018
On-course & off-course career earnings of Tiger Woods 1996-2016
Everything On "Golf" in One Document: Edited and Divided into Handy Chapters. Including Detailed References.
Statistics on "Golf"
Participation & demographics
Number of participants in golf in the United States from 2006 to 2017 (in millions)*Participants in golf in the U.S. from 2006 to 2017
Share of Americans who played golf in the last 12 months in 2018, by ageShare of golf in the U.S. 2018, by age
Share of household members in the United States who were interested in golf in 2018, by incomeShare of household members in the U.S. who were interested in golf in 2018
Number of participants in U.S. high school golf from 2009/10 to 2017/18Number of participants in U.S. high school golf 2017/18, by gender
Number of people participating in golf in England from 2016 to 2018Golf participation England 2016-2018
Share of adults who participated in golfing in the past four weeks in Scotland from 2007 to 2017Scotland: golf participation of adults in the last 4 weeks 2007-2017
Size of the core golf economy by industry segment in the United States from 2000 to 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)*Economic impact of golf in the United States by segment 2000-2016
Golf course management companies by the number of golf courses* worldwide in 2017Golf course management companies by number of courses worldwide 2017
Industry revenue of “golf courses and country clubs“ in the U.S. from 2011 to 2023 (in billion U.S. Dollars)Industry revenue of “golf courses and country clubs“ in the U.S. 2011-2023
Number of golf courses sold in the United States from 2006 to 2017Number of golf courses sold in the United States 2006-2017
Average price of golf course sales in the United States from 2006 to 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)Average sales price of golf course in the United States 2006-2017
Revenue of golf courses and country clubs in Canada from 2012 to 2017 (in million Canadian dollars)* Revenue of golf courses and country clubs in Canada 2012-2017
Wage and salary expenditure of golf courses and country clubs in Canada from 2012 to 2017 (in million Canadian dollars)* Wages and salaries of golf courses and country clubs in Canada 2012-2017
Number of official golf courses in Europe from 1985 to 2017Number of golf courses in Europe 1985-2017
Selected golf equipment/apparel companies ranked by revenue in 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)Revenue of selected golf equipment/apparel companies worldwide 2018
Acushnet Holdings Corp. revenue by segment worldwide from 2014 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)Revenue of Acushnet Holdings Corp. 2014-2018, by segment
Callaway Golf revenue by product category from 2012 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)Revenue of Callaway Golf by product category 2012-2018
Wholesale sales of golf equipment in the U.S. from 2007 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)*U.S. wholesale sales of golf equipment 2007-2018
Manufacturer sales of golf clubs and golf equipment in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2008 to 2017 (in 1,000 GBP)Golf clubs: UK manufacturers' sales value 2008-2017
Number of golf equipment and supplies stores in Canada as of June 2016, by region Number of golf equipment and supplies stores in Canada 2016, by region
U.S. average TV viewership of major golf tournaments* in 2018 (in million viewers)Average number of U.S. TV viewers major golf tournaments 2018
TV ratings for final round of The Masters Golf Tournament on CBS in the United States from 1997 to 2018TV ratings for final round of The Masters in U.S. 1997-2018
Worldwide sponsorship spending for golf from 2010 to 2016 (in billion U.S. dollars)Global spending on golf sponsorships 2010-2016
Professional golf players ranked by on & off course income in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)On and off-course income ranking of professional golf players worldwide 2016
Professional golfers with the highest career earnings on the PGA tour as of June 9, 2019 (in million U.S. dollars) Golfers with the highest career earnings on PGA tour 2019
Professional golfers with the most money earned on the PGA tour in 2019 (in million U.S. dollars) Highest money earners on the PGA tour 2019
Career earnings of golf player Tiger Woods from 1996 to 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)On-course & off-course career earnings of Tiger Woods 1996-2016
Professional golfers with the most PGA Championship points in the 2018/19 season (in millions)Golfers with the most PGA Championship points 2019
Number of participants in U.S. high school lacrosse 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school track and field 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school volleyball 2017/18, by gender
U.S. high school gymnastics participation 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school swimming and diving 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school wrestling 2017/18, by gender
U.S. high school cheerleading participation 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school cross country 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school football (11-player) 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school softball 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school surfing 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school surfing 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school snowboarding 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school rock climbing 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school rock climbing 2017/18, by gender
Households with people who attended any high school sports event in the U.S. 2018 to 2020
Number of participants in high school athletic programs in Maine 2009-2018
Golf clubs exported to the world from Spain 2015, by country
Number of participants in high school athletic programs in Montana 2009-2018
Number of participants in high school athletic programs in New Mexico 2009-2018
Sporting Goods Industry in the U.S.
Olympic Summer Games
Golf in the United Kingdom (UK)
High School Athletics Participation Survey 2017-18
Children's sports participation in the United Kingdom (UK)
Recreational fishing in the U.S.
Outdoor Participation Report 2017
State of Play 2018
Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report 2017
Number of participants in golf in the United States from 2006 to 2017 (in millions)*
Share of Americans who played golf in the last 12 months in 2018, by age
Share of household members in the United States who were interested in golf in 2018, by income
Number of people participating in golf in England from 2016 to 2018
Share of adults who participated in golfing in the past four weeks in Scotland from 2007 to 2017
Size of the core golf economy by industry segment in the United States from 2000 to 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)*
Golf course management companies by the number of golf courses* worldwide in 2017
Industry revenue of “golf courses and country clubs“ in the U.S. from 2011 to 2023 (in billion U.S. Dollars)
Number of golf courses sold in the United States from 2006 to 2017
Average price of golf course sales in the United States from 2006 to 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)
Revenue of golf courses and country clubs in Canada from 2012 to 2017 (in million Canadian dollars)*
Wage and salary expenditure of golf courses and country clubs in Canada from 2012 to 2017 (in million Canadian dollars)*
Number of official golf courses in Europe from 1985 to 2017
Selected golf equipment/apparel companies ranked by revenue in 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
Acushnet Holdings Corp. revenue by segment worldwide from 2014 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
Callaway Golf revenue by product category from 2012 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)
Wholesale sales of golf equipment in the U.S. from 2007 to 2018 (in million U.S. dollars)*
Manufacturer sales of golf clubs and golf equipment in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2008 to 2017 (in 1,000 GBP)
Number of golf equipment and supplies stores in Canada as of June 2016, by region
U.S. average TV viewership of major golf tournaments* in 2018 (in million viewers)
TV ratings for final round of The Masters Golf Tournament on CBS in the United States from 1997 to 2018
Worldwide sponsorship spending for golf from 2010 to 2016 (in billion U.S. dollars)
Professional golf players ranked by on & off course income in 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
Professional golfers with the highest career earnings on the PGA tour as of June 9, 2019 (in million U.S. dollars)
Professional golfers with the most money earned on the PGA tour in 2019 (in million U.S. dollars)
Career earnings of golf player Tiger Woods from 1996 to 2016 (in million U.S. dollars)
Professional golfers with the most PGA Championship points in the 2018/19 season (in millions)
Number of participants in U.S. high school lacrosse from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school track and field (outdoor) from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school volleyball from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school gymnastics from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school swimming and diving from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school wrestling from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school competitive spirit squads from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school cross country from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school football (11-player) from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school softball (fast pitch) from 2009/10 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school surfing from 2012/13 to 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school surfing from 2012/13 to 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school snowboarding from 2009/10 to 2017/18, by gender
Number of participants in U.S. high school rock climbing in 2015/16 and 2017/18
Number of participants in U.S. high school rock climbing in 2015/16 and 2017/18, by gender
Number of high school athletics participants in Maine from 2009/10 to 2017/18*
Golf clubs units exported from Spain to the various countries in the world by 2015, by destination country
Number of high school athletics participants in Montana from 2009/10 to 2017/18*
Number of high school athletics participants in New Mexico from 2009/10 to 2017/18*
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For in this long digression which I accidentally led into, as in all my digressions (one only excepted) there is a master-stroke of digressive skill — Laurence Sterne
Becoming a new neighborhood bar is never easy. It’s essentially like starting a tradition. It’s especially hard when a neighborhood staple changes hands, the space gets renovated, and the name out front goes from Smolen Bar & Grill to Mary’s (708 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn). Smolen had existed for many years, and at one time served as the local watering hole for the longshoremen who used to populate the area. These were the types of guys whose idea of a pissing contest was to see who could throw the best punch at brick walls at the back, the types who drank hard, fought hard, and probably died hard. The woman who ran the place, Mary, had their respect, though. She put up sheetrock along the walls to keep the men from breaking their knuckles, and made every ogre who managed to get his fist through it reimburse her for the repair. She had the façade redone with smaller windows to keep these same men from hurling one another onto Fifth Avenue during bar fights. Most locals feared the place, though, in time, it became tame enough for people who just wanted to take down a few cheap shots with their pilsner before heading on to classier bars or more rowdy apartment parties.
Mary used to run that bar, and that’s really the key word here. Used to. The area used to be filled with longshoremen, with degenerates and people for whom the light of day was a scourge to be avoided if not damned. It used to be a rough working class neighborhood. Not any longer. Though there may be a serial groper or gang of gropers roaming the streets at night, this weird nexus of neighborhoods (Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace, Park Slope) has become home to a lot of bars, just about all of them content to be nothing more than neighborhood bars. True, they don’t have a history, which consequently precludes them from being dives, but they aren’t trying to cater to anyone besides people who like to drink (Vin Rouge, the wine bar that used to be up the block, stuck around for about two years; it has been replaced by the more accommodating South).
There aren’t very many parts of Brooklyn or Queens where this isn’t the case. It is a different city. Crime rates, even if manipulated, are down. Old establishments are being left to generations who don’t want to bother either keeping tradition or renovating, as was the case, evidently, with Smolen. Subway service may still suck, but straphangers are rarely subjected to anything more menacing than the occasional evangelical or piss-soaked waif. For better or worse, gentrification and, far more importantly, the change in the economic landscape of the country (a paucity of industrial jobs, a profusion of finance jobs that are situated in urban centers like New York, maybe even the explosion of beer culture in America) have changed the city. For those prone to dietrologia, the type of paranoia that makes one believe that Sharia Law will soon replace the U.S. Constitution, or that there is no such thing as subduction (I’m not making this up), fingers pretty quickly get pointed in the direction of young white kids like myself, and new bars like Mary’s.
I don’t think I’d be too bothered by this if the majority of these people weren’t white kids who live in the area that is being gentrified, and have no qualms as they talk about the good old days that they never experienced (though they have seen virtually every No Wave film available at the totally Indie movie store that opened up down the block a few months back). What these people think of as character or personality is really nothing more than a projection of their own nostalgie de la boue, something that is wholly divorced from the stated reason behind their contempt—i.e. they do not want to see the working class displaced due to exponential increases in property taxes or rents. For them, Shiva is more a monster than a god.
Mary's
Regardless, this is one of the demographics to which Mary’s wants to cater—most longtime residents already have a bar at which they are regulars. It’s a shame that a lot of the recent arrivals to the area will look askance at the bar as they pass by, and that it may be a long time before they walk in and realize that it’s exactly what a neighborhood bar should be—the only problem is that no one has really made it their home yet.
For starters, a neighborhood is defined by the people who occupy it. A neighborhood bar, consequently, is defined by the neighborhood. It is meant to be a place for people who live in the area, not tourists or the early half of the happy hour crowd (the early half drinks by work; the late half by home). Opening your doors doesn’t even guarantee the curiosity of a neighborhood, which can often prove quick to condemn and reluctant to embrace. But that was the first thing that I really liked about Mary’s: the door is always open, provided it’s past noon.
My girlfriend and I stopped in a few nights ago to see what the place was like. No surprise, there weren’t too many people in there. The bartender/owner was nice, though. She explained that the name was in honor of the Mary who used to keep the longshoremen who had once occupied the space in check, that the bowls of snack mix on the bar were homemade, and then went into the difficulties of picking out a draft selection since there are so many good American beers to choose from. We then carved a pumpkin (it’s the one in back with the bottle of Original Sin crammed in its mouth). Not exactly the most exciting night of my life, but proof to me that this bar had been established in order to give people in the neighborhood a place to go for a beer and a conversation, and not much else. It’s supposed to be a tavern, a pub, a bar.
And that’s what’s important about a neighborhood place. With the exception of the pool table, it’s not particularly unique, but it is certainly nice (restored tin ceiling, wraparound bar, extensive bathroom graffiti). Not that this is going to be huge draw. There are certainly more than a few bars within walking distance that are very similar to Mary’s, but this place has something that is very rare to see in a bar: a totally blank slate. Bars, like people, are defined by their context, by the way in which they interact with their environment and with the people in this environment. To see one in a nascent state, its context vague and malleable, makes you realize that the only thing that serves to make a bar a success (beyond some kind of gimmick) is the people inside of it. Hopefully Mary’s manages to get some more in the future besides me.
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Ben Berend
11/01/2013 ● By Grant Johnson
Born and raised in Steamboat, Ben, 18, is one of Steamboat’s most promising young Nordic Combined athletes.
Richard Wilkes
Richard Wilkes is the only Australian to participate in alpine snowboarding. He competed in the 2013 World Snowboard Championships.
Vic Wild
Vic is a world-class American-born alpine snowboarder who now competes for Russia.
Mimi Wiencke
Mimi heads into the season ranked as the No. 1 American snowboard racer.
Michael Ward
Michael is an up-and-coming Nordic Combined skier on the U.S. Ski Team who has scored points in five Continental Cups.
Cassie Wagar
Cassie is a top American slalom and giant slalom alpine snowboard racer who has graced the World Cup stage three times.
Mike Trapp
Mike won back-to-back first place finishes in alpine snowboarding at the 2011 and 2012 U.S. National Championships.
Taylor Gold
Taylor is on the U.S. Snowboarding Rookie Halfpipe Team and has ridden in the X Games in France and the Burton U.S. Open.
Taylor Fletcher
Taylor competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and is one of the fastest skiers on the American Nordic combined team.
Spencer Tamblyn
Spencer is the Coach of the U.S. Snowboarding Freestyle Development Team.
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June 1, 1999 | Electronics & Computers
A 640 × 486 Long-Wavelength Infrared Camera
Televisionlike imaging in the long-wavelength infrared is now feasible.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
A rectangular integrated-circuit focal-plane array of 640 × 486 GaAs/AlxGa1 -xAs quantum-well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs) constitutes the image sensor in an experimental long-wavelength infrared camera. This is the first long-wavelength infrared camera containing photodetectors in a focal-plane array that enables imaging in a format similar to that of standard television. The camera, which is sensitive to wavelengths between 8 and 9 µm, can be operated in a staring, snapshot, or video mode.
Until now, state-of-the-art long-wavelength infrared photodetectors have been made from HgCdTe. Difficulties associated with the HgCdTe material system - especially, nonuniformity of devices in arrays - have prevented the fabrication of HgCdTe photodetectors in 640 × 486 arrays with sufficient pixel-to-pixel uniformity to obtain images of acceptable quality in the 8-to-12-µm region of the infrared spectrum. The development of the present camera was guided by the conjecture that by using large-band-gap materials like GaAs and AlxGa1 - xAs, which can be grown and processed easily, one should be able to fabricate large, relatively uniform arrays of QWIPs to detect light at wavelengths between 6 and 25 µ.
Figure 1. A QWIP Camera here is held by hand.
The QWIPs in the present camera are of the bound-to-quasi-bound type, for which the thermionic component of dark current is less than for other types. [This topic was discussed in more detail in "Bound-to-Quasi-Bound Quantum-Well Infrared Photodetectors" (NPO-19633), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 22, No. 9 (September 1998), page 54. The basic multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure of the QWIP array is a stack of 50 identical quantum-well bilayers. Each bilayer comprises (1) a 45-Å-thick well layer of GaAs n-doped at a density ≈ 5× 1017 cm -3 and (2) a 500-Å-thick barrier layer of Al0.3Ga0.7As. The MQW structure is sandwiched between 0.5-µm-thick top and bottom contact layers of GaAs doped similarly to the well layers.
All of the aforementioned layers were grown on a semi-insulating GaAs substrate by molecular-beam epitaxy. A 300-Å-thick Al0.3Ga0.7As stop-etch layer was grown on top of the top contact layer for use in fabricating a cross-grating structure to couple light into the array. [The cross-grating-coupler concept was described in "Cross-Grating Coupling for Focal-Plane Arrays of QWIPs" (NPO-19657), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 22, No. 1 (January 1998), page 6a.] A 0.7-µm-thick GaAs cap layer was grown on top of the stop-etch layer. The cross-grating structure was fabricated by photolithography and dry chemical etching.
The array of 640 × 486 photodetectors, with a pitch of 25 µm and a pixel size of 18 × 18 µm2, was then formed by wet chemical etching through the MQW layers into the bottom contact layer. The cross gratings on the tops of the detectors thus formed were covered with Au/Ge and Au for ohmic contact and reflection (reflection at the top surface increases photoresponse, inasmuch as the device is operated in a back-illuminated configuration - that is, with illumination through the substrate). Indium bumps were evaporated onto the (Au/Ge)/Au layers, then the bumps were used to bond (hybridize) the array to a silicon-based complementary metal oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) integrated-circuit 640 × 486 readout multiplexer. The QWIP-array/readout-circuit hybrid was then mounted along with an antireflection-coated, 100-mm-focal-length germanium lens to form the camera (see Figure 1).
Figure 2. These Infrared Images were acquired when the camera was cooled to about 70 K and operated at a video frame rate of 30 Hz. The left image taken around midnight shows where the automobiles were parked during the daytime. The right image shows a man's face with a warm mustache, which was heated by a hot-air blower. It also shows hot air emanating from the air blower.
In tests, the camera produced excellent images that demonstrated high sensitivity (see Figure 2). The performance of the QWIP operating in a photoconductive (as distinguished from photovoltaic) mode at a reverse bias of 2 V, temperature of 70 K, and background temperature of 300 K was characterized by, among other things, a noise-equivalent differential temperature of 36 mK. The uncorrected nonuniformity (which includes a 1-percent nonuniformity of the readout circuit and a 1.4-percent nonuniformity of a cold stop in front of the array) was found to be only 5.6 percent.
This work was done by Sarath Gunapala, Sumith Bandara, John Liu, and Winn Hong of Caltech forNASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
In accordance with Public Law 96-517, the contractor has elected to retain title to this invention. Inquiries concerning rights for its commercial use should be addressed to
Technology Reporting Office
Mail Stop 122-116
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Refer to NPO-20312
Videos: Materials
INSIDER: Photonics/Optics
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These people are not extinct’
By Craig S. Semon TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
The New England Native American Institute gave �neenawun tabuttantamoonk� (or thanks) yesterday to those who came together to honor the Pegan Band of Nipmucs and acknowledge �The Last Lands of the Pegans,� the remaining 26 acres of their homeland.
At the George Street soccer field, the institute dedicated a rock monument to the Nipmucs, the original inhabitants of the site, and named the parcel Pegan Field. A Nipmuc prayer and tobacco offering also took place.
�This is an educational event for us,� said Peter Heaney, institute treasurer. �Our mission is to promote and educate about Eastern Woodland history and culture, not only to natives but to non-natives. We did this, asking natives to come, anybody who wanted to come, so we can tell them about it, because these people are still here. They are not extinct.�
Mr. Heaney said that in 1682, the Pegan Band of the Nipmucs had roughly 640,000 acres, extending from Worcester south to the old Connecticut border (the Woodward-Saffery line). By the end of the 1700s, the amount of Nipmuc land was whittled down to 26 acres in Webster, he said.
�The Pegan Indians, who a little more than a century before had received an �absolute title� to some 25 square miles of their aboriginal territory, while under the protection and supervision of state-appointed guardians, had lost all but a tiny reservation containing the only land in Massachusetts still deeded to a band of Nipmuc Indians. The community of Pegan Indians would enter the 19th century as virtually land-less �wards of the Commonwealth,� � Mr. Heaney said in a PowerPoint presentation.
Native American music, as well as presentations about basket-making, local caves and dugout canoes, was also part of yesterday�s program.
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Could playing Minecraft boost your creativity?
When can playing a video game boost creativity? — AFP Relaxnews
New US research has found that video games such as Minecraft may help increase creativity when players are given the freedom to play as they want, with no instruction.
Carried out by researchers from Iowa State University, the new study looked at 352 students at the university who were randomly assigned to one of four groups.
Two of the groups were asked to play Minecraft, a virtual Lego-style game where you can build anything that you can imagine. But while one of the groups was asked to play as they wished for 40 minutes, the other group received the instruction to play as creatively as possible.
A third group was asked to play a different style of video game, a racing car video game, which doesn't allow players to be as creative as Minecraft, while participants in the fourth group were asked to passively watch a television show.
After 40 minutes of each activity, all participants were asked to complete several creativity tasks, one of which involved drawing a creature from another planet.
The more human-like the creature, the lower the participants scored low for creativity, and the less human-like the creature, the higher the creativity score.
The findings, published in the Creativity Research Journal, showed that the participants who were randomly assigned to play Minecraft without any instruction received significantly higher scores on the creativity task compared to those who played Minecraft with the instruction to "be creative", as well as those who played the driving game and those who watched television.
The researchers commented that the results indicate that the effect on creativity is not just down to the type of game played – Minecraft being a good example of a game with few rules, a high amount of player freedom, and which encourages creative expression – but also the way the player plays.
"It's not just that Minecraft can help induce creativity. There seems to be something about choosing to do it that also matters," said study author Douglas Gentile.
Lead author Jorge Blanco-Herrera added that for the Minecraft players who received an instruction, "Being told to be creative may have actually limited their options while playing, resulting in a less creative experience."
"It's also possible they used all their 'creative juices' while playing and had nothing left when it came time to complete the test."
Previous research on playing video games has provided mixed results on whether it has a harmful or beneficial effect on health and mental well-being. The team say that the new findings suggest that video games could have the potential to be an engaging way to learn and increase creativity.
"The research is starting to tell a more interesting, nuanced picture. Our results are similar to other gaming research in that you get better at what you practice, but how you practice might matter just as much," Gentile said. – AFP Relaxnews
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Fighting in hockey may be down, but hatred still fuels NHL playoff rivalries
By Stephen WhynoThe Associated Press
Wed., April 11, 2018timer5 min. read
Sidney Crosby saw Jakub Voracek’s glove on the ice and wasn’t going to let his opponent pick it up easily.
Crosby pushed the glove away with his stick and reignited a melee in a good, old-fashioned Pittsburgh-Philadelphia playoff game that featured three fights, way more scrums and 158 penalty minutes. When Crosby was asked afterward why he did it, the Penguins captain responded: “I don’t like them. I don’t like any guy on their team.”
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“It was awesome,” then-Penguins general manager Ray Shero said. “If you look at it, it was wild. It really was. You had villains on both sides and people that hated each other.”
That was six years ago. Is a rivalry still a rivalry in a league that has made a concerted effort against over-the-top hits and where fighting is truly a rare sight?
NHL executive Colin Campbell once famously said the league sells hate, and at no time is hate more widely bought, sold, distributed and celebrated than during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The NHL’s divisional playoff format was brought back specifically to ignite old rivalries and create new ones, which has been a successful venture even if hate looks different than it did in the days of the “Broad Street Bullies.” Playoff rivalries are no longer about dropping the gloves or laying out bone-crushing hits.
Teams now play fewer regular-season games against each other and are made up of more skilled players and fewer enforcers. Still, thanks to how tight the league is and the volcanic snowball effect of what a playoff series does to hockey players and coaches, rivalries might have a different look but they have plenty of smouldering intensity.
“Playing against teams with high stakes when there’s a lot on the line — win or go home — that’s how you have rivalries,” veteran New Jersey Devils centre Brian Boyle said. “When it’s us or it’s them, that’s how you find those rivalries. The same guys for two weeks, I think that’s how you build them.”
The first round in the Eastern Conference this year already has two old-school rivalries with the Penguins and Flyers meeting in the playoffs for the first time since their epic 2012 showdown, and Boston facing Toronto for the first time since 2013. In the West, Minnesota faces Winnipeg in the first playoff series between the two division rivals, which could heat up fast.
“The best thing about most of them are is the proximity to where they live, the close ones, but I think it needs a good playoff (series) against that individual team to create the rivalry full hand,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Until you play seven games in 14 nights where you learn to hate the opposition.”
Playoff series in back-to-back years made the Penguins and Washington dislike each other plenty, and they’d meet again in the second round if they advance this year. Nashville and Anaheim developed a non-traditional rivalry with intense series the past two playoffs, making that a potentially combustible Western Conference final.
When Predators players think about those Ducks series and other tense ones over the past several years, they know there haven’t been a lot of fights — and they’re not alone. The past four playoffs have included a total of 39 fights. There were 46 fights in the 1978 post-season alone and an incredible 85 in the 1988 playoffs.
“You get the odd scrum that turns into a fight and stuff like that, but there’s not too much fighting left,” Nashville defenceman Ryan Ellis said. “You probably see the amount of blocked shots go up in the playoffs, the amount of hits — the little things that may not be on the stat sheet is kind of what I guess gets your team through the playoffs. It’s just little things like that that really is the playoff intensity.”
Boyle, who has blocked 113 shots in 106 career playoff games, has seen more fights in blowout games deep into a series than at other times because there’s too much at stake to take a retaliatory penalty.
“A lot of times you see a lot of other guys turn the other cheek in a playoff series,” Boyle said. “You don’t want something like that to make a difference in a series.”
Making a difference is more about scoring a big goal than levelling a big hit or punching someone in the face. Look at the Penguins’ and Flyers’ rosters now and the likes of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Voracek and Claude Giroux are far more likely to beat someone with a slick shot than their fists.
“I think the game has changed in how it’s being played out there,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think personnel has changed. But I think rivalries are rivalries. There’s always a heightened emotion associated with the games.”
So much so that retired player and former Penguins coach Ed Olczyk said of Penguins-Flyers, “It only takes one player, one comment from somebody, where all bets are off and that gasoline tank will be ignited fairly quickly.” Crosby recalls more fights between the teams in the past — he was involved in two six years ago in the game he swatted Voracek’s glove away — but doesn’t want to downplay the intensity of this rivalry.
“You never know what can happen,” Crosby said. “I feel like both teams are always kind of at their best, and there’s always a little bit extra in those games.”
Capitals defenceman John Carlson said he thinks playoff rivalries have gotten worse more because of what players can get away with, the physical toll games take and the memories of the nasty things that happen.
“Those things last forever, really,” Carlson said. “I can remember every single playoff series we’ve played in and this guy made a dirty hit in this game, this guy slashed me for no reason — two-handed me in the back of the legs — in this game, just stuff like that.”
Peter Laviolette, who coached the Flyers in that 2012 series and has been with the Predators in emotional series against Anaheim and Chicago, knows that’s just how the league wanted it. Where is the fun if everyone likes each other?
“I don’t think there’s ever been a love lost between Toronto and Boston or Montreal and Boston or Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,” Laviolette said. “They wanted those rivalries. They wanted to make sure that those were the matchups in the playoffs. It’s been great hockey.”
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Abbott Nibbles at the Policy Margins
R.G. Ratcliffe
https://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/abbott-nibbles-at-the-policy-margins/
In a pointed moment of Greg Abbott’s State of the State speech, the governor called out freshman House member Will Metcalf. Abbott said the Republican from Conroe is the youngest member of the Legislature, having been born in 1984. “For his entire life, the State of Texas has been mired in litigation about school funding,” Abbott said. “I think we can all agree it’s time to put school finance litigation behind us. It’s time to stop fighting about school finance and start fixing our schools.”
Abbott was mostly correct. The only governor who has not had a school finance lawsuit hanging over his or her head since 1984’s Edgewood v. Kirby lawsuit was George W. Bush, also once known as Señor Suerte, Mr. Lucky. As Bush took office, the Texas Supreme Court ruled the so-called Robin Hood school finance plan adopted under Ann Richards was constitutional. Bush was free of the school finance headache. However, because of changing finances and demographics, no school finance funding formula remains intact for more than about ten years. So the school districts went back to court in 2003, and the state has been in litigation ever since, with a district judge ruling the system unconstitutional last year.
A decade of arguing has resolved little, and Abbott’s call to solve public school finance in Will Metcalf’s lifetime sounded like bold leadership. But like much of the rest of Abbott’s State of the State speech, he offered policies that polished the edges of Texas’ challenges without solving the bigger problems. For instance, the biggest problem of school finance is how to distribute money fairly and who has to pay for it. That is the detail that has bedeviled many of a state politician, and Abbott appears to be one more.
Instead of solving school finance, Abbott gave a token to Democrats by promising $182 million in new state funding for high quality Pre-K programs and additional training for early education teachers. He also proposed $164 million in new funding for digital learning opportunities, especially for students in low-performing schools. In a nod to the private school voucher Republicans, Abbott called on the state to follow the open enrollment model of Grand Prairie, where students can easily transfer schools and even attend from other districts. “Our parents deserve these choices,” Abbot said. At the same time, almost every school district in Texas already has school transfer plans in place, and Grand Prairie’s has been more aggressive because of declining enrollment. Although it is a couple of years old, the Texas Association of School Boards has a document laying out the state of the state on existing public school choice.
Abbott also wants to give local districts $2.2 billion to make up for money that would be lost through proposed property tax cuts. The state Supreme Court upheld Rick Perry on the adoption of a similar plan because it eliminated the appearance of a state property tax for schools, but the latest ruling by District Judge John Dietz has decalred the system unconstitutional for a lack of funding and fairness. It is difficult to see how a tax swap will resolve Dietz’s ruling.
Another issue where Abbott fell short of addressing the broader issue was on immigration and border security. The governor said he wants to double spending on border security to a total of about $735 million for the biennium so that 500 new state troopers and Texas Rangers can be deployed to the border. In a potential response to calls by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to keep the National Guard deployed on the border, Abbott said he has ordered the Guard to remain in place until the Texas Department of Public Safety can ramp up. “We must remember the hardship such long deployment puts on our National Guard troops, on their families and on their careers,” Abbott said.
Abbott expressed joy over a federal judge staying the implementation of President Obama’s immigration plan to halt deportations of people who came to the country illegally, particularly those whose children were born here and are legal U.S. Citizens. Abbott, as Texas attorney general, had led 26 states in a lawsuit to block Obama’s plan. “The last lawsuit that I filed as attorney general was a lawsuit to stop President Obama’s lawless executive action,” Abbott said. He promised, “We will do what the federal government has failed to do. We will secure our border.”
What Abbott did not do is address the larger issue of what to do with the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants already living in the United States. Sealing the border may halt new immigration and border drug trafficking, but it does little to address the problems by those already here. And nothing in his speech dealt with the issue of the Texas law allowing undocumented youth who graduated from Texas schools to obtain in-state college tuition, a policy some Republicans want to eliminate. And the touchiness of the larger immigration issue played out in the Senate Nominations Committee this week as Senator Brian Birdwell grilled Abbott’s nominee for secretary of state – Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos about why he called unofficial immigrants “undocumented” instead of “illegal.”
Birdwell compared it to carrying a concealed weapon without having a concealed handgun license. In such a case, he said, “I’m not an undocumented CHL holder. I’m illegally carrying a weapon.
“I want to make sure that our language is precise, that whatever the intense motivations, ‘undocumented’ is very different than ‘illegal’,” he said. “In your position as secretary of state, when you see illegality, whatever it may be and from whomever it may be, I want you to address it in that way.”
Cascos responded, “I will, sir, very directly.”
Perhaps the larger issue of immigration is just a devil into whose details Greg Abbott does not want to dive.
In the arena of higher education, Abbott said, “We also want to see more of our high school graduates go on to college. To assist that goal, we must make college more affordable and accessible. We must restrain the spiraling cost of higher education so more Texans can reap the rewards that come from college.” However, he offered no specifics on how to achieve that goal, and instead pointed to the possibility of making community colleges and technical schools more available. “The fact is, not everybody needs a four-year college degree.” Abbott seemed to be saying everyone needs college but with lower expectations. Instead of Rick Perry’s $10,000 degree plan, Abbott delivered the everybody-as-a-welder plan, pointing to a Technical State Technical College graduate who earns $140,000 a year as a welder. “If this governor thing doesn’t work out, I’m going to TSTC to get a welder’s certificate,” Abbott said.
But when he put his money where is mouth is, his higher education proposals were for additional funding for enhanced research programs at institutions of higher learning. The additional $496 million for these programs mostly comes from redirecting money that currently is spent by either the Emerging Technology Fund or the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas to direct the funds to academic research. There also is a $532 million bailout of state higher education institutions on the cost of providing tuition credits to military veterans.
One area where Abbott did take a clear stand was on $4 billion transportation funding from Proposition 1 approved by voters last year, ending transfers of money from the highway fund to other state programs and through a constitutional amendment to dedicate half of the motor vehicle sales tax to highway construction. House Speaker Joe Straus opposes the constitutional amendment, claiming it is just a means of making voters give lawmakers cover on a tough spending vote.
Of note: Abbott declared five legislative emergency items today: early education, higher education research initiatives, transportation funding, border security and ethics reform. The Texas Constitution bars the passage of bills in the first 60 days of the 140-day session. All an emergency declaration does is allow lawmakers to move forward on legislation related to those items. The 60th Day this session if Friday March 13.
Overall, Abbott approached public policy in his State of the State address much as did governors who went before him, with limited policy initiatives taking the place of larger solutions. Abbott put public policy into the legislative mousetrap like a delicate piece of cheese. Then he nibbled at the edges just enough to make it look eaten without sticking his neck out so far as to trigger the trap.
(AP Image / Eric Gay)
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Tags: Politics, border security, education funding, greg abbott, Higher Education, illegal immigration, state of the state
2019: The Best and Worst Legislators
By Carlos Sanchez, R.G. Ratcliffe and Christopher Hooks
Texas Parks Are Broke. But There’s Good News: Voters Can Rescue Them.
By Wes Ferguson
What the Hell Is Happening at the Border? (An Occasional Series, June 10 Edition)
Congratulations, You’re a Plumber Now
Rita Clements, The Power Behind a Governor, Dies at 86
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By Bill King
Ken Paxton Rules That Licensed Handgun Owners Can Bring a Firearm to Church
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Scratching the Bottom
Sometimes I wonder, can the Washington Post's editorials get any worse? The answer -- always -- turns out to be "yes." Today we learn not only that the Bush administration's drive toward war with Iran is in fact an effort to avoid war, but also that up is down, ignorance is strength (and Fred Hiatt is a very strong man) and that when the war does come we'll all need to blame war opponents:
If this diplomatic offensive fails, President Bush or his successor is likely to face a choice between accepting Iran's acquisition of the means to build nuclear weapons and ordering military strikes to destroy its facilities. That's why it is senseless and irresponsible for those who say they oppose military action -- including a couple of the second-tier Democratic presidential candidates -- to portray the sanctions initiative as a buildup to war by Mr. Bush. We've seen no evidence that the president has decided on war, and it's clear that many senior administration officials understand the package as the best way to avoid military action. It is not they but those who oppose tougher sanctions who make war with Iran more likely.
Have I mentioned that war is peace?
Completely missing from the Post's analysis of the issue is the idea that the US has any non-coercive tools in our toolkit. Maybe part of our diplomacy with Iran should be a willingness to put them returning to the NPT fold in the context of a broader warming in US-Iranian relations? Maybe part of our diplomacy with Iran should be a willingness to put them returning to the NPT fold in the context of our own willingness to return to the NPT fold? Maybe there's something we could do in terms of our relations with Moscow and Beijing that would make them more amenable to playing a helpful role on the Iran issue? Like maybe pushing a missile shield policy that Russia views as unacceptably threatening isn't a good way to get them to help us on the Iran front?
Meanwhile, the child-like confidence in the good sense, good faith, and competence of the Bush administration is just staggering.
Matthew Yglesias is a former writer and editor at The Atlantic.
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Home News Quick Reads scrapped for 2019 after sponsor search fails
Quick Reads scrapped for 2019 after sponsor search fails
Published April 19, 2018 by Heloise Wood
The adult literacy campaign Quick Reads is wrapping up after 12 years due to lack of funding, The Bookseller can reveal....
The adult literacy campaign Quick Reads is wrapping up after 12 years due to lack of funding, The Bookseller can reveal. Authors have reacted with shock and disappointment to the news, branding it "devastating" and "a tragedy". The scheme, founded in 2005 by Baroness Gail Rebuck, is co-ordinated by The Reading Agency, which is calling time on the initiative after a fruitless 18-month search for a new sponsor.
For six years (2010–16) Galaxy funded the campaign, which sees six short and accessible stories commissioned each year from famous authors. It provided only limited support in 2017, as its corporate social responsibility emphasis shifted onto cocoa producers in Africa and India. Publishers and private donors, including Baroness Rebuck, stepped in to provide support for this year’s titles. A spokesperson for Galaxy Mars said: "We value each and every one of our partnerships and the funding we offer is the result of careful thought and planning. We recognise the important work that Quick Reads continues to do to improve adult literacy and help those who struggle with reading to enjoy great literature."
However, after Arts Council funding for Quick Reads also finished in 2017, the 18-month search for a new sponsor to cover the £120,000 annual costs proved unsuccessful, "frustratingly" leading The Reading Agency’s chief executive Sue Wilkinson to take the decision not to "commission a 2019 model".
"We have done a lot of work but we have not been successful in finding a commercial sponsor, so we can’t commission a 2019 model," she said. "We had to make a decision far in advance for the 2019 list. We had a lot of support from authors [but] if you talk to any c.e.o. of a charity they would say the pressure on funding has increased. We are sad because it is a fantastic programme."
To continue long-term, the scheme needed "substantial financial commitments from a sponsor not simply from publishers," Wilkinson added. The charity intends to continue to support the Quick Reads backlist.
Author Ann Cleeves with readers, promoting the Quick Reads titles
Authors lamented the news of Quick Reads’ closure, with crime writer Mark Billingham blasting it as "disgraceful" and suggesting publishers should make up the £120,000 shortfall to keep the initiative going. "I am absolutely gobsmacked," he said. "It is disgraceful. It is ridiculous that a scheme like this, which is so fundamental, will be closing. Somebody needs to step in and I can’t believe someone won’t because it is such a popular initiative. Perhaps it could be shared between the big publishing houses. I don’t see that it would be an enormous hardship. It would be incredibly worthwhile, and a drop in the ocean for some of the bigger publishers."
Dorothy Koomson described the scheme as being part of a "jigsaw of the bigger picture for literacy". She said: "Things like Quick Reads help empower people and give them a voice in the world. [The closure] will impact on children growing up now; children don’t always get education that helps them learn to read. It’s a case of not knowing what you have got until it is gone."
The longer view
Vaseem Khan, whose love of reading was kindled at school, said: "Quick Reads is about inclusivity, about trying to get people to read who don’t always get included because reading doesn’t come naturally [to them]. I believe passionately that we would be short-sighted as a society
if we don’t support such initiatives. I’ve recently spoken in a number of prisons about my own Quick Reads book, Inspector Chopra and the Million Dollar Motor Car. A number of the inmates approached me to say they hadn’t read for years, but my visit and the easy-to-read nature of the Quick Reads format encouraged them to get back into it. Isn’t that what we want for our society?"
Kit de Waal, who wrote Six Foot Six (Viking) for this year’s campaign, said that while the publishing industry caters to confident readers, "there are thousands of people that don’t have those advantages, and Quick Reads is for them. The very existence of a short affordable easy to read novel like Quick Reads says: ‘You matter, we have thought of you, you’re included’. What is the message if Quick Reads disappears? Let’s hope the publishing industry remains generous, inclusive and open-armed," she said.
Meanwhile, author Tammy Cohen said the end of Quick Reads was "a real tragedy". "It is devastating," she said. "I think it will leave a really big gap. It is such an amazing programme and it feels like something we need."
Baroness Rebuck has added her voice to calls for the industry to step in and help save the initiative she founded 12 years ago. "My position has always been that our purpose as publishers, from curating and bringing books to readers, is also to keep evangelising and help introduce the transformative power of reading to everyone," she wrote in her accompanying article for The Bookseller. "I call on the industry to continue offering that life-changing experience to all potential readers." The Labour peer said that, considering the various initiatives funded by publishing companies, "I cannot understand why this unique list of books to help eradicate illiteracy remains unfunded".
Publishers have responded with sadness over the closure of Quick Reads but said that they continue to promote literacy through various other means.
The authors of the 2018, and final, batch of Quick Reads with The Reading Agency’s chief executive Sue Wilkinson
Hachette’s group communications director Clare Harington said the company was "very sorry" to hear the news. "It has been a force for good which we have supported enthusiastically every year and many of our authors are very proud to have been published in the series," she said. "We believe passionately in the positive power of reading and the life-changing importance of reading for pleasure and we will continue to promote and support initiatives that encourage and facilitate adult and children’s literacy."
A spokesperson for Penguin Random House added: "We are committed to working with The Reading Agency to ensure our list of 44 Quick Reads titles continue to reach emergent readers across the UK." They cited the organisation’s ongoing Creative Responsibility strategy, which "strives to make books and the magic of reading accessible to everyone in society".
Funding pressure
The closure of Quick Reads correlates with increased pressures on funding for a number of arts initiatives. Author Cathy Rentzenbrink, who was the project director of Quick Reads for four years until she stepped down in 2016, said she was "not surprised" by the development, underlining the difficulty of raising funding for such projects. "I’m, sadly, not surprised, as adult literacy isn’t fashionable and it is very hard to raise money for in a climate where funders, understandably, want a simple and consumer friendly proposition," she said. "I would probably still be working for Quick Reads now if my job had been mainly about commissioning the books and making sure they were used in effective ways.
"I loved working with writers and publishers on the books and found everyone so supportive and generous and I adored going out to meet new readers. But most of my job was about funding and I found that very difficult and stressful, especially the continual focus on needing to do something new, when I felt what was most needed was just to carry on doing it as it was. Arts funding rewards novelty, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it means that a solid, reliable, tried and tested but unglamorous project like Quick Reads will miss out."
What backers want
Literary agent Toby Mundy, who works on the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction, the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award and the Wimbledon Bookfest, said that successful funding "depends on finding a sympathetic individual in the sponsor’s organisation that believes in your cause, and a passionate and energetic person who believes in the cause, leading it. But getting funding and sponsorship is tough, it’s a garden that constantly needs tending and weeding—it needs constant attention," he said.
Other literary initiatives currently searching for sponsorship include the Irish Book Awards, after sponsor Bord Gáis Energy ended its eight-year sponsorship. Meanwhile Dublin City Council has taken over funding the €100,000 International Dublin Literary Award, after the IMPAC trust fund established to support the prize ran dry after 20 years. In 2015 the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction found a new sponsor in asset management trust Baillie Gifford, after an anonymous donor ceased to support it. The Women’s Prize for Fiction set about establishing a new, collective sponsorship model after previous backer Baileys changed strategy after four years of funding the prize.
Baroness Gail Rebuck
Quick Reads report finds 27% fear reading will become 'forgotten pleasure'
Colgan and Say Mitchell pen 2017 Quick Reads titles
Rebuck's pioneering publishing career explored on 'South Bank Show'
Gail Rebuck to receive LBF Lifetime Achievement Award
Rebuck urges more space for Quick Reads
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Posts Tagged ‘michelle obama’
Ready to fight sexual harassment? Call Tina Tchen.
The Grammys had a sexism problem.
Perhaps you’ve heard: That only one woman, Alessia Cara, won a televised award at this year’s ceremony; that the only female nominee for album of the year, Lorde, was not offered a solo performance slot, even though all her fellow male nominees were; that sexual harassment and violence were as inescapable in the music industry as an earworm from which even the biggest pop stars on the planet were not immune; that the numbers were in, and the numbers were damning, making self-evident the truth that had been lurking all this time by revealing that women comprise just 12 percent of the total music creator population.
At first, Recording Academy president Neil Portnow said that women who want to win more Grammys — as if the golden trophies at the end of the misogyny rainbow were, alone, the issue at hand — could solve this problem all by themselves if they were just willing to “step up.” Amid calls for his resignation, Portnow slid back from his comments, and after his apologies were made, he announced the creation of an independent task force “to review every aspect of what we do as an organization and identify where we can do more to overcome the explicit barriers and unconscious biases that impede female advancement in the music community.”
And then he called Tina Tchen.
Because if you are really ready to reckon with the sexism in your industry — that is to say, you realize it’s not merely some minor inconvenience but rather a systemic, rampant, seemingly incontrovertible crisis — then that is what you do.
Tchen is who Hollywood turned to when, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations and its aftershocks, it was well past time to get organized and act. Tchen is a co-founder of Time’s Up, the formal Hollywood initiative to combat sexual harassment and assault within and outside the entertainment industry, which launched on New Year’s Day. She’s leading the legal defense fund, which provides subsidized legal and PR support to those who have experienced sexual harassment or violence in the workplace.
She is the attorney corporations employ when they are ready to do more than the perfunctory sexual harassment trainings, when they realize that sexism has crossed a line — namely, the bottom line, because a company that cannot attract and retain women is one that cannot complete in a global marketplace — and want to change.
Tchen was Michelle Obama’s chief of staff and, before that, an assistant to President Barack Obama. (Tchen affectionately refers to the former FLOTUS as her “forever boss.” No offense, 44.) She spent a couple years as the director of the White House Office on Public Engagement, then worked with the president to create the White House Council on Women and Girls, on which she served as executive director. And all of that followed a 23-year legal career in which she rose through the ranks to become a partner in corporate litigation at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, the firm she joined after she graduated from Northwestern Law School and went to undergrad at some school outside Boston.
What might appear at first glance to be a bug in a resume longer than a CVS receipt (zero experience in the music industry) is, according to Portnow, a feature: “The fact that she lacks business ties to the music industry ensures her objectivity as chair,” he said in a statement. “In this moment, the Recording Academy can do more than reflect what currently exists; we can help lead the industry into becoming the inclusive music community we want it to be -— a responsibility that the board and I take seriously. Tina Tchen is an accomplished advocate for women and an impact-oriented leader versed in convening disparate stakeholders for a common purpose.”
A week before the Recording Academy announced Tchen’s appointment, Tchen met with ThinkProgress to talk about her work with the Time’s Up legal defense fund and combatting institutionalized sexism, something she has been doing all her life. Literally, all her life: When she was born, her father, who immigrated to the United States from China with Tchen’s mother, was in denial that he didn’t get the son he’d hoped for and insisted Tchen was a boy for days. (He came around.)
We spoke at the Washington D.C. outpost of her new firm, Buckley Sandler, in the World Wildlife Fund building, a few floors above President Obama’s post-White House office. Arriving especially polished for an ordinary Tuesday afternoon — “I did a little CNN on Time’s Up earlier today,” she explained, laughing. “That’s why I have CNN hair and makeup.” — Tchen dug into how the Time’s Up legal defense fund will work, what tackling workplace sexual harassment at work really entails, and why, in spite of everything, she does not think the solution is to burn it all down. As she sees it, this very moment “is probably the best opportunity we’ve had in generations to make these changes.”
I want to start with the latest data, that you’ve heard from over 1000 people–
And you’ve raised over $20 million. I’d like to talk through that because it seems both incredible and like a logistical challenge.
Right. Logistical challenge! (laughs) We knew once we launched on January 1st that there would be calls. But I’m not sure we realized how big a volume and across how many industries. The amazing thing about the 1600 requests is they cover, like, 60 different industries. From construction to police officers to hotel workers to government employees. So it really does validate something many of us have thought for a long time: This is very pervasive, and unreported, and it doesn’t know any boundaries in terms of geography or age or even gender or industry. That’s proving to be the case.
“Sexual harassment is the symptom at the end of the road, and the road starts with: What do our workplaces really look like?”
So we’ve done several things, knowing there would be a lot of volume. The National Women’s Law Center, which is the home of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, is staffing up. So there will be dedicated staff. In the meantime, my law firm, Buckley Sanders, and several others, have been sending lawyers over there to help answer the phones and help do the screenings, so that we have the capacity. Because we knew we wanted to answer the requests as they were coming in. So of the 1600 requests, over 1,000 have already got information about lawyers they can call, and they’re in the process of getting representation.
So you’re essentially the field office and ultimately their cases are handled locally?
It’s more than that. We’re really a clearinghouse. We’re a place centrally that people can call if they need help. We’re a place centrally where attorneys can volunteer to take cases, either at a pro bono or reduced fee. And we serve as the clearinghouse as somebody calls for help, figuring out, who are the three or four lawyers in that geography who we can give that client that information?
One of our base principles is, we want the clients to always be able to make their own decisions and be empowered to do that. So the client and the lawyer make their own decision, at the end of the day, of whether they’re going to actually work together to pursue the case, or sometimes people just need advice as to whether they even have a claim or not. Sadly, for a lot of people because of statutes of limitations which are so short, they might not actually have a claim, but they need to have someone walk them through that so they can figure out what their rights are.
How do you determine — is there some kind of hierarchy of who gets the resources that you have and the money that you have? Because there’s a lot of it, but it’s not this bottomless well.
No, and anyone who knows about legal bills, even $21 million isn’t going to go far when you’ve got thousands of cases out there. So one thing is, we’re continuing to fundraise. $21 million is not the cap by any means. The GoFundMe page is still going strong.
“There are still lots of ways to mentor, to be friendly — I mean, I’m a hugger in the office and I still hug lots of people! — without abusing the relationship that you have as the person who controls their career, and their job, and their work environment.”
We’re developing criteria for funding. Of all of the cases that have come in so far have been accepted and linked with lawyers, not all of those cases will necessarily get funded, because we don’t have enough funding for every case. So the NWLC has been working on criteria for how to prioritize cases — how to divide up the money. How much is fair to give per case. This really hasn’t been done before at this scale, so it’s not like we had a lot of examples to work on. But they’re doing a very thoughtful process of developing those criteria.
The closest thing that I can think of is when, after a natural disaster, the Red Cross gets all this money and they have to decide how to divvy it up among people. Do you feel like you then end up in the business of quantifying how bad someone’s experience was?
No, I suppose for a hurricane you might! But here, it will be more around, probably, kinds of activities. We’ll set an amount for, if you’re investigating a case you can get up to this amount. [All the lawyers] are going to have to do it for a reduced fee. We need a very, very discounted fee in order to make sure there’s enough money to go around. And this is a charitable enterprise; no one is in this to make money.
So it’ll probably be by different activity stages of cases: For investigation, a cap up to this amount, for pre-trial discovery. It probably breaks up more like that. It’s not really up to us to decide the specific severity of the cases, and in fact, we can’t really get in that business because a lot of the information to evaluate cases should be privileged. The Legal Defense Fund is not the lawyer for these clients. We’re helping link them up with a lawyer. But how they decide to prosecute the case, and how weak or strong the case is, is really up to the client and his or her lawyer.
Obviously you came to this with so much knowledge already about the scale of sexual harassment and violence in this country. I’m curious what, if anything, has been surprising to you about the emails or calls you’ve been receiving, the responses you’ve been getting?
I think we’ve all been — we’re all still surprised by the breadth. We intellectually knew: We think it’s everywhere. But the idea that we have over 60 different industries among the 1600 folks who’ve called in the first month and a half, that surprised us.
I am not an employment lawyer so I don’t do this every day, so I was surprised, knowing what I do know — which is that we have Title VII, and happily we’ve had Title VII protections under employment law for going on three decades, and it provides for recovery of attorney’s fees when you win the case — so I actually, foolishly thought a lot of these cases already had lawyers, but that people who were speaking out and were getting sued for defamation didn’t have lawyers. I thought we’d have more of those cases.
And we do have a lot of those cases, where people who are speaking out — even though their cases were a long time ago — against people who are rich and powerful who have the resources to sue them, they’re on the defense side, and those cases don’t generate any fees.
“It’s a little bit like bringing your work home: Bringing the outside gladiator that you have to be into the workplace when you’re actually people’s bosses, not their opponent.”
But I am surprised at the number of cases, for example, of low-income women who have been unable to find a lawyer, even though there is the potential for recovery of attorney’s fees at the end, because they don’t make enough and therefore, the recovery’s not very big, so it would be spending a lot of time for not a lot of money. I was surprised at how many people who are out there, who have sexual harassment claims, who still can’t find a lawyer. And of course, we always knew that Title VII doesn’t cover small employers. There are lots of categories of kinds of workers who aren’t covered by those kinds of protections.
One of the things that’s been frustrating to see unfold in the reactions to movements like Time’s Up is this, “Well, I guess you can’t date at the office anymore! I guess you can’t flirt with your waitress anymore!” How do you react to that and respond to that?
We are all worried also, by the backlash. It’s “don’t flirt with your waitress” and it’s “don’t take a female associate on a business trip.”
Right: Don’t mentor young women, Mike Pence rules at dinner.
And what I say is, that’s completely, obviously, the wrong reaction to this. The issues here aren’t about mentoring folks or relationships. Some of this is kind of easy! This is workplaces and how you should behave in a workplace, and the way you behave in a workplace is different from how you behave in a social setting. And that, when you’re the boss, you are always the boss. And you have a power relationship with the people who work for you, and you have to treat them appropriately and with respect.
There are still lots of ways to mentor, to be friendly — I mean, I’m a hugger in the office and I still hug lots of people! — without abusing the relationship that you have as the person who controls their career, and their job, and their work environment. So I think the lines are not that hard to find. But we do have to talk about it more. I think the problem that we’ve had is we don’t talk about it enough to make sure people understand the distinction, and we haven’t allowed people to also voice when they’re uncomfortable so that people can understand. Most people, if you say you’re uncomfortable, they’ll respect that. But we haven’t had a culture where it’s been okay to say, “Well, that doesn’t make me comfortable.”
It also seems that in some of these industries, especially creative industries — I think about somebody like Harvey Weinstein. There’s this pairing of, you get to be a jerk if you’re effective, if you’re a creative genius. Or that those two things are linked in some way: That the kind of outlandish, violent behavior is somehow connected to being an effective boss. You of course have worked for the Obamas. I can’t imagine that working for first lady Michelle Obama involved her belittling her employees in any way.
Right, right.
Why do you think that myth persists?
I did 23 years at a big law firm. I’ve had clients who were some of the biggest companies in the country. And I do think — not the Harvey Weinstein, the most egregious sexual assaults that are involved there, but I do think when you talk about things like verbal abuse and bullying that happens in the workplace, that’s not uncommon. And it’s often tied to, “That’s what you have to do to succeed in the workplace externally.”
If you’re in a pretty competitive industry — you’re a salesperson having to sell a lot against competitors — there are a lot of professions, like my profession, I have to go fight it out in court with people for my clients. That’s what my clients expect. That’s what I know I should be doing to be successful for my clients. But, in a lot of times, I think what happens — and again, we haven’t talked about it enough — is that toughness that you have to succeed at external, to your own workplace, gets translated to how you’re behaving in your office.
It’s a little bit like bringing your work home: Bringing the outside gladiator that you have to be into the workplace when you’re actually people’s bosses, not their opponent. And a lot of times we don’t train people well enough to be bosses, and how to manage people, and a good manager doesn’t manage the folks who are working for them in the same way I would approach an opposing counsel in a case. So we need to learn some of that behavior: How to manage differently, how to mentor differently, and how to be successful in very tough, competitive situations, in a way that doesn’t bring that tough competitiveness back to your own workplace.
I hesitate to give President Trump any credit for this moment that we’re experiencing right now. But it does feel like, as a culture, there are enough people who are angry enough that something like Time’s Up is even happening at all, and that we’re still talking about something that was sparked by a news story that broke in October in what might be the most headline-competitive environment we’ve ever had. I’m curious what you think is fueling that continued attention and passion on the part of the general public.
Here’s who I think we have to credit for a lot of that, and that, quite frankly, is the really brave individuals who are coming forward. And they’re still coming forward at some personal risk, and I think what we’ve not seen in past circumstances when this happened is that volume of outpouring of people feeling empowered to also talk about what happened to them. Those stories, and the proliferation of them, and the wide diversity of stories and the wide diversity of workplace situations, has, I think, kept it going. Because there’s a different industry and work situation with every news cycle. A lot of credit has to go to those folks.
“Nobody knew who Anita Hill was before she started testifying, and many people still, to this day, don’t know who she is. Millions of people know who these women in Hollywood are.”
And I do think the fact that it started with the women in Hollywood, who are very familiar people. In the past, people who would speak out, people didn’t really know or recognize or relate to. Nobody knew who Anita Hill was before she started testifying, and many people still, to this day, don’t know who she is. Millions of people know who these women in Hollywood are. I give them a lot of credit for being willing to use their celebrity, and to continue to use their celebrity, with each passing moment as they continue to speak out, to keep this issue in the forefront. I think that has been contributing a lot. Because people see them on their televisions at night, and see them in the movie theater. They relate to them — they feel like they have a relationship with some of these actresses. And that, I think, has really made people tune into this issue in a way that they haven’t tuned in before when the people making the allegations, which were also horrific, were not people that they knew or thought they knew.
It does feel, too, like people — in ways good and bad — are just closer to the edge than we were two years ago.
Here’s the other thing: Social media, we forget that it’s become such a fabric of our lives. We forget what it was like to spread news around or tell personal stories in a way that got the attention of folks. Before social media, there wasn’t really a vehicle for it. When Anita Hill was testifying 26 years ago, even if somebody had wanted to do Me Too then, there was no platform in which the average person who did identify with her could give voice to that in a meaningful way. (Editor’s note: Tarana Burke founded the Me Too movement in 1997.)
We’re in an age right now, also, where that ability for people to see something that affects them personally, and also join in and speak out publicly about it, to have that seen by thousands of people very quickly, it gives a great power to all of these social change movements.
As much as you’re seeing that the volume of this conversation is so huge, as you say, and more people are participating in it than ever before, is there anything that you think is not being talked about in this arena that should be? Or is there anything you think is being misunderstood?
I want to always make sure that, when we talk about sexual harassment, we can’t just focus on sexual harassment itself. Sexual harassment is the symptom at the end of the road, and the road starts with: What do our workplaces really look like? To really combat sexual harassment, it’s not just: Fix our policies, do some training, and discipline some folks. It is really: Build workplaces that are more truly diverse and where everyone is treated with respect and feels safe. And that is all about addressing core structural issues around how we organize work.
That’s something I’ve been talking about since I was in the White House, with our Summit on Working Families. (Disclosure: The White House Summit on Working Families was co-hosted by the Center for American Progress. ThinkProgress is an editorially independent site housed at the Center for American Progress.) It’s something I’m building a practice here at Buckley Sandler around, which is helping companies build workplace cultures that are more supportive.
Because that’s really how you’re going to solve the problem of sexual harassment, is if you have true diversity in the workforce with women and people of color in leadership as well as in other levels within the company, that you have a workplace culture and a set of conduct that is acceptable that you set by the tone at the top, by the corporation’s heads, that say: This is the kind of company we want to be, this is the kind of workplace we want to have.
Taking those steps will not only, I think, reduce incidences of sexual harassment or, when they occur, we’ll have systems in place that respond to them appropriately. It also will benefit companies. We’ve seen plenty of the data that shows that companies that are more diverse have better returns on investment, they make better decisions, they have lower costs of turnover from their staff. And we now also see — what the current news stories are showing us — the risks to the entire enterprise if you don’t address these issues appropriately. Because you will have the problems that we’re seeing now and they can lead to real damage to your business model and to your company.
What I do hope we can get to is talking about these broader workplace issues as well, and not just the sexual harassment part. Because it doesn’t happen in isolation.
I have a feeling, given your work, that your answer to this question will be no. But because I sometimes feel this way, I want to know if you do, too: When you look at the scope of this problem and you think, okay, to deal with gender discrimination at work, we’re going to have to deal with gender discrimination all over, because we can’t suddenly expect people to skip into their cubicle and be better there than we are everywhere else — do you ever just feel like, we have to burn it all down?
Well, no. (laughs) Maybe it’s our age difference! But no. No, because I’ve seen how things can change. I know so many companies that have gotten better, that have set real different tones, that are in the process of seeing real diversity come through in their senior levels.
“Women are now 50 percent of the workforce. They graduate at a rate that’s 20 percent higher than men, in the United States. So if you want the most talented workers, you need to have a workplace that’s going to attract women as workers.”
I also really believe that the world economic system, and the global economy, and competitiveness, and the demography of workers, is all working in our favor. Meaning that women are now 50 percent of the workforce. They graduate at a rate that’s 20 percent higher than men, in the United States. So if you want the most talented workers, you need to have a workplace that’s going to attract women as workers. And globally, if we want to compete — the U.S. economy — we’re going to have to get better than being one of only two countries in the world without a paid family leave policy, because companies will move off-shore. They’ll get competition from overseas, if we don’t make sure that our workplaces are fully meeting the needs of 21st-century workers.
So all of the external forces driving the population and driving the economy are working in our favor, meaning, the companies that respond on these issues well will be able to respond to the environment that is changing. So it’s a great opportunity. It’s probably the best opportunity we’ve had in generations to make these changes.
You’ve been a part of an administration that sees these issues the way that you do. How does it feel now to be doing this work at a moment when it’s really the opposite messaging coming out of the White House?
Well, one of the things that we’ve known, even when we were in office in the White House, we didn’t have Congress for much of our administration. Therefore, some of the big federal policy changes, like passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, dealing with some of these workplace issues that have to be dealt with statutorily, we’ve confronted for now, several years, the fact that we would not be able to change federal paid leave policy, for example. So for a long time now, I have thought that the best way to change is for companies, employers, workplaces of all sectors, to voluntarily start instituting these changes.
We also have employers that are stepping up and making changes. That’s another part of Time’s Up as well: We’re all about trying to make sustainable change. I think you’ll see more and more companies who are voluntarily providing paid leave, that are changing the composition of their boards to make them more diverse and get more women on them, promoting more women into C-suite. All of those are things that we are starting to see movement on and that we’ll continue to see progress on by the end of the year.
It’s interesting to hear you talk about this all happening organically because I am very curious about: What is the meeting like? Are you just in this room with Oprah, and Shonda Rhimes, and Gwyneth Paltrow? It’s the Illuminati meetings, but just the women!
You know, there’s a great energy. There’s a great support. I’ve been in a lot of meetings with women — because that’s what I do, I’ve worked on women’s issues my entire adult life. So I’m used to the wonderful energy that you get when you’re sitting around a table with the shared experience women have, and trying to make some positive change. For a lot of the actresses, and some of them have said this publicly in interviews, they didn’t really know each other. Their experience is more like being the only woman on set. We, I think on the outside, think: Oh, it’s the Hollywood community!
Right, that they all hang out.
That they all hang out together on a Saturday night. Apparently, not so much! So these meetings have been a wonderful opportunity for them to have that experience that I have had elsewhere, and that’s great for them. They have found a whole new support network for themselves, which is terrific.
This article was originally published at ThinkProgress on March 7, 2018. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author: Jessica M. Goldstein is the Culture Editor of ThinkProgress.
Tags: #MeToo, Anita Hill, Harvey Weinstein, michelle obama, NWLC, paid family leave, sexual harassment, Time'sUp, Tina Tchen, White House
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White House Boosts ‘Flexible’ Workplace, As 15 Million Still Seek ANY Workplace
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
The White House on Wednesday took time out to promote the value of a flexible workplace that can accomodate two-paycheck families. With 15 million people officially unemployed, it made one nostalgic for a time before the recession, when people worried about the quality of their work lives rather than about just finding a job.
But allowing workers flexible schedules so they can balance their work and family lives isnt just a luxury that should be reserved for flush economic times. As Michelle Obama pointed out at the event that included business and family advocates, “So it’s something that many of the companies here today have discovered, very fortunately, that flexible policies actually make employees more, not less, productive.”
To underscore that point, the White House Council of Economic Advisers released a report that, the White House noted, “discusses the economic benefits of workplace flexibility—such as reduced absenteeism, lower turnover, improved health of workers, and increased productivity.”
Still, there might be a way to combine workplace flexibility with job creation — by adopting the proposal of Dean Baker and others to use unemployment insurance or other funds to help keep people on the job but working fewer hours.
Unfortunately, that sort of approach responding to the clamor for work didn’t get as much attention as innovative ways to promote flexible hours for employees so they can juggle personal and work obligations. As the Huffington Post’s Dan Froomkin reported:
Two out of three American families are so-called “juggler families,” in which parents are forever trying to balance the needs of their job with the needs of their children.
But many workplaces — and government policies — are still stuck in the distant past, operating as if most families still had a single breadwinner, and someone else to mind the kids when they’re out of school, or the grandparents when they need care.
Once you realize that, there are a bunch of employer practices and policy proposals that suddenly make a lot of sense: Encouraging telecommuting, giving people time off for family emergencies, enabling flexible schedules, allowing employees to swap shifts, and so on…
As part of his push, Obama cited a new White House report which concludes that flexible workplace rules could increase productivity.
But he also cast the need for more humane workplaces in moral terms. “[U]ltimately, it reflects our priorities as a society — our belief that no matter what each of us does for a living, caring for our loved ones and raising the next generation is the single most important job that we have. I think it’s time we started making that job a little easier for folks,” he said.
Even so, feminists and others who have promoted these concepts for years are now sharpening their arguments about the need for making such reforms in hard times. As Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute pointed out, in advance of the conference:
We had a preview of the Forum last week in DC at the Work Life Conference, co-convened by the Families and Work Institute and The Conference Board. Speaking at the conference, Martha Coven of the White House Domestic Policy Council said that some might argue that employees are lucky just to have jobs, that companies have to focus on meeting their payrolls, and that the government needs to get the economy back on track and stabilizing it. They ask, “why workplace flexibility; why now?”
That is a false choice, she countered. Workplace flexibility is something that we have to do not only when times are good, but when times are bad. Workplace flexibility will help our businesses AND our families thrive.
While promoting “flexible workplaces” won’t do anything to stop the distorted GOP onslaught targeting Obama over jobs, he stood up for the imporance of the issue—and made clear its broader benefits.
“Workplace flexibility isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s an issue that affects the well-being of our families and the success of our businesses,” said Obama. “It affects the strength of our economy – whether we’ll create the workplaces and jobs of the future that we need to compete in today’s global economy.”
As a White House press released noted, Obama has taken the issue seriously enough to place it alongside other intiatives that aim to level the playing field for women — and strengthen out economy by promoting full and fair participation in the workplace:
“Employers, including the federal government, will have to implement flexible work policies if they want to attract the best and the brightest,” said Valerie Jarrett, Senior Adviser to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls. ” The President is committed to making sure that the federal government can compete for talent because he knows that good people produce better work, which in turn, leads to better service for the American people.”
*This post originally appeared in Working In These Times on April 1, 2010. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author Art Levine is a contributing editor of The Washington Monthly, and a former Fellow with the Progressive Policy Insititute. He has also written for Mother Jones, The American Prospect, The New Republic, The Atlantic, Slate, Salon and numerous other publications. He is the author of 2005’s PPI report, Parity-Plus: A Third Way Approach to Fix America’s Mental Health System, and is currently researching a book on mental health issues. Levine also posts commentary at Art Levine Confidential.
Tags: Art Levine, Dean Baker, Ellen Galinsky, Families and Work Institute, juggler families, michelle obama, unemployment, White House Council of Economic Advisers, White House Council on Women and Girls, worklace flexibility
Posted in unemployment, workplace flexibility | No Comments »
Towards a “New Normal” in the American Workplace - A Public Policy Platform on Flexible Work Arrangements
On the heels of First Lady Michelle Obama’s challenge to find ways to encourage employers to provide more flexibility to employees, Workplace Flexibility 2010, a Georgetown Law-based think tank, has released a new report outlining a comprehensive set of policy solutions to expand Americans’ access to flexible work arrangements (FWAs) such as compressed workweeks, predictable schedules, and telework. The common-ground solutions described in the report can benefit both working families and businesses.
The report draws on decades of research on changes in the American workforce – dual earner couples are now the norm; older workers need to work longer to save for retirement; men and women want to share caregiving responsibilities; many lower-wage workers work nonstandard schedules and multiple jobs to make ends meet; and more people with disabilities are working but may need a range of supports.
This increased diversity and complexity within the American workforce – combined with intensifying global competition in a 24/7 marketplace – have raised unprecedented organizational and societal challenges that impact both employers and employees. And yet, our workplaces have not caught up in a systematic or sophisticated way to these new realities. We live in a world of changing individuals and often unyielding institutions.
Flexible work arrangements support employees who struggle to meet the demands of work while also fulfilling personal responsibilities – caregiving for a loved one, volunteering, attending religious services, or obtaining job training. At the same time, they have been shown to help employers support their workforce, meet their business objectives, and increase their competitive advantage.
Workplace Flexibility 2010’s policy platform represents the culmination of years of in-depth conversations with employers, employees, managers, labor, researchers and advocates in Washington and across the country. It provides a detailed blueprint for advocates, the White House, Congress and other policymakers to build on innovative workplace flexibility strategies – and highlights numerous examples of effective business practices.
In order to make FWAs the “new normal” in the American workplace, the report recommends five complementary prongs:
• Spur a national campaign to make FWAs compelling to both employers and employees by:
Launching a strategic multi-media public education campaign; providing awards to recognize and encourage businesses to offer and implement FWAs; and conducting research on the impact of FWA practices on employees, businesses and communities and disseminating the findings.
• Provide employers and employees with the tools and training they need to make FWAs a standard way of working by:
Making training and technical assistance on how to implement FWAs readily available to both employers and employees; launching a comprehensive website with information about the needs and benefits of FWAs, FWA best practices, model policies and procedures, and federal laws and programs; clarifying perceived legal obstacles to FWAs; and removing or considering the removal of actual legal obstacles.
• Support innovations in FWAs, learn from those efforts, and disseminate lessons learned by:
Experimenting with new ideas through pilot programs – including piloting a right to request in the federal workforce; piloting FWAs for low-wage workers employed by federal contractors; and piloting private sector innovations such as mass career customization and team scheduling with new industries and employers.
• Lead by example, making the federal government a model employer by:
Demonstrating high-level support for FWAs in the federal workforce; including FWAs as a key component of the federal government’s human capital management agenda; providing training, technical assistance, and resources to support the implementation of FWAs within the federal government; and regularly assessing how FWAs are working and affecting employees, the workplace and the broader community.
• Build an infrastructure of federal, state and community players to implement the first four prongs of the effort by:
Engaging all the players at the federal state and community level who will be key to a successful effort, and creating the infrastructure at each of these levels necessary for an effective partnership among these key players.
This report sets the stage for a national conversation among employee and employer groups, other stakeholders and policymakers about innovative solutions that work well for both employees and employers. Engaging in this conversation and embarking on the necessary action steps are key to equipping our American workplaces to meet the challenges of our 21st century workforce.
The full report is available at www.workplaceflexibility2010.org.
About the Authors: Chai Feldblum is a Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C., Director of Georgetown’s Federal Legislation Clinic, and Co-Director of Workplace Flexibility 2010.
Katie Corrigan is the Co-Director of Workplace Flexibility 2010 where she, along with Chai Feldblum, is responsible for overseeing the strategy, legislative lawyering, policy research, media, and constituent outreach components of the effort.
Tags: flexible work arrangements, Jessica Glenn, michelle obama, workplace flexibility
Posted in workplace flexibility | No Comments »
What Will First Lady Michelle Obama's Work-Life Balance Efforts Look Like?
We have heard for some time that Michelle Obama’s pet concerns on the campaign trail, which she hoped to be able to continue while in the White House – and will indeed be able to after last week’s dramatic election finish for her husband, President-Elect Barack – are helping families create a healthy work/life balance and easing the struggles for military families.
It’s no wonder the former is an issue that’s close to Mrs. Obama’s heart. This article from the UK-based Telegraph newspaper talks about her own work/life balance struggles, in three distinct phases of her life: while growing up on the South Side of Chicago and seeing an ailing father continue to work hard, and leave business matters at the office; while herself transitioning from the legal field to civic and community work after marrying Barack and having their two daughters, Malia and Sasha; and most recently while Barack was on the campaign trail.
Mrs. Obama even wrote a heartfelt essay on the topic of work/life balance last month on the popular BlogHer community of women bloggers. Here’s how she spells out the plight for working women:
As we all know, our country is in the midst of a major economic crisis. And we’re all feeling the effects. …
And folks are feeling it at the workplace. Because right now, thousands of women across the country don’t have family leave at their jobs. And those who do can’t afford to take it because it’s not paid. And 22 million working women don’t have a single paid sick day.
That’s just unacceptable. Families shouldn’t be punished because someone gets sick or has an emergency.
This is from the employee perspective, but Obama’s cause has direct implications for small and midsize business leaders. Morra Aarons-Mele, a graduate student specializing in women and leadership, framed this exceptionally well recently on The Huffington Post,
Why should we care about “work life” issues when our savings and retirement funds are literally halving by the day? Because “work life,” as nondescript as it may sound, is the stuff that keeps American families afloat. Work life refers to issues ranging from sick leave to health care to early education and child care. It also encompasses flexibility and better work-life balance, which have strong effects on companies’ bottom lines and employee productivity.
So what would organizations’ employee engagement activities geared toward helping workers achieve a more harmonious balance look like – ideally – four or eight years from now? Obama hinted at this during a plenary address she gave at our annual small business leadership conference two years ago, when she spoke about creating relationships between businesses and the community.
Community organizing didn’t just help Barack become President-Elect; it has also helped his wife use resources at her present employer, the University of Chicago (and later its Hospitals) to transcend both entities from simply a “name” in their neighborhood to a visible, tangible source of inspiration and assistance.
As we spelled out in our article summarizing her remarks at our event, Obama pointed to the creation of such initiatives as school “Principal-For-A-Day” and community fitness programs as ways to not only bring the University’s and Hospitals’ employees out in the open, but to better connect their passions to their work.
This model has been readily adopted, to great effect, by some of the firms we’ve since honored as Top Small Workplaces. For instance, 2008 winner The Redwoods Group, an insurance provider for YMCAs and Jewish Community Organizations that’s based in North Carolina, requires its 100 employees to volunteer 40 hours of service annually to nonprofits. A condition of their employment, the company argues this has contributed directly to their steady employee growth (27% over the last two years) – including the ability to recruit cost effectively – and industry-low turnover (less than 6% on average the last two years).
So one plausible – again, ideal – work/life balance scenario is the government serving an encouraging, perhaps advisory role in helping small business leaders adjust their employee engagement best practices so employees can focus their passions on helping their communities, while at the same time benefitting the organization through enhanced workplace team building and lower rates of absenteeism and presenteeism.
Do you concur? Or do you see Obama’s work/life-related efforts playing out differently?
Cross posted at Winning Workplaces
Tags: 2008 election, balance, employee engagement, michelle obama, small business, work-life, work/life, workplace initiatives
Posted in BestBosses, SmallBusiness, WinningWorkplaces | No Comments »
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UK’s greatest Olympic memories
By Richard Jenkins
Published: 10:14 Wednesday 03 August 2016
Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford grabbing gold in a 44-minute blitz at London 2012’s ‘Super Saturday’ has been hailed the nation’s favourite Olympic memory of all time.
The stunning evening of sport took ‘gold’ in the survey of 2,000 Brits, ahead of Usain Bolt’s golds in the 100m and 200m at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
Danny Boyle’s epic opening ceremony, featuring David Beckham in a speedboat and James Bond and the ‘Queen’ parachuting into the stadium took bronze
Jessica Bridge, of Ladbrokes, said: “Super Saturday might have only lasted for 44 minutes but it’s an iconic memory that will be talked about for generations to come.
“Patriotic punters all over the country are hopeful Team GB will hit the ground running in Rio and pick up where they left off in London four years ago.”
Jessica Ennis-Hill came top of the charts in terms of popularity, with 20 per cent of Brits picking her as their favourite Team GB athlete - ahead of Mo Farah on 15 per cent and Andy Murray on seven per cent.
The men’s 100 metre final is the most eagerly-anticipated event in Rio, with the USA’s Justin Gatlin and Bolt’s Jamaican compatriot Yohan Blake all set to battle Bolt for gold.
And almost a third of people believe Team GB will equal 2012’s haul of 29 golds, according to the poll.
Jessica Bridge added: “Everyone has their own special memory of London 2012 and it’s provided a generation of young athletes with inspiration to follow their own dreams.
“It’s also hugely encouraging to see that 87 per cent of Brits think that Olympic athletes set a good example for kids, and stars like Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Tom Daley will surely be front and foremost in Rio, as they were in London.”
THE TOP 10 OLYMPIC MEMORIES
1. ‘Super Saturday’ at London 2012
2. Usain Bolt’s double gold at Beijing 2008
3. The London 2012 opening ceremony
4. Jesse Owens’ four gold medals in Berlin, 2936
5. The Jamaican Bobsleigh team’s appearance at the Calgary Winter Olympics
6. Steve Redgrage wins his fifth gold medal in Sydney in 2000
7. Michael Phelps takes eight golds in Beijing, 2008
8. Female athletes are allowed to compete for the first time in Paris, 1900
9. Athletes in wheelchairs allowed to compete in London in 1948
10. Dame Kelly Holmes wins double gold in Athens, 2004
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Ukraine's Joint Forces show video of MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 attack aircraft in combat training flight over Sea of Azov
Warplanes were fully loaded with weapons.
Photo from UNIAN
A MiG-29 fighter wing and a pair of Su-25 attack aircraft performed scheduled flights over the Sea of Azov, providing an air cover for Ukraine Navy ships sailing in the area.
The corresponding video was posted by the press service of the Joint Forces Operation HQ on its Facebook page.
During the mission, the crews worked out a number of tasks, including a duo flight, anti-missile maneuvers, and the like.
It should be noted that the warplanes were fully loaded with weapons.
Read alsoOSCE monitors spot about 30 howitzers in Russia-occupied areas in Donbas
Upon completing the mission, the aircraft landed at one of the operational airfields in close proximity to the zone of the Joint Forces Operation.
As UNIAN reported earlier, last year, the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant, in close cooperation with other enterprises of the Ukroboronprom State Concern, completed the modernization of the MiG-29 fighters to the MiG-29MU1 level.
The MiG-29MU1 aircraft reach speeds of up to 2,450 kmh due to a pair of turbojet engines with an afterburner. The list of fighter’s weapons, besides the 30-mm automatic cannon, includes a whole range of air-to-air missiles for air combat at small and medium distances, as well as bombs and blocks of unguided rockets for engaging ground targets.
In addition, the aircraft is equipped with an advanced electronic warfare system designed for individual defense against attacks by anti-aircraft missile systems and enemy aircraft.
Tags: #war#RussianAggression#video#training#conflict#flight#Azov#Mig29#Su25#jointforces#JFO
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AG Sessions appears in House panel's closed-down hearing
Allen Cone
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Session testifies during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the Justice Department on November 14. He appeared in a private session with the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Attorney General Jeff Sessions faced questioning Thursday by the U.S. House Intelligence Committee as part of its investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
The panel planned to interview Sessions over his knowledge of contacts with Russians during the campaign and after the election, CNN reported.
Senators were hopeful Sessions would be more forthcoming in a confidential setting.
"There are potential opportunities with a sitting administration official with security clearances to get into matters that we may not have been able to get into with other witnesses, so there may be areas of questioning that we can do that were not possible to do publicly," Intelligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said to The Hill.
RELATED Justice Dept. announces $12M, new efforts to fight opioid crisis
Democrats want to find out what Sessions knew about contacts between Trump aides and the Russians while he served as a campaign adviser.
"I'm also concerned about the degree to which the wall between the White House and the Justice Department is being broken down," Inteligence Committee ranking member Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said.
Republicans say the Department of Justice is not meeting committee requests for information.
RELATED FBI receives record-breaking 200,000 gun checks on Black Friday
"It doesn't make much sense to me why we're having such trouble getting information from an administration that's aligned with us," said Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah. "That's kind of my start point."
On Nov. 14, Sessions was questioned in an open hearing before the Judiciary Committee.
Sessions said he has "always told the truth" about contacts with Russians and he has no "clear recollection" of meetings by aides about Russia.
RELATED Federal judge again blocks Trump order targeting 'sanctuary cities'
That includes Erik Prince, the military contractor who The Washington Post reported attended a secret meeting in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean in January. He reportedly tried to set up a meeting between Trump, his campaign officials and individuals suspected of being "members of President Putin's office."
Prince has said he met with a Russian government official but it wasn't on behalf of the Trump presidency.
The committee plans to interview Prince, whose sister is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
"There isn't much new, if you're talking about Russia-specific collusion - we've been over that ad nauseum," Chris Stewart, R-Utah. "There's nothing that hasn't been asked, in my opinion, and I think that's generally shared."
Erik Prince
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For BOCES teacher, student success is 'what it’s all about'
Amy Neff Roth
Apr 5, 2019 at 5:00 PM Apr 5, 2019 at 6:11 PM
Alana Connolly is a teacher but spends a lot of her time at Hannaford, Walmart and Little Falls Hospital instead of in a classroom.
That’s because her job is focused on helping her students prepare for the future — not by learning from books, but by testing out jobs. She teaches special education at the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES in the Career Awareness program she started in 1996.
Her students do internships, visit college programs for special needs students, take field trips, connect with agencies that help people with disabilities get jobs and learn skills needed for adult life through out-of-school sessions four days a week and guest speakers on Fridays.
It’s a bit like "The Magic School Bus," Connolly said.
"Every day they come in: ‘Where are we going today? What are we doing?'" she said.
BOCES officials apparently see her work as magical too; they nominated Connolly as an Amazing Teacher for a series by the Observer-Dispatch recognizing exemplary instructors in Oneida, Herkimer and Madison counties.
"Ms. Connolly’s warm, friendly demeanor and enthusiasm for the work that she does is contagious in her classroom," wrote Roberta Matthews, director of special education and alternative education, in her letter of nomination. "Students are excited to try new job sites. Over the years, several of our students have been offered positions in the business where they interned. There is no better acknowledgement of skill development and job readiness than a job offer."
Matthews attributed that kind of success to Connolly, whom she called one of BOCES’ "best cheerleaders."
"She always has a new idea or plan to make good even better," she continued. "She is well loved by her current and past students."
Whatever students do after high school, the career program teaches them skills that can help and gives them possibilities to consider, Connolly said. And it lets them test out jobs to see what they actually like doing, she said.
"We’re teaching them how to become an adult as they transition from school to the real world," she said.
Connelly, who describes herself as a "people person," knows just what success looks like to her. It’s the sight of one of her students bagging groceries, working in a nursing home kitchen or walking around a college campus.
"That’s what’s so great is that they’ve found jobs that they like and they’ve been able to go out and earn money," she said. "And that’s what it’s all about."
Contact reporter Amy Neff Roth at 315-792-5166 or follow her on Twitter (@OD_Roth).
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Chrabas, Cecelia, 92, of Utica/New York Mills, died April 23, 2012. Arrangements by Kowalczyk Funeral Home, New York Mills.
Coy, Jeffrey L., 58, of Utica, formerly of Whitesboro, died April 24, 2012. Arrangements by Dimbleby, Friedel, Williams & Edmunds Funeral Home, Whitesboro.
Crowell, Wava Ann, 70, of St. Johnsville, died April 23, 2012. Arrangements by Vincent A. Enea Funeral Service, St. Johnsville.
Erney, Kathryn M., 91, of Dolgeville, died April 21, 2012. Arrangements by Johnson Funeral Home, Dexter.
Helmer, Robert E., 83, of Herkimer, died April 24, 2012. Arrangements by Fenner Funeral Home Inc., Herkimer.
Kennedy, Denny O., 77, of New Hartford, died April 23, 2012. Arrangements by Dimbleby, Friedel, Williams & Edmunds Funeral Home, New Hartford.
Maloney, Elizabeth Anne (Betty), 82, of Utica, died April 24, 2012. Arrangements by Nunn & McGrath Funeral Directors, Utica.
Palmisano, Peter, 58, of Utica, died April 24, 2012. Arrangements by The Scala & Roefaro Funeral Home Inc., Utica.
Trevor, Lyle F., 77, of Herkimer, died April 24, 2012. Arrangements by Vincent A. Enea Funeral Service, Herkimer.
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DNC no longer listed as partner for 2019 edition of Women's March
The Democratic National Committee appears to have pulled out from partnering with the organizers of the Women's March as the group's leadership faces accusations of anti-Semitism due to their association with Louis Farrakhan ahead of its third annual march this weekend.
Although the DNC was not listed as a partner for the Women's March as of Tuesday evening, a page cached by Google on Sunday morning showed otherwise. This year's march is scheduled for Saturday in Washington.
The Google-cached website states the page "is a snapshot of the page as it appeared at" 2:19 a.m. ET on Sunday, and features the Democratic National Committee.
"The DNC stands in solidarity with all those fighting for women's rights and holding the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers across the country accountable. Women are on the front lines of fighting back against this administration and are the core of our Democratic Party," DNC Deputy Communications Director Sabrina Singh said in a statement.
When pressed to confirm whether the DNC had been partnering with the organization for this year's march, and if it was no longer, a DNC official declined to comment further.
Leaders of the Women's March, the national group that's organizing Saturday's event, have been criticized for their association with the Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan, who has led the black nationalist group since 1977, is known for hyperbolic hate speech aimed at the Jewish community, and made remarks such as "the powerful Jews are my enemy" last February.
Both Tamika Mallory and Carmen Perez, co-chairs of the Women's March, have posted photos on Instagram of themselves with Farrakhan. Linda Sarsour, another Women's March leader, spoke at a rally headlined by Farrakhan in 2015.
In November 2018, the founder of the Women's March called for the co-chairs to step down, writing in a Facebook post that the current leadership has "steered the Movement away from its true course."
"In opposition to our Unity Principles, they have allowed anti-Semitism, anti-LBGTQIA sentiment and hateful, racist rhetoric to become a part of the platform by their refusal to separate themselves from groups that espouse these racist, hateful beliefs," Teresa Shook wrote.
Sarsour wrote a November 2018 statement responding to the accusations, denying any bigotry and saying the organization was "deeply invested in building better and deeper relationships with the Jewish community."
"The Women's March exists to fight bigotry and discrimination in all their forms — including homophobia and anti-Semitism — and to lift up the voices of women who are too often left out. We believe in a world where women from all backgrounds are equally represented in government, media, politics, and everywhere and invite everyone who shares these values to join us," she said.
The Women's March did not respond to a request for comment about the DNC's apparent decision to pull out as a sponsor for the 2019 march.
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The Gravy Train
A four-part comedy about bureaucratic bribery and corruption in the European Union.
Skådespelare: Alexei Sayle, Almanta Suska, Christoph Waltz, Ian Richardson, Jacques Sereys
TV Status: Avslutad
Längd: 60m min
Nätverk: undefined
Keywords:corruption miniseries satire
Heist is an American television series that premiered March 22, 2006, on NBC, but was almost immediately canceled due to low ratings. The series was from acclaimed director Doug Liman…
梁山伯与祝英台
A Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.
The Aldrich Family
The Aldrich Family, a popular radio teenage situation comedy, was also presented in films, television and comic books. In the radio series’ well-remembered weekly opening exchange, awkward teen Henry’s mother…
Pleasure for Sale
Selena ¡VIVE!
Selena ¡VIVE! was a benefit concert which was held on the 10th anniversary of Selena’s death. The concert was held on April 7, 2005 at the Reliant Stadium in Houston,…
Genre: Animerat, Dokumentär
Sexy Road Test
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Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter
Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter is a 1979 television film drama directed by Milton Katselas.
Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors
Seven Hours Difference
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UK P&I Club Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement - Signed 2019
This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes UK (Europe)’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 20th February 2019 until it may in future be modified or amended. Such modifications or amendments will be communicated to all our existing and new employees. The statement has been approved by the UK (Europe) Board and will be sent to all our suppliers to ensure they comply with our values and ethics.
The term “modern slavery” encompasses offences such as slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking and, as such, is a violation of human rights. It involves behaviour on the part of the offender as if he/she “owned” a person, depriving the victim of his/her freedom (slavery); the use of coercion and the obligation for a “serf” to live on another person’s property and the impossibility of changing his or her condition (servitude); direct or indirect threats of violence to exact work or service from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the person has not offered him/herself voluntarily (forced or compulsory labour); and the arrangement of facilitation of travel of another person with a view to that person being exploited (human trafficking).
We have a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking and are also committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships to ensure modern slavery is not taking place in our own business nor in any of the supply chains we operate. We always work to the highest professional standards and comply with all laws and regulations applicable to the business.
The Club is a global company and the nature of its business is such that the supply chains supporting our business are limited and there is minimal risk that we are in any way involved or complicit in modern slavery or human trafficking either in our own business or in the businesses of our suppliers. We are committed to improving our practices to combat modern slavery and human trafficking.
The parent company of the UK P&I Club is The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Europe) Limited “UK (Europe)” which is a mutual marine insurance company incorporated in England & Wales. As a mutual company, UK (Europe) does not have shareholders and is owned by and exists for the benefit of its Members who are ship owners and other entities that have ships insured by UK (Europe). UK (Europe) has three subsidiaries, UK P&I Club N.V incorporated in the Netherlands, The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (Bermuda) Limited, which is the 90/10 quota reinsurer of UK (Europe), and The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship Assurance Association (London) Limited, which has been in run-off since 1971.
The mutual marine insurance business of the Club is carried on by UK (Europe) in London and through its branches in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore. The Club provides claims handling and advisory services to its policyholders through the Managers (Thomas Miller P&I (Europe) Ltd) and a global network of correspondents. The services provided by the Club to its insureds also include the provision, on a discretionary basis, of guarantees and undertakings to third parties to enable ships entered for insurance with the Club to be released or to avoid threatened arrest or detention. Other services provided by the Club to its insureds include various advisory services aimed primarily at loss prevention.
The Club is regulated by both the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK.
Our Supply Chains and Risk Assessment
Neither the Club nor the Managers are producers, manufacturers or retailers of goods and, as such, do not have supply chains involving the procurement of raw materials, factories, assembly plants or migrant workers. Our supply chains are limited to the procurement of professional services, such as lawyers, surveyors, actuaries and other services to facilitate the Club’s work as an insurance company. Their engagement and ongoing monitoring are the subjects of a Thomas Miller Procurement Policy for Professional Services.
The goods and suppliers of other services, such as cleaning, catering, property management and communications infrastructure that we procure to run our business are the subject of a separate Thomas Miller Procurement Policy for Goods and Services other than Professional Services.
Our branches in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore are also subject to these procurement policies.
We have reviewed our internal policies and procedures to assess their effectiveness in identifying and tackling modern slavery issues. We currently have no stand-alone policy on modern slavery and human trafficking. We do, however, have a well-developed risk culture based on good governance and the three lines of defence risk management model. Both the Club and the Managers have developed a number of policies that reflect our approach to risk management and bear on the requirements to combat slavery and human trafficking and on our corporate social responsibility as it relates to the environment. Relevant policies are:
Procurement Policy for Professional Services
Procurement Policy for Goods and Services other than Professional Services
Conduct Risk Policy
Outsourcing Policy
All policies and procedures are stored on our Electronic Quality Management System (EQMS) and are accessible by all staff.
Our System and Controls - Due Diligence Processes, Measuring Effectiveness and Training
We have dedicated Risk and Compliance functions led by the Chief Risk Officer and the Head of Compliance with involvement from the Human Resources department and Internal Audit function. The Thomas Miller and Club Boards receive reports from these function areas. We have in place general system and controls as follows,
The selection and management of suppliers, including service evaluation and review, are governed by the procurement policies identified above.
The Outsourcing Policy provides guidance on the assessment of options for outsourcing material activities to a third party which includes a detailed specification of the due diligence review performed on the chosen service provider and the requirement for a written agreement.
Recruitment methods and standards for potential suppliers are also articulated in the procurement policies.
Employee rights and responsibilities are set out in Contracts of Employment, the Employee Handbook and other related employment documentation. The established conduct standards ensure we conduct our business responsibly, ethically and in accordance with applicable laws and regulation.
We communicate this statement and the relevant internal policies to all our existing and new employees to ensure a high-level of understanding of the Club’s position on modern slavery and human trafficking.
We also consider the need for training of key personnel to recognise the signs associated with modern slavery and what to do if they suspect these offences are being committed.
We have systems in place to protect whistle blowers.
We are satisfied that the structure of these policies could enable the inclusion of additional, more explicit terms to cover respect for human rights and zero tolerance of modern slavery throughout the supplier organisation or in any part of our business if needed.
Nicholas Inglessis
The United Kingdom Mutual Steam Ship
Assurance Association (Europe) Limited
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Home Rugby Saracens win Champions Cup: What lies ahead for Mark McCall
Saracens win Champions Cup: What lies ahead for Mark McCall
He’s one of the most successful coaches in English rugby history – but Mark McCall remains something of an enigma.
Saracens’ Champions Cup victory over Leinster was their third European title in four seasons, making it seven major trophies for McCall since he took charge of the club in 2010.
Known as the ‘Silent Assassin’ by his players, former Ireland centre McCall is a leader happy in the shadows. But why is the Northern Irishman rarely discussed when it comes to a major international role?
With England looking for a new coach post-Eddie Jones, should McCall’s name be in the frame? And would he even want it?
The Rugby Union Weekly team of former England winger Ugo Monye, BBC Sport rugby union correspondent Chris Jones and England scrum-half Danny Care are joined by Saracens and England hooker Jamie George to discuss what McCall does next…
CJ: I don’t really get why he’s not considered one of the greatest coaches in rugby. Surely if you’re the RFU you’ve got to be thinking this is a man who knows the players, knows the system, knows the pathways, has a great record in one-off games and he deals with all that tension and expectation.
JG: I’m happy with him where he is. It’s surprising he’s not talked about, as he’s got a proven track record and he played international rugby as well. He would be amazing if he stepped into an international role, but we’ll try and keep him where he is for now.
CJ: I don’t know if he’d want to be the England coach. Unlike loads of coaches out there he never talks about himself, ever. You can’t get him talking about his background, his playing career, his hopes or ambitions, anything. It’s not about him, it’s about the players. We don’t know whether he has ‘higher’ ambitions and wants to coach international rugby. But the contract extension he signed to stay at Allianz Park until at least 2022 would suggest not.
JG: He’s a quiet guy but he’s also very relaxed around the camp. But when he gets into the rugby side of things he’s a very intense man and it’s true we call him the ‘Silent Assassin’. He’s probably the most competitive person I’ve ever come across and that’s infectious for us. He’s very clever as well in terms of the messages he gives to the group and he’s loved by every single person in that squad.
UM: It’s a shame that we even have to ask the question of whether he’d want to coach at the highest level with England. For as big a job as it is, and the honour that comes with it, there’s a lot of baggage that would make it less desirable for coaches to want to leave their successful Premiership sides.
DC: Rob Baxter has said it before, he loves being the Exeter coach. If he enjoys it and he’s successful, then why can’t he do that for the next 20 years? Mark McCall is the most successful coach ever, would he really want to leave? Or would he want to get five stars on the jersey and win even more Premiership titles? The players and fans love him and he’s obviously doing something incredible there. If you were in his shoes would you want to leave a legacy, being the best team in England and Europe.
UM: If you look at the age demographic of this Saracens squad: Mako Vunipola, Billy Vunipola, Ben Spencer, Jamie George, Owen Farrell… this team hasn’t even peaked and that’s frightening for everyone. For Mark McCall, who has laid the foundations and created so much success, I think he’d want to see these guys reach their heights and I’m not sure they’re aware of where they can go. It’s success from top to bottom and I think he’d want to see the job through. But as for that end date, you just never know…
DC: There’s so much pressure with being an international coach and if you don’t perform come a World Cup, usually those coaches are shown the door. For Paul Gustard, one big thing for him coming back to club rugby at Harlequins was to work with players every day. With England, he found it hard to have a stint of six weeks to work with players and make them better but then he wouldn’t see then for five months. He loves being there on the training park every day and trying to win things. Maybe that’s what Mark McCall likes doing.
CJ: English rugby has tried everything with their head coach. They’ve tried the company man, the number two, the great former player, the big-hitting foreigner, they’ve never tried the best club coach in the land. But maybe Danny is bang on and it’s more trouble than it’s worth, and that’s why it’s suited to a Warren Gatland who knows all about international rugby. But it’s a bit of a shame that people like Rob Baxter and Mark McCall don’t seem to be in the conversation when maybe they should be.
Eddie Jones
Rob Baxter
Warren Gatland
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