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Our Friend Jimi
2019 5K Registration
2019 Scholarship App
Last Year Sponsors
Send Email To: Please enter up to 3 valid emails. From: Please put in a valid email address. Message:
Please include a comment.
19 days since
the event.
The Jimi Gubelli Foundation is a registered 501C3 non-profit organization established in 2009 in honor of our late friend Jimi Gubelli who was taken from us suddenly in December of 2008. Jimi was a son, a brother, an uncle, a great friend, a gentleman in every sense of the word and an ‘Island Parker’ true to form.
Born and raised in the Incorporated Village of Island Park, a graduate of West Hempstead High School and an Island Park Beach lifeguard, Jimi grew up to be a contributing member of society. Jimi was a prominent business owner in his hometown and belonged to several volunteer organizations such as the Island Park Fire Department, Knights of Columbus and the AOH Division 17.
The Jimi Gubelli Foundation has been created to honor and preserve his legacy of selflessness and charity.
In June of 2009, the Foundation kicked off its 1st Annual Jimi Gubelli 5K Race to create awareness of the Foundation and raise money for college scholarships, AED placements and help give support the local community projects and organizations. Since the Foundation’s inception, over 4,000 participants and spectators have come out to support the various JG events and because of the overwhelming response we have been able to provide thousands in scholarship grants to graduating high school seniors who reside within the communities of Island Park, Long Beach and West Hempstead, purchase and install Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) at various public locations and been fortunate enough to support many other charitable organizations and causes throughout the surrounding communities.
The Jimi Gubelli Foundation will continue to grow and support communities and fellow community based organizations to improve life and create opportunities for others.
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An ironclad way to prevent neural tube defects? Not yet
March 1, 2018 /in Fetal Medicine, Fetal Medicine News, Genetics and Rare Diseases, Genetics and Rare Diseases News, Public Health /by Innovation District
Researchers have known for decades that folate, a vitamin enriched in dark, leafy vegetables; fruit; nuts; and other food sources, plays a key role in preventing neural tube defects.
Every year, about 3,000 pregnancies in the U.S. are affected by neural tube defects (NTDs) – birth defects of the brain, spine and spinal cord. These include anencephaly, in which a major part of the brain, skull and scalp is missing; and spina bifida, in which the backbone and membranes around the spinal cord don’t close properly during fetal development. These structural birth defects can have devastating effects: In the best cases, they might lead to mild but lifelong disability; in the worst cases, babies don’t survive.
Researchers have known for decades that folate, a vitamin enriched in dark, leafy vegetables; fruit; nuts; and other food sources, plays a key role in preventing NTDs. To help get more folate into pregnant women’s diets, wheat flour in the U.S. and many other countries is often fortified with folic acid, a synthetic version of this vitamin, as part of an intervention credited with significantly reducing the incidence of NTDs.
But folic acid supplementation isn’t enough, says Irene E. Zohn, Ph.D., a principal investigator at the Center for Neuroscience Research at Children’s National Health System who studies how genes and the environment interact during development. A significant number of NTDs still occur, suggesting that other approaches – potentially, other nutrients in the maternal diet – might provide further protection.
That’s why Zohn and colleagues decided to investigate iron. Iron deficiency is one of the most common micronutrient deficiencies in women of childbearing age, Zohn explains. Additionally, iron and folate deficiencies often overlap and signal overall poor maternal diets.
The idea that iron deficiency might play a role in NTDs came from studies by Zohn and colleagues of the flatiron mutant line of experimental models. This experimental model line has a mutation in a gene that transports iron across cell membranes, including the cells that supply embryos with this critical micronutrient.
To determine if NTDs develop in these mutant experimental models because of reduced iron transport, the researchers devised a simple experiment: They took female adult experimental models with the mutation and separated them into four groups. For several weeks, one group ate a diet that was high in folic acid. Another group ate a diet high in iron. The third group ate a diet high in both folic acid and iron. The fourth group ate standard chow. All of these experimental models then became pregnant with embryos that harbored the flatiron mutation, and the researchers assessed the offspring for the presence of NTDs.
“We were hoping that iron supplements would be the next folic acid, but it did not turn out that way,” says Irene E. Zohn, Ph.D. “Even though our results demonstrate that iron is important for proper neural tube development, giving extra iron definitely has its downsides.”
As they reported in Birth Defects Research, the dietary interventions successfully increased iron stores: Experimental model mothers whose diets were supplemented with iron, folic acid or both had increased concentrations of these micronutrients in their blood.
The dietary interventions also affected their offspring. While about 80 percent of flatiron mutant embryos fed a standard diet during pregnancy had NTDs, feeding a diet high in iron prevented NTDs in half of the offspring. This lower rate was similar in the offspring of mothers fed a diet high in both folic acid and iron, but not for those whose mothers ate just a diet high in folic acid. Those embryos had NTD rates as high as those who ate just the standard chow, suggesting that low iron was the cause of the high rates, not low folic acid.
Together, Zohn says, these experiments show that iron plays an important role in the development of the neural tube and that deficits in iron might cause some cases of NTDs. However, she notes, reducing NTDs isn’t nearly as simple as supplementing pregnant women’s diets with iron. In the same study, the researchers found that when they gave normal experimental models that didn’t have the flatiron mutation concentrated iron supplements – amounts akin to what doctors might prescribe for human patients with very severe iron-deficiency anemia – folate stores dropped.
That’s because these two micronutrients interact in the body with similar sites for absorption and storage in the intestines and liver, Zohn explains. At either the intestines or liver or at both locations, an iron overload might interfere with the body’s ability to absorb or use folate.
At this point, she says, giving high doses of iron routinely during pregnancy doesn’t look like a feasible way to prevent NTDs.
“We were hoping that iron supplements would be the next folic acid, but it did not turn out that way,” Zohn says. “Even though our results demonstrate that iron is important for proper neural tube development, giving extra iron definitely has its downsides.”
Zohn’s team plans to continue to investigate the role of iron, as well as the role of other micronutrients that might influence neural tube development.
Zohn’s coauthors include Bethany A. Stokes, The George Washington University, and Julia A. Sabatino, Children’s National.
Research reported in this story was supported by a grant from the Board of Visitors, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development under award number R21-HD076202, the National Center for Research Resources under award number UL1RR031988, Children’s Research Institute and the National Institutes of Health under grant P30HD040677.
Tags: Anencephaly, Birth defects, ffe, flatiron mutation, folate, folic acid, iron, iron deficiency, iron supplements, iron-deficiency anemia, micronutrients, neural tube defects, NTDs, spina bifida, Zohn
https://innovationdistrict.childrensnational.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/foods-rich-in-folate.jpg 300 400 Innovation District https://innovationdistrict.childrensnational.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/idlogo1-tagline-Advances-in-Medicine.gif Innovation District2018-03-01 12:57:352019-01-08 09:51:21An ironclad way to prevent neural tube defects? Not yet
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Watch Ariana Grande Make Her Excited ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ Debut
Ariana Grande will make her debut on Keeping Up With the Kardashians this weekend.
In a brand new teaser for the upcoming episode of the hit E! reality show, the pop star meets Kris Jenner on the set of her star-studded "thank u, next" music video, in which the self-proclaimed momager made a hilarious cameo as Amy Poehler's infamous Mean Girls character, Regina George's mom. In the scene, she holds up a camcorder, dances like a cool mom, and then screams out "Thank you, next, bitch!" at the end.
But though the music video was released way back in November 2018, footage of Grande's appearance on KUWTK will only air this Sunday, May 12. According to the preview, fans will get to see a behind-the-scenes look at the two getting into character before the shoot.
“This is the first time that I’ve ever been in a professional music video with an iconic artist and someone I admire very much,” Jenner says during the episode's confessional. “I don’t want to let Ariana down. No, no, no.”
Grande was equally excited, later telling the crew, “Guys, I’m so excited to make my Keeping Up With The Kardashians debut!”
So are we, Ariana, so are we! Check out a preview for the KUWTK episode below:
Source: Watch Ariana Grande Make Her Excited ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ Debut
Filed Under: Ariana Grande, Kris Jenner
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Watch Roger Waters’ Video for ‘The Last Refugee’
Roger Waters has released an official video for new song "The Last Refugee" ahead of his upcoming fifth studio album, Is This the Life We Really Want?.
As previously reported, the new LP — due June 2 — continues Waters' longstanding commitment to socially conscious rock 'n' roll. In a press release announcing the Nigel Godrich-produced album, he described its contents as an "unflinching commentary on the modern world and uncertain times" — a promise upheld by the video for "The Last Refugee," which seeks to humanize the displaced by depicting them in the act of creation, expression and reflection.
"The Last Refugee" serves as the third and presumably final pre-release track from Is This the Life We Really Want?, which snaps a 25-year drought between studio LPs from the former Pink Floyd frontman. Waters first unveiled "Smell the Roses" a week after announcing the album; two weeks later, he followed that tease with the release of a second track, "Deja Vu."
Like much of Waters' work, Is This the Life We Really Want? serves a concept of sorts. "It’s pondering not just why we are killing the children," he explained last year. "It’s also the question of how do we take these moments of love – if we are granted any in our lives – and allow that love to shine on the rest of existence, on others."
Fans can look forward to seeing Waters on the road for much of the rest of the year. He'll launch his next round of tour dates May 26 in Kansas City, and is currently scheduled to travel across North America through late October.
Pink Floyd Albums Ranked Worst to Best
Next: Top 10 Pink Floyd Songs
Source: Watch Roger Waters’ Video for ‘The Last Refugee’
Filed Under: Roger Waters
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Dragon Age: Origins Review
by Rayna Warren | Nov 9, 2009 | Featured, Reviews, Xbox 360 | 0 comments
I want you to think hard, and seriously ask yourself this question. How long has it been since you’ve totally lost yourself in a game so much, that you lost all perception of the real world around you? How long has it been since you last played a game with such a rich, deep and enthralling story, that as soon as you put the controller down and the credits rolled up, you crawled to your bed, and cried yourself to sleep because the virginity of your untainted eyes was unfairly stolen from you, by forcing yourself to inevitably witness the end of what was such a beautifully constructed work of art? Well, I have some good, and bad news for you. The good news, is that Dragon Age: Origins is a fairly lengthily game, so you wont have to worry about shedding tears anytime soon. The bad news, is that once the game’s credits roll up – and trust me on this, no matter how much you try to stall them, they eventually will – you better have a closet full of tissues at your disposal…you cry-baby!
Let’s go ahead and clarify something while we’re on the subject of being a cry-baby. Dragon Age: Origins is NOT a game for the squeamish. Those who could barely handle Mass Effect should probably just scratch this off your “games to play” list. However, those serious RPG gamers who have patiently been waiting to get their hands on BioWare’s latest take on the fantasy RPG genre will not be disappointed, as the game is by far one of the most (if not the most), amazing Western RPG you’ll ever play. Yes, the game is that good. Dragon Age: Origins is the epiphany of what “High fantasy role-playing” is, at its finest. The game is so rich and deep, that it will nail you to your seat, and keep you there for hours on end. There is so much to say about this truly aspiring masterpiece, that the only problem with this review, is not knowing where to begin.
I’ll try by stating that, at its very core, Dragon Age: Origins is basically your traditional party-based tactical RPG. Players are given the option to command a party of up to four characters, each with a ranging variety of abilities, upgradable weapons and the like, as they progress through the game. Certain actions and spells can be very easily assigned to individual party members by simply pausing the game during battle and issuing the orders, and while the game does come with a tactical AI editor which allows players to set some basic scenarios, you’ll probably more than likely spend a fairly good portion of time in “pause mode”, manually issuing commands to your entire party. Especially if, like me, you’re one of those players that go to unimaginably great lengths to assure the survival of each and every character in your party.
Like I said, the battle system in Dragon Age offers a variety of combinations in which to tailor the experience to ones own personal liking. For example, a casual gamer can set most of the settings to auto, with the exception of combat, which will allow the player to concentrate on fighting a certain battle without having to worry about party members pointlessly taking hits without fighting back. More advanced players, however, can create a unique AI system for each individual party member, and play in a real-time combat system – or move it more toward a turn-based system if that is what they prefer. However, what I think will truly impress players about Dragon Age, is its living, breathing world. Incredible cut scenes, combined with the VO work, all melded very well together into one amazingly good and detailed interactive animated feature.
The more I immersed myself in the game, the more I felt the Dragon Age universe take on a life of its own. Very quickly, I felt as if the interface was no longer there. Annihilating Darkspawn suddenly felt more like my duty than an ordinary task. Interacting with the locals, thinking hard on what to reply to certain questions, figuring out what choices to make, and trying to win over a few ladies were all things that made me feel more like I was an actual citizen within the community, rather than a player controlling a certain character.
While the console versions of the game do present a few noticeable problems (such as not having the top-down view option, minor color and texture problems on the Xbox 360, and sometimes jumpy frame-rates on the PlayStation 3) it really doesn’t matter what console you play the game on. The experience is almost guaranteed to be a uniquely defined and memorable one. So if you have a PC that can handle this game, that’s the recommended way to play. Otherwise, grab a copy for whichever system you prefer.
Visually, the differences between the console version of the game and its PC counterpart are very limited, to say the least. However, when speaking in terms of control, the differences are worlds apart, with the PC version proving by far to be the superior one. That said, it would be wise to note that Dragon Age doesn’t really look amazing, regardless of the console the game is played at. This doesn’t mean the game isn’t pretty – Dragon Age: Origins still has an attractive aesthetic nonetheless. Switching from an isometric view to the, (Mass Effect over the shoulder style) one, works well, and while environments aren’t quite what you’d expect when viewed up close, they’re still very visually appealing when viewed from above.
There were really only two major problems I had with Dragon Age. The first, lies in its combat. As pleasing as it is to hear the painful screams of both innocents and enemies alike as you launch devastating fireballs at them, you never quite get the feeling of being that “super bad-ass” the game makes you out to be. And while slaughtering hundreds of darkspawns may seem like fun at first, it’ll hardly ever test your skills, making it both very dull and repetetive after a while. The second problem I had with the game, was with the inventory. You will loot A LOT in Dragon Age, and you inventory will become very cramped rather quickly, and it seems the only way to combat this never-ending problem, is to spend seven bucks on the Warden’s Keep DLC, (which is basically nothing more than a storage chest for your excess items) – something that clearly should have been originally included in the game, but is obviously meant to rip off players.
There are really only a handful of games out there that can match the storyline and dialogue presented in Dragon Age: Origins, and an even fewer amount that can take all of these innovating and entertaining elements and execute something of this caliber. Unless you’re a speed demon, you’ll probably spend well over 40 hours on your first play-through alone. However, there so many things to do in Origins, so many different paths to follow, so many different choices to make, and so many different ways to define your experience in the game, that I’m sure that as soon as you see those credits roll up, you’ll be heading back to the title screen to experience the adventure all over again. All-in-all, Dragon Age is a game like no other, and I assure you your time spent in Ferelden will be one to remember for years to come. So do yourself a favor, and go snatch yourself a copy of this wonderful masterpiece if you haven’t already done so.
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Three Days Grace Set Billboard Record With 14th No. 1 Mainstream Rock Single
RCA Records)
We see you, Three Days Grace, we see you! The band now sits alone as the act with the most No. 1 Mainstream Rock Songs in Billboard's history thanks to their current single "Infra-Red" currently topping the chart. That broke a tie with Van Halen, who had held the record for two decades. In addition, "Infra-Red" is also the band's 15th No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart.
Drummer Neil Sanderson says, "If you had told me when we were 14 and making noise in our garage that someday we’d set the record for most No. 1 rock songs in America, I would’ve called you bat-shit crazy!! Accomplishments like this are never done individually. We want to thank our family who’s supported us from day one, rock radio who get our music to the masses, our label and friends in the industry for believing in the band and most importantly all our loyal fans on this amazing journey with us."
The band's amazing run of chart-toppers on the Billboard chart started in Aug. 2004 when "Just Like You" climbed to the top spot and spent four weeks at No. 1. The longest stint at No. 1 by any of their songs occurred in 2012 when "Chalk Outline" spent 10 weeks on top. "Animal I Have Become" and "Pain" also spent nine weeks at No. 1 in 2006, keeping the band a constant on the airwaves.
Other chart-toppers for the band include: "Home" (2005), "Never Too Late" (2007), "Break" (2009), "The Good Life" (2010), "World So Cold" (2010), "The High Road" (2013), "Misery Loves Company" (2013), "Painkiller" (2014), "I Am Machine" (2015) and "The Mountain," which topped the chart earlier this year.
In all, Three Days Grace have spent a total of 70 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. However, the band can't just rest on their laurels as Shinedown have been nipping at their tail with their own run of 12 No. 1 songs.
The Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart began in March 1981, then known as the Rock Albums and Top Tracks Chart. The chart changed its name twice before settling on the Mainstream Rock Chart in 1996. While Van Halen topped the chart with the most No. 1's, it should be noted that the band had released three albums before the chart's existence started.
Three Days Grace have dates in the U.K. and Europe this October and November, followed by a Canadian headline tour to finish out the year. See all of their scheduled dates here. The shows come in support of their Outsider album, which can be purchased here.
Three Days Grace Albums Ranked
Three Days Grace Play 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'
Source: Three Days Grace Set Billboard Record With 14th No. 1 Mainstream Rock Single
Filed Under: three days grace
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Out on a limb: Surviving the Triad
I set foot in a gym this summer for the first time in 14 years. I was nervous, but not for the reasons you might think. I wasn’t worried about not knowing how to use the equipment, or being less fit than other members, or the possibility of running into someone I knew.
Out on a limb: Olympic inspiration
Images from the London Olympics were everywhere in late July and early August—on our televisions, our radios, our computer screens, and our smart phones. Flags were flown, national anthems played, and countries ranked by medal count. In so many ways, the Olympics are about the achievements of individual nations. But a closer look reveals a more complex picture.
Out on a limb: Power in practice
Healthcare researchers don’t get a lot of instant gratification. Typically it takes years for a study’s findings to have an impact on clinical practice, and often that doesn’t happen until those findings have been replicated by additional studies.
Out on a Limb: Down the habit hole
Much of sports medicine research focuses on what’s never been done before: new techniques, new procedures, and new theories. Less sexy, but equally important, is the research that takes a fresh look at old practices, the ones that have somehow become standard simply because they’ve never been questioned.
Out On a Limb: Class act
When I was in journalism school in Los Angeles, securing a spot in the reporting class taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning LA Times writer George Ramos was a coup. It was also terrifying.
Out on a limb: Body politic
With the Supreme Court weighing the constitutionality of President Obama’s healthcare reform law as this magazine went to press and another presidential election looming this fall, the topic of government healthcare spending is sure to get a lot of airtime in the coming months. That means we can expect to get used to hearing from certain pundits about how federal spending on healthcare takes away from federal spending in other areas.
Out on a limb: Game theory
There are plenty of reasons you might be thinking about seeing Moneyball. Maybe you’re wondering how anyone could have turned that book into a movie. Maybe you’re curious about how Angelina’s better half and the kid from Superbad ended up with Oscar nominations. Maybe you just need to forget about the snow on your lawn and try to get in the mood for Opening Day.
Out on a limb: Amputation ups & downs
Lower extremity practitioners who treat patients with diabetes are finally receiving their 15 minutes of fame. Enjoy it while it lasts. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finding that nontraumatic lower extremity amputation (NLEA) rates in patients with diabetes decreased by 67% between 1996 and 2008 (see “CDC reports dramatic 12-year drop in diabetic lower limb amputation,” page 15) is unquestionably good news.
Out on a limb: Next top model
I grew up in Portland, OR. I live in New England. That means I root against all of the Los Angeles Lakers. But I do find Kobe Bryant’s footwear fascinating.
Out on a limb: High on heels
A week after this magazine goes to press, I’ll be in Puerto Rico with my in-laws for a beach wedding. I’m sure the scenery will be spectacular. But I also know that once the ceremony is over, I’ll be counting the minutes until I can put my heels back on.
Out on a limb: Arming at-risk kids
Nothing scares parents more than knowing their child is in danger and being powerless to do anything about it. For parents whose children play sports associated with injury risks, every practice and every game might as well be Halloween.
Out on a limb: Jock talk
Much of sports talk radio is essentially a forum for negativity. Even in Boston, where sports fans have been ridiculously spoiled by local teams’ successes in the last decade, talk show hosts and callers spend hours bemoaning athletes’ failures and second-guessing coaches’ decisions. But on a weekday morning in early September, a conversation about ankle injuries on sports talk radio actually left me feeling surprisingly optimistic.
Out on a limb: A thin disguise
It’s hard to remember sometimes that being thin was once undesirable, a sign of poverty, poor nutrition, and low social status. These days, Hollywood-style thinness is associated with wealth—the kind of wealth that might buy the services of a personal dietitian, personal chef, and personal trainer.
Out on a limb: Subtle distinctions
Those investigating alleged improprieties associated with a 2007 study on hip protectors will tell you their efforts are all about ethics. But the way I see it, the more important lesson to be learned from this situation is one of biomechanics, specifically the clinical importance of the subtleties of asymmetry.
Out on a limb: Rear views
Let’s face it: The words “toning shoes” have the same evocative effect as “Kim Kardashian” or “Jennifer Lopez.” They’re all about the butt.
And that may be fine for Kim and J-Lo. But it’s too bad about the shoes, because they could be about so much more.
by, Jordana Bieze Foster, Editor Continue reading →
Out on a limb: Genes vs dreams
Genetic testing would seem to be just what the doctor ordered for sports injury prevention. But the world of sports is far from ready for genetic testing.
Given the preliminary nature of data presented in April at the IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury & Illness in Sports (see special section, page 23), it will be quite a while before testing for a genetic predisposition to Achilles tendinopathy or anterior cruciate ligament injury is ready for prime time.
Out on a limb: Image is everything
Patients have multiple reasons for not complying with a practitioner’s recommendations. Most of them are familiar by now: inconvenience, discomfort, aesthetics, forgetfulness, failure to understand the consequences of not complying.
Out on a limb: Up in arms at AAOS
Many of us were surprised by how cold it was in San Diego this past February. But nobody got an icier reception at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons than Alexandra Soroceanu, MD.
Out on a limb: Kinder cuts
Surgery, for many patients, is the worst clinical outcome they can imagine, something to be adamantly avoided even if the alternative is a life of pain and disability. And that’s probably not surprising.
Out on a limb: Minding the gap
Not long ago, I was chatting with the new girls’ volleyball coach at my local area high school, and she mentioned that one of her goals was to focus on injury prevention. Specifically, she planned to emphasize shoulder strengthening. So I asked the obvious follow-up question: What about preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries?
Out on a limb: Shop and learn
The J. Peterman Company is probably best known as the erstwhile employer of Elaine Benes on “Seinfeld.” But the company and its distinctive catalogs made a lasting impression on me when I first came across them years earlier.
Out on a limb: Creatures of comfort
Benno Nigg, PhD, isn’t exactly on the barefoot running bandwagon. Essentially, the internationally lauded foot biomechanist thinks barefoot running is a fashion trend that tends to recur every 25 years or so — like babydoll dresses or skinny ties.
Out on a Limb: Cold cuts
For centuries, the Greeks set the bar for the rest of the world to follow—in architecture, in literature, in medicine. Now they appear to be setting a new kind of example in health care. But we can only hope the rest of the world knows better than to follow their lead this time around.
Out on a Limb: Flip-flop Flak
Angelina Jolie and I have so much in common – beauty, fame, fortune. But when it comes to flip-flops, that’s where the similarities end.
Out on a limb: Just average
Lower extremity researchers are realizing what practitioners already know: Sometimes, average just isn’t good enough. Anyone who’s familiar with the college admissions process can tell you about the limitations of averages. Sure, averages – in this case, grade point averages – can be useful as a screening tool, and to get a general sense of a student’s performance.
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Posts Tagged ‘Golden Eye’
The Music of James Bond: Part Three – The ’80s and Beyond
Posted in review, tagged 007, A View to a Kill, a-ha, Alicia Keys, Another Way To Die, Audioslave, Bono, Casino Royale, Chris Cornell, Duran Duran, Garbage, Gladys Knight, Golden Eye, Ian Fleming, Jack White, James Bond, k.d. lang, License to Kill, Madonna, Michael Kamen, Mitchell Froom, Paul McCartney, Pet Shop Boys, Quantum of Solace, Sheryl Crow, Shirley Manson, Soundgarden, Take On Me, The Edge, The Living Daylights, The World Is Not Enough, Tina Turner, Tomorrow Never Dies, U2, White Stripes, You Know My Name on November 12, 2008| 2 Comments »
Above: Jack White and Alicia Keys do the latest James Bond song, “Another Way To Die.”
Duran Duran bass player John Taylor probably had the previous two James Bond themes in mind when he drunkenly approached producer Cubby Broccoli at a party and asked when they were going to get someone “decent” to do a Bond song.
It didn’t take long to learn the answer. Duran Duran’s “A View To A Kill” was a No. 1 hit, re-establishing Paul McCartney’s precedent of letting successful pop acts write and perform title songs hit. While the big synthesizers and processed drums haven’t aged well – few pop songs from the ’80s have – the chorus of “dance into the fire” remains as catchy as ever. The song also marked the last time original Duran Duran’s lineup recorded together for 16 years.
Encouraged by Duran Duran’s success, the Bonds producers handed the reigns to another pop act for 1987’s “The Living Daylights.” After being rejected by the Pet Shop Boys, who wanted to score the entire film, a-ha, the band best known for its 1985 No. 1 hit “Take On Me,” agreed to take on Bond. Sporting similar dated production as Duran Duran’s hit, but weaker songwriting and overly sensitive singing, “The Living Daylights” became another Bond footnote.
The lush orchestration associated with early Bond numbers was back for Gladys Knight’s “License to Kill” in 1989. Composer Michael Kamen did a good job incorporating the “Goldfinger” horn line into the main melody, but the lyrics and melody are bland. It’s a shame that Knight, who has one of the strongest soul voices of all time, wasn’t given stronger material. Bond’s further musical malaise is marked by the presence of Patti LaBelle’s end credits theme, “If You Asked Me To,” which was later covered by Celine Dion. Dion’s appearance marks the nadir of any expedition.
After a six-year hiatus and casting change, Bond returned in 1995’s “Golden Eye.” Written by U2’s Bono and The Edge, “Golden Eye” found the duo continuing in the same vein as their summer hit “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me.” The arrangement wraps the duo’s discotheque infatuation around a haunting melody build on a horn line. Tina Turner masterfully teases Bono’s voyeuristic lyrics and was rewarded with a Top 10 hit in Europe. “Goldfinger” was the best Bond song in a generation and helped successfully jumpstart the franchise.
After the powerful, soulful voices of Knight and Tuner, Bond’s producers turned to another American female in 1997 for “Tomorrow Never Dies.” Sheryl Crow brought strong songwriting chops and chart-topping cache, but she lacked the voice to carry her melody. Her vocals fare well during the verses, but the chorus is too high for Crow’s register where her throat lacks the energy to carry the words and emotion. k.d. lang’s “Surrender,” written by the film’s composer David Arnold, fits firmly in the Bond mold of big strings and brassy horns and would have been a better opening number. Unfortunately, it was retitled and pushed to the closing credits once Crow signed on. Finally, pop-techno musician Moby was enlisted to remix Monty Norman’s “James Bond Theme.” The result was a rare update that successfully enhanced and modernized the original.
Arnold successfully married his large orchestration with light techno elements for “The World Is Not Enough.” Garbage singer Shirley Manson slithers through the lyrics with authority and the rest of the band maintains a tasteful balance between rock and orchestral while adding their stamp to the song.
Madonna was easily Bond’s biggest star pull since Paul McCartney when she signed up for “Die Another Day” in 2002. While the film may have been Bond-by-numbers, Madonna blew up the formula for her electronic theme song. Her manipulated vocals hide behind banks of synthesizers and strings and spout the memorable line “Sigmund Freud/analyze this.” Although the song spent 11 weeks at the top spot of the U.S. charts, it is unlike any other theme in the Bond cannon and, as a result, not without controversy. The Material Girl wouldn’t have it any other way.
Bond was rebooted once again in 2006 for “Casino Royale.” As the character became grittier, so did the music. Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” is easily the hardest number in the Bond cannon, cut from the same stone as Alice Cooper’s rejected “Man with the Golden Gun” that repulsed producers 30 years ago.
Confirming they were no longer afraid to rock out, White Stripes mastermind Jack White was enlisted to perform “Another Way To Die” for 2008’s “The Quantum of Solace.” Unsurprisingly, White’s song sounds like a heavily orchestrated White Stripes number given an urban twist courtesy of the piano and vocals of Alicia Keys. Stripped of the overproduction that plagues her solo releases, Keys shines under White’s watch. Her call and response with White’s dirty guitar licks halfway through the song channel “What I’d Say” through Jimmy Page’s amplifier. The number is the first Bond theme performed as a duet, but based on the openness Bond’s producers have shown in the past decade, it will likely not be the last.
The Music of James Bond: Part 1 – The Classic Years
The Music of James Bond: Part 2 – The Seventies
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Archive for the ‘europe’ Category
Russia Wants NATO, Europe To Ease Moscow’s Suspicions
Russia has reason to feel betrayed by the process of NATO expansion, begun in 1997. Seven years earlier, the Russians believe, American and German officials working on German reunification pledged not to take advantage of Moscow‘s weakness by extending NATO into Russia’s traditional backyard. By reneging on that promise, Western leaders have made Russians doubt their trustworthiness.
By Michael Mandelbaum | NEWSWEEK
To the Kremlin, the expansion process has also seemed to be based on dishonest premises. U.S. officials advertised it as a way of promoting democracy, of forcing ex-Soviet states to reform. But the democratic commitment of NATO’s first ex-communist entrants—Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic—was never in doubt. And if the Americans truly believed that NATO membership was the best way to guarantee free elections and constitutional rights, why didn’t they immediately offer it to the largest ex-communist country of them all, Russia itself? Instead, Moscow was told it would never be able to join.
NATO expansion taught Russia another lesson. The process went ahead because Moscow was too weak to stop it. This told the Russians that to have a say in European affairs, they needed to be able to assert themselves militarily. Last summer’s war in Georgia was one result.
Given this history, what should the West do now about Russia? We have no good options. In the wake of the war, some in the United States renewed the call to welcome Georgia into NATO. But NATO is a mutual-defense pact. Making Georgia a member would mean that we’d have to come to the country’s aid should fighting with Russia break out once more. This would require putting Western troops, tanks, aircraft and perhaps even nuclear weapons on Russia’s border—to which the Russians would respond with comparable forces. The U.S. military is already seriously overstretched by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet doing nothing would look like a retreat in the face of Russian aggression.
In the short term, the incoming U.S. president needs to think like a doctor: “First, do no harm.” This means deferring any offer of NATO membership to Georgia (and Ukraine, for that matter). Some may object that this will reward Russia for its belligerence. Perhaps, but the consequences of deferral are preferable to the costs of expansion—including a serious deterioration in relations with Moscow.
At the same time, the West should renew its security cooperation with Russia. NATO must eventually either include Russia or give….
Posted in Berlin, Czech, europe, expansion, Georgia, Germany, Medvedev, Moscow, NATO, news, Poland, politics, putin, Russia, Russians, Ukraine, Western | Leave a Comment »
Russia Says It Needs New Missiles Due To U.S. Missile Shield Plan
Russia’s military said on Friday it had intensified efforts to develop new ballistic missiles in response to U.S. plans to deploy an anti-missile system in Europe and Russia’s navy test fired a new generation rocket.
Soldiers in historical uniforms take part in a military parade in the Red Square in Moscow, November 7, 2008. (Denis Sinyakov/Reuters)
The decision by the United States to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic has angered Moscow, which says Russia’s national security will be compromised by the U.S. anti-missile system.
By Conor Sweeney, Reuters
Colonel-General Nikolai Solovtsov, Commander of Russia‘s Strategic Missile Forces, was quoted by Interfax as saying that Russia had bolstered its efforts to develop new missiles.
“At the present time, work has been intensified to create the research and technical foundation for new missile systems, which will be needed after 2020,” Solovtsov said.
A few hours later, the Dmitry Donskoy nuclear submarine launched a Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile from the White Sea, a navy spokesman said. The missile hit the Kura testing site on the Kamchatka peninsula in the Pacific.
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev visits cosmodrome Plesetsk, which is nestled among the taiga forests of Russia’s north, October 12, 2008. REUTERS/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/Dmitry Astakhov
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081128/ts_nm/us_russia_missiles_
usa;_ylt=Am0dTWEn0f8aRVaHCDXmn3Os0NUE
Posted in anti-missile, Czech Republic, europe, ICBM, intercontinental ballistic missiles, Medvedev, Missile Defense, Moscow, news, Poland, politics, Russia, Russian, U.S. | Leave a Comment »
Poland Won’t Lobby Obama on Missile Defense
Poland’s foreign minister said yesterday that his country will wait for the Obama administration to make up its mind on basing missile defense interceptors in his country and will not lobby to have the project proceed.
Saying that the Warsaw government had agreed “out of friendship” to the Bush administration proposal to establish a U.S. base for 10 interceptor missiles in Poland, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski added: “We will tread carefully and wait until the new administration makes its decision.”
By Walter Pincus
The controversial European basing plan, which also involves placing a U.S. radar unit in the Czech Republic, is to be part of a broader missile defense system that the Bush administration has said is designed to intercept Iranian missiles aimed either at U.S. or European targets. Russia has voiced strong objections to the plan.
Sikorski’s remarks, made during an appearance at the Atlantic Council of the United States, a bipartisan foreign policy organization, reflect the modification of a statement posted Nov. 8 on the Web site of Polish President Lech Kaczynski. The statement said that during Kaczynski’s conversation congratulating Barack Obama, the president-elect said that “the missile defense project would continue.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/w
p-dyn/content/article/2008/11/1
9/AR2008111903737.html
Posted in Barack Obama, Czech Republic, EU, europe, Gates, Iran, Medvedev, Missile Defense, missile shield, NATO, news, Obama, Pentagon, Poland, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, politics, putin, Russia, Russian, Warsaw | Leave a Comment »
The Testing of Obama Rolls On
The ink had barely dried on the final vote count when the testing of President-elect Barack Obama began.
One of the first was by Vladimir Putin’s puppet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev declaring that if the United States continued with its plan to deploy 10 ABM interceptor missiles into Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic, then Russia would move short range missiles into Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave on the Baltic, targeting Europe. Russia’s excuse for this threat is that they were forced into it because the U.S. defensive system could be converted to an offensive system, targeting Russia. This is a contrived argument and Mr. Putin knows it is groundless.
By James Lyons
What’s more disturbing is that Mr. Putin’s European proxies like the former German defense minister, Peter Struck, currently the parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats, called Mr. Medvedev’s threat understandable and blamed President Bush for provoking Russia. This is incredible since he knows Russia was invited to participate in this very limited defensive shield whose fundamental purpose is to destroy any ballistic missile fired at Europe or the United States from a “rogue state” such as Iran.
During Mr. Medvedev’s recent visit to Washington, he appeared to soften his opening salvo by saying he hoped a compromise on the planned defensive shield deployment could be worked out with the new administration. He suggested a potential global system of protection against rogue states or perhaps use of existing systems to defeat such an attack. Existing systems clearly will be inadequate for this task. Mr. Medvedev concluded his comments by saying Russia will not make the first move.
With NATO’s weak response to Russia’s blatant invasion of Georgia, plus Russia’s increasing control of energy resources provided Europe, Mr. Putin sees the defensive shield issue as another opportunity to embarrass and further weaken U.S. influence while furthering his own agenda. If Mr. Putin can cause President-elect Obama to eventually back down on the deployment of the defensive shield, then Mr. Putin’s influence in dealing with the Eastern European border states, as well as the rest of Europe, will be significantly strengthened. Mr. Putin and his KGB cronies can be expected to further expand their control over the energy systems fueling Europe, as well as promoting the gas cartel.
Just last week, we saw the European Union reverse its position on withdrawing from negotiating with Russia on a “strategic Partnership” – the negotiations now will proceed even though Russia has not lived up to its obligations in the EU-brokered agreement with Georgia. Led by France and Germany, the EU has essentially caved and will resume business as usual. After all, since they have mortgaged their energy requirements, they cannot afford to have Mr. Putin turn off the energy valves as he did to the Ukraine in the winter of 2006.
I believe Mr. Obama will come under intense pressure from our European “partners” to cancel the deployment of defensive missiles to Poland. With no change in Iran’s drive to achieve a nuclear weapon capability, we would be sending all the wrong signals by canceling the deployment.
Russia’s Putin and the Great Deception
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov
/20/testing-has-begun/
Posted in Barack Obama, EU, europe, Georgia, Israel, Israeli, Medvedev, Missile Defense, missiles, news, nuclear, Obama, politics, putin, testing | Leave a Comment »
Russia and The West: How To Reverse Escalation of Tension and Confrontation?
Barely one hour after Barack Obama’s victory speech, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced plans to deploy missiles in Russia’s westernmost region of Kaliningrad that could attack U.S. military targets in Poland. The targets are limited, small in number and do not yet really exist: They will exist if and when the United States completes the ballistic missile defense system it plans to place in Poland, along with a sophisticated radar component in the Czech Republic.
The reaction in Europe and the United States ranged from outrage in Poland to serious concern at NATO headquarters and disappointment in the White House. Russia claims it has been backed into a corner by U.S. erosion of key cornerstones of European and global security and by aggressive moves to expand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization into areas that affect Russia’s vital security interests.
Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and Chinese President Hu Jintao shake hands during a bilateral meeting after the G20 Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy in Washington November 15, 2008. REUTERS/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/Vladimir Rodionov
How did we arrive at this point? Russia sees new threats from NATO and the United States, and they see new threats from Russia. And even where they see common dangers — as in the case of potential and actual missile threats from Asia and the Middle East — they cannot find common ground on how to deal with them. How do we reverse this steady escalation of tension and confrontation?
By Greg Austin
Russia’s Medvedev Learned PR Skills from Hitler, Chavez, Khrushchev and Putin?
http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2008/11/17/
Outside_View_Russias_new_start_–_Part_1/UPI-371
11226965683/#top
Posted in Ahmadinejad, Asia, Barack Obama, borscht, china, chinese, Czech Republic, defense, europe, Gates, Intermediate Nuclear Forces, Iran, Israel, manipulation, media, Medvedev, Middle East, Missile Defense, missile shield, missiles, NATO, news, Obama, Pentagon, Poland, politics, putin, Russia, Russians, Sarkozy | Leave a Comment »
Medvedev backpedals on missile threats
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Saturday that Russia will not carry out its threats to deploy new missiles facing Europe and that the advent of a new U.S. administration provides “great opportunities” to overcome other differences between the United States and his country.
By Barbara Slavin
In Washington to attend a meeting of the world’s 20 largest economies, Mr. Medvedev suggested that the global financial crisis had a potential silver lining.
“I believe we have great opportunities to restore relations to the fullest extent, and we can build them on a new foundation,” the Russian leader told the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Medvedev stunned President-elect Barack Obama by delivering a harsh speech in Moscow the day after the U.S. elections. The Russian threatened to put missiles in the enclave of Kaliningrad if the United States carries out plans to deploy missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic.
On Saturday, he said he meant “nothing personal” by the timing of the speech. “I absolutely forgot about the important political event taking place that day,” he said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev speaks at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations at the Washington Club Saturday in Washington. (Associated Press)
The Bush administration has said that the missile defenses are intended for Iran, but Russia objects to their deployment so close to its borders and says they are aimed at Russian targets.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Saturday also seemed to back down from comments critical of the planned missile-defense system.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008
/nov/16/medvedev-backpedals-on-missile-
threats/
Posted in china, chinese, Czech Republic, europe, Iran, Medvedev, Missile Defense, missile shield, news, Obama, Poland, politics, putin, Russia, Russians, United States | Leave a Comment »
Medvedev: Russia, U.S. have opportunities to ease confrontation over missile defense
The incoming administration led by Barack Obama could bring opportunities to ease up the U.S.-Russian confrontation over the controversial missile defense plan in Europe, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said here on Saturday.
By: The People’s Daily, China
“We will not do anything until America does the first step”, said Medvdev, hinting a plan to deploy missiles in Russia’s Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad bordering Poland, in a tough response to the planned deployment of a U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe’s Poland and the Czech Republic.
The Russian president, in Washington for the summit of the Group of 20on the financial markets and world economy, made the remarks Saturday evening at a forum hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent nonpartisan organization and think tank.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) speaks with President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, before the Europe-Russia finance reform summit in Nice southern France. Sarkozy urged Russia and the United States to stop threatening each other with missiles and missile shields Friday and called for talks on Europe’s future security. (AFP/Valery Hache)
The United States and Russia have opportunities to ease up the confrontation through talks, said Medvedev, adding that he has received signals showing U.S. President-elect Barack Obama prefers holding talks with Moscow over the plan but not to simply approve it.
The president said there is “a lack of trust” between Moscow and Washington, but he hoped that the situation could be changed when the Obama administration takes office on Jan. 20, 2009.
Medvedev voiced hope for a meeting with Obama, saying “the main thing is that the meeting takes place and that it takes place quickly.”
The Bush administration is planning to deploy 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic as part of its European missile shield. The related treaty or agreement were signed separately this summer.
Washington has tried to convince Moscow that the U.S. missile defense system in Eastern Europe was aimed at protecting itself from so-called rogue countries, but not targeted at Russia, who strongly opposes the plan, saying it poses a threat to its security.
Posted in china, chinese, Czech Republic, europe, Iran, Medvedev, Missile Defense, missile shield, news, Obama, Poland, politics, Russia, Russians, United States | 1 Comment »
Russia Backs Off (Further?) on Europe Missile Threat
President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia retreated Friday from his threat to deploy missiles on Europe’s borders, but only if President-elect Barack Obama joined Russia and France in calling for a conference on European security by next summer.
By Stephen Castle
At a meeting in Nice hosted by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Mr. Medvedev backed away from the bellicose speech he gave last week, just hours after Mr. Obama won the United States presidential election. On Friday, the Russian leader argued instead that all countries “should refrain from unilateral steps” before discussions on European security next summer.
Mr. Sarkozy, who presided over the meeting between Russia and the 27 European Union nations in his capacity as the union’s president, helped ease the way for Mr. Medvedev’s retreat. The French leader supported the idea of talks on a new security architecture for Europe and suggested that they could be held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in June or July.
Above: President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, left, greeted President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia in Nice, France, on Friday, before a meeting with officials from the European Union nations. Bruno Bebert/European Pressphoto Agency
Both Russia and the United States belong to the organization.
Mr. Sarkozy made clear that he wants the United States to think again about the missile defense systems that it plans to build in Poland and the Czech Republic. Mr. Medvedev last week threatened to respond by stationing missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave bordering Poland and Lithuania, both of which are members of NATO and the European Union.
“Between now and then,” said Mr. Sarkozy, referring to the summer summit meeting, “please no more talk of antimissile protection systems.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/world/
europe/15europe.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Posted in Bush, Czech Republic, Dmitri A. Medvedev, europe, France, french, Iskander, Missile Defense, missile shield, missiles, news, Obama, Poland, politics, Russia, Russian, Sarkozy | Leave a Comment »
Belarus Says It Will Accept Russian Missiles Targeted on Europe
The Belarusian government is in discussion with Russia on deploying missiles in Belarus that could strike targets in Europe, the country’s president said.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told The Wall Street Journal he would like to see closer relationships with Western countries but he sympathizes with Russia on two points — the Georgian conflict and U.S. plans to build a missile shield in Europe.
Lukashenko said he supports Russia’s plans to place Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between Lithuania and Poland, to target the U.S. missile system.
Russia opposes the U.S. plan to deploy missiles and a radar system in Poland and the Czech Republic, saying the plan threatens Russia’s national security. The United States says the shield is needed to protect Europe against attacks from rouge states.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and his Belorussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko visit the Brest Fortress World War II memorial (225 miles) southwest of Minsk, Belarus, on June 22, 2008. This day in 1941, the garrison of the 19-century built fortress in the town of Brest was one of the first Red Army troops to confront the Nazi Germany’s Army attack on the Soviet Union in World War II. It held the line for over a month. (UPI Photo/Anatoli Zhdanov)
Russia also had proposed putting Iskander missiles in Belarus, Lukashenko said. If no deal is reached, Belarus would consider deploying missiles itself, he said.
“Even if Russia does not offer these promising missiles, we will purchase them ourselves,” Lukashenko told the Journal. “Right now we do not have the funds, but it is part of our plans — I am giving away a secret here — to have such weapons.”
Posted in Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus, Belarusian, Czech Republic, europe, Medvedev, missile, Missile Defense, missile shield, missiles, news, Poland, politics, Russia, Russian, targets, Wall Street Journal | Leave a Comment »
Russia First With A Meaningful Test for Obama
If the new administration is thinking about relations with Russia, as it should be, a rare personal story of an American scholar’s recent talk with the Russian president offers some substantive insights.
Andrew Kuchins told a small group of us at the Center for Strategic and International Studies fall meeting about how President Dmitry Medvedev described his phone conversation with President Bush last summer during the nasty little war between Georgia and its former imperial power, Moscow.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, and Chief of Russia’s Nanotechnology Agency Anatoly Chubais seen during the 2008 EU-Russia Industrialists’ Round Table Annual Conference in Cannes, southern France, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Vladimir Rodionov, Presidential Press Service)
Medvedev told the small group of scholars in the Valdai Discussion Club that Bush had asked him, “You are a young government — what do you need this war for?” And Medvedev told him, “George, you would have done the same thing, only more brutally. … And, remember, if you continue your support of the Georgian regime, you do so at our own risk.”
By Georgie Anne Geyer
Kuchins, a young Eurasian specialist at CSIS, then used this unusual opportunity of hearing what Russians really think to catapult to his deep concerns about American/Russian relations and Russian intentions today. “For years since the Cold War,” he said, “I have believed that the chance of war with Russia was close to zero. Today, that probability seems, while obviously difficult to quantify, between 2 and 3 percent — and rising. I never saw (Russian and American) narratives about the world so diametrically opposed.”
Then he recalled how President Medvedev also told them at the meeting, with unmistakable meaning, “We will not tolerate any more humiliation — and we are not joking!”
Now, I have covered the Soviet Union, and later the Russian Federation, regularly since 1967, and I can say that that one word, “humiliation,” plus the fear of it, are largely behind virtually all Russian actions and statements.
Gen. Brent Scowcroft, respected Russian specialist and co-author of the new book, “America and the World, Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy,” told us at the same CSIS meeting: “The Russians are still searching for their soul. Are they really Europeans, who didn’t enjoy the Enlightenment, or are they Asians? … We’ve never had a strategy for dealing with the Russians after the Cold War … (W)e left the impression that it didn’t matter.”
So, where are we now? Well, when Vice President-elect Joe Biden warned earlier this fall that the world would test the new president, the first to step up to the plate was Moscow. Within mere days of the election, that same Russian president had thrown out the first ball: With bristling words, he warned he would co-opt the Bush administration‘s plan to put missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic by saying that Moscow would respond by placing short-range missiles on Russia’s Western border in Kaliningrad. These were all “forced measures,” he said, in place of the “positive cooperation that Russia wanted to combat common threats.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucgg/20081113/cm_ucgg/russia
isfirsttotestnewpresident
Posted in Barack Obama, Bush, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Czech Republic, europe, Georgia, Georgian, Iran, Iskander, Missile Defense, Missiles Shield, news, Obama, Poland, politics, President Dmitry Medvedev, Russia, Russian | Leave a Comment »
You are currently browsing the archives for the europe category.
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Walk-ups will be seated at "The Hate U Give" author Angie Thomas' sold out talk at CofC on Monday
NYT bestseller continues to be important and relevant, CofC professor says
by Morgan Galvez
Anissa Photography
Author Angie Thomas' book The Hate U Give is about racial violence and is a NYT bestseller.
With local and national buzz surrounding Angie Thomas' debut novel The Hate U Give, which topped the New York Times Bestseller List for nearly two years and was made into a movie last year, it's no wonder her scheduled appearance as a speaker at the Sottile Theatre for the College of Charleston on Mon. Jan. 14 is already sold out.
But fans shouldn't lose hope. The show may be sold out, but there is a chance for a few more excited Charlestonians to get tickets to the show and join the conversation: walk-ups will be seated five minutes before showtime on a first come, first served basis depending on seating availability.
The talk is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Sottile Theatre at 44 George St.
(CofC students, faculty, and staff will also be able to hear from Thomas earlier in the afternoon at 5 p.m. in the Stern Center Ballroom.)
Thomas, a recipient of the 2018 William C. Morris Award, the 2018 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant, awarded by We Need Diverse Books, will host a talk called "The Hate U Give: Finding Your Activism and Turning the Political into the Personal" before taking part in a Q&A with attendees.
The Hate U Give was one novel that caused a divide among educational institutions and law enforcement in Charleston regarding its portrayal of police.
Many schools in Charleston, including Wando High School and the College of Charleston, assigned the novel for summer reading. The College picked it as The College Reads! book for entering 2018 freshman while Wando included it in their English I CP summer reading list. Wando's selection of the novel for high school students' summer reading did not go over well with one Charleston police advocate.
In June 2018, John Blackmon, Lodge President of the Charleston-area Fraternal Order of Police, Tri-County Lodge #3, told WCBD News 2 that he felt the novel indoctrinated a sense of distrust for police: "Freshmen, they're at the age where their interactions with law enforcement have been very minimal. They're not driving yet, they haven't been stopped for speeding, they don't have these type of interactions. This is putting in their minds, it's almost an indoctrination of distrust of police and we've got to put a stop to that."
Wando High kept the novel on their reading list with three other books to choose from.
In a press release about Monday's talk, CofC English professor Valerie Frazier described why Thomas' visit is important, connecting a three local incidents that have sparked discussions about latent racism. "As we grapple with the aftershocks and historical impact of slavery, [the shooting of] Walter Scott, the Emanuel Nine tragedy, and, most recently, the controversy over the Charleston Rifle Club's blackballing of Dr. Melvin Brown, it becomes more and more apparent that such dialogue is still needed."
Angie Thomas The Hate U Give
Here's a nod to reading as a radical act of resistance 5
by Stephanie Hunt on June 27, 2018
YALLFest author Nic Stone asks the hard questions in her YA novel, Dear Martin 1
Beyond Black and White
by Enid Spitz on November 8, 2017
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Many of the late paintings are sombre but essentially optimistic and, right up to the time of Van Gogh's death, reflect his desire to return to lucid mental health. Yet some of his final works reflect his deepening concerns.[257][258] Writing in July 1890, from Auvers, Van Gogh said that he had become absorbed "in the immense plain against the hills, boundless as the sea, delicate yellow".[181]
I asked Fred Astaire once when he was about my age if he still danced and he said 'Yes, but it hurts now.' That's exactly it. I can still dance too but it hurts now! I've always kept moving. I was at the gym at six this morning. Of course marrying a beautiful young woman has been a big help. There are so many years between us and we don't feel it. I'm emotionally immature and she's very wise for her age so we kind of meet in the middle.
Those of you who have followed this saga and supported my efforts with your countless emails will understand when I say that regardless of money, ethics, William Morris Agents and their lawyers, and anyone else who has the guts to call this project their own, I can honestly say that I am sitting here in my apartment in New York City SMILING BIG SMILES because I know in my heart (and so does EVERYONE ELSE) that this whole bloody thing...and all of your happiness....was because of something I did.
After Van Gogh's death, memorial exhibitions were held in Brussels, Paris, The Hague and Antwerp. His work was shown in several high-profile exhibitions, including six works at Les XX; in 1891 there was a retrospective exhibition in Brussels.[265] In 1892 Octave Mirbeau wrote that Van Gogh's suicide was an "infinitely sadder loss for art ... even though the populace has not crowded to a magnificent funeral, and poor Vincent van Gogh, whose demise means the extinction of a beautiful flame of genius, has gone to his death as obscure and neglected as he lived."[263]
The album "Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke" was recorded on Friday, November 22, 1963. Early in the recording session, the artists and orchestra were informed of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. In spite of the tragic news, and a deadline from Command Records that had to be met, the recording session continued to a successful conclusion - albeit in an emotionally-charged atmosphere. He said that he scarcely remembers the session because he was in such a state of shock after hearing the news.
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The Flowering Orchards (also the Orchards in Blossom) are among the first groups of work completed after Van Gogh's arrival in Arles in February 1888. The 14 paintings are optimistic, joyous and visually expressive of the burgeoning spring. They are delicately sensitive and unpopulated. He painted swiftly, and although he brought to this series a version of Impressionism, a strong sense of personal style began to emerge during this period. The transience of the blossoming trees, and the passing of the season, seemed to align with his sense of impermanence and belief in a new beginning in Arles. During the blossoming of the trees that spring, he found "a world of motifs that could not have been more Japanese".[252] Vincent wrote to Theo on 21 April 1888 that he had 10 orchards and "one big [painting] of a cherry tree, which I've spoiled".[253]
In 1892 Émile Bernard organised a small solo show of Van Gogh's paintings in Paris, and Julien Tanguy exhibited his Van Gogh paintings with several consigned from Johanna van Gogh-Bonger. In April 1894 the Durand-Rue Gallery in Paris agreed to take 10 paintings on consignment from Van Gogh's estate.[269] In 1896, the Fauvist painter Henri Matisse, then an unknown art student, visited John Peter Russell on Belle Île off Brittany.[270][271] Russell had been a close friend of Van Gogh; he introduced Matisse to the Dutchman's work, and gave him a Van Gogh drawing. Influenced by Van Gogh, Matisse abandoned his earth-coloured palette for bright colours.[271][272]
Art Van Elslander founded Art Van in 1959, opening his first store in East Detroit.[2] Van Elslander's furniture first business was a 4,000 square-foot space on Gratiot Avenue and 10 Mile Road. He expanded to three stores in that same year, and a fourth store opened in 1960. His first employee was not hired until this time.[3] Art Vans Furniture (later changed to Art Van Furniture) opened with mostly modern and Danish-style furniture.[4]
Van Dyke began his film career by playing the role of Albert J. Peterson in the film version of Bye Bye Birdie (1963). Despite his unhappiness with the adaptation—its focus differed from the stage version in that the story now centered on a previously supporting character[32]—the film was a success. That same year, Van Dyke was cast in two roles: as the chimney sweep Bert, and as bank chairman Mr. Dawes Senior, in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins (1964). For his scenes as the chairman, he was heavily costumed to look much older and was credited in that role as "Navckid Keyd" (at the end of the credits, the letters unscramble into "Dick Van Dyke"). Van Dyke's attempt at a cockney accent has been lambasted as one of the worst accents in film history, cited by actors since as an example of how not to sound. In a 2003 poll by Empire magazine of the worst-ever accents in film, he came in second (to Sean Connery in The Untouchables, despite Connery winning an Academy Award for that performance).[33][34] According to Van Dyke, his accent coach was Irish, who "didn't do an accent any better than I did", and that no one alerted him to how bad it was during the production.[35][36][37] Still, Mary Poppins was successful on release and its appeal has endured. "Chim Chim Cher-ee", one of the songs that Van Dyke performed in Mary Poppins, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the Sherman Brothers, the film's songwriting duo.
After seeing the portrait of Adolphe Monticelli at the Galerie Delareybarette, Van Gogh adopted a brighter palette and a bolder attack, particularly in paintings such as his Seascape at Saintes-Maries (1888).[104][105] Two years later, Vincent and Theo paid for the publication of a book on Monticelli paintings, and Vincent bought some of Monticelli's works to add to his collection.[106]
Van Dyke made headlines again in April 2013, this time for an incident of a much different kind—one posing a threat to the actor's life, not celebrating it the way the prestigious event had just weeks earlier. The legendary performer announced that he was suffering from an "undiagnosed neurological disorder," posting on his Twitter page: "My head bangs every time I lay down. I've had every test come back that I'm perfectly healthy. Anybody got any ideas?" The famed TV personality was reportedly advised by his doctor to avoid plane travel and rest until further tests could be conducted to pinpoint the direct cause of his head pain.
Despite a pessimistic diagnosis, Van Gogh recovered and returned to the Yellow House on 7 January 1889.[155] He spent the following month between hospital and home, suffering from hallucinations and delusions of poisoning.[156] In March, the police closed his house after a petition by 30 townspeople (including the Ginoux family) who described him as "le fou roux" (the redheaded madman);[149] Van Gogh returned to hospital. Paul Signac visited him twice in March;[157] in April Van Gogh moved into rooms owned by Dr Rey after floods damaged paintings in his own home.[158] Two months later, he left Arles and voluntarily entered an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Around this time, he wrote, "Sometimes moods of indescribable anguish, sometimes moments when the veil of time and fatality of circumstances seemed to be torn apart for an instant."[159]
I was an alcoholic for about twenty-five years. In the Fifties and Sixties, everybody had their martini, everybody smoked incessantly. The funny thing is that all through my twenties and early thirties I didn't drink at all. Then we moved to a neighborhood full of young families with the same age kids and everyone drank heavily, there were big parties every night. I would go to work with terrible hangovers which if you're dancing is really hard. I was in deep trouble, you get suicidal and think you just can't go on. I had suicidal feelings, it was just terrible. But then suddenly, like a blessing, the drink started not to taste good. I would feel a little dizzy and a little nauseous and I wasn't getting the click. Today I wouldn't want a drink for anything. But I do occasionally think of taking a nice drag. I've been on this gum for ten years and it's just as addictive but at least it's not hurting my lungs. (2013)
Friends with: Shirley Jones, Angela Lansbury, Bea Arthur, Florence Henderson, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Danny Thomas, Buddy Ebsen, Bill Cullen, Wink Martindale, Michele Lee, Hope Lange, Larry Hagman, Pernell Roberts, Robert Fuller, Angie Dickinson, Debbie Reynolds, James Garner, Andy Griffith, Michael Landon, Dick Van Patten, and wife Pat Van Patten, his brother Jerry Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Maureen Stapleton, Betsy Palmer, Piper Laurie, Mickey Rooney, Rose Marie, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Mary Tyler Moore, Julie Andrews, Richard Deacon, Morey Amsterdam, Warren Beatty, Fred Silverman, Dean Hargrove, Joyce Burditt, Christian I. Nyby II, Sheldon Leonard, Richard M. Sherman, Betty White, William Shatner, Dick Martin, Jean Stapleton, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Bill Cosby, Robert Wagner, Don Rickles, Rosie O'Donnell and Jerry Paris.
Gogh, Vincent van: Landscape at Saint-Rémy (Enclosed Field with Peasant)Landscape at Saint-Rémy (Enclosed Field with Peasant), oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1889; in the Indianapolis Museum of Art. 73.66 × 92.07 cm.Photograph by Jenny O'Donnell. Indianapolis Museum of Art, gift of Mrs James W. Fesler in memory of Daniel W. and Elizabeth C. Marmon, 44.74
The sunflowers were painted to decorate the walls in anticipation of Gauguin's visit, and Van Gogh placed individual works around the Yellow House's guest room in Arles. Gauguin was deeply impressed and later acquired two of the Paris versions.[134] After Gauguin's departure, Van Gogh imagined the two major versions of the sunflowers as wings of the Berceuse Triptych, and included them in his Les XX in Brussels exhibit. Today the major pieces of the series are among his best known, celebrated for the sickly connotations of the colour yellow and its tie-in with the Yellow House, the expressionism of the brush strokes, and their contrast against often dark backgrounds.[244]
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People in the UK love to rib me about my accent, I will never live it down. They ask what part of England I was meant to be from and I say it was a little shire in the north where most of the people were from Ohio. I was working with an entire English cast and nobody said a word, not Julie, not anybody said I needed to work on it so I thought I was alright.
Categories: Wikipedia articles with style issues1966 establishments in California1980s fashion1990s fashion2000s fashion2010s fashionCompanies based in Santa Ana, CaliforniaClothing companies established in 1966Shoe brandsShoe companies of the United StatesSkateboarding companiesSnowboarding companiesSportswear brandsSurfwear brandsSkateboard shoe companies2004 mergers and acquisitions
Van Dyke took a more dramatic turn in the 1990s. He starred in the popular crime drama Diagnosis Murder alongside his real-life son, Barry Van Dyke. Debuting in 1993, the series featured Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical professional who helped the police solve crimes. The series ended in 2001, but Van Dyke didn't stay away from the small screen for long. He played another amateur detective in a series of TV movies, beginning with 2006's Murder 101. That same year, the actor appeared in the Ben Stiller comedy Night at the Museum.
His understanding of the possibilities of painting was evolving rapidly; from studying Hals he learned to portray the freshness of a visual impression, while the works of Paolo Veronese and Eugène Delacroix taught him that colour can express something by itself. This led to his enthusiasm for Peter Paul Rubens and inspired his sudden departure for Antwerp, Belgium, where the greatest number of Rubens’s works could be seen. The revelation of Rubens’s mode of direct notation and of his ability to express a mood by a combination of colours proved decisive in the development of van Gogh’s style. Simultaneously, van Gogh discovered Japanese prints and Impressionist painting. All these sources influenced him more than the academic principles taught at the Antwerp Academy, where he was enrolled. His refusal to follow the academy’s dictates led to disputes, and after three months he left precipitately in 1886 to join Theo in Paris. There, still concerned with improving his drawing, van Gogh met Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, and others who were to play historic roles in modern art. They opened his eyes to the latest developments in French painting. At the same time, Theo introduced him to Camille Pissarro, Georges Seurat, and other artists of the Impressionist group.
Van Gogh had a catastrophic love life. He was attracted to women in trouble, thinking he could help them. When he fell in love with his recently widowed cousin, Kate, she was repulsed and fled to her home in Amsterdam. Van Gogh then moved to The Hague and fell in love with Clasina Maria Hoornik, an alcoholic prostitute. She became his companion, mistress and model.
Born into an upper-middle-class family, Van Gogh drew as a child and was serious, quiet and thoughtful. As a young man he worked as an art dealer, often travelling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London. He turned to religion and spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. He drifted in ill health and solitude before taking up painting in 1881, having moved back home with his parents. His younger brother Theo supported him financially, and the two kept up a long correspondence by letter. His early works, mostly still lifes and depictions of peasant labourers, contain few signs of the vivid colour that distinguished his later work. In 1886, he moved to Paris, where he met members of the avant-garde, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were reacting against the Impressionist sensibility. As his work developed he created a new approach to still lifes and local landscapes. His paintings grew brighter in colour as he developed a style that became fully realised during his stay in Arles in the south of France in 1888. During this period he broadened his subject matter to include series of olive trees, wheat fields and sunflowers.
I purchased a sectional set from the Fort Wayne store last year and it has been nothing but a nightmare. Within a month it has stated to rip at the stitching. We called and they said we don't cover that it's the factory warranty. So we called them and was informed we called to late of the incident of the rip and it was not on the stitching even tho clearly the picture the guy took showed the stitching coming apart. Then a month later our dog threw up brown sugar all over or brown sectional and the oder is unbearable to the point where you can't sit on it. We purchased the extended stain warranty and you guessed it... It was not covered...... So a month ago they were have birthday sale so we go in looking for a bed and bed frame. They worked with us and got a good deal on a set. So last week they delivery was 2 hours late so we had to reschedule and my wife missed work. Now today they showed up with half our order and made me miss work bc they couldn't work with us on times to be delivered. Now they want us to miss work again to deliver the rest of the order next Thursday. So I sit down on my disgusting falling apart sectional and it clicks I'm done with this company and the empty promises and cancel the remainder of the order bc I need a mattress to sleep on tonight. Do not do business with this company unless you like terrible customer service...
We bought a bedroom set and was very excited to get it delivered. However, when it got delivered, we realized that the salesperson failed to tell us that we needed a bunky board rather than a box spring, and the bed was 5 feet tall with the platform! (Keeping in mind I bought all the pieces of furniture from the same company). The bed was as tall as me! I called the company while the delivery guys were still here, but the salesperson said she would call me back and never did. I finally got ahold of the manager the next day, who was going to charge me another $100 for the exchange and delivery. I later found out that the bunky board was simply a piece of plywood that you can easily buy for much cheaper, and that this situation happened to people all the time; especially to elderly people.
Van Gogh returned to Cuesmes in August 1880, where he lodged with a miner until October.[52] He became interested in the people and scenes around him, and recorded them in drawings after Theo's suggestion that he take up art in earnest. He travelled to Brussels later in the year, to follow Theo's recommendation that he study with the Dutch artist Willem Roelofs, who persuaded him – in spite of his dislike of formal schools of art – to attend the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts. He registered at the Académie in November 1880, where he studied anatomy and the standard rules of modelling and perspective.[53]
In December 1888 he painted La Berceuse – a figure that he thought as good as his sunflowers. It has a limited palette, varied brushstrokes and simple contours.[219] It appears to be a culmination of portraits of the Roulin family completed in Arles between November and December. The portraits show a shift in style from the fluid, restrained brushstrokes and even surface of Portrait of the Postman to the frenetic style, rough surface, broad brushstrokes and use of a palette knife in Madame Roulin with Baby.[229]
Van Gogh's gaze is seldom directed at the viewer. The portraits vary in intensity and colour, and in those painted after December 1888 especially, the vivid colours highlight the haggard pallor of his skin.[232] Some depict the artist with a beard, others without. He can be seen with bandages in portraits executed just after he mutilated his ear. In only a few does he depict himself as a painter.[230] Those painted in Saint-Rémy show the head from the right, the side opposite his damaged ear, as he painted himself reflected in his mirror.[236][237]
Van Gogh had many influences on his life including his family and friends, other artists such as Paul Gauguin, and his failing mental and physical health. To see how each of these affected his life, please visit the Important Figures, Artistic Influences and Health sections. For information about how Van Gogh's work has impacted our society today, view the Impact on Art, Cultural References, and News sections.
Van Dyke left high school in 1944, his senior year, intending to join the United States Army Air Forces for pilot training during World War II. Denied enlistment several times for being underweight, he was eventually accepted for service as a radio announcer before transferring to the Special Services and entertaining troops in the continental United States.[11] He received his high school diploma in 2004 at the age of 78.[12]
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College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences > Academics > Comparative Literature > About
The Comparative Literature minor is designed for students who combine the drive and the ability to master foreign languages with a strong commitment to theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches to literature. Students must do a substantial portion of their work in at least one foreign language.
Although students will take many of their courses in the departments of their elected literary fields, the program in comparative literature is distinguished from national literature departments by its comparative scope and by the requirement of seminars that focus on fundamental theoretical questions regarding the nature of literature and literary inquiry. The requirements for the minor are designed to allow each student to follow a course of study that combines intellectual rigor with the pursuit of personal interests.
To minor in comparative literature the following sequence of courses totalling 24 credit hours is required: Comparative Literature 311 or Comparative Literature 355 plus five Comparative Literature offerings or four Comparative Literature offerings plus one 300 level literature offering from Modern Languages in a language other than English.
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Welcome to The Maghreb Center Student Blog!
The Maghreb Center Student Blog
The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya
June 26, 2017 June 27, 2017 maghrebcenter
June 26, 2017 – Camille Ford*
This piece is based on a panel discussion held at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC on June 20th 2017, with Jason Pack, Rhiannon Smith, Karim Mezran, and Chris Chivvis, on the occasion of the publication of their report titled: “The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya.” The report is published by the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, and deals with ISIS presence and activities in Libya in the post-Qaddafi era.
Libya: A Unique Case in the ISIS network
In the preface to the report, four major findings are oulined: the emergence of ISIS as a reactionary force in the face of Libya’s ongoing statelessness; the negative Libyan response to ISIS brutality tactics; the emergence of ISIS in Libya as a result of marginalization in the post-Qaddafi era; and the necessity of decentralizing authority as a solution to issues of governance and justice in Libya.
The Mutability of Jihadism and Libyan Statelessness
Prompted by Atlantic Senior Fellow Karim Mezran, Jason Pack [1], the leading author of the report, kick-started the discussion by honing in on the mutable nature of jihadist groups. He asserts that while each specific jihadist group may claim a unique ideology, all jihadist groups share a common anti-western sentiment which drives their overarching ideology. This shared mission allows these groups to evolve and grow quickly, without sharp boundaries dividing them. In the Libyan militia context, Pack asserts that loyalty is fostered at the local level. In line with this, the local actors and regional factors hold greater importance than the needs of their umbrella organization, whether this be ISIS or any other, thus allowing for Jihadist groups to form, merge, or disappear rapidly.
This mutability is a central factor in understanding the growth of ISIS in the post-Qaddafi years. Pack asserts that ISIS is in fact just a symptom of broader Libyan issues, with the cause being the statelessness that has ensued since 2011. ISIS saw an opportunity for proliferation in the blatant political vacuum and the fragmentation of the state in Libya, and seized it. Localized Islamist groups, whose influence over local actors has trumped the formation of a truly unified nation-state, have undermined efforts towards a centralized authority. This became evident in 2011, when Libya was divided into two territories, governed by two competing governments, both claiming to be the legitimate representatives of the Libyan people. One faction based itself in the East, in Tripoli, and is comprised of a broad union of Islamist groups known as Operation Libya Dawn, and the second, based in the West, in Benghazi, is led by anti-Islamist General Khalifa Haftar.
From then on, a series of efforts, led by the UN and local actors, in 2014 and 2015, sought to undertake the daunting mission of creating a unity government. The project, however, has repeatedly failed as the UN was unable to convene the people of true influence, military leaders, to the negotiating table; and local actors remain faithful to their own factions.
Libya and Jihadism: A Historical Affair
Following Jason Pack, Chris Chivvis [2], from the RAND Corporation, highlighted the historical presence of jihadism in Libya, as well as the long-standing involvement of Libyan Jihadists in the Syrian crisis, which began in 2011. The ISIS-centric view of this phenomenon fails to account for the fact that ISIS is just one piece in the jihadist network, serving as an agent of jihadism, rather than its own structure. As such, the Pack, Smith and Mezran report highlights this historical relationship, tracing the roots of Libyan jihadism to the Afghani mujahideen in the 1980s, when Libyan volunteers travelled to Afghanistan to join the Taliban. This allowed the Libyans to develop military skills, and contacts, through the jihadist networks, which they would then use back in their country. The ISIS presence today represents a new wave of Libyan jihadists who have been deeply involved with global jihadist networks since 2011.
Derna: ISIS Brutality and Libyan Marginalization
According to the Report, this aspect is best exemplified in the case of the Libyan city of Derna. In 2016, data leaked by a defected ISIS fighter exposed the profound links between Libya and ISIS. Among the 3,600 foreign fighters who had registered with ISIS in the Syria-Turkey border regions between 2013 and mid-2014, “Derna and environs had the single highest per capita rate of foreign fighters joining ISIS of any other global province recorded.” It is no surprise that Derna became the first ISIS outpost in Libya in 2014. ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi formally recognized the “Derna emirate” in November of the same year. The ISIS presence in Derna was short-lived, being evicted from the center of the region in mid-2015, and once again, from the peripheries, in mid-2016, due to the ongoing competition for power among various groups. As of late 2016, after a brief occupation of the city of Sirte, ISIS no longer controls any significant territory in Libya, but still exercises some influence in the region. Derna thus highlights the ties between Libyans and Jihadists groups, who travelled to Syria and other countries where Jihadists are active, and developed skills and contacts which were used to create ISIS outposts in Libya.
The Derna example ties in two of the major findings proposed by Pack, Smith and Mezran: the disapproval of the Libyan people of ISIS brutality; and the impact of marginalization of some regions and cities on the emergence of ISIS in Libya. Derna, prior to its role as an ISIS outpost, was a largely neglected city in the post-Qaddafi era, leaving it vulnerable to outside influence. Its historical ties to global jihadism made it the ideal location for ISIS to establish itself. However, the ISIS presence was short-lived due to the brutality of its attacks in the region, which triggered a local counter-response, and led to the eventual demise of ISIS in both Derna and Sirte. The public beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts in February of 2015, or the series of suicide car bombs staged in Sirte in July and August of 2016, are examples of such brutal attacks.
Conclusions: Decentralization of Authority and Limited Foreign Intervention
In the concluding remarks, Pack, Smith, Mezran and Chivvis addressed Western involvement in the Libyan conflict, and the necessity for a decentralized authority in Libya. Pack expressed his strong opposition to any type of strictly counter terror approaches, and advocated for a targeted focus on resolving the greatest underlying issue of the Libyan conflict, namely the lack of a governance system. As put forth in the report, he offers a solution in which he emphasizes the decentralization of power, and empowering local actors. To achieve this, Pack suggests support for bureaucratic, and media training, as well as the implementation of educational and vocational programs in order to remedy the economic instability in Libya, which has fostered the growth of an extensive black market.
All in all, the “The Origins and Evolution of ISIS in Libya” is a thorough report on the development of jihadist movements which have plagued Libya. Its focus upon issues of statelessness and governance, as a root cause for the proliferation of ISIS provides a critical understanding of the Libyan case, and pragmatic solutions on both the domestic Libyan, and Western foreign policy front. Now, only time will tell whether the recommendations put forth by the report will carry any weight in the world of foreign policy, and whether the Trump administration will see cause in supporting Libya.
[1] Jason Pack, is the founder and emeritus director of Eye on Isis in Libya, as well as the executive director of the US- Libya Business Association, and founder of Libya-Analysis, a consultancy organization which produces reports on Libya for Western companies and governments.
[2] Chris Chivvis is the associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center, as well as a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation. He is also an adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies.
*Camille Ford is an International Studies and Islamic Civilizations Double Major at Boston College (Class of 2018). She is currently a research intern for the Maghreb Center.
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Tag Archives: U.S. Congress
Day #18 – July 24, 2014 – What does Congress know?
Today marks the 18th day of Israel’s genocidal assault against the men, women and children in Gaza last summer.
No doubt, “purists” will object to this characterization, but I have no doubts that the intent and the impact was genocidal.
I visited Capitol Hill yesterday to speak with my member of Congress about Israel and Palestine. She knows of my interest (and hopefully my expertise) because we have talked about it many times, both in DC and in Albuquerque. I was disappointed but understand why she wasn’t in her office yesterday when I arrived. Her daughter went into labor early and delivered her first grandchild, so she was on a plane headed back to Albuquerque. Congratulations!!
I sat with her legislative assistant for foreign affairs. John and I have talked several times, and I felt the meeting was a success because we’re building bridges. I may not agree with every vote, but I believe in my Congresswoman’s sincerity when she says she wants to do the right thing. My job is to help her (and John) understand what is the right thing.
I shared the following letter and we discussed these points for nearly an hour. My shock and dismay came when I asked whether Congress and/or staff have received any briefings about Israel’s Operation Protective Edge. John said they were briefed last summer during Israel’s military assault, but he’s not aware of any follow-up briefings since then.
WE MUST INFORM CONGRESS ABOUT THE IMPACTS
OF THEIR DECISIONS TO FUND & SUPPORT ISRAEL’S MILITARY!
I just sent the following message to the staff of my two US Senators and Representative.
Gaza One Year Later:
The Quest for Accountability
WHERE: 121 Cannon House Office Building,
27 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
WHEN: Wednesday, July 29, 12:00 PM
One year has passed since “Operation Protective Edge”, Israel’s attack on the Palestinian Gaza Strip which killed more than 2,200 Palestinians and devastated its infrastructure. Today Gaza remains under Israeli blockade, unreconstructed, and teetering on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe. Join us for this discussion on Israel’s failure to hold itself accountable through domestic judicial proceedings, and the options and need for the United States and the international community to do so.
Nadia Ben-Youssef, USA Representative, Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel
Eman Mohammed, Gaza photojournalist; contributor, Gaza Unsilenced
Brad Parker, International Advocacy Officer, Defense for Children International Palestine
Moderated by: Josh Ruebner, Policy Director, US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
A light lunch will be served. Please RSVP by email or by phone at 202-332-0994.
Sponsored by the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. Cosponsored by the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Friends Service Committee, American Muslims for Palestine, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Jewish Voice for Peace, Just World Books, Middle East Children’s Alliance, US Palestinian Community Network.
Lora in front of Library of Congress – July 2015
My letter to my Congresswoman:
Thank you for meeting with me on the anniversary of Operation Protective Edge (July 7th and August 26th, 2014) when Israel’s vastly disproportionate military campaign in Gaza killed over 2,250 Palestinians, including over 500 children and over 1400 civilians (73 Israelis also lost their lives, including 1 child and 6 civilians). Because the United States, and Congress specifically, directly supports Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories and Israel’s military operations, I wanted to share some facts from the U.N. Independent Commission of Inquiry’s report.
During the 51 day operation last summer, the IDF launched more than 6,000 airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. (para. 111) The IDF said it was supplied with more than 5,000 tons of munitions, a 533% increase over the weapons and munitions the IDF used in Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009. (para. 408)
142 families had 3 or more members killed in the same incident (742 fatalities) because of destruction of residential buildings. (para. 111)
2251 Palestinians were killed, including 551 children, and 11,231 people were injured. (para. 574)
A significant % of civilians killed during the conflict died inside their home as a direct result of air-strikes or artillery shelling of their neighborhoods, making attacks on houses a key-feature of the conflict. (para. 243)
The IDF refused to allow Red Cross ambulances to help victims. In one example, the IDF opened the road to finally allow the ambulance in but then closed the road again and did not allow the ambulance to leave, and so the medics had to carry the injured out on their shoulders. (para. 332)
The family of a 70-year old woman left her behind in her wheelchair when they evacuated the home because they couldn’t take her. When they returned to the house, they found her dead, shot in the head at close range. The IDF posted a picture on Twitter showing a soldier offering water to this same old woman, a sadistic act of propaganda. (para. 333)
The IDF destroyed entire neighborhoods (Beit Hanoun, Shuja’iya, Khuza’a).
Despite the fact that the International Red Cross coordinated with the IDF in its rescue efforts, the IDF clearly targeted ambulances and medical personnel, killing 23 health professionals. (para. 458 – 462)
18,000 homes were destroyed, and an estimated 80,000 homes and properties damaged. (para. 576)
During the fighting, approximately 500,000 people were displaced, which is 28% of the population in Gaza. (para. 577)
As of May 2015, approximately 100,000 remain displaced. (para. 579)
At least 4 young children died last winter in Gaza because their families were without shelter. (para.578)
63 water facilities in Gaza were damaged, and 23 were completely destroyed. Sewage treatment plants and pumping stations were also destroyed. (para. 584)
One hospital and 5 clinics were destroyed. Fifteen hospitals and 51 clinics were damaged. (para. 591)
More than 1,500 children were orphaned. (para. 594)
Almost 800 women were widowed last summer. (para. 596)
The full report is available online. The Commission makes very specific recommendations primarily focused on addressing the structural issues that fuel the conflict and have a negative impact on a wide range of human rights, including lifting the siege and blockade of Gaza, and stopping the settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories. (para. 681) The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, refused to cooperate with the U.N. investigation and has rejected its report and recommendations.
REQUEST No. 1 —- Please invite former President Jimmy Carter to speak to Congress about his recent visit to Israel and Palestine. His deep knowledge and current experience would be invaluable to the Congress. (Attached is my petition to Congress signed by 290 people who have sent 682 letters and emails to their members of Congress making this same request.)
REQUEST No. 2 —- Please call upon your constituents for advice and counsel when you are considering legislation that impacts Israel and Palestine. Many New Mexicans oppose Israel’s brutal occupation and deadly military actions. Since last summer, there’s been a growing movement of Albuquerque and Santa Fe activists, nearly half of them Jewish activists, who have joined forces and raised nearly $18,000 for humanitarian projects in Gaza, including a well and kindergarten destroyed by Israel. This alliance is called Friends of Khuza’a New Mexico, named for a village in Gaza practically obliterated by Israel last summer. They’re planning a musical event and fundraiser in September featuring Issa Maluf, a world renowned Palestinian musician, and asked me to invite you. The date is TBD.
Filed under Gaza, IDF, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, People
Tagged as Congress, Friends of Khuza'a, Gaza, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Operation Protective Edge, U.S. Congress
al-Nakba Day on Capitol Hill
Lora squinting in front of the US Capitol
Today I visited Washington, DC where the Capitol Building is getting a facelift. My goal was to connect with staff in each of the offices of the New Mexico delegation to talk about al-Nakba. It went something like this . . .
Staffer: Welcome to the office. We always like to hear from our constituents.
Lora: Thank you for taking time to meet with me. I have a personal interest in the Middle East (and I proceeded to share a bit about my background to set some context). Have you heard of al-Nakba?
Staffer: Nope!
Lora: Maybe you know about Israel’s Independence Day which was celebrated yesterday.
Staffer: Oh sure.
Lora: When the Zionists declared the new State of Israel in 1948, they began to forcibly expel over 750,000 indigenous Palestinians from their homes, businesses, and land. Many were killed. Over 500 Palestinians villages were destroyed. That expulsion is referred to as al-Nakba or “Catastrophe” in English, which continues to this day.
Staffer: <furiously scribbling notes>
Lora: What does the Senator / Congresswoman think about Israel & Palestine?
Staffer: Well, Israel has a right to defend herself, but we think Israel’s bombing of schools and hospitals last summer was over the top.
Lora: The situation in the Gaza Strip is dire. More than 2,000 Palestinians (most of them civilians) were killed last summer. Thousands of homes were destroyed and hundreds of families remain without shelter today. The status quo cannot continue. In fact, the U.N. issued a report in the summer of 2012 that said the Gaza Strip would be unlivable by 2020!
Staffer: Yes, but the situation is complex. What do you think the Senator / Congresswoman should do?
Lora: Well, we could begin by recognizing the State of Palestine. “Direct negotiations” between Israel and Palestine will not be fruitful if the international status of the parties remains unequal. This week Pope Francis recognized the State of Palestine. And as of October 2014, 135 of the 193 member states of the United Nations have recognized the State of Palestine. I think it’s long past time for the U.S. to recognize the State of Palestine too.
Staffer: Hmmmm! OK.
Lora: You know that the official U.S. policy regarding Israel/Palestine has been consistent for decades and under the Administrations of both parties. Carrots haven’t worked, it’s time to use sticks. Expressions of “concerns” about Israel’s settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories (a violation of international law) have not resulted in any change.
Staffer: What kind of sticks?
Lora: Such as reducing the $3+ Billion/year the U.S. taxpayers give to Israel; supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement; and refusing to shield Israel from criticism at the United Nations.
Staffer: What’s BDS?
Lora: <exacerbated but remaining calm> You know, like what we did with South Africa to help end the apartheid regime? And since Congress heard Netanyahu speak in March, maybe an invitation to Ambassador Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s permanent observer to the U.N., and former President Jimmy Carter, to speak to Congress would be helpful. Shouldn’t Congress hear from both sides?
Staffer: When an important vote comes up, the Senator / Congresswoman always asks staff “who have we heard from in the District about this issue and what did they say?”
Lora in Congresswoman Michelle Lujan-Grisham’s office sitting with the office dog – Mattie.
Which leads me to the point of this blog post. Don’t take it for granted that your members of Congress understand the issues in the Middle East. Reach out to them, call or write, and tell them what you think. Although the AIPAC and J Street lobbyists are known to Congressional staffers, other groups (Jewish Voices for Peace) and individuals may be unknown. We need to be heard in Congress. It’s easy (check out this website) and there’s no excuse not to.
My hunch is that not a single member of Congress has heard of al-Nakba. I know the staffers of the New Mexico delegation hadn’t.
Filed under Israel, Nakba, People, Politics, US Policy
Tagged as AIPAC, BDS, BDS Movement, boycott divestment sanctions, Congress, J Street, Jewish Voices for Peace, Nakba, Nakba Day, U.S. Congress
My questions to Bibi
We have two leaders in the Middle East sharing apocalyptic images of death and destruction while using religious dogma to support their positions.
Watch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu’s speech to Congress here: http://nyti.ms/1EeWKFn
And Graeme Wood’s article in The Atlantic this month describes what ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi wants. My summary is here.
On the subject of Bibi’s speech, I wish a journalist would ask Bibi these questions:
Will you sign the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty?
Will you allow inspections of your nuclear program?
Will you disclose what actions you have taken in the fight against ISIS, alongside Iran, Jordan and others?
Will you release the taxes you have withheld from the Palestinian Authority?
Will you allow a humanitarian ship to bring supplies directly to the port in Gaza?
Will you open the Erez Crossing so that Palestinians can freely transit between Gaza and the West Bank to visit their families, study and work unimpeded by Israel’s burdensome checkpoints?
Will you allow Palestinian students in Gaza who have received scholarships and opportunities to pursue their education abroad to leave Gaza through the Erez Crossing?
Will you end settlement building in the occupied Palestinian territories?
Will you agree to abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions and recognize a divided Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Palestine?
Will you lift the 8+ year siege and blockade of Gaza Strip?
Will you end the illegal military occupation of Palestine?
The answer to each of these questions will inform U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East more than Bibi’s grandstanding in front of Congress.
Filed under Israel, People, Politics, US Policy, Video
Tagged as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Bibi, Graeme Wood, ISIS, Netanyahu, U.S. Congress
Letter to Congress from an American in Gaza
This morning I had the opportunity to join a group who met with Representative Michelle Lujan-Grisham (D-NM) in Albuquerque. She’s a first-term member of Congress who admits her strength is social services and health policies, not foreign policy.
She acknowledges having a high learning curve when it comes to the Middle East, but says she tries to attend every Congressional briefing on foreign policy. She has noticed over the past 6 months that there’s a shift among her colleagues in Congress, they have “a new level of concern” and “want more balanced and clear recommendations.” She leaves these classified meetings now “feeling unsettled.”
When I learned that this meeting in Albuquerque had been organized, I turned to my American friend in Gaza for permission to share some of his photos of the horrific destruction in Gaza. I gave 22 photos to Rep. Lujan-Grisham, along with a copy of the letter my friend wrote. I hope she reads it and takes it to heart. (The letter is reprinted below.)
Refaat Alareer and Rawan Yaghi meet with Congresswoman Lujan-Grisham (D-NM)
I also shared a photo of a meeting in her DC office this past April with Refaat Alareer and Rawan Yaghi. Refaat is a Professor of English Literature at the Islamic University of Gaza and the Editor of Gaza Writes Back. Rawan is one of his students and contributed a short story to the book.
None of us knew when we met in her DC office in April that Israel would launch Operation Protective Edge a few weeks later, killing over 2000 Palestinians in Gaza. When she saw the photo this morning, Rep. Lujan-Grisham asked if Refaat was OK. I told her that Refaat’s brother was killed this summer and his home was destroyed. She was speechless.
Meeting with Representative Michelle Lujan-Grisham
Even for a strong, articulate politician, there are no words. I hope the news gave her pause to think more deeply about U.S. policy in the Middle East. I hope she takes the time to read Denny Cormier’s letter.
Dear Representative Grisham:
We need your support in Gaza.
My name is Denny Cormier. I am 68 and am currently retired.
I have lived in Santa Fe for the last 15 years but I am currently volunteering in Gaza as a human rights activist and a citizen journalist reporting on what I am discovering here.
I have been living here in Gaza City for six months now (since March 2014), and I also traveled here in June of 2013 as a citizen journalist.
What I knew about Gaza and the Palestinian issue before coming here was limited to reports that I received from the Western media, and the distance between Santa Fe and Gaza might as well have been a million miles.
But based on many conversations with young Palestinians and university students in Gaza over 2 years, I decided to travel to Gaza myself in 2013 and to investigate personally the differences between my own discoveries and what I read (or saw) in the media. My personal discoveries and the media narrative were so totally different – in fact, they were totally at odds. And I had to know.
Frankly, my first visit to Gaza was an eye-opener. In fact, it was a life changing experience to put it mildly.
I was immediately welcomed as a United States citizen… the people in Gaza love Americans… they welcome me warmly wherever I have traveled in Gaza. People greet you in the streets with the warmest of welcomes – when they discover I am an American, it immediately brings smiles to the faces of adults and children alike. The immediate reaction is – We Love You. I have made many lasting and strong friendships in Gaza. And I fell in love with the Palestinians and with Gaza. I received a similar welcome from university students and business owners and from people who welcomed me on behalf of the government.
This was not a place of terrorists. This was a place of a warm, friendly people – people of great faith – people of generosity that is unparalleled in my experience.
I could not wait to return to Gaza, and did so earlier this year in March.
And I am glad that I did.
This recent 6 month visit has increased my understanding of the issues here, and I have seen how the issues of siege and of economic devastation have brought great suffering to these people, many of whom I know personally.
Although I had the opportunity to leave Gaza before Operation Protective Edge with the assistance of the U.S. State Department and the government here in Gaza, I chose to stay on during the 51 day attack and to be a witness.
What I saw and experienced can only be characterized as horrific. The attacks on the border cities of Gaza were particularly barbaric. I reported to representatives of the U.S. State Department that I was a witness to war crimes, and the effects of the war crimes continue even if the attacks have stopped.
Although I live in an area of Gaza where other internationals live and in a place that is normally considered a safe haven for them, I began to feel strongly that my life was in serious danger – that there was no safe place in Gaza during those 51 days.
Gratefully I survived the bombings in my own neighborhood, but not so others in Gaza City and in cities throughout the Gaza Strip. Many hundreds died in these attacks… many thousands more were seriously injured… thousands of homes have been flattened by the weaponry that Israel used during the attacks and are now sitting in piles of rubble.
I have visited and documented the destruction in three Gaza cities – Khuzaa, in Shujaya and in Beit Hanoun (and of course, in Gaza City). If you had been able to accompany me on these visits after the war, you would have wept… I did.
What I saw was nothing short of total devastation of civilian homes. I would be happy to send you photographic documentation if you wish…. But what I saw and witnessed would make you shudder…
I have heard hundreds of stories of people of all ages who ran from their homes in the middle of the night as shells fell on their homes without warning….others were given just a few minutes to evacuate their homes before rockets or bombs wiped them out…. My dearest friends ran from their homes in bare feet and lost everything they owned and treasured.
Some homes were bombed while the families were sleeping. They received no warning from Israel. Entire families were wiped out
Children shuddered in their homes and it has been reported that 90% of the children in Gaza now suffer from PTSD.
Children were particularly targeted in these attacks.
Four young boys from the Bakr family were killed by shells from Israeli gunboats just off shore…. They were killed on the beach when they were playing football very close to my home… I met the only survivor of the attack on the same Bakr family home just days later.
I spent most of two months during the war acting as a human shield at Al Shifa Hospital, the major health facility in Gaza. There I met hundreds of refugees and interviewed the injured. I saw the dead being brought to the hospital, many of them children… what I saw is the stuff of nightmares. On one of the days there, hundreds of ambulances arrived over several hours delivering the dead and the injured….. The doctors I spoke to have told me that the injuries to their patients were worse than any war injuries that they have witnessed here and in other war zones.
I have seen many destroyed or severely damaged civilian facilities, including schools, mosques, hospitals, police stations – in some cases entire cities.
Before the war I was also witness to the devastation to the economy and to the infrastructure of Gaza – and the destruction of the human spirit during this too long siege. I learned to live with 8 hours of electricity a day (now 6 hours a day)… I learned to live with the water that comes from the taps that cannot be used for anything safely… I learned to live with miles of beaches that have been destroyed because of the need to dump raw sewage into the sea. I learned to live with stories of suffering that are caused by a huge unemployment situation in Gaza…
I cannot tell you all that I have discovered first hand during this current visit to Gaza, but it could fill books, and one day it probably will.
I can tell you that what I witnessed are gross breaches of international law and gross breaches of agreements relating to collective punishment of a civilian population.
I can tell you that I will encourage the Palestinians to bring charges against Israel to the International Criminal Court.
I can tell you that it is my honest opinion that the suffering of the people of Gaza are a direct result of an illegal siege and blockade and a de facto Occupation…. The Israelis left Gaza some years ago but they have an immense and negative impact on the lives of ordinary citizens in Gaza long after they left this area and surrounded it with fencing and military outposts.
I can tell you that I was personally shot at when visiting the city of Shujaya. As I explored the damage and was hundreds of meters from the Israeli border and the buffer zone that they have set up, bullets were fired above me and on both sides of me by the Israelis….. Warning shots perhaps…. But I was nowhere near the area where people are regularly killed and injured along the Israeli border…. My only weapon was a digital camera. I had to back up several hundred more feet before the shooting stopped. Children who were in the same area were also fired at as was my guide.
I can tell you many things based on first hand witness and observation, but I must please ask you to reconsider anything you ever learned from the media or from the State Department or White House regarding Gaza – in fact, question everything you have been told.
What you have been told… what we Americans have been told…. Is a lie.
I would be happy to meet with you when I return to the United States, but I must warn you now that the ongoing support of the State of Israel in its attacks on the Palestinians, especially on those living in Gaza is a great shame on the American people. The financial support offered to Israel without proper concern and restrictions based on human rights is a great shame for the American people.
As a representative of the good people of the United States, I urge you to look very closely at the good people of Gaza and to reconsider what we have done to them in the name of Israeli security.
In fact, I would be pleased to personally be your guide should you elect to visit the Gaza Strip and should the Israeli government allow you entry for a firsthand experience of what I have witnessed and experienced.
The people of Gaza need your support.
Dennis Cormier
(currently Gaza City in the Gaza Strip)
Filed under Gaza, Israel, People, Politics, US Policy
Tagged as #GazaUnderAttack, AIPAC, Denny Cormier, Gaza, Gaza Writes Back, Israel, Israel blockade, Lujan-Grisham, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Palestine, Refaat Alareer, U.S. Congress
Former US Diplomat Advises Palestinian Youth
Congratulations to the Centre for Political Development Studies (CPDS) in Gaza for arranging another very informative round table discussion, this time with retired US diplomat Norman Olsen. (April 30, 2013)
Mr. Olsen has 26 years experience in the US Foreign Service, most of it in the Middle East. He has lived in Tel Aviv and Gaza, sat at the negotiating tables, met all of the movers and shakers, and now he’s back in Gaza to help a good friend in his last days of life, dying of cancer.
Norman Olsen, retired U.S. diplomat
The topic: How can Palestinians get their voice and message out to the American public to provide a counter-balance to the Israeli narrative that dominates the US media?
Mr. Olsen is not shy about sharing his opinions. In this 2011 Christian Science article, he noted that the GOP candidates were trying to bind President Obama’s hands on foreign policy in Israel. To which country do their loyalties lie? (In response to a question, Mr. Olsen stated he is an Independent.)
Round table discussion at CPDS
He provided a very good description of how the American political system operates. Whatever the President may want to do vis-a-vis foreign policy in the Middle East, he must always play off his agenda with Congress. They tell him, “If you want health care, you have to back off on Palestine.”
Each member of Congress is elected from a small district and is accountable only to those voters in that small district. If Palestinians in Gaza voted for representatives in districts, such as the Remal District, only the voters in the Remal District would vote for the representative from Remal. And so the people who live in the Remal District have influence over the decisions of their representative. That is how it works in the U.S., Olsen noted.
In the U.S. Congress, the Israeli lobby is very powerful and there is nothing hidden or secretive about their lobbying activities. Members of AIPAC (American Israeli Political Action Committee) talk to members of Congress to convince them to support Israel. They only have to convince a few Congressmen, not all of them, because the uninformed members of Congress will just go along and support their colleagues. And so it is important that Palestinians talk to members of Congress, Mr. Olsen advised, in order to share the other side of the story that most do not hear.
He mentioned a book that documents all of the agreements made by the West regarding Palestine (1948-1982) which then the West broke. “The PLO & Palestine” by Abdallah Frangi. This is one I must pick up.
Mr. Olsen used a good analogy that I might use when I return to the U.S. and talk with Americans about Palestine.
Imagine people moving to New Mexico (my home state) from other parts of the world, and taking part of New Mexico for themselves. I suspect they would choose the northern half of New Mexico because of the water resources. These new people proclaim a new Hindu state (for the sake of argument) and tell the rest of us “You can stay and live here as second class citizens.” That is what has happened in Palestine and Americans don’t understand it.
My own observation: If Americans don’t understand the occupation, then they can’t possibly understand resistance.
There was robust discussion among the participants at this Roundtable. One young man said Palestine is suffering under a form of feudalism. Another commented that “our problem is access and organization.” How can the voices of Palestine influence members of Congress in the USA when Palestinians aren’t organized and even talking with Palestinians living in the diaspora?
A robust discussion after Mr. Olsen’s remarks.
One young man asked Olsen what practical steps they could take now to influence public opinion in the West. Olsen recommended reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, and stop firing the rockets into Israel.
The second recommendation stirred some feathers of western activists in the room who asked “why does everyone point to Palestine to stop the violence when it is Israel that breaks the truce first, when it is Israel that has superior weaponry and uses it indiscriminately?”
Olsen said he was asked for practical advice and was giving practical advice. Israel’s communication and messaging skills are superior to Palestine’s skills and they know how to spin it when rockets land in southern Israel.
Personally, I was listening and hearing very good advice. I fear some other activists were not listening well. But after this Roundtable discussion I headed over to another meeting where a group of Palestinians sat down to a virtual dinner (breakfast) with Native Americans in Oakland, California. In that venue, everyone was listening intently and I was struck by the importance of listening as a skill that people everywhere need to fine tune.
Thank you Mr. Olsen for sharing your years of experience in the Middle East. And thank you to Yousef Al-Jamal and CPDS for organizing this Round table discussion.
Filed under Gaza, Media, nonviolent resistance, People, Politics
Tagged as Center for Political Development Studies, Congress, Gaza, Norman Olsen, Obama, politics, President Obama, U.S. Congress
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We know stress generates too much cortisol and shuts down sexual hormones since our bodies go into a "fight or flight" mode. Supplements that nourish our adrenals are key to correcting those imbalances. A few recommendations that I have include adrenal adaptogens such as maca, ashwagandha, Siberian ginseng, and rhodiola. Adaptogens are a great way to restore adrenal glands, balance hormones, and detoxify. Supplementing with 25 to 50 mg of DHEA, and a high-quality multivitamin with bioavailable B vitamins and high dose vitamin C can also be helpful. It's important to eat a diet high in quality omega-3s like salmon, oysters, and sardines. I suggest 2,000 to 6,000 mg per day of carnitine to improve energy production and mitochondrial function.
Testosterone makes a contribution to nitric oxide formation. Nitric oxide, released from penile nerves stimulates guanylate cyclase which catalyzes the transformation of guanosine-5-triphosphate into 3′,5′-cyclic, guanosine monophosphate (cyclic GMP). Gyclic GMP causes vasodilatation and hence erection formation (Morelli et al 2005). The breakdown of cyclic GMP to GMP is mediated by the enzyme, phosphodiesterase type-5, the inhibitors of which (eg, sildenafil citrate) enhance erection formation and maintanence (Carson and Lue 2005).
"The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" published that males who switched from a high-fat diet to a low-fat diet also saw a decrease in their testosterone levels. If you want to put some fat back into your diet without fearing cardiac implications, plant-based saturated fat like coconut is just the ticket. Meat-based fat is also acceptable if kept to less than 10% of your dietary fat intake.
Testosterone is a hormone produced in the male testes. During a boy's pubescent years (ages 9 to 14), there is an increase in production that leads to male secondary sexual characteristics such as a deeper voice, more muscle mass, facial hair growth and enlargement of the Adam's apple (among others). Some teenage boys experience these puberty changes at later ages than others. The timing of puberty is often genetically determined (through heredity), but other factors can play a role in delaying it, such as poor nutrition, physical trauma and certain diseases. Stimulating testosterone production naturally is possible in teen boys, although in rare cases hormone therapy may be needed to trigger and complete puberty.
Workouts lasting longer than about an hour may begin to spike cortisol levels and subsequently decrease testosterone. Additionally, research has demonstrated that a shorter rest period between sets (1 minute versus 3 minutes) elicited higher acute hormonal responses following a bout of resistance training.11 To maximize your testosterone response, keep your rest periods short and total workout time to 60 minutes or fewer.
Keep more weapons in your arsenal: Occasionally use lifting methods like forced reps, negatives, and dropsets to further stress your body. Personal trainer and fitness journalist Michael Berg explains in "6 Ways to Crank Up Your Testosterone Levels" that going beyond muscular failure with these techniques has been shown to pump up T-levels in study subjects.[16]
A: Testosterone production declines naturally with age. Low testosterone, or testosterone deficiency (TD), may result from disease or damage to the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, or testicles that inhibits hormone secretion and testosterone production. Treatment involves hormone replacement therapy. The method of delivery is determined by age and duration of deficiency. Oral testosterone, Testred (methyltestosterone), is associated with liver toxicity and liver tumors and so is prescribed sparingly. Transdermal delivery with a testosterone patch is becoming the most common method of treatment for testosterone deficiency in adults. A patch is worn, either on the scrotum or elsewhere on the body, and testosterone is released through the skin at controlled intervals. Patches are typically worn for 12 or 24 hours and can be worn during exercise, bathing, and strenuous activity. Two transdermal patches that are available are Androderm (nonscrotal) and Testoderm (scrotal). The Androderm patch is applied to the abdomen, lower back, thigh, or upper arm and should be applied at the same time every evening between 8 p.m. and midnight. If the patch falls off before noon, replace it with a fresh patch until it is time to reapply a new patch that evening. If the patch falls off after noon, do not replace it until you reapply a new patch that evening. The most common side effects associated with transdermal patch therapy include itching, discomfort, and irritation at the site of application. Some men may experience fluid retention, acne, and temporary abnormal breast development (gynecosmastia). AndroGel and Testim are transdermal gels that are applied once daily to the clean dry skin of the upper arms or abdomen. When used properly, these gels deliver testosterone for 24 hours. The gel must be allowed to dry on the skin before dressing and must be applied at least 6 hours before showering or swimming. Gels cannot be applied to the genitals. AndroGel is available in a metered-dose pump, which allows physicians to adjust the dosage of the medication. Side effects of transdermal gels include adverse reactions at the site of application, acne, headache, and hair loss (alopecia). For more specific information on treatments for low testosterone, consult with your doctor or pharmacist for guidance based on current health condition. Kimberly Hotz, PharmD
A blood test is the only way to diagnose a low testosterone level or a reduction in the bioavailability of testosterone. Some men have a lower than normal testosterone level without signs or symptoms. For most men, no treatment is needed. But for some others, very low testosterone levels lead to a condition in which bones become weak and brittle (osteoporosis). For others, low testosterone might cause changes in sexual function, sleep patterns, emotions and the body.
Prolactin is suppressed by dopamine activity. Since supplementing L-DOPA suppresses prolactin (by increasing dopamine activity), supplementing L-DOPA would increase testosterone if prolactin was abnormally high. The average, healthy male does not have elevated prolactin (unless he’s on steroids), so supplementing with L-DOPA will not increase your testosterone levels.
Beast Sports recommends taking four capsules twice per day. The pills are about the same size as a multivitamin or a Tylenol liquid gel pill — not tiny tablets, unfortunately, but they aren’t horse pills. They smell like the boxes of raisins your Mom packed into your school lunch, but stale, like they were forgotten in the pantry for a few years, and a little spicy, like she sprinkled curry powder on them. If you follow this eight pills per day regime, your $46 bottle will last you twenty-two days, and cost you about $2 per day.
The production of the stress hormone cortisol blocks the production and effects of testosterone. From a biological perspective, cortisol increases your “fight or flight” response, thereby lowering testosterone-associated functions such as mating, competing, and aggression. Chronic stress can take a toll on testosterone production, as well as your overall health. Therefore, stress management is equally important to a healthy diet and regular exercise. Tools you can use to stay stress-free include prayer, meditation, laughter, and yoga. Relaxation skills, such as deep breathing and visualization, can also promote your emotional health.
Great article with a lot of useful information. I completely agree with your top three picks. I have done a ton of research as well. Currently I am taking Testogen for over two months and it has worked for me. It has double my low T and I am 61 years old. I do feel better and have more energy. Even have morning wood sometimes and haven’t for a long time.
A large number of trials have demonstrated a positive effect of testosterone treatment on bone mineral density (Katznelson et al 1996; Behre et al 1997; Leifke et al 1998; Snyder et al 2000; Zacharin et al 2003; Wang, Cunningham et al 2004; Aminorroaya et al 2005; Benito et al 2005) and bone architecture (Benito et al 2005). These effects are often more impressive in longer trials, which have shown that adequate replacement will lead to near normal bone density but that the full effects may take two years or more (Snyder et al 2000; Wang, Cunningham et al 2004; Aminorroaya et al 2005). Three randomized placebo-controlled trials of testosterone treatment in aging males have been conducted (Snyder et al 1999; Kenny et al 2001; Amory et al 2004). One of these studies concerned men with a mean age of 71 years with two serum testosterone levels less than 12.1nmol/l. After 36 months of intramuscular testosterone treatment or placebo, there were significant increases in vertebral and hip bone mineral density. In this study, there was also a significant decrease in the bone resorption marker urinary deoxypyridinoline with testosterone treatment (Amory et al 2004). The second study contained men with low bioavailable testosterone levels and an average age of 76 years. Testosterone treatment in the form of transdermal patches was given for 1 year. During this trial there was a significant preservation of hip bone mineral density with testosterone treatment but testosterone had no effect on bone mineral density at other sites including the vertebrae. There were no significant alterations in bone turnover markers during testosterone treatment (Kenny et al 2001). The remaining study contained men of average age 73 years. Men were eligible for the study if their serum total testosterone levels were less than 16.5 nmol/L, meaning that the study contained men who would usually be considered eugonadal. The beneficial effects of testosterone on bone density were confined to the men who had lower serum testosterone levels at baseline and were seen only in the vertebrae. There were no significant changes in bone turnover markers. Testosterone in the trial was given via scrotal patches for a 36 month duration (Snyder et al 1999). A recent meta-analysis of the effects on bone density of testosterone treatment in men included data from these studies and two other randomized controlled trials. The findings were that testosterone produces a significant increase of 2.7% in the bone mineral density at the lumber spine but no overall change at the hip (Isidori et al 2005). These results from randomized controlled trials in aging men show much smaller benefits of testosterone treatment on bone density than have been seen in other trials. This could be due to the trials including patients who are not hypogonadal and being too short to allow for the maximal effects of testosterone. The meta-analysis also assessed the data concerning changes of bone formation and resorption markers during testosterone treatment. There was a significant decrease in bone resorption markers but no change in markers of bone formation suggesting that reduction of bone resorption may be the primary mode of action of testosterone in improving bone density (Isidori et al 2005).
Currently available testosterone preparations in common use include intramuscular injections, subcutaneous pellets, buccal tablets, transdermal gels and patches (see Table 2). Oral testosterone is not widely used. Unmodified testosterone taken orally is largely subject to first-pass metabolism by the liver. Oral doses 100 fold greater than physiological testosterone production can be given to achieve adequate serum levels. Methyl testosterone esters have been associated with hepatotoxicity. There has been some use of testosterone undecanoate, which is an esterified derivative of testosterone that is absorbed via the lymphatic system and bypasses the liver. Unfortunately, it produces unpredictable testosterone levels and increases testosterone levels for only a short period after each oral dose (Schurmeyer et al 1983).
My educated opinion would be that it will help, but like I said I want to do some more research on the matter and I will probably end up writing a whole article on this subject, and how to reverse pufy nipples. I too have slightly puffy nipples genetically, so I have learned a lot over the years on how to reduce them and will share in an article shortly. I will message you when it is out.
The International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance recently studied tennis players, rugby teams, and wrestlers to find a link between testosterone and competitive outcome. They found that the difference between winning and losing was reflected in testosterone levels! The athletes' own natural testosterone prior to the game was directly related to the outcome after the game -- the higher the testosterone, the more frequently the athlete won.6
Most Americans today are sleep deprived, which may be a contributing factor to declining testosterone levels in men. See, our body makes nearly all the testosterone it needs for the day while we’re sleeping. That increased level of T that we experience at night is one of the reasons we wake up with “Morning Wood.” (If you don’t have Morning Wood on a consistent basis, you might have low T).
When we face stress, our adrenal glands secrete cortisol to prepare our bodies and minds to handle the stressful situation — the primal fight-or-flight response. In small dosages, cortisol is fine and even useful, but elevated cortisol levels for prolonged periods can do some serious damage to our bodies and minds. One area that seems to take a hit when cortisol is high is our testosterone levels. Several studies have shown a link between cortisol and testosterone. When cortisol levels are high, testosterone levels are low; and when testosterone levels are high, cortisol levels are low.
Here’s one proof: in a number of British rivers, 50 percent of male fish were found to produce eggs in their testes. According to EurekAlert,3 EDCs have been entering rivers and other waterways through sewage systems for years, altering the biology of male fish. It was also found that fish species affected by EDCs had 76 percent reduction in their reproductive function.
Finally, we looked at the proprietary blends of our remaining boosters, and dug into their ingredient lists. Supplements frequently include ingredients known for their “folk-lore” value; they’re believed to work, even when there isn’t any scientific background to prove it. Though we didn’t ding points if an ingredient wasn’t proven to be good (just so long as it wasn’t proven to be bad), we didn’t want to include any ingredient with evidence of causing harm.
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New poll shows rural health may be powerful issue in 2020 election
by American Heart Association
A vast majority of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, consider access to health care in rural communities an important issue. Additionally, three in five voters think it is so important, they would vote for a candidate in the 2020 election who prioritized rural health in the campaign. These are encouraging findings from a new poll released by the Bipartisan Policy Center and the American Heart Association.
Survey results will be discussed during an event today to launch BPC's new Rural Health Task Force, co-chaired by former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and former Sen. Olympia Snowe. The task force will produce policy recommendations to help improve the health and health care of the 60 million Americans living in rural communities.
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show those living in rural areas are at a greater risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory disease. These communities also face alarming rates of hospital closures, health care worker shortages, and geographic challenges to getting timely care compared to those living in urban areas.
"We are pleased to see that our poll shows rural health is an issue of concern for rural, urban, and suburban Americans, and transcends political parties," said Daschle. "Rural health has never been a top tier issue on the campaign trail. However, these findings show that it could be a powerful topic in the 2020 election. It should prompt every candidate and policymaker to address the challenges of rural health and take action."
"Geography should never be an impediment to quality health care," said Snowe. "We need to provide rural communities with the innovation and technology necessary to create a health care system that better serves all rural Americans."
The survey, conducted by Morning Consult, polled nearly 2,000 registered voters online, including an additional 200 interviews with rural adults in each of the following states that will play an important role in the 2020 election: Iowa, North Carolina, and Texas.
Among the findings:
Ninety-two percent of Democratic voters and 93 percent of Republican voters agree that access to health care in rural communities is important; and three in five voters say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate in the 2020 election who prioritized access to health care in rural America.
More than half of rural voters (54 percent) say access to medical specialists, such as cardiologists or oncologists, is a problem in their local community compared to 33 percent of voters in non-rural areas, and more than one-quarter (27 percent), say it is difficult to access behavioral health professionals, compared to 16 percent of non-rural voters.
Forty-seven percent of rural voters agree quality health care is a challenge in their community compared to 34 percent of non-rural voters.
Rural voters are more likely than urban and suburban voters to agree that availability of appointments (56 vs. 50 percent) and the distance to receive care (50 vs. 37 percent) are barriers.
One in five rural voters in Texas say it is difficult to access hospitals, urgent care facilities, primary care physicians, and medical specialists in their local community. Since 2010, 17 hospitals have closed in Texas.
One in three rural adults in North Carolina and 46 percent in Iowa agree that access to medical specialists and quality health care are problems in their communities.
Rural adults in Iowa, North Carolina, and Texas felt most comfortable using information technologies to reach their doctor or to receive medical care remotely, and half of rural adults in Texas said they are likely to use a mobile app if it were available to them.
"Timely access to quality care can mean the difference between life and death for someone suffering from a major cardiac event or stroke," said Eduardo Sanchez, chief medical officer for prevention at the American Heart Association. "Together with BPC, the American Heart Association is working to bring attention to the critical need to overcome obstacles to care faced by rural communities nationwide."
"Addressing the barriers to delivering high-quality health care to rural communities is long overdue," said Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. "It's time to give rural health care the national attention it deserves."
Over the next year, BPC's rural health task force will build on BPC's 2018 report, "Reinventing Rural Health Care: A Case Study of Seven Upper Midwest States." The report identified key areas for reform that could apply nationally to all rural communities: 1) allow rural communities to adjust their own health care services to better fit the community's needs, 2) create appropriate payment models and value-based care programs that account for low patient volumes, and a reliance on Medicare and Medicaid, 3) build and retain the rural workforce, and 4) expand telemedicine services.
Poor broadband penetration in rural areas limits telemedicine
More information: Reinventing Rural Health Care: A Case Study of Seven Upper Midwest States: bipartisanpolicy.org/library/r … g-rural-health-care/
Provided by American Heart Association
Citation: New poll shows rural health may be powerful issue in 2020 election (2019, June 13) retrieved 18 July 2019 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-06-poll-rural-health-powerful-issue.html
ERs can improve population health in rural areas
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Opioid-affected births to rural residents increase in rural and urban hospitals
CDC: higher risk of death from leading causes in rural America
Rural residents lack workplace supports to juggle work and caregiving
Marijuana use may not make parents more 'chill'
Partnering with a pharmacist may decrease burnout among primary care providers
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TRIPS Flexibilities Database
Briefs & Briefing Documents
Medicines Law & Policy Research and resources on intellectual property and health
Strong call for transparency on medicine prices, cost of R&D at WHO Fair Pricing Forum
Ellen 't Hoen
Picture by James Love.
“Medical innovation has little social value if most people cannot access its benefits…. this is a global human rights issue,” said Mariângela Simão, Assistant Director General at the World Health Organization (WHO), at the opening of the second WHO Fair Pricing Forum, co-hosted by South Africa, which took place 11-13 April 2019 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Forum brought together over 200 delegates from government, NGOs, academia and industry to discuss how to design a fairer pharmaceutical system where medicines are affordable to those in need and the development of effective new treatments is financed appropriately. Medicines Law & Policy was invited to present the TRIPS Flexibilities Database at the Forum; this database lists instances of the use of provisions in patent law to reduce prices on needed medicines, shedding light on how often they have been needed.
Calls for drug price and cost transparency grew louder at the second Forum, though they began at the first Fair Pricing Forum held in the Netherlands in 2017. High prices are defended by pharmaceutical companies as necessary to recoup costs of research and development (R&D) and incentivise further research, but with little clarity on how much R&D truly costs nor how medicines prices are set it is difficult to objectively determine what price is fair. Cases of exponential increases in the price of previously affordable drugs when market exclusivity was obtained were cited as examples that current prices seem to be more about profit than recouping costs.
Cancer took centre stage
The cost of cancer treatment took centre stage at the Forum, with the WHO’s report on the pricing of cancer medicines providing important background. The study found that the costs of R&D and production may bear little or no relationship to how pharmaceutical companies set prices of cancer medicines. Return on investment is more than generous with an average income of US$ 14.50 for every R&D dollar spent.
Cancer patients from South Africa gave powerful testimony at the Forum (and outside where activists were demonstrating and addressing the media) of the hardship caused by the high cost of the treatments.
One patient, who asked to remain anonymous, described his quest to gain access to the treatments he needs. Three years ago, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. His doctor prescribed lenalidomide, a derivative of thalidomide, which is sold under the brand name Revlimid by Celgene. In India, generic lenalidomide is available for R32,000 (US$ 2289) per patient per year. Until 2016, South African patients had access to generic lenalidomide from India under a section 21 authorisation that allows the sale and use of unregistered products. This authorisation was withdrawn once Celgene registered the product in the country. Celgene priced it at R882,000 (US$ 63,000) per patient per year. While the health system provides the drug, patients are struggling to pay the 20% co-payment. South Africa’s GDP per capita is US$ 6,160. According to the Cancer Alliance, South African patents block access to generic lenalidomide and this may last until 2028. Celgene told its shareholders earlier this year that it expects sales of Revlimid to be around US$ 10.8 billion in 2019. Bristol-Myers Squibb is currently in the process of taking over Celgene for US$ 74 billion.
There are similar issues with other cancer medicines. Trastuzumab (Herceptin), a WHO essential medicine for the treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer, costs R130,632 (US$ 9,295) in the public sector and R475,380 (US$ 33,827) in the private sector in South Africa. Biosimilar versions of trastuzumab are beginning to become available elsewhere in the world because the basic patent expired in 2016. But not in South Africa, where the company Roche continues to benefit from a market monopoly. The production cost of this same treatment is around US$ 240 for a one-year supply. Roche’s annual sales for the product is around US$ 7.5 billion.
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is a second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and is priced at R180,000 (US$ 43,000). The Forum was told that to treat all in need would cost the South African health system R200 million (US$ 48 million).
These stories helped to set the scene and impress on participants to the Forum that there is no fairness in the system and that finding solutions to the problem of high drug pricing is urgent. Just as it was 20 years ago for HIV.
Pharma vs Nelson Mandela
In the past, South Africa has been the scene of some of the fiercest battles for access to medicines. Director General for Health, Precious Matsoso, recalled some of the histories at the opening ceremony. In 1998, at the height of the HIV crisis, 39 mostly multinational drug companies took the South African government to court over new provisions in its medicines law designed to accelerate access to lower-priced medicines. The companies claimed that the provisions were unconstitutional and in conflict with South Africa’s obligations under the TRIPS Agreement. Three years later, in 2001, the companies dropped the case after a global outcry and after it became clear that the legal text in question was based on draft legislation provided by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
By then the case had become widely known as Pharma vs. Nelson Mandela and spurred global action on access to HIV medicines, strengthened flexibilities in patent law and made an industry in need of atonement agree to lower prices and later to offer patent licences to ensure low priced generic HIV medicines could be made available.
Twenty years ago, access to medicines was predominantly a problem for developing countries. “Today access to medicines has become a global issue”, said Simão.
Drug pricing a global issue
In Switzerland, the civil society organisation Public Eye requested the government for a compulsory licence on the patents related to the breast cancer medicine pertuzumab, sold by Roche under the brand name Perjeta. The US$ 100,000 price tag of Perjeta in Switzerland underscored the point that medicines pricing is a global issue. Similar demands have been made in other countries. Wilbert Bannenberg, chair of the Dutch Pharmaceutical Accountability Foundation described the case of a rare disease medicine, CDCA, used for the treatment of the metabolic illness cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX). For years, the product was available for € 300 per patient per year and prescribed off-label to treat CTX. After the drug company, Leadiant was granted exclusive rights to market the product in Europe for CTX in 2017, it increased the price to € 153,300 per treatment-year. Bannenberg’s presentation emphasised the need for competition authorities to take action against excessive drug prices. He further outlined his organisation’s plans to use the law (competition law, patent law, human rights law, civil law) to challenge unfair medicines pricing.
It may have been coincidence that shortly after the start of the Fair Pricing Forum, the Dutch Minister of Health Bruno Bruins announced his plans to reduce the exclusivity for orphan drugs from 10 to 5 years in the EUropean Union (EU) and to establish a commission to study the use of compulsory licensing to gain access to lower priced medicines in the Netherlands. A review of the pharmaceutical incentives in the EU is underway. Bruins also decried the lack of transparency in drug pricing and cost of R&D.
Dr Salmah Bahri, director of pharmaceutical services at the Malaysian ministry of health, described her country’s comprehensive approach to selecting and financing access to essential medicines. Malaysia does not shy away from using compulsory licensing when needed and has reduced the cost of hepatitis C treatments from US$ 72,000 to less than US$ 300 in the public sector by allowing generic import and supply of the product. They are also working with the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) on the development of a low-cost hepatitis C treatment.
Gaëlle Krikorian, from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), told the meeting about vaccine pricing challenges the organization deals with. MSF’s Access Campaign succeeded in persuading Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline to significantly drop the price of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for humanitarian organizations. Organisations working in emergency settings can now obtain the vaccine for US$ 9 per child under the ‘humanitarian mechanism’. It took seven years of negotiation to obtain the lower price. While this is good news for children in crisis settings others cannot benefit from this price. The list price of the vaccine is US$ 540 per child. In reality, prices vary but are high: France pays US$ 189, Lebanon US$ 243 and the price in local Greek pharmacies is US$168. MSF recently announced that it will use the “humanitarian mechanism’ to protect refugee children in Greece against pneumonia, the world’s ‘number one childhood killer’ according to MSF. Since 2009, Pfizer and GSK have earned $49.1 billion in sales from the pneumonia vaccine, said MSF.
Othman Mellouk from the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) also drew attention to the plight of people in middle-income countries. He mentioned the case of dolutegravir, an essential medicine for the treatment of HIV which will be available for US$ 75 per patient per year in low and middle-income countries. The patent license agreement reached by the Medicines Patent Pool with ViiV and the price deal brokered by the Clinton Health Access Initiative and partners exclude 39 countries, mostly upper middle-income countries. The World Bank defines lower middle-income economies as those with a GNI per capita between $1,006 and $3,955 and upper middle-income countries as those with a GNI per capita between US$3,956 and US$12,235. Above this figure, the country is considered high-income.
Transparency, transparency, transparency
The call for transparency emerged as the central theme of the meeting, in particular with regard to medicines pricing, production cost and expenditures on R&D. 64 civil society organisations published a statement before the meeting calling for greater medicines pricing and R&D cost transparency.
Andrew Hill presented data on the production cost of essential medicines that demonstrated most of them could be produced for a fraction of their current prices. For example, the price based on production cost for the US$ 30,000 per patient per year cancer drug imatinib can be as low as US$ 180 per patient per year. Insulin, which was discovered in 1923, cost US$ 1 per vial to make but is sold at US$ 240 per vial today. The global insulin market is valued at US$ 28 billion. Greater price transparency will help countries to understand the savings they can make by buying generics. The same call could be heard earlier this year at the Executive Board of the WHO. Since then, Italy has proposed a World Health Assembly resolution to improve the transparency of markets for drugs, vaccines and other health-related technologies. The resolution is expected to be discussed at the 72nd World Health Assembly that takes place from 20 – 28 May 2019.
The need for greater transparency in R&D cost was brought forward by the first Fair Pricing Forum, including the potential it has for designing targeted rewards for needed innovation.
Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) fiercely resisted the calls for transparency on medicines pricing. He warned greater transparency on medicine prices could backfire, and drive up drug costs in low and middle-income countries. This could, for example, be the case if high-income countries would refer to low prices available in low-income countries and demand the same lower prices or use it for reference pricing. Meeting participants seemed to agree with making provisions needed to allow for significant differential pricing. However, Suerie Moon from the Graduate Institute in Geneva pointed out that this would require more reasonable pricing in high-income countries as well. A fair price, she explained, is one that covers the cost made by the seller (including R&D, manufacturing and distribution, and fair profit) and assures affordability, value to the individual and the health system and security of supply to the buyers.
Jamie Love, director of Knowledge Ecology International, warned against using patient coverage as leverage in price negotiations. “Put the compulsory licensing of patents on the table, so that the monopoly is at risk, rather than the patient,” he said. He further outlined a proposal to finance the cost of R&D in a different manner. “Temporary monopoly is the primary incentive today, enforced by patents and a variety of regulatory monopolies. This is expensive and the primary reason why prices are high and access unequal,” Love said. By implementing models that de-link the cost of R&D from the price of medical products to finance drug development, high prices are no longer required to recoup R&D expenditures. He mentioned market entry awards and product prizes as two possible such models. He proposed a progressive implementation of de-linkage awards to gradually replace market exclusivities. A next step should be a feasibility study of the proposed new models. Such exploratory work would also benefit from greater transparency.
One successful example of an innovation initiative that works with a delinked model is the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi). The DNDi is open about its R&D outlays. “We need to be publicly accountable and be able to show the public’s return on the public investments we use to develop new treatment’ said Michelle Childs, head of policy advocacy at the DNDi.
The Medicines Patent Pool is another example of an organisation committed to transparency. The MPP publishes all its agreements in full on its website. The MPP initially focussed on HIV and later hepatitis C, but has expanded its mandate to negotiate licenses for all patented essential medicines. One company, with a significant cancer portfolio that was present at the Forum indicated that it is in talks with the MPP.
At the closing of the meeting, Fatima Suleman, a professor in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and chair of the National Medicines Pricing Committee, noted the striking increase in research, available data and analysis to inform better policy making on medicines pricing and cost. Indeed, telling examples presented at the meeting included the WHO report on cancer drug pricing, the research on production cost of essential medicines by Andrew Hill, analysis on how to determine a fair medicine price and work on transparency by Suerie Moon, the TRIPS Flexibilities Database by Medicines Law & Policy, the patent opposition database, medicines patent analysis by I-Mak, the patent status information databases Medspal by the Medicines Patent Pool and Patinformed maintained by WIPO in collaboration with the IFPMA, and the drug research, development and pricing information database by Knowledge Ecology International.
The WHO announced it would set up working groups to further develop proposals put forward at the meeting before the next Fair Pricing Forum takes place in 2021. WHO will also launch an online public consultation in the coming weeks to collect suggestions for a definition of what constitutes a ‘fair price’. The next milestone will be the discussions on price and R&D cost transparency at the World Health Assembly this May of year.
The presentations made at the meeting will be available at the Fair Pricing Forum website.
Access to Medicines
Delinkage
dolutegravir
IFPMA
Medicines Patent Pool
Orphan Drugs
TRIPS flexibilities
Drug Price Transparency Calls Move from South Africa to World Health Assembly
Humiragate: AbbVie’s desperate attempts to keep its monopoly
Faced with unreasonable medicines prices, the Netherlands introduces pharmacy exemption in patent law.
Click here to print this article.
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Medicines Law & Policy releases analysis, policy recommendations and tools to aid practitioners working on universal access to medicines. We strive to provide information that is as accurate as possible, and we welcome and encourage feedback. For comments or questions contact us at: info@medicineslawandpolicy.net.
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16 June 2009 12:00pm
By ISAF
ISAF Sailor Classification - Break In Service On 18 June 2009
ISAF Sailor Classification Code
On Thursday 18 June, ISAF will be carrying out essential maintenance work on its server, which means the ISAF Sailor Classification system will be temporarily unavailable between 07:00 and 13:00 UTC.
ISAF apologizes in advance for any inconvenience caused by this break in service.
Server maintenance means the access to the Classification system will be unavailable between the hours of 07:00 and 13:00 UTC on Thursday 18 June 2009. Outside of these hours the Classification system will be functioning as normal.
Whilst most ISAF Sailors Classifications are confirmed instantly or within a few days, sailors are reminded that as it may take up to 28 days to confirm a Classification. You should apply for your ISAF Sailor Classification suitably in advance of the event in which you will be competing.
What is the ISAF Sailor Classification Code?
The ISAF Sailor Classification Code is a service to provide events and classes with an international system for classification of sailors.
The ISAF Classification Commission, reporting to the Executive Committee of ISAF, is responsible for developing and managing the Code and consists of a Chairman and a number of individual members, all volunteers, drawn from across the world and from Group 1, 2 and 3 sailors.
To find out more about the ISAF Sailor Classification Code, search for Classified sailors, apply for, renew or appeal an existing Sailor Classification please visit www.sailing.org/classification.
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Vondervoort & Friedman – Ownership of objects and ownership of one’s own body
Van de Vondervoort, J. W., & Friedman, O. (2015). Parallels in preschoolers’ and adults’ judgments about ownership rights and bodily rights. Cognitive Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12154
Another interesting article by the prolific Ori Friedman and his team. They have produced a sustained series of very focused studies, guided by the conviction that ownership can be explored within a cognitive framework, and that our knowledge about the development of ownership can be built piece by piece. They divide the field into small issues and take them up one by one.
The paper starts by asking interesting and relevant questions about the relationship between ownership of objects and ownership of one’s own body.
Young children appreciate ownership rights from very early on (around 2 or 3 years of age, depending on the author and research method). They recognize ownership rights before they appreciate rights in other domains. Bodily rights (rights to control one’s own body) also seem to appear early in development. Based on legal theory, one might hypothesize that these two kinds of rights are closely related (remember John Locke’s justification of the origin of private property?). One possible question, then, is to what extent ownership rights and bodily rights are related to each other, both in legal theory and in cognitive development. Do they follow from the same principles, but are applied to two different kinds of entities? Or, alternatively, do they belong to completely different conceptual and normative domains?
The paper, then, examines whether people make similar evaluations when considering the acceptability of actions performed on owned property and body parts. Preschoolers (Experiment 1) and adults (Experiment 2) were presented with scenarios about a boy and a girl, and they evaluated how good or bad the boy’s actions were. The scenarios varied in whether the target of the boy’s action was an owned object or a body part, in whether the target belonged to the boy or to a girl, and in whether the girl approved of the boy’s action.
The results: preschool-aged children and adults responses did not vary when evaluating the acceptability of harmless actions targeting owned property and body parts. The same pattern of responses was observed for both cases (scenarios targeting body parts and scenarios targeting owned property).
Evaluations were influenced by two other manipulations: whether the target belonged to the agent or another person, and whether that other person approved of the action. The researchers found that, when the other person approved of the action, participants’ judgments were positive regardless of who the target belonged to. In contrast, when that person disapproved, judgments depended on who the target belonged to (owner – non-owner). These findings show that young children grasp the importance of approval or consent for ownership rights and bodily rights. Both children and adults seem to understand that, in scenarios where the girl disapproved of the boy’s actions, he violated her ownership rights when he acted on her property (or body), but not when he acted on his own property (or body).
The study lends support to the idea that people’s notions of ownership rights are related to their appreciation of bodily rights.
Differently from other, more straightforward and elegant studies by Ori Friedman and his colleagues, the method used here is somewhat complicated: the 5-grades complex scale used to measure children’s responses (considering they were working with 4 y.o.’s) ;the fact that the active agent is always a boy and the passive evaluator is always a girl (which probably creates a gender confound); the fact that children are have to react to the character’s opinion with their own opinion (in a third person perspective)… This complicated setup obscures the results to some extent.
This entry was posted in body, developmental psychology, ownership, property and tagged approval, bodily rights, body, ori friedman, ownership, ownership rights, permission, vondervoort on March 17, 2018 by gusfai.
Ownership and emotions in toddlers and preschoolers
Pesowski, M. L., & Friedman, O. (2015). Preschoolers and toddlers use ownership to predict basic emotions. Emotion (Washington, D.C.). https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000027
This is a very simple and elegant study that shows that toddlers and preschoolers appreciate how ownership affects emotions. The researchers used a couple of straightforward scripts to present children with situations involving transgression of ownership rights, and to ask about the emotions elicited in the characters. For example, a character left a teddy bear on a bench and, upon returning, found her teddy bear (vs. someone else’s teddy bear, in the other condition) missing. In another situation, a character saw another character using her toy.
The researchers concluded that preschoolers and toddlers appreciate how ownership influences emotions. Children understood that an owner would be more saddened by the disappearance of an object belonging to her as compared with the disappearance of someone else’s property.
The authors believe these findings are “striking” because in two (out of three) experiments the violation of ownership rights was harmless and did not involve an overtly negative outcome. In my words, children understand that the characters are sad or mad not because of an “objective” damage, harm or loss, but because of the violation of their rights. A child might be upset by the very fact that someone is touching her toy. This territoriality is at the core of the phenomenon of ownership. The paper seems to suggest that, already at two, children master the fundamentals of the institution of ownership. They know the rules of the game.
The authors also think their results are significant because “few previous studies show that 2-year-olds can predict emotions”, and because “no previous studies found that 2-year-olds are sensitive to other people’s ownership rights.” In particular, they refer to a well-known paper by Rossano, Rakoczy, & Tomasello (2011) that claims that 3-year-olds, but not 2-year-olds, defend third-person ownership rights.
Cited:
Rossano, F., Rakoczy, H., & Tomasello, M. (2011). Young children’s understanding of violations of property rights. Cognition, 121(2), 219–227.
This entry was posted in developmental psychology, normativity, ownership, possession, property and tagged emotions, moral emotions, morality, normativity, ori friedman, ownership, pesowski on March 12, 2018 by gusfai.
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Tuesday 30 January 2018 Transcript
Topics: Saab Australia and University of South Australia partnership; Bill Shorten’s National Press Club address; Schools funding in South Australia; TAFE SA; Future Frigates tender contract; Foreign interference
Gerard Ogden (Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Saab Australia): I’d like to welcome you to Saab Australia, and welcome the Minister and Tanya to our premises today. I think the Government’s commitment about naval shipbuilding has really forced us to look at what our resourcing requirements are, and the collaboration with the Uni of South Australia goes a long way in assisting us to meet those resource requirements not just to fulfil the Government’s intent, but also to ensure that we can deliver the capability that the Australian Defence Force requires. Thank you very much. Tanya.
Tanya Monro (Deputy Vice Chancellor and VP: Research and Innovation, UniSA): Thank you. The University of South Australia is very proud to be part of this very important partnership with Saab. Not only does it give us the opportunity to take our research expertise in virtual reality, systems engineering, human factors, and apply it to really important projects for Australian defence, but it gives us the chance to expose our students to a world-class working environment and really inspire them to build their careers here in Australia.
Simon Birmingham: Well, thanks so much. It’s wonderful to be here at Saab today, which is an example of a couple of things. Firstly, the phenomenal impact that the Turnbull Government’s investment in building a sovereign domestic shipbuilding capability in Australia is going to have; $90 billion of investment - most of it focussed here in South Australia - is going to transform an industry that is high technology, advanced manufacturing, at the cutting edge of leading in science and technology in so many ways. And Saab is a brilliant example of a company whose invested in Adelaide, in South Australia, in Australia, and is building the type of capability that we’ll benefit from into the future.
It’s also an outstanding example of collaboration. In this case, strong collaborative partnership between Saab and the University of South Australia. What this is doing is ensuring that our best world-class researchers are working together in a tight knit way, with a cutting edge industry and business, in a way that will help to have new technological breakthroughs. It won’t just help in terms of ensuring that the ships and submarines built in Adelaide over the years to come are at the cutting edge, but it will also help stimulate the type of defence export activity that Christopher Pyne and Malcolm Turnbull were just speaking about yesterday.
Together, this is about ensuring that we create more jobs, more opportunities, more business investment here in Adelaide, in South Australia. And I really want to thank Saab and UniSA for the work that they are doing in a partnership to provide opportunities for young students, as well as outstanding opportunities for researchers to provide ground-breaking breakthroughs into the future.
Now, otherwise today, a long way from Adelaide, we see Bill Shorten giving his speech at the National Press Club, and there are a number of questions for him to answer as a result of that. In terms of job creation, we know what the Turnbull Government’s doing: building industries like our defence industry, cutting taxes for Australian-based businesses and businesses operating in Australia to stimulate more jobs, to make sure that we’re more competitive in the future. Mr Shorten needs to today outline what on earth are his job creation strategies. We’re enjoying a jobs boom, the likes of which hasn’t been seen for many, many years, but where are his plans and policies?
I’m sure today we’ll hear him talk about the cost of living pressures for Australian families. Well, in July this year the Turnbull Government’s reforms to childcare will come into place, putting thousands of dollars back into the hip pockets of the lowest income, hardest working Australian families. Mr Shorten, you voted against those reforms, so today if you’re going to complain about it you should spell out what are your alternatives, what are you going to do, because our policies and reforms will come into effect this year and help so many families.
No doubt he’ll talk and bleat about school funding, which is at record levels and growing, and where we’re getting rid of special deals in favour of having fair, consistent needs-based funding around the country. So, if he is going to bleat about school funding today, what is his alternative? Will it be yet more special deals? Will he be favouring one sector over another, one state over another? Or indeed, what are the details in terms of what Labor complains about and postures on but offers no policies for?
That could be said across a range of areas. If Mr Shorten’s going to get up there today and outline an agenda or a plan for the next election, the test is where are the policies, where are the details, because right now they’re sorely lacking.
Journalist: On school funding, but more from the state perspective, the State Labor Government here is trying to, I guess, paint Nick Xenophon as a supporter of the revised Gonski package as a benefit for them and their election campaign. What do you make of that?
Simon Birmingham: Jay Weatherill is engaging in lies and deception when it comes to school funding. School funding in South Australia is at record levels and it’s going to grow in terms of federal funding flowing into this state. It’s going to grow faster than many other states because of the dud deal that Jay Weatherill signed up to under the previous Labor government. We’re making sure that ultimately SA will get the same fair, consistent deal as any other state around the country, and that is about providing common treatment by the Federal Government based on need. So, South Australia will get more per student than, say, Victoria because of the greater regionality in South Australia, because of Indigenous and disadvantage factors in South Australia, but it will be done in a fair and consistent way, not about stitching up a deal in the background, but about using the Gonski needs-based formula and applying it consistently.
Journalist: Just on a local level, Senator, that Susan Close today is saying parchments that students are hoping to receive from TAFE will be coming through in a few weeks, and almost there is nothing to see here now with TAFE. Does the Federal Government see it that way? Should it have ever got to this point, and do you believe her?
Simon Birmingham: It’s remarkable that the State Labor Government seems to still have its head buried in the sand when it comes to the TAFE crisis. They have no acknowledgement of the problems that existed, no understanding it seems of the scale of those problems, little compassion it seems for students who have been living under doubt about whether or not their qualifications are validly recognised, and few answers about how it is they’re going to fix the TAFE system to make sure this never happens again into the future. So, frankly Jay Weatherill and Susan Close should be embarrassed about what’s happened in TAFE. They ought to be honest and upfront about what the failings are. They ought to have got an investigation underway and started properly by now, rather than dragging their heels. And most importantly, they ought to be spelling out precisely how it is they’re going to guarantee students have got qualifications for which they’re entitled, for which they’ve had valid training, not just say: yes, we’ll have the parchments ready in a few weeks.
Journalist: Well, aren’t they doing that though, by saying they can’t get a qualification… [indistinct]?
Simon Birmingham: Well, what validation has occurred? What checking has been undertaken? What is it that the State Government has done to be so confident in making this claim, because it’s all been done in secret today?
Journalist: So, the Minister has also said that the private sector has stepped in and filled the void to get students over the line, but that’s going to cost local taxpayers money. It doesn’t seem to be coming out of Commonwealth funds, but she couldn’t quantify how much it’s going to cost, so somewhere there’s been duplicity, but taxpayers are paying twice it would seem.
Simon Birmingham: Isn’t it an indictment that the State Labor Government, who cut off private training organisations, has now had to turn to private training organisations to rescue them because of their failures in managing the TAFE system? Isn’t it remarkable that they’re now saying: we’ve had to haul in the private training organisations to rescue us, but we won’t say what we’ve paid, we won’t say what’s happened; all we’re doing is saying there’s a fix there for the students? Well, frankly, the public deserve better, and the students deserve to be given a very clear and public assurance that they’ve received the best training possible, the adequate support, and, of course, everybody has a right to know how on earth the Government is going to make sure this never happens again.
Journalist: Back on Defence, there’s been fresh criticism today of the Future Frigates tender process. What do you make of that?
Simon Birmingham: Well, the Future Frigates tender process is designed to ensure that we get the maximum employment and economic boost in South Australia and across Australia. All three tenderers for this process know that local industry content will be one of the factors upon which they are judged, and so what the Turnbull Government is doing is using the tender process to leverage the maximum bang for buck for Australians, of course, to get the best capability for our Defence Force, but to generate the most jobs, the greatest economic activity, and the greatest sovereign capability in Australia. We didn’t come out yesterday and release a Defence Industry Export Plan strategy because we don’t want to see jobs or activity in Australia; we released it because we’re determined to use the $90 billion of investment in Australia to leverage and build greater capability and to springboard off of that, export jobs and further contracts and opportunities. And this tender, the third such tender, having resolved the future submarine tender and the offshore patrol vessel tender, this one for the Future Frigates will equally be about getting as many jobs in Australia as possible.
Journalist: Is 50 per cent minimum Australian-made enough? Is that enough for this particular tender?
Simon Birmingham: Government hasn’t set a floor, nor have we set a ceiling. What we are doing is using the tender process to get the greatest number of jobs that we can possibly put into Australia into Australia and indeed here in South Australia, given this is where the bulk of construction activity will occur, so …
Journalist: Wouldn’t the sensible thing be, then, to mandate a higher percentage?
Simon Birmingham: What we are wanting to mandate and achieve is the most you can possibly get, and to make that a competitive element between the tenderers who are participating in this process. So, their participation as part of this tender will not just be about what the price is, or indeed what the capability is, but it will also be about how many jobs are created, how does it help stimulate industry activity in Australia so that we build that sovereign capability, so that we can get, of course, the export jobs of the future as well.
Journalist: Sorry, this is on foreign influence from my friends in Canberra. So, just on the comments Vice Chancellor Michael Spence made. He says the Government might be not welcoming- or have an anti-Chinese stance. What do you make of that?
Simon Birmingham: Well, the Australian Government is very committed to our economic relationship with China, and that includes ensuring that we continue to be a safe and welcoming country for international students. International students – whether they’re from China or anywhere else – come here because of the quality of our education, because of the safety of Australia, because of the lifestyle opportunities that are offered. But in terms of that quality of education, it is also important that it is independent, that it has integrity, and that, of course, the type of challenging of thought and ideas that occurs in our universities is available for all students to participate in. Now, I am pleased, as a Government, that we’ve overseen the development of Australia’s first ever international education strategy; that we’ve overseen reforms to visa arrangements that provide simpler pathways for international students. And as a result of these changes and this investment, we’ve seen record numbers of international students studying in Australia, including in Australian universities. We’re committed to continuing that. Our laws and our reforms in relation to foreign interference are all about making sure that – whether it’s universities, international education, or any other industry or sector – we can have confidence that they are operating in the future, in the best interest of Australia.
Journalist: What are your concerns then about foreign interference?
Simon Birmingham: Well, we know from intelligence advice that foreign influence and activity in Australia is at a high level, and so the reforms we’re putting in place are about safeguarding Australia’s interests, Australian industry interests, Australian education interests, and ensuring that those interests in the future are protected by Australian laws that guarantee our interests as a nation are put first.
Journalist: What are- sorry, and this is the last question I promise – what is the appropriate action to take then?
Simon Birmingham: Well, the Turnbull Government has spelt out reforms to foreign interference laws. These reforms will ensure that appropriate disclosure occurs, where people in Australia are acting on behalf of foreign agents or foreign governments. These laws will strengthen the Government’s ability to act where we believe that inappropriate activities may be occurring. The laws are, of course, before the Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Security and Intelligence, and that committee will be undertaking its investigations as it currently is. Universities and every other stakeholder is fully entitled to present their views to make sure we get those laws right, that they have their intended effect of protecting Australian interests without having any negative consequences elsewhere.
Journalist: Wonderful. Thank you for your time.
Simon Birmingham: Thank you.
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Wingreen Lab
Ned Wingreen
Icahn Laboratory, 243
Wingreen Lab Website
Biological modeling; intracellular networks; molecular biophysics
Our group works on Intracellular networks in bacteria: Bacteria are constantly sensing their environments and adjusting their behavior accordingly. Signaling occurs through networks of proteins and nucleic acids, culminating in changes of gene expression and so changes in the proteome of the cell. We are focused on the architecture of these intracellular networks. What is the relation between network architecture and function? For example, can we understand the selection of architectures in terms of general information-processing concepts such as signal to noise, memory, and adaptation? Even in a single bacterium such as E. coli, there are hundreds of coexisting networks. Our belief is that a deep study of a small number of "model" networks will yield general tools to analyze information processing by cell. It is important to choose these model networks carefully. The network components should be well characterized and the physiological function of the network should be known and subject to quantitative measurement. Probes of the internal dynamics of the network such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) or direct imaging of dynamic spatial structure, will be critical in developing and testing quantitative models. It will also be important to choose networks which complement each other well, spanning a broad range of architectures and functions. A preliminary list includes (i) quorum sensing, in which the cell slowly integrates signals from its neighbors to commit to a developmental decision such as invasion of a host, (ii) chemotaxis, which requires adaptation and rapid response to changing chemical concentrations, (iii) cell-division networks, where accuracy and checkpoints are essential, and (iv) metabolic networks which tie together diverse inputs to maintain homeostasis...
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Montana’s Ties to the Confederate South
When Johnny Reb Was a Montanan
BY DAVID S. LEWIS
Montana’s Civil War years and early days as a territory reveal strong ties to the rebellious South and sentiments among a significant number of resident settlers at the time rejec-ting President Abraham Lincoln and the United States—otherwise known as the Union, or the North.
These were the days before Montana when the area was part of the Dakota and Idaho territories, and when pro South sympathies prompted the Union to incorporate what we now call Montana into a distinct territory of the United States. Sidney Edgerton’s exploits as first Territorial Governor bear this out. Once a member of the anti-slavery Free Soil Party (active in the 1848 and 1852 presidential elections), Edgerton was a pro Union abolitionist, and appears to have been situated in Montana by the federal government, by Abraham Lincoln, in order to bring Montana into the Union rather than allowing it to drift toward Confederacy, with whom the United States was of course at war, and, as pressing a matter, in order to secure gold for the government—an aim of Confederate soldiers as well hoping to enrich the war ravaged South.
The Radical Republicans, an informal faction of politicians within the Republican Party from the 1850s until 1877, and with whom Edgerton was affiliated, took a punitive stance against the South during and after the Civil War, promoting the uncompensated aboli-tion of slavery and even opposing Lincoln’s efforts to bring southern states back into the Union. The Radicals, strongly opposed by the Democratic Party and Liberal Republicans, initiated Reconstruction, and restricted the rights of ex-Confederate soldiers, so that former slaves would have greater political rights than many Southern whites after the war. And so, being as opposed to the Confederacy as he was, Edgerton hardly had an easy time of it in his short tenure as Territorial Governor (2 years), given the stance of secessionist “Montanans,” and especially since Edgerton seems to have gone about taming the territory on behalf of the Union. Though Edgerton denied it in writing, he is said by Montana historian Ken Robison (and others) of the Overholser Historical Research Center in Fort Benton, to have backed the Montana Vigilantes, a founder and leader of which was Edgerton’s nephew Wilbur Fisk Sanders. Edgerton was close to Sanders,” Robison told the Pioneer, “and quietly supported the Vigilantes,” though as governor he concealed his involvement.
Asked about the pro South/anti-Union nature of Montana in the early days, Robison told us early Montana was settled by an interesting combination of people. As federal officials, the newly appointed government types were mostly Lincoln Republicans. “The gold rush,” Robison said, “had brought so many Missourians to Montana that the saying Montana was settled by the left wing of Price’s army, bears an element of truth.”
Sterling Price was the 11th Governor of Missouri from 1853 to 1857 and served as a Confederate Army major general in the Civil War. The defeat of General Sterling “Pap” Price in Missouri in 1864 brought a flood, Robison said, of his bitter, passionate Rebels into the West, and many to Montana. Robison added however that the research of historian J.W. Smurr shows that in 1864 half the population of Montana Territory had been born in non-southern states, with another 28 percent foreign born and 22 percent southern born. Such demographics though leave plenty of room for Johnny Rebs and those who took a similar stance against the Union.
“You find the vocal minority southerners trying to name Virginia City Varina [in honor of Varina Davis, wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, first lady of the Confederacy]” Robison said. During the Civil War, in Broadwater County, Confederate soldiers discov-ered gold west of Townsend, and the area was thereafter named Confed-erate Gulch. Hostility to the Union, and Edgerton, took various forms, including Union flags being torn down and secessionist sentiments, just as in the South. Smurr called Montana Territory a border state—in other words, in the context of Civil War politics, a state that supported the South, or one at least with divided loyalties, that had not gone so far as to declare secession from the Union and join the Confederacy.
The attempt to name Virginia City after Varina Davis typifies the politics and passions of the day. The Varina Townsite Company, on June 16, 1863, sought to officially name the town Varina. When they applied to do so, the judge, a Connecticut Yankee named Dr. G.G. Bissell, said he and other officials would be “damned” before allowing the town to be named after the wife of Jeff Davis. Bissell compromised though and allowed the town to be named after the state of Virginia, and so it was named Virginia City. The town continued with its pro South temperment even after becoming the state capital.
Distinctions between Montana and the United States may have been stark in those days, even secessionist, in that a Virginia City newspaper referred to boats steaming down the Yellowstone as headed for “America.” This loyalty toward the Confederacy and hatred of the North posed a serious problem for the Union, and so in 1863 Sidney Edgerton alerted Abraham Lincoln to the danger, and surely indicated the wealth of gold to be extracted from the region, and these were reasons for the Montana Territory being quickly established, as an economic and strategic hedge against the South.
“What I believe Montana had in that early period were the very vocal southern anti-Union crowd that hated the North,” Robison told the Pioneer, “along with many very vocal Irish among the foreign born who were Union Democrats (Meagher’s Irish Brigade) but anti-Lincoln; other northern born Union Democrats (less vocal); and the Lincoln or Radical Republicans (a third to half). The anti-Union, anti-Lincoln crowd made a lot of noise and to some extent dominated local politics, making it rather unpleasant for Edgerton (who didn’t stay long) and Sanders and the other Lincoln Republicans (who did stay). The percentage of southern born Montanans continued to decrease in the 1870s and 1880s.”
Filed Under: Archived Stories, October 2010
Montana—150 Years After Bull Run
South Central Rapper Parlay Starr Finds His Groove in Bozeman
How the Civil War Was Won in Virginia City, Montana
Montana’s First Politician
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A Ghost Town Near Yellowstone
High in the Absaroka Wilderness, It’s Called a Ghost Town for Good Reason BY NIKOLAS GROSFIELD Montana towns—dead or alive—often seem similar to one another. But as with people, debunking this idea only takes a little digging. Independence is a long-abandoned ghost town high in the Absaroka Mountains. Around a dozen miles north of Yellowstone […]
The Fight for Western Lands
How the Federal Government Encourages Conflict BY SHAWN REGAN 01/06/17 The surprising acquittal of Ammon Bundy and six others in the trial over the armed occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon has once again elevated federal land issues to the national stage, and many questions remain. But despite all the media attention on the […]
Native Women Prior to the Settled West
Hard Lives of Male Domination for Female Indians BY RICHARD IRVING DODGE (Originally published in 1882) The life of an Indian woman is a round of wearisome labor. Her marriage is only an exchange of masters, and an exchange for the worse, for the duties devolved upon a girl in the parental lodge are generally of the […]
Aerial Cameramen Capture Yellowstone, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho
Capturing the Big Sky From High Above BY MARIA WYLLIE Imagine hovering above Yellowstone National Park, and the world’s natural treasures in the most remote areas, where humans rarely travel. Like a bird of prey circling its quarry, you look down upon the landscape, see how it all fits together—from on high, yet close enough to […]
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Alison Narro, COTA
Tickets on sale for 2019 IndyCar race at Circuit of the Americas
By Dan BeaverNov 15, 2018, 6:00 PM EDT
Tickets are now on sale for the upcoming IndyCar Classic at the Circuit of the Americas March 22-24, 2019 and in grand Texas fashion, the series and track kicked off the sale with appearances by Simon Pagenaud and Colton Herta in San Antonio and Austin respectively.
The CoTA race will be the second race of the 2019 season.
Simon Pagenaud visited the Alamo as part of IndyCar’s announcement of ticket sales for next year’s IndyCar Classic at the Circuit of the Americas (Alison Narro – COTA)
The highly anticipated debut of IndyCar at CoTA adds another marquee event to the track’s schedule along with Formula 1, World Rallycross and the Pirelli World Challenge.
Pagenaud was joined by retired San Antonio Sours player Brent Barry and local businessman Red McCombs as they visited the Alamo and world famous McNay Art Museum.
This will be IndyCar’s first trip to the track, but Pagenaud came within one position of winning at Texas Motor Speedway in 2018. Driving for Team Penske, he started and second behind his teammate Josef Newgarden and finished a season-best second to Scott Dixon.
Pagenaud hopes to add to his current 11 victories after going winless in 2018.
Colton Herta, who will compete for Rookie of the Year honors in IndyCar in 2019, made his presence known in the Gen-X capital of Austin, Texas (Alison Narro – COTA)
After visting San Antonio, focus shifted to Austin where Herta was joined by Jay Frye, President of Competition and Operations at IndyCar and Bobby Epstein, Chairman of Circuit of the Americas.
Herta took to the streets of Austin and visited the Texas State Capitol building as part of his tour.
Herta, who will turn 19-years-old the week after IndyCar visits CoTA, will campaign for Rookie of the Year honors in 2019. He has one previous start in the series at Sonoma this September. He qualified 19th and completed all 85 laps before finishing 20th in the 25-car field.
In 33 starts in Indy Lights competition, Herta has six wins, 20 podium finishes and nine poles.
Tags: bobby epstein, Circuit of the Americas, Colton Herta, IndyCar, jay frye, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, Simon Pagenaud
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Home > Reviews > FREEDOM WRITERS – Mark Isham
FREEDOM WRITERS – Mark Isham
January 5, 2007 Leave a comment Go to comments
There have been a lot of ‘inspirational teacher’ movies over the years – from Goodbye Mr. Chips to Dead Poets Society to Dangerous Minds – and director Richard La Gravenese’s Freedom Writers is the latest to join that list. Hilary Swank stars as pedagogue Erin Gruwell, who takes up a post at a tough inner-city school, and seeks to change her students lives for the better through writing, poetry, the power of words inspirational stories about the Holocaust. A fairly well-received drama, the film also stars Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn and Imelda Staunton.
As befits the gritty urban setting, Mark Isham peppers his familiar dramatic orchestra writing with a healthy dose of hip-hop, working in collaboration with former Black Eyed Pea William Adams, better known as will.i.am. Isham’s score is generally soft and introspective, making lovely use of intimate piano writing and a lush string wash, and occasionally featuring acoustic guitars prominent within the orchestral mix, although some cues adopt a vibrant jazz/funk theme reminiscent of something Lalo Schifrin, or Isaac Hayes, might have written in the 1970s.
“Museum of Tolerance”, “Mies Giep” and “You Are My Hero” are especially noteworthy pieces, working a solemnly beautiful violin solo which works as a recurring leitmotif to highlight the plight of the six million which is so important to the story.
The commercial soundtrack, which was a popular crossover success, features three Isham cues – “Riots”, “Eva’s Theme” and “Anne Frank” – alongside a number of rap and hip-hop tracks from artists such as Talib Kweli, Cypress Hill and Common. Isham’s personal score promo features 14 score tracks, amounting to just under 25 minutes of music.
Eva’s Theme (1:50)
Riot (2:05)
Line Game (1:45)
Museum of Tolerance (2:37)
Hotel Dinner (2:17)
Miguel’s Diary (1:44)
Miep Gies (0:51)
You Are My Hero (1:34)
I Want to Come Home (1:46)
Eva Testifies (2:17)
Breakup (2:18)
Twelve Angry Men (0:49)
Last Meeting (1:11)
Anne Frank (1:40)
Promo (2007)
Categories: Reviews Tags: Film Score, Freedom Writers, Mark Isham, Reviews
ALPHA DOG – Aaron Zigman CODE NAME: THE CLEANER – George S. Clinton
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Dan Totan, MMUS
An active soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer, Mr. Dan Totan has performed on four continents in a variety of venues and ensembles featuring a diverse repertory ranging from the Baroque to contemporary music and various styles from "classical" to pop, rock, jazz, and more.
Born into a family of musicians in Bucharest, Romania, Mr. Totan began studying the cello with his father at the age of eight. He won many prizes including II and I prize of the Romanian Republican Interpretation Competition in 1992 and 1993, the National Radio Chamber-Orchestra Concerto Competition (Romania), the Classical Concerto Competition at McGill University, and the CBC Young Artists Series (Canada), the concerto competitions at the University of Music in Bucharest, McGill University, and University of Alabama, as well as the Cello Fellowship Competition in Montgomery Alabama.
He studied at the University of Music in Bucharest with Tiberiu Ungureanu, Principal cellist of the Enescu Philarmonic in Bucharest and at the same time at Universitet der Künste in Berlin, with Ilea Catalin, Principal cellist of the Hungarica Orchestra.
From 1998 to 2002 he held the Assistant-Principal Cello position with the Sinfonia Cultura - Radio and Television Orchestra in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
In 2002 he relocated to Canada where he graduated the Artist Diploma Program at McGill University with Antonio Lysy (2004), a Master's Degree at the same university with Matt Haimovitz (2006), and the Diplôme d'Études Supérieures Spécialisées with Yuli Turovsky at University of Montreal (2007).
From 2008 to 2010 Mr. Totan held the Cello Fellow and Principal Cello position with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra in Alabama, for which he performed in a series of eight solo concerts and recitals. He appeared as soloist with the Ho Chi Minh Symphony Orchestra, Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Romanian Broadcasting, the "Sinfonia Bucuresti" Orchestra, the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, Mihail Jora Philarmonic, Ion Dima Philharmonic, Botoşani Philharmonic, and others. He collaborated in various chamber ensembles in Romania, Germany, Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, and the United States.
Presently Mr. Totan is pursuing a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the University of North Texas under Prof. Eugene Osadchy. At UNT he is a member of the Conductor's String Quartet, he specializes in baroque cello as well, early music being his special interest and also his degree minor. He is Principal Cello of the Irving Symphony Orchestra, a member of the Plano and San Angelo Symphonies and teaches as Adjunct Cello Professor at the Southwestern Adventist University.
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You are here: Home Take in a show Just for Laughs
Take in a show Just for Laughs
Posted on October 25, 2011 by Ken Kelley |
In Canada and throughout the world, the Just For Laughs name has earned itself a reputation for bringing the very best in comedy to audiences.
And for the first time in the organization’s history, Just For Laughs is hosting a Cross-Canada tour that features some of Britain’s best comedians. Set to perform at the Moncton stop of the tour are Abandoman, Last Comic Standing finalist Matt Kirshen, Hal Cruttenden, Perrier Award-nominated Terry Alderton and Sean Meo, a former full-time snooker player turned comedian.
The Just For Laughs British Edition show to be held tomorrow night at Moncton’s Capitol Theatre will be hosted by Steve Patterson, current host of The Debaters. Patterson has performed in three televised Just For Laughs galas and has performed throughout Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Not only did Steve Patterson have the pleasure recently hosting the Canadian Comedy Awards in Toronto, he was also an award winner, taking home the prestigious Best Stand-Up Male Award for the first time.
“I have been fortunate enough to have been nominated for Canadian Comedy Awards in 2007 and 2008 so it appears as though the third time was indeed the charm,” Steve laughs. “I don’t care what anyone says, it feels much better to win than just be nominated.”
Ironically, Steve had never set out for a career in comedy. Long before he was a celebrated comedian, Steve was enrolled in law school at Toronto’s York University (on scholarship, no less) and then went on to earn his business degree from Western University before deciding to travel the comedy path.
“Comedy doesn’t exactly have the highest success rate of occupations in the world,” he deadpans. “After finishing at Western, I ended up working for an ad agency where I was able to leverage my humour for some of our work with clients.”
But after one of the agency’s clients failed to see Steve’s humour in a suggested ad pitch, he decided that he didn’t want to be restricted anymore and made the leap into comedy full-time. He acknowledges that his boss at the agency played a rather big part in encouraging him to follow his heart.
“My boss was fantastic,” Steve says. “I was doing weekly sets at clubs and my boss would come out and see the shows. He was always very supportive and really encouraged me to pursue comedy. He definitely deserves a lot of the credit in giving me the gentle nudge into comedy.”
While The Debaters started as a radio program in 2006, it has since evolved to become a television series as well. Steve credits his hosting job with The Debaters for helping to keep his skills sharp.
“I had to completely up my game when I started hosting The Debaters,” he says. “Interacting with other stand-up comedians is not something that we typically have the chance to do; it really forces you to be on your game all of the time. And ultimately, working with those other comedians on the show has helped me get where I am with my own audience these days.”
Matt Kirshen got his start in comedy when he was 21 years old, writing for and then becoming editor of a student newspaper that he says was semi-satirical in nature. After seeing a friend perform at a stand-up comedy gig, Matt decided that he would be a good candidate for the job of comedian as well.
And frankly, Kirshen hasn’t done too badly for himself.
From a tour stop in Australia and fresh off a string of shows in faraway places including Singapore and Jakarta, Matt says that honing his comedy craft in the early days was made much easier because of the fact he lived in England.
“You can drive the length of England in six hours and pass 10 major cities while you do it,” Matt says. “I had so many places to gig when I first started. In my first year alone, I performed 300 shows which translated to seven or eight gigs a week. But it was really the only way I could possibly get better. You can write all you want in your bedroom and you can become really great in your bedroom but you can’t be a great stand-up comedian without an audience.”
Asked how he enjoyed his experience on NBC’s Last Comic Standing in 2007, Matt says the experience was a great one overall but also says that he couldn’t truly appreciate the full spectrum of what was going on around him until after the show was done.
“People ask me all the time how it felt to do the show and while you’re in the thick of it, you really have no idea because you’re so focused upon the task at hand. You can’t really sit back and enjoy the experience because you’re jumping from one thing to the next. It is not until the show was finished that you could have perspective on the experience of 8 million people seeing me dressed up as a court jester,” he says.
“At the end of the day though, people all over the world know who I am because of the show so I am extremely glad I did it.”
While the experience of visiting Moncton will be a new one for Matt, Steve is quick to profess his love for the Hub City.
“I’ve been to Moncton several times now and I have found the audiences to be so appreciative,” he says. “The Debaters taped a show at last year’s Hub Cap Comedy Festival, a festival which is always a great time. Every time I go to Moncton, I have old friends come out and I meet a bunch of new ones. I’m really looking forward to returning.”
Article published in October 25, 2011 edition of the Times & Transcript
Filed in: Non-Musical But Still Awesome Features
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Do We Need Space Jam 2?
Getty Images, Warner Brothers
It has been over 13 years ago a classic movie was released, Space Jam!
Featuring Michael Jordan, playing basketball in an alternate universe to save the earth from being destroyed by aliens.
According to IMDB the release date is projected for July 2021.
That’s almost two years away; and some NBA players are still not too happy about the continuations of this series.
Charles Barkley stated in a interview with Entertainment Tonight that,
“We’ve already had Space Jam, we don’t need a Space Jam 2.”
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/charles-barkley-doubles-down-disapproval-033145205.html
The internet as well as Barkley seemed to have mixed emotions for this sequel.
Space jam or No space jam?
Categories: Entertainment, Entertainment News
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NiceCarsInfo Team August 4, 2015
The BMW X5 for 2016 is one of the most anticipated cars to be released in 2015. Car experts have already predicted that the 2016 BMW X5 may turn out to be the big seller of 2016. 2016 BMW X5 will be produced in several variants: M Series, Diesel and hybrid xDrive40e.
The Exterior design
The frontal width will grab your attention immediately; the car also has bigger air inlets. The Double kidney shaped grille has a chrome frame surrounding it. The rear of the car is divided two horizontal lines that can create a more dynamic air. This car is specifically designed to fulfill sports ambitions. The car has 18 inch wheels made of allow together with high quality radial tires (tubeless). The rear mirrors can be adjusted electronically. The luxury SUV has an impressive length of 4886 mm and a height of 1762mm, so you see there is a lot of head room. Over all the design of the car is pretty good.
2016 BMW X5 M Series
2016 BMW X5 Interior design
The best way to describe the interior is sportiness meets luxury. Not only is the interior beautiful but offer a high degree of functionality. The multifunctional seats look absolutely stunning with the Merino leather. The gearshift and the various dynamics for driving are all driver oriented. The Shift paddles can be found on the steering wheel. The good thing about the car is that it has quite a sizeable luggage space. The wheel base measures about 2933mm. So this means there is enough leg space. The 2016 BMW X5 has a 16.5 inch touch screen that supports a DVD player with a hard drive for audio files and maps.
The new BMW X5 2016 Diesel comes with sophisticated 3.0 liter V6 turbocharged diesel engine that has a displacement capacity of 2993cc . The engine has twenty four valves and six cylinders and a twin powered charging unit and have a good torque force of 413 lb-ft and delivers up to 255 horsepower . The manufacturer has equipped the car’s engine with the latest fuel injection technology. The engine permits the car to be driven at a top speed of 155 mph and accelerate from 0-60 mph in 7.3 sec.
2016 BMW X5 M launches 4.4-liter V8 Twin Turbo petrol engine with 575 hp and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque, paired with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission. Accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 155 mph (250 km / h), which is electronically limited. Fuel consumption decreased by 20% compared to the previous model, and averages about 25.5 mpg (11.1 l / 100km).
2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e Plug-In Hybrid combines a 2.0 petrol engine with 241 hp and 111-hp electric motor. Only on electric drive vehicle can travel 19 miles, at a maximum speed of 75 mph. Combining both engine acceleration from 0-60 mph sprint in 6.8 seconds, and reaches a top speed of 130 mph.
2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e Plug-In Hybrid
The 2016 BMW X5 will be launched in the market this fall especially the M models and Hybrid models. The diesel variant should be released a couple of months later than the other two. The Hybrid model will be priced about $63,095 (msrp). The 2016 BMW X5 M model will start from $99,650 MSRP.
With such fantastic features this car will be hard to turn down; so all you SUV lovers should not think twice before purchasing this car. This car will not be a disappointment under any circumstances and its fuel economy feature will surely attack all car lovers.
BMW is on the blink of releasing a new model …
2017 BMW 5-Series
After BMW updated the 3 Series sedan and wagon, it …
2017 BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo
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Cover Story: Race and Reporting
Nieman Reports Spring 2015
Journalists Must Train Their Brains to See Beyond Stereotypes
A Chicago Tribune columnist considers journalists’ complicity in skewed perceptions of communities of color
Dawn Turner
@dawnturnertrice
Chicago Tribune Eric Garner Freddie Gray Michael Brown Tamir Rice
The high-profile deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray have allowed us to train the spotlight on law enforcement and examine how police officers can be more effective in beleaguered black communities.
But, in order to have a substantive discussion about newsrooms, race, and how we cover these stories, we in the media must turn the lens on ourselves and acknowledge our complicity in these tragedies.
It’s not an easy task. But it is a necessary one if we intend to be part of the solution, rather than the problem.
We have to ask ourselves: What role do we play in all of this when we constantly barrage our viewers and readers with images of black men as criminals? The repetition of these images has conditioned all of us (including police officers who carry weapons) in ways that make it difficult not to view black men and boys as dangerous.
In my hometown of Chicago, the number of homicides is about half of what it was in the early 1990s. But you wouldn’t know this by looking at the 10 o’clock news, which consistently leads with stories about violence and shootings, mostly in predominantly African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods.
The story of race is deeply rooted in fear. We media types play into that
I’m not saying these stories shouldn’t be covered. Only that they often lack context and depth and feed a perception that skews and even skewers reality. Complicating this further is that these stories often are at the top of the news not because “what bleeds leads,” but because a 24/7 news cycle requires editors to deliver something new.
I don’t believe the intent is always malicious. It’s just that the consequences are never benign.
But this isn’t only about black men being depicted as violent. We media types tend to cast blacks as the poster children for far too many of society’s ills. Not because it’s the truth, but because it fits the familiar trope and it’s convenient to think inside the box.
A 2012 study by the College of Wooster analyzed the images that ran with 474 poverty-related stories in Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report from 1992 to 2010. The study found that “while Hispanics are underrepresented in media portrayals of the poor, African-Americans are overrepresented.” Blacks appeared in 52 percent of the images, despite being a quarter of Americans living in poverty during that period. Although Hispanics made up 23 percent of the poor, we saw their faces in just under 14 percent of the photos.
If this were just about the media misrepresenting the poor that would be one problem. But it’s compounded by the harsh stereotypes that are attached to poor blacks, making it difficult for them to define themselves not only with journalists, but with educators, employers, and, yes, the police.
In 2008, one of the reasons I was excited about the prospect of a black family occupying the White House was that I hoped (however naively) that the image of the Obama family would serve as a counterweight to the many negative depictions of blacks. I also hoped that the media would no longer portray as anomalies successful black men who weren’t athletes or entertainers.
That really hasn’t happened.
The story of race in this country is one deeply rooted in fear—fear of the unknown, fear of the little known. We media types play into all of that, sometimes wittingly or unwittingly depending on the news outlet.
These stories and images are so powerful. They are also so unforgiving. They become hardwired into our brains. I would argue that the race problem in America is as neurological as it is sociological. Race makes us reactionary. We, pardon the cliché, shoot first and ask questions later.
For me, the reason it’s important to have a diverse newsroom and more in-depth news stories about race is because we need to train our brains to see people of color as individuals rather than types. It’s a huge undertaking, one we’ve struggled to achieve through the ages.
Still, if we journalists don’t move beyond the standard, knee-jerk narratives, we will do more harm than good. Although that is not the mission of any news organization, it certainly will be the result.
Read about strategies for creating inclusive newsrooms in our Race and Reporting cover package
Confronting Racism in the Age of Obama
By Issac J. Bailey
Making Black Lives Matter in the News
By Susan Smith Richardson
If Truth and Credibility Matter, So Must Newsroom Diversity
By Sandra Clark
Show comments / Leave a commentHide comments
Nieman Foundation
Nieman Lab
Nieman Storyboard
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Proposed policy for wikis in new languages
This page is kept for historical interest. Any policies mentioned may be obsolete. If you want to revive the topic, you can use the talk page or start a discussion on the community forum.
This proposal has been superseded by the Language proposal policy.
This proposed policy relates to requests for new languages, not proposals for new projects. See also the related page on ISO criteria for defining new languages.
The Wikimedia Foundation aims to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge in many different languages. Currently, wikis have been created in over 200 languages. If you would like to create a new language Wikipedia, Wiktionary, Wikibooks, Wikisource, or Wikiquote, you may be able to request it if it meets the guidelines on this page. The Wikimedia Commons and Wikispecies are multi-lingual projects, meaning that there are no separate editions for individual languages.
This policy should not be taken as a precedent for a proposal to close existing wikis that do not meet these criteria.
A language must be sufficiently different, in its written form (taking into account the possibility of automatic conversion between different forms when lossless conversion is possible), from a language that already has a wiki (see the complete list of Wikimedia projects). This issue is to be decided by the following test: If contributions in Language A are not accepted in any Wikipedia as-is (ie, the language will be changed), then it may be considered separate. Where this is controversial, consensus may be necessary as well.
The proposed language must exist in a standard written form, preferrably one supported by the latest version of the Unicode standard.
For any natural language, at least 2 speakers with a (near) native level of fluency, and an additional 3 users of any existing Wikimedia project must support the request publicly.
There is no minimum number of native or fluent speakers or readers for natural languages.
Proposed languages must be presented on Meta according to the guidelines at Requests for new languages#Procedure
If there is a consensus on requests for new languages after two weeks of the initial listing, a message should be sent to wikitech-l, asking a developer to set up the wiki.
In cases where there is not consensus after two weeks, it is up to the requester to find this consensus, be it through discussion, polling, etc.
Artificial languages will need to gain consensus within the Wikimedia community before they can be created. It is up to the requester to find this consensus, be it through discussion, polling, etc. Let the proposer be warned that most artificial languages, and especially fictional languages, are unlikely to be created.
Retrieved from "https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Proposed_policy_for_wikis_in_new_languages&oldid=975361"
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Tag Archives: Navy
Justice says, “Justified!”
From msnbc:
The killing of Osama bin Laden was legally justified, and would have been even if the al-Qaida leader had made some sign that he wished to surrender, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday.
“The operation in which Osama bin Laden was killed was lawful,” Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee. “He was the head of al-Qaida, an organization that had conducted the attacks of September 11th. He admitted his involvement and he indicated that he would not be taken alive. The operation against bin Laden was justified as an act of national self defense.”
Filed under 9/11, al-Qaeda, Congress, Democrats, House Judiciary Committee, humor, Justice Department, Lindsey Graham, Osama bin Laden, parody, politics, Republicans, Senate Judiciary Committee, September 11, snark, television, Wordpress Political Blogs
Tagged as Attorney General, Eric Holder, Europe, House of Representatives, Navy, Navy SEALS, terrorism
by nonnie9999 | January 7, 2011 · 12:03 am
From USA TODAY (Editorial):
The people who captain the nation’s aircraft carriers are not to be confused with choir boys. They lead crews big enough to populate a small town and command firepower sufficient to decimate a large city. They must be leaders with a capital L — people of substance, savvy and gravitas, with the instinct to make sound decisions and set an unerring standard for command.
Today, thousands of sailors, former sailors and others are rallying to the defense of Navy Capt. Owen Honors, the fired commander of the USS Enterprise, arguing that he is such a leader — a first-rate commander sacrificed on the altar of political correctness because some thin-skinned weenies were offended by videos he used to inspire his crew.
There seems no doubt that Honors inspires fierce loyalty. But the image the ex-captain puts forth in the videos, made when he was second in command, hardly merits it. If you didn’t know the man’s job, you might assume that he was the class clown, indifferent to the juvenile image he projects or to the consequences of his actions.
Filed under Congress, Homophobia, Homosexuality, humor, parody, politics, Scandals, snark, Wordpress Political Blogs
Tagged as DADT, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Navy, Owen Honors, Tailhook, USS Enterprise
Delete the Press
From Greg Hinz at CHICAGO BUSINESS:
The Democratic and Republican nominees for the U.S. Senate, Alexi Giannoulias and Mark Kirk, gave their views on planning and environmental issues at a Metropolitan Planning Council lunch on Monday.
But the news was what happened afterward: Mr. Kirk literally ran out the hotel door rather than answer questions about a host of recent reports that he repeatedly has exaggerated his experience and credentials.
Filed under Democrats, First Amendment, humor, John Cornyn, Media, Mitt Romney, movies, parody, Pentagon, politics, religion, Republicans, Senate, snark
Tagged as 2010 election, Alexi Giannoulias, conservatives, Illinois, John F. Kennedy, Mark Kirk, military, National Review, Navy, NRO, Robert Costa, Scientology, Sharron Angle, Social Security, Tea party, teachers
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Where does OSTERTAG rank in the most common names in the U.S.?
OSTERTAG is identified by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as a surname with more than 100 occurrences in the United States for the year-2000 U.S. Census. In "Demographic Aspects of Surnames from Census 2000", the Census Bureau tabulated the surnames of all people who had obtained Social Security Numbers by the year 2000.
OSTERTAG ranks # 25825 in terms of the most common surnames in America for 2000.
OSTERTAG had 895 occurrences in the 2000 Census, according the U.S. government records.
Out of a sample of 100,000 people in the United States, OSTERTAG would occur an average of 0.33 times.
For the last name of OSTERTAG the Census Bureau reports the following race / ethnic origin breakdown:
0.89 percent, or 8 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only"
Insignificant percent, or Less than 100 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native"
0.89 percent, or 8 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races"
Search the web for more on the name OSTERTAG :
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Notre Dame students help on the border
NDP students and teacher chaperones serve immigrants at border soup kitchen
The front of the Kino comedor (Anna Sera/The Seraphim)
By Anna Sera, Staff Writer
NOGALES, MEXICO _ Most students would sigh and complain at the thought of waking up at 4:30 a.m. to drive to school, but not when they are heading down to Mexico. On Friday, September 8, 2017, a group of eight Notre Dame Prep juniors and seniors, accompanied by NDP Spanish teacher Señora Santaella and NDP Theology teacher Ms. Purple, made the three-hour journey from Scottsdale, Arizona to the border between the U.S. and México.
At approximately 8:00 a.m., the group arrived in Nogales, Arizona. They were then easily escorted across the border into Nogales, Sonora by Julie Olbrantz, a Kino Border Initiative Educational Assistant. Walking less than one mile from the border, the group arrived at a white, cement building, crowned with barbed wire. The inscription on the front read, “Centro de Atención al Migrante Deportado”, meaning Deported Migrant Care Center. Established in 2008, the Kino Border Initiative is an international refugee service based in Nogales, Arizona. Kino is a Catholic organization designed to aid immigrants as they attempt to cross the border into the United States. Volunteers at the comedor (soup kitchen) provide immigrants with two meals: breakfast at 9:00 a.m. and dinner at 4:00 p.m. They also offer basic medical supplies, a change of clothing, and for the females, a place at the women’s shelter.
Upon arrival, the group was briefed regarding their activities for the day, with each person responsible for one of three duties: serving food, serving drinks, or rinsing dishes. The students were highly encouraged to talk with the people and learn their stories. This was the second time that NDP Junior Natalie Brothen journeyed with her classmates to Nogales.
She said, “At kino, our job is not only to help out with food and cleaning, but to talk to the people and make them feel respected. Several, if not all of the people have been disrespected and their rights have been completely violated. It is our job to make them feel like humans, because so often, they are dehumanized by people of higher authority who are granted the same exact rights.”
Outside the fence, the students were afforded the opportunity to practice their skill with a group of men and women gathered in anticipation for the 9:00 a.m. breakfast. The Notre Dame students and teachers discoursed in both Spanish and English. Once inside, the nuns who prepared the meal introduced the group of visitors and gave a short presentation regarding human rights, which included a video. The Sisters spoke entirely in Spanish, but an English translation of the message was provided by those in the group who competently spoke the language.
Sister Cecilia Lopez Arias, M.E addressed the group in Spanish. Translated into English, she stated, “You have rights and deserve to have those rights protected. If you experienced any violation of your rights on either side of the border, you can talk with our staff to report it and decide whether or not you want to press charges.
Throughout the presentation, the Sisters focused on everyone’s right to have a good life, the right to feel safe at home, and the right to speak freely. “You are not criminals,” said Sister María Engracia Robles Robles, M.E. “It is up to us to teach the youth and these young people who are here visiting today that we are not bad people. Immigrants are not evil people.”
After the presentation and the blessing of the food, the NDP students handed out drinks and passed plates of food down the long, wooden tables that dominated the center of the room. After weaving between the benches to serve seconds to those who desired more, the students were given time to sit and talk with people and learn their stories. Natalie Brothen and NDP Junior Lauren Schillig talked with a young woman named Teresa (Tere).
“Tere told me she was trying to cross the border so that she can get any kind of money or medical help that her son back home needs,” said Brothen. “Her husband had left her about 5 years ago because Tere refused to abort her daughter. Tere is raising two children all by herself. Her son has a walking disability, so all she wants is to help him the same way her parents helped her when she was young and had the same disability. She said her children mean everything to her and she will not stop trying until they are properly supported.”
After serving breakfast, the group trekked to the women’s shelter and talked with two of the women who were residing there. Kino offered the women a place to sleep, as well as a kitchen and bathroom. They also equipped the women with the means of making bracelets and earrings, which they sell to create a small source of income for themselves. Residing with the women was a family of four. Each shared their stories with the group, recounting tales of death threats, coyotes (people who offered to get immigrants across the border for hefty sums of money), and detainment by border patrol. However, it was all surrounded by hope and thanks for the blessing of Kino and the work of the Sisters. The young family shared that they were terrorized by the MS-13, a local gang, which threatened to kill Jorge, the father, and his entire family if they returned. He and his wife, Odette, explained that they had been traveling North for seven months, leaving behind their home in El Salvador. The group moved slowly, so as not to be detected by the gangs. Oblivious of the earnest discussion, their two children, Berkley and Vanessa, ages 6 and 4, played excitedly with toy cars as their parents spoke.
The Mariposa Port of Entry welcomed NDP students and staff back to the U.S. (Anna Sera/Seraphim)
Around 3:00 p.m., the NDP students returned to the comedor and helped sift through bags of beans, picking out an occasional rock or twig, which saved someone from a dentist appointment later in the week. Repeating the process from earlier in the day, the students assumed their positions for the 4:00 p.m. dinner rush. After washing all the dishes, wiping the tables, returning the leftover salsa, and hugging everyone goodbye, the NDP students and staff walked back to the border, handed their passports to the security officers, and effortlessly strode back into the States. In a matter of seven minutes, they were able to do what a family had been waiting seven months to attempt.
5 highlights of Homecoming
The Buzz about Bling: Jewelry a trendy form of self-expression
Homecoming dresses and stresses
Technology addiction concerns educators
NDP is Halloween town
NDP rocks socks
A New Mission for this Marine: Teaching and Coaching
Forging a Leadership Legacy: Principal Platt
Deep dive: online vs. traditional education
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Tag: Everyday Life
A Good Place to Weep and Laugh – In the World of Helle Helle
Helle Helle (b. 1965) was awarded a lifetime grant from the Danish Arts Foundation in 2010. The nomination letter stated, that she is “one of Denmark’s foremost interpreters of the middle classes and of the Danish provinces”.
Keeping Loss at Bay
The change of decade from the 1980s to the 1990s was interesting and eventful for Swedish minority literature in Finland. Epic depth, psychological intensity, and fully formed characters, a rich subject matter integrated in a convincing intrigue, narrative skill, and consciousness of form, interesting metafictional reflections, and the ability to create suggestive fictional universes – all these technical virtues of the novel are found richly represented in the new golden age of Finland-Swedish prose, which, furthermore, is dominated by women writers.For the Finland-Swedish poets who made their debuts in the 1980s and 1990s, “women’s poetry” is no longer relevant. “Use” poetry has done its part, and consolidating sisterhood and agitation are no longer necessary. The interest is more in poetry as language.
I am Nobody, Yet I Exist
Tales from the Outskirts of Society
Everyday Life and Social Commitment
The Women Writer’s Group in Ostrobothnia
To Write Oneself Free
Many women writers in Sweden in the 1970s wanted to speak for themselves and deliver testimony of their own experiences in their own voice. In order to achieve this, they recreated an old genre, the confessional novel, which can trace its ancestry back as far as Augustine’s Confessiones (Eng. tr. Confessions) from approximately 400 AD, and whose modern form was shaped by Rousseau. The confessional novel continued the documentarism of the 1960s. The reportage book that had then treated of the larger spheres of life, with travel books and sociological depictions of social classes and spaces, was now turned to depicting the intimate sphere of life: the home, feelings, and personal development. Just as it was important in the 1960s to document personal participation and research, so in the 1970s it was equally important that described experiences and adventures were absolutely authentic. Where the ideal of the 1960s was objective depiction, the 1970s becomes the decade of subjective representation. Fiction makes claims to authenticity.
A Maid’s Bestselling Novel
The Åland islands author Sally Salminen made her debut with the novel Katrina (1936; Eng. tr. Katrina), which became one of the biggest Nordic bestsellers of all time. The social critique implicit to the book aroused strong feelings in her native village of Vargata on Vårdö Island.The novel opened the door to a literary career, but grew to be a burden as well. Sally Salminen ended up publishing a total of seventeen novels, travelogues, and autobiographies. But Katrina overshadowed everything she did. Her last four books were autobiographical, and among these, Upptäcktsresan, has been called one of the best Finland-Swedish novels about the 1920s.
The Good Story
In the 1980s, the historical novel, a centuries-old favourite among female readers, underwent a process of serious revision. The female heroes were brought up to date. The heroines were adapted to the contemporary world, and together with the new romance literature, the new feminist historical novel captured the interest of women readers.New women writers throughout the Nordic region began to write about hidden, forgotten, overlooked, or entirely unknown women from past centuries, and the books were welcomed by huge audiences (and by reviewers) with such overwhelming interest that it began to look like just the genre for which they had all been searching for so many years.
Mythology of Everyday Life
3. February 2012
Existential Poetry
Driven by Indignation
Throughout her long and popular writing career, Martha Christensen built on social realism and a critical involvement in how society treats the weak. In her stories, the social system itself becomes a powerful character that prevails over individual will.Martha Christensen’s critical socio-psychology is not directly political in the same way as Dea Trier Mørch’s stories about the relationship between the individual and society. In her work, the system becomes the necessary organisation and the holistic entity that forms cohesion in individuals’ lives and takes care of them. However, her attitudes and her entire body of work are a critical depiction of the modern welfare society and its view of humanity.Her texts remain within the social structure she criticises, whereas the critic of modernism Anne Marie Løn, following her urban novel Veras vrede (1982; Vera’s Anger), journeys through time, the country, and other types of social life in her search for a positive counterpart to the destructive city.
Report from a Bucket
The Welfare Society Viewed from Below
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Home » Stories » Cycling » New Ratings from Virginia Tech Helmet Lab
New Ratings from Virginia Tech Helmet Lab
December 13, 2018 by David Longdon Leave a Comment
In an effort to help cyclists make informed bike helmet purchases, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab with funding provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, has released new ratings for 20 bicycle helmets, which brings the total number of tested bicycle helmets to 50.
The ratings give each helmet a score between one and five stars that reflects its ability to reduce the risk of head injuries. Six helmet models in the new batch earned all five stars, and nine models earned four stars.
The Bontrager Ballista MIPS, which scored highest in the first set of ratings, held onto its spot at the top of the pack.
Megan Bland, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering and mechanics, leads the bicycle helmet testing program for the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab.
MIPS is the acronym for “Multi-directional Impact Protection System,” and is constructed of two layers that rotate against each other, mimicking the rotation of the brain’s own cerebrospinal fluid, which is the body’s natural defense against oblique impacts.
The outer layer of a MIPS helmet is made from the same impact-absorbing EPS material as a conventional helmet. It’s connected via an elastomeric attachment system to a low friction inner layer, which is what rests on the rider’s head.
In a crash, the outer shell of a MIPS helmet absorbs linear impact, while the inner layer rotates up to 5mm, absorbing rotational impact. This small rotation of the liner relative to the shell results in a significant reduction of the forces on the brain, which reduces the likelihood of concussion and other brain injury.
“There’s a huge array of choices in the bike-helmet market; our goal with the ratings is to give cyclists an evidence-based way to make informed decisions about how to reduce their risk of head injury,” said Steve Rowson, an associate professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics in the College of Engineering and the helmet lab’s director. “We targeted some of the most popular models in our first set of ratings, and now we’re expanding outward so that we can reach as many consumers as possible.”
Doctoral student Megan Bland reviews helmet testing data.
Cyclists have hundreds of helmets to choose from, and they’re all required to meet a safety standard set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. But all a helmet has to do is perform well enough to pass an impact test calibrated for exceptionally severe injuries, like skull fractures. Until this new testing protocol came about there was no way for consumers to tell the difference between a helmet that merely passed and one that provided exceptional protection.
The five-star scale clarifies the relative differences between helmets, allowing consumers to see which ones protect heads better than others.
The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has been rating protective headgear since 2011. They started with football helmets, then expanded to hockey, soccer, and now cycling. Intended to infuse science and objective data into the relatively arbitrary process of a helmet purchase, the ratings have also helped guide manufacturers in the design of safer equipment.
As with every sport in the lab’s portfolio, the team developed the bike helmet ratings by studying the circumstances of real-world impacts, then meticulously recreating them in the lab with a custom-built impact rig.
A dummy headform snugly fitted with a helmet plummets down a drop tower onto an anvil.
In the setup they designed for bike-helmet testing, a dummy headform snugly fitted with a helmet plummets down a drop tower onto an anvil. The anvil is tilted, because most crashes occur at an oblique angle, and covered with sandpaper to mimic the friction between a helmet and the road.
At the moment of impact, sensors embedded in the headform measure its linear acceleration and rotational velocity, two parameters associated with head injury risk. The process is repeated at six different impact locations and two impact speeds for each helmet model. The researchers then combine the data to calculate how much the helmet mitigates the force of an impact and translate that into a score of one, two, three, four, or five stars.
The lab continues to test more helmet models and update the ratings as new data is available.
Filed Under: Cycling, Dangerous behavior, Gear
Ultralight sunglasses that stay on your face, even during strenuous racing and training.
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Diane von Fürstenberg realizes dream of Statue of Liberty museum
By Tamar Lapin
May 13, 2019 | 10:46pm
Fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg poses with model Akima in the Statue of Liberty Museum in this photo released by Harper's Bazaar. Alexi Lubormirski
Diane von Furstenberg paints the town with artist Ashley Longshore
The future of DVF is a 19-year-old princess
How Walmart plans to woo fashion lovers
The holiday season's hottest dress is impossible to walk in
Like Lady Liberty, she knows something about flowing gowns.
Wrap-dress impresario Diane von Fürstenberg led a massive fundraising effort to build a new museum dedicated to the Statue of Liberty, and the fruits of her labor will go on display for the first time Thursday, when the gleaming space opens on Liberty Island.
“They wanted me to raise $100 million,” the 72-year-old designer tells the June/July issue of Harper’s Bazaar. “I don’t like to ask for money, but I said that I would try.”
The cash was needed to relocate the Statue of Liberty Museum from its cramped space inside the statue’s pedestal to a new 26,000-square-foot building on the island.
The fashion magnate came up with the idea for an abstract “Stars and Stripes” mural that acts as a donor wall. It includes 50 stars, some of which were sold to donors for $2 million a pop.
“I have to say that this was the easiest thing I’ve ever done,” she told the mag. “The first star I sold was to Michael Bloomberg. Mike’s the best person to start with because he always says yes.
When Diane von Furstenberg first met glitter-loving artist Ashley Longshore...
“Then I went to Jeff Bezos, and he said, ‘I’m going to get one to honor my stepfather, who emigrated from Cuba.’ ”
She also went to Chanel, Disney, Coca-Cola and other corporations.
Some 40,000 people from all over the world also pitched in as part of a crowdfunding effort.
As a Belgian immigrant, von Fürstenberg said she has always been drawn to the statue, which she first saw when she moved to New York as a 22-year-old with her then-husband, German Prince Egon von Fürstenberg.
“We arrived at dawn . . . I looked up, and there she was,’’ she said. “That image is forever imprinted on my mind.”
Filed under diane von furstenberg , harper's bazaar , museums , statue of liberty
Woman dognaps a pit bull puppy from Bronx owner
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Carnegie Observatories Lecture Series
Each year the Observatories organizes a series of free public lectures on current astronomical topics. These lectures are given by astronomers from the Carnegie Observatories as well as other research institutions. The lectures are geared to the general public and are free. For more information, including lecture topics, please visit the Carnegie Lecture Series page.
Everday Cosmology
The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science is proud to present Everyday Cosmology, a website devoted to the history of cosmology from the time of Galileo to the present day. Learn about the most important discoveries in Astronomy that have shaped our view of the Universe. Includes an historical time-line and learning activities.
Education & Outreach Activities
The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science maintains an active public outreach program aiming to interest the general public in astronomy, provide science education activities and resources for students, and to connect our scientists with the community in Pasadena, Los Angeles, and beyond.
Carnegie astronomers connect with the public in a number of ways including classroom visits, community lectures, school science nights, science festivals, visits to community groups, and more. Our scientists have a number of outreach resources, including a portable inflatable planetarium that we can bring to schools, libraries, and community events. If you are an educator in the Los Angeles area looking for an astronomer from Carnegie Observatories to visit your classroom or event, please contact outreach coordinator Jeff Rich.
wheelkids.png
We have recently partnered with the Mt. Wilson Institute on STEM Educational field trips to our historic Mt. Wilson Observatory. Astronomers from Carnegie provide scientific lessons at the telescopes and connect our modern research with the fundamental discoveries made at Mt. Wilson. To find out more, visit the Mt. Wilson Institute’s STEM page.
Each year we also hold an annual Open House at our Santa Barbara Street campus. This event is usually the second Sunday in October, and features several family-friendly activities, displays, and talks.
Finally, we are part of City of Astronomy, a network of 11 institutions in the Pasadena area that work together on Astronomy outreach activities big and small. Several partners have regularly scheduled public events, including monthly public astronomy lectures at Caltech Astronomy.
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Vu Tran - What Movies Can Teach Us As Writers
Winnetka Community House, 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka, IL
Students – $10.00
For better or for worse, movies affect the way we read and write fiction. Many writers approach their work with a cinematographer’s eye and a screenwriter’s heart, but even for those who rarely watch movies and have no desire to write or see their work adapted for the screen, the language of cinema has already spent over a century seeping into the ways we tell stories on the page. A lot can be said about how it has degraded the art of fiction, but how has it also enhanced and expanded the art? What cinematic impulses do we knowingly and unknowingly bring to our work, and how might we learn from and take advantage of those impulses, the bad as well as the good? In this talk, we’ll consider all these questions, including the most important one of all: what can literature do that cinema cannot?
Vu Tran's first novel, Dragonfish, was a NY Times Notable Book and a San Francisco Chronicle Best Books of the Year. His short fiction has appeared in the O. Henry Prize Stories, the Best American Mystery Stories, Best of Fence, and other publications. He is the winner of a Whiting Writers’ Award and an NEA Fellowship, and has also been a fellow at Bread Loaf, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the MacDowell Colony. Born in Vietnam and raised in Oklahoma, Vu received his MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and his PhD from the Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a criticism columnist for the Virginia Quarterly Review and is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice in English & Creative Writing at the University of Chicago.
6-6:30 Socializing
6:30-8:30 Program
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Caravan-Info.co.uk
The Official Caravan Website
Belgium Fasano Jazz Festival Italy Kent RoSfest Whitstable
RoSFest – Live DVD and poster
(C) Copyright Caravan Records 2014
DVD, signed DVD and signed posters now available to buy from www.paradisefilter.com
new Anthology Box set out September 6th!
Where but for Caravan would I? – 30 disc career spanning box set – November 2020
Paradise Filter signed CD back in stock
Cropredy Here we Come!
Richard Coughlan RIP Five years ago.
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The Canterbury Scene: An Interview with Geoffrey Richardson – BBC South
BBC Canterbury Scene
24 July 1969 London, ICA [guests: Jimmy Hastings +
20 July 1969 Birmingham, Mothers Club [also: Deep
12 July 1969 Nottingham, 12-Hour Happiness Festival
© Copyright Caravan-Info 2010-2019. All rights reserved.
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On Air 5AM-10AM
Sisanie
Hilaria Baldwin Stopped Co-Sleeping With Son Romeo For His Safety
posted by Sisanie - May 15, 2019
Things are changing in the Baldwin household. Hilaria Baldwin just opened up about her decision to stop co-sleeping with she and husband Alec's son Romeo - and it's all for his safety.
Just a month ago Hilaria opened up about suffering a miscarriage, and now she's opening up more about her life at home as a mom, talking about the emotional decision to stop co-sleeping.
She shared a photo of her son breastfeeding and wrote a lengthy caption about the tough decision to stop co-sleeping. My husband and I never co-slept with our twins (there just isn't room!!) but I know moms who still sleep with their kids, even long after they are toddlers.
In the post, Hilaria reveals that she typically co-sleeps with her kids while she is nursing them, which is usually about a year. She previously felt safe about it because she and Alec are "stationary" sleepers but that she had to make this decision for Romeo's safety after he started to move around a lot more.
"So I’ve decided that, for his safety and our sleep, he is going to learn to stay in his crib over night. It is hard...because I’m going to miss this...the cuddling at night."
She continued on:
"yesterday was the first night he wasn’t in bed with us. It was tough, and there were definitely tears—both his and mostly mine...but I know that everyone has to grow up. We will just have to cuddle that much more during the day."
I think she has a great outlook on it! She made it almost a year with him, and now he just has to "grow up" and they will still get their cuddle time elsewhere.
Have you had any experience with co-sleeping? I have to imagine that once you start, it's hard to stop and teach them to stay in their cribs!
Get more from Sisanie here!
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Sisanie is co-host of Ryan Seacrest's show On Air With Ryan on KIIS FM Los Angeles' Hit Music radio station from 5am-10am. Read more
Email sisanie@iheartmedia.com
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issue 253 - March 1994
directed by Chen Kaige
In 1984 Beijing-born director Chen Kaige’s debut film Yellow Earth heralded a new era for Chinese cinema – the ‘Fifth generation’ of filmmakers who were openly critical of the country’s recent history. Yellow Earth won awards internationally but was vilified at home. The Communist Party leaders denounced the film for its portrayal of the country’s ‘poverty and backwardness’. Ten years and five films on, Kaige still courts controversy. Farewell My Concubine could only be screened in China after some judicial pruning. The objections this time have to do with the fact that the film deals with homosexuality.
Certainly Kaige and the screenwriter Lilian Lee, upon whose novel the film is based, are charting new ground and touching on desires that have been previously stifled in China. But it is ironical that Kaige deals with it in terms of China’s oldest artistic tradition, the Beijing Opera – founded anyway on sexual ambiguity given that the women’s roles are always played by men. Unfurling like an ornately embroidered tapestry, this epic sweep of a film covers 50 years, tracing the turbulent relations between two Opera stars, Dieyi (Leslie Cheung) and Xiaolou (Zhang Fengyi), and the prostitute Juxian (Gong Li) whom Xiaolou eventually marries. The two men meet in the 1920s as children at the brutal and austere Opera Academy and Dieyi becomes infatuated with Xiaolou. They survive the Japanese invasion in 1937, the communist revolution in 1949 and the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s.
History infects the protagonists’ lives, no more so than during the Cultural Revolution when they are pushed to denounce each other – Juxian for her ‘shady’ past as prostitute and Dieyi for his ‘homosexual crimes’.
Provoking questions about friendship and loyalty that only those who have lived under authoritarian regimes will ever know how to answer, Farewell My Concubine is a monumental film as vivid as the operas that counterpoint the engrossing drama.
We Who Believe in Freedom:
Sweet Honey in the Rock... still on the journey
by Bernice Johnson Reagon and Sweet Honey in the Rock
(Anchor Books / Doubleday 1993.)
Sweet Honey in the Rock, an American women’s acapella sextet, offers music of such intensity and fervour that many listeners feel suspended in a state of near swoon. So it’s hard to talk about the group without resorting to pulpit style exhortations. If you haven’t heard Sweet Honey, you’d better run out and get a recording.
We Who Believe in Freedom is a collection of essays by the many women who have been part of Sweet Honey over the past 20 years. The women in the group come from diverse backgrounds. For all of them, though, singing in Sweet Honey is a life-changing experience and their stories make fascinating reading.
While just about every rock star is dabbling in social causes these days, Sweet Honey’s political commitments stem from deeper roots. The group’s founder Bernice Johnson Reagon found her musical calling as one of the Freedom Singers during the 1960s Civil Rights movement. She knew early on that songs were the essence of the struggle. These were the words that mobilized people; that offered strength and solace and a vision of a better time to come.
Altogether, this book offers affecting testimonials to the extraordinary power of Sweet Honey, a group whose politically-engaged and spiritually-charged music is not just entertainment but medicine for the soul.
(This book is currently only available in the US and Canada but seven Sweet Honey in the Rock albums, including Breath and Good News, are available on the Cooking Vinyl label.)
The Destruction of Yugoslavia: Tracing the Break-up
by Branka Magas
(Verso ISBN 086091 593X)
The past 20 months have seen around two million Bosnian Muslims threatened with Europe’s first genocide since the Second World War, their homeland darkened by massacre, rape and terror.
But Magas argues that it is wrong to see violence in former Yugoslavia as the result of a long-term hatred between Croats, Muslims and Serbs forced to coexist temporarily under communism. These old ‘nationalisms’ are recent fabrications, used by corrupt governments opposed to political pluralism and whose fear inclines them to control rather than reform. Ethnic hatred thus plays a minor part and opportunism a major one.
The twin themes of a fabricated past and a propagandized present recur throughout the book, itself a product of 12 years of research, characterized by a breadth of history and solid political analysis. It becomes clear that a major factor in the undoing of Yugoslavia is the silencing of dissent and opposition, media control, and the cultural production of paranoia. It is propaganda which has fuelled the chain reactions of aggression and vengeance, entrenched through manipulated news broadcasts on local stations. Such propaganda has been regularly linked with the deliberate arming of extremist paramilitaries.
Magas’s is a melancholy voice, not a strident one, as she unravels the appalling story of how this conflict came not from below but was imposed from above.
Nothing Can Stop Us
by Robert Wyatt
(Rough Trade R3092 CD)
It has never been easy to classify Robert Wyatt. He is remembered for his work with Soft Machine in the 1960s, for cameos with Jimi Hendrix and in recent years as an incisive songwriter whose humanitarian brand of communism imbues every song. Nothing Can Stop Us is a collection of 11 tracks, all of which appeared during 1980-81.
This re-release is a gem. Its ten songs and one poem celebrate the folk song in its most unadorned splendour, stressing its mixed function of protest, communication and praise.
Certain songs, typically the workers’ anthem Red Flag, may have stronger claims to being mass songs as opposed to folk songs. While another, the disco hit At Last I’m Free seems at first glance a whimsical inclusion. But in Wyatt’s hands the idea of ‘freedom’ becomes a fragile goal that requires nurturing, and is a statement about personal politics as much as social relations.
This balance between the personal and the political holds the album together. For many years, Wyatt has been a card-carrying Communist Party member and his awareness of historical process is reflected in his overtly political songs, many of which were written 30, 40 or 50 years ago.
Trade Union, written by the London-based Bengali group Dishari, brings us up to date. With a ripple of tabla, Abdus Salique launches into a delicately woven vocal line exhorting Bengalis to unite against racism under the union banner. The message is firmly directed towards Asians living in the East End of London and combating virulent racism on a daily basis.
Such subject matter is not a bundle of laughs. Many musicians would be unable to lighten these songs away from a didactic or hectoring delivery. Wyatt’s great strength lies in his simple, clear voice: there is nothing pompous or saintly or worthy about him. In fact, the keynote of the album is that of humility and reflection.
T H E C L A S S I C
... being the book that linked independent India’s birthpangs
with the personal lives of a handful of its people
Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children was published in 1981 when the Western world had taken a shift to the Right, and its fiction writers seemed to be producing mainly stylish but anodyne, apolitical stuff which appeared to have no other purpose than to entertain a comfortable middle class.
For me, Midnight’s Children was a breath of fresh air. At last here was a writer who had produced a work that dared show that the everyday lives of ‘ordinary’ citizens of a country are inextricably bound up with grander national politics.
The novel tells the story of a group of children who were all born on the day that the ‘new’ independent nation of India came into existence in 1947. The hero – if hero be the right word – of the novel is Saleem. Together with another boy, Shiva, he is born exactly on the stroke of midnight, thus winning acclaim from the Prime Minister and a prize from The Times of India for being a symbol of the nascent state. Saleem discovers that he, along with other children born on Independence Day, has telepathic powers. He founds an alternative Congress consisting of all these children.
The Congress is able to function on a telepathic level and Rushdie portrays it as a mirror image of the real Indian Congress, including all the petty wrangles and pointless prejudices of the politicians of the day. Saleem seeks to impose his ideas of a moral and decent India upon his fellow children.
Shiva, on the other hand, believes only in the survival of the fittest. The two boys fall into a Manichean – good against evil – struggle. The children’s Congress collapses amid recriminations and accusations of élitism. Rushdie’s subtle irony and wide-ranging criticism of power politics becomes apparent.
Few works convey so magnificently just how the corrupt and corrupting policies of major figures filter through to the lives of the populace. In this single novel Rushdie encompasses the aspirations of a new nation and the horrors that stem from the unimaginative, internecine antics of an élite group of politicians. It was these politicians who were ultimately responsible for the interminable wars with Pakistan, pervasive corruption and the dictatorial attitudes adopted by the tragicomic Gandhi dynasty. It should surprise no-one that Indira Gandhi had the book banned when it first came out.
But Rushdie is no pessimist. What shines through the novel is the indomitable spirit of the Indian people. Saleem comes to symbolize not only the new nation, but citizenship itself. No matter how corrupt are politicians and absurd the aims they represent, the people survive.
Ultimately Saleem travels from his hometown of Bombay to the jungles of Bengal as part of a secret army expeditionary force and confronts Shiva.
At the conclusion of Midnight’s Children, Saleem simply wishes to throw off the oppressive yoke of his mystical powers and lead a normal life as a simple citizen. This seemed to me to fit with the aspirations of a great many people in the West in the early 1980s. As they strove to go about their everyday lives, to bring up their children, to pay off their debts, the selfish and distorted policies of an elected dictatorship prevented these things.
And like early post-Independence India, the Thatcher and Reagan ideologies were still in a formative state. Who could have envisaged the disintegration of the Welfare State or the ruinous economic policies which would lead to large-scale unemployment?
At that time Salman Rushdie brought home to me that there was at least one novelist who was attempting to blow the trumpet for the less advantaged and the dispossessed – and in so doing he produced a masterpiece.
Jeffrey Lamb
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie (Penguin, 1981)
This article is from the March 1994 issue of New Internationalist.
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The United States Law Week
US Law Week
NewsInsightsSupreme Court Today
INSIGHT: The Fate of H-4 Spousal Employment Authorization
Posted May 13, 2019, 8:00 AM
By Andrew Greenfield
The Trump administration wants to rescind an Obama era rule that allows certain H-4 visa holders the right to work, and a federal lawsuit is challenging the rule. Fragomen’s Andrew Greenfield examines the genesis of the H-4 spouse work authorization rule and the status of pending actions that imperil it.
Two legal proceedings currently threaten to strip H-4 visa holders—generally, spouses of H-1B visa holders—of a right to work they’ve enjoyed since May 2015.
The Trump administration has drafted a regulation to rescind the rule permitting certain H-4 spouses to seek employment in the United States. A group of IT workers have also sued the federal government arguing the Obama administration lacked authority to allow H-4 employment authorization in the first place.
The H-1B visa program permits U.S. employers to sponsor approximately 85,000 foreign professionals for new employment in the United States annually. These foreign workers can remain employed for up to six years, generally. Their spouses and minor children may join them in the U.S. as H-4 dependents. Historically, H-4 dependents could not accept employment.
A First for H-4 Visa Holders
In 2015, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the Obama administration, published a regulation permitting certain H-4 spouses to apply for employment authorization. This marked the first time in the H-1B program’s modern history, which began in 1990, that H-4 visa holders were extended this benefit.
Not all H-4 spouses can work under the rule. To be eligible for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), the principal H-1B spouse must be sponsored for employment-based U.S. permanent residency (the “green card”) and that sponsorship process must have reached a critical stage where the H-1B worker becomes exempt from the normal six-year limit. This then permits the sponsoring employer to renew the H-1B worker’s employment authorization until the U.S. residency application is fully adjudicated, at which time any H-4 dependents may also become U.S. residents and authorized to work indefinitely.
DHS designed the 2015 rule to address the personal and economic hardships placed on H-1B workers and their H-4 spouses who are transitioning to green card status but who are delayed in completing the process due to backlogs in the green card quota system.
DHS was also concerned that H-1B professionals, whose contributions the agency observed are highly correlated with economic growth and job creation, would be disinclined to pursue U.S. residency or opportunities in the United States if their spouses could not work for exceptionally long periods of time. As such a disincentive would result in these professionals applying their creativity and skills in other countries, DHS deemed this regulatory change a matter of U.S. economic competitiveness.
Court Challenge
By the time the rule took effect in May 2015, a group of U.S. IT workers had already challenged the new regulation in federal court, claiming that DHS lacks authority from Congress to extend employment authorization to H-4 spouses.
The plaintiff—Save Jobs USA—asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to enjoin DHS from implementing the rule pending a decision on the merits and to otherwise invalidate the rule (Save Jobs USA v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security).
The court, however, found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate they would suffer irreparable harm if the DHS implemented the rule on schedule, and subsequently found the plaintiffs lacked standing to pursue the case. Consequently, the district court denied the request for a preliminary injunction and in September 2016 dismissed the case.
Save Jobs USA appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. (Save Jobs USA v. DHS). The case remains pending because shortly after President Donald Trump took office, the administration signaled its intention to rescind H-4 employment authorization via regulation and asked the court to hold the case in abeyance pending executive action.
In December 2018, after more than 18 months and numerous promises from the DHS that the rule was forthcoming, the court ordered the case removed from abeyance and set a briefing schedule.
The government’s brief, filed April 1, asked the circuit court to uphold the district court’s denial of the plaintiff’s claim for lack of standing.
It might seem counterintuitive that the DHS would continue to defend a lawsuit where the plaintiffs are seeking to invalidate an Obama era regulation the Trump Administration also seeks to rescind. But it makes sense that the DHS would prefer to abolish the rule by its own hand rather than having the judiciary take an expansive view of who has standing to request the eradication of a federal agency regulation.
As the court case proceeds, the DHS does appear to be moving closer to revealing its plan. The agency sent a proposed rule—"Removing H-4 Dependent Spouses from the Class of Aliens Eligible for Employment Authorization”—to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in February. The OMB is typically the final stop in the approval process before a proposed regulation is published, but neither the rule nor a draft preview of the rule has been released.
Once published in the Federal Register, the public will have at least 30 days to provide the DHS with comments on the impact of the regulation and the agency must review and consider these before finalizing and executing the rule.
Many thousands of H-1B workers and their working spouses may have their personal and professional lives disrupted and damaged by executive or judicial action eliminating H-4 employment authorization. These potentially impacted foreign nationals, and the American employers that rely on H-1B professionals or their dependent spouses to supplement their U.S. workforces, should stay abreast of developments and plan for adjustments and alternatives should H-4 spouses lose their ability to work.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. or its owners.
Andrew Greenfield is the managing partner of Fragomen’s Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm’s executive committee. He advises U.S. and global organizations across industries on U.S. immigration and nationality law, regulation, policy and compliance.
To read more from The United States Law Week please
Andrew Greenfield
Write for Us: Author Guidelines
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Awards and slaying of the dragon at St. George’s Day feast
St. George's Day was initiated in 1987 as a tribute to our students from the faculty.| Short Read
IMAGE: Prof. Khalil Najafi (ECE Chair), Prof. David Wentzloff, Matt Lauer (HKN President), Prof. Farnam Jahanian (CSE Chair)
Prof. David Wentzloff was honored with the 2010 HKN Professor of the Year Award at St. George’s Feast Day, Monday, April 19, 2010. This is an annual award voted on by members of Eta Kappa Nu, the honorary society for electrical and computer engineers.
IMAGE: Paul Hou (2009 HKN President), Matt Hilk (2009 HKN Operations Officer), Matt Lauer (2010 HKN President and 2008 Operations Officer)
The Beta Epsilon Chapter of HKN was itself honored with the Outstanding Chapter Award for 2008-09. This is the fifth year in a row that the U-M chapter received this award, and is a wonderful tribute to the organization, activities, and good works that this chapter is known for.
IMAGE: Prof. Farnam Jahanian (CSE Chair), Prof. Jamie Phillips (EECS Professor and Alumni Society President, Ryan Garrone, Prof. Khalil Najafi (ECE Chair)
For the first year, the EECS Alumni Society presented the EECS Alumni Society Undergraduate Award to two individuals in the department, Ryan Garrone and Paul Rigge. Recipients of this award are selected by the EECS Alumni Society Board based on past activities/contributions and potential to enhance the environment for EECS undergraduate students.
St. George’s Day was initiated in 1987 as a tribute to our students from the faculty. St. George was born in 270, and after his death in 303, was remembered for his bravery in battle. Many miracles and legends were attributed to him, including the famous slaying of the dragon.
This year, several faculty attacked the dragon – who was threatening to eat all the food – and it was finally taken down by Prof. Peter Chen’s fearsome blow!
Explore:AwardsCampus & CommunityEECS: Electrical and Computer EngineeringElectrical Engineering and Computer ScienceEventsFacultyStudentsCampusHonors and Awards
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Baker Center Kicks off Energy-Environmental Forum Thursday
View all the posts from February 1, 2012
KNOXVILLE— A Duke University professor will be at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, on Thursday to kick off this semester’s energy-environmental forum with a discussion of the link between the “hydrofracking” method of shale gas extraction and methane contamination of drinking water.
Rob Jackson will present a forty-five-minute talk on “Shale Gas and Its Environmental Footprint” and then lead a group discussion at the Baker Center Interdisciplinary Group on Energy and Environmental Policy. The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 3.30 pm in the Toyota Auditorium of the Baker Center, 1640 Cumberland Avenue.
The Baker Center discussion forum is an opportunity for academics to share their research findings to a broad set of academics, researchers, and students from outside their own discipline but who have a common interest in environmental and energy issues. Each semester, about a half-dozen speakers from fields such as ecology, economics, urban planning, atmospheric chemistry, and sociology are invited to make presentations. For more information, visit the forum’s website: http://web.utk.edu/~jlarivi1/bcinter.html.
Jackson researches the interactions between people and the earth, including studies of the global carbon and water cycles and energy and environment issues, such as shale gas extraction. He is director of Duke’s Center on Global Change and Stable Isotope Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. He also directs the Department of Energy-funded National Institute for Climatic Change Research for the southeastern U.S. and co-directed the Climate Change Policy Partnership, working with energy and utility corporations to find practical strategies to combat climate change. Most recently, he co-chaired the new US Carbon Cycle Science Plan, which outlines a research agenda for the coming decade.
Unconventional gas extraction from shale formations, called “hydraulic fracturing” or “fracking,” is growing rapidly. Jackson will present the results of the first peer-reviewed study showing an apparent link between methane contamination in drinking water wells and hydrofracking.
UT faculty members who are part of the forum include Paul Armsworth of the College of Arts and Sciences; Jacob LaRiviere of the College of Business Administration; Becky Jacobs of the College of Law; and Chris Clark of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Nissa Dahlin-Brown (865-974-8681, nissa@utk.edu)
Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy
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Queen Elizabeth II Denies Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Independence Bid & it's Huge
Jennifer Mattern
SheKnows March 18, 2019
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (née Markle), made a bid for independence for their own royal work recently — a bid that Queen Elizabeth II and her son Prince Charles have denied. Yikes. Why did they deny it? And why is this such big news? Let’s break it down.
The Sunday Times reported that Harry and Meghan have visions of building a global “Sussex brand” of philanthropy. Because of this, allegedly, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lobbied for their very own court. That is a pretty big move, especially since it implies Harry and Meghan want to expand beyond their roles in the royal family.
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“They wanted their household to be entirely independent of Buckingham Palace, but were told ‘no,'” a royal insider claimed to the newspaper. “There is an institutional structure that doesn’t allow that kind of independence. The feeling is that it’s good to have the Sussexes under the jurisdiction of Buckingham Palace, so they can’t just go off and do their own thing.”
The Sunday Times also reported that the Meghan is determined to continue serving as an “activist” — a vision that the queen seemed to acknowledge on International Women’s Day when she appointed Meghan as Vice President of The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
So why is it a big deal that the queen and Charles gave a resounding “no” to Harry and Meghan’s independence bid? Buckingham Palace represents the Queen. Kensington Palace represents Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, as well as — at least for now — Harry and Meghan. For Harry and Meghan to want to break away from Kensington Palace as their representation is another sign the couple wants to establish their own identity — which is a pretty modern move considering the royal family all but operates as one unified front. Neither palace has commented on the Times report.
So far, we’ve been unable to get any information about Harry and Meghan’s reaction to the major veto from the queen to take their independence any further. This unexpected bid for a separate, Sussex court comes just a week after the queen approved a new household, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, England. Frogmore Cottage, at Windsor Castle, is reportedly now fully renovated and newly occupied by Harry and Meghan — who are expecting their first child in late April or early May.
The royal statement on the new home at Frogmore explained that Queen Elizabeth had “agreed to the creation of a new household for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, following their marriage in May last year. The household, which will be created with the support of The Queen and the Prince of Wales, will be established in the spring.”
This bold push by Harry and Meghan for even greater independence is an intriguing — and admittedly juicy — twist in the tale of reported growing tensions between Prince Charles’ and the late Princess Diana’s sons and their respective wives. We’ll keep a close eye on this to see what happens next.
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Debates of June 12th, 2001
House of Commons Hansard #77 of the 37th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was vote.
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Micro Credit Act
Code Of Ethics For Ministers Act
Shipbuilding Act, 2001
Points Of Order
Abdul Gill
Gary Norton
Seniors Month
Maryse Carmichael
International Union Of Elevator Constructors
Saint John Army Cadet Corps
Centre De La Nature De Laval
Grants And Contributions
Summit Of The Americas
Revenue Canada
Canadian Wheat Board
Presence In Gallery
Main Estimates, 2001-02
SupplyGovernment Orders
Canadian Alliance
Ken Epp Canadian Alliance Elk Island, AB
Madam Speaker, it is an honour to be able to enter into this important debate. I was curiously interested in the comments of other members who thought that we as official opposition would have used this occasion, the last supply day motion before summertime when we go to work in our ridings, for a substantial debate on some big issue.
One of the issues listed was the splitting of Bill C-15 into its component parts so that we could deal with problems important to Canadians and to parliamentarians in a reasonable manner. Those problems could be solved instead of playing political games with them as the Minister of Justice is prone to do. Other issues were mentioned as well.
I have a reasonable response to that charge. With the passage of this bill I hope it will do something very important for parliament so that the work of members will be enhanced and all those problems will have another avenue in which they can be addressed through private members' business.
The way private members' business is run right now is disgraceful. We spend many days in the House. Today is the 77th sitting day of the House since the election. During that time we have spent most of the time debating government bills but some time on supply day motions and some time on private members' business.
As a member who spends a lot of time in the House paying attention to what goes on here, I have observed that probably the best ideas and the ones that are most relevant to ordinary citizens come from private members' business.
Many times the government brings forward legislation which obviously is designed simply to facilitate the work of government bureaucrats. Ideas bubble up through the departments to the minister. The minister says to go ahead and draft a bill to be presented in the House. With the government having a majority, we go through the motions of debating it but it is automatically passed. Many of those things are administrative in nature.
Then there are others where frankly the government totally misses the boat on the aspirations of ordinary Canadians with respect to everything from taxes to the justice system, to the way parliament works.
The debate we have brought forward today will further the work of parliament. Hopefully it will enable us as parliamentarians to do a much better job than we have been able to do because of the restrictions placed upon us.
Members of the public who may be watching television today should know that private members' business is not a very high priority of the government. As a matter of fact, the present standing orders relegate private members' business to the least desirable hours of the day.
On Monday it is the first item, the assumption being that it is difficult for members to get back here after having been in their ridings on the weekend. Thus private members' business is considered while there is nobody here. I resent that because it is very important. Members should be here to hear the arguments and the debates.
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday private members' business is taken up in the very last hour of the day when members are off to receptions and other meetings. They are tired and finished for the day, so there is not a very great number of members who pay attention to private members' business on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
On Friday it takes place again in the very last hour of sitting. That is the day when anyone who happens to be left in Ottawa, not having gone home on Thursday, might be here for a debate. In any case members are eager to go and most of them are totally unaware of private members' business.
I have made it a point to pay attention every day to the goings on in the House, including private members' business. As I have said, my observation is that the best ideas, the most relevant to Canadians, are brought forward by ordinary members who go to their ridings on the weekends. During the weeks when we are able to meet with our constituents we get ideas and bring them back as private members' business.
I have an issue which I have not yet formulated a private member's bill on. I do not know whether there is any point. Not long ago a person said that he had to quit his job to look after his ailing wife. If it were his handicapped child he would get a tax credit, but because he is doing it for his wife there is no tax credit. Would that not be a perfect private member's bill? We could include a recognition that some people have to do this for members of their family who are ill.
I did a little mathematics, as I am prone to do. I looked at the total number of bills and motions introduced during the time I have been in parliament. I was first elected in the fall of 1993. Since then, according to the numbers I was given, there have been 4,136 private members' bills and motions introduced. Some of them were repeats. Many bills and motions are prepared which are never selected in the random draw, so members reintroduce them after prorogation of the House or after an election. Of those 4,136 private members' bills, only 11.8% were selected in the random draw.
I would like to say something about the random draw. When I was a kid at camp many years ago we had a rule. When we went for meals no one was allowed seconds until everyone had a first. I think we should use that principle here.
I have been here since 1993. I have had private members' bills in the hopper. My name has been there but I was not one of the lucky ones to have my name drawn. Therefore I have not been able to put forward a private member's bill.
I propose that the system should be changed. At some point in time all currently elected members of parliament should be put on a random order list. I would be willing to provide the computerized process to do that, if necessary. Everyone would be on the list and no one would get back on it until he or she gets to the bottom. It would go sequentially.
If we are interrupted by an election or there are members that resign for some other reason, their names would be taken off the list and be replaced by other members' names being added to the bottom of the list as they are elected. I would like very much to support that notion.
I also believe that every bill should be votable. I do not have the fear of some that the House of Commons will become irrelevant or that members will waste their time. If we had a rule that each member could only have one bill or motion before all other members have had one, we could be assured that no member would waste that opportunity. They would put up their very best bill, their very best motion, to have it debated and voted upon. If it is a dumb motion or dumb bill the House would rule on it and it would be defeated, provided that we have a free vote on such things.
I have another concern. If every bill is votable I fear the government will start interfering and will start pushing party discipline on the outcome of the votes on private members' business. Some private members' bills could serve to be a slight embarrassment to the government.
I have used up my speaking time, but I look forward to questions and comments which I am sure will come after question period today.
Abdul GillStatements By Members
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, perseverance and dedication to one's job pays off for those who pursue their quest. Forty-two year old Abdul Gill of Halifax just recently became one of the Canadian air force's newest and oldest recruits, and certainly a very talented one.
Originally from Pakistan, Mr. Gill has experienced flying MiGs and Mirage fighter jets both as a pilot and as an instructor. Now he wants to sit in the cockpit of one of the Canadian F-18s.
Mr. Gill moved to Canada nine years ago and ran a corner store and gas station. He recently finished officer boot camp. While he knows he could be posted anywhere in the Canadian armed forces, flying remains his job of choice. Mr. Gill is an example to all of us who have a goal and a drive to succeed.
I congratulate Mr. Gill on successfully completing his officer training and wish him every success in becoming one of Canada's proud fighter pilots.
TaxationStatements By Members
Joe Peschisolido Canadian Alliance Richmond, BC
Mr. Speaker, when the price of gas goes up the government's gas tax revenues go up as well because of the 7% GST that is on top of the cost of gas and the other excise taxes.
We are going into a long, hot summer of rising gasoline prices. The federal government does not need the co-operation of the provinces to eliminate the GST on gas. The government can help reduce gas prices but it has not.
In fact an analysis has shown that if it were not for gas taxes Canada would have cheaper gas than the United States, but this federal government refuses to act. I call upon the Minister of Finance to make a difference in gas prices by removing its GST component.
Gary NortonStatements By Members
Paddy Torsney Liberal Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the wonderful volunteer efforts of Mr. Gary Norton of Burlington.
Mr. Norton went on two CESO assignments with the Central Reserve Bank of Peru. During his first visit, he assisted in the creation of a new statistics system and recommended that the bank install a project manager to oversee its successful implementation. Using his expertise of payment systems from Canada and Peru, Mr. Norton authored a report that will allow the existing Peruvian system to improve and evolve to meet Peru's statistical needs into the future.
In this International Year of the Volunteer, volunteers like Gary Norton are positive role models in communities around the world. Mr. Norton's contribution to the Central Reserve Bank of Peru demonstrates the best of Canadian values. His wealth of experience and generous spirit make him an exemplary grassroots ambassador.
I ask all my colleagues to please join the friends and family of Gary Norton in commending him on his impressive accomplishments in Peru.
TransportationStatements By Members
David Pratt Liberal Nepean—Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday at the smog summit in Toronto, the Minister of Transport announced a commuter rail strategy to help increase services in the areas of Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa.
I am both excited and delighted in terms of what this announcement means for my riding in Nepean—Carleton. Starting the Ottawa-Montreal service from south Nepean or Barrhaven means that both commuters and travellers to Montreal will enjoy a new service and new facilities. It is expected that a new station, estimated to cost between $2.5 million and $3 million, could be completed sometime next year. This station will also be a significant convenience for travellers to Toronto.
This particular project is a great example of the federal and municipal levels of government working together on a project that people of my area want and need.
In this regard, I would like to thank both the Minister of Transport and Mayor Bob Chiarelli in the city of Ottawa.
Seniors MonthStatements By Members
Yvon Charbonneau Liberal Anjou—Rivière-Des-Prairies, QC
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleagues and all Canadians that in most provinces June is Seniors Month.
It is a time to celebrate the contribution that seniors bring to our communities and to reflect on the impact that Canada's aging population will have on our society.
Seniors play an irreplaceable role in our lives. They provide caregiving and support. They act as advisers. They offer a sense of continuity and transmit knowledge and values between generations.
During this International Year of the Volunteer, we have one more opportunity to salute our seniors. Large numbers of them give of their time and energies to benefit their communities. In fact, this is the age group that gives the most volunteer hours.
For this reason, Mr. Speaker, I would encourage you and our colleagues to take part in the celebrations of this special year and of Seniors Month in particular.
ImmigrationStatements By Members
John Duncan Canadian Alliance Vancouver Island North, BC
Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, nine illegal immigrants were landed by boat on the B.C. coast. In 1999, 600 illegal immigrants landed on B.C.'s shores.
The Liberal government then promised action regarding sovereignty for our coast line, but actions speak louder than words. Aurora surveillance aircraft from Comox has had its flying hours reduced from 12,000 hours to 8,000 hours. Pilot and crew training requirements are the same but other client services, especially coastal surveillance, have been reduced significantly.
This is not an illegal immigrant issue, this is a sovereignty issue.
Why is it that foreign boats can cross the Pacific, reach Canadian landfall and be outside the 200 mile limit again before Canadian authorities know anything?
A strong surveillance deterrent for narcotics and other criminal activities is required.
Coastal residents in my riding know our surveillance is lacking and that the national interest is being managed poorly. When will the government get serious about Canadian sovereignty?
The Middle EastStatements By Members
Mac Harb Liberal Ottawa Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, recent reports indicate that since last September at least 600 people have died in outbreaks of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
For every tragic death in the region, families on both sides suffer from the devastating loss of their loved ones. Yet their grief is quickly lost in the headlines with news of yet more innocent lives sacrificed to a senseless cycle of violence.
I wonder what it would be like if every family were to see and feel the grief and suffering of the mothers and fathers on the other side.
Surely the voices of peace will prevail. I join with my colleagues, and indeed all Canadians, to call on the leaders in the regions to make peace a priority.
Maryse CarmichaelStatements By Members
Michel Guimond Bloc Beauport—Montmorency—Côte-De- Beaupré—Île-D'Orléans, QC
Mr. Speaker, for the first time in its 30 year history, a woman, Captain Maryse Carmichael, is flying with the Snowbirds aerobatic team.
Her popularity was very much in evidence at the various performances at the Quebec City air show this past weekend, attended by over 100,000 people in all. Many of these came especially to see Number 3 pilot in action.
Captain Carmichael did not disappoint. As inner left wing, she excelled in close formation flying and in low level aerobatics, proving without a doubt that she can hold her own in the elite world of aerobatics.
Despite her celebrity, this native of Beauport has retained a simplicity and wisdom of which her parents, Jean-Yves and Francine, can be proud.
When asked recently about being a role model for girls, she replied that she was one for boys as well, adding “When a person wants to do something that has never been done, that does not mean it can't be done. If you work hard, the results will come. No doubt about it”.
Bravo to Captain Carmichael. We are proud of her.
Health CareStatements By Members
Peter Adams Liberal Peterborough, ON
Mr. Speaker, I was pleased during the last parliament that the Prime Minister persuaded the provinces to make a deal on health care and the children's agenda. This was a major step forward.
However, we must still work at strengthening the federal role in health matters.
In the end, it is only the federal government that can ensure nationwide standards. Only it can make sure that all Canadians, not just some regions, get the health care and early childhood support that they are entitled to.
Our health care system is designed to be universal, portable, comprehensive, publicly funded and publicly administered. Let us keep it so.
GraduationStatements By Members
Myron Thompson Canadian Alliance Wild Rose, AB
Mr. Speaker, as we prepare for summer recess tens of thousands of young lives are about to change forever.
It is graduation season in our high schools, colleges and universities. The hours of hard work these young people have taken on is about to be rewarded.
As a former school principal I was never more proud of each graduating class after watching youngsters grow into independent thinkers ready to take on the world. The enthusiasm and energy each graduating class had brings back warm memories each June. These young lives hold the future of Canada in their hands and we should look to them for our inspiration.
I am sure each and every member of this House has fond memories of their own graduations. I would ask members to join with me in the last five seconds of this statement to wish the very best to all the graduating classes all across Canada.
International Union Of Elevator ConstructorsStatements By Members
Steve Mahoney Liberal Mississauga West, ON
Mr. Speaker, founded on July 15, 1901, this year the International Union of Elevator Constructors celebrates its 100th year anniversary.
The IUEC has a total of 10 locals across Canada which represent more than 2,500 mechanics and helpers who build, maintain and service elevators, escalators and moving walkways. IUEC has become the most qualified and trained constructors of elevators in the world. Without their skills and expertise the modern city could not be the reality that it is.
This August, delegates representing locals from across Canada and the United States will gather in Toronto for their IUEC international convention and to celebrate their centenary.
I want to congratulate and extend congratulations to all members of the IUEC on the milestone of their 100th anniversary.
World Refugee DayStatements By Members
Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, on June 20 the world will celebrate the first ever World Refugee Day. The theme this year is respect, respect for the rights of refugees worldwide and for the contributions they make to our societies.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the 1951 refugee convention, born out of the horrors of World War II and the will of the international community never to witness them again. Fifty years later, the convention still remains a necessity today. Millions of people are living in refugee camps under difficult conditions or are trapped within the borders of their home countries unable to escape the horrors of conflict or persecution.
We owe it on this day to ensure our laws enshrine the values of justice and fairness for all refugees and we can start by bringing Bill C-11 in line with our international human rights obligations.
Let us honour the first World Refugee Day by strengthening our commitment to refugee protection and welcoming those who come here in search of the freedom and security we take for granted.
Saint John Army Cadet CorpsStatements By Members
Elsie Wayne Progressive Conservative Saint John, NB
Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honour today to rise in support of the 1691 Saint John Army Cadet Corps, affiliated with the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, of which I am the only female honorary gunner in Canada.
This past weekend the young men and women of the 1691 Saint John Army Cadet Corps held their 60th annual inspection parade and were reviewed by the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, Madam Trenholme.
Having witnessed firsthand the commitment of these young Canadian citizens, I must remind the House of the invaluable service provided by the Royal Canadian Army Cadets. There is, in my view, no better training for the duties and responsibilities of citizenship than that offered by the Royal Canadian Army Cadets.
I must urge the government to renew and restore its financial support for our cadets and to assist in any way possible in the recruitment of new cadets each and every year.
When so many young Canadians are feeling alienated from the institutions of our country, the Royal Canadian Army Cadets gives them a reason to believe in their country of Canada. We thank them for their service as we also thank our Canadian armed forces personnel, for the—
The hon. member for Mount Royal.
Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC
Mr. Speaker, I join my words to those of the member for Ottawa Centre. As a tenuous Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire hangs on a thread and threatens to explode into violence, it is more necessary than ever that the parties adhere to the recommendations of the Mitchell commission, including: first, the unequivocal and unconditional cessation of all acts of terrorism and violence; second, the cessation and desisting from all acts of incitement, for it is this teaching of contempt, this demonizing of the other, particularly that which is government sanctioned, where it all begins; third, the ending of the culture of impunity and the bringing of the perpetrators of acts of violence and terrorism to justice; fourth, the institutionalization of security co-operation between the parties so as to pre-empt acts of violence and incitement; fifth, the promotion of a culture of prevention through the institutionalization of confidence building measures; and sixth, the recommitment to direct negotiations between the parties as a basis for a just and lasting peace.
Centre De La Nature De LavalStatements By Members
Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Bloc Laval Centre, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Centre de la nature de Laval, an immense garden built from scratch in an unused quarry, welcomed one million visitors in 2000, who came for relaxation and for cultural and family activities.
As part of the Grands Prix du tourisme québécois on May 11, the Centre de la nature won the Kéroul award, an annual award that goes to an organization whose facilities are particularly accessible to people with disabilities.
The Comité consultatif conjoint pour l'accessibilité des personnes handicapées and the Centre de la nature overcame all obstacles, as the construction of a play area safe for all children, regardless of their level of development and independence, testifies.
As a recipient of the Kéroul award, the Centre de la nature joins other prestigious recipients, including the Cité de l'énergie, Forillon park and the Musée d'art de Joliette.
I am proud to congratulate and thank, on behalf of the people of Laval, the Centre de la nature and organizations that work to improve the living conditions of people with disabilities.
House Of CommonsStatements By Members
Hon. members, on your behalf, I would today like to thank our pages, who have worked for us over the year. They worked very hard in two parliaments, and we are very grateful for all they have done.
I also want to join members in giving all the pages our very best wishes for continued success, not just in your next few years of university work but also in your careers thereafter. I must say we all look forward to your returning to this place either as employees of the House or as elected members of parliament.
I wish each of you good luck and thank you very much.
We wish you every success in the future. Thank you for your help this year.
Grants And ContributionsOral Question Period
Grant Hill Canadian Alliance Macleod, AB
Mr. Speaker, a forensic expert has said the bill of sale for the Grand-Mère golf course could have been altered.
Could the government tell us where the original is and will the original be available for independent analysis?
Windsor West Ontario
Herb Gray LiberalDeputy Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I think this question should be directed to the Prime Minister's Office. It is a matter involving the Prime Minister's private business affairs before he became Prime Minister and does not relate directly to the operations of the government.
Mr. Speaker, late yesterday we learned from the ethics counsellor that the original bill of sale exists. The ethics counsellor told us that he saw the bill of sale in the possession of the Prime Minister's personal lawyer, Deborah Weinstein.
We believe the bill of sale could be available for independent analysis without leaving her possession. Will the government allow independent access to that original bill of sale to clear the air of serious doubts?
Mr. Speaker, the air was cleared by the Prime Minister and the ethics counsellor. It is the hon. member who is trying to cast an unwarranted fog and unwarranted innuendo on the reputation of the Prime Minister.
Mr. Speaker, I do not think the Deputy Prime Minister can figure out that the doubts are the reason that we raising this question.
Canadians were allowed access to a copy of the bill of sale. Now the accuracy of that copy has been put into question. Why will the government not commit to allowing access to the original? What could it be that the Prime Minister would be hiding?
Mr. Speaker, I again point out that we are dealing with something that does not pertain to the activities of the government or the Prime Minister as Prime Minister.
I really think we should refrain from further comment until we have heard the outcome of the Alliance's consultations with their fortune teller, palm reader and psychic hotline.
Charlie Penson Canadian Alliance Peace River, AB
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we asked the industry minister whether the RCMP had finished the investigations into the alleged forgery of the loan authorization for the Auberge Grand-Mère.
BDC quickly sent that document to the police when it became apparent that the Prime Minister could be implicated. Did the RCMP finish its investigation into the alleged forgery? If not, could the industry minister tell the House when we can expect an answer?
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Availability of Broadband Internet Access: Empirical Evidence
31 Pages Posted: 7 Aug 2018
See all articles by Sharon E. Gillett
Sharon E. Gillett
William Lehr
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL)
Broadband access is needed for the Internet to achieve its full potential, and how these services are offered is likely to have important implications for the extent of competition for communication services in the last mile. This paper describes a research project of the MIT Internet & Telecoms Convergence Consortium (ITC) into local Internet access and presents initial results from our empirical survey of the patterns of deployment for broadband Internet access in the United States, focusing on xDSL and cable modems as the two technologies that have been deployed most extensively to date. We were unable to find much evidence of residential xDSL deployments through the end of 1998; however, we did identify over 805 communities where cable modem services are now available. The demographics of these communities suggest that to date that these services are still not widely available, and where available, are concentrated in higher income, higher density markets -- as might be expected for a new technology. Moreover, when broadband access is available, consumers are unlikely to face competitive alternatives for providers. And, finally, the identity of the cable television provider has had an important impact on the likelihood that cable modems will be available. We suspect this result reflects differences in strategic decisions based on differing views of the attractiveness of broadband services and earlier decisions on the timing and extent of system upgrades. For example, MediaOne has been substantially more aggressive in deploying cable modem services than have carriers with typically lower-quality outside plant, such as Cablevision and TCI. While these results are not surprising, they are nevertheless important in helping to establish a baseline for continued research and in suggesting additional data requirements and questions that need to be examined to more fully understand the evolution of Internet access. In addition to the empirical data presented, we describe our future research agenda.
Keywords: Internet, Broadband, Telecommunications Regulation
JEL Classification: L96, L86, L98, L5, O3
Eisner Gillett, Sharon and Lehr, William, Availability of Broadband Internet Access: Empirical Evidence (September 27, 1999). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3215923 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3215923
Sharon Eisner Gillett
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ( email )
William Lehr (Contact Author)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) ( email )
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News To Protect Our Children
This #smartwatch for #kids is adorable but probably not a #great #idea
February 14, 2018 Author: Walter Drake
Omate has teamed up with Nanoblock to launch a new smartwatch for kids called the Omate x Nanoblock. It’s an adorable watch with colorful blocks arranged on the wristband. I’d wear it if I were a kid, especially because it has a built-in selfie cam. Even though I find it cute, you should probably still avoid strapping any smartwatch to your kids.
Germany’s telecommunications agency, the Bundesnetzagentur, banned smartwatches for kids in late 2017 and asked parents to destroy them. The agency particularly took issue with microphones on the watches. Meanwhile, the European Consumer Organization’s (BEUC) previously announced that smartwatches pose a security threat to kids’ privacy. The BEUC warned that GPS-tracking smartwatches could be hacked and attackers could track or spoof the GPS location of kids’ smartwatches.
Omate says its smartwatch “triangulates location using GPS, cellular networks, and Wi-Fi hotspots for accurate positioning.” So it’s probably good at tracking your kid. The company also says all this location, messaging, and video calling data is encrypted end-to-end over a virtual private network (VPN). That sounds promising. Omate’s founder and CEO Laurent Le Pen addressed the German ban in a Medium post. He says the company doesn’t allow parents to remotely turn on their kids’ microphones, which was what German regulators targeted.
Ultimately, parents have to decide whether they’re willing to take the risk of companies and possibly hackers figuring out where their kids are at all times. One smartwatch produces a lot of data, which could be a good thing, if you want to keep tabs on your kids.
The watch will ship in June and will start at $179, which includes a year of service and data.
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Plymouth Growth and Development Corporation (PGDC)
PARK PLYMOUTH
ParkPlymouth ▼
ParkPlymouth Homepage
Daily Parking in Plymouth
PGDC ▼
PGDC Homepage
About PGDC
PGDC Investments in Plymouth
PGDC Projects and Plans
The parking monies collected by the PGDC since its inception, including the annual costs to operate Parking Plymouth, are all committed to the promotion of economic development in Plymouth. The PGDC has devoted millions of dollars to improving town infrastructure and providing parking conditions conducive to growth in the Downtown/Waterfront districts and North Plymouth. These efforts have ranged all the way from engineering and financial feasibility studies through the design and construction of new parking facilities. See below for a description of six of the major projects that have been undertaken, the studies that have been performed, and the design options that were evaluated.
Design and Construction of S. Russell Street Parking Deck
$5.9 Million
The PGDC funded and managed, in coordination with the Town of Plymouth, the design and construction of a new 149-space, 2-level parking deck on S. Russell Street adjacent to Town Hall. The PGDC has paid all engineering, design, construction and contingency/soft costs associated with the structure at a cost of over $5.9 million; this includes the annual cost of a $2,995,200 bond to be issued by the Town over a 30-year term. The parking deck will provide valuable additional off-street parking spaces for Town Hall employees, area business employees, Plymouth residents and visitors to the downtown business district. It will be completed and available for full occupancy in Spring 2019.
S. Russell Street Parking Deck Feasibility Study
Back to PGDC Projects
Acquisition of MBTA Surface Lot on Lothrop Street
In 2013, the PGDC purchased a 2.3 acre parking lot located on Lothrop Street from the MBTA which is now called the Water 4 public parking lot. Located adjacent to Hotel 1620 and Village Landing, the lot consists of 140 parking spaces and is serviced by two (2) multi-space pay stations. To facilitate access directly from Lothrop Street, a new access drive into the lot was constructed in 2015. Park Plymouth also purchased and installed 8 new solar-powered light poles and fixtures in the lot to ensure customer safety at all times of the day. The Water 4 lot is used often as an overflow parking lot during summer months by visitors and patrons to the many restaurants that exist along the waterfront on Water Street.
Transportation Hub/Visitors Center - Memorial Hall Parking Lot
The PGDC funded in partnership with GATRA, the regional transit provider, an engineering/ financial feasibility study and 30% design plans for a multi-modal Transportation and Visitor's Center on the Memorial Hall surface parking lot. The proposed facility was designed to include a 400-space public parking garage, a state-of-the-art Visitor's Center, a bus transit/bicycle center, along with retail space on Water Street. The PGDC invested approximately $415,000 to leverage $1.2 million in federal funds (Federal Transit Administration and GATRA) for the engineering and design plans; the Town of Plymouth also contributed $197,500 from the Plymouth Center Parking Fund for this effort. Unable to secure sufficient federal funding for this $24 million project under a federal TIGER grant, the PGDC will explore alternative and more affordable parking facility designs suitable for the site.
Transportation Center Site Selection Study Presentation to Board of Selectmen
Feasibility Study for New Parking Garage on Main Street Ext. Lot
The PGDC funded an engineering/financial feasibility study and conceptual design plan for a new 240-space, 5-level parking garage to be located on the site of the current 64-space Main Street Extension lot on Main Street. The Main St. Ext. lot serves Town Center and is Plymouth's highest demand paid parking lot with consistently strong occupancy year-round. With a projected construction cost in excess of $13 million, and difficult site conditions that required unique engineering design features, the PGDC is currently restoring its cash reserves so it can revisit this garage development project in the future.
Development of Plymouth Parking Management Plan
The Plymouth Parking Management Plan was developed by the PGDC to be a guide for public policy decisions and investments in the parking and transportation systems of the Plymouth downtown-waterfront aea and North Plymouth. The Plan was developed in consideration of previous parking and economic development studies and master plans, stake holder interviews, and an evaluation of past, current and future parking needs. It includes a series of specific short-, medium- and long-term parking improvements as well as strategies for regulating parking demand through pricing and parking time limits. It is intended that the Plan be updated regularly in response to changing economic conditions in the commercial areas.
See Public Workshop on Parking Master Plan
Plymouth Parking Management Plan
Improvements to Middle Street Parking Lot
In response to neighborhood complains about loose garbage and security in the lot, the PGDC engineered, designed and funded the construction of a dumpster enclosure in the Middle Street surface parking lot. It also reconfigured the entire parking area to now encompass 58 parking spaces, introduced new pedestrian walkways and landscape at the lot entrance, and installed security cameras to surveille the entire parking lot. The Middle Street lot is critical to the economic health of the downtown businesses (as well as meeting the needs of nearby residences) and is heavily occupied at all times of the year.
40 Court Street, Floor 1 Unit 1
csm@parkplymouth.com
Park Plymouth is located in the large gray building at the corner of Court Street and Russell Streets in downtown Plymouth, MA. Access to the Park Plymouth office is possible only from the parking lot at the rear of the building off of Russell Street.
Hours: Mon - Fri 10:00am - 5:00pm
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Download Fragment Watch ParlView Video
Senator WRIGHT (South Australia) (15:29): I move:
That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (Senator Ludwig) to a question without notice asked by Senator Wright today relating to Indigenous youth suicide.
We know that Indigenous communities experience disproportionate and unacceptable rates of youth suicide, and we also know that these rates have been increasing over the past 30 years. At present, suicide rates among young Indigenous males are approximately three times higher than those of the non-Indigenous population, and the suicide rates experienced by young Indigenous women are approximately five times those of non-Indigenous young women. The incidence of Indigenous youth suicide has recently been highlighted by the Northern Territory inquiry into youth suicide and was previously recognised by the 2010 Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs report The hidden toll: suicide in Australia. Sadly, this tragic phenomenon has recently been increasingly reported in the media, with accounts of Indigenous girls as young as 11 committing suicide in the Northern Territory. In my own state of South Australia I was deeply saddened to hear the news earlier this year that a young Indigenous girl aged only nine had taken her own life. It beggars belief that she really understood the consequences of what she was doing at that time.
The situation is horrific and calls for an urgent response, as we understand that we have a whole generation at risk. However, our response must be carefully considered and developed on the basis of extensive informed consultation with those most affected and with those who are most expert about their own circumstances. As Suicide Prevention Australia has cautioned, the risk factors for suicide in Indigenous communities cannot be assumed to be the same or to have the same correlations as for non-Indigenous communities. For example, the link between mental illness and suicide is less evident in Indigenous communities than the general population, with other factors such as alienation, grief, social disadvantage, sexual assault, family violence, unemployment, lack of meaningful engagement and substance abuse compounded by social, cultural and historical factors contributing to increased risk.
It is vital that any response to Indigenous youth suicide effectively takes into account the complexity of this issue, and the absolute importance of community involvement in developing and delivering programs in response. Indeed, such programs should be locally initiated, accountable and culturally appropriate, taking into account the norms, values and traditions and structures of the specific Indigenous communities involved. Unfortunately, our history is dotted with examples of well-meaning but ultimately futile—or worse, damaging—interventions that have not been developed or owned by the communities affected. A very recent and ongoing intervention comes to mind in that regard.
An adequate and effective response to the endemic levels of youth suicide in Indigenous communities must be a priority for our governments. As the Aboriginal peak organisations of the Northern Territory say, if societies are to be judged on how they treat their elders then surely the converse is true; we should be judged also on how successful we are at protecting the lives of our young people, our future. It is with great interest that I will be awaiting and then considering the strategy developed by the Indigenous Suicide Prevention Advisory Group.
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Home » Consumer Filters Market & Supply Chain RF & Microwave Telecommunication
Qualcomm and TDK Form New Company Around RF Filters and Front-Ends
source: Qualcomm article
Qualcomm is forming a new company with Japan’s TDK Corp. to develop RF filters, front-end modules, and other wireless components for navigating a multitude of frequency bands. Qualcomm plans to spend around $3 billion over the next three years to move TDK’s filter and module manufacturing to the new company. That money will also be used to purchase several TDK patents.
The transaction is Qualcomm’s latest attempt to expand its portfolio of wireless components and produce more closely integrated RF chipsets. For years, Qualcomm has been one of the largest suppliers of cellular communication chips, but the fabless chipmaker has recently branched out into power amplifiers, antennas, and other wireless components used in mobile phones. It has also been working to move these technologies—along with its Snapdragon processors—into new products, especially smart home devices and cars.
Last September, Qualcomm acquired Cambridge Silicon Radio, a UK-based company that designs chipsets for smartphones and Internet of Things devices, for about $2.4 billion. In 2011, it purchased Wi-Fi chipmaker Aetheros Communications for around $3.1 billion, the largest transaction in the company’s history.
Filters are new territory for Qualcomm, but they have long been a central component in smartphones. In 2014, most smartphones contained around 35 filters, according to statistics gathered by Resonant Inc., a startup company that has developed ultra-small filters with support for three different frequency bands on the same chip. Christiano Amon, the head of Qualcomm’s chip division, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, that that number is now closer to 50. Early smartphones, on the other hand, were only equipped with three or four.
Such filters help smartphones tune into different frequency bands. This allows them to support multiple network technologies, ranging from 2G to 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, satellite communications, Bluetooth, and others. The number of filters in smartphones and other wireless devices is only expected to rise with the development of LTE-Advanced and 5G communications. By 2020, they could potentially contain as many as 100 filters.
Mobile Experts, a research firm that examines the market for RF components, predicts that front-end modules will represent an $18 billion market by 2020. The majority of that revenue can be traced to the filters packaged inside them. By itself, the RF filter market is expected to grow from $5 billion in 2015 to around $12 billion in 2020, according to Mobile Experts research.
The new company, which will be called RF360 Holdings, will compete with other large suppliers of RF filters, such as Avago Technologies, Skyworks, and Qorvo, whose stock prices tumbled following the joint venture announcement. Among its RF front-end and other components, RF360 Holdings will develop surface acoustic wave (SAW), temperature-compensated surface acoustic wave (TC-SAW), and higher-performance bulk acoustic wave (BAW) chips.
The joint venture will be based out of Singapore. Qualcomm expects the transaction to be finalized in early 2017, at which point it will take %51 of the new company. After about three years, Qualcomm will have the option to purchase TDK’s remaining interest.
Hybrid Polymer-Aluminum Electrolytics Handle 30g with Very Low ESR, High Ripple Currents
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Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences: Glacial Brace
By Michael Blanding
Published in the May 16, 2018 Issue
A dramatic proposal to stem sea-level rise through geoengineering
It was the crack heard ’round the world. After years of anticipation, Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf broke last summer, sending adrift an iceberg the size of Delaware. While that iceberg was relatively small compared to the vast quantities of ice stored in Antarctica and Greenland, the shelf’s sudden demise highlighted the precariousness of ice packs at the poles and the catastrophic effects that could ensue from widespread glacial and ice-sheet melting. At predicted rates of global warming, sea levels could rise by more than 3 feet by 2100, displacing millions of people around the world and causing damages of $20 billion to $70 billion a year.
Geoengineering Glaciers: How It Could Work
Postdoc Michael Wolovick is proposing shielding glaciers from the warm water deep in the ocean. Early calculations suggest the intervention could drastically slow the glaciers’ contribution to sea-level rise.
L-Dopa Design + Illustration
Geophysicist Michael Wolovick has spent two years at Princeton studying glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland, and he sees hope. The areas where the major glaciers stream into the sea are remarkably narrow. By shielding glaciers in just those small areas from the warmer, saltier water in the deep ocean, sea-level rise might be stemmed.
“In Greenland, many [glaciers] are 5 kilometers or less — there are bridges longer than that,” says Wolovick, who wrapped up his postdoctoral research at Princeton in April. Even in Antarctica, where ice shelves are about 25 miles wide, Wolovick adds, the potential benefit to society of slowing their flow could well outweigh the cost.
Scientists attempting to stave off the harmful effects of climate change have proposed geoengineering projects to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or redirect solar radiation back into space. In an article published in Nature in March, Wolovick and three co-authors argue for smaller-scale intervention that would employ geoengineering to slow glaciers’ melting, thereby reducing the rate of sea-level rise, one of climate change’s most dire effects.
Each glacier has a grounding line, the point at which it lifts off the ocean floor and floats, displacing sea water and causing the ocean to rise. Wolovick’s paper proposes an underwater berm made up of giant, flat piles of sand and rock in front of the glacier to protect its gounding line from the warm layer of water that tends to cause it to recede.
Blocking warm-water currents wouldn’t be a complete solution to climate change, but it could slow melting. With less warm water gnawing at the glaciers’ grounding line, Wolovick’s computer-generated models suggest some glaciers may even gain mass, and in the best-case scenario, their bases could become even stronger by eventually attaching to the berms.
The challenge is more complicated in Antarctica because its ice shelves mostly float and have a less substantial base attached to the seafloor. But even here, Wolovick believes that their impact on sea-level rise can be stemmed by building underwater “pinning points” to reground them. “That might thicken the ice shelf and reduce the rate of mass loss,” he says. In statistical models he’s constructed, by grounding a glacier to the ocean floor, the amount of sea level rise from the glacier melting and displacing water is reduced by at least a factor of five.
“Geoengineering is not a substitution for emissions reduction.” — Michael Wolovick
Courtesy Michael Wolovick
The trick is building the berm or pinning points in the right places. Wolovick’s models show that if a berm blocked only half the warm water in front of a glacier, there is a 70 percent chance of it regrounding to the ocean floor. For the next phase of his still-hypothetical proposal, he’s exploring the best positioning of underwater features.
While these geoengineering projects would be expensive, says Wolovick, they may be worth the cost compared to the environmental destruction from sea-level rise. “One of the tasks going forward would be to make a design that blocks as much warm water as possible while using as little material as possible,” he says, adding that this type of project would be on measure with the engineering of the Panama Canal or the Palm Islands of Dubai. The best place to start would be Greenland, he says, which is both closer to the United States and Europe and has a year-round population from which workers could be drawn. Once the concept was established there, it might be applied to the harsher climate of Antarctica. “Geoengineering is not a substitution for emissions reduction,” Wolovick says. But it would mitigate one of the direst consequences of climate change, giving humanity vital time to change its ways.
Source URL: https://paw.princeton.edu/article/atmospheric-and-oceanic-sciences-glacial-brace
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Peru dominates in international friendly as they beat Croatia 2-0
Arjun Harindranath
In a game that didn’t count, the Peruvian national team played as if it was all on the line. Peru was able to ease past Croatia yesterday in a 2-0 victory over the Balkan nation in an international friendly that took place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. In a dominant display by the national side, Peru will walk away from the game confident that their preparations for the big event in Russia are falling into place under coach Ricardo Gareca.
André Carillo opened the scoring for Peru in the 12th minute as he found his way past goalkeeper Subasic courtesy of a deflection off a Croatian defender. In the second half the Peruvian team turned the screw in even further by encroaching into the penalty area with sharp bursts as the Croatians battled to equalise. Though the Croatians had more of the possession during the game, Peru were able to capitalise more on their chances. The mounting pressure resulted in a further goal, this time an extraordinary run by Farfan which drew in a defender and Subasic. Farfan was able to cross sharply, bisecting both Croatians and finding Edison Flores who was easily able to convert.
If the Croatians were hoping to win from there by emulating the Colombian comeback in France, they decided not to act on it, blowing all 5 of their shots on goal. The Peruvians on the other hand, under the guidance of Gareca, will move on to play Iceland on Tuesday knowing they deserve to be one of the more highly ranked sides in the world.
Goalkeeper Carlos Cáceda may have the most to complain from the affair, having hardly been bothered by the Croatian attack, with only 5 genuine opportunities on goal, the best being a free kick delivered that penetrated the defensive wall and forced Cáceda into an acrobatic save to his left.
The two sides are known for their aggression and this was seen as Croatia had a goal disallowed when Marcelo Brozovic was able to find the back of the net from close range. However, his goal was denied as he pushed a defender in the penalty box and they went into half time a goal down. In the second half, Peruvian defender Yoshimar Yotún was sent off for a similar act of aggression on a Croatian player though the Croatians couldn’t make hay being a man up for the last 20 minutes.
It was the first defeat for coach Zlatko Dalic who took an as manager in 2017 and had previously notched 2 victories and a draw to his name. Dalic had made the move back to his national side after having spent many years in the Middle East coaching club football and, though he had never represented the national side, Croatia have pinned their hopes on the 51-year-old former defensive midfielder from Varteks to bring back the nation’s glory years when they were semi-finalists at the 98 World Cup in France. Croatia have another 3 friendlies, including heavy hitters Brazil and Mexico, before the big show in Russia in June.
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Ebay is broken, and someone needs to fix it
San Francisco is a Fruit Fly
How Python Made A Mockery Of Me
Aristotle Would Have Used Intellij
Jason on Aristotle Would Have Used…
maxbinshtok on Aristotle Would Have Used…
How Python Made A Mo… on How Python Made A Mockery Of…
Jason on The Big Shift
sdlfjsdlfj on The Big Shift
Aristotle is famously recognized with the quote, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”, but surprisingly it appears he may have been talking about software.
Obviously this is is a spurious title, but I was reminded of this quote in a recent experience I thought I would share.
For the bulk of my career I have worked most with the Java programming language and during that time have usually made liberal use of IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) for my development. Software engineers will often (though many don’t) use software dedicated to the task of creating other software. These tools are intended to provide both a faster development process with features like auto-complete and integration with application servers or databases.
Over the years IDEs have come and gone but there have been a few mainstay providers that have been in use for many years and appear to have stood the test of time. There are however a few notable exceptions.
In 1981 three Danish citizens, Niels Jensen, Ole Henriksen, and Mogens Glad, founded Borland Ltd. Borland would later become one of the premier providers of IDEs for a multitude of programming languages including Pascal, C++ and Java. In 2006 Borland announced the divestiture of their IDE division and in 2009 the company was sold for $75 Million, a fraction of their former $7 Billion value, and no doubt a sour pill after having previously turned down a $2.1 Billion offer from IBM.
Well, many people have many view on this and I’m sure it was a combination of factors, but for my money the demise of their IDE business was due in no small part to IBM.
In 1984 IBM developed a product called Visual Age which, over several years and several incarnations would ultimately become one of the most widely used IDEs on the planet. Eclipse.
Eclipse changed everything. At the time most Java IDEs were written in Java and Java has never been known for its strength in desktop UI. IBM recognized this and created something called SWT which leveraged much of the native platform’s capabilities rather than relying on a pure Java implementation which meant a more responsive, more efficient experience. In 2001 a consortium was formed to oversee the development of Eclipse as a free, open source initiative. This was the genesis of the explosive growth of Eclipse as the de facto IDE for Java developers and, in my opinion, the catalyst for the ultimate demise of companies like Borland. You can’t beat free.
Many may see this as an example of the power and ultimate success of the open source movement, but there’s a problem. A really big one. Eclipse is a horrible mess.
Over the years Eclipse’s open approach to development has meant a rapid increase in support for various languages, platforms, application servers, databases, version control systems etc. All of which make sense for an IDE, but the problem is many (most) are not developed by one party. Eclipse has a flexible plugin system which allows any developer to create components for the Eclipse platform leading to a market for plugins with hundreds of components available.
This sounds awesome, but unfortunately it just doesn’t work. Eclipse is riddled with problems, bugs, crashes and woefully slow performance resulting in such a serious impact to productivity that people are starting to leave the platform. And leave in droves.
The previous release of eclipse (Indigo) was released in June 2011 and according to Eclipse’s own website records 2,879,117 downloads (at the time of writing). The next release (Juno) was released in June 2012 and in almost the same period of time has recorded 1,119,678 downloads. This represents an attrition of 1,759,439, or over 60% of their former glory. No doubt there is some “apples and oranges” in these numbers but the trend is clear. Eclipse is flailing.
Of course general support for Java as a programming language and development platform has waned in recent years, especially in the valley, but Google’s decision to adopt Java for its Android platform coupled with the ever stoic enterprise community means that Java is still the one of the most widely used programming languages in the world.
So why has Eclipse’s stranglehold on the IDE space weakened? Everyone in the community contributes to the project and we get a much more robust, extensive platform right? Well it turns out Aristotle was right. The whole is greater. Eclipse has suffered the “death from a thousand cuts” syndrome. Too many cooks.
After much frustration, pain and borderline psychosis I finally ditched Eclipse and entered the growing Intellij fold, and what a change it has been.
Intellij is developed by Czech company JetBrains and in many ways represents a winding back of the clock to the Borland days. They are a single company developing a complete product suite. Intellij does have a plugin system like Eclipse but most of the common use cases are satisfied by plugins built by JetBrains. This means there is a real company, with real people and real support behind the product. The result is a product that almost cannot be compared to the monolithic, “Quasimodo-esque” bundle of joy that is Eclipse.
So what, open source doesn’t work? No, I love open source and everything for which it stands. Many ideas may never have seen the light of day if it weren’t for open source projects and the people behind them. This is really an issue of focus. Eclipse has simply fallen off the wagon of simplicity and focus. It’s all things to all people, but we all know this just doesn’t work.
Enlisting the support of the “open source community” can be a powerful and game changing strategy, but without a rigid discipline of focus and purpose it can hinder more than it helps.
Back in Borland’s heyday the top of the line JBuilder Enterprise would run you a cool $10K, but now the full version of Intellij’s IDEA system will set an individual developer back $199. This is a pretty difficult case to argue against as for many devs in the valley this represents about an hour’s work.
April 13, 2013 by Jason Categories: Software Engineering | Tags: eclipse, intellij, software, technology | 5 Comments
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5 thoughts on “Aristotle Would Have Used Intellij”
Brad.D says: April 18, 2013 at 9:26 pm
So what’s your verdict on Intellij as an IDE? Once you’re past the learning curve phase, is $199 better than Eclipse?
Jason says: April 18, 2013 at 10:09 pm
If there was such a thing as 1000%, it would be that much better. And for the next couple of weeks personal licences are only $99.. there’s a 50% discount until April 22nd 2013.
I would never go back to eclipse.
Pingback: San Francisco is a Fruit Fly | Jason's Blog
maxbinshtok says: October 21, 2013 at 3:36 am
$200 for an hour’s work?
So, say (by a VERY conservative estimate) engineers work 50 hrs/week with that rate it’s $10,000 for a week which is $520,000 a year… Do YOU make half a million a year?
Jason says: October 21, 2013 at 5:02 am
Actually when I published the article intellij was on sale for $99. I updated the price when it went back up to full retail but neglected to modify the associated comment. Having said that, it would not be at all unusual for an engineer to be charged out at significantly more that $200 per hour (e.g a consultant from IBM,Oracle,MS etc) and actually even a sole contractor in San Francisco can command up to $200 per hour depending on experience/expertise.
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Leeds hosts successful 17th Food Colloids Conference
School of Food Science and Nutrition news Friday 27 April 2018
The biennial conference saw an estimated 300 delegates from 30 nations across the world attend the University of Leeds to expand and exchange knowledge in Food Colloids.
The event began at the iconic Parkinson Building at the University of Leeds on the 8th April and ended with a York sightseeing experience followed by a conference dinner at the National Railway Museum on the 11th April. Food Colloids is a highly interdisciplinary science dealing with the physical chemistry of food. The purpose of the conference was to expand and exchange knowledge of state-of-the-art science and recent research advancements in Food Colloids, with this year’s theme being the application of Soft Matter Concepts.
2018 Food Colloids Conference at the University of Leeds, Parkinson Court.
Founded in 1986 in Leeds, the conference has since been held in many destinations across the globe, including Sweden, France and Spain. It now returns to the UK for the first time in 14 years, last being held in Harrogate in 2004. The School of Food and Nutrition, alongside MEETinLEEDS, successfully won the bid to bring the conference back to Leeds at the 16th Food Colloids conference, which was held in the Netherlands.
This April’s conference included five key themes, led by keynote speakers, which included interfacial design; relating structure to properties; colloidal aspects of eating and digestion; biopolymer interactions and processing of novel structures of functionality. There was a 43 oral presentations, two technical talks, and exhibitions of scientific equipment. The conference was supported by two leading scientific journals, Colloids and Surface A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects published by Elsevier and Food & Function published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a range of well-known brands from Nestle Research to Arla also attended.
Leeds’s extreme strength in the Food Colloids sector helped our School and MEETinLEEDS win the bid, with the city being home to the biggest Food Colloids and Processing academic group in Europe. The Food Colloids Group at the University of Leeds is internationally acclaimed for its interdisciplinary research worldwide, ranked first in Europe and third in the World according to field-weighted citation impact in Food Colloids, making it an ideal location for the conference destination.
Dr Anwesha Sarkar, Associate Professor of Food Colloids at the School of Food Science & Nutrition at the University of Leeds, commented:
“We are excited to be returning to Leeds for the 17th year of the Food Colloids Conference. We hope to leave a legacy with this conference, to leave delegates not only excited but curious about Food Colloids research moving forwards.
“The event also offers the ideal environment for networking between a broad range of industrial and academic experts, from students beginning their career to pioneers in the field. Delegates from across the globe will gather to generate new ideas and aim to provoke scientific advancement.”
Harriet Boatwright, Sales & Marketing Manager at the MEETinLEEDS, added:
“Attracting such a high profile conference is demonstrative of not only the success of the work in our School of Food and Nutrition but also the conference offer on the University of Leeds’s campus.
“Working in tandem with our academic colleagues in Food and Nutrition we very much look forward to showcasing our venues alongside the great things presented by colleagues across the discipline – from Leeds and internationally across the globe.”
See all School of Food Science and Nutrition news
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Dragon's Den 2019
School of Food Science and Nutrition - Wednesday 15 May 2019
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The PS Interview
Peng Shi's Human Approach to Data
If the world is a global marketplace, Shi's research tries to help make it more efficient and equitable by applying mathematics to assess and improve the way we make decisions.
Rosie Spinks
(Illustration: Comrade)
Peng Shi, 29.
(Photo: Courtesy of Charis Loh Photography)
Moving from China to Canada at the age of 11—and navigating the linguistic, cultural, and educational changes that go along with that—will shape a person in profound ways. But for Peng Shi, a soon-to-be tenure-track faculty member in data science at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, the deepest change came from being exposed to the Christian faith.
"A family friend gave me a Bible and encouraged me to read it, and the message therein really connected with me," Shi says. "When I was around 13, I became a Christian, being the first in my extended family to make this decision, and this has profoundly influenced my values, goals, and perspectives."
While 28-year-old Shi describes his faith in God as a driving force in his personal and professional life, his academic work is decidedly grounded in the complexity of humankind. He works in the field of operations research and market design and holds a Ph.D. in the former from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Given how complicated Peng's research tends to get, it's refreshing to hear him explain it in simple terms: "I work on using data and mathematical modeling to improve the operations of real-world matching markets, which include, for example, systems that match students to schools, workers to employers, applicants to public housing, or patients to donated organs."
In other words, if the world is a global marketplace, Shi's research tries to help make it more efficient and equitable by applying mathematics to assess and improve the way we make decisions. His research is hardly bounded by the theoretical realm: In 2013, it was used by Boston's public school system to improve the division of assignment zones for elementary schools. His "home-based assignment plan" presents every family a set of typically eight to 15 school options that are guaranteed to include both every school within a certain distance from a home, and a base number of higher-performing schools, as defined by metrics decided by the school board. The Boston School Committee voted to implement it, resulting in the official end of its beleaguered busing program. It was described as a "historic step" by the New York Times.
"Such an opportunity to work closely with a real-world matching system does not come easily to academics," Shi says, "and I am very thankful for this opportunity to [give] students higher chances to go to schools they want, [and] reduce transportation costs, while maintaining community cohesion."
These days, the wisdom of the market often gets a bad rap. But Shi's approach suggests that, with the right options and incentives applied to the right market, the outcome can be something other than dog-eat-dog.
"There is an inherent beauty in mathematical models themselves and in their interplay with reality," Shi says. "If you design the right rules that govern a marketplace—despite self-seeking behavior from participants—the overall outcome can still be good for society."
Explore the complete list of this year's 30 top thinkers under 30 here.
May/Jun 2017ProfileFeatures30 Under 30MagazineData Science
Rosie Josephine Spinks is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared online and in print in publications including the Guardian, Quartz, NPR, and others.
Michael Li's Fascination With the Human Mind
Even while rubbing shoulders with Nobel laureates—and standing next to Neil deGrasse Tyson—Li maintains a youthful wonder and humility that will serve him well.
Tamma Carleton's Strong Commitment to Environmentalism
Carleton combines social and physical data with statistical models to assess how issues such as climate change and freshwater scarcity affect poverty and economic growth.
Aviva Rosman's Fight For the Well-Informed Voter
Rosman co-founded BallotReady, a non-partisan online voter guide with a mission to make it easier for voters to make informed choices throughout an entire ballot, not just the top-ballot race that gets the most media coverage.
Daquan Oliver's Definition of Entrepreneurial Success
"One of the philosophies I live by is embracing chaos—or the idea that chaos is just tragedy plus opportunity," says Oliver, who is on our list of the top 30 thinkers under the age of 30.
Thomas Tasche's Steady Inquisitiveness
Tasche's work directly challenges a lot of the reductionist narratives that swirl around politics and, by extension, the media that covers it.
Jewell Jones' Knack for Making Political History
"I'm focused on getting resources to the citizens that I represent to improve the quality of life for my neighbors, and my colleagues' neighbors across the State of Michigan," Jones says.
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Beware the evil universal healthcare, America!
Guide to:
Ideas and policies
Court-packing
Liberty Lobby
Primary election
Unite the Right
2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination
Tony Zirkle
“”Someday, it might be worthwhile to find out how images are created, and even more worthwhile to learn how false images come into being.
—The horse's mouth[1]
Saint Ronald(6) Wilson(6) Reagan(6), aka "Ronnie Raygun" and "Teflon Ron" (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004), was the GOP's party messiah a god among men Sith overlord of the Galactic Empire, a B-movie actor, with a long career in "freeing the world from the evil grip of Communism".
Originally a dead-dog Hollywood Democrat, old Ronnie got his start in politics by giving The Speech at Goldwater's Presidential nomination in 1964. The marriage of politics and Hollywood, which scarily resembled Rome during its Age of Decadence, was pretty inevitable in hindsight, kicked off with a bang, with Goldwater himself describing the Reagan Revolution as "ostentatious".[2] Never mind Barry; his nose was out of joint because the man who gave The Speech kept on giving The Speech for himself, and so, sixteen years, following a series of four questionable presidents - that one who did Nam', that one paranoid crook, some guy no one remembers, and a guy who was so nice and agreeable that he had an appeasement fetish - he was anointed Ronaldus Maximus I, defender of the realm. Twice!
Reagan is probably one of the most, if not the most, misunderstood presidents in recent memory. Despite his occasionally endearing wackiness and disdain towards life-sustaining flora, Reagan would, by twenty-first century standards, be considered an ideal caricature of an agreeable liberal centrist keen on maintaining America's integrity and ensuring that productive policy be achieved via positive bipartisan solutions despite Teapublicans forever claiming he was a stalwart defender of strong, right-wing, conservative values, and "would never-ever dream of cooperating with brain-dead snowflake leftists on any issue, and even claiming that he even so much as resembles anyone left of Ted Cruz would be a clear indication that the individual making such a claim is a godless commie and socialistic anti-American supporter of the deep state" as they would say.[citation NOT needed]
In all seriousness, the Republican Party of today treats him as if he were a deity of some sort, often times worshipping him as if he were their one true god. In reality, if he were still alive today, they would probably treat him as if he were to the left of John McCain, Rand Paul, or Lindsey Graham (who aren't true Republicans): a pro-immigrant globalist RINO who hates America and wants to destroy the United States by letting in all of the Mexicans and Jihadists. If he were president today, and the Iran-Contra Affair were more recent, his own party would probably all turn on him, turning it into another Benghazi. The right, being the revisionists they are, would probably never accept that he is basically a more libertarian-leaning Hillary Clinton.[3]
If you want to know why he was named the 9th best American president in a 2017 C-SPAN survey of presidential historians, this would be a good place to start.
1 "Acting" career
1.1 War hero
2 Political career
2.1 Dysfunction junction
2.2 Great obfuscator
2.3 Assassination attempt
2.4 A sterling record of fiscal conservatism
2.4.1 Junk Bond Bubble
2.4.2 "The Reagan Boom"
2.5 Foreign policy switcheroo
2.6 Ronnie's tomfoolery
2.7 Angel of Death
3 Ascent to God's side
4 WWRD?
4.1 Reagan and astrology
4.2 Reagan's policies today
5 Quotes from (and about) the Great Communicator
"Acting" career[edit]
Isn't he dreamy?
Ronnie's most famous roles include violating the "never play across from an animal" dictum in Bedtime for Bonzo, acting in Army promotional films during World War II, his part as "The Gipper" in a football movie, and being President of the United States for eight years in the 1980s.
Reagan (still a Democrat at this stage) served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1937-49, during which time he orchestrated one of the guild's largest strikes (which resulted in actors receiving higher royalties and residuals[4]) and did a stint appearing as the Governor of the state of California (but who hasn't?). Oddly enough, despite being SAG president, he was a zealous union buster who de-fanged American organized labour and cast unions as lazy pinko thugs, sending them into a downward spiral that continues to this day, which includes eviscerating wages and working conditions.[5] Apparently, the noble and hard-working actor needs a union, whereas the miner, factory worker and air traffic controller do not.
War hero[edit]
Ronnie claimed more than once that he was present during the daring liberation of a Nazi concentration camp.[6] He was actually describing a Hollywood film.
Political career[edit]
See the main article on this topic: Wedge issue
Reagan redefined politics in America. His influence can even be seen in the "New Democrats", who arose after Reagan ended the golden age of liberalism which began with FDR. He turned millions of Democrats into Republicans and shifted the country rightward. And those aren't voters that the Democratic Party can easily win back.
Evangelicals who were deeply concerned about abortion and gay rights being normalized in America, which was kind of funny because Reagan never took an official stance on either issue[7]
Gun nuts (lol) and sovereign citizen types who were terrified of Democrats stealing their guns and imposing martial law[8][9][10]
White nationalists who saw the demographic changes in America and felt helpless to stop it[11]
This is the base of the current Republican Party, so it looks like Reagan is going to have to take responsibility for this one. The good news is roughly half of Americans won't get off their asses to vote, so it didn't matter what his policy proposals even said at all.
Dysfunction junction[edit]
God fearin' American with a wife and a flag.
A ballet dancer son did not go over well. A daughter who decided to run for the Senate (and support the Equal-Rights Amendment) did not go over well either. So, in 1982, Ron and his brother Neil helped to bury Maureen, which is too bad since she would have been a more honorable public servant than her father.[12]
Ironically, the one person who could claim the title of "heir to Reagan" is his son Ron Reagan — a liberal and an atheist who had a radio show on Air America Radio. While making a guest appearance on Real Time, Ron Reagan expressed his amusement at the fact that the modern GOP glorifies his father, having elevated him into godhood, which, as both he and Bill Maher agreed, is ironic because Reagan had a number of centre-left social and economic policies that would not fly with today's far-right conservatives, which is pretty much the entire GOP these days.[13]
Michael Reagan (both John Flaugher[14]) might be more up your street.[15] Similar to Reagan, the Donald acts rather alzheimerish at times, in contrast with how the billionaire asshole behaved back in the 1980's. In Reagan's case, it is kind of sad. For Trump, it is downright terrifying. Half of Reagan's domestic and economic policies were garbage, but at least the guy was a passionate and over-idealistic poster boy as opposed to a narcissistic authoritarian opportunist with no policy at all. Trump has literally been trying, and failing, to make people think he is some sort of second coming of Reagan, even going as far to appropriate Reagan's "Make America Great" slogan, and adding an "again" at the end. The irony of this all is that Trump vocally expressed his dislike for Reagan on numerous occasions, never saying anything remotely positive about him until the 2015 race for the White House [16].
Great obfuscator[edit]
Uhhh...
“”In all of the books that have come out about the administration, it's been extremely difficult to hide the fact that Reagan didn't have the foggiest idea what was going on. Whenever he wasn't properly programmed, the things that would come out of his mouth were like—they weren't lies, really, they were just kind of the babbling of a child. If a child babbles, it's not lies, it's just sort of on another plane. To be able to lie, you have to have a certain degree of competence, you have to know what truth is. And there didn't seem to be any indication that that was the case here.
—Noam Chomsky[17]
In many ways, Reagan was sort of a peek into the Republicans' future: why not make elections completely symbolic activities? The population can keep voting, we'll still have the caucuses, big promises, eight candidates, a catchphrase for every occasion.[18][19] But the people they're voting for will then be expected to just read off a teleprompter,[20][21] and won't know anything apart what somebody tells them (and sometimes not even that.)
Reagan started to manifest Alzheimer's in his second term, according to his son Ron,[22] though his brother Michael disputes this claim.[23] It's definitely plausible that he was kept in the dark about the Contras, considering he couldn't remember the name of his chief-of-staff during the 1990 hearings. This was a concerted attempt by the administration to cast Reagan as an aloof, dim-witted president who didn't know what his aides, and often what he himself, was doing.[24] While the tactic ultimately proved beneficial during the investigation into Iran-Contra, it only solidified the public perception that Reagan was neither fully "there" mentally or in control of his administration. It is to be said that, unlike Baron von Nepotism, Reagan, before 1979, was actually able to amass a pretty good cabinet, comprised of both Republicans and Democrats, their positions each based on merit, because Ronald was probably intelligent enough to at the very least understand that he did not know squat about certain things.
Assassination attempt[edit]
“”Getting shot hurts.
In 1981, John Hinckley shot Reagan in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to impress Jodie Foster, and until 2016, he spent his time in the booby hatch. Foster has not visited him, and has since come out as a lesbian. It's worth mentioning that this made Reagan the president who broke the Curse of Tippecanoe (which means Dubya probably owes him a life debt).[26] Hinkley now lives with his mother within a gated resort community in Williamsburg, Virginia only a two mile walk away from Busch Gardens. Few of the residents are actually aware of it.
A sterling record of fiscal conservatism[edit]
Federal debt during the Reagan years: Small gummint at work.
Those in denial will try to paint Congress as the "profligate spenders" who wouldn't let St. Ronnie have his fiscally conservative way. Right on that "not having his way" part, he often wanted to spend more than Congress. Whoops.[27]
“”You know, Paul, Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.
—Dick Cheney shows his hand[28]
When it came to the federal budget, Reagan held the record for most spending by a conservative until, big surprise, Dubya came along. He ran up the debt to a height unseen since World War II, blowing an especially large load of dough on the SDI program. Reagan also founded the Church of Tax Cuts by accident. In the early '80s, he implemented his trickle-down scheme with a massive tax cut, much of which went to those struggling multi-millionaires. However, he raised taxes later in his administration a number of times, because he was actually able to learn from his mistakes. The current Republican Party has erased that last part from memory... as well as all those record deficits.
Here. This is us ([1]) presenting the actual numbers showing us how you (yes, you!) that could have made an extra quarter million in your lifetime. Nope, didn't need that!
Junk Bond Bubble[edit]
Then there was the unprecedented bailout of the Savings and Loan industry, which was only eclipsed by the bailout following the 2008 banking crisis. Following deregulation of the S&Ls earlier in the decade, new S&Ls popped up like crazy and created a mini-housing bubble. In 1987, Reagan replaced the retiring Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, one of the more sane and level-headed chairs in Fed history (whom the President relied on for stamping out inflation), with Alan Greenspan, now remembered as one of the biggest airheads in Fed history.[29] That being said, things would have gone a lot smoother economically if he would have pulled a hickory and killed central banking. He would have had a much easier time doing this; he had nukes.
Greenspan promptly swooped in to save failing thrifts with easy money in conjunction with Reagan's big bailout after a wave of S&L failures. This managed to prop up enough zombie institutions to create a ticking time bomb that Reagan pawned off on George H. W. Bush. The S&L industry exploded again under Bush after an oil shock and market crash. Ultimately, the S&L scandals led to over 1,000 indictments by the time it all blew over. Economist JK Galbraith said of it:
“”In its shortest form, the scandal has been the extensive looting of the savings and loan associations, the looting being effectively that of government-supplied money. The total take is not yet known; it will certainly be upward of $200 billion, maybe much more, or several thousand dollars for every tax-paying American family. The golden misadventures of General and President Ulysses S. Grant and the greatly celebrated Teapot Dome speculations of Harry F. Sinclair and Albert B. Fall, duly adjusted for changing currency values, are microscopic in comparison.[30]
"The Reagan Boom"[edit]
Big dollar sign! Big! Big!
A large part of Reagan's economic policy was a big military buildup. The Soviets' demise was in large part the result of their attempt to keep up. The stated philosophy of "less government and less spending" never actually came into play. Reaganomics, as a real practice was a myth (very Republican).[31] Aside for about four years of an inefficient economy, this actually sort of worked out in the end. Due to this buildup, which had the Soviets rightfully concerned, they just did not have the resources to contend with the growing power of American Ascendancy. Three presidential administrations worth of detente may have decreased tensions for a time, but it was viewed by many as appeasement, even if it came from good faith. The whole concept just did not work, and Reagan's ridiculous military expenditure is pretty much how the U.S. curb stomped the commies into dust. If Reagan had not done so, the Cold War would have probably kept dragging out, and Reagan would be seen as just another meh president.[32]
The Reagan Tax cuts had zero to do with the advances in technology that we saw under Clinton. This is, in Al Franken's words, the "crown jewel" of revisionist GOP bullshit: By crediting the tech boom to Reaganomics, they can claim credit for all of Clinton's successes while distancing themselves from Ron's failures.[33] Why was the internet invented (cue Al Gore joke)? Military spending. That takes taxes. How we communicate today? Fiber Optics. Completely subsidized by the government (as have been every upgrade in infrastructure since the start of the United States).
We're not sure what planet you are living on in which a guy gets a tax break, suddenly becomes a programming genius, and walks out into his garage and creates Half-Life. But we want some of those drugs. If they were available, maybe Mass Effect Andromeda would not have been such a goddamn disappointment. What happened to you, BioWare?
Foreign policy switcheroo[edit]
No, no, Mr. President! That man is a communist!
“”Freedom and democracy will leave Marxism and Leninism on the ash heap of history.
—The little comment that led to the worst nuclear confrontation since the Cuban Missile Crisis.[34] Whoops.
Reagan is probably most remembered today for using his Reagan Smash to destroy the Soviet Union. Or so conservatives would have you believe.[note 1]
In reality, after his near-disastrous "evil empire" rhetoric and attempts to heat up a new arms race, Reagan actually worked closely with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev... which many Republicans at the time blasted him for.[35] We don't negotiate with terr'ists commies. The Soviet Union was already collapsing under its own weight and the death of Leonid Brezhnev, coupled with the collapse in OPEC oil prices (that Reagan had little to no control over[36]), opened up the way for liberalization when transitional leaders like Andropov and Chernenko died in quick succession.[note 2] Gorbachev, who was something of a Hail Mary attempt to keep the USSR together, started a new era of reform through glasnost and perestroika. Reagan managed to find himself in the right place at the right time and take advantage of this situation. One speech about a wall and voila, instant hero of the galaxy.
To be fair, prominent Soviet bloc dissidents such as Lech Walesa and Natan Sharansky do tend to see Reagan as a pivotal figure, not so much due to his policies but because they see him as providing the inspiration needed to get independent movements within the USSR off the ground.[37][38][note 3] Gorbachev himself also credits Reagan as having been instrumental in ending the Cold War.[39] Still, not much actually came of Reagan and Gorbachev's talks (though the INF Treaty was significant). The end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, etc. all happened after Reagan left office. Reagan just had some damn good charisma and was an appropriate figurehead needed at the time for morale. Actual policy on domestic and foreign issues aside, both of them being particularly strong in one area and not so strong at the other), President Obama, the Trajan of our age, had a lot in common with Reagan in terms of how they presented themselves, and how they were able to both provide exceptionally strong civic leadership skills during their respective decades[40].
Ronnie's tomfoolery[edit]
Ronnie in the Oval Office with some Afghani "freedom fighters."
With 138 officials implicated, the Reagan administration went down as one of the most corrupt in history.[41] The stuff that never stuck to Teflon Ron include:
Iran-Contra
Rigging HUD loans, for which 16 members of the White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development were convicted.
St. Ronnie's Chief of Staff and Press Secretary were fined and probated for illegal lobbying activities.
"Sewergate," which funneled EPA money into Republican campaigns. Twenty EPA higher-ups were removed from office.
Inslaw Affair in which the Department of Justice was accused of pirating software. Never investigated.
Reagan was a particular favorite trope of celebrated futurist author J.G. Ballard. A chapter in his 1969 modernist novel The Atrocity Exhibition was entitled Why I Want To Fuck Ronald Reagan, and saw Ballard successfully prosecuted for obscenity in a UK court. The chapter was written as a kind bizarre public relations study from some crackpot think tank, and Ballard once had copies of it distributed to delegates at a Republican conference, who did not seem to realize it was a piece of satire. Considering what would come next, Ballard may have been a bit too early.
One of his more long-lasting actions was to appoint leaders of a conservative bill mill called ALEC to his White House Task Force on Federalism; the ALEC goons developed and implemented state policies that led to lower taxes and less regulation on businesses. Now in the bed of the Republican apparatus, ALEC won support from major corporate and individual donors, who pushed through their policies on the state level. Such policies advocated by ALEC include voter disenfranchisement, for-profit schools, private prisons, payday loan companies, Stand Your Ground bills, and restricting union influence. [42]
Angel of Death[edit]
The Gipper promotes the good ol' fashioned American value of smoking. Oh, what's that in your lung?
“”Sick unfortunates.
—What you definitely want the "leader of the free world" to say during a global health crisis.[43]
Reagan arguably helped cause the deaths of hundreds of thousands of American citizens — if not tens of millions of people worldwide — by vehemently ignoring the growth of a new epidemic that occurred during his time in office: AIDS.[44] He allowed Nelson Mandela, for no reason other than irrational hatred of black people, to be targeted as a terrorist threat,[45] and when Congress passed an anti-apartheid bill, he vetoed it, if for no other reason than to please racist donors.[46] (They would override his veto with a supermajority, the only time in the 20th century a foreign policy veto was quashed.[47]) And it would not be the only time he would pander to them.[48]
He saw it perfectly acceptable to support a plethora of bloodthirsty dictators and terrorists, so long as they were fighting against those evil commies.[49] One of the first major covert actions of the Reagan Administration involved providing paramilitary support to Chadian militants led by brutal warlord Hissene Habre in a 1982 coup de tat, to "bloody Gaddaf nose", as Alexander Haig put it. In May 2016 he was found guilty of human-rights abuses, including rape, sexual slavery and ordering the killing of 40,000 people, and sentenced to life in prison.[50] Other freedom fighters supported by the administration included Augusto Pinochet in Chile, Suharto in Indonesia, Saddam Hussein in Iraq (against Iran... the irony, it burns of chemical weapons), Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, Jonas Savimbi in Angola, General Efraín Ríos Montt in Guatemala, and the junta in El Salvador.[note 4] And he also authorized billions in cash and weapons in Afghanistan which got picked up by a fellow known to be the son of a man named Laden.
This lack of tact led to the budget cutting of non-military programs, including Medicaid, food stamps, federal education programs, and the EPA. While he protected entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, his administration attempted to purge many people with disabilities from the Social Security disability rolls, which is effectively a cut as well.
Murder — it has many faces, and is most ugly when its face is power. Sounds like a typical president.
Ascent to God's side[edit]
Shortly after his presidency Reagan began a long and (as it always is) ugly battle with Alzheimer's disease, and in the last years of his life made very few public appearances. Upon his death in June 2004, a weeklong period of worldwide mourning occurred. All non-essential activities were curtailed so The People could weep for their fallen idol. In addition, any taxes due on income earned (or unearned) during that period were waived. The processions as his open casket was brought around the countryside would often stretch for tens of miles as well-wishers offered St. Reagan one final "Godspeed."
He was canonized upon the instant of his death, by popular acclamation. Republicans were not the only ones to shout out his name at any chance they could. President Obama had a habit of often calling out Reagan for being "so amazing", whatever that means...
WWRD?[edit]
Smiles all around!
When Reagan was elected, there was an immediate wave of news articles and magazines asking the hot question, Just how did this amazing man get to be so wonderful? The answer was given as he hires the best people for the job, and gets out of the way![51] And that legacy is still with us: the idea that a manager doesn't have to really do anything except settle disputes, usually by throwing one or more subordinates to the wolves. It would help if managers from the CEO on down did their fucking jobs, which is to manage, and not just "get out of the way."[52]
Let's not forget Reagan's busting of PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization). While Reagan was in favor of the right to organize and bargain collectively, he opposed government worker strikes, on the grounds that it's illegal. Reagan’s dismissal of skilled strikers somewhat unwittingly led to dramatic decrease in the power of unionized labor. Workers in the private sector had used the strike as a tool of leverage since World War II. But after Patco, that weapon was largely lost. Reagan’s unprecedented dismissal of skilled public workers encouraged private employers to follow suit. Phelps Dodge and International Paper were among the companies that imitated Reagan by replacing strikers rather than negotiating with them. [53]
Over time, the rightward-shifting Republican Party has come to view Reagan’s mass firing not as a focused effort to stop one rogue union from breaking the law (as Reagan sold it), but rather as a blow against unionism itself.[54] Without a counterweight to management power, it's not at all the surprising that upper management and shareholders have taken a larger and larger share of profits—and then used that newfound wealth to lobby for tax policies that let them keep as much of it as possible.[55] Worse yet, they have conned working-class people into believing that the most affluent Americans are job creators right out of an Ayn Rand novel and the rest of us are just leeching off their genius.[56]
Since Reagan was the proto-neoconservative, anything he did was infallible, and his successors sought to mimic his every move. When you think Reagan, you think of small government, facing down foreign powers and giving the Democrats a drubbing. These are very much things the Republicans are still emphatic about accomplishing. When you think of Lincoln, you think of him freeing the slaves and reuniting a divided country using progressive social change. Not so much on the agenda right now. Reagan just makes a better philosophical touchstone for their immediate goals. This later led to the modern divide in the GOP though, with the whole neo and paleo divide, with the latter group being the self-anointed "Disciples of Reagan", while to the neoconservatives' credit, they have, as of late, proved to be far more reasonable, level-headed, and moderate than their Wacko-bird counterparts, being the far more Reagan-esque ones. Even creepier, the paleocons seem to have this odd Reagan fetish, constantly wanting to stroke the Gipper whenever they get the chance. It is very likely that they do not even remember who in the nine circles of hell Reagan even was. The paleocons rose as reactionaries to the neoconservative policies at the time, and many of those former Reagan voters ended up endorsing, get this, Bill Clinton[57]. That being said, save for maybe some guys down in the Rust Belt, the average supporter of the Ronald would not have voted for the Donald.
Though he generally did not discuss social issues, specifically while serving as president (most likely not to piss off his socially conservative supporters), Reagan, very similar to Barry Goldwater, seemed to be more in favor of things such as abortion and gay rights. Specifically, in regards to the former, his more tolerant stance on the issue is best indicated by the fact that he actually signed pro-choice bills while he sered as governor of California. While Reagan is admittedly responsible for bringing the evangelicals into the Republican Party, he himself had always been aligned with the more libertarian "New Right" that arose during the 1960s, along with individuals such as Goldwater himself and National Review founder William F. Buckley. Though the "Republican Revolution" of 1994 took the Conservative Movement rightward, where the word "conservative" came to imply "social conservatism" as opposed to its original meaning in the 1960s. Back then, "conservatism" was less a reactionary fundamentalist dogma and was instead simply a term used to describe their ideological ethos, or "the conservation of Classical Liberalism" - when the Republicans actually wanted small government (not the "small" government they want today), cared about civil liberties, and considered themselves to be the "party of immigration" (New Deal social democrats generally opposed increased immigration, due to being supported by unions and being generally for a welfare state); also, ironically, one major issue that they passionately believed in was the Separation of Church and State. However, after twenty-five years of libertarian-dominance, Reagan and his GOP could do nothing to stop the Religious Right's steady coup to co-opt the party for their own which, would greatly affect certain issues.
But, in contrast to this much-forgotten Republican era of liberalism, it is also to be argued that the world in 1980 was not the same as it is today (like the Soviet Union not existing).[58] Nonetheless, this minor temporal detail has not stopped various Republicans from claiming the mantle of being the Second Coming of Reagan.[59]
It's gotten so bad that Republican strategists believe it's singlehandedly suffocating the party.[60]
Reagan and astrology[edit]
Reagan's wife Nancy was obsessed with astrology (apparently the administration's "most closely guarded secret"[61]), and this brand of woo played a large role in the Reagan White House, even affecting the scheduling of the Reykjavik summit between Reagan and Gorbachev.[62] Strangely enough, this doesn't seem to have affected his support from the fundie base one jot or tittle.
Reagan's policies today[edit]
Hilariously, if Ronald Reagan were to run today he would probably be considered a RINO given his willingness to raise the capital gains tax to 28%, refrain from waving an axe at Social Security, be prodded into funding Japanese reparations,[63] pull out of Lebanon rather than 'stay the course,' and engage in diplomacy with the Soviets. He also supported, of all things, limited gun control,[64] an end to the use of torture,[65] and gave amnesty to more than 3 million undocumented immigrants,[66] in addition to signing a pro-choice bill as Governor and setting up a healthcare system in California. Last but not least, like fellow episcopalian conservatives Barry Goldwater, Tucker Carlson, and Ron Paul, he himself, like most of his early party, was also a rather big fan of separation of church and state,[67] much to the shock of many of today's religious ideologues.
Quotes from (and about) the Great Communicator[edit]
"Facts are stupid things." A mangling of John Adams' famous comment, "Facts are stubborn things."
"All great change in America begins at the dinner table."
"You can tell a lot about a fella's character by whether he picks out all of one color or just grabs a handful." — explaining why he liked to have a jar of jelly beans on hand for important meetings.
"The Sound of Music was on last night." — on why he went unprepared for the 1983 Williamsburg Economic Summit.
"Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face." — on his Bible knowledge.
“It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.” — on why he didn't leave the profession.
"America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts; it rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about." — on getting suckered.[68]
"My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."[69]
"Don't be afraid to see what you see."
"What would this country be without this great land of ours?"
"You expect to see Jim Henson behind a curtain going, 'You moved him too far! Move his arms!'" — Robin Williams on Reagan's character tics.
"He told me à propos Keynes that it must not be forgotten that he was a homosexual." — The British Ambassador to the US, explaining how Ronnie made his economic decisions.[70]
"What do I "think" of President Reagan? The best answer to give would be: I don't think of him. And the more I see, the less I think." — Ayn Rand
"I only saw him once up close, which happened to be when he got a question he didn't like. Was it true that his staff in the 1980 debates had stolen President Carter's briefing book? (They had.) The famously genial grin turned into a rictus of senile fury: I was looking at a cruel and stupid lizard." — Christopher Hitchens[71]
"You don't bury someone for five days...I thought that maybe they were burying him with spoons." — Lewis Black on Reagan's funeral procession.
The "Iron Lady"
George H.W. Bush, his VP
Grover Norquist, started the Reagan Legacy Project with a goal of memorializing Reagan in all 50 states.
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Barack Obama, similarly charismatic but with opposite policies
Plausible deniability
Reaganism
Trees cause pollution
Carnivora -- a "nutriceutical" that the makers claim saved Reagan's life. Or something.
October Surprise conspiracy theory
Donald Trump - Poor Man's Reagan; same slogan, but deeply unpopular.
Zombie Reagan Raised From Grave to Lead GOP - All hail!
He also comes in supercomputer format.
The quotes that make nuclear historians shudder.
How the Bible of Reagan shapes Republican politics
↑ Reagan sleepy...
↑ You would expect conservatives to mention this more often. But no, "the greatness of American military power" is apparently a better argument than "the command economy was woefully inefficient all along."
↑ What is missing from this picture is the role of the 1975 Helsinki Accords which enabled dissidents through the USSR assenting, in principle, to respect "human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief". The Accords were negotiated by Gerald Who? Gerald Ford although Henry Kissinger saw the whole deal as liberal window dressing. By contrast, Ford's successor, Satan Jimmy Carter, used the USSR's recognition of these human rights to expose the Soviet hypocrisy in proclaiming all kinds of human rights on paper while remaining a totalitarian dictatorship
↑ Reagan dramatically increased military aid to El Salvador at a time when the country's regular security forces and officially sanctioned government death squads killed or disappeared thousands of persons annually. The number of persons killed by the Salvadorian regime between 1978 and 1983 exceeds 40,000. Reagan also circumvented a 1977 arms embargo to send material support to the government in Guatemala, which was carrying out a genocidal counterinsurgency war against the indigenous population. Famously immortalized in a U2 song.
↑ Reagan and Reality, The New York Times
↑ Bennetts, Leslie, "Reagan With a New First Lady, a New Style", NYT 1.21.81.
↑ https://www.salon.com/2014/08/02/is_hillary_clinton_the_true_heir_of_ronald_reagan/
↑ What Reagan Did for Hollywood, The Atlantic
↑ US/Canada comparison of productivity and compensation
↑ Bush lied about his military service, and so did Reagan, Salon. (Bang! BLAM! Then we cut to commercial.)
↑ Scher, Bill, "When Reagan Dared to Say ‘God Bless America’", Politico 7.17.15.
↑ Weber, Peter, "How Ronald Reagan learned to love gun control", The Week 12.3.15.
↑ Pierce, Charles P., "The Ghost Of Ronald Reagan", Esquire 8.18.14.
↑ Reagan: "Fascism, isn’t that the liberal philosophy?’", 60 Minutes Overtime 12.14.75.
↑ Herbert, Bob, "Righting Reagan’s Wrongs?", NYT 11.13.07.
↑ Lindsey, Robert, "Only in California", NYT 5.16.82.
↑ Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime – September 25, 2015 (HBO)
↑ Morris, Edmund, "Reagan and Alzheimer's", Newsweek 1/23/11 at 12:00 AM). Morris": "I was real proud when Dad came to my high school commencement," reports his son, Michael Reagan. After posing for photos with Michael and his classmates, the future president came up to him, looked right in his eyes, and said, "Hi, my name's Ronald Reagan. What's yours?" Poor Michael replied, "Dad, it's me. Your son. Mike."
↑ http://i.imgur.com/JucEv.jpg
↑ http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/10/donald-trump-ronald-reagan-213288
↑ Chomsky, Noam, Understanding Power p.54., Penguin Books (2002).
↑ Pitney Jr., John J., "Palin, The Second Coming Of Reagan", National Review Online (1/3/08, 11:50 AM). Michael Reagan: "Wednesday night I watched the Republican National Convention on television and there, before my very eyes, I saw my Dad reborn; only this time he's a she."
↑ Kelley, Marty, "Donald Trump Is Your New Ronald Reagan, But Dumber And Less Classy", Wonkette (9/10/15 11:00 am).
↑ Cannon, Lou, President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime, PublicAffairs (2002). While he was governor, Reagan's aides had noticed early on that, in the words of Cannon, "he often did not remember what he had done and sometimes not even what he had said." (p. 630).
↑ Corn, David, "Nixon on Tape: Reagan Was 'Shallow' and of 'Limited Mental Capacity'", Mother Jones 11.15.02. Kissinger: He's shallow. He's got no—he's an actor. When he gets a line he does it very well. He said, 'Hell, people are remembered not for what they do, but for what they say. Can't you find a few good lines?' [Chuckles.] That's really an actor's approach to foreign policy."
↑ Plinkington, Ed, "Ronald Reagan had Alzheimer's while president, says son", The Guardian, (1/17/11 14.37 EST).
↑ "Michael Reagan Slams Brother for Implying Their Father Had Alzheimer's as President", Fox News, 1/15/11
↑ Johnston, David, "North Says Reagan Knew of Iran Deal", NYT 10.20.91.
↑ "Dear Diary: Getting shot hurts", Sydney Morning Herald (5/2/07 - 10:28AM).
↑ You thought we were kidding?!
↑ Graph source: Government Printing Office numbers
↑ Leung, Rebecca, "Bush Sought 'Way' To Invade Iraq?" CBS News 1.9.04.
↑ Seeds of its own destruction, Financial Times
↑ The Ultimate Scandal, New York Review of Books
↑ Krugman, Paul, "Reagan Was a Keynesian", NYT 7.7.12.
↑ http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/whic/ReferenceDetailsPage/DocumentToolsPortletWindowdisplayGroupName=Reference&jsid=1a94cad9fcddfd654fdca52eca9cf6c8&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CCX2876100022&u=catholiccenhs&zid=c159e34f1bdf497a992077a286af2b4b
↑ Mandel, Michael J., "Reagan's Economic Legacy", Bloomberg.
↑ "The more experience I had with Soviet leaders and other heads of state who knew them, the more I began to realize that many Soviet officials feared us not only as adversaries but as potential aggressors who might hurl nuclear weapons at them in a first strike...if that was the case, I was even more anxious to get a top Soviet leader in a room alone and try to convince him we had no designs on the Soviet Union and Russians had nothing to fear from us ." Then what was the point of your whole damn Doctrine?
↑ Newt Gingrich is a particularly good example. He called Reagan's summit with Gorbachev "the most dangerous summit for the West since Adolf Hitler met with Chamberlain in 1938 at Munich."
↑ Ronald Reagan's son says his father got the Saudis to pump more oil to undercut USSR, PolitiFact
↑ Walesa, Lech, "Lech Walesa on Reagan, Valley Patriot"
↑ "The View From The Gulag", The Weekly Standard
↑ "Gorbachev calls Reagan 'great president'", NBC News
↑ https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/is-obama-the-new-reagan/
↑ See the Wikipedia article on Reagan administration scandals.
↑ http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/white-house-elizabeth-warren-reach-out-to-state-governments-115782.html#ixzz3TY9Zelse
↑ The 45 Biggest Homophobes of Our 45 Years, The Advocate
↑ Reagan's AIDS Legacy: Silence equals death, San Francisco Chronicle
↑ US government considered Nelson Mandela a terrorist until 2008, NBC (The administration's typical "He was a Marxist!" excuse could be seen straight through for what it was, even for Brian Mulroney.)
↑ His lies on the nature of apartheid would also pave the way for modern-day political fact-checking.
↑ "(You) will be judged harshly by history." - Desmund Tutu
↑ See Coit v. Green and the Civil Rights Restoration Act veto.
↑ Our Man in Africa, Foreign Policy
↑ "Hissene Habre: Chad's ex-ruler convicted of crimes against humanity". BBC. May 30, 2016. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36411466.
↑ Lescaze, Lee, "The Reagan Organizational Style: Management, Over Easy", WaPo 1.20.81.
↑ Reilly Dowd, Ann, "What Managers Can Learn From Reagan", Fortune 9.15.86.
↑ Kilborn, Peter T., "Replacement Workers: Management's Big Gun", NYT 3.13.90.
↑ Rucker, Phillip, "Scott Walker calls Reagan’s bust of air traffic controller strike ‘most significant foreign policy decision’", WaPo 2.28.15.
↑ Bryson Hodel, Martha, "Real Wages, Union Strength Declining as Corporate Profits Rise : Labor: Some say workers' organizations need a shot in the arm. Upcoming AFL-CIO elections will pit the old guard against a new generation of leaders.", L.A. Times (via Associated Press), 9.8.95.
↑ Edsall, Thomas A., "Republicans Sure Love to Hate Unions", NYT 9.18.14. Steve Rosenthal of AFL-CIO: "Damn it, this guy was talking about his father and brother. He was pissed that his own father and brother had pensions.”
↑ http://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/04/nyregion/1992-election-nation-s-voters-clinton-carves-wide-path-deep-into-reagan-country.html
↑ "On Foreign Policy, Conservatives Should Leave Ronald Reagan Behind", Outside the Beltway (And this is relatively kind.)
↑ For another good example of crap like this (pay careful attention to Mitt Romney).
↑ "Ronald Reagan is dead and they need to accept it."
↑ Joan Quigley, Astrologer to a First Lady, Is Dead at 87, The New York Times
↑ Good Heavens!, CNN, May 16, 1988.
↑ Civil Liberties Act of 1988, Densho Encyclopedia
↑ His own words
↑ Message to the Senate Transmitting the Convention Against Torture and Inhuman Treatment or Punishment, UC Santa Barbara
↑ See the Wikipedia article on Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
↑ Reagan on separation of church and state(YouTube)
↑ The best-placed irony.
↑ His statement was later dubbed onto a rap record by Jerry Harrison and Bootsy Collins.
↑ Reagan and Keynes: The Love that Dare Not Speak its Name, The New Yorker
↑ Hitchens, "The Stupidity of Ronald Reagan", 7.7.04.
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*Ran for VP on the "National Union" ticket together with Lincoln but was otherwise a lifelong Democrat
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Google Taking action against scammers
May 23, 2018 News & Events, Online Monitoring
Important small business news from Google:
Google is committed to building products and programs that help small businesses grow. Unfortunately, they continue to receive complaints from business owners about calls they receive claiming to be from Google. Often these calls are actually third-party companies who are trying to take advantage of them. Sometimes these scammers claim to be able to improve a business’ Google Search rankings, other times they charge money for services that Google offers for free. Understandably, these scams are frustrating for business owners and for Google.
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission brought action against Point Break Media, LLC (and related entities and individuals) for misleading small businesses with threats to remove their listings from Google Search and Maps and demands that they pay for unwanted search optimization services.
In the past, Google has taken various actions to try to stop these predatory practices. And today Google is taking additional steps to address the bad actors that are targeting businesses.
Specifically, as of today:
Google is taking legal action against Kydia Inc. d/b/a BeyondMenu, Point Break Media, LLC (and affiliated entities), and Supreme Marketing Group, Inc. d/b/a Small Business Solutions. They hope this sends the message to other scammers out there that they will not hesitate to take legal action against them.
Google has developed new automated and manual techniques to better identify Google accounts tied to scam efforts. Google has updated it’s policies, so that when they identify Google accounts tied to scams Google is better able to take action—whether that’s removing the accounts from Google’s platforms entirely or limiting their capabilities.
Google is launching the Google My Business Partners program. The program will give business owners a directory of trusted partners to choose from when they need help managing their listings.
They’ll continue to take action against these scams and the companies behind them by evolving their products and systems to identify bad actors, making policy changes, making law enforcement referrals and taking legal action when possible. But in addition to Google’s efforts, here are a few things you can do immediately to protect yourself:
Verify whether someone is actually reaching out from Google. Often these fraudulent callers will use language like, “Google specialist” or “calling about or on behalf of Google.” To verify whether a caller is actually calling from Google, you can ask that they send you an email from a Google email account to further verify their identity. Anyone who works for Google should be able to send you an email from an @google.com email account. The Google Safety Center outlines additional tips.
Know what’s possible and not possible when it comes to search engine marketing. There’s no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google. Any company that claims to be able to do so may be running a scam.
If you get an unwanted robocall, hang up the phone. Do not press any key, even if the voice recording prompts you to in order to speak with a live person or to be taken off the call list.
Claim your business for free using Google My Business. Once you’ve claimed your business and actively manage your business information, you’re much less likely to be targeted by scammers.
Report unwanted callers to Google, and also the CRTC.
Small businesses are a crucial part of the economy, and fraud shouldn’t get in the way of helping them grow. Google is committed to protecting it’s users and taking action to combat scams that take advantage of Google My Business.
See the original article below: Taking action against scammers
We’re committed to building products and programs that help small businesses grow. Unfortunately, we continue to receive complaints from business owners about calls they receive claiming to be from Go…
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Ken Follett - The Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is, to the surprise of the experts, one of the most popular novels in the UK. Its sweeping story has been made into a TV series, and even board and computer games and spawned two sequels. The plot covers a largely unknown period of English history, the turbulent 12th century when England was engulfed in Civil War following the death of Henry I's only male heir.
Follett's book is primarily centred on the monastery and settlement at the fictional location of Kingsbridge. There's a complex web of characters most of whom are hard not to emphasis with, and principally the story looks at those involved in building a cathedral at Kingsbridge and those trying to stop them. What makes the novel work is that the personal antagonisms of various characters, including the vile Earl William and the pious Prior Phillip is in the context of feudal relations and Civil War. William's violence and raids on settlements around his castle are a natural part of feudal society, as are the inter-generational feuds. If the novel overly relies on the ideas of good lords and bad lords, it doesn't neglect that all lords relied utterly on the peasantry to survive.
In fact I suspect that this is one of the reasons for the success of the books. Unusually Pillars of the Earth focuses on the lives and struggles of ordinary people - mostly labourers on the cathedrals, but also their partners and families. While the elite have their role in the book it's often peripheral to the main action, and there are far more detailed descriptions of the lives, labour and food of ordinary people. This is actually quite unusual in novels and works well here, particularly a book that has the hard work of the building of a cathedral at the centre of its epic tale.
There are problems of course. To me the book felt like a soap opera in places - each chapter seeming to end on a cliff hanger that was rapidly resolved by the cleverness of one or other of the "good" characters. There are also a few unlikely coincidences and plot points that don't really make sense (would a grieving husband, having just buried his wife, really jump into bed with a complete stranger a couple of hours later, especially given they were both starving in the midst of winter?) I also found the rape scenes unnecessarily detailed - I get that the author is trying to describe the brutality of a particular character, but it was simply too much. I also skipped a three page sex scene, not out of prudity, but mostly because it was utterly peripheral to the plot.
Nevertheless Follett's book is entertaining. He gives an interesting take on key events in the period and the structure of the book keeps the reader engaged. It's also rare that a novel manages to make the transition from Romanesque to Gothic religious architecture an interesting and integral part of its plot, and it shows well how ordinary people were a central part of that movement.
Mark Lause - The Great Cowboy Strike: Bullets, Ballots & Class Conflicts in the American West
Countless western films, novels and artworks have portrayed the "cowboy" as a lonesome figure, surviving through his wits and ability to quick draw a six shooter. The reality, as this unique book shows, is that the cowboy was a worker. Badly paid, living a life of intense physical hardship, with seasonal and often highly skilled work. They were never loners. Looking after a herd of hundreds of cows was a collective effort and cattle drives required the support of lots of men.
These conditions led to a series of strikes. Cowboys didn't wait to form unions, if they acted at the right time of the season they had enormous power to force the large cattle companies to give them massive pay rises. These strikes were strong, numerous and spread as the cowboys moved along the trail. But they had an inherent weakness - being seasonal work the workers found themselves at the mercy of the employer the next year, and many blacklisted strikers found it near impossible to work again.
This is of course a story that is never told. In an of itself it would be interesting just as the story of an unusual and forgotten episode of working class history. But Mark Lause puts the strikes in the context of the transformation of the American West and, crucially, the development of US captialism and I would argue, the modern US state. One thing that is very apparent about these strikes is how violent they were. Gunfights were common, the assasination of strikers and their leaders was frequent, and many of the classic episodes of gunfights that occur in films are often repeated here in the context of strikers, or former strikers, being hunted down by posse's that were little more than lynch mobs.
Take this example of a "militia" setup by cattle owners in Montana, after a series of strikes. The vigilantes, called "Stuart's Stranglers" after their leader hunted down former strikers who they described as "like many a rebel and anarchist westerner" and perhaps killed up to 75.
The conduct of the Stranglers proved to be notoriously brutal. At one point, they captured a mixed race boy who could fiddle and forced him to entertain them for the evening. The next day they killed him. 'His being a fiddler hadn't nothing to do with his being a horse thief," one said. [Former strikers were often labelled rustlers so they could be executed without trial].... The perpetrators included the founders of the state of Montana. Their '3-7-77' warning - said to notify targets to buy the $3 ticket to the 7am stage to take the 77-mile trip from the area-remains part of the insignia of the state's highway patrol.
Picture via Wikipedia article for 3-7-77
There is a thus a direct link between the anti-working class, racist violence unleashed on the cowboy strikes and the modern police system.
Lause however highlights another aspect to this, which is that this takes place in the context of the larger cattle firms, and their associated industries like the railroads, carving up the American West into huge, enclosed, fenced off lands. The battle between the open-range and the fence builders is the background to many a western. But as Lause points out, in those stories, the small-holders often win. In reality, big capital carved up the west and those who resisted were turfed out, or killed.
There is much more to Lause's book. But I actually found it remarkably difficult to follow in places. In part this is because much of the book dwells on aspects of US history and particularly Labour history which is completely unknown to me. His descriptions of the way that various left organisations tried to develop working class parties was at times difficult to follow. While Lause carefully deconstructs the classic image of the US west, I found the alternative a little difficult to work out, at times Lause seems to focus on events which are difficult to place in the wider narrative.
That said there is a lot in this book for people trying to understand the development of US capitalism, and those who fought against it. I loved this account about Eleanor Marx Aveling's visit to Cincinnati in 1886, "as cowboy strieks swept the West":
The local socialists took her, her husband and another European visitor to see a ground of cowboys on tour there. The comrades lingered behind after the costumed performance and introduced themselves to one of the performers. "To our great astonishment," she recalled, the cowboy "plunged at once into a denunciation of capitalists in general and of the ranch-owners in particular." "Broncho John" Sullivan assured them that many of the cowboys had "awakened to the necessity of having a league of their own" - and that a Cowboy Union or affiliates of the Knights of Labor seemed likely.
Resistance to capitalist domination is a forgotten part of the American west, and many of the famous and infamous figures beloved of books and films played a part in that story. When trying to understand 21st century America, we cannot forget the racist violence that helped entrench the state in the first place - violence against the indigenous peoples, the slaves and the working class. Lause's book is an interesting, if challenging introduction to that.
Cronon - Changes in the Land
Cronon - Nature's Metropolis
Tully - Crooked Deals and Broken Treaties
Parkman - The Oregon Trail
McLynn - Wagons West
Posted by Resolute Reader at 10:15 pm 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: marxism, modern history, socialist
Louise Raw - Striking a Light: The Bryant & May Matchwomen and their place in History
Louise Raw's book on the famous matchwomen's strike at Bryant and May is a brilliant work of working class history. But it is much more than an account of the dispute. Raw's argument is that up until now the strike itself has been completely misunderstood. Traditionally it has been seen as a strike led by a few outside socialist agitators, principally the Fabian socialist Annie Besant. In addition, the impact of the strike was negligible when compared to the much more important dock strikes that erupted in East London a year or so later. After finishing the book, to test Raw's hypothesis, I picked up a copy of Allen Hutt's "short" history British Trade Unionism, a 1941 book that is effectively an official Communist Party history. He has this to say about the strike:
In July, 1888, a Socialist-led strike of the girls at Bryant and May's match factory in the East End secured wide publicity, alike for the shocking conditions that it exposed and for the revelation of the number of Liberal politicians who were concerned as shareholders. The strike was successful.
To be fair to Hutt he does continue to say that the strike was the "light jostle needed" (quoting Engels) to kick start wider strikes. But his all to brief account makes a number of the mistakes that Raw's book demolishes. Firstly the strike was not led by Annie Besant. While it is true that Besant had published an important expose of conditions in the factory a few days before the strike began, she neither knew of its beginning nor welcomed the event. In fact, Raw's account makes it clear that Besant's middle-class politics preferred the idea of a well publicised boycott of Bryant and May, and perhaps legal action to expose the employers. She did not welcome the self-activity that the Matchwomen displayed, despite the women having some hopes in her.
Hutt himself seems to subordinate the strike to the publicity it generated to embarrass some liberal politicians. This is to downplay the role of almost 1,400 women in bringing out an entire factory and creating a huge political problem for the employers and politicians. The women, despite the vast majority of them being very young, were confident, politically astute and able to articulate their demands. Rather than being the tools of outside agitators as Bryant and May liked to believe these were women who had a history of struggle, organisation and engagement with radical political ideas.
Careful research by Raw shows how deep these traditions went. In 1871 Raw describes how the government (under Gladstone) wanted to introduce a tax on matches. This would have had a significant impact upon the already impoverished workers at Bryant and May. The workers "convened a mass meeting at the Victoria factory, passing a resolution 'unanimously amid great cheering' stating that 'we the matchbox makers and employees of ... match factories, resist to the utmost of our power by all legal means the imposition of this cruel tax upon our labour'." They then marched to Parliament to hand over a petition, and despite their peaceful intentions encountered the full brute force of the police trying to stop them. It is notable that Bryant and May's management simply intended to pass the tax onto their workers rather than challenge the government. 17 years later the workers would again march to Parliament, following the same route as in 1871*.
Popular legend would have the "match-girl" as a tiny, innocent, poor little girl freezing to death on the streets. The reality, as Raw demonstrates over and over, is that she was often a highly political figure willing to organise her comrades, fight the police and protest to try and improve conditions. This wasn't just true of the strike. Raw's research uncovers the latter-day history of some of the strike leaders who became key community figures prepared to fight for their neighbours and friends, as well as being trade unionists.
But conditions definitely needed improving. Despite the enormous profits made by Bryant and May, life in the factories was notoriously hard, and low paid. The work itself inflict tremendous suffering on the workers, with the phosphorous causing a painful bone disease known as Phossy Jaw. Despite the link between phosphorous and the disease the company sacked people who showed symptoms and downplayed the threat. The suffering must have been horrific. Raw quotes one contemporary account of a former Matchwoman who had completely lost her lower jaw.
The second strand to Raw's book is the question of gender and its role within the strike. Raw argues that you cannot understand the matchwomen's strike without understanding the wider position of women in contemporary society and in the trade union movement of the late 19th century. Despite a few exceptions women workers were not seen as part of the workers movement, in fact, the official trade union movement tended to see women workers as a threat that would reduce male wages or employment. This was closely linked with fixed ideas of gender roles within the family. As Raw writes:
The ideological victory of the concept of 'separate spheres', and all that went with it, had resulted from a long and sometimes hard-fought battle over ideas of sexual morality, the sexual division of labour, and gender itself: what it meant, or should mean, to be a man or a woman in the nineteenth century.
This meant too things. It meant that women who did work, like the matchwomen, were portrayed as immoral, violent and lacking in womanly qualities. But it also impacted on the labour movement and those who wrote its history. The result is, Raw argues, a "history of the figureheads of women's unioniusm rather than of the rank and file, and of these leaders' estimations of the female workforce, often as weak and undisciplined before the imposition of order from outside". Here is the origin of the myth that the strike was "Socialist-led" or organised by Annie Besant.
Raw's book rescues the Matchwomen from a "gender blind" tradition that cannot conceive that ordinary women could self-organise and defeat a powerful and rich employer. But her book is much more than this. While telling the story of the strike Raw also tells us the story of working class life in the East End - the extreme poverty, the appalling conditions at work and home, the arrogance of the middle and ruling classes who only saw violence and promiscuity. Against this Raw shows us a world of solidarity and self-organisation. Of women and men who fought as best they could for their neighbours, workmates, communities and their families.
The finest example of this is Raw's argument that there was no real separate between the action of the Matchwomen and the more famous (and more celebrated) strikes that followed. Against those historians who argue that there was a gap, or no interrelation between the events, Raw painstakingly pieces together the close community and family links between dockers, matchwomen and other workers. More recent historians might have believed that there were no links, but that was not true of trade unionists at the time.
Dockers' leaders Tom Mann and Ben Tillett were both unequivocal, indeed generous to an almost surprising degree, in attributing to the matchwomen's action the very beginnings of New Unionism. Tillett described the matchwomen's victory as quite simply 'the beginning of the social convulsion.
In my own studies of rural class struggle I've often noticed how ruling class accounts of strikes begin with a belief that there must be some outside agitators starting the commotion. They cannot believe that the peasants and labrouers were able in and of themselves to organise, let alone threaten their wealth and power. This condensation is also true of the matchwomen, though in this case, it has also been copied by some labour historians who should have known better. Louise Raw's book is a brilliant rescue of the role of ordinary working class women in fighting to improve their lives. It is also a masterpiece of historical study - a model for those of us trying to understand and write about the struggles of the past. I urge you to read it.
* I would like to add a personal note to this. Louise Raw points out that the Matchwomen marched in 1871 and in 1888 to Parliament via Bow and Mile End. In 2003, when war in Iraq broke out, a march by thousands of school and college students followed the exact same route to Parliament to protest at Tony Blair's war. It was fairly spontaneous, and it is nice to know of the unconscious celebration of East London history.
Tully - Silvertown
Marriott - Beyond the Tower
Wise - The Blackest Streets
Mayhew - London Labour and the London Poor
Fishman - East End Jewish Radicals 1875-1914
Fishman - East End 1888
Labels: london, modern history, politics, socialist
Cormac McCarthy - Blood Meridian
The history of the American West is one that is all to often cleansed of its violence. Even modern "Westerns" frequently sanitise the killing through ritual gunfights - highly choreographed shootings. The reality is, as one recent history book has shown, that the modern US is built on systematic violence, oppression and exploitation. So I was attracted to Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian precisely because it was supposed to subvert the western genre completely.
It is certainly different. The novel follows the life of "the Kid" a young man from Tennessee who flees his home and joins up with a violent group of Indian hunters on the Texas-Mexican border. For weeks he, and his companions, travel through the deserts hunting down groups of Native Americans and brutally murdering them. These scalp hunters are portrayed as bloodthirsty, alienated, racist killers. Their motivation is initially financial though it becomes genocidal, and after the repeated bloodbaths they drown their sorrows in appalling orgies of drink and rape.
A quick google will show that some one has gone to the trouble of plotting this murderous route onto a map of the US. I'm not sure that the author intended the book to be read as such a literal journey (much like the route taken in McCarthy's other famous work The Road doesn't matter to the plot). McCarthy introduces a collection of vile and surreal characters into the story, and there is a desert showdown of sorts between the Kid and his nemesis, the Judge. But I found the novel's plot barely existed in reality - the tale existed to give the violence a backdrop, rather than the other way around.
Blood Meridian is widely considered one of the greatest novels of North American fiction so I approached reading it with some excitement. My initial enthusiasm was quickly tempered as I found the intensity of the first few chapters giving way to boredom - rather to quickly I found myself immune to the murder; simply taking it as another stage of the Kid's travels. It was only when I realised that this was surely the point, that I re-engaged with the book. Though the Kid and his band are desensitised to the violence, not simply because it is nearly continuous, but also because they have "othered" those they hunt. These are no longer Native Americans, they are animals to be killed for sport and profit.
Other reviewers have noted some deeper themes. The character of the Judge, his relationship to the others in the band, and in particular his violent attraction to young men, and his philosophical discussions are fascinating in themselves, though I liked more how McCarthy depicted the murderous band as being fascinated with the Judge's discussions of history, philosophy and science.
It's "based on true events" but its only real historical accuracy is to say that the West was won through brutal, systematic and racialised violence. Is it a good book? I am not sure. I was shocked, bored, and appalled by turns, and finally disappointed by the ending (though it benefits from a re-reading). I can't even say whether I'd recommend it, though McCarthy is certainly talented, but it is certainly an antidote to the anodyne nature of much of what passes for Westerns.
McCarthy - The Road
Andreas Malm - The Progress of This Storm: Nature & Society in a Warming World
Over the last couple of years there have been intense debates within left ecology about how best to understand the interrelation between society and nature, or even whether there is such a duality as "nature" and "society". Andreas Malm is author of one of the finest studies of the origins of fossil fuel capitalism and his new book is part philosophical study, part polemic and finally a trenchant defence of historical materialism and Marxism as the best tool to understand ecology and the origins of the current environmental crises.
Through the book Malm takes on a whole series of modern philosophical fads, demolishing them with wit and knowledge. In doing so he demonstrates (at least to this reader) that much of philosophy is a set of ideas that bear little relation to reality and offer nothing to those trying to get their heads around the creation of a sustainable future. Malm is an extremely erudite observer shouting "the Emperor has no clothes" at his theoretical targets. Though it must be said that some of these thinkers require little exposing. Take the ideas of Bruno Latour who writes bafflingly "objects have as much agency as persons - for do not hammers hit nails? Do not kettles boil water, knives cut meat" etc. Latour is a highly respected philosopher, but his ideas, when applied to climate crisis aren't simply comical, they become downright dangerous. Latour uses an example of two rivers, one above the other, prevented from intermingling by a human built dam. Malm explains "according to Latour, [this] shows the rivers have goals: the Atchafalaya to swallow the Mississippi, the latter to enter the former." Latour explains, the "connection between a smaller but deeper river and a much wider but higher one is what provides the goals of the two protagonists, what gives them a vector".
Once you are in the realms of seeing "nature" (or components of nature like rivers) as having agency, goals and "vectors" you are edging out society's role within environmental change. Malm's challenge to these ideas is both systematic and entertaining. But more importantly his alternative proves the clarity of the Marxist approach. He begins by trying to understand how it comes to be that one group of people from one country can extract coal from another, and use it to fuel their country's imperial ambitions. This is not because the coal has agency as some might argue, but because they are from a society that requires fossil fuels to further its interests. As Malm writes when discussing Ashley Dawson's Marxist study of extinction,
One emergent property comes into conflict with a whole planet of other emergent properties. This is the necessary and fundamental form of a Marxist account of ecological crisis, which does not exclude other drivers but centres on a feature unique for capitalist relations: the compulsion for perpetually expanding absorption of biophysical resources. Such a property cannot be found in nature. Any creature that had it would be fantastically maladaptive and quickly go extinct; capital has been able to maintain it into the twenty-first century only by establishing complete dominion over tellurian nature. But it cannot go on forever.
It is thus foolhardy as some academics have done to argue that nature no longer exists, but that society and nature have merged to form one. There is of course value to understanding that humans have always interacted with nature and changed it, Marx made the point that there is no "original" nature left anywhere, with the exception of some newly formed coral islands. But this is not to suggest that nature doesn't exist as separate to the human world. Malm quotes John Bellamy Foster approvingly on this subject, "there is no contradiction in seeing society as both separate form and irreducible to the Earth system as a whole, and simultaneously as a fundamental part of it. To call that approach 'dualist' - in the Cartesian sense - is comparable to denying that your heart is both an integral part of the your body and a distinct organ with unique features and functions."
The danger with an approach that sees nature-society as a seamless whole is that it doesn't allow for nature's autonomous behaviour. Again, as Malm writes "Since capital is a human creation, it follows that nature is intrinsically independent of capital, its production and management and domination - which can, from a capitalist standpoint, be highly unnerving".
As we watch the growing environmental crises, the view certainly is unnerving. As capital is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few rich individuals, while the majority suffer the ignominy of poverty, and wealth accumulates at the expense of the world's resources and its ecology, radicals need a theoretical framework that blows away the obscuring smoke and empowers the masses of the world the change it. Andreas Malm's book is a fantastic defence of Marxism as that theory and radicals everywhere should read, think through and argue about.
Malm - Fossil Capital
Foster - Marx's Ecology
Burkett - Marx and Nature
Labels: climate and environment, marxism
Dave Goulson - A Sting in the Tale
This is a charming and entertaining book that at its heart has an important ecological message of interest to anyone concerned about a sustainable future, particularly, an environmentally friendly agriculture. Dave Goulson is a world expert on bumblebees, but he is also an enthusiast for the tiny creatures. He has the rare ability that experts often lack, of making his specialist subject both interesting and accessible. A Sting in the Tale begins with Goulson's childhood fascination with animals, plants and insects, his experiments with taxidermy and butterfly collecting, and his growing awareness of the natural world. It is a story that Goulson tells with wit, and a fair amount of self-deprecating humour, and intertwines it with the history of the study of the bumblebee.
There is an oft repeated quote about bees, attributed to Albert Einstein, (though Goulson argues Einstein was unlikely to have said it) which suggests that if bees die out, human society will rapidly follow. Goulson argues that this isn't realistic, but does explain how central bumblebees are to the pollination of key plants - including fruits, nuts and many other crops that we rely on. He explains in detail the evolution of bumblebees, their central position in plant ecology, and how they have been moved around the world to better serve the interests of agriculture.
I don't have space here to summarise everything about bumblebees that he writes about. The "cuckoo" bees that steal other bee nests, the way that bees use chemicals to detect whether a flower has recently been visited by another bee, how they use colour to avoid predators and so on. Though I feel I should mention that I was fascinated by Goulson's detailed explanation of bee reproduction and how this has, in evolutionary terms, led to their collective behaviour. In short this is because female bees have more DNA in common with their sisters than their children, which helps create a collective interest.
But for me the key part of the book was the question of bees and agriculture. When writing my own recent article on capitalism and agriculture, I noted the way that a bee industry has developed around the almond industry in California. There, monoculture fields, high usage of pesticides and destruction of the sites (like hedgerows) that bees nest in has created fields devoid of insect life, and bees are brought in their millions across the USA to pollinate crops. Goulson shows how this industry has become global, with factories producing packaged nests for farmers to pollinate crops. Interestingly this is not particularly new, though it is on massively expanded scale. When European farming moved to New Zealand in the 18th century, bees had to be sent over to pollinate the crops. In turn this had an impact on local ecology (though it created a reservoir of bees to potentially replace extinct species in the UK).
But this isn't simply historical - the introduction of bees for the tomato industry has meant farmers can increase profits massively and cut labour, but it can have a tragic impact on local ecology as bees displace "native" species. The problem isn't simply about the disruption of ecologies. But also that factory farming of bees can produce the perfect environment for the spread of disease. So industrial farming has both damaged the natural communities of bees and produced an industry that also threatens bees! As Goulson writes:
Whether or not a European disease is the cause of these terrible declines, the principle remains. Shipping bees around is inherently risky unless they can be guaranteed to be free of disease. Oddly, despite the commercial trade in bumblebees now being well over twenty years old, there is very little regulations. Honey bees cannot be transported between most countries unless they have been certified free of their major diseases, but no such regulations have been applied to bumblebees.
The book concludes with Goulson's role in trying to preserve and save bumblebees by expanding their natural habitats and educating people about the threats to them. One heartening fact is that farmers seem very keen on being part of the solution, demonstrating once again that rural communities aren't somehow anti-environment and only concerned with profit.
I have no difficultly in recommending Dave Goulson's book. It's an easy read, but full of fascinating information and real insights into ecology. I was annoyed at his tendency for unflattering and jokey descriptions of his students - "she had a very loud voice and an astonishing capacity for food" went one, and "a pretty and terribly well-spoken girl" for another. It felt patronising and unnecessary and detracted from the excellent writing. That aside A Sting in the Tale is a recommended read, and I look forward to reading Goulson's other writings.
Sheail - Rabbits and their History
Rackham - The History of the Countryside
Lymbery - Dead Zone
Labels: climate and environment, science
Mark Lause - The Great Cowboy Strike: Bullets, Bal...
Louise Raw - Striking a Light: The Bryant & May Ma...
Andreas Malm - The Progress of This Storm: Nature ...
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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8687
Title: A Systems Approach to Identifying and Managing Opportunities and Constraints to Delivering Innovation Policy for Agriculture: An Analysis of the Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program
Contributor(s): Sandall, Jean (author); Cooksey, Ray W (author); Wright, Victor (author)
DOI: 10.1080/1389224X.2011.596418
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/8687
Abstract: In this paper we outline an analytical approach to identifying points in the policy process where management intervention to adjust organizational design could enhance delivery of innovation policy over time. We illustrate this approach using an example from native vegetation policy in the state of Victoria, Australia. We then use this approach to interpret recent reviews of the Australian Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program, a policy instrument aimed at enhancing national economic growth by fostering innovation in research and development. The approach described in this paper is grounded in the idea of policy as a complex and adaptive organizational system. From the findings it was apparent that reviews of the Australian CRC Program have recognized some of its complex and dynamic properties. However, they have been limited in their capacity to translate this recognition into practical recommendations for organizational design to improve delivery on innovation, particularly in relation to the uptake of research outputs by industries such as agriculture. We propose that this is likely to reflect the bureaucratic foundations of innovation policy and the difficulties associated with changing processes and ways of managing them that have become locked in to the organizational system. The design of policy instruments to deliver innovation, such as the CRC Program, should be informed by a detailed understanding of the dynamics that are mediating between policy objectives and outcomes over time. Dynamics such as the impact of bureaucratic constraints on the flexibility of policy processes and the participants engaged in them. In the absence of this sort of understanding, dynamics that critically affect the capacity of policy instruments to deliver innovation are likely to go unidentified and left to run their own course to an unpredictable and potentially counterproductive end. While the idea of policy as a complex organizational system is well known, there remains a substantive gap in knowledge as to how thinking about policy in this way might be applied to generate practical options for improving organizational design. The analytical approach described in this paper addresses this gap in knowledge. In the absence of such approaches, the effectiveness of policy instruments such as the CRC Program, which are intended to foster innovation, will continue to be limited by deficiencies in organizational design.
Source of Publication: Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 17(5), p. 411-423
Place of Publication: London, United Kingdom
Field of Research (FOR): 150312 Organisational Planning and Management
150307 Innovation and Technology Management
160511 Research, Science and Technology Policy
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Statistics to Oct 2018: Visitors: 270
Appears in Collections: Journal Article
SCOPUSTM
checked on Nov 26, 2018
checked on Mar 4, 2019
Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.
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HOME > News & Events > News > Games graduate launches start-up
Games graduate launches start-up
Tyson Butler-Boschma can actually pin point the exact light-bulb moment when he had the idea, "I want to make games!" It was 2am and he had just finished playing the game Halo 3. Little did he know this moment would set in motion a chain reaction that would lead him to a career in the games industry.
On graduating from high school Tyson chose to study a Bachelor of Games Development at SAE Melbourne, before deciding to continue his education and undertake a Graduate Diploma in Creative Media, followed by a Master’s Degree in Animation Games and Interactivity from RMIT Melbourne.
Tyson credits his time studying at SAE as the essential stepping stone that lead him to where he is today.
As the co-founder of Toybox Games Studios, Tyson started the company with four fellow SAE colleagues. Having initially met at SAE Melbourne while they were studying, the games development graduates decided to open their own start-up company. It’s still early days for the company based out of Melbourne, but Toybox Games Studios is currently developing a game release for PC and its first major IP, something they foresee will be huge for Australian game development.
What inspired you to enter into the career you're in?
I have always enjoyed playing games, but it wasn’t really until 2007 that I realised I wanted to make them. I had just finished playing the long anticipated game Halo 3. It was 2am in the morning and I remember the music, the visuals, the storyline, and the general epic vibe of the game made had made me quite emotional, I literally had goose bumps. It was in that moment that I realised I wanted to create that feeling in someone else. From that day onwards, all my focus has been directed towards games development.
What are your fondest memories of your time at SAE?
Without question it was the people I meet and the networking that happened as a by-product of those friendships formed. Words cannot describe the feeling of leaving high school where learning is very structured and uniform, then going to SAE where literally everyone (including the incredible lectures) is into the exact same thing as you are. It was so liberating, and it just added more fuel to my passion for making games.
Are you able to shed some light on how studying at SAE lead you to where you are now?
My time at SAE was essential step to where I am now. Those who know me know I can be a little too confident for my own good - SAE humbled me incredibly, without crushing my spirit. It showed me that there is always more to learn, and if you work hard on what you want to achieve you can do anything in life. I could never have started my own company and completed a Master’s Degree without the lessons I gained while studying at SAE.
What are your career highlights?
A huge career highlight for me was completing my Master’s degree. It took a phenomenal amount of work, and I’m incredibly proud to say that I completed something of such magnitude. A close second would be the creation of Toybox Games Studios. It’s still early days at Toybox, but the fact that we’re an official company and we’re working on our first major IP (something that we hope will be huge for Australian game development!) is a wonderful feeling.
I’m currently working on the development of Toybox’s first major IP, but unfortunately I’m not at liberty to talk further about the project….but stay tuned!
Work hard and trust yourself to make decisions. More often than not you’ll have an idea that can seem a little bit farfetched, but don’t let those seeds of doubt grow in your mind. Believe in yourself, and your vision, be willing to learn and work hard. You’ll find that all your endeavors will work out in the end.
Who inspires your work?
As a developer I’m hugely inspired by Cliff Bleszinski, best known for his work on the original Gears of War trilogy. His attitude towards games development combined with his amazing talent will always be of inspiration to me. Inspiration from a more emotional level comes from my family and friends. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have an amazing support network around me so I work hard to make them proud.
Did you do any studies before starting at SAE, or have you studied since?
As soon as I finished year 12 I packed up my things, left my little home town in Tasmania and moved to Melbourne. It was quite the change of scenery, and as someone who’d only just started to spread their wings, it was quite daunting. Studying at SAE helped me get into the flow of things in a big city. When I completed my degree I went on to complete a Diploma in Information Technology, a Graduate Diploma in Creative Media and a Master’s Degree in Animation, Games and Interactivity. Right now I’m in the early stages of preparing for my PhD.
I have fun every single day! I get to work on the things I love with some pretty incredible people - every day is an adventure. To be able to create something with your colleagues is like co-parenting a child with some very talented and awesome people. It was once just a dream, but it’s now become my reality.
Being around people with similar goals and interests allowed me to see different perspectives towards games development. My time at SAE also resulted in the coming together of the game development team I work with today. We all met at SAE, and now we all work together in our own company. That’s incredibly special!
What projects have you worked on, and which one are you most proud of? What did you produce in this project?
I’ve made several small games in my time while studying, such as Toybox and Icarus Fall, that received excellent marks and praise from my lectures and fellow students. Icarus Fall was selected for the end of year ACMI showcase in 2014. However, the game I’m most proud of is a little game called Heart of Zarar. It was the first game I ever worked on. It was created over 48 hours at the 2013 Global Game Jam and it was very well received, winning the Best Gameplay award for that year. This game proved to me that I’d selected the right career path in life.
Who do you follow on social media?
Anyone and everyone that interests me. Developers, Games Companies and Development pages – they’re all good sources of information that helps me navigate the ever growing games industry.
Bob Ross. Not because of his painting style (which is very good), but for his methodology in how he pursues his art. Bob is all about enjoying what you do, having fun, making mistakes and learning from them. I look to incorporate his methods and beliefs into how I go about developing my games – and as a result I always enjoy what I do, even when things don’t necessarily go right.
Converse or Vans
Coffee or Tea
Apple or Android
Instagram or Snapchat
Follow Tyson
Portfolio: www.tjatomica.portfoliobox.me
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tyson-butler-boschma
Twitter: twitter.com/TJATOMICA
Interested in developing Games?
SAE offers Bachelor and Associate Degrees in Game Development and Design
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Hello, everybody! I am going to show you one of my favorite films today. It’s popular these days and many people use it to get unique-looking pictures. I love it a lot because I like taking night-time photos and this works great for my style. If you’ve been following me you already know what I am talking about. Enjoy this review.
Cinestill 800T is one of my most-used stocks. I was looking for an alternative to Fujifilm Natura 1600 so I tried my luck with this film which turned out to be a good find. It’s originally a motion picture stock that was re-spooled for normal use and development by hobbyists, I will get into the details later in this article so be sure to read everything.
It comes in its familiar black container because it’s very sensitive to light. It is sold in both 35mm and 120mm formats which is nice. I have seen how it performs with medium format and the results blew me away. They’re a bit pricey depending on where or how you buy them but not unreasonable.
Hello, everybody! Do you remember “Somewhere in Time” with Christopher Reeve? I love that movie a lot despite it being corny. I think its soundtrack is also one of the best scores ever written for a movie, I can still remember the first time I heard it and I can never forget it when I hear it. Movies like this are timeless and you can still enjoy them to this day. It’s difficult to think of a movie made today that has the same impact, it is easy to forget a movie as soon as you walked out of the theater. Today, I will show you a lens that will bring you back to the olden days, very much like the plot in “Somewhere in Time”. It’s also a classic that only people who have a deep appreciation for the past will revere.
The Nikkor-Q•C 5cm f/3.5 is one of Nikon’s oldest lens designs for the 35mm format. Its history dates back before the war and it was also supplied to the first Japanese 35mm cameras made by Canon called the Kwanon. The design is very simple and it’s simply a clone of what the Germans had. Nikon didn’t know how to make or design lenses for 35mm cameras so they had to start somewhere and the best lens manufacturers at that time were German. The lens has undergone many changes through-out its life from 1935 to 1956. It has seen several barrel updates and they were sold in different mounts. It’s what gave Nikon the required know-how so they can start making original designs after the war and that makes this lens special. Many people are not even aware of these and you certainly won’t find a lot of information about this lens online and photos that were taken with this lens can be difficult to find. Most people who own these are collectors and they usually do not use their gear to take pictures, which is a shame.
I got this lens for a small price but these usually go for around $500 and up. I was lucky and it was fated that this lens ended up with me. The barrel is a clone of the Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5 but you adjust the iris via a ring behind the front ring which makes it more convenient since you can see the values without having to look at the front of the lens. The optical formula is also a clone of the Leica Elmar 50mm f/3.5’s which is a clone of the Zeiss Tessar. It’s a clone of a clone!
Hello, everybody! Do you remember Quiet Riot? They’re best known for the cover of Cum on Feel the Noise by Slade and Metal Health. The Slade song is one of my favorites but Quiet Riot’s version is better in my opinion because it gave the music a more modern, grittier sound. I don’t know if the younger head-bangers know what I am talking about so just check them out if you’re not familiar with them. Speaking of revisions, I will talk about an important camera today that turned Nikon’s first camera into a world-class product by implementing many clever changes.
The Nikon S2 replaced the Nikon I/M/S line of cameras. It’s an important one because it laid the foundation for their next camera, the Nikon SP. It’s still a simple camera when it came out but it was a huge leap from the Nikon S. It now sports a much bigger finder, an advance lever, 1/1000s speed, a rewind crank, a proper A/R ring and much better build. This camera made Nikon an important name in cameras because Japan now has something serious and respectable to rival the German cameras to a certain extent. It sold well, it’s Nikon’s most numerous rangefinder camera and the most common one you will see in the used market. Despite the numbers, the prices for these aren’t going down but they’re getting more expensive as people get to know them and how comfortable they are for regular use.
The Nikon S2 is a beautiful machine because of all the big dials and the nice silhouette. It’s probably the sexiest Nikon rangefinder camera in my opinion specially if you mate it with a good-looking compact lens. It only comes with a 50mm viewfinder, a standard for its day but it’s life-size and very bright. I love how you don’t have to squint because of it since what you see on both of your eyes is the same magnification. It’s not parallax-corrected, which is a missed-opportunity. If you need to shoot with a different focal length you will need one of Nikon’s many external finders such as the one you see here.
Hello, everybody! Do you remember the original Fiat Multipla? It’s an ugly car that has quite a following. It’s unusual in terms of design but all of the design decisions made a lot of sense at the cost of its looks. It was ahead of its time in some sense yet it sends you back to a time when cars look more cartoonish and real charicature of what they’re supposed to be. Despite its looks, many people loved it and I imagine that taxi drivers and couriers all love it for its utility and comfort. I never owned one but that car fascinates me to this day. I am one who doesn’t care much about how people judge me and my fashion sense so long as I am comfortable with my choices. I would like to introduce to you a lens today that is a bit quirky and it went against what the market wanted back then but it won the hearts of those few who know what they really wanted in a lens.
The Voigtländer Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.5 is an odd lens when it came out in 2002 to compliment the Voigtländer Bessa R2. Both were made by Cosina, it sounds weird but Cosina now owns the Voigtländer tradename. Going back to the odd part, this lens was made with specs that fit a 1950s lens, with the slow maximum aperture to match it. It was made for the M-mount, S-mount, the original Zeiss Contax rangefinder mount and the Leica screw mount. Its specs may not be impressive in 2002 but it struck a nice niché market along with the other lenses that Cosina made under the Voigtländer name. People were still shooting with these mounts to this day and we sometimes wanted something “modern” without having to pay a ridiculous amount for a Leica (at least for the M-mount) and the cheap communist Chinese lenses weren’t even available then. Even if they were, I would happily pay a little premium just to get reliable Japanese quality instead of those ghastly Chinese lenses.
I got the Voigtländer Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.5 in S-mount and it’s feels great to hold and use. It’s not as heavy as the old classics that were made with all-brass parts but you can certainly feel that it’s not flimsy. Its finishing is nice and is certainly much better compared to the Chinese cheapies. You can feel that Cosina has put-in a lot of effort to make this rival the German lenses in terms of build. The tolerances are tight and there are no sloppy paint jobs in the barrel. Everything feels premium despite having a modest price. I think these were sold for as little as $500 then and you can still buy them new for just a little over that these days. The S-mount and Contax RF mount versions are the cheapest at $400 each. I got mine in mint condition complete with its box, hood and everything for just $170 used. How can I resist it? This makes for a good general-purpose lens and it’s compact so it’s not a hassle to carry. I don’t know why Cosina did not make it as an internal-mount lens because that will make it even more compact and light.
Repair: Nikkor-H.C 28mm f/3.5 Auto
Hello, everybody! I went to Tim Ho Wan to have the cheapest Michelin Star dinner I can give to my family. I liked how the dim-sum tasted, it reminded me of the food that I’m used to back home. It’s great how high-end dim-sum can be made affordable and accessible to the masses. Tasting food this nice used to cost a lot of money but you get value with with Tim Ho Wan. I’m not sponsored by them in case you are wondering, but they can contact me and I’ll happily accept their offer to eat their food. Today, we’re going to look at a lens that used to be expensive but you can get them now for cheap. They’re the best that you can buy back then as far as wide Nikkors go but they were soon replaced by better options so their price has gone down. Please stay so you can read more about this wonderful lens.
Its size is perfect for all of Nikon’s cameras as it’s not too small or too big. It’s great as a walk-around lens on a bright day. Pair it with a longer lens which will give you a little bit more reach and you have a complete setup. The lens looks great when paired with a camera of similar vintage and you’ll attract a lot of attention. They’re not that expensive either so people who want the cheaper option will be happy to own this lens. There’s nothing cheap about its performance as you will see later in this article. It’s not the best lens out there for the price but it sure does its job in style. It is like wearing a pair of nice British bespoke shoes with a nice suit. More
Repair: New-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 (Early Ai)
02 Jun 2019 1 Comment
by richardhaw in nikon,lens repair,lens maintenance,nikon repair,, Nikon,museum,classic lenses,, Uncategorized Tags: 50mm f1.8 repair, camera repair, classic lens, classic lens care, classic lens repair, helicoid grease, lens maintenance, lens repair, manual lens repair, nikon lens repair
Hello, everybody! I was hungry for some Taiwanese food so I went looking but I found that most of them were ran by the mainland Chinese people and there was nothing Taiwanese about them apart from what’s written in the sign. This is unacceptable, I hope that this practice ends because it’s unfair to the peaceful Taiwanese people. If you do not know any better then you’ll get the wrong impression about the Taiwanese because the people running these shops are mainland Chinese. Speaking of being confused, we will talk about a confusing subject today in Nikkor land but this time, you will get an excellent lens whichever one you end up and unlike the example that I just gave, it is not some shoddy knock-off trying to deceive people but it is just Nikon being lazy and will show you why I said that and how you will know which version you’re looking at.
We are going to showcase the New-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 lens today, a lens that is usually mistaken for its successor, the Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai since they’re almost identical apart from some insignificant details. This lens replaced the beloved Nikkor-S 35mm f/2.8 Auto in 1974 and it’s a total re-design from the optics to the barrel. From the old 7-element design it now sports a new 6-elements-in-6-groups design and a new barrel that’s more in-line with the New-Nikkor line of lenses. The successor to this lens (Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai) is essentially the same lens with an Ai-ring and a slightly-different rubber grip pattern. To the untrained eye, they look identical specially if the New-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 sports a factory Ai-ring upgrade. The parts can mostly be interchangeable as far as I remember so I lumped the two lenses into one. Why did Nikon do this? To save money, because in just a few more years the later Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 Ai was sold and that’s what I believe is what Nikon really wanted to sell as the Ai version but it probably didn’t make it in time, that’s just my theory but it’s very likely to be the case.
It’s a wonderful little lens that not a lot of people know about but the few who do know it for a special reason which I’ll mention several times in this article so pay attention. Some people poo-poo this lens but it’s a great little lens if you know how to use it. More
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Mystery Surrounds Creation of Website That Exposes Harriton Students Engaged in Illegal and Bad Behavior – Ricky Reports
Written By Ricky Sayer
Bryn Mawr PA — The mystery surrounding the creation of a website that exposes Harriton Students of illegal behavior has dominated the discussion among students in the opening days of the school year. While students speculate, Harriton’s administration has confirmed to RickyReports.TV that they, as well the police are aware, but only the school is actively investigating. Thanks to swift detective work by students, the site has been taken down though the archives still remain online.
On Monday September 5th, the day before school started at Harriton High School of Lower Merion, an individual (or individuals) using the pseudonym of Greg Stephenson created a website that shared media depicting Harriton students engaging in illegal activity. According to the website, the purpose of exposing students engaged in illegal activity is that it would allow them to be punished and stop them from going to college. “I think that the site in itself is terrible, but I think what is worse is that someone is trying to ruin Harriton students chances of getting into college” said Senior Jon Diamond-Reivich.
As of Friday, the site shared 6 images that depict students smoking marijuana and drinking beer. Harriton students have taken measures to track down the creator of the site. These attempts have led to the current realization that the creator of the site may have framed another student for the sites’ creation.
A Harriton administrator told Ricky Reports on Thursday that they first became aware of the website on Wednesday, the second day of school. A letter to parents from Harriton Principal Scott Weinstein explained that “We received an anonymous email notifying school administration about the site. In turn, we immediately contacted the families of students involved.”
A school administrator told Ricky Reports that no students have been disciplined by the school as a result of the published images as they could have been manipulated to make it appear as if the student was engaging in an illegal activity. The letter which was sent to parents on Friday made note that “As this is an external website, it is likely beyond the District’s capacity to assist in removing the content in question.” More of the email is included toward the end of this article.
Students criticized the administration’s response, saying that “They clearly want no affiliation with it and nothing to do with it.” Senior Jack Turner told me the District should take a more active role in remedying the situation. “Even though these events occurred outside of school, it doesn’t mean that administration just gets to step out of the situation. We have countless assemblies on bullying and cyberbullying and they mean nothing when something like this happens and they don’t take action.” Jack went on to say that he believed that the administration’s response and their email implied that the school “Blamed the victims who did nothing to deserve this.”
Senior Will Hoffman made note that “The people involved were not even contacted by administration and were put on blast to the entire district, they did little to help with the removal of the website, other than warnings of “being careful”.”
Anna Fleming was slightly more forgiving “It’s a tricky situation for the school to be in, but for all they preach about “No Place for Hate”, I think they could have put more effort into getting to the bottom of the situation and punishing the culprit.”
In a “welcome” message on the website, the sites creator makes it clear why they created the site (asterisks have been used to censor the name of the website and protect students involved):
“Hello! Welcome to ******** *****! This website is used to leak out any pictures or videos of Harriton High School students doing illegal/bad things! We created this site for a few reasons reasons:
1. To expose students who do illegal things so they can get punished for them.
2. To expose students who do illegal things so colleges can really see what A+ students look like when not in school.
3. To expose students who do illegal things so they can see that nothing can “disappear from the internet”.
4. To show that “snitches” who expose other students online cannot get “stitches” when done correctly.
Disclaimer: This website is operated by anonymous personnel affiliated with Harriton High School of Lower Merion, PA. All media posted on this site has been gather through legal methods, meaning that our content is not “hacked” out of people’s phones.”
The website has made 2 postings. The first shows 2 female students allegedly smoking marijuana. Only 1 image shows the face of a student. No physical marijuana can be seen in that image but the image does display a “puff of smoke” near the mouth of the student in the image. Other images, which do not show faces, do have what appear to be marijuana in them. The creator of the site claims that these images were “ripped from” a student’s Vsco page. Vsco is a photo-sharing website. A second posting on the site shows a group of friends smiling and laughing as they pose for a picture at a party. One of the students in the image is seen holding an Eagles Beer Can. The post includes a second image, which is a cropped out picture of the Beer Can. Along with the image the site creator included the caption:
“This photo is ripped from Vsco, uploaded by user ***************. This photo shows (from left to right), **** *********, *** *******, ***** *******, ***** *********, and ***** ***** at a house party. ***** ********** has a can of Bud Light in his right hand. We can also assume the two females on the left are under the influence of alcohol, because of the way they are laughing, however, this cannot be confirmed. ********* however is clearly drunk: just look at his eyes.”
It is important to note that some of the students included in the pictures are athletes who are committed to playing at Division 1 schools. The website allowed for readers to anonymously send in pictures of Harriton students engaged in illegal activity so they can be posted on the site. It is unclear if images posted on the site came from a reader or the site.
In a defiant response to criticisms and outrage the creator of the site ‘Greg Stephenson’ wrote that “This site will not get taken down…. Also, I wanted to mention that this site is backed up on http://archive.is/ and http://web.archive.org/ in case anything were to happen to this site.”
A message to ‘Greg Stephenson’ has not resulted in a reply.
Students Act As Detective
News of the website first spread among Harriton Seniors on Facebook Wednesday evening. By mid day Thursday it became impossible to walk around Harriton and not hear someone talking about the website. As Senior Kristen Cooney put it “Everywhere you went, there were people discussing “******** *****” with friends, even teachers.”
As soon as students learned of the sites existence they set out to find the creator of the site. In a matter of hours students were able to figure out that ‘Greg Stephenson’, if he was a real person, was not a student of the Lower Merion School District. Many used their knowledge of technology to determine facts that would help them pinpoint the sites creator. This directly led to a key piece of information being discovered.
For a short time on Thursday it appeared as if the culprit had been caught by his fellow students. In the cafeteria at lunch, a group of students were able to find the email address of the owner of the website. They attempted to break into the account by using a feature on Google that helps you recover a password if you have the phone number that is associated with email account. The group of students did not know the phone number, but google gave them the last two digits of the number as a hint. Junior Max Hopko explained to me how he and his friends were able get those 2 digits.
“I was able to locate the email address used within the website through a broken Subscribe Feed button found on the website. In the code was the email address (greg.stephenson.att@gmail.com). With this information I found the last 2 digits of the creator’s phone number.”
A friend of Max realized that those 2 numbers were the same 2 numbers as a friend of theirs who was sitting at the table. They had asked their friend to tell them his entire phone number. He complied and the group entered the number into the password recovery system. To their surprise this worked and a message was sent to the student giving him a confirmation number to re-set the password for the Google account that the website is controlled through. The group of students then proclaimed that they had found the creator of the site causing a stir in the lunchroom as students learned what was going on. A crowd had formed around the student when I confronted him to ask for an explanation. He told me that the phone number associated with the site was his but denied that he created the site. Things became heated when some in the room began yelling at the student who claimed he had been framed. The student was escorted out of the lunchroom for his own safety. The student claims that the actual creator of the website must have used his cell phone number when registering the Google account. He claims that when you enter a phone number, you don’t actually get a text saying that your phone number is now associated with that account. The student told me that following this he met with a school vice principal, and during this meeting the student told the vice principal, who had the IP address of the website, that the IP address associated with the site was not the same as the students phone or computer and that he was framed. The student told me that the vice principal agreed that it would not make sense for the creator of the site to use their actual phone number. Ricky Reports has not independently been able to confirm this. According to the student who says he was framed, school administration advised him not to use the power given to him by the recovery password phone number to set a new password, allowing him to delete the site. On Friday evening, after mounting pressure from students in the Harriton community, the student had reversed course and deleted the site. He wrote online that he video recorded the entire process.
School administration told me they cannot discuss ongoing investigations regarding students.
Students React
Harriton Students united this week to condemn the actions of the websites creator and express how they felt. Some students expressed anger toward the websites creator, telling me “I think that it is absolutely worthless and ridiculous and that whoever created this is a low life loser who has nothing better to do” said a Harriton junior, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation by the websites creator. Pearce Flanagan, a Harriton Senior told me that “The fact that someone would go out of their way to do all of this is scary. It’s scarier to think what else they feel the need to do.” Junior Kristin Cooney told me “Even though the site is now down, it’s definitely concerning that it existed in the first place, and that someone had so much bitterness toward the people to create it.” Other students, such as Benji Martin, had a different view of the situation. He told me, “While I do think it is concerning, I don’t think it is such a big deal as the student body is making it. Maybe I’m the only who is thinking this but it’s not like the pictures were taken through spy cameras, and the people did not know about it. The people in the pictures knowingly took them, and then chose to post them on social media. Of course the site was made for only exploitation, but is it that big of a deal that the pictures were basically just “retweeted”?”
Students all week speculated who and why someone would create this site. At first, many students came to the conclusion that the creator of the site was a junior girl, jealous of her friends for one reason or another (as the majority of those in the pictures shared on the site are juniors). “My suspicion is that they were trying to ruin Juniors college lives by posting pictures of them doing bad things so that they don’t get into a good college. Definitely seems like something that would happen in a competitive district.” said Noah Salmanson. Others, like Ava Sophia Brown and Kristen Cooney told me they believe that whoever created the website was driven to do so because of something that had happened to them. “The only reason why someone would make a site like this due to his or her own insecurity. The entire thing reeks of fragility” said Ava. Kristen told me that she thought there were 2 possibilities why someone would create the site. “Either whoever made the site was bullied and this was their revenge, or they were the bully.”
All of the Harriton students I talked to believe that this one incident was not representative of the Harriton community. Senior Miranda Ivy Wager told me that she didn’t think that this was representative of the whole school but rather “a representation of what’s wrong with the social structure in our building. The amount of cliques and closed groups in our environment makes it uncomfortable for pretty much everyone. In my experience, you couldn’t even speak to someone outside of your own “group” without getting a strange feeling. We all know each other as seniors this year, yet I’m sure half of us have never talked to each other or given the other the time of day. The whole reason this happened was because someone felt hurt or left out enough to attack others outright.” Senior Ava Rostami had a similar line of thinking. “Something to this extreme is so immature and out of place at this school. If it was representative the entire school, there would not have been in such an outrage at the website’s creation and there may have even been more people to post leaks. If this had happened in Middle School I think that some people might have participated in ‘leaking’ photos, but luckily the entire school saw what was wrong with the website and tried to figure out who would want to do something so immature. People outside of this school need to realize that this was just one person.”
Other students like Zach Alfred Levow, shared similar sentiments “The leaker is a social outcast looking to vent their frustrations out on what they perceive to be the cause of their troubles: the popular kids. No matter if you agree with the leaker’s actions or not, we must look at the bigger issue they illuminated: our entire social dynamic. Something is fundamentally wrong with the hierarchy at Harriton. I don’t exactly know the specific issues and how to fix them, but something has to be broken on a basic level for someone to feel that much anger against those kids to ruin their lives. What is the real pecking order at Harriton? What are our groups and cliques? How do these cliques interact and not interact? How much room is there for being in multiple groups? These are only some of the questions we have to ask ourselves. And we might have to do this ourselves. The administration is silently jumping for joy. All their warnings about online safety have just been validated. They will make no attempt to find the leaker. If they have, they probably sent them off with a pat on the back. Maybe the administration is waiting until the year is in full swing to address the issue to us, but in a week or so, I believe that the administration shouldn’t simply drag us out for another assembly on online safety, but instead divide us up into focus groups to try and solve these social problems. I understand how uncomfortable this will be, and probably unpleasant, but now we have a culture of paranoia and fear at Harriton. How much longer before this reaches a boiling point? We have to come together to solve this issue. A final thought: if there was ever a time to reach out to others (and I realize I definitely have not done that), to invite the kid sitting alone to join you, to strike up a conversation with a random freshman on the bus, it is NOW. Finally, and I hate to end it on a pessimistic note, but if the administration lets our clearly toxic social structure continue without even trying to fix it, they, with all their talk of No Place for Hate and Olweus, are hypocrites.”
Many students I spoke with told me that they had deleted many photos from their social media accounts. One student told me “I took down a lot of posts on my finsta” Meaning that they had taken down images posted to their fake Instagram account (Finsta.) Fake Instagram accounts are used by students to post pictures to an social media account that does not have the students name connected to it, allowing them to post pictures that may not be the most appropriate, that only their close friends can see. In the email to families, Harriton’s new principal, Scott Weinstein wrote that:
“This incident serves as a cautionary tale for our students with regard to their digital citizenship – and the decisions they choose to make with regard to drugs and alcohol. The reality is that every image they post online and every action they take in public (or even at a “private” gathering with friends) can be easily documented and shared with the world. The best way to avoid situations like these is simply to make good decisions and be incredibly cautious when crafting a digital footprint.
Clearly, this is a topic of interest to our students that has the potential to spark various emotions, opinions and debate. It is likely that it will come up in discussion in our classrooms and hallways. We have encouraged staff to support constructive dialogue and reaffirm the importance of good decision-making. We encourage your support and cooperation in doing the same at home. If your children need additional support in navigating these issues, please feel free to reach out to our counselors.”
The site may be down but the students I talked to are in no way relieved. Anna Flemming told me that she felt that effects stemming from the mystery would continue to be present in Harriton hallways. “Though the site itself is gone, it’s effects still linger. Accusations are flying every which way. People were scared while it was up, and now they’re angry and it’s hard to avoid scapegoating people when they know they might never track the real culprit. In this way, The site isn’t really gone.” Emma Johnson pointed out that a new site could pop up and that the posts could continue, “Is the site truly down? I mean someone could easily remake the site and post more pictures of anyone doing anything. I don’t think it can truly go away. At least not yet.”
The mystery surrounding the website looms and is likely to be the highlight of chatter among students at Harriton for some time to come.
Check back with RickyReports.TV for updates on the situation.
RickyReports.TV is run by Ricky Sayer, a Harriton High School Senior who has been reporting news for 6 years. RickyReports.TV is in no way directly affiliated with Harriton High School or Lower Merion School District. You can email Ricky at his school email account richardsayer17@students.org
RickyReports.TV has decided to withhold naming the website or any students directly involved.
Date September 11, 2016
Tags Expose, Harriton, Harriton Leaks, HHSTV, Lower Merion School District, Party, Ricky Reports, Ricky Sayer, Smoking, Students, Website
Harriton Administration Releases Statement Regarding Website Created to Expose Students
Watch “Harriton Volleyball vs Springfield – Senior Night 2016 – HHSTV” on YouTube
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{{/if}} Topping out ceremony: The roof is up – KAESER KOMPRESSOREN SRL
Topping out ceremony: The roof is up
Just over a year after ground was broken on the project, one of Kaeser Kompressoren’s two new production halls is that much closer to completion: the topping out ceremony was held just last week.
A toast is given in honour of Production Hall 11
Coburg – Eventually, this hall will house production for medium-sized rotary screw compressors designed for producing compressed air for use in industrial production processes, especially by small and medium-sized companies. Production of the larger compressors will take place in the second production hall, which is being constructed in parallel with this one. Kaeser Kompressoren began construction of two new production halls last year as the previous production site for this size of rotary screw compressor was no longer large enough.
Aside from the need for more space, the significant technical progress that has occurred in the field of production technology constitutes another important reason behind the investment in the new production equipment. “When it’s finished, this “Smart Factory” will be fully Industry 4.0 capable and will truly be a state-of-the-art facility,” says Thomas Kaeser, Chief Executive for the Coburg-based compressed air systems provider. Industry 4.0 refers to the ever-increasing level of communication and networking between humans and computer systems, which is furthering the development of exciting new products and services. “This investment is yet another element that will ensure Kaeser Kompressoren remains internationally competitive and successful well into the future.”
The next step is to begin fitting-out the interior of the production hall. If everything goes according to plan, part of the production facility will be ready for use in early 2017.
Yet Kaeser Kompressoren’s building campaign isn’t restricted to just production infrastructure: the cornerstone of a new office building was also just laid in September.
Kaeser Kompressoren is a compressed air system provider with production based in Coburg, Gera and Lyon. The company is headquartered in Coburg, in Germany’s Upper Franconia region, and is represented in more than 100 countries with its own branch offices and exclusive partners. Specialised in compressed air production, the company employs more than 5,000 people worldwide, some 1,900 of whom work in the SE headquarters in Germany.
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Home > FACULTY_SCHOLARSHIP > FACULTY_PUBLICATIONS > 1015
What a Difference a Year Makes: The International Court of Justice's 2012 Jurisprudence
Sean D. Murphy, George Washington University Law SchoolFollow
An analysis of any particular decision of the International Court of Justice sometimes misses broader, cross-cutting themes that animate the Court’s jurisprudence. This essay, prepared for an April 2013 symposium at the European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, in Florence, explores a few of the themes that emerged from the Court’s 2012 jurisprudence. First, notwithstanding the development of treaty regimes across a broad array of international law, there remains an enduring relevance of customary international law and general principles of law as sources of international law. Second, when identifying rules of customary international law, there is an enduring attraction to analyzing the effects of multilateral treaties in codifying or crystalizing customary rules, rather than relying on a classic analysis of the day-to-day practice of States in conjunction with their opinio juris. Third, the concept of jus cogens remains a powerful feature of international law, available in theory to trump a State’s ability to engage in contrary treaties, yet in practice the concept seems to get little traction; certainly, violations of jus cogens have proven unable to open the door to claims before national and international tribunals. Finally, international law has increasingly become attuned to the rights of persons as against the power of States and international organizations, but the traditional processes of international law pose difficult and sometimes insurmountable hurdles to persons in effectively vindicating those rights.
The Court’s jurisprudence highlights areas of international law that are incomplete or unsatisfactory. The ICJ’s role is not to legislate solutions in those areas, but the Court’s decisions point the direction for changes that might be pursued, either through the development of new treaties or institutions or improvements to those that already exist. Consequently, this essay concludes by suggesting some implications for the future codification and progressive development of international law.
GWU Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2013-107; GWU Law School Public Law Research Paper No. 2013-107
http://ssrn.com/abstract=2313269
Sean D. Murphy, What a Difference a Year Makes: The International Court of Justice's 2012 Jurisprudence, Journal of International Dispute Resolution (forthcoming 2013).
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Dr. Hal Maring, Radiation Sciences Program Manager
< Back to Atmospheric Composition
Hal Maring works at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC as the Program Manager for NASA's Radiation Sciences Program. Previously Hal was part of the faculty of Marine and Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Miami, from 1993 to 2005. Hal received his B.S. (1977) from the University of Michigan, and his Ph.D (1985) from the University of Rhode Island in Oceanography. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology from 1985 through 1987 and then was a Marine Research Scientist at the University of Rhode Island from 1988 through 1992.
Contact information is as follows:
Email: hal.maring@nasa.gov
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Home Uncategorized Study: Tropical wetlands hold more carbon than temperate marshes
Study: Tropical wetlands hold more carbon than temperate marshes
In one of the first comparisons of its kind, researchers have demonstrated that wetlands in tropical areas are able to absorb and hold onto about 80 percent more carbon than can wetlands in temperate zones.
The scientists extracted soil cores from wetlands in Costa Rica and in Ohio and analyzed the contents of the sediment from the past 40 years. Based on their analysis, they estimated that the tropical wetland accumulated a little over 1 ton of carbon per acre per year, and the temperate wetland accumulated .6 tons of carbon per acre per year.
The temperate Ohio wetland in the study covers almost 140 acres, meaning it sequesters 80 tons of carbon per year. The tropical wetland covers nearly 290 acres and stores 300 tons of carbon each year.
“Finding out how much carbon has accumulated over a specific time period gives us an indication of the average rate of carbon sequestration, telling us how valuable each wetland is as a carbon sink,” said William Mitsch, senior author of the study and an environment and natural resources professor at Ohio State University. “We already know wetlands are outstanding coastal protection systems, and yet wetlands continue to be destroyed around the planet. Showing that wetlands are gigantic carbon sequestration machines might end up being the most convincing reason yet to preserve them.”
Mitsch, also director of the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park at Ohio State, conducted the study with graduate student Blanca Bernal, who presented a poster on this research Wednesday (10/8) at the Geological Society of America joint meeting in Houston.
Often called the “kidneys” of the environment, wetlands act as buffer zones between land and waterways. In addition to absorbing carbon and holding onto it for years, wetlands filter out chemicals in water that runs off from farm fields, roads, parking lots and other surfaces.
But wetlands are also a natural source of methane, and bacteria present during the decay of organic material cause wetlands to release this greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.
“A big issue in wetland science is how carbon sequestration balances against the release of greenhouse gases,” Mitsch said. “Methane is a more effective greenhouse gas than is carbon dioxide in terms of how much radiation it absorbs, but it also oxidizes in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide does not degrade – it is an end product. If you take that into account, I think wetlands are very effective systems for sequestering carbon.”
Mitsch and Bernal collected soil cores from Old Woman Creek, a freshwater wetland near Lake Erie in northern Ohio, and from a similar flow-through wetland located at EARTH University in northeastern Costa Rica. Old Woman Creek had accumulated between 16 and 18 centimeters (about 7 inches) of sediment since 1964, while the Costa Rican wetland accumulated between 30 and 38 centimeters (12 to 15 inches) of sediment during the same time period.
To determine the age of the sediments, the researchers used radiometric dating with cesium-137. Above-ground nuclear testing in the mid-20th century left behind the cesium-137 compound as a marker in sediments throughout the world. Based on how deep cesium-137 was detected in the soil cores, the researchers were able to date sediment from each wetland that has built up since 1964, the year the concentration of the compound reached its peak.
The tropical wetland sediment was more densely packed with carbon. Its average carbon density was 110 grams of carbon per kilogram of soil (almost 1.8 ounces for every pound of soil), while the Ohio wetland’s average carbon density was less than half that, 53 grams of carbon per kilogram of soil (.86 ounces per pound).
Mitsch and Bernal plan to conduct additional comparisons of carbon sequestration in wetlands from different climates to look for patterns that might inform policymakers who are exploring carbon storage options across the world as a strategy to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a Payne Grant from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Of power outages, upped backup generator demand and dirtier-air potential
Transplant recipients may soon have a test to protect against organ rejection
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On Darwin’s birthday, IU study sheds new light on plant evolution
BLOOMINTON, Ind.–On Charles Darwin's 207 birthday, a study from Indiana University is shedding new light on the importance of genetic diversity in plants.
The work, reported today in the journal PLOS Biology, employs genome-wide sequencing to the reveal highly specific details about the evolutionary mechanisms that drove genetic divergence in 13 species of wild tomatoes that share a recent common ancestor.
The in-depth genetic analysis was led by Leonie C. Moyle, professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Biology.
"This study reveals new details about the unexpectedly complex genetic mechanisms that drive the diversification of plant species," said Moyle, who conducted the research as the primary investigator on a $1.18 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
The research may also contribute to future efforts to create more resilient crop plants in a time of changing climate by boosting resistance to pests or severe weather using cross breeding methods rather than genetic engineering.
Tomatoes were the species used in the study because they are an ecologically and reproductively diverse plant group, said Moyle, who was part of a team of researchers on a mission to Ecuador in May 2014 to collect different populations of tomato native to the Andes Mountains, a "hotspot" for biodiversity.
Although most famous for his work on finches, Darwin also hunted on the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador for wild tomatoes, one of the hundreds of plant and animal species collected by the British naturalist during his landmark trip to the archipelago in 1835.
"Over 200 years later, these plants are still revealing important new insights into evolution," Moyle said.
By bringing modern technology to bear on these tomatoes, the IU study was able to clarify phylogenetic relationships and assess the "flow" of genes between these wild plant species — as well as reveal the genetic root of specific environmental adaptations.
The team also found evidence to support three major genetic "strategies" behind tomato's ability to rapidly adapt to ecological change: the "recruitment" of genes from a common ancestral pool; trading genes between species through "introgression," or natural cross-breeding; and new genes arising from "de novo" evolution.
This latter category was highlight by the surprising number of new mutations in genes found in the tomatoes. Of the four main groups of the wild tomatoes in the study, IU scientists discovered hundreds to thousands of genes with protein-coding changes that were unique to each of these ecologically diverse sub-groups.
All species in the "red-fruited" group — the closet relatives of the domesticated tomato — shared changes in 10 enzymes in the specific chemical pathway responsible for making the red pigment in ripe fruits, for example.
Other specific genetic variations resulted in more extreme differences, producing tomato species able to survive "the driest deserts on Earth and the high peaks of the Andes," according to James B. Pease, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan who was an IU Ph.D. student at the time of the study.
"Although wild tomato species are very different in many traits from the domesticated tomatoes we eat by the millions, they are surprisingly similar at the genomic level," he said.
Greater knowledge about how such small changes in genetic diversity create big differences in species could eventually lead to the ability to pinpoint specific genes responsible for certain desirable traits — such as pest resistance or hardiness — many of which may have been lost due to historical breeding practices.
"There are lots of potentially valuable traits in wild tomatoes," Moyle said. "Our ability to precisely trace genetic histories in these species might help plant breeders identify desirable traits that can be re-introduced from wild species into commercial types using cross-breeding."
Other contributors to the study were Matthew W. Hahn, professor in the IU School of Informatics and Computing and IU Bloomington Department of Biology, and David C. Haak of Virginia Tech, who was a postdoctoral research at IU at the time of the study.
Kevin D. Fryling
@IndianaResearch
http://newsinfo.iu.edu
On Darwin’s birthday, tomato genetics study sheds light on plant evolution
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Most detailed observations of material orbiting close to a black hole
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Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument home to rich…
New book on climate change and sub-Saharan Africa
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Home Earth News
Earth’s Water Supply Summed Up in One “Tiny” Bubble
TOPICS:EarthGeologyOceanPopularUSGSWater
By USGS May 8, 2012
Picture of Earth showing if all Earth's water (liquid, ice, freshwater, saline) was put into a sphere it would be about 860 miles (about 1,385 kilometers) in diameter. Diameter would be about the distance from Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kansas, USA. Credit: Illustration by Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; USGS.
You’ve probably heard the saying that Earth is mostly water, roughly 70%. Well it turns out that many people have misunderstood the facts and that it’s only the Earth’s surface that is mainly water. To get a better understanding of the limited amount of water on Earth, the USGS gives a visual explanation with one simple picture showing a water bubble comprised of all Earth’s water.
As you know, the Earth is a watery place. But just how much water exists on, in, and above our planet? The picture to the left shows the size of a sphere that would contain all of Earth’s water in comparison to the size of the Earth. You’re probably thinking I missed a decimal point when running my calculator since surely all the water on, in, and above the Earth would fill a ball a lot larger than that “tiny” blue sphere sitting on the United States, reaching from about Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kansas. But, no, this diagram is indeed correct.
About 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water. But water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and earthgwaquifer.html, and even in you and your dog. Still, all that water would fit into that “tiny” ball. The ball is actually much larger than it looks like on your computer monitor or printed page because we’re talking about volume, a 3-dimensional shape, but trying to show it on a flat, 2-dimensional screen or piece of paper. That tiny water bubble has a diameter of about 860 miles, meaning the height (towards your vision) would be 860 miles high, too! That is a lot of water.
But, as far as people are concerned, almost all of Earth’s water is not usable in everyday life. Water on, in, and above the Earth is never sitting still, and thanks to the water cycle our planet’s water supply is constantly moving from one place to another and from one form to another. Things would get pretty stale without the water cycle!
The vast majority of water on the Earth’s surface, over 96 percent, is saline water in the oceans. But it is the freshwater resources, such as the water in streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater that provide people (and all life) with most of the water they need everyday to live. Water sitting on the surface of the Earth is easy to visualize, and your view of the water cycle might be that rainfall fills up the rivers and lakes. But, the unseen water below our feet is critically important to life, also. How would you account for the flow in rivers after weeks without rain? In fact, how would you account for the water flowing down this driveway on a day when it didn’t rain? The answer is that there is more to our water supply than just surface water, there is also plenty of water beneath our feet.
Even though you may only notice water on the Earth’s surface, there is much more freshwater stored in the ground than there is in liquid form on the surface. In fact, some of the water you see flowing in rivers comes from seepage of groundwater into river beds. Water from precipitation continually seeps into the ground to recharge the aquifers, while at the same time water from underground aquifers continually recharges rivers through seepage.
Humans are happy this happens because people make use of both kinds of water. In the United States in 2000, we used about 323 billion gallons per day of surface water and about 84.5 billion gallons per day of groundwater. Although surface water is used more to supply drinking water and to irrigate crops, ground water is vital in that it not only helps to keep rivers and lakes full, it also provides water for people in places where visible water is scarce, such as in the desert towns of the western United States. Without groundwater, people would be sand-surfing in Palm Springs, California. instead of playing golf.
Just how much water is there on (and in) the Earth? Here are some numbers you can think about:
If all of Earth’s water (oceans, icecaps and glaciers, lakes, rivers, ground water, and water in the atmosphere was put into a sphere, then the diameter of that water ball would be about 860 miles (about 1,385 kilometers) across, a bit more than the distance between Salt Lake City, Utah to Topeka, Kansas. The volume of all water would be about 332.5 million cubic miles (mi3), or 1,386 million cubic kilometers (km3). The picture at the top of this page illustrates this.
A cubic mile of water equals more than 1.1 trillion gallons. A cubic kilometer of water equals about 264 billion gallons.
About 3,100 mi3 (12,900 km3) of water, mostly in the form of water vapor, is in the atmosphere at any one time. If it all fell as precipitation at once, the Earth would be covered with only about 1 inch of water.
The 48 contiguous United States receives a total volume of about 4 mi3 (17.7 km3) of precipitation each day.
Each day, 280 mi3 (1,170 km3)of water evaporate or transpire into the atmosphere.
If all of the world’s water was poured on the United States, it would cover the land to a depth of 90 miles (145 kilometers).
Of the freshwater on Earth, much more is stored in the ground than is available in lakes and rivers. More than 2,000,000 mi3 (8,400,000 km3)of freshwater is stored in the Earth, most within one-half mile of the surface. But, if you really want to find freshwater, the most is stored in the 7,000,000 mi3 (29,200,000 km3) of water found in glaciers and icecaps, mainly in the polar regions and in Greenland.
Where is Earth’s water located?
For a detailed explanation of where Earth’s water is, look at the data table below. Notice how of the world’s total water supply of about 333 million mi3 of water, over 96 percent is saline. And, of the total freshwater, over 68 percent is locked up in ice and glaciers. Another 30 percent of freshwater is in the ground. Rivers are the source of most of the fresh surface water people use, but they only constitute about 300 mi3 (1,250 km3), about 1/10,000 th of one percent of total water.
Note: percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
One estimate of global water distribution
Water volume, in cubic miles
Water volume, in cubic kilometers
Percent of
total water
Oceans, Seas, & Bays 321,000,000 1,338,000,000 — 96.54
Ice caps, Glaciers, & Permanent Snow 5,773,000 24,064,000 68.6 1.74
Ground water 5,614,000 23,400,000 — 1.69
Fresh 2,526,000 10,530,000 30.1 0.76
Saline 3,088,000 12,870,000 — 0.93
Soil Moisture 3,959 16,500 0.05 0.001
Ground Ice & Permafrost 71,970 300,000 0.86 0.022
Lakes 42,320 176,400 — 0.013
Fresh 21,830 91,000 0.26 0.007
Saline 20,490 85,400 — 0.007
Atmosphere 3,095 12,900 0.04 0.001
Swamp Water 2,752 11,470 0.03 0.0008
Rivers 509 2,120 0.006 0.0002
Biological Water 269 1,120 0.003 0.0001
Source: Igor Shiklomanov’s chapter “World fresh water resources” in Peter H. Gleick (editor), 1993, Water in Crisis: A Guide to the World’s Fresh Water Resources (Oxford University Press, New York).
Image: Illustration by Jack Cook, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; USGS.
NASA Study Provides New Estimates for the Global Water Cycle
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NASA Study Shows Wind and Warm Water Accelerating Glacier Melt
Storing Carbon Emissions in Deep Saline Aquifers
“Super-Earths” May be More Earth-Like than Previously Thought
NASA Study Reveals West Antarctic Glaciers in Irreversible State of Decline
New Cassini Images of Titan’s Hydrocarbon Seas and Lakes
4 Comments on "Earth’s Water Supply Summed Up in One “Tiny” Bubble"
kenny | September 16, 2012 at 9:45 am | Reply
I’m no genius but if you take over 300 million cubit miles and square it up it is alot more than a 860 mile sphere!? Duh1
matt | September 21, 2012 at 1:06 pm | Reply
water volume in cubic miles is not squared. volume measures in three dimensions. this is truly all the water we have.
Now.. if they meant to say or somehow I missed that that 860 mile sphere were fresh water only!? I might not be so confused…
Jeff | May 23, 2014 at 8:59 am | Reply
seeing the fact the “space” starts at 60 miles above the surface of the planet and this ball is suppose to be 860 miles high. means its more than 14 times further than the edge of our atmosphere.
They also mention this “ball” is 1,385 kilometers in diameter putting that into perspective Pluto is 2330 km in diameter.
I’d say there is alot of water this all coming after we had an article speaking about the Millions of gallon of water they believe is trapped in the mantle.
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'Ghostbusters 3' Starting Production in 2012? Aykroyd Drops Casting Hints
by Kofi Outlaw
At this point it's getting kind of tiring to even write about Ghostbusters 3 - what with all the back-and-forth rumors and talk from the former cast members (Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray in particular) and director Ivan Reitman. No matter what has been said about the status of the film, who will or will not be coming back, and what the plot will be, it's all summated to one glaring truth: lot of talk, very little action.
But now, according (yet again) to Dan Aykroyd, the Ghostbusters threequel is about to stop spinning its wheels in development limbo and start moving full-speed ahead - perhaps without Bill Murray.
The latest word from Aykroyd came during the actor's conversation with comedian Dennis Miller during a segment of Miller's radio show, The Dennis Miller Show (fitting name). Here's what Aykroyd had to say, in response to the question of whether they were going to start making Ghostbusters 3:
Ah yes, we will be doing the movie, and hopefully with Mr. Murray - that is our hope. We have an excellent script, and what we have to remember is that Ghostbusters is kind of bigger than any one component. Although Billy was absolutely the lead and was contributive to it in a massive way - as was the director [Ivan Reitman] and [Harold Ramis], myself, and all of us, Sigourney - the concept is bigger than an individual role. The promise of 'Ghostbusters 3' is that we get to hand the equipment and the franchise down to new blood -because my character, Ray, is now blind in one eye, can't drive the Cadillac, has a bad hip, a bad knee, can't pick up the [proton pack] - Egon is too large to get into the harness - so we need young blood. And that's the promise: we're going to hand it to a new generation. So yes, we will begin production in the Spring, I hope.
When asked by Miller if there were any specific actors they were considering as "new blood," Aykroyd responded:
I like this guy Matthew Gray Gubler from the Criminal Minds show - but it's going to be a casting, we're going to see everyone who wants to do it...we need three guys and a young woman.
Now, there are a few important things that need to be extrapolated from those statements Aykroyd made:
There's the whole "hopefully with Mr. Murray - that is our hope" bit. The way Aykroyd conveyed that information makes it sound like they will move ahead with Ghostbusters 3 with or without Bill Murray. Of course, Murray is one of the rights holders of the franchise, and needs to approve any new films before they can be made; but then, he could give his blessing to make the threequel without ever having to become involved in it himself. Nothing easier than sitting back and collecting money.
It sounded pretty certain that they will start making the movie in spring of 2012, which would put it on track for either late 2012 or early 2013.
By now it's common knowledge that The Office writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky were working with Aykroyd and Ramis to craft a "passing the torch" storyline for the film, but Aykroyd has now confirmed that they are going for a new team of young Ghostbusters - one that will be three-quarters male and one-quarter female.
Matthew Gray Gubler? I'm not familiar with his work on Criminal Minds, so I wonder if he has the comedic chops of a true Ghostbuster. Let us know in the comments.
If this all pans out, I know a lot of fans will be happy that all the talk is over and something is actually happening with this flick. Of course, they'll be less happy if they then find out that Bill Murray isn't a part of the project - and they'll be wishing this Pandora's Box never got opened at all if Ghostbusters 3 ends up being like the last film that Ramis, Eisenberg and Stupnitsky worked on together - the reprehensible Year One. Remember: concern about how badly that film turned out is the reason why Bill Murray hasn't been enthused about the prospects of this new Ghostbusters flick.
We'll keep you updated on the status of Ghostbusters 3 as more news rolls in.
For the actual words from Aykroyd's mouth, head over to The Dennis Miller Show.
Source: Hat Tip to "SarahDMZ"
Tags: ghostbusters 3
Leonardo DiCaprio Awkwardly Responds To Titanic Door Controversy
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Aug 14, 2017 · 08:27 pm Updated Aug 14, 2017 · 08:59 pm
health crisis
Cholera killed nearly 2,000 people during the past four months in Yemen, says WHO report
The organisation said that nearly 2,000 people have died of the disease across 96% of the country’s governorates.
Nearly 2,000 people have died of cholera in Yemen in the last four months, the World Health Organisation said on Monday. It added that more than five lakh people have been affected by the water-borne disease, and there are over 5,000 new cases every day.
The epidemic has spread rapidly because of the ongoing war and the depleting hygiene and sanitation conditions across the country. The disease can kill within hours if not treated, the statement said. The organisation has recorded 5,03,484 cases and 1,975 deaths. As many as 96% of the governorates in the country have been affected by the outbreak.
“Yemen’s health workers are operating in impossible conditions,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Thousands of people are sick, but there are not enough hospitals, not enough medicines, not enough clean water.”
More than 30,000 critical health workers have not been paid their salaries for nearly a year, the organisation has said. He also sought a political solution to the conflict, and said, “The people of Yemen cannot bear it much longer – they need peace to rebuild their lives and their country”.
Between April 27 and June 20, WHO had registered more than 1,70,000 suspected cholera cases in 20 governorates across Yemen.
Support our journalism by subscribing to Scroll+ here. We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in.
Doctors treating North Korean soldier who defected to the South find 11-inch worm in his stomach
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Stitchers no season 4
Will there be Stitchers season 4? We need the new season! Is the series renewed or cancelled by Freeform? Give us the release date in 2018!
Low rating of the series Stitchers can leave fans without the 4th season. Experts doubt that the release date for new episodes will be announced, but this does not mean that the project is canceled.
At the moment there is no official information about the renewal of this criminal drama, but the chances of obtaining financing for further production are not high. There is information that the Freeform channel representatives are discussing with the creators of the show, but there are no positive results so far.
Is it worth waiting for good news in the near future? We are following the announcements and update this article immediately after receiving the confirmed information. Do not miss!
The plot tells an interesting story of a young girl who works for one secret and strong state organization. Her work is an unusual way to solve murders. She is able to merge with the consciousness of the dead people, and thus pull out the information necessary for disclosure.
Stitchers season 4 release date – [cancelled] (UPDATE 1)
Would you like to watch the 4th season of the series Stitchers? Are you waiting for the date of the premiere?
UPDATE 1 (September 17, 2017): Freeform has cancelled the Stitchers series after three seasons.
Stitchers season 3 start date 2017
Stitchers season 2 premiere start date
Famous in Love season 2 release date
Baby Daddy season 6 release date 2017
Bring Stitchers back!!!!!!!
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I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas
I mentioned Yogi Yorgesson in yesterday's essay -- and it occurred to me that not everyone would catch the reference. If you press play, you'll hear Mr. Yorgesson's magnum opus, "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas." For you young people in the audience, the spinning object pictured in the video is called a "record." It is spinning on a device called a "turntable," in this case at a giddy 78 revolutions per minute. The instrument through which the music is picked up off the record and fed into the speakers is called a "tone arm." At the end of the tone arm is a needle. Seriously. It is riding along in the "grooves" on the record, where the data (the music) is stored.
Yes, really.
There is one song on each side of this record. For those of you who wonder where why the word "album" is used for music collections, imagine four or five of these 78's, in their respective paper envelopes, bound up in a binding: It would look like a picture album, at least a little, on the outside, but it would be instead a record album. By the time that multiple songs could be put on single 12" vinyl discs, the term "album" had come to have its present meaning.
You kids still use the word "album," right?
Labels: Christmas, Just for giggles, Music Hath Charms
Jean-Luc Picard said...
It's a far cry from am MP3
Love learning, didn't know the origin of album.
Curmudgeon's Laws
Christmas with Rodent & the Curmudgeon clan -- Par...
These just tickled my funny bone this morning
If you don't want to see the same old movies this ...
I spent much of last week looking for the electric...
About those 12 Days of Christmas....
Family at Christmas: The ties that bind... and cha...
What is America?
An illustration of why things never get done as fa...
Ah, the glamor of the solo practice.... yet anothe...
Showing cause -- or -- How Curmudgeon outsmarted h...
Fifth Blogiversary: Timing could be better....
RIP Ron Santo
Programming Note
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WATCH: Former ConsenSys Fintech Lead Says Facebook Will Rule Crypto Payments
Sophisticated Trading Bot Exploits Synthetix Oracle, Funds Recovered
July 5, 2019 Happy
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One of the known security vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency is the human being and his or her capacity for foolish acts. If a transaction hasn’t cleared at least once on any blockchain, including Bitcoin, it’s not secure. No Means No in Blockchain Confirmations On faster blockchains like Tron or EOS, you can wait even longer. The point isn’t always to be sure the transaction is legitimate. Sometimes it’s to be sure you received it on the right chain. Earlier this year, CCN reported on a string of bitcoin ATM robberies in…
Stablecoin Market is Showing Signs of Solid Growth
The cryptocurrency market has possibly been one of the most innovative things to have emerged over the past decade or so, and during the course of that period, it has taken the world by storm. However, as everyone knows, ecosystems evolve, and that is what has been happening with regards to the cryptocurrency ecosystem as well. Eventually, the establishment of exchanges allowed millions of people to buy and sell cryptocurrencies with a few clicks. It was the brainchild of crypto exchanges to introduce a new digital asset class, which was…
39,000 More Merchants Can Accept Litecoin With Flexa Integration
New York-based blockchain payment startup Flexa has added litecoin (LTC) as the fifth crypto accepted by merchants on its payment network, the company officially announced on July 3. Following the listing, litecoin is now accepted as payment at more than 39,250 locations, as Flexa tweeted yesterday. Litecoin, the fourth biggest crypto by market cap, has become the first cryptocurrency to be added to the list of supported coins within Flexa network since its launch on May 13, the firm stated. Through the first application built on Flexa network, Spedn, the…
Major Chinese Financial News Provider Quietly Adds Crypto Index
Sina Finance, a finance-focused website owned by China’s major tech company Sina Corp, has added crypto index into its mobile app, China-focused online Twitter resource Cnledger reported on July 3. The new index on China’s major financial news channel provides data on prices and performance of major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin (BTC), bitcoin cash (BCH), litecoin (LTC), XRP, and ether (ETH), according to a mobile app screenshot provided by Cnledger. Screenshot of Sina Finance’s Crypto Index on Mobile. Source: Cnledger The new crypto index is only available on the Sina…
How Malta Is Becoming the Global Capital of Crypto
Some things never change, like the Megalithic Temples built in Malta over 5,000 years ago. These days, however, that may be the only thing that remains unchanged in Malta. With a population of just under half a million and being mostly famous as a destination for European teenagers to study English during their summer vacation, Malta has recently become a star on the crypto map. Having already had a positive experience hosting online gambling companies, which makes up a very significant portion (13%) of Malta’s GDP, the island is now…
Crypto Company Gives Individuals a Chance to Mine Bitcoin Without Sky-High Energy Bills
With demand for Bitcoin on the rise in response to soaring prices of late, attention is increasingly being turned to mining. However, the market has changed from the early days of cryptocurrency, when Bitcoin was in plentiful supply, as few knew about the opportunity and high mining rewards could be gained by individuals using a small setup at home. These days, an unhelpful combination of fierce competition, algorithmic difficulties and high maintenance costs often mean it’s economically unviable to fly solo when mining crypto. In response, a novel alternative has emerged…
Latin America’s Biggest Investment Bank to Sell $1 Billion in STOs Using Tezos
Latin America’s biggest investment bank, BTG Pactual, plans to shift its security token offerings (STOs), a pipeline of over $1 billion in sales, onto the Tezos blockchain. The announcement appeared in a joint press release published on Tezos Foundation’s website on July 3. The new initiative is a collaboration between BTG Pactual and Dubai-based asset manager Dalma Capital, who plan to tokenize a number of traditional assets using the Tezos blockchain and smart contracts platform. According to the announcement, Dalma Capital is planning to use the Tezos blockchain for digitizing…
Blockchain Draft Bill to be Ready This Year
The finance minister of Cyprus, Harris Georgiades, has said that the country’s blockchain regulation draft will be ready this year. English-language local finance news outlet FinancialMirror reported the news on July 4. Per the report, Georgiades described blockchain technology as “a new technological revolution similar to that of the internet.” Demetris Syllouris, House speaker, also praised the technology’s potential during the event: “Full implementation of this technology across the public and private sector is expected to radically change the structures of modern societies, the way they are organized and their…
Can the Crypto Market Live Without It?
There is perhaps no other crypto asset more subject to scrutiny and accusations of impropriety than the Tether stablecoin. The startup behind the coin has been blamed for market manipulation while its business dealings and accounting practices have stirred up many concerns. Critics argue that Tether lacks transparency, possibly engages in criminal activity and does not have the financial backing that it claims. These accusations are somewhat vindicated by the current case by the New York Attorney General (NYAG) against the business and its owner, iFinex, which is also the…
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Peru State (Neb.) vs. Dordt (Iowa)
Box Score Detailed
Dordt (Iowa) at Peru State (Neb.)
Score by Innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 - R H E
Dordt (Iowa) 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 - 5 7 1
Peru State (Neb.) 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 - 4 4 5
Dordt (Iowa) ( 3-3)
VandenBerg, Marissa SS 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0
May, Corinne 2B 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3
Vos, Natalie PR 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Heeringa, Hailey 3B 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1
Evavold, Rachel P 4 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 0
Veldkamp, Hope PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DeRoin, Carley LF 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0
Williams, Ashley CF 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Sikkema, Hannah 1B 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 1 1 2
Bousema, Krista DP 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Jacobsma, Macy PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Kooiker, Jennifer RF 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0
VanderHart, Kristen PH 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Smith, Abby C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0
Total: 31 5 7 5 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 21 8 1 7 9
Peru State (Neb.) (0-2)
Paulo-Meyers, Alexis SS 4 2 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 1
Farrell, Tyler 1B 3 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 2
Carlos, Rachel DH 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hartman, Megan P 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 1 1
Garcia, Sandy 3B 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 0
Mitchel, Hannah RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 1
Nelson, Elizabeth 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0
Moya, Taylor CF 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 1 2 0
Kirby, Regan LF 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0
Snyder, Erin C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
Dordt (Iowa)
Evavold, Rachel 7.0 4 4 4 2 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 26 28 7 5 0 0 105
Total: 7.0 4 4 4 2 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 26 28 7 5 0 0 105
Peru State (Neb.)
Hartman, Megan 7.0 7 5 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 31 31 7 9 0 0 84
Total: 7.0 7 5 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 31 31 7 9 0 0 84
Winner- Evavold, Rachel Loser- Hartman, Megan Save-
WP- PB- BK-
HBP-
U- T- 15:30 A- 0
Dordt (Iowa) vs. Peru State (Neb.)
Dordt (Iowa) Starting Lineup-
Marissa VandenBerg (SS), Corinne May (2B), Hailey Heeringa (3B), Rachel Evavold (P), Carley DeRoin (LF), Ashley Williams (CF), Hannah Sikkema (1B), Krista Bousema (DP), Jennifer Kooiker (RF), Abby Smith (C).
Peru State (Neb.) Starting Lineup-
Alexis PAULO-MEYERS (SS), Tyler FARRELL (1B), Rachel CARLOS (DH), Megan HARTMAN (P), Sandy GARCIA (3B), Hannah MITCHEL (RF), Elizabeth NELSON (2B), Taylor MOYA (CF), Regan KIRBY (LF), Erin SNYDER (C).
Umpires-
Top of 1st- Marissa VandenBerg grounded out to third(5-3). Corinne May flied out to left-center(8). Hailey Heeringa flied out to right(9).
(0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)
Bottom of 1st- Alexis PAULO-MEYERS struck out swinging. Tyler FARRELL flied out to right(9). Rachel CARLOS struck out looking.
Top of 2nd- Rachel Evavold singled to shallow right. Veldkamp pinch running for Evavold, Hope Veldkamp advanced to second, on a stolen base. Carley DeRoin struck out looking. Ashley Williams lined out to the pitcher's mound(1). Hannah Sikkema flied out to deep center(8).
(0 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)
Bottom of 2nd- Evavold now in to pitch, replacing Veldkamp. Megan HARTMAN grounded out to short(6-3). Sandy GARCIA singled, up the middle. Hannah MITCHEL struck out swinging. Elizabeth NELSON grounded out to the pitcher's mound(1-3).
Top of 3rd- Krista Bousema flied out to center(8). Jennifer Kooiker struck out swinging. Marissa VandenBerg lined out to third(5).
Bottom of 3rd- Taylor MOYA grounded out to third(5-3). Regan KIRBY reached on a walk. Alexis PAULO-MEYERS doubled to deep left, Regan KIRBY advanced to third. Tyler FARRELL singled to deep left-center, Regan KIRBY Scored, Alexis PAULO-MEYERS Scored. Rachel CARLOS struck out looking. Megan HARTMAN struck out looking.
Top of 4th- Corinne May flied out to shallow center(8). Hailey Heeringa grounded out, thru the hole at 2nd base(4-3). Rachel Evavold grounded out, thru the hole at SS(6-3).
Bottom of 4th- Sandy GARCIA grounded out to second(4-3). Hannah MITCHEL reached base on Hannah Sikkema's missed catch(E3). Elizabeth NELSON reached first on the fielder's choice, Hannah MITCHEL was forced out(4-6). Taylor MOYA struck out looking.
(0 Runs, 0 Hits, 1 Error, 1 LOB)
Top of 5th- Carley DeRoin singled, thru the hole at 2nd base. Ashley Williams singled, up the middle, Carley DeRoin advanced to third(E8), on Taylor MOYA's bobble(E8), Ashley Williams advanced to second, via previous entered error. Hannah Sikkema flied out to right-center(9), Carley DeRoin Scored, Ashley Williams advanced to third(E6), on Alexis PAULO-MEYERS' missed catch(E6). Krista Bousema popped out to the 3rd base foul territory(5). Jennifer Kooiker grounded out to the infield(3).
(1 Run, 2 Hits, 2 Errors, 1 LOB)
Bottom of 5th- Regan KIRBY reached on a walk. Alexis PAULO-MEYERS hit a 2 run home run(2), over the right field fence on a 0-0 count, Regan KIRBY Scored. Tyler FARRELL flied out to deep left-center(7). Rachel CARLOS struck out swinging. Megan HARTMAN flied out to deep left(7).
Top of 6th- Marissa VandenBerg reached base on Elizabeth NELSON's bobble(E4). Corinne May popped out to the infield(3). Hailey Heeringa reached first on the fielder's choice, Marissa VandenBerg was forced out(6-4). Rachel Evavold tripled to deep right, Hailey Heeringa Scored. Carley DeRoin singled to second. Ashley Williams popped out to short(6).
(1 Run, 2 Hits, 1 Error, 2 LOB)
Bottom of 6th- Sandy GARCIA grounded out to the pitcher's mound(1-3). Hannah MITCHEL flied out to left(7). Elizabeth NELSON struck out looking.
Top of 7th- Hannah Sikkema grounded out to short(6-3). Jacobsma pinch hitting for Bousema. Macy Jacobsma grounded out to the pitcher's mound(1-3). VanderHart pinch hitting for Kooiker. Kristen VanderHart doubled to right-center. Marissa VandenBerg singled to center, Kristen VanderHart advanced to third. Marissa VandenBerg advanced to second, on a stolen base. Corinne May reached base on Regan KIRBY's missed catch(E7), Kristen VanderHart Scored, Marissa VandenBerg Scored. Vos pinch running for May. Hailey Heeringa reached base on Sandy GARCIA's bobble(E5), Natalie Vos Scored. Rachel Evavold grounded out to the pitcher's mound(1-3).
Bottom of 7th- May came in to play 2B, Vos goes out. Jacobsma moves to DP. VanderHart moves to RF. Taylor MOYA grounded out to the pitcher's mound(1-3). Regan KIRBY grounded out to short(6-3). Alexis PAULO-MEYERS flied out to deep left-center(8).
DakStats by Daktronics Inc. Brookings, SD
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All the marketing theory, insight and blather that I’ve read fails to explain some obvious phenonema. For example, why do some products seem to market themselves while others struggle? Why are some consumer behaviors so ingrained, while others disappear almost overnight?
So I think it’s time to talk about Carl Jung.
Here’s what the wikipedia says about Jung’s theory of archetypes:
…the collective unconscious is composed of archetypes. In contrast to
the objective material world, the subjective realm of archetypes can
not be adequately understood through quantitative modes of research.
Instead it can only begin to be revealed through an examination of the
symbolic communications of the human psyche—in art, dreams, religion,
myth, and the themes of human relational/behavioral patterns. Devoting
his life to the task of exploring and understanding the collective
unconscious, Jung discovered that certain symbolic themes exist across all cultures, all epochs, and in every individual.
Let me try out an example on you:
Food = Love
Parts of the world wrestle with hunger, famine and even starvation. Yet in many of these cultures, it is unthinkable to eat brown rice. Think about that.. for thousands of years, people ate brown rice, which is easier to prepare, more nutritious and far more efficient than white rice (more food per bushel harvested). And yet, there’s something so powerful about the symbol of white rice that it is embraced by people who should (and probably do) know better.
Or take it closer to home. Four obese people in a restaurant, eating far more than they should, because they can.
Or a parent sending a child to school with a white bread bagel, even though she knows that it’s not healthy–just because it’s what she grew up with.
These are all irrational acts, things that we can’t chalk up to ignorance or lack of access to alternatives. Instead, they play into a very complex set of beliefs that seem to cross cultures.
Why so much Spam (the luncheon meat, not the email) in Hawaii and other Pacific cultures? I don’t think we can chalk it up to distribution, coupons or tv ads. Instead, I think there’s a complicated relationship between an archetype and the symbols that the food represents.
I think it’s interesting to explore some fundamental consumer archetypes and how marketers have tapped into them (usually accidentally). The goal isn’t to explain the origins of these often irrational needs, but to realize that they are there. Gravity’s causes are unknown, but we still need to factor it in to our lives. Same with archetypes. We don’t have to understand them to leverage them.
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Home OPINION Sarri will make Kante an all-round midfielder
Sarri will make Kante an all-round midfielder
Maurizio Sarri hasn’t come to Chelsea with the just the implementation of the Sarriball philosophy in mind.
This is obvious in how the team has lined up since the commencement of the season with respect to formation changes, style of play, and significant changes in the roles of players.
One instance of a significant change in the role of players is that of N’golo Kante.
The French man is obviously not one who craves for the limelight but his triumph with France in the World Cup whilst playing his natural position in midfield has put him there.
Lampard will bring some of his back room staffs to Chelsea
Lampard’s Chelsea return very close
Latest development on Gonzalo Higuain
The Frenchman’s new role in the Chelsea team is one that will transform him into a better all-round player in terms of efficiency in every midfield position on the pitch.
READ: Chelsea blocked Abraham’s £25m move to Spurs
Kante has established himself as one of the most tenacious, intelligent, and technically gifted players in the Premier League. He’s adept at winning the ball and distributing it.
This has been his role at Chelsea all this while. However, a shift in responsibilities is apparent as we’ve seen Kante operate more in the final third of the opposition box this season.
ALSO READ: Chelsea and Sarri reportedly agree on a two-year deal
The midfielder has now been saddled with the additional responsibility of scoring goals and providing assists under Sarri. The player who has been described as a destroyer is now being asked to be a creator and a finisher.
Kante scored in his first game operating in the new role in the Premier League against Huddersfield Town although it was a scuffed strike. This was a far cry from his brilliant solo goal against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in 2017.
Kante has made four attempts on goal in two games this season. His last season’s average was 0.8 shots per game, the season preceding that was 0.7.
ALSO READ: Sarri will need time to flourish at Chelsea
This is a new challenge for Kante as his efforts in tackling and recovering balls will now be less, with priority now being on receiving balls and attempting to create chances or score.
The player also expressed optimism in his new role as he revealed that he was working very hard in training to ensure that he meets the demands of the new role.
Hopefully, he adapts brilliantly and also becomes one of the threats that Chelsea’s opponents this season will find difficult to fathom.
chelsea midfielder kante
kante new role under sarri
MAURIZIO SARRI
SARRIBALL
De Laurentiis takes swipe at Maurizio Sarri - SaveChelsea.net August 24, 2018 at 10:33 am
[…] READ: Sarri will make Kante an all-round midfielder […]
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Rugby union 4
2017 Australian sports season review: healthy competition or overwhelming choice?
Looking at the 2017 seasons of the five biggest Australian leagues, Sportcal analyses the competition between the codes to make the biggest impact on this lucrative sports market.
Hosting the Rugby World Cup: A review of Ireland 2017 and the bid process for 2023
With the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 coming to an end and the Rugby World Cup 2023 bidding process under way, Sportcal provides a review of Ireland 2017 and an insight into the three bids for the Rugby World Cup 2023.
Fluctuating attendances at top club and international rugby union competitions
As the northern hemisphere’s rugby union season draws to a close, Sportcal analyses the attendance data from the leading annual club and international competitions.
'Biggest and best' Rugby World Cup signals bright future for World Rugby
The eighth edition of the Rugby World Cup reached new heights in 2015 with England and Wales hosting the largest number of spectators and visitors in the tournament’s history. Almost 2.5 million people attended the 48 matches, with 460,000 overseas visitors estimated to have travelled to the region for the six-week event. The tournament was shown in 209 nations and territories by 103 licensed broadcasters, of which 43 were free-to-air, with a potential reach of 780 million households.
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‘Scrappy’ is not the same as ‘crappy’
The only choice is to launch before you’re ready.
Before it’s perfect.
Before it’s 100% proven to be no risk to you.
At that moment, your resistance says, “don’t ship it, it’s crappy stuff. We don’t ship crap.”
And it’s true that you shouldn’t ship work that’s hurried, sloppy or ungenerous.
But what’s actually on offer is something scrappy.
Scrappy means that while it’s unpolished, it’s better than good enough.
Scrappy doesn’t care about cosmetics as much as it cares about impact.
Scrappy is flexible and resilient and ready to learn.
Ship scrappy.
[HT to Joshua].
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Posts Tagged ‘Gilbert’s Gift’
Adele reveals new song co-written with Tobias Jesso Jr.
Adele has unveiled a brand new song—titled ‘When We Were Young’—which was co-written with Canadian singer-songwriter Tobias Jesso Jr. The song is taken from Adele’s new album, 25, which is available from November 20.
Jesso’s music has been compared to singer-songwriters of the 1960s and 1970s such as Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson and Emitt Rhodes.
Commenting on teaming up with the 30-year-old Canadian, Adele said: “I loved Tobias Jesso Jr’s song ‘Hollywood’ and I reached out to him when I was working on 25. I say I reached out… I got my manager to contact his manager. I’m pretty behind on social networking culture, I’d have no idea how to do it. Also I didn’t want to ask and have him say, “Absolutely not, I think you’re shit.” At least if my manager asks, he can absorb the rejection and just never tell me. Anyway, he was well up for it.”
And here’s the stunning result of their collaboration…
Tags:Adele, baby boomers, Brian Will Oliver, Gilbert's Gift, music magazine, over-50s, over-50s music magazine, Sh-Boom Magazine
Posted in Pop, Singer-songwriters, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
The Beatles release newly-restored videos for ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘We Can Work It Out’
The Beatles’ updated and expanded version of their best-of collection, The Beatles 1, has just been released in a variety of formats.
The deluxe version (known as The Beatles 1+) includes a DVD or Blu-Ray of newly-restored videos for all of the songs featured on the original album.
According to Apple Corps, an 18-person team of film and video technicians and restoration artists spent months undertaking painstaking frame-by-frame cleaning, colour-grading, digital enhancement and new edits for the videos.
After the videos for ‘Revolution’ and ‘A Day in the Life’ were recently made available to the public for the first time, this week sees the release of the newly-restored videos for ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘We Can Work It Out’ …
Tags:1960s, baby boomers, Brian Will Oliver, Gilbert's Gift, oldies, over-50s, over-50s music magazine, Sh-Boom, Sh-Boom Magazine, The Beatles, The Beatles 1+
Posted in Compilations, music of the 1960s, Pop | Leave a Comment »
The Who’s ‘Quadrophenia’ to be launched as a fully immersive cinematic experience
The movie classic Quadrophenia – based on The Who’s 1973 double-album rock opera – is set to become a fully immersive cinematic and theatrical experience which, the producers claim, will “plunge fans into the sights and sounds of 1964 and capture the spirit of the era”.
Many of the film’s key stars will be taking part in the event which will be staged at London’s Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith on 11 February 2016. Joining Phil Daniels – who played the central role of disaffected Mod teenager Jimmy Cooper – will be Toyah Wilcox, Trevor Laird, Garry Cooper and Daniel Peacock. The stars will add an extra dimension to the event by sharing their memories in a special Q&A.
As well as a screening of the 1979 film and the Q&A session, there will be staged re-enactments throughout the night of scenes from the film to conjure up the feel of the mid-60s era in which it is set. The all-important sounds of the day will be performed live by leading Who tribute act Who’s Who, and there will also be a display of Sixties memorabilia (including original Vespas and their real life Mod owners).
Director Franc Roddam’s film is seen as a classic tale of alienation, disillusionment and escapism, as well as an important document capturing an important part of British youth history and rebellion. Watching the movie has been a rite of passage for millions since its release and the Mod era has been a source of fascination for generations, with its fashions and music continuing to resonate today.
Quadrophenia reflected the real-life situation of the day as partisan teenagers in fish-tails and leathers sought excitement through large scale scuffles when Mods and Rockers clashed at British seaside resorts.
Rolling Stone magazine has ranked the two-hour film as one of the top ten rock and roll movies of all time. The soundtrack featured many of The Who’s songs from the original Quadrophenia album, including tracks such as ‘5.15’.
Tickets for the immersive live performance are available from 9am on Friday 6 November at http://www.eventimapollo.com and http://www.axs.com. Standard ticket prices range from £30 to £43. VIP tickets £69.50.
Here’s The Who’s video for ‘5.15’ …
Tags:1960s, baby boomers, Brian Will Oliver, Gilbert's Gift, Mods, oldies, over-50s, Quadrophenia, Sh-Boom, The Who
Posted in Concerts, Movies, music of the 1960s, Pop | Leave a Comment »
The Beatles reveal previously unseen 1968 promo video for ‘Revolution’
Photo: Apple Corps.
Apple Corps is set to release an updated version of the Beatles’ White Album on November 6 along with a DVD of performances of the songs from the original album.
The DVD will include a previously unseen promotional video of the John Lennon song ‘Revolution’ which was the B-side of ‘Hey Jude’, released in August 1968 (you can watch the video below).
‘Revolution’ was inspired by the many political protests in early 1968. Two versions of the song were recorded: a hard rock version (the one heard on the B-side of ‘Hey Jude’) and a slower, bluesy arrangement (titled ‘Revolution 1′) for the Beatles’ self-titled double album, commonly known as the ‘White Album’.
Although the single version was issued first, it was recorded several weeks after ‘Revolution 1’ as a re-make and was specifically intended for release as a single. A third connected piece, written by Lennon, is the experimental track ‘Revolution 9’, which evolved from an unused, spoken-word portion of ‘Revolution 1’. It also appears on the White Album.
Producer George Martin said the record was able to get its distinctive distorted sound by plugging the amps directly into the Abbey Road recording desk and pushing the volume into the red. “We got into distortion on that, which we had a lot of complaints from the technical people about,” said Martin. “But that was the idea. It was John’s song and the idea was to push it right to the limit. Well, we went to the limit and beyond.”
Filming for promotional clips of ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Revolution’ took place on September 4, 1968 at Twickenham Film Studios in England, under the direction of Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Two finished clips of ‘Revolution’ were produced, with only lighting differences and other minor variations. The Beatles sang the vocals live over the pre-recorded instrumental track from the single version.
Here’s the previously unseen video of ‘Revolution’ …
Tags:1960s, baby boomers, Beatles White Album, Brian Will Oliver, Gilbert's Gift, oldies, over-50s music magazine, Revolution, Sh-Boom, Sh-Boom Magazine, The Beatles
Posted in DVD, music of the 1960s, Pop | Leave a Comment »
Les Paul centenary marked with Gibson Les Paul Award at Q Magazine Awards
With this year marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of guitar legend Les Paul, guitar manufacturer Gibson is partnering with Q Magazine to present the Gibson Les Paul Award as part of this year’s Q Awards, which take place on October 19 in London.
The iconic Gibson Les Paul guitar is one of the most famous instruments in rock history and the Gibson Les Paul Award is presented to specially recognise guitar playing and innovation.
Les Paul is named as one of Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of all time. His innovative talents extended into his playing style – including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing – which set him apart from his contemporaries and continue to inspire many guitarists today.
During his career he received 36 Gold records, eleven No.1 hits and several Grammy awards, among many other accolades. He was also a pioneer in the development of multi-track recording, over-dubbing and numerous other recording techniques.
Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson CEO and chairman said: “We’re delighted to be partnering again with Bauer Media and Q Magazine as a supporter of this year’s Q Awards. The Gibson Les Paul Award, salutes innovation, artistry and inspiration in guitar playing and holds even greater prestige in 2015, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Les Paul.”
(Photo: Thomas Faivre-Duboz)
Tags:baby boomers, Brian Will Oliver, Gibson Les Paul, Gilbert's Gift, Les Paul, music magazine, oldies music magazine, over-50s, over-50s music magazine, Sh-Boom Magazine
Posted in Rock | Leave a Comment »
Paul McCartney talks about writing songs with Michael Jackson
To pave the way for a remixed, deluxe edition of his classic album Pipes of Peace, Paul McCartney has released a remix of his 1983 hit with Michael Jackson, ‘Say, Say, Say’, which was originally produced by George Martin. The song became Jackson’s seventh Top 10 hit in a year.
In the video below, McCartney talks to Manic Street Preachers’ frontman James Dean Bradfield about what it was like to write songs such as ‘Say, Say, Say’ with Michael Jackson.
McCartney reveals that the song was written quickly, with Jackson and himself face-to-face around a piano in the former Beatle’s London office.
“It came very easily because I was excited to be writing with him and he was excited to write with me,” said McCartney. “We just popped off each other.”
Tags:baby boomers, Brian Will Oliver, George Martin, Gilbert's Gift, Manic Street Preachers, Michael Jackson, music magazine, oldies music magazine, over-50s, Paul McCartney, Sh-Boom Magazine, The Beatles
Posted in Eighties, Pop, Reissues, Rock | Leave a Comment »
David Bowie confirms retirement from touring
David Bowie has confirmed that he has definitely retired from touring for good.
That’s according to Bowie’s longtime booking agent John Giddings, managing director of Solo Music Agency.
“David Bowie is one of the best artists I’ve ever worked with. But every time I see him now, before I even speak to him, he goes, ‘I’m not touring’ and I say, ‘I’m not asking’,” said Giddings during an interview at the recent International Festival Forum (IFF), a two-day event aimed at festivals and booking agents. Giddings promoted Bowie’s 1987 Glass Spider shows at Wembley Stadium. He also represents major artists such as Madonna and U2.
Giddings added: “David has decided to retire and, like Phil Collins, you can’t demand these people go out there again and again and again. I’m really pleased and proud that the last show he ever did in the UK was the 2004 Isle Of Wight Festival.”
What would YOU give to save the life of a stranger’s child? That’s the emotive question posed by this heartwarming novel of selfless courage, a quest for forgiveness, and a Swinging Sixties first love that never grew old.
Tags:baby boomers, Brian Will Oliver, David Bowie, Gilbert's Gift, Glass Spider, over-50s, Phil Collins, Sh-Boom Magazine, Swinging Sixties
Posted in Concerts, Rock | Leave a Comment »
‘Lost’ Beatles recording found after 50 years
Photo: Johnnie Hamp
A recently re-discovered original recording of The Beatles singing ‘Some Other Guy’ at the legendary Cavern Club in 1962 is to go under the hammer as part of a Rock & Pop Memorabilia auction in Liverpool on 4 November 2015.
The old reel-to-reel tape had been languishing in a desk drawer for more than 50 years.
On 22 August 1962, The Beatles were filmed by a Granada Television crew at The Cavern, performing ‘Some Other Guy’ and ‘Kansas City’ for a TV programme called Know The North. However, the sound quality was so poor that it was unable to be broadcast.
When The Beatles came back to Liverpool after recording ‘Love Me Do’ at Abbey Road Studios in London, Granada TV sound engineer Gordon Butler returned to The Cavern with the band on 5 September 1962, with the intention of obtaining a better quality audio recording to dub over the original film footage. Butler took three microphones – two of which he placed on Lennon and McCartney.
The re-recording of ‘Some Other Guy’ reportedly sounded so good that the band’s manager Brian Epstein asked Butler to make five acetate copies which Epstein intended to use to promote the band.
Butler returned to Granada with the re-recorded tape and gave it to legendary TV producer Johnnie Hamp. But due to legal issues with other acts on the show, the programme was never screened and the tape remained in Hamp’s desk drawer for 50 years. He recently discovered it, and, with the help of Beatles historian Paul Wilde, listened to it on a reel-to-reel tape machine. He found the sound quality was still crystal clear five decades later.
The whereabouts of four of the ‘Some Other Guy’ acetates are unknown, but the fifth was sold at auction in 1993 for £16,000 to Apple Records, the label set up by The Beatles in 1968.
All proceeds from the sale of the tape will be donated to charity.
Tags:baby boomers, Brian Epstein, Brian Will Oliver, Cavern Club, Gilbert's Gift, Johnnie Hamp, lost Beatles tape, over-50s, Some Other Guy, Swinging Sixties, The Beatles, The Sixties
Posted in Exhibition, Pop, Rock, Rock and Roll, Sixties, Television | Leave a Comment »
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Home A&E Books Mr. Straight Arrow: The Career of John Hersey, Author of Hiroshima (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), by Jeremy Treglown
Mr. Straight Arrow: The Career of John Hersey, Author of Hiroshima (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), by Jeremy Treglown
by David Luhrssen
John Hersey was a foreign correspondent with a conscience. His 1946 account of Hiroshima after the bomb, originally published in The New Yorker, was poetic in its alertness to language, setting and characters. He was devoted to facts but, in arranging them with the storytelling devices of fiction, anticipated the New Journalism of the 1960s. He deserves to be better remembered. British biographer Jeremy Treglown recalls that Hersey accomplished several firsts, including the first novel on the Holocaust, The Wall (1950), and remained a calm voice of journalistic reason through his death in 1993. Hersey was an insider willing to look outside, a scion of the old East Coast establishment who believed a life without moral purpose wasn’t worth living.
New Journalism The Wall Mr. Straight Arrow: The Career of John Hersey Author of Hiroshima, Farrar, Straus and Giroux), Biography ), Jeremy Treglown
David Luhrssen
David Luhrssen is the Managing Editor of the Shepherd Express. He is author of several books and has been published in Historically Speaking, History Today, the Journal of American History and other journals.
Read more by David Luhrssen
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Details of Tax Revenue - El Salvador
Americas Desk: dev.americas@oecd.org
Name of collection/source
Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean
Revenue Statistics in LAC Countries is a joint publication by the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, the OECD Development Centre, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) , the Inter-American Center for Tax Administrations (CIAT) and the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB). It presents detailed, internationally comparable data on tax revenues for 25 Latin American and Caribbean economies, two of which (Chile and Mexico) are OECD members. Its approach is based on the well-established methodology of the OECD Revenue Statistics (OECD, 2018), which has become an essential reference source for OECD member countries. Comparisons are also made with the average for OECD economies. Comparable tables show total tax revenue data and by tax as a percentage of GDP, and, for the different types of taxes, as a share of total taxation. Detailed country tables show information in national currency values
Dirección General de Tesorería, Ministerio de Hacienda. Banco Central de Reserva y el Instituto Salvadoreño del Seguro Social (General Treasury Directorate, Ministry of Finance, Central Reserve Bank and the Salvadoran Social Security Institute).
Source Periodicity
Date last updated
This data is released at the same time as the annual OECD Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbean. The latest edition became available in March, 2019.
The data are on a cash basis.
Social security contributions are those paid to the Salvadoran Institute of Social Security (ISSS) and exclude contributions to the privately managed regime.
Details of Tax Revenue - El SalvadorContact person/organisation
Revenue Statistics in Latin America and the Caribbeanhttp://www.oecd.org/ctp/revenue-statistics-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-24104736.htmKey statistical concept
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WHEREAS, on March 25, 1844 by Act 97 of the Louisiana Legislature, St. James Episcopal Church was granted a charter ...
-- Senate Resolution No. 236, 2019 Regular Session of the Legislature
175th Anniversary Resolution
On March 25, 1844, the "Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Louisiana, in General Assembly convened,"
approved the charter for the corporate body by the "name, style and title of 'The Rector, Churchwardens and Vestrymen of the Church of St. James, in the Parish of East Baton Rouge, in Communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America."
On Tuesday, June 4, 2019, St. James Episcopal Church was honored with Senate recogntion of the 175th anniversary of our original state charter:
The Rev. Chris Duncan was invited to give the invocation at the start of the legislative day. His prayer was:
Almighty God, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace. As you are the Giver of all good things: we thank you for the majesty and beauty of this land and the great resources you have given us. We pray that we might use them properly. We thank you for the men and women who have made this place strong through their labor, service, and sacrifice. We pray for the strength to do our part in our generation to ensure all people of our state know true freedom. We thank you for the faith we have inherited in all its rich variety. We pray for eyes to see all people as created in the image of God.
O Lord, we now ask your blessing upon all the peoples of our state that we may know your peace and be a blessing to others. We ask your blessing on our lawmakers and legislators that they will have the courage, wisdom, and foresight to faithfully serve in their offices to promote the well-being of all people. Gracious God, we pray all of this in your holy Name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Text of the 2019 Resolution:
WHEREAS, in 1819 two years after the incorporation of Baton Rouge a group of local inhabitants felt the need to establish an Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge and began meeting in the area; and
WHEREAS, on March 16, 1820 they became incorporated and met from place to place including on what is currently these State Capitol grounds thanks to the resilient efforts of a number including Margaret “Peggy” Smith Taylor who sought the permission of her soldier husband, the Garrison Commander Col. Zachary Taylor who granted space at what is now known to us as the Pentagon Barracks to for a chapel; and
WHEREAS, on March 25, 1844 by Act 97 of the Louisiana Legislature, St. James Episcopal Church was granted a charter to operate as a body and to worship under the laws of the state and in communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United Sates of America and subject to the Ecclesiastical government and decisions of the Bishops and Convention of the Diocese of Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, they did purchase the property at the corner of Convention Street and Church now 4th Street in Baton Rouge where they constructed a church consecrated by Bishop Leonidas Polk and have continued worship there for 175 years; and
WHEREAS, the men and women who are aiding in the molding of the church’s reputation today can look to the trials and triumphs of the church’s past in order to chart its future; and
WHEREAS, a church that has sustained itself through fires and yellow fever epidemics, the Civil War and Reconstruction, national economic depression, segregation, and the evolution of the surrounding world is a welcoming congregation; and
WHEREAS, being established itself to be more than a community of the faithful, but a community of faith; and
NOW, THEREFORE, The Senate of Louisiana, does recognize St. James Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge on the occasion of 175 years of worship.
Images of the original act (No. 97), approved March 25, 1844 (click each image for a larger view):
Let the celebrations begin!
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Best of the South Side
Editorial Independence & Donor Transparency Policies
Best of the South Side 2015 | South Shore
Best of South Shore 2015
by Maha Ahmed | September 21, 2015
Juliet Eldred
When Benyamin Macabee, owner of the only Black-owned art space in Chicago between Hyde Park and the Indiana state line, talks of South Shore, there is a pride in his eyes that doesn’t falter, a steadfastness that mirrors South Shore’s own spirit. “The work I’m doing, the work we’re all doing here, is the work of the universe.” Here, between 67th and 83rd Street, the road to community development is music-, art-, food-, and soul-filled, as evidenced by its unusual smorgasbord of claims to fame: the largest group of Black sailors in the country, a comic book collective called Team Visual X, soulful vegan, vegetarian, Chinese, Mexican joints, a huge public golf course, public and private beaches, weekly jazz concerts and musical jam sessions, are all located in the neighborhood.
South Shore, says Macabee, cannot be talked about without mentioning its past, and by extension its present and future: “It’s always changing, but always staying the same.” In light of South Shore’s cheap lakeside real estate, public murals, and several locally-owned stores, many residents see the ongoing Lakeside Development as a signifier that the rest of the city is starting to notice what the neighborhood’s residents have known and worked for as long as they’ve lived here: that South Shore is a robust hub away from the hubbub of the Loop, with all of the same amenities and for a reasonable price.
But this did not come about and does not continue to exist without its share of tumult. An example, The South Shore Cultural Center, with its large expanse of golf course and looming stucco walls, has a history of racism and exclusion—from its opening in 1905 until 1967, the country-like getaway, and the area as an implicit extension, was whites-only. Yet despite the white flight that ensued post-integration, the Cultural Center’s foundational spirit of escape from city life has stayed with the community even now. And it is the people of South Shore, the individuals who know what it is to rebuild and to replenish, the Chef Saras and Chief Nomos, the Black sailors and comic book artists and community center volunteers that make the neighborhood into what Macabee calls “a cocoon”—getting ready to transform into the best its ever been.
Macabee says, “My art gallery is less about me than it is about me.” This is what he meant with the “work of the universe” that South Shore residents are doing: putting work into the community, into the neighborhood kids, into their art, into their health, into their safety, and not expecting any personal payoff. Highlighted here are places, some weird, some old, some fairly young, doing just that. (Maha Ahmed)
✶ ✶ ✶ ✶
Best Mystery Meat
Carl’s Red Hots
Carl’s Red Hots isn’t about flashy details. It isn’t about a new chef, it isn’t a twelve dollar sandwich, and it isn’t a salad. This is the working man’s food. Since 1955, the fast food joint has provided simple fare—hot dogs, polishs, burgers, tamales, and soda, and it’s exactly what you want out of fast food: cheap, fast, and riding the line between rich and more grease than food. While it’s difficult to go wrong with anything on the menu, the polish, and gyros are particularly good (fries on the side, of course). These are filling and hearty, and don’t leave too much grease on your hands afterwards (“too much” here is defined loosely). Chances are you’ll find yourself next to either a construction worker or parents bringing kids for an after school snack.
Carl’s Red Hots, 1957 E. 83rd Street. Daily, 11am–10pm. Average entrée $6–$7. (773) 721-8300. (Clyde Schwab)
Best Feedback-Driven Dining Experience
Chef Sara’s Café
“I don’t like turning my back on my food,” says Sara Phillips, owner of Chef Sara’s Café. Right off of South Shore’s Metra rail stop, on one of the area’s commercial arteries, the café uses the same bright blue awning that holds the signage of every business on the 7200 block of Exchange Avenue. Entirely on hotplates, grills, and Panini makers—no pots, no ovens, microwave status unclear—Phillips and her small but passionate crew cook salmon burgers and veggie paninis from a menu that was solidified barely a month ago.
Opened in 2012, the food offerings of Chef Sara’s have shifted almost daily based off of customer feedback and requests, but one thing has remained the same: Phillips strives to provide the freshest food possible everyday, what she calls an alternative to the many “grease spoons” around the neighborhood. This emphasis on fresh food stems from her 1950s childhood. “As a little girl, my mother put a food pyramid on the refrigerator,” says Phillips. “She told us that if we didn’t make our plates look like that food pyramid, we had to go back and make it look like it.”
Yet unlike most people opening and working at these fresh food coffee joints, who we think of as young first-timers, Phillips opened Chef Sara’s post-retirement, after thirty-two years of traveling around Europe as an airline attendant. But first, Philips went to culinary school at the Art Institute, where she gained the skills to sell the same foods in a one-person delivery and catering service.
“I was selling out of my car, out of my truck,” says Phillips of the time after she retired from the airline industry and before she opened the café. “I realized that the only way to get clients is to go out and knock on people’s doors.”
It is this same sense of direct customer engagement that has carried over to her business model for the café, a philosophy immediately apparent when one enters its tiny premises. I was asked to move from my table beneath the counter to one closer to the window by a staff member so that he could see my reaction to the food: “People will lie when you just ask how the food is, but if I see your face, I’ll know.”
The experience of eating at Chef Sara’s is almost like that of eating at a newly opened café; Phillips herself keeps her eyes glued to every process of food production, the group of younger cooks checks in with her along the way, and chefs clarify with customers sitting at tables from behind the counter about the specifics of their orders. I later learned that this keen control exists because Phillips takes interns from the culinary arts school Le Cordeon Bleu, but also because of her own attachment to her food. “I have to see my product going across the counter,” she says. “I take a lot of pride in my food. People eat with their eyes, I know I eat with my eyes, and I want the plate to look good.”
This almost garish but obviously genuine one-on-one-ness is ultimately what makes Chef Sara’s completely worth the visit. The salmon burger, the muffins, the coffee that comes in several different “flavors” make the trip to this self-described “internet café” worth it, but the charm driven by Phillip’s passion for food and food education has cultivated an atmosphere that owner, community, and customers alike cherish.
Chef Sara’s Cafe, 7201 S. Exchange Avenue. Tuesday-Friday, 7am-4pm; Saturday, 10am-3pm; Closed Sunday and Monday. Average entrée $7.99. (773)359-4637. chefsarascafe.com (Maha Ahmed)
Best Deep Dig
Some buildings announce themselves powerfully and brightly, making clear their importance to the community with a commanding exterior. “You can’t miss it” is the phrase often associated with these centers. The Quarry is not this type of place. True to its name, one can only really find The Quarry after a little digging. However, that understated ambience hasn’t stopped wife-husband duo Suzanne and Ernest Armstrong from turning the area into a vibrant cultural center for the South Shore community, offering reliably high-quality entertainment and chances to mingle with neighbors. While Mo Better is the most well-known event, with its virtuoso performers often drawing an audience far beyond South Shore, the venue’s offerings remain varied: a farmer’s market fills the hall on Saturday afternoons, church is held in the same space on Sundays, and even the odd yoga class and community play find their way to The Quarry. Of course, with success like this after only a year in business, The Quarry is well en route to becoming a neighborhood essential, and the Armstrongs’ ambitions for its potential have only grown, with plans to start a rooftop garden over the next year.
The Quarry, 2423 E. 75th Street. (312) 259-1143. (Austin Brown)
Luke White
Best Multi-Species Fashion
Divas-N-Dogs
Dogs don’t seem to mind walking around naked all the time, but who knows? They may be jealous of the world of human fashion. We’ll probably never know for sure one way or the other, but until then, South Shore resident Lona Reiling thinks puppies should get to express themselves too. Her fashion boutique, which has been open since 2013, caters to fashionistas of both species, with plenty of outfits that allow owners and their pets to match. Human divas will find lots to love in shoes and purses; dogs of all sizes will find the trendiest leashes available. Lily, a rescue Chihuahua who co-owns the store with Lona, is often in-house to barter with customers.
Divas-N-Dogs, 7142 S. Exchange Ave. Wednesday, 12:30pm–6pm; Thursday–Saturday, 12pm–7pm; Closed Sunday–Tuesday; Other times available by appointment. (773) 349-2334. divasndogs.com (Jake Bittle)
Best Moringa
Chief Nomo’s Oasis
Walking into Chief Nomo’s Oasis is, quite literally, walking into a stockyard of West African furniture, lawn decor, and clothing. A hidden hub of West African cultures on 83rd Street, the building, owned by Chief Nomo himself since 2002, houses three businesses: Angborki Doe Designs (the official source and name of the aforementioned stockyard), a public accounting firm, and an alkaline water and moringa service, in which he provides healing and health services using the super-tree’s various parts. Nomo and his wife had been operating these different businesses out of a downtown office space for anywhere from twenty-five years in the case of the design store, to forty years prior in the case of the accounting firm. The Oasis also serves as a gathering place for much of the West African and Black community in South Shore, hosting events such as Afro-Feast, Afro-centric weddings, and even a seasonal city-run South Shore farmer’s market. A visit to the Oasis also comes with free petting and play with resident store-dog Kenya. Come for the moringa seeds and West African retail, stay for the transliteration of your name in Ashanti Twi, leave with a full heart, fuller mind, and alkaline-filled body.
Chief Nomo’s Oasis, 2650 E. 83rd Street. Monday–Saturday, 10am–7pm. (773) 340-8421. (Maha Ahmed)
Best Manmade Bike Ride Destination
Jackson Park Highlands
The Jackson Park Highlands district, located just south of the Jackson Park golf course and bounded by Jeffery Boulevard to the east, Cregier Avenue to the west, and 71st Street to the south, contains some of the most beautiful homes in Chicago. Commissioned at the turn of the century and declared a Historic District in 1989, the neighborhood’s grandiose and stately mansions (some over one hundred years old) lie along tree-lined boulevards, which contain what were considered to be groundbreaking architectural innovations at the time of construction—large front yard setbacks, fifty-foot lot widths, underground utilities, and no alleys. Called home by notable residents as diverse as nuclear scientist Enrico Fermi, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and musician Bo Diddley, the Jackson Park Highlands is a wonderful district to visit on a sunny afternoon, and for marvelling at gorgeous architecture.
Jackson Park Highlands, 67th Street to 71st Street, Cregier Ave to Jeffery Blvd. (Juliet Eldred)
The Weekly is a volunteer-run nonprofit written for and about the South Side of Chicago. Our work is made possible through donations from our readers. If you enjoyed this article, please consider making a one-time or recurring donation. Donate today.
Thoughts on “Best of South Shore 2015”
Lovely layout..very interesting articles..thank you.
Jean Colson
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The Economy In About 2 Minutes.
18 June 2011 by Spanish Inquisitor
It’s probably a bit facile to say one could understand the reasons for the problems in the US economy in under three minutes, but Robert Reich does a nice job of supplying the basic starting points for research.
This entry was posted in Critical thinking, Current events, Economy, History, Political/Topical, Politics, Public Service, Rationalism, Reading, Republicans and tagged Deficit, Economy of the United States, Politics, rich, Robert Reich, wealthy. Bookmark the permalink.
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Why Do We Care? →
7 thoughts on “The Economy In About 2 Minutes.”
PhillyChief says:
I saw that a couple of days ago. Most of it has been that simple for quite some time, and the “real” Americans have been buying the bullshit the rich have been telling them for awhile now. The thing that drove me crazy was in the last presidential election, that whole business of “we” need to drill here and Congress had to let “us” drill. Us? We? Big Oil is not we or us and, like every rich person, huge company or industry, does not necessarily have the interests of the US and its citizens at heart. Tax cuts to rich people and companies does not mean they’ll magically create jobs or stimulate the economy by spending via trickle down economics. They horde, often in offshore accounts and spend outside of the US and/or on non-American made products.
There’s a new ad attacking Gov. Christie airing now showing how his cabinet is made of millionaires, his friends are millionaires, he’s a millionaire, and that his tax breaks for himself and his friends are killing NJ.
JohnEvo says:
Indeed… it’s so amusing that conservative, average Americans (in terms of income), buy into the Right Wing rhetoric – as if it somehow benefits THEM and their families. This is so much like religious beliefs and no small coincidence that so many lower income conservative Americans are…. you guessed it…. “good, god-fearing people”. You know – morons.
Spanish Inquisitor says:
The ability of the politicians to persuade the voters to vote AGAINST their best interests always amazes me. If one thing, you have to give them credit for That. They are good at taking advantage of the gullible. You’re right. There is no coincidence that the right wing of the Republican party is both pro-corporation and fundamentalist Christian. They go hand in hand. Complete and utter blind faith is necessary for both.
the chaplain says:
Big Oil is not we or us and, like every rich person, huge company or industry, does not necessarily have the interests of the US and its citizens at heart.
Actually, Big Oil is not we or us and, like every rich person, huge company or industry, does not have the interests of the US and its citizens at heart. FTFY. 😉
Sarge says:
What has happened to “the economy” has been in the works for a long time, I actually read about the “plan” in 1973.
In that same time period in a section of Time magazine there was even some commentary that the big selling job was going to be to convince the public that they must have less simply so that business could have more.
Royko, Buchwald, and a few others wrote columns about this “new” economic model being talked about. They tried to be humerous, but no one laughed who actually paid attention.
Again, the cultural indoctrination has worked. People are, in an orderly fashion, allowing themselves to be divested of almost every vestige of actual, meaningful citizenship, but they still, as Mencken put it, think of themselves as “millionaires-in-waiting”. So, they live by the slogan and platitude, they do the “Napoleon” role in “Animal Farm” and will reap the same result.
Problem is, the “opposition” doesn’t really offer them anything, either, really.
Evo mentioned once that there is only one political party – the Corporate Party – with two wings, the Republican and the Democratic. The only difference between the two are cultural, and hence, from a political POV, meaningless and irrelevant.
I play at a lot of social gatherings of the party “elites”, and I have noticed certain people besides me who seem to attend both. These people always have a check handy.
Plus, as we are of an age, do you remember when George Wallace simply shrugged over the R & D s and what they represented, said there wasn’t a “dimes worth of difference” between them?
But the real political reality was indicated when Cheney was informed by a shouting reporter that certain policies weren’t wanted by the public.
His succinct response, turning on his heel, giving that angry, belligerent glare, and uttering the single syllable: “So”? displayed the whole thing.
The fix is in no matter who you select. There was a whole lot of truth to the “Simpsons” cartoon which spoofed the Dole/Clinton election.
But, the economics… I live in Altoona, which (hard to believe) was, in living memory, once the cultural and economic peer of San Francisco, Seattle, and some other notable places.
You can guess, the glory days are long gone.
I was sitting in the VA in the oncology clinic to get more bad news, and I always listen to what’s being said around me. Very interesting sometimes.
Heard the usual: how great it was that bin Laden had been assasinated, who should be next on the list (Kaddafi seemed to place prominently), how much they hated the “liberals” and Obama (seems to me he’s another “great” republican president, simply a more personable, articulate, intelligent, melanistic Reagan/BushBush. Just as ruthless and “pragmatic”, but with a lot more finess and polish) and two WWII vets were talking about “The Economy”.
One of the men had been lucky and worked in “The Shops” after he quit school, one had another trade, had run his own business.
The one who’d had his own business said that he’d bummed, rode the rods before WWII, had known times when he literally didn’t have the nickel or dime for a single cup of coffee. Not a piece of small change to bless himself with, or swig some bitter, over-boiled herbal drink.
He said that during WWII he actually got money, afterward he’d started his own business, and did very well, No matter how broke he had ever been during his ups and downs, there was never a time that he didn’t have enough in his pocket that he couldn’t go into an eatery and get something to eat and drink.
He figured he’d been set for kife.
But in the last five years he actually thought about what he would do with his money, He had enough for the coffee, but he really couldn’t afford it. He’d need it more for something else, couldn’t have both like was once the case.
There was a TV on, and they were giving economic news reports, and I thought for a bit.
We were all in the oncology waiting room, under treatment for a part of ourselves which was once essential but had decided at some level to look out for itself, expand, and draw resources from the rest of the body with no thought for the consequenses.
Just expansion and consumption for its own sake.
Take until there is no more to take. It’s what this process does. No more, no less.
And I got the feeling that I was watching its societal analogue being discussed as they spoke of markets, corporations, etc.
But there was no cure or curb being discussed for what was gnawing away at the body of our society. It was sacred, and to be left alone, viewed with awe until it’ had nothing to shove in it’s maw.
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Garage Museum Exhibition Recreates Modernist Interiors in Moscow
By Hayley Arsenault on May 1st, 2018 in Current Affairs, Exhibitions, Great Interiors, Inspiration and Innovation, Travel
Photo: Yuri Palmin © Garage Museum of Contemporary Art
Featuring full-scale replicas of notable modernist interiors, the Rem Koolhaas–designed Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow has debuted an exhibition dedicated to an anti-modernist manifesto from the 1960s. Dubbed “If Our Soup Can Could Speak,” the exhibition celebrates the first English translation of a 1968 anthology of polemical texts against Cubism and Pop Art—The Crisis of Ugliness—written by Soviet philosopher and art critic Mikhail Lifshitz.
Revealed through a collection of artworks, text, and archival documents, the exhibition—curated by Dmitry Gutov and David Riff—places its content within a sequence of ten interiors, which reconstruct a series of notable spaces from the 1960s. Adorning the walls are artworks from the likes of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Albrecht Dürer, Oleg Filatchev, Valery Khabarov and Larisa Kirillova.
The exhibition sparks a dialogue about art after the triumph of modernism and its ambiguous position. “The result of a three-year Garage Field Research project, ‘If Our Soup Can Could Speak’ takes as its starting point Lifshitz’s book and related writings to re-explore the vexed relations between so-called progressive art and politics in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as well as the motivations and implications of Lifshitz’s singular crusade against the modern classics,” according to the press release. “His appraisal of the crisis in twentieth-century art differs fundamentally from the standard attacks on modernism in government-issue Soviet art criticism, and in fact can be read as their direct critique.”
Representing the iconic New York studio of pop artist Andy Warhol, one of the interior spaces features walls swathed in reflective foil, with artworks by Warhol and Lichenstein hanging from their mirrored surfaces. Another interior replica features a mock-up of La Maison Cubist, a proposal for a Cubist-style home that was shown at the Salon d’Automne exhibition in Paris in 1912.
“If Our Soup Can Could Speak” will be on view through May 13.
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Police responded to an intersection near the airport around 10 p.m. Thursday when shots were exchanged with the gunman, Miami FOX affiliate WSVN-TV reported. — Fox News, "Kidnapping suspect shot dead near Miami airport after shootout with police," 21 Sep. 2018 The jury deliberated for around six hours before delivering its guilty verdicts, NBC affiliate WXIA reported. — NBC News, "Man convicted, sentenced to life in 1983 racially motivated killing in Georgia," 27 June 2018 The two-way contract limits Robinson to 45 days of NBA service time next season, with the rest spent at the Heat's G-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, S.D. — Barry Jackson, miamiherald, "Heat signs a sharp-shooter who has impressed everyone this summer," 10 July 2018 In a third change, the Chargers said Mario Solis, a sports reporter and anchor at the NBC affiliate in Los Angeles, will handle Spanish language play-by-play duties. — Jay Posner, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Dan Fouts off Chargers broadcasts; Jeremiah, LT added," 10 July 2018 After 16 starts last year, De Los Santos was 5-4 with a 4.71 ERA for San Diego’s double-A affiliate in San Antonio. — Bob Brookover, Philly.com, "Phillies prospect Enyel De Los Santos making his MLB debut | Extra Innings," 10 July 2018 Won a title with the Raptors’ G-League affiliate in 2017. — Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star, "Basketball has taken IU's Christian Watford all over world in quest of pro career," 9 July 2018 His replacement has already been named: Laura Harris, who will be coming in from WFTS-TV, the ABC affiliate in Tampa, Fla. — Robert Philpot, star-telegram, "A weekend anchor is leaving NBC 5. Here's who's replacing him," 9 July 2018 Gunna, the Young Thug affiliate who rubbed elbows with Virgil Abloh at the menswear shows in Paris a few weeks back, put in a valiant showing at the Louis Vuitton show, but Migos might still take the cake. — Rachel Hahn, Vogue, "Who Drips Harder, Gucci Mane or Quavo?," 1 Feb. 2019
I have found that one size doesn’t fit all. Rather, specific types promotions of particular products work well with Amazon. I have also had some success by getting people in the Amazon door for other reasons. For example I’ve experimented a couple of times on dPS with running a posts that gave readers a hypothetical $1000 to spend on photography gear and asked them to surf around Amazon and choose what they wanted to buy. The result was 350 comments (a fun community building exercise) and quite a few sales and commissions!
I didn’t realize there was a limit until a few years back when I hit the maximum. I wish Amazon would increase it! To be honest, I find their tracking system pretty messy and think it needs an overhaul however, it is great for testing what works and what doesn’t. Most of what I’ve written about in other tips in these articles was learned through tracking.
However, if you’re running an e-commerce site, conducting product testing and reviews, or offer Amazon product coupons, then you probably will want to use a WordPress Amazon affiliate theme. To be clear, these themes aren’t usually made specifically for Amazon affiliates. Instead, what you’ll want to look for are e-commerce or multi-purpose WordPress themes that are:
It’s extremely WordPress-friendly. As you’ll soon see, it’s very easy to add Amazon affiliate links to WordPress. If you decide that you want more than just the occasional link to appear within your content and you want to build an entire affiliate store, there are WordPress affiliate themes and plugins built specifically for Amazon Associates members.
Check if you need a model release. Photos of people can only be sold for commercial use if they've signed a 'model release' that gives you permission to use their image (children need a parent/guardian to sign). Without a release, these photos can still be sold for editorial use, as long as they were taken in a public place – eg, if you submitted a 'breaking news' shot with people in the background. If there's any doubt, always ask permission.
The problem with affiliate marketing, like many other home business options, are the so-called gurus and get-rich-quick programs that suggest affiliate marketing can be done fast and with little effort. Odds are you've read claims of affiliate marketing programs that say you can make hundreds of thousands of dollars a month doing almost nothing ("Three clicks to rich!"). Or, they suggest you can set up your affiliate site, and then forget it, except to check your bank deposits.
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Tag: andreas katsulas
Babylon 5, Farewell…
We come at last to the final season, the fifth and final year in Babylon 5’s planned lifespan. According to legend, Straczynski had been told repeatedly that he was crazy to think that he could ever pre-plan a series like this, that actors quit, budgets got slashed, and time slots got changed around. And that certainly happened in the course of the show, a couple of times. However, somehow he made it work, though apparently he had to take on a huge burden as a result.
And even after making a season four finale, season five eventually got the go ahead and was made in full. It was a season of epilogues, goodbyes and even a few more threads, previewing events which were portended to take place later in the show’s projected plot. Even with its tight five season storyline, there were still a lot of things that had been previewed for the future, and some explanations needed to be made.
Babylon 5 Season Five:
The last season ended with Earth being liberated, Sheridan being elevated to the status of President of the new Interstellar Alliance, Sheridan and Delenn being married, and Ivanova being saved by Marcus. As the new season opens, Sheridan assumes his presidency, Ivanova leaves the station, and a new captain assumes the role as commander of B5. In an interesting twist, it turns out to be Sheridan’s ex.
Another early development is the establishment of a colony of telepaths aboard the station. There presence becomes an immediate source of trouble, as the psi cops want to bring them in, and Lyta becomes very drawn to them and their leader. Essentially, they are looking to establish a colony for free telepaths, but in time, they learn the truth of their existence from Lyta. In the course of having sex, Lyta’s mind opens and the leader of the telepaths, Byron, comes to learn that the Vorlons were responsible for creating the majority of known telepaths.
When he learns this, he and the others are incensed. All their lives, they’ve operated under the assumption that their gifts were a matter of personal responsibility. Now they see that they were made, and hence were never given a choice as to what they are. They then demand that Sheridan and the Alliance provide them with a home, or else they will begin revealing every member races secrets, which they gathered from having followed the diplomats around for days.
Soon, everything hits the fan, the psi cops and Bester come for them, and Byron sacrifices himself to end the conflict. The telepaths are taken away, but Lyta vows that she will protect them and make sure that Byron is avenged. She begins running stockpiling weapons in preparation for an eventual war with the telepaths, and is soon arrested for her trouble. A showdown with her takes place on the Zocallo, which would have been messy had Sheridan not been there. As the only other person who’s been touched by the Vorlons, he alone is able to withstand her psychic influence.
At the same time, Garibaldi confronts Bester. Once aboard the station, he corners him in his quarters and demands that he confess everything he did to Garibaldi at gunpoint. However, Bester refuses, and when Garibaldi tries to make good on his threat, he can’t pull the trigger. Seems Bester had placed an “Azimov” in his head, preventing Garibaldi from harming him or allowing harm to come to him. Feeling completely helpless, Garibaldi begins drinking again. It’s not long before it interferes with his job, and his wife, Lyse, shows up just in time to ask him to come back to Mars with him.
However, Garibaldi comes up with another plan. He meets Lyta and asks for her help. She agrees, but tells him that in exchange for his help running money and guns to her planned resistance, she will remove the block and let him get even. He agrees, and returns with Lyse to Mars to run Edgar industries (which she inherited since Edgar’s murder), promising to see Lyta again in two years, at which time, everything will be set. The “telepath war” which was hinted at in season four, is thus on its way…
Meanwhile, something is rotten on Centauri Prime. After an assassination attempt on Londo, G’Kar agrees to become his body guard and travels to Centauri Prime. The regent is apparently under the influence of something dark, and preparations are being made for war. Londo narrowly escapes a second attempt, and it seems that whoever is controlling the regent was responsible, and hopes to work with him soon… he returns to B5 with a very bad feeling. And we are made aware that Centauri ships are being used to prey on shipping…
The attacks intensify, and member worlds of the Alliance begin to accuse each other. However, an investigation reveals that Centauri agents are involved, and soon Lennier, now a member of the Rangers, witnesses an attack take place. Centauri Prime is kicked out of the Alliance and put under embargo, a full-scale firefight erupts when they challenge the blockage, and war is declared! Londo returns home, again with G’Kar, to see what is going on. After several weeks of fighting, some frightening facts become clear.
For starters, the Centauri ships that are performing the attacks are using Shadow technology to control them. This is a clear indication that the Drakh, one of the Shadows old friends have infiltrated Centauri Prime, as Morden threatened, and are using the regent to create chaos. This becomes clear to Londo as Alliance forces arrange for an unsanctioned assault on Centauri Prime, and the regent himself performs one last duty… shutting down the planet’s defensive grid. The assault begins, with a combined Narn-Drazi force devestating the Centauri capitol.
The regent and his Drakh masters reveal themselves, and tell Londo that it is his turn to wear the Shadow device that control a person’s actions, otherwise they will blow up the planet. Londo agrees, the regent dies, he assumes the role of emperor (which was also foretold and which he feared for some time), and Centauri Prime surrenders. Now that he’s their unwilling servant, he lies to Sheridan and tells him the Shadow technology was bought on the black market, not acquired from the Drakh. He also declares that Centauri Prime will be an isolationist power and have nothing more to do with the Alliance.
From all this, we are given a detailed preview of what was hinted at in earlier seasons. For one, we now see how Londo became Emperor, how this would lead to his death at the hands of G’Kar years later, how his world would be devastated, and how he would capture Delenn and Sheridan – ostensibly so he could punish them for happened to his world, but would then release them. And as hinted at, we also see how it would be the Drakh who were responsible for Centauri Prime’s devastation, a final legacy of the Shadow War.
Oh, and a couple other side stories take place in the midst of all this. One involves Lennier, who was told by a vision he had of Morden that he would commit an act of betrayal. And he does! During an accident in which Sheridan is sealed in a room with a poisonous gas leak, Lennier is about to help him, but then chooses to leave him there instead. He has second thoughts and returns, only to find that Sheridan freed himself. Shamed by his betrayal, he flees, leaving Delenn only with a message saying how sorry he is.
The other side story involves G’Kar. For some time, he has been garnering popularity among his people since he was the leader of the resistance and the one who liberated their world. Upon returning to B5 from Centauri Prime, he finds that the book he’s been writing since his revelation has been making the rounds. In fact, its even been published and has outsold the book of G’Quon (which is like outselling the Bible!) Despite his resistance, the problem only gets worse, and when a spurned acolyte tries to kill him, he decides its time to leave. Having learned much from his years on the station among other races, he decides he will set out to explore the known universe. He also decides to take Lyta with him, hoping he can help her overcome her pain and hatred as he did his.
Sheridan also discovers that Delenn is pregnant after she collapses and is examined by Franklin. This too matches up with what Sheridan foresaw in the future, that they would have a boy named David. Delenn’s pregnancy begins to take a toll on her health, since her physiology is part-human, part-Mimbari. However, she and Sheridan are committed to making sure she and the baby survive. They also announce that they will be moving the HQ of the Alliance to Mimbar for the next few years, hence they too are leaving B5. A big send-off is held, and Zack Allen remarks how its sad to see everyone go, but that he’ll probably still be there until they “shut the lights off”.
They are met on Mimbar by Londo, who professes his friendship, despite the circumstances of their last meeting. However, it quickly become clear he’s on an errand from the Drakh, delivering a similar device to the one that is controlling him that is meant for their son when he comes of age. After making the delivery, Londo asks them “what now”, to which they reply “now we await the passage of years… we are very patient.” The last hint of whats to come is given!
The final episode takes place roughly twenty years later when Sheridan is about to die. In keeping with Lorien’s prediction that he could only prolong his life by twenty years, Sheridan’s health begins to fail and they arrange a farewell party for him. He says goodbye to Vir, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Franklin and Delenn, and they toast those who couldn’t be amongst them – Londo, G’Kar, Lennier and Marcus. After all this, he has a tearful goodbye with Delenn and flies off to say goodbye to B5. He sees Zack there, who tells him the station is about to be decommissioned. Sheridan then flies off to Coriana 6, the site of their major battle with the Shadows, where he encounters Lorien.
Lorien tells him that he’s not so much dying as taking the next step, that he and the others have not forgot about him and are taking him beyond the rim to where they are now living. Sheridan laments that he can’t ever come back, but is ready. He dies in a blinding flash of light, remarking “the sun’s coming up”. Ivanova then gives the final narration, saying how the Babylon project taught them all how to stand together and look out for each other, calling to mind what was said in the season four finale. The station is then given a big send off and demolished, and the show ends with it being said that Delenn spent every morning thenceforth watching the sun rise and remembering Sheridan.
A poignant and fitting ending! In many ways, season five was an epilogue season, not as exciting or consequential as the previous four. However, I was glad they made it in the end. One finale episode was just not enough of a send-off for this show. What’s more, there were still a lot of plot elements and threads that needed to be expanded on.
In the spirit of epilogues, let me say some final words about Babylon 5 and what made it such a good show and franchise. Well, to break it down, there was its epic feel, its solid writing, its great and memorable characters, and its tight narrative feel. Unlike many other franchises that start with a sort of open, shoestring plot, B5 was plotted out well in advance, everything that happened in it was part of a single, unfolding story. That meant it didn’t have any of the usual contrivances, plot holes, or third act revelations that other shows are famous for (Star Trek is a perfect example!)
What’s more, the episodes didn’t end with everything going back to a state of balance, with everyone happy. If anything, they ended with a sense of “what’s next?” In every episode they were either in the midst of a conflict or worrying about the next one. That’s where the realism was truly felt. Even in season five, when all things are wrapping up, there was a strong sense of the problems that were to come. Though we got a preview of how things ended happily for the most part, we knew that there would be plenty of speed bumps along the way.
These two elements, a tight plot and realistic tone, are two lessons that have remained with me years later. Whenever I write, I find myself trying to follow Straczynski’s example, both in terms of how he constructing a storyline as well as the tone he struck. In short, when I’m working on a story, I try to write out the plot well in advance so that there’s plenty of hints of what’s to come and as few inconsistencies and plot holes later on. But whereas I am an acolyte, Straczynski was the man who really wrote the book on this for sci-fi serials. I know nothing comparable to his work except for maybe the re-envisioning of Battlestar Galactica… something for another review!
The same is true when it comes to characters, those that are best are the ones who are flawed and complex, ones that have backgrounds and back stories rather than being one-dimensional in nature. And the acting, for the most part, was classical… Shakespearean even. My favorite characters have to be G’Kar and Londo, played by Andreas Katsulas (RIP) and Peter Jurasik. Not only are they great actors, they had some of the best lines between them, especially when paired together in a scene. Jerry Doyle was also great as Michael Garibaldi; in addition to some great lines, he was probably the most realistic character, combining a workaholic’s personality with genuine vulnerability, all the while punctuated by a very irreverent sense of humor!
That, and the fact that the show was really fun to watch! Even now, years later, the CGI and sets are still impressive, which is surprising considering its limited budget. Given all that, its really too bad that the franchise didn’t pan out in terms of spin offs. Crusade and the tv movie Legends of the Rangers were both commercial flops, and weren’t too well received critically either. But that tends to happen with cult hits, they don’t have the deep pockets and mass market appeal of major franchises. On the other hand, the other B5 movies (River of Souls, A Call to Arms, Thirdspace) were well-received, for the most part anyway. I strongly recommend that fans and prospective fans check them out, in addition the full five seasons!
So long B5, you will be remembered…
By storiesbywilliamsin Reviews December 16, 2011 December 18, 2011 2,514 WordsLeave a comment
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Recommended Reading: Alexander Chee’s The Queen of the Night
February 16, 2016 February 16, 2016 / Carolyn O
“There was a question I wanted answered more than I wanted anything else, and it could take my life to answer it. The question was, What could I be?”
Opera fans will no doubt recognize the name of the soprano role (requiring two very difficult arias) from Mozart’s The Magic Flute in the title of Alexander Chee’s second novel, The Queen of the Night*. This is appropriate not only because the novel borrows, to some extent, the structure and themes of that opera, but because it is a virtuoso performance, showcasing its author’s range, technical skill, and complete command of its characters’ complexities. This is a novel about love, identity, deception, sacrifice, courage, calling, and tragedy.
As The Queen of the Night opens, soprano sensation Lilliet Berne is the talk of late-nineteenth-century Paris, and she’s just been made an impressive offer: a mysterious composer, supposedly the protégé of her friend Verdi, is writing an opera based on a novel, and he wants her to create the starring role. This is the one accolade that has eluded her in a short but distinguished career. However, when she realizes with alarm that the novel is based on her own life—a life, with all its secrets, that’s been carefully masked—she must go in search of old enemies and friends to determine the intentions behind the work.
Thus we’re drawn into the story of Lilliet’s absorbing, fantastic life, filled with the highs and lows of grand opera, with its patterns, as she notes, of alternating victory and defeat. From the frozen farmland of Minnesota to a traveling circus in France, from Paris’s houses of ill repute to the basement of the Tuileries palace, Lilliet’s next step is always unexpected.
“How many women are you?” a lover asks her. “A legion,” she replies. She’s a farmer’s daughter, a bareback horse rider in a circus, a courtesan, a servant, a spy, and a soprano. Each role is a mask (one of her teachers, asking her to perform emotions with her facial expression, not her eyes, even says, “Your face appears to be only a mask . . . if you can master this, you can give and never give away anything.”), a necessary deception when nobody she knows can be trusted.
Mr. Chee’s command of his characters and setting is astounding; it’s hard to fathom just how much research went into the novel (though the acknowledgments section gives us a hint; I wonder how much was left on the cutting room floor) to produce gorgeous, detailed passages like these:
The trunks were made by Louis Vuitton in a pale gray known as Trianon gray, her favorite gray. It was as if the Empress were secretly something enormous, disassembled in the morning dark, her various parts in the neat rows of boxes and trunks we’d prepared and brought up to the surface.
The period detail throughout the novel is amazing, as are Mr. Chee’s evocations of the different historical figures Lilliet encounters, from Eugenie, Empress of the French, to the mezzo, composer, and teacher Pauline Viardot, the Verdis, George Sand, and Ivan Turgenev. His descriptions of music are beautiful, and I found myself seeking out arias from Carmen, The Magic Flute, and Il Trovatore for the first time in some years (I studied opera in high school, but clearly my life went in a very different direction, Dear Readers).
The Queen of the Night’s grand style and thematic intensity falters only in occasional cases of editorial oversight (for example, at one point Lilliet stands, narrates a bit, and is then helped to stand again, unnecessarily). But in a novel this long and this complex, I almost feel that this is a quibble.
A recommended pairing.
I highly recommend The Queen of the Night. It’s a grand entertainment, and a moving story, like the best operas themselves.
Near the end of the book, Lilliet says,
I think you can never know what you can live without. I think you can never know what you will live through. Only when the disaster arrives and you are there does the depth of your real inner resources reveal itself, and not a moment before.
The Queen of the Night is the tale of what one woman can live without, and what she can live through. Up to the last page, you won’t be sure whether her pattern ends with victory or defeat, but you’ll be cheering, like all Lilliet’s admirers, “Vive La Générale!”
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes, which in no way affected the content of my review.
Books, Recommended Reading
Alexander Chee, opera, sopranos, The Queen of the Night review
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7 thoughts on “Recommended Reading: Alexander Chee’s The Queen of the Night”
Cathy746books
This sounds so good! The ‘How many women are you?’ quote is fantastic. Great review.
Carolyn O
Thanks, Cathy! It’s very, very good–I hope you get the chance to read it!
I love the quotes at the beginning and the end of your review – those alone pique my interest. But your comments about the author’s command of characters and the amount of research that went into the novel make me want to read it right now!
It’s really, truly amazing how much effort went into the book–apparently the author has been working on it for years.
I’ve been wondering if I wanted to read this. Probably will, based on your recommendation.
I hope you’ll like it as much as I did.
Pingback: Another Year in Books: Best of 2016 | Rosemary and Reading Glasses
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Five MLS Teams hope for CONCACAF Champions League Glory
This Wednesday the CONCACAF’s version of the Champions League gets underway. Four of the teams represent the USA and they are allocated spots in the following way. Winners of the MLS Cup 2012: LA Galaxy, Runners-up in MLS Cup 2012: Houston Dynamo, MLS Supporters Shield Winner 2012, (most points in the regular season games): San Jose Earthquakes and the US Open Cup Winners 2012: Sporting Kansas City.
The fifth team in action is the Montreal Impact and they qualified as the Canadian representative by winning their Countries Championship played this year in April/May. After defeating FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League 5-2 on aggregate in the Semi Final, they then dispatched of the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Final on away goals after the two legged tie had ended 2-2, to book their CCL place for the first time since the 2008/09 competition when they made it to the Quarter Finals.
Unlike the European version only the Eight group winners make it to the Quarter Finals and their is only three teams in each group so making a fast start is very important as there is little time to fight back.
LA Galaxy have being drawn in Group 8 and this is the fourth time they have completed in the CCL. They were crowned Champions Cup Winners in 2000 defeating C.D. Olimpa of Honduras 3-2, although that was under the old format before the change to the present set up in 2008. This campaign they are paired with Cartaginés (Costa Rica) 2013 Verano Runners-up and Isidro Metapán (El Salvador), 2012 Apertura Champion.
Houston Dynamo will compete in Group 1. It is also the fourth time they have qualified and their best performance so far was in 2008 when they reached the Semi Finals before losing to Costa Rican side Deportivo Saprissa 3-0 on aggregate. This time they have W Connection (Trinidad and Tobago), 2013 CFU Club Championship Group 1 Winner and Árabe Unido (Panama), 2012 Apertura Champion.
San Jose Earthquakes are in Group 5 and are making their debut in the tournament. Up against them is experienced campaigners Herediano, (Costa Rica) 2013 Verano Champion and a familiar face in the Montreal Impact.
Sporting Kansas City round out the MLS teams and are placed in Group 2. They are also having their first crack at this event and square off against Real Estelí, (Nicaragua) Who qualified as the Champion with better aggregate record in their 2012–13 domestic season and Olimpia, (Honduras) both the 2012 Apertura Champion and the 2013 Clausura Champion.
So that is who they face and this week three MLS teams take to the field to start their campaigns. Montreal Impact host San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City pack their bags for a trip to Nicaragua to meet Real Estelí.
More in Champions League
Dusan Tadic sends Real Madrid packing and makes a mockery of transfer fee agreed by Southampton
By Lee Clarke March 6, 2019
The former Premier League man departed for Ajax in the summer and hasn't looked back.
All eyes on Lozano and Bergwijn but Tottenham must also consider Hendrix
By Jay Williams October 24, 2018
Tottenham Hotspur face PSV Eindhoven tonight in the Champions League and they will undoubtedly use this...
Tottenham should consider Marcelo Brozovic as Eric Dier replacement
By Tom Procter September 20, 2018
Tottenham Hotspur should think about moving for Internazionale star Marcelo Brozovic in January. The midfielder put...
MLS Game Reviews August 3
Interview with Paulo Freitas – @Cynegeticus
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My grandson Alexander has a book called That’s Not My Tractor. I’ve read the book approximately two hundred and sixty-five times. It’s a Touch and Feel book, and it is exactly six pages long with one sentence per page. It says, “That’s not my tractor, its engine is too bumpy,” and Alexander touches the bumpy engine. “That’s not my tractor, its trailer is too rough. That’s not my tractor, its funnel is too smooth. That’s not my tractor, the tires are too squashy.” And Alexander touches the tires. “That’s not my tractor, its seat is too scratchy.” And then on the last page it says, “That’s my tractor! Its headlights are so shiny.” Alexander loves the happy ending. He touches the shiny headlights on his very own tractor. And he smiles at me for being a wonderful grandfather, and then he tells me to read the book again.
After reading this book a couple of hundred times, it got into my head, and it has given me a parallel, believe it or not, for something that happened in my own emotional life, something that before this, I had never really understood. It took That’s Not My Tractor and a scene from a very different kind of book by Marcel Proust to explain a mystery in my life about my reaction to my grandmother’s death. So I want to tell you about a scene from one of the great books, I want to tell you about something that I learned about grief, and then I want to tell you a secret about a lot of us, leading to why we say Yizkor today.
Marcel Proust is one of the greatest modern novelists; he is remembered for his descriptions of French society, of love and jealousy, but also for his close studies of the power of memory and its role in our lives. Proust’s series of novels is À la recherche du temps perdu, called Remembrances of Things Past in English, and the passage I’m interested in is in the fourth volume Sodom and Gomorrah. This passage speaks to me and I want to tell you about it.
Marcel goes to his hotel room, sick and exhausted, suffering from cardiac fatigue, and very much alone. He bends down to take off his boots, trying to fight through his pain so he can perform this simple task. But just as he touches the top button of his boot, something happens to him; he feels a divine presence. And he starts shaking and crying. A memory that is more than a memory overwhelms him. The presence that comes to him in this moment of distress is the same being who had helped him in a similar moment years earlier when, he says, he “had nothing left of myself, had come in and had restored me to myself.” Who was this being?
He writes: “I had just perceived, in my memory, stooping over my fatigue, the tender, preoccupied, disappointed face of my grandmother….” It was not the face of his grandmother who had had a stroke and eventually died and who he had not missed. He had nothing in common with her. No, he had just perceived his real grandmother, the one before the stroke, and he saw her face again in a “living reality.” Why was this happening now, a year after she died? He hadn’t missed her, yet now she was enveloping him.
Proust makes a brilliant distinction between the calendar of facts and the calendar of feelings. A year may have passed on the calendar of facts, but the calendar of feelings operates at its own rate. It is only at this moment that he truly realizes that his grandmother is dead. He had watched her long, lingering, painful, difficult death and he had become so used to it that he took her death in stride and was unaffected.
So here’s Marcel the narrator, and he has never really understood that his grandmother is dead, but now he gets it, because in this moment of exhaustion while he is taking off his boots, he remembers how his grandmother had once helped him in another bad moment, and this moment and that moment are now one. It’s not only that he has his grandmother back; he gets himself back, the person he once was when he sought refuge from the world in his grandmother’s arms. He remembers that day as if he is living it again. He is walking down the hot, stifling street past the pastry shop and he cannot bear to wait until he will see his grandmother and feel her arms around him. And now, he has that same need again. But he knows she will never again be by his side. So here, in this moment, his need for his grandmother has reawakened, and in this same beautiful moment is unbearable pain, because it’s only now that he knows she’s dead and she is lost forever. He feels the anguish of this contradiction, between a moment of complete and enveloping love and tenderness and a moment of utter finality and pain.
And he says that if you would take all the genius of all of the great thinkers of human history, his grandmother would have preferred any one of his defects to all of that genius.
Think about that, that his grandmother would have taken him over all of the great people of history. I hope you can relate to this from some relationship in your life. Was there someone in your life who felt that way about you? I hope that there was someone who felt this way about you.
I had a grandmother who was exactly like this. I was her firstborn grandson, her late husband’s namesake, and the sun and moon bowed down to me. Frankly, she was the only person in my life who ever felt that I could do no wrong. Alas and alack, other people seem to think I have a few inadequacies.
My grandmother was a remarkable woman. She followed current events closely and admired intellectual politicians like Adlai Stevenson and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. She knew art and even wrote manuscripts on Leonardo da Vinci and Marc Chagall.
She lived in a fantastic apartment on Riverside Drive in Manhattan, with a wonderful view of the Hudson River and New Jersey. She lived in the very apartment where William Randolph Hearst had been caught in a love tryst that would destroy his political ambitions; cf. Citizen Kane. When I went to Columbia and the Seminary in New York, I lived sixteen blocks away, and I would go to her apartment every Friday afternoon, often with my friends, who would be so excited to join us for what they thought was a home-cooked meal. They gobbled up dinners ordered and delivered by me from Meal Mart. My grandmother held court and we discussed the issues of the day. Those were wonderful Shabbat dinners.
My grandmother got sick and after a prolonged illness passed away.
I remember looking at her on her deathbed at the hospital, on a dark lonely December night on a cold dark hospital floor in New York City, and I didn’t cry, and I wasn’t moved, because she wasn’t my grandmother any more.
She was small and wrinkled and shriveled and her elegant and cultured voice was silent. And when she died, I didn’t even cry at her funeral.
What was wrong with me? Where was my pain? Was I that cold?
And just for the record, why have I never felt her presence? I have felt the presence of other people I’ve lost, but never the presence of a woman who was so dear to me.
At that time, it was not that I couldn’t care; it’s that I needed not to care as I did. I was exhausted emotionally from the years of worrying about her, and maybe, yes, there was some relief in me.
So I defended myself against my grief. My grandmother’s name was Dorothy, and when she died my son Danny was already a month old, and somehow retroactively he was a replacement for my grandmother, he became named for her, which may be illogical chronologically but on my calendar of feelings made perfect sense.
Now I’m a grandfather, and I have grandsons whom I dote on the way my grandmother doted on me, and the sun and moon bow down to them on a daily basis. And when I read That’s Not My Tractor, when I read that book, I think about Proust, looking at his dying grandmother, saying, “That’s not my grandmother, her face is too wrinkly. That’s not my grandmother; my grandmother’s not that old, not that small.”
And I remember seeing my grandmother on that hospital bed, and I say, “That’s not my grandmother. My grandmother knew art and politics and music.”
Which brings me to Yizkor. Because I didn’t cry, because my calendar of feelings didn’t work, I needed the structure of grief that Judaism gave me to remind me to do right by my grandmother.
I usually talk about people whose grief wrecks them. Now I’m talking about those of us who do not grieve enough.
There are these moments when we have nothing left of ourselves and we need help, from G-d, from other people, but also, perhaps, from those who have passed on.
Haven’t you felt that way for a moment, when things were bad?
Have you ever felt one of your lost loved ones helping you, or has a memory come to you of what they would say or what they would do in this situation?
You could say: I get Proust’s distinction between the calendar of facts and the calendar of feelings. It’s a great way to express something that I’ve felt many times in my life. The calendar of facts, the timetable in days and months and years, doesn’t fit with the calendar of feelings. And what Judaism gives me is a rigid timetable.
Shiva: the first week of mourning.
Sh’loshim, the first month of mourning;
the unveiling of the monument before the year is up,
and then the anniversary of the death every year, the yahrzeit.
Isn’t Judaism forcing the calendar of feelings into a calendar of dates and facts and arbitrary periods of time? Doesn’t every person’s grief have its own timetable?
My answer is that we should not assume that we’ll grieve, that we will remember. Not everybody grieves too much; a lot of us grieve too little. Judaism tries to make sure that we won’t grieve too much, that we can go on with our lives, but also that we are not so wrapped up in our present that we forget our past, that we are not so self-involved with the blur of right now that we do not remember to focus on the people who gave us so much.
I’m accusing me, and I’m accusing you, of only randomly remembering, of not paying proper respect, and Judaism, which does not leave it to us to do the right thing, teaches us over and over what the right thing is.
Proust admits how he just didn’t grieve for his grandmother. Nothing pushed him. So it took a random act of unbuttoning his boot to remember and to grieve for a woman who had loved him and made him what he was. We can’t depend on random acts that may or may not make us remember.
Every Shabbat, I stand on this bima and read the names of your loved ones. And every week, most of you whose names I read aren’t here to pay your respects to your own loved ones, the people that you put down on our list so that we will read their names and remember them and pay honor to them. So let me get this straight: I should read the names of your loved ones and that takes care of your obligation? You’re not embarrassed not to be here; you just don’t care. It doesn’t matter. Such minimal effort and you can’t be bothered.
Maybe I should understand: Your calendar of feelings has nothing to do with the calendar of facts, dates and anniversaries. But I don’t believe that. Your feelings are evoked by dates, by birthdays and dates of death and anniversaries. Don’t tell me that you’re not affected on those days.
Maybe your lack of response goes back to Alexander’s book. That’s not my tractor. My grandmother is not in a grave and her name is not on a list that’s read in shul and she’s not defined by a date.
Well, I’m not buying that one either.
I think the answer’s worse: I think we just stop caring. We distance ourselves before the person dies and then as every year goes by we care less and less. I always thought that absence makes the heart grown fonder. Now I’m worried that time makes the heart go empty.
Think about Marcel who gets himself back when he remembers his grandmother.
I’m saying that we have to stop to remember and honor and love but also to remember whole parts of our lives that we don’t think enough about.
That’s my mother. She meant the world to me.
That’s my father. He made me who I am.
As we say Yizkor, think about this: Don’t you want to be remembered? Don’t you want to feel like your life meant something to somebody? Shouldn’t you be here, not just today on Yom Kippur, but at every yahrzeit, to remember and honor the people you love?
If you want that for yourself, shouldn’t you do that for others?
On these High Holidays, I’ve explored our duties to each other, how we must be of service to each other, what a parent owes a child, what siblings owe each other, what people who have / owe people who don’t have, how we should talk to each other, when we should be vocal and stand up for who we are and when we should be quietly supportive.
And I’m bringing this together now by saying that we are what we remember, that if we choose to forget, we are ignoring part of who we are.
Part of Marcel Proust was his grandmother’s love and when she got sick he distanced himself from that love because he could no longer feel it. But he was pushing away a love that was unique in his life, a love that he should have cherished in his thoughts all the time, because without that love he never would have been who he had become.
I think about my grandmother a lot more these days, and I realize that I strive to be the grandparent that she was to me, that I had been imitating her all along without knowing it, that I look at my grandchildren like she looked at me, that she taught me more than I remember I remember.
But even more, I’ll probably never know what it meant to my whole being that there was someone who loved me that much, who was so proud of every move I made, that somehow, in ways I don’t know, it doesn’t matter to me what other people think when I do something they don’t like, because I know that I’ve got one person who’s got my back.
And so I want you to think about the people in your life,
who are still with us or who have passed on,
who are to you like Proust’s grandmother was to him and my grandmother was to me.
And I ask you to un-distance yourself, to jump back to a time before they got squashy tires and bumpy engines and rough trailers and scratchy seats.
I want you to remember that their headlights are so shiny that they light the road ahead for you, so that you can live your life in a way that will make them proud.
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University of Oxford temporarily blocks Google Docs to halt phishing attacks against students and staff
by Emil Protalinski — in Google
The University of Oxford on Monday announced it had temporarily blocked Google Docs on its campus. The Oxford University Computer Services department revealed that the service was being frequently used for illegal activities which threaten the security of the school’s systems and data.
Over the past few years, the university has been fighting phishing attacks that harvest email account credentials, typically used to send out spam. Since university email systems are generally considered reputable by other email providers, online criminals love compromising student and staff accounts.
Early phishing attacks would simply ask users for a reply to the phishing email with their details, but current versions have since moved on to Web forms, most of which are hosted on compromised servers or various legitimate free hosting providers. While Oxford has simply been blocking these sites, as most of its users don’t rely on them, recently there has been an increase in criminals leveraging the forms in Google Docs as well.
We’ve seen malware that uses Google Docs as a proxy to phone home, but Oxford says the service is also being used by phishers because it is trusted and traffic is encrypted. The latter means there is a large technical hurdle to overcome:
Many educational establishments will have some capability for filtering traffic to malicious URLs as it flows through their network. That’s easy with unencrypted traffic. If the site uses SSL, then you have to do some kind of SSL interception. Straightforward on a corporate network full of tightly-managed systems. Much harder on a network full of student machines, visitor laptops and the like, and in our opinion, something to be avoided.
Oxford thus has to ask Google to take the form down. Unfortunately, using the “Report abuse” link at the bottom of each page doesn’t immediately solve the problem. Google is slow to take action, however, with reaction times ranging anywhere from a day or two all the way to a few weeks. Given that most users who are likely to visit the phishing form will do so when they first see the email, this isn’t good enough:
Granted, many, if not most of our users do spot the scams, and do nothing (or better, warn us about it). But as with most spam, it only takes a small proportion to respond for the attacks to be worthwhile. And we have tens of thousands of users. Despite all attempts at user education, some will inevitably respond. We see a good mix: first-year “digital native” undergraduates, ancillary staff, emeritus professors.
Oxford says over the past few weeks “there has been a marked increase in phishing activity against our users.” Not only is this bad news for the students and staff that click on the links and fill out the forms, but the compromises and associated spam can adversely impact the university’s “reputation” with other email services such as Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo. If one of these services start rejecting emails from Oxford accounts, because a proportion of the mail is being marked as spam, everyone on campus is affected.
Since “almost all the recent attacks” have used Google Docs URLs, the university decided to simply block the service temporarily. After two and a half hours, the restrictions on access to Google Docs were removed because “the impact on legitimate business was greater than anticipated, in part owing to the tight integration of Google Docs into other Google services.” In other words, university students and staff rely on Google Docs to get their work done. Who would have guessed.
The Computer Services department has since apologized for the disruption but insists it must always consider the overall risk to the university as a whole, and thus may take similar action again in the future. In the meantime, it is investigating alternatives to the temporary solution and will be getting in touch with Google:
We will also be pressuring Google that they need to be far more responsive, if not proactive, regarding abuse of their services for criminal activities. Google’s persistent failures to put a halt to criminal abuse of their systems in a timely manner is having severe consequences for us, and for many other institutions. If OxCERT are alerted to criminal abuse of a University website, we would certainly aim to have it taken down within two working hours, if not substantially quicker. Even out of official hours there is a good chance of action being taken.
We have to ask why Google, with the far greater resources available to them, cannot respond better. Indeed much, if not all, of the process could be entirely automated – and part of their corporate culture is that their programmers and sysadmins should be automating common tasks such that they can devote efforts to more interesting matters. Google may not themselves be being evil, but their inaction is making it easier for others to conduct evil activities using Google-provided services.
We have contacted Google about this issue as well. We will update this article if we hear back, but we’re not expecting much since it’s a US holiday.
See also – New malware variant recognizes Windows 8, uses Google Docs as a proxy to phone home and Google releases faster version of Forms with real-time collaboration, automatic saving, and more
Image credit: Balazs Dudas
Read next: Microsoft investigating issue with pen detection affecting subset of Surface Pro owners
GoogleGoogle Docs
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Ex-Googlers’ self-driving kit for commercial trucks takes over on freeways
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal — in Insider
Credit: Otto
While Google, Tesla and BMW race to develop their own autonomous vehicles, a startup created by four ex-Google engineers is inching closer to launching a self-driving kit that can be retrofitted onto any commercial truck.
The idea isn’t to put human drivers out of work. Instead, Otto’s autonomous system augments their ability to cover long distances by kicking in only on freeways, which account for just 5 percent of all roads in the US.
Co-founder Lior Ron, who is a former Google Maps product lead, told Backchannel:
Trucks cover 5.6 percent of all highway miles but cause 9.5 percent of all fatalities, and about half of truckers are away from home 200 nights a year, sleeping in parking lots and rest areas.
Because of federal regulations, a truck can only drive 11 hours a day today with a single driver. After 10 hours, the accident rate goes exponentially higher. If we can make it drive safely 24/7, more than doubling its capacity and utilization, that’s a very strong financial argument.
The company is targeting the existing cache of 4.3 million commercial rigs already on American roads today, with its aftermarket kit equipped with lidar, radar and cameras that it hopes to sell for a “small fraction” of the $100,000-$300,000 price of a new tractor cab.
However, Otto still has a long road ahead. The company, which also counts among its co-founders Anthony Levandowski, the engineer who built Google’s very first self-driving car, has demonstrated its tech on a public highway, but hasn’t clocked nearly as many miles with it as Google or Tesla. It’ll also have to convince transportation regulators that its system is safe enough to use.
Otto is yet to announce a timeline for launching its self-driving kit. But according to Ron, that isn’t too far off. “We want to demonstrate a cargo route in the foreseeable future, to show that our technology is commercially viable,” he told Backchannel.
“The approach and the team we put together have the ability to do that very fast,” he added.
Introducing Otto, the startup rethinking commercial trucking on Otto
Read next: Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly scheduled to visit India and meet PM Modi this week
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Jussie Smollett Pleads Not Guilty to Faking Racist Attack
By Guest Author | March 15, 2019 10:05AM
On Thursday, Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty on 16 felony counts related to his alleged lying to the police about being the victim of a racist and anti-gay attack. Smollett still claims that he is innocent.
Not Guilty?
Smollett, who is black and gay, said in late January that two men wearing President Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” hats assaulted him, yelled racial slurs and said “This is MAGA country.” He later surrendered to authorities who began to question his story and charged him with filing a false police report.
The Chicago Tribune reported on the scene Thursday, “Reporters, courthouse staffers and several supporters packed the courtroom for the arraignment. One man wore an ‘Empire’ T-shirt, while a woman was clad in a shirt reading ‘Justice for Jussie.”
Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty to 16 felony charges for falsely reporting a crime. He says he was beaten by 2 men shouting racist and homophobic slurs. Prosecutors say he paid the men to stage the attack. He faces a maximum 48 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/2LFBMinkQA
— AJ+ (@ajplus) March 14, 2019
“Smollett left the Leighton Criminal Court Building without comment, walking outside into the pouring rain surrounded by supporters. His lawyers also declined to speak to reporters,” the Tribune noted. “The 36-year-old actor, who is free on $100,000 bond, has previously denied lying to police or faking the attack.”
Police say that Smollett admitted he staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary for his role on the hit television series “Empire.”
He could face up to 48 years in prison. Smollett’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 17
Hot button issue for the Left
Smollett’s story became a hot button issue for the Left in the beginning, precisely because it reinforced what many liberals would like to believe about Trump supporters.
When it became more obvious that Smollett might not be telling the truth, many worried that it might make the public take hate crimes less seriously.
CNN’s Don Lemon’s greatest concern seemed to be that conservatives and Fox News might be able to score political points off of Smollett’s alleged phony story.
CNN’s Don Lemon panics over Jussie Smollett's felony charge: “Sean Hannity is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second. Tucker Carlson is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second. The President of the United States is going to eat his lunch” pic.twitter.com/aYCQE9Y50J
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 21, 2019
“Sean Hannity is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second,” Lemon panicked. “Tucker Carlson is going to eat Jussie Smollett’s lunch every single second. The President of the United States is going to eat his lunch.”
What happens next with Jussie Smollett is anyone’s guess, but it will be interesting not only to see his defense but also how the Left reacts to what is sure to be a spectacle.
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Here’s How Trump Plans to Get His $8 Billion For the Wall
By Rusty | Featured Contributor | February 15, 2019 10:53AM
President Trump is preparing to make a national emergency declaration that could allow him to spend up to $8 billion to construct a barrier at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday that the President would both sign the recently approved budget compromise and declare the national emergency.
“I just had an opportunity to speak with President Trump and he’s prepared to sign the bill,” McConnell said. “He will also be signing a national emergency declaration at the same time.”
That move will reportedly free up the $8 billion Trump could then use to construct his wall. Where will he get that money?
President Trump plans to sign a compromise border security measure Friday and then announce that he is using executive action, including declaring a national emergency, to spend $8 billion for his border wall, a White House official said https://t.co/Zp2XXok9BX pic.twitter.com/3bkbkNuNVc
— CNN (@CNN) February 15, 2019
$8 Billion Breakdown
With the passing of the spending bill in Congress, the President has been authorized to utilize $1.375 billion toward a wall at the southern border.
An additional $600 million would come from the Treasury Department’s drug forfeiture fund, money which can be accessed by departments such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security.
A total of $2.5 billion would be accessed through the Pentagon’s drug interdiction program.
It’s noteworthy that the White House will use drug programs to help fund a wall that they believe is key in combating a national emergency in the opioid crisis.
Conservative author Ann Coulter has claimed the heroin crisis and the resulting opioid addictions and death are “100 percent a problem of not having a wall on the border.”
Finally, nearly half of the entire amount, $3.5 billion, will come from the Pentagon’s military construction budget through the emergency declaration.
This Won’t Be An Easy Fight
Democrats have vowed to fight funding for a border wall to secure America on two fronts.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has already threatened to file a lawsuit, an effort that could bog down the process by tying it up in courts well into the 2020 campaign season.
Additionally, they’ve introduced legislation that would block the President from using the military or disaster funding.
To combat this, the GOP inserted language into the budget bill to help Trump in the legal battle to declare a national emergency. It clarifies Congress’s delegation of authority to the President to take the steps necessary to secure the southern border.
Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby and the GOP negotiators knew Democrats would challenge the President in federal court so they made sure the bill reiterates specific authority to construct walls.
Josh Blackman, an associate law professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston, said Trump’s legal position in declaring a national emergency is strong.
“Congress basically said you can do it whenever you want whenever you think that national defense is at risk,” Blackman told Politico. “And that’s a very broad and deferential standard.”
Who will ultimately win this battle?
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MIDNIGHT MUSIC STREAM: Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Royce Da 5’9 And More!
Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa will be going on 33-city tour.
Garfield Hylton
Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa are going on 33-city tour. The tour starts on July 20th and will begin in West Palm Beach, FL. “Kevin Gates, Jhené Aiko, Casey Veggies, and DJ Drama will also join the two throughout cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and more.” Tickets can be purchased here.
SOURCE: Miss Info
Royce Da 5’9 has been lighting the internet on fire to set anticipation for his impending studio release, Layers. His newest release is a smooth killer featuring the drug dealing talents of Pusha T and “the only fat n***** in the sauna with jews,” Rick Ross. There are bars on top of bars on this hyper lyrical but smooth cut. Layers is out on April 15th.
Pimp C was one of the most beloved figures in rap. His passing was untimely and left a hole in the game that can’t be filled by anyone else. Pimp C was known for his musical contributions but also as someone who never hesitated to speak his mind.
“While Pimp C’s legacy continues to grow in hip-hop circles around the world, Mass Appeal & Complex teamed up for a new mini documentary about his life. Named after his latest posthumous album, Long Live The Pimp<, the 30-minute film explores Chad Butler’s life on — and off the microphone.”
Dej Loaf announced her new mixtape, All Jokes Aside, on Instagram. It’s out on April 6th. You can watch a teaser of the mixtape here.
SOURCE: Pitchfork
The battle might’ve been over but the war is far from lost. Meek Mill has plans to fire back at Drake as Meek allegedly jacked “Summer Sixteen” to lay down his thoughts. No word of when the track will drop but this is rather fortuitous timing on Meek’s part. Views From the Six is expected to drop any day now.
SOURCE: Hypetrak
2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards Red Carpet Featuring Snoop Dogg, DJ Khaled, & More
1. Rick Ross and fiancée Lira Mercer
Source:Splash 1 of 14
2. Ray J and Princess Love
3. DJ Drama
4. Travis Scott
5. DJ Khaled
6. Dej Loaf and her mother
7. Lil Scrappy
8. E-40
9. Snoop Dogg
10. Redman and his son
Source:Splash 10 of 14
11. Rich Homie Quan
12. 2 Chainz
13. T-Pain
14. Soulja Boy
Continue reading 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards Red Carpet Featuring Snoop Dogg, DJ Khaled, & More
MIDNIGHT MUSIC STREAM: Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Royce Da 5’9 And More! was originally published on globalgrind.com
Isaiah Rashad , kendrick lamar , pimp c , Pusha T , rick ross , Schoolboy Q , snoop dogg , SZA , Wiz Khalifa
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(03-14-2019, 08:03 AM)82lsju Wrote: so 761 benefited over ~25 years so about 30 people a year. One wonders
- how many other similar firms were/are out there
- how he recruited the coaches to participate
- if any coaches he tried to recruit were not interested and if there were any why they did not report him
I also wonder if there were similar schemes involving things like exceptional musical talent where none existed......
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/col...d_nn_fb_ma
(03-14-2019, 07:52 AM)oldalum Wrote:
(03-13-2019, 09:56 PM)winflop Wrote: I may have read incorrectly but I believe he was paid $100K directly. Of course he's now going to have to give it back.
I do not believe that is accurate. His lawyer said he was the only coach in the group who did not receive any money himself, and everything I've read said the $270,000 went directly to the sailing program.
Here's the document on just Vandemoer, it says the payments were to the Stanford Sailing Program
Quote: - In or about May 2018, after Stanford Applicant 1 deferred his application to Stanford for one year. Singer mailed a payment of $110,000 from one of the KWF charitable accounts to the Stanford sailing program in exchange for VANDEMOER's agreement to designate Stanford Applicant 1 as a sailing recruit in the following year's recruitment cycle.
- In or about the summer of 2018, after Stanford Applicant 1 decided to attend a different university, VANDEMOER agreed with Singer to use that same recruiting spot for the child of another one of Singer's clients ("Stanford Applicant 2"), in exchange for a $500,000 payment to the Stanford sailing program.
- Although Stanford Applicant 2 ultimately did not apply to Stanford, Singer mailed a payment of $160,000 from one of the KWF charitable accounts to the Stanford sailing program.
https://www.justice.gov/file/1142906/download
in the larger document that talks to all the people it says things like
Quote: - Singer also made private school tuition payments for VAVIC's children
- he [Singer] directed payments of $20,000 per month to HEINEL personally via checks
The thought that 'bad' applications were ferreted out by Admissions is a little optimistic. The first student apparently opted for a 'gap' year and never reapplied. The second one applied elsewhere. The dad spent $260,000 on payments for applications that were never actually presented.
(03-13-2019, 05:17 PM)BostonCard Wrote:
(03-13-2019, 02:56 PM)Genuine Realist Wrote: By the way, I notice that neither my alma mater (Pomona) nor any of the other super elite small colleges (Swarthmore, Bowdoin. Reid, Carleton, Oberlin, etc.) were involved - to date. I don't imagine that's because of superior virtue, but because it's a lot harder to hide a suspect application in a student body that small.
I was going to ask whether Pomona gave preference to athletes, but a little Googling showed that Pomona was a Division III school and had a page titled "recruit me" with a link to a form where prospective student athletes could fill out a form that would be sent to the coach. Division III doesn't offer scholarships, but it seems like the coaches probably could put a good word in with admissions.
So I think your theory is probably right. The other thing is that for a lot of the schools you cite, their academic quality exceeds their name recognition. Given that a lot of this was much more about the parents' egos than it was an attempt to advance their children's educations, it would make sense that the target schools were those with a lot of name recognition.
(03-13-2019, 04:08 PM)winflop Wrote: I actually don't think any school's admissions teams did anything wrong here. They all followed their own guidelines. We can argue that those guidelines give an advantage to people with money and that may be true but those are the rules they are given.
The fraud was perpetrated upon them by these parents and the company and its agents. Sadly, one of the parents is a b-school classmate of mine. I don't wish ill upon many people, but I hope he misses our next reunion because he's in jail.
I tend to agree with you here, though my wife raised the question as to why the admissions office didn't do at least a minimum of due diligence. You can pick a random person on the Stanford sailing team and do a google search on them and find their times from old regattas, and sailing is probably one of the most obscure sports. Something like tennis or soccer would have team pages and even local news articles. My response is that presumably that is the coach's job, and that the admissions department's due diligence is to focus on the academics.
Obviously, inherent in the assumption is the now incorrect assumption that the coaches were not corruptable. One would like to think that a coach would, above all else, try to maximize their probability of winning, and that with a limited number of scholarships (or a limited number of non-scholarship admissions "chits") they would use them on the players that they really need to recruit, not players who will never contribute. But I guess if the dollar amount is high enough, a coach might be willing to sacrifice the marginal player.
I agree that more diligence should be done - but at what point in the admissions process? Can't do that level of diligence on 60,000+ applicants. But again, this is a shortcoming of the process as defined, not something that admissions folks deliberately did wrong to get these kids in.
If anything, the holes exposed here will force colleges across the country to be more diligent at later stages in the admissions process. And I hope that when they find fraud they will refer the matter to authorities for prosecution. There has to be a significant disincentive to do this.
(03-13-2019, 09:08 PM)Nan3cy Wrote: In the late 90s I started advising freshmen at Stanford. One of my early students was a boy from Singapore — English kid whose father was a businessman there — who was pretty convinced he had only gotten in because he was a rower. Then he got to Stanford and realized he really didn’t want to be on the crew, so he quit. I think he worried after that that he really couldn’t hack it, but he wound up doing fine. I think the allowances made at Stanford for athletes are moderate enough that most of them can do fine — I just worry about some of them trying to deal with the demands of their sport at the same time that they’re trying to deal with the academic demands.
". . . .like juggling with knives." Kelly Caitlin, the Stanford cyclist who committed suicide last week, referring to the demands of balancing personal goals and athletics.
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a...c-cyclist/
(03-14-2019, 09:15 AM)Genuine Realist Wrote: The thought that 'bad' applications were ferreted out by Admissions is a little optimistic. The first student apparently opted for a 'gap' year and never reapplied. The second one applied elsewhere. The dad spent $260,000 on payments for applications that were never actually presented.
more from the document, I don't think applicant 1 took a gap year but decided to go elsewhere and not apply given the timing of deciding to go elsewhere in summer 2018
- In or about the summer of 2018, after Stanford Applicant 1 decided to attend a different university,
I also think Singer was using the money paid as a placeholder deposit for a future unknown applicant who's parents would pay to use the spot, so this parent was probably not out $270k for nothing (I'm assuming that money was used to get the kid into the place they attended)
Quote: VANDEMOER agreed with Singer that the payment would serve as a "deposit" for a future student's purported recruitment.
(03-14-2019, 08:44 AM)76lsjumb Wrote: According to the article about the new class action lawsuit by those Stanford students:
"Erica Olson and Kalea Woods say they were denied a fair opportunity to gain legitimate admission to elite colleges, and that their Stanford degrees were devalued, by criminal racketeering charges leveled by federal prosecutors.
The students claim they were denied a fair opportunity to apply for admission at Yale and USC, respectively, according to their March 13 complaint."
So let me get this straight: They're alleging that the injury they suffered was their inability to get into USC, forcing them to go to Stanford? Really? Really?
How about a class action lawsuit against these two for devaluing MY Stanford degree... ?
This is an egregious abuse of the legal system. There are so many things clearly wrong with this suit that I doubt there is any chance it will see the courtroom (standing being only one of them). This kind of abuse of the system is one of the reasons I think that we unfortunately need to have a penalty for such actions found to be without any merit. I realize the current system is designed to ensure that anyone who has actually been harmed by improper actions has recourse through the courts. However, something is needed to deter actions like this one!
I suspect the story here is an opportunistic and borderline-abusive plaintiff's lawyer: one of the students has already dropped out of the suit, and the other can't be reached for comment.
(03-14-2019, 10:29 AM)2006alum Wrote: I suspect the story here is an opportunistic and borderline-abusive plaintiff's lawyer: one of the students has already dropped out of the suit, and the other can't be reached for comment.
the filing is here
https://www.scribd.com/document/40189524...on-Lawsuit
Stanford's statement said this:
"Neither student came to Stanford; one student was initially denied admission and intended to reapply but never did, and the second never completed an application."
So we know that one application reached the admissions office with phony athletic credentials and a dishonest coach's recommendation. That application was denied. Thus, in the only tainted case that came before the admissions office, the admissions system worked: the unqualified applicant was rejected. Evidently the fabricated sailing resume and the dishonest coach's endorsement were not enough to overcome the applicant's lack of qualifications.
so in the world of it gets stranger and stranger
- per the Daily article one of the Plaintiffs (Erica Olsen) to drop out of the suit
- Olsen is a Dollie, one of the other Dollies is Sabrina Medler, she appears to be the daughter of the attorney who filed the lawsuit (John Medler)
new plaintiffs
The new plaintiffs listed in the amended complaint are:
- Lauren Fidelak, who attends Tulane University, and her mother Keri Fidelak;
- Tyler Bendis, a student at a community college in Orange County, California, and his mother Julia Bendis;
- Nicholas James Johnson, a student at Rutgers and his father James Johnson.
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2019/03/14...g-scandal/
Every year, lots of "qualified" applicants to Stanford are not admitted. I don't think anybody on this board really knows exactly what criteria are used in selecting students to be admitted. It is not an objectively "fair" process, as there are many factors that cannot be compared directly. The University also has its own weightings factors that vary from year to year. That is why many parents desire an extra "push" from some factor such as athletics, or community service involvement, or ... Phony credentials in these areas probably haven't been a big enough problem in the past to require vetting. Henceforth, they will require scrutiny. I have no idea how much difference being on the sailing team will make in any given year. In the future, the University will now have to verify such factors for anybody they want to accept.
Cheating on standardized tests is entirely another matter. The fact a "ringer" can take the SAT for you and not be detected is absurd. The fact that a person could do this for years and not get caught is even more problematic. Simple things like requiring proper photo id (like you need to get on an airplane) should make it difficult to get in the room if you are not who you are supposed to be. Random assignments of proctors to venues should make it very difficult for corrupt proctors to help anybody with the test. Requiring two randomly assigned proctors should make it virtually impossible. It is unfortunate that this type of concern is required. It is also probably true that no scheme is foolproof. It should be possible to develop a protocol that will make it very improbable that anybody could get away with this at all, let alone long-term as appears to have happened in this case. It shouldn't be possible to make a business of it!
washingtonismoney
Supreme Court Justice
An opinion piece on the exigencies of expelling students over the fraud: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articl...e-expelled
(03-14-2019, 09:15 AM)Genuine Realist Wrote: The dad spent $260,000 on payments for applications that were never actually presented.
yes, but to be scrupulously accurate (more important these days than before, I think!), one dad paid $110,000 and a different dad paid $160,000.
(03-14-2019, 08:19 AM)2006alum Wrote: I don't have time for a long post now (hope to do one later today), but for now I will just say that both the underlying scandal, and now the frivolous lawsuits seeking to capitalize on it, are both indicative of what has gone wrong with our contemporary society and the complete lack of moral responsibility many citizens seem to have for how they comport themselves and what they expect from themselves and from others. The scandal, the bribes, the lawsuits, are all evince a kind of unquestioned entitlement that has run amok over any sense of personal responsibility.
Couldn't agree more with this. It's not funny, but in these times it seems laughter is the only comfort we can have. In that vein, I thought this NY Times opinion piece was good: NY Times
(This post was last modified: 03-14-2019, 12:52 PM by oldalum.)
Info on the tipster from the Wall Street Journal says he was being investigated for securities fraud.
I don't subscribe, but here is the link for those who do.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-yale-da...a2f53495ab
Wow, I hadn't realized that she'd had a serious concussion and was suffering from headaches and intolerance to light. I wonder how much of a role that might have played in her altered mental state, because it sounds like the severity of her circumstances exacerbated substantially after that fall. What a sad, sad story.
(03-14-2019, 11:55 AM)terry Wrote:
Stanford's statement does not match the recitals (evidently from the indictment). Those are quoted above. Evidently, Student 1 decided to defer the process for a year, and during that year, chose a different school.
(03-14-2019, 01:59 PM)Genuine Realist Wrote:
I am inclined to believe Stanford here. With several schools involved I really doubt the investigators troubled themselves with specifics that were not material to the indictments.
Simple way to think of this. If accepted applicants are allowed to take a gap year, why would one need to reapply? They wouldn't.
https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/01/11...-students/
https://www.quora.com/Does-Stanford-acce...admissions
Then back to reality. The coach/school got a fraction of the total funds. So as a parent I learn of this scheme. Then I agree to funnel in a mid-six figure number into the plan. We bribe a coach and create an image of my child as a sailing expert. We do all of that, get into Stanford and then...ah, never mind. We will apply again next year. That doesn't make sense.
Seems more likely that they did all of that but admissions turned them away. Trying hard to preserve the reputation of the illegal scheme the mastermind would claim they person opted out or decided to do something else. That person would say almost anything other than tell future clients that they may do all of this illegal stuff and your child still might not get in.
while USC's long history of cheating and other scandals (including but not limited to sports) is being recalled, I remembered a little-known one that occurred when I was in medical school at UCLA. The National Board Exam Part I was traditionally given at each of the medical schools in Southern California, and the Board had medical school administrators at each site administer and proctor them. But the year before I took it, a USC administrator sold copies of the exam to USC med students. They were later caught and the scores invalidated, but for my year the Board decided to send out their own people to proctor it themselves at one location, and they decided the most central location was at USC. So everyone else had to drive to and from USC in rush hour twice to take the 2-day exam. It was a total disaster, they were overwhelmed by the large number of students, and in order to get the exam going they had to completely drop all security measures. What is it about that place that attracts such people????!!!
I trust Stanford's statement that the student was denied admission. Stanford has first-hand knowledge of its admissions decisions.
donkey687
(03-14-2019, 02:33 PM)Farm93 Wrote:
The reality is that sailing doesn't have that much pull with 1-4 recruits entering each year. The team is made up of about 50% walk-ons that weren't really recruited and didn't get any admissions pull. Each of the last two recruiting classes for sailing have been excellent with a couple of the top sailing recruits in the country. As fraudulent as Coach V was in this scandal, I assume he was ranking the nationally ranked recruits ahead of the phony recruit with admissions so it doesn't surprise me that Coach V's recommendation of the phony recruit didn't sway the admissions process.
By the way, there has been little discussion of the current sailing team members here. They have a pretty stacked team especially on the Co-Ed side and they should be in the running for top 5 finishes at nationals this spring. The skippers on that team have an impressive sailing background prior to Stanford and they will forever be tarnished by the actions of their former coach and by outsiders who will feel they gained admittance to Stanford due to improper circumstances. It sucks for them. I will be rooting for them, and I hope that the Athletics Department doesn't punish those athletes for the actions of their former coach.
stupac2
2) Poor kids are less likely to have ID and already disadvantaged enough by this system.
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BlackBerry could be sold for $4.7 billion to largest shareholder
Local · September 23, 2013 2:24 pm ·
(File photo by Kate Turner)
After a weekend of job cut reports and a delayed BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) roll out for iPhone and Android, Waterloo-based smartphone operator BlackBerry signed a letter of intent agreement for a potential $4.7 billion sale of the company to its largest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings. The Toronto-based company — which currently owns 10 per cent of BlackBerry’s shares — will give $9 for each share to the remaining shareholders, as well as move the company into a private setting.
Under the agreement, Fairfax would lead a consortium to purchase BlackBerry, subject to due diligence. The diligence, or the details and the negotiations of the agreement, are to be completed by November 4, 2013, according to a press release on BlackBerry’s website. However, during this period BlackBerry is allowed to receive other offers from different companies. The press release stated that there is no promise that the “due diligence will be satisfactory.”
In the summer months, BlackBerry’s board of directors struck up a special committee to evaluate the company’s future.
“The special committee is seeking the best available outcome for the company’s constituents, including for shareholders. Importantly, the go-shop process provides an opportunity to determine if there are alternatives superior to the present proposal from the Fairfax consortium,” Barbara Stymiest, chair of BlackBerry’s board of directors, said in a statement released by the company today.
Prem Watsa, the chairman and CEO of Fairfax, also said in the press release they “believe this transaction will open an exciting new private chapter for BlackBerry, its customers, carriers and employees.”
On Friday, it was reported that BlackBerry would cut 4,500 of its global workforce, with the number of workers being laid off in Waterloo still unknown. On Saturday and Sunday, the smartphone developer was expected to released their BBM platform for Android and iOS, but an early version of the messaging app was leaked, therefore causing BlackBerry to pause the global roll out.
Author: Cord Staff
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Tag - U.S. Open
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| Filmography | Forum | Gallery || Ryan Reynolds: DVD | Blu-Ray | Collectibles
Ryan Reynolds is a Canadian actor, and producer.
Ryan Reynolds was born Ryan Rodney Reynolds, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
As an actor, Ryan Reynolds acted in movies such as Buried, released in 2010 (Paul Conroy), R.I.P.D. (2013) in which he portrays Nick Walker, Turbo (2013) playing Turbo, Safe House (2012) (Matt Weston), The Change-Up (2011) in which he portrays Mitch, and The Proposal (2009) (Andrew Paxton).
Ryan Reynolds has also produced movies such as Deadpool, released in 2016.
, starring R. Reynolds, E. Skrein, G. Carano, T. Miller...
Self/less
Directed by: T. Singh, starring M. Goode, R. Reynolds, M. Dockery, B. Kingsley...
Directed by: R. Fleck, starring Y. Landry, A. Howard, R. Reynolds, J. Warner Smith...
, starring K. Bacon, J. Bridges, Mary.-Louise. Parker, R. Knepper...
, starring S. L. Jackson, M. Rodriguez, B. Hader, P. Giamatti...
Directed by: C. Sanders, starring E. Stone, R. Reynolds, C. Keener, C. Leachman...
, starring D. Washington, V. Farmiga, B. Gleeson, R. Patrick...
Fireflies in the Garden
Directed by: D. Lee, starring J. Roberts, R. Reynolds, W. Dafoe, E. Watson...
, starring R. Reynolds, J. Bateman, L. Mann, M. Monroe...
Ryan Reynolds ➤ Filmography
Ryan Reynolds Cast in "Mississippi Grind"!
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HD Photos of Ryan Reynolds from "Safe House", a film by Daniel Espinosa
no reply yet - Directed by Daniel Espinosa, and written by David Guggenheim, «Safe House» is an upcoming Action/Adventure/Thriller film, due to be...
Ryan Reynolds ➤ Message Board
Ryan Reynolds as Matt Weston in Safe House (2012)
Denzel Washington as "Tobin Frost" in "Safe House" (2012)
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Ryan Reynolds ("Michael Waechter") and Carrie-Anne Moss ("Kelly Hanson") in "Fireflies in the Garden" (2011)
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Ryan Reynolds as "Michael Waechter" in "Fireflies in the Garden" (2011)
Ryan Reynolds ("Michael Waechter") and Willem Dafoe ("Charles Waechter") in "Fireflies in the Garden" (2011)
Ryan Reynolds as "Hal Jordan" in "Green Lantern" (2011)
Released in the USA on June 17 of 2011, "Green Lantern" (also known as "Emerald Dawn") is an Action/Science Fiction/Fantasy film written by Marc Guggenheim (screenplay) and Michael Green (screenplay) . Ryan Reynolds (Hal Jordan) is starring, alongside Mark Strong (Sinestro), Blake Lively (Carol Ferris), Peter Sarsgaard (Hector Hammond) and Adam Beach (Tom Kalmaku).
Ryan Reynolds as "Captain Excellent" in "Paper Man" (2010)
Starring Emma Stone (Abby), Ryan Reynolds (Captain Excellent), Lisa Kudrow (Claire Dunn), Hunter Parrish, Kieran Culkin and Arabella Field (Lucy), "Paper Man" is a Comedy/Drama film directed by Michele Mulroney, and written by Kieran Mulroney, released on April 23 of 2010 in the USA.
Ryan Reynolds (Matt Weston) and Robert Patrick in Safe House (2012)
Ryan Reynolds (Michael Waechter) and Willem Dafoe (Charles Waechter) in Fireflies in the Garden (2011)
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1 message - According to Variety, Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment is in talks with "Green Lantern" star Ryan Reynolds for a leading role in the reboot...
Dave 'Chico' Ryan
An American actor
William 'Red' Reynolds
An American producer, and director
Ryan E. Heppe
An American producer, director, writer, cinematographer, actor, and composer
Ryan Dunn
Resources: contributions from movie fans. Anyone can submit additionnal information and corrections, you can post a message into the forum, or you can contact me by e-mail. Information and materials are submitted by users and thus may not always contain up-to-date and correct information, so do not hesite to report mistakes, and submit corrections.Thank you!. Direct editing is no longer available, sorry.
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